March 27th, 2012
There has been a great deal of discussion about teenage sex lately, particularly sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and what should be done to keep kids from developing these infections later in life. While parents and teachers continue to discuss education efforts and vaccinations, the sexual health of older adults is sometimes ignored. For example, research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions has found that adults with congenital heart disease and implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) had fears about getting shocked during sex, which makes it difficult for them to perform.
Often, patients do not discuss their fear with their physician, which goes along with previous studies that found that older adults have difficulty talking about sexual problems. “Communication among healthcare providers and patients is essential,” said researcher Stephen Cook, M.D. “Patients require counseling both before and after device placement particularly if they continue to report high levels of nervous feelings.” An ICD sends a shock to the heart when it detects an irregular beat. Sometimes, this experience can be painful and study participants reported it can feel like a kick in the chest. Older adults should make an effort to discuss with their doctor their fear of the device affecting their sex life, or any other sexual concerns they may have.
Tags: heart healthy sex, ICDs, sex
Posted in Aging + Sex | Comments Off | Comments Off
March 22nd, 2012
Two reality TV stars shared their sexual health message with the rest of the country. Mondo Guerra and Jack Mackenroth, two former Project Runway contestants, brought their HIV awareness program “Positive By Design,” to Chicago for the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). The two shared their stories of living with the sexually transmitted disease (STD) in and effort to lift the veil off the infection. “Only one year after finding the courage to disclose my HIV-positive status on national television on ‘Project Runway,’ I am proud to be bringing Living Positive By Design to USCA, and leading the charge against the stigma associated with HIV,” said Guerra.
The conference was organized by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) which is a group that represents 3,000 community and faith-based AIDS organizations. Mackenroth added that it’s important for HIV patients to discuss their overall health with their physicians, not just their infection. Both stars expressed hope that this awareness program and others like it will encourage people who are HIV-positive to keep an optimistic outlook.
Tags: AIDS, HIV, hiv/aids, Jack Mackenroth, Mondo Guerra, NMAC, Project Runway, reality tv, STD, USCA
Posted in Cultural Attitudes, HIV, Risk | Comments Off | Comments Off
March 21st, 2012
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is a new HIV prevention method in that involves non-infected people taking a pill to reduce their chances of contracting the virus. Now, thirteen HIV/AIDs organizations have issued a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Gilead Sciences urging them to review the safety an effectiveness of this pill among gay and bisexual men and transgender women so that it can potentially be approved and widely produced. “We desperately need new strategies and tools to reduce the rapidly increasing rates of HIV infection in black, gay, and bisexual men,” said Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) who took this pill, used condoms and received safer sex counseling had 42 percent lower HIV infection rates than those who were just given the contraceptives and counseling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that there was a 34 percent increase in HIV cases among young gay men between 2006 and 2009. This statistic highlights the need for more prevention methods to combat this infection.
Tags: FDA, HIV, HIV contraction, HIV Prevention, MSM, PrEP, prevention
Posted in HIV, STD awareness | No Comments | Add Your Comment »
March 15th, 2012
It’s important to talk to children about sexual health, not just so that they have the information they need to avoid developing a sexually transmitted disease (STD), but also so they can recognize harassment when they are experiencing it. CNN reports that a recent study conducted by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has found that 48 percent of high school and middle school students questioned said they experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past year.
“I think it’s wonderful that bullying is getting attention, but I would like sexual harassment in that conversation,” said Catherine Hill, the director of research at AAUW and one of the authors of the report. The New York Times also reported on this study, and said that 56 percent of female and 40 percent of male respondents reported being sexually harassed by a peer. Most students said they did not report the incident to any adult or authority figure, and that it’s just a normal part of the day.
These findings show that students are in need of more education regarding the kinds of interactions that are appropriate.
Tags: sex ed, sexual harassment, STD
Posted in STD awareness | Comments Off | Comments Off
March 13th, 2012
When people think of deaths associated with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), they usually think of HIV. However, according to new research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths from hepatitis C (HCV) have been exceeding those due to HIV since 2007. “Without reducing allocation of resources that have diminished HIV deaths, we think a commitment to detect and treat chronic HCV will markedly improve the growing wave of disability and death from this under-appreciated viral infection,” said researcher Scott Holmberg, M.D. The scientists found that while hepatitis B deaths remained the same and HIV declined between 1999 and 2007, hepatitis C deaths increased significantly. This suggests the need for more research to be conducted into finding more effective treatments for this disease.
If left untreated, hepatitis C can cause serious liver damage, the National Center for Biotechnology Information reports. The medications used to treat this condition come with a variety of side effects, including headaches and depression. This highlights the need for different pills and procedures to combat the disease.
Tags: HCV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, STD, STDs
Posted in HIV, hepatitis C | No Comments | Add Your Comment »
March 8th, 2012
When a person becomes infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) they may also find themselves experiencing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a condition characterized by inflammation of the reproductive organs and affects an estimated 800,000 women in the U.S. each year. Recently, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center have found that teenage girls with recurrent PID are at risk of experiencing a variety of symptoms, including chronic pain in their pelvis and infertility. The scientists examined many teenage girls with this condition and found that 18 percent were already showing signs of infertility.
