In the study, researchers looked at the way college students talk about sex ⎼ especially casual sex or hooking up ⎼ and what that means for the way their classmates think about sex.

So, what did the researchers find?

While college students talk the talk, it seems that they don’t walk the walk…at least as much as they say. According to the study, students tended to have fewer casual sex encounters than their discussions indicated.

But there’s an extra note of caution here, too. The types of sex college students were most likely to talk about were high-risk situations, like having unplanned and drunken sex with someone they didn’t know. And talking about that kind of sex made their friends more likely to perceive high-risk sex as normal.

That’s a problem.

When people think high-risk sex is normal, they’re more likely to go for it. And, unfortunately, people who have drunken sex with strangers are more likely to catch an STD or have an unintended pregnancy.

To prevent STDs and unintended pregnancy, it’s important to use condoms. And it also helps to know the STD status of your sexual partner. Better yet, couples can get tested for STDs together before they have sex (including oral and anal sex, too). Remember, STDs don’t always caused obvious symptoms…testing is the only way to know if you or a potential sex partner has an STD.

So the next time you hear about a hook-up…take it with a grain of salt. And if you’re sexually active, take control of your sexual health by using protection and getting tested for STDs.

Sex is a constant influence in media, in politics and in our personal lives. Unfortunately, good information about STDs and sexual health isn’t as prevalent.

No matter who you are, if you don’t know the facts about STDs and STD risk factors, you’re probably living with a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. Even actor Matthew Morrison – better known as Mr. Schu in the TV show “Glee” – said recently that he avoided sex when he was younger because of an irrational fear that any kind of sexual activity would result in an STD. Singer and songwriter Katy Perry also stated in an interview that her religious upbringing left her clueless about sex and STDs.

Being uninformed or misinformed about STDs leads to fear. So here are the basics of what you need to know to protect yourself and others from getting infected or spreading an infection:

1. Know your partner & communicate. With every new relationship, get tested for STDs. Give yourselves the peace of mind of knowing each other’s STD status. And don’t be afraid to share your concerns with each other…your sexual health is worth talking about!

Do you trust your sexual partner? Do you know if your partner has a history of STDs? Are you worried about whether your partner is having sex with other people? Ask away…you deserve to know.

2.  Use condoms & practice safer sex. You’ve seen the ads on buses and billboards: “No condom, no way.” Those ads are for real. Using latex condoms or dental dams every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex greatly lowers your risk of getting HIV or other STDs from someone who might be infected…or from spreading a sexually transmitted infection to others.

And use common sense: avoid contact with open cuts or sores.

Being smart about your sexual health also means understanding how STDs can’t be spread. For example, you can’t get HIV through everyday contact with people who are infected with the virus…or through contact with their urine, sweat, tears, coughs or sneezes. And you can’t get HIV by “dry” kissing an infected person…or from toilet seats or eating utensils.

STDs aren’t taboo like they used to be…so if you have questions, ask us and put your fears to rest. Our knowledgeable, STD-certified Care Advisors are just a call away: 866.660.2593 (toll-free).

Ah love… It turns out that money influences love in ways we never imagined. According to a recent survey of 17 – 27 year olds, infidelity is higher in relationships where the woman makes significantly more money than the man. Both the higher income woman and the lower income man are more likely to cheat on their partners in this situation.

One survey showed that 7% of men are unfaithful compared to 3% of women. Some speculate that men earning significantly less money than their partners feel powerless and this may lead to an affair. Reaching a higher educational level and attending regular religious services lowered the risk of cheating for both men and women. Hypotheses abound regarding reasons why we cheat, but in general the more money a person has, the more opportunity there is for cheating (and to hide cheating) whether the person is male or female. Those who travel often for work may have increased opportunities to meet others.

What should YOU do if your partner cheated on you? Get STD tested and don’t have sex with your partner until you’ve both checked your STD status!

Remember if you’re out there having sex with a new partner, use a condom each and every time and limit your number of sexual partners to limit your STD risk.

BY SU McFAY, R.N.

We come across a lot of interesting stories at the Unzipped news desk, but this one wins the week.  In a weird twist of life imitating art, teenagers are literally biting each other as a way to express affection.  Call it the “Twilight” zone.

Sucking blood is also described as a way to “mark” a loved one.  Some teens are cutting themselves and letting others taste their blood, as a means of being “connected eternally.”  You know, like vampires.

But, we’re not vampires.  We’re humans.  Our bites are notoriously infectious and frequently under-managed.  Approximately 10-15% of human bite wounds become infected.  And the possibility of transmission of disease through human bites is real.  Of the sexually transmitted infections, human bites have been shown to transmit hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.   While there is evidence to suggest that it’s biologically possible to spread HIV through human bites, the risk is low.

Teens -  there’s just no safe way to experience this hot new blood-sucking trend.  You can play on Team Edward or Team Jacob, but when it comes to your health, play safe.

• I’m not a blood sucker, but am I at risk for having an STD?

BY ADRIENNE DeLUNA

“So…my condom broke last weekend. I’d probably know if I had something by now, right?”
If only it were that easy.
“My partner said they tested negative for everything, so that means I should be good to go.”
Sorry. Not true.
“If he wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, I can’t get anything passed to me.”
Nope, that’s not right.
“I don’t have any of the symptoms I’ve researched online, so I should be clean, right?”
Sorry, again.

Welcome to the most common questions our counselors hear every day.  If you’re wondering the same things, you’re not alone.  The thing about STDs – and why they’re so common – is that people don’t think they need to get tested.  Your date looks “clean” and you know you don’t show any symptoms of an STD, so there’s no harm with a little unprotected sex, right?  No.  You have no idea if you or your date has an STD unless you’ve been tested.

