HPV really gets around
New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that about 4% of people in the U.S. aged 14-69 have a high-risk type of human papilloma virus (HPV) in their mouth or throat. (High-risk types of HPV are associated with cancer.) The study concluded that any type of HPV infection in the […]
Itchy situation
Even if you have special x-ray glasses or the observation skills of a ninja, you still cannot tell if someone has an STI (sexually transmitted infection) just by looking. original post
Downtown date
When it comes to spreading STIs, is oral sex safer than sex-sex? One word: Nope. original post
One big step closer to preventing HIV
The journal Science chose an international HIV prevention trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (part of the National Institutes of Health) as the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year. The study, which included 1,763 heterosexual couples from a number of different countries, treated the HIV positive member of each couple […]
The HPV vaccine won’t make you wildly promiscuous
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new study about women across the U.S. who used the HPV vaccine, a.k.a. Gardasil, between 2006 and 2008, which found that participants’ sexual behavior was about the same regardless of whether or not they’d had the vaccine. The study did find a few differences in […]
Sex and drugs get safer
The good news: According to the CDC , Americans took fewer risks when it came to HIV between 2006-2010 than they did in 2002. The less good news: Among 20-24 year olds, 12% of women and 15% of men reported an HIV risk behavior in the last year, meaning that both women and men in […]
SILCS: It’s not your mama’s diaphragm (not her spermicide, either)
Update: The Caya diaphragm, a.k.a. SILCS, is now available in the U.S. — In the 1960s, more than 10% of married women in the U.S. used a diaphragm for birth control—today, fewer than 1% do. The drop could be because so many other birth control options have been introduced since then, including the implant , […]
There’s STI good news and bad news
There’s STI good news: What if there was a shot that protected you against not just HPV but against every virus out there? We aren’t there yet, but some MIT researchers recently made a major leap toward developing one—they’ve invented an across-the-board virus-killer that’s proven safe and effective when tested in mice. It’s got a […]
Full birth control coverage? Thanks, President Obama!
If you happened to catch the folks at Planned Parenthood doing a little dance earlier this month, it was for a good reason. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just announced that by this time next year, new health insurance plans will have to cover any FDA-approved birth control method your doctor prescribes […]
The common cold of the sexually active world: HPV
One of my patients’ most common questions is, “Um, I’ve got some new bumps…down there. Can you check them out?” First off, if you ever notice something of concern “down there,” please go see your doctor or nurse and get it checked out right away. Often these new bumps are harmless, caused by ingrown hairs. […]
