April is STD Awareness Month.
Posted by on April 1, 2015 - 8:16am

 Know the facts! GYT: Get Yourself Tested

False assumptions about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—how they're spread, treated, and prevented—are everywhere and it can be especially hard for people to get the facts. Here are five you need to know:

  • You can't tell someone has an STD just by looking at them.
  • STD tests aren't always a part of a regular doctor visit.
  • Almost all STDs that can be spread via unprotected vaginal sex can also be spread through unprotected oral and anal sex.
  • Using a condom can take a lot of the worry out of sex, since it can prevent unintended pregnancy and protect you from STDs.
  • STD testing is a basic part of staying healthy.

Because half of the estimated 20 million STDs that occur in the United States each year are among young people, STD Awareness Month 2015 is focused on this population. This month-long observance provides an opportunity to clear up misperceptions about STD prevention and testing, and confront the unique challenges that young people face when it comes to preventing these infections.

To learn more:  Visit HERE.

Study Finds Association Between Bikini Waxing and STI Risk
Posted by on March 20, 2013 - 12:10pm

Happy first day of spring! That’s right; even though we are still experiencing sub-zero temperatures in many parts of the country (Chicago weather today is brutal!), it is technically now spring. With spring, comes spring vacation and thoughts of warm weather and spending time at the beach. This month, women and men across the country will shed their parkas and start getting bathing suit ready. For many, this involves a certain amount of grooming, with respect to body hair. Before you get out your razor, clippers or wax, though, we wanted to give you a head’s up on an article, published in the upcoming issue of the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, suggesting that Brazilian waxing and other methods of pubic hair removal may increase the risk of catching certain skin infections through sex.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection “that results in round, firm, painless bumps ranging in size from a pinhead to a pencil eraser. If the bumps are scratched or injured, the infection can spread to surrounding skin.” Although this infection is most commonly found in children, Molluscum contagiosum involving genitals is considered to be a sexually transmitted infection that can affect adults (particularly those with weakened immune systems). In recent years, the spread of Molluscum contagiosum through sex has increased in some parts of the world, and researchers at a private health clinic in Nice, France wanted to know if the increasing popularity of pubic hair removal had anything to do with this.

A recent article in the Huffington Post states that French researchers focused their investigation on 30 patients (6 women and 24 men), with sexually transmitted Molluscum contagiosum, who visited their clinic in 2011 and 2012. 93 percent of these patients had removed their pubic hair through shaving (70 percent), clipping (13 percent) or waxing (10 percent) and 10 of the 30 had at least one other skin condition. The researchers found an association between pubic hair removal and an increased risk of contracting Molluscum contagiosum. It is important to note, however, that this association is not proof, and there were limitations to the study, such as small number of patients and the exclusion of a comparison group of people who are skin-infection free. Consequently, more research needs to be done.

Nonetheless, experts not involved with the study weighed in to say that pubic hair removal could theoretically increase the risk of genital skin infections and point to the fact that the small scratches or cuts to the skin that sometimes occur with hair removal can make it easier for viruses to establish infections. According to Dr. Robert Brodell, chief of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Division of Dermatology, “The body has a number of defense mechanisms to prevent infections. One of those is healthy skin.” He goes on to state that aberrations in the skin “open the door for catching the infections.”

Thus, although the jury is still out on the exact conclusiveness of this study and more investigation is necessary, it would be wise to keep this research in mind when you ready yourself for summer grooming. After all, a skin infection such as Molluscum contagiosum is one thing that might definitely make you think before putting on a bikini.

Lack of Chlamydia testing can threaten reproductive health
Posted by on April 4, 2012 - 12:40pm

Just 38 percent of sexually active young women were screened for chlamydia in the previous year in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC recommends annual screening for all sexually active women aged 25 and under.   If recent policies related to health care reform that focus on preventive care are cut, this problem could become worse.

Overall testing rates remain low, although testing was most common among African-American women, those who had multiple sex partners, and those who received public insurance or were uninsured. Researchers find this encouraging because these are some of the groups at highest risk for chlamydia.

“This new research makes it clear that we are missing too many opportunities to protect young women from health consequences that can last a lifetime,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., from the CDC.   “Annual chlamydia screening can protect young women’s reproductive health now and safeguard it for the future.”