“The fact that close to one-fifth of these girls were already showing signs of infertility is quite alarming and might mean that the numbers will increase as these girls get older and actively try to get pregnant,” said researcher Maria Trent, M.D. PID, like many other STDs, can potentially be prevented by practicing safer sex. This is why it’s important to spread awareness of the most effective ways to avoid getting these infections.
Tags: fertility, Infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, PID, sexually transmitted disease, STD
Posted in Infertility, safe sex | Comments Off | Comments Off
March 6th, 2012
One of the many issues surrounding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is that it can be difficult to encourage people to get tested for infections regularly. In response to this, researchers have been working to determine the best way to screen large groups of people for STDs, including non-targeted testing in emergency rooms that randomly checks to see if patients who are at the hospital for any reason have an infection.
French physicians trying out this method of testing have found that it doesn’t appear to be very effective in identifying new cases of HIV. “Unexpectedly, non-targeted screening identified only a few new diagnoses, often already at late stages, and most newly diagnosed patients belonged to a high-risk group and had been tested previously,” said researchers. However, the scientists said that this method should not be written off altogether as it could still be effective in other parts of the world. Catching STDs early is key to effectively treating any infection, as symptoms become more difficult to control in the later stages.
Tags: ER, HIV, Hospital, STD, STD Testing, STDs
Posted in HIV, Privacy, STD Testing, Test | Comments Off | Comments Off
March 1st, 2012
Recently, Alabama’s local CBS affiliate reported that sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates have risen dramatically in the state. Unfortunately, this is nothing new for the area, as the news source stated that the Cotton State has been listed in the top ten states with high STD rates for the past decade. Now, one county is working to combat the growing number of syphilis infections in their area.
AL.com reported that Baldwin County has now put up a billboard advising residents to get tested for syphilis and other STDs. The ad features pictures of a person’s hands in the second stage of the infection, when sores or a rash often develops on the hands and feet.
“The message [on the billboard], worded in English and Spanish: Know the Signs. Syphilis. It’s curable & the test is free. Contact Your Local Health Department,” stated the news source.
Syphilis, unlike many other STDs, is curable with prescription antibiotics if addressed in the early stages. Of course, this and many other infections can potentially be prevented through practicing safer sex and maintaining open communication with sexual partners.
Tags: alabama, STD, STD Testing, STDs, syphilis, syphilis symptom, syphilis symptoms
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off | Comments Off
February 28th, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently called for all of the world’s nations to join together to help create an AIDS-free generation. This will be achieved when no children are born with the disease, and the preventative tools that have been developed are effective in keeping kids from becoming infected with HIV when they get older.
In order to reach this goal, the country has outlined the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This initiative is working to promote three things that scientists have determined may be effective in reducing HIV infections. “Three key scientific interventions have been identified as pivotal: stopping mother-to-child transmission, expanding voluntary male circumcision and scaling up treatment as prevention,” according to a statement by the U.S. Department of State. While the first part of the plan is self explanatory, since keeping mothers from transmitting the disease to their child will clearly reduce HIV rates, the other two parts may be more complicated to understand.
The second initiative, increasing circumcision rates, is based on the idea that the simple procedure reduces female-to-male HIV transmission by 60 percent. Finally, treatment as prevention refers to scientific evidence which found that an effective medication regimen can lower a person’s risk of transmitting the infection to their partner by 93 percent.
Tags: aids-day, education, HIV, hiv awareness, hiv/aids, pepfar, sexual health, STD, STDs
Posted in HIV, STD Statistics, STD awareness | Comments Off | Comments Off
February 23rd, 2012
As the debate over sexual education in America’s schools rages on, the argument is continuing over in the UK. Avert.org reports that young Britons between the age of 16 and 24 are most likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), just like in the U.S. In response to this, some organizations are calling for sex and relationship education (SRE) while others want schools to avoid the subject of intimacy.
The Guardian reports that in England, SRE is optional. While the law requires that students learn about the biology and anatomy of reproduction, discussing the emotional and physical consequences of sex remains up to the parents. “Not making SRE statutory is failing young people. It’s failing to listen to them, and if we continue to mess around on this we’re leaving them vulnerable to pregnancy, STDs and sexual activity they don’t want,” said Simon Blake of the sexual health charity Brook, quoted by the Guardian. Others believe that that the job of educating children about sexual issues should fall on the parents, and fear that increasing sex ed could lead to greater promiscuity among youth. Regardless of who is doing the teaching, it’s important that young people understand the potential dangers of not practicing safer sex.
Tags: education, sex, sex ed, sex education, sexual education, sexual health, STD, STD Testing, STD Tests, STDs
Posted in Cultural Attitudes, Risk, safe sex | Comments Off | Comments Off
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