We get asked these questions so often, we felt the need to pass this bit of information to you.

• There are 19 million new cases of STDs in the U.S. each year.
• The two most common STDs (Chlamydia and Gonorrhea) show no symptoms for 50-75% of the people who are infected. This means you may be infected, and in turn, unknowingly pass the STD to your partner.
• And Herpes? It’s estimated that only about 20% of those who have herpes are even aware they have it.

It also only takes one time of having unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex to get an STD. One time! It doesn’t matter if it was for a minute, or for an hour. (and no, oral is not safe –we’ll dive into that one another time.)

We know this isn’t an easy thing to do, so we make getting tested easy. There’s no undressing, swabbing, or answering any embarrassing questions. Get your results (and peace of mind) in 2-3 business days, and enjoy your sex life without the anxiety.

Still confused or have more questions? Give us a call, that’s what we’re here for. 888-215-9543.

• Want to get tested today?  Start here.
• More questions?  Check out the FAQ.

Before you toss your little blue pills, the researchers at Harvard did not discover that Viagra and other ED drugs cause sexually transmitted diseases.  They don’t.  They do what they are designed to do — help men achieve erections strong enough for sexual intercourse.  What the researchers did discover, however, was that men who take Viagra, Cialis and the others tend to engage in riskier sexual behavior.  In fact, according to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, men who were prescribed ED drugs are 2 to 3 times more likely to contract an STD, particularly HIV or chlamydia, than men who aren’t popping Viagra.

Earlier research has found that men aged 50 and older are less likely to use a condom and less likely to be tested for HIV compared with people in their 20s.  It’s not hard to understand why this trend is happening.  “We are typically unaccustomed to practice safe sex over the age of 50, because the risk of pregnancy is eliminated,” study lead author Dr. Anupam B. Jena of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Viagra.  Meet Trojan.  Trojan?  Meet Viagra.  Guys — we’re happy you’re enjoying great sex, but please stay safe.  And if you haven’t gotten your routine STD or HIV test, we’re here to help.

• Are you at risk?  Get a Free Test Recommendation.
• Get tested for the 8 most common STDs today.
  

Are you concerned that you may have been exposed to genital herpes? Getting a type-specific herpes test for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is the only way to learn if you have the infection or if you do not.  We’re here to help people get tested for herpes, HIV and other common STDs.  Doctors are available 7 days a week to discuss the results and followup with treatment, if necessary.

“This study serves as a stark reminder that herpes remains a common and serious health threat in the United States. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors and steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of this lifelong and incurable infection,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

Of the people who have genital herpes infections, women and African-Americans top the list for the highest rates. According to the CDC data, 1 in 5 women is infected with genital herpes or HSV-2.  The infection rate was almost twice as high among women — nearly 21 percent — than among men, at 11.5 percent.

For African-Americans, the prevalence of infection was 39.2 percent — more than three times that of whites, at 12.3 percent. Black women are most affected by the disease, with an infection rate of 48 percent.

Fenton said the high rates of herpes among African-Americans is most likely contributing to the high rate of HIV in that community. In fact, statistics show that people with herpes are two to three times more likely to get HIV if exposed.

CDC experts say there are a number of barriers to treatment, including poverty and lack of access to care. They say young women often don’t get tested for STDs because of misinformation and stigma.

And, according to CDC experts, while African-American women and men are often unwilling to get tested, doctors are often reluctant to discuss sexual health with their patients — particularly with black male patients.

The health math is easy.  Lots of sex minus sexual health conversation = more infections.  We think about this equation a lot and work hard to help more people feel comfortable with taking control of their sexual health.  Learn how private online STD testing works. And then share it with a friend.  Sex is fun, but it’s also an extreme sport.  Protect yourself and your partners and get tested today.  You’ll be glad you did.

Either way, what he says is true.  Every day we mortal humans play Russian roulette with sex when we don’t know our STD or HIV status and don’t use condoms or dental dams every time we have sex.  While sex is wonderful and life-affirming it can also be seriously dangerous to us and to others if we contract an STD that goes undetected and untreated.  It used to be that getting screened for sexually transmitted disease involved painful swabs and embarrassing doctor visits.  Those days are over.  We help thousands of people get tested privately, easily, and without the hassle. Ozzy, give us a call.  We’re here to help.

• Quiz: Are you at risk?

The typical story is a narrative that goes like this: famous guy gets caught, paparazzi photos and other forms of data detritus draw media attention (e.g. blue Gap dress, phone bills, emails, texts), days of denials are followed by official confession with apologies, wife stands by wordlessly (Silda Spitzer) or not (Elin Nordegren and Jenny Sanford), late night comics enjoy a fresh crop of easy jokes, pundits analyze and ponder political and economic cost to famed celebrity, and then the comeback.

But there’s always one part of the story that’s missing: STD testing.

When you or your spouse has sex outside of the relationship, there is an increased risk of becoming infected with an STD.  To be clinically blunt, any sexual activity that allows blood, semen, or other body fluids to come into contact with the mucous membrane or through cuts or lesions could spread a sexually transmitted disease.  Oral sex, penetration with fingers, and sharing sex toys, as well as touching open sores and then other parts of the body, are all possible ways to send disease from one person to another.

So, did Tiger get regular STD tests to safeguard his sexual health and protect his wife?

Extramarital affairs are, of course, not confined to the rich and famous.  In fact, University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center did a massive study in 2002 which found that 15% of women and 22% of men had said they’d had sex with someone besides their spouse while married.

We’re not here to moralize or philosophize about marriage and monogamy.  If you are concerned about your sexual health and the health of those you love, get tested regularly.  We’re here to help.