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, and young people are most affected. Because people often do not have symptoms, many infections go undetected and untreated. Untreated chlamydia can have severe long-term health consequences, particularly for young women, including chronic pelvic pain, potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Rates of chlamydia in the the US are relatively low compared to third world countries where the incidence rate soar and screening programs are rare.

CDC recommends that anyone diagnosed with chlamydia be retested three months after initial treatment to ensure that those who may have become reinfected can be promptly treated with antibiotics. However, additional data presented at the conference show that retesting rates remain low and many reinfections likely are being missed.  Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics, and retesting plays a vital role in preventing serious future health consequences.

 

Gaps in chlamydia testing among young women should be avoided
Posted by on March 17, 2012 - 11:53am

Just 38 percent of sexually active young women were screened for chlamydia in the previous year, according to the most recent nationally representative estimate conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC recommends annual screening for all sexually active women aged 25 and under.

Overall testing rates remain low, although testing was most common among African-American women, those who had multiple sex partners, and those who received public insurance or were uninsured. Researchers find this encouraging because these are some of the groups at highest risk for chlamydia.

“This new research makes it clear that we are missing too many opportunities to protect young women from health consequences that can last a lifetime,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “Annual chlamydia screening can protect young women’s reproductive health now and safeguard it for the future.”

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, and young people are most affected. Because people often do not have symptoms, many infections go undetected and untreated. Untreated chlamydia can have severe long-term health consequences, particularly for young women, including chronic pelvic pain, potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy and infertility.

CDC recommends that anyone diagnosed with chlamydia be retested three months after initial treatment to ensure that those who may have become reinfected can be promptly treated with antibiotics. However, additional data show that retesting rates remain low and many reinfections likely are being missed. By examining available data on more than 60,000 men and women who tested positive for chlamydia CDC  found that just 14 percent of men and 22 percent of women were retested within 30-180 days. Of those who were retested, a significant proportion again tested positive (25 percent of men and 16 percent of women).

“It is critical that health care providers are not only aware of the importance of testing sexually active young women every year for chlamydia infections, but also of retesting anyone who is diagnosed,” said Gail Bolan, M.D., director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics, and retesting plays a vital role in preventing serious future health consequences.”

 

 

Beware of Bogus STD Treatments
Posted by on May 4, 2011 - 10:52am

Federal regulators say some companies are selling products that make unproven claims to treat sexually transmitted diseases—claims that could pose a threat to public health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says only prescription medicines and diagnostic tools available through a health care professional are effective for STD diagnosis and treatment. FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are warning manufacturers and distributors that they could face legal action if the products aren’t removed from the market. The agencies say at least 15 products claim to treat, prevent, or cure STDs and are being sold online and at some retail outlets.

The products—some of which are sold as dietary supplements—claim to treat a range of sexually transmitted diseases, including herpes, chlamydia, genital warts, HIV, and AIDS. Specific brand names being targeted by FDA and FTC include: Medavir, Herpaflor, and Viruxo. To see a complete list of the phony STD remedies, go to this SITE.

FDA’s Dr. Debbie Birnkrant says she’s concerned that someone with an STD will waste precious time using a product that doesn’t work, leading to a delay in medical treatment and possible spread of the infection. “If you aren’t treating your STD with an FDA-approved medication, you’re not just putting your own health at risk—you could be endangering your partner,” she says.

Prescription Only

Birnkrant says there are no non-prescription drugs or dietary supplements that can treat, cure, or prevent sexually transmitted disease. Condoms are the only non-prescription product that can prevent STDs by reducing the chance that an infected person will pass on the disease. STDs can only be diagnosed and treated under the supervision of a health care professional. Some STDs have symptoms that include sores or a discharge, but the majority of infected people have no symptoms at all. Because of this, Birnkrant says people who are sexually active, have had unprotected sex, or have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease should get medical attention, especially if they have these symptoms:

• burning sensation with urination

• pelvic pain

• discharge from the penis or vagina

• blisters

• sores

There are FDA-approved medications available to treat many sexually transmitted diseases. These products have met federal standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality—and they’re available only by prescription, Birnkrant says. To learn more about sexually transmitted diseases and to learn where you can be tested, go to www.hivtest.org/STDTesting.aspx.