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Sexually Transmitted Diseases Blog

Related terms: STD, Venereal Disease

Blog (16)

Sex Education Efforts Lagging in Schools, CDC Says

Posted 5 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 5 – There's been little progress in recent years in boosting the number of American secondary schools that teach students how to prevent pregnancy and protect themselves against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). That's the finding from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who analyzed 2008 and 2010 data from 45 states taking part in biennial surveys of school health practices. The surveys assessed the percentage of schools in each state that teach specific topics related to HIV, STD and pregnancy prevention. The topics differ in middle schools and high schools, but generally include basic information on the transmission and diagnosis of HIV and other STDs, as well as pregnancy risk reduction. Condom use is one of the topics that's covered only in high schools, the CDC said. The surveys revealed few indications of progress ... Read more

Related support groups: HIV Infection, Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Circumcision Linked to Lower Risk for Prostate Cancer, Study Finds

Posted 12 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 12 – Men who have prostate cancer are less likely to be circumcised, according to new research. The researchers suggest a possible reason is that circumcision reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases that may contribute to prostate tumors. The study doesn't confirm that circumcision directly lowers the risk of prostate cancer, and the study lead author cautioned that the findings shouldn't play a role in the decisions of parents about the sometimes-controversial procedure. Still, the results fit in with existing knowledge about how cancer develops, said study author Dr. Jonathan Wright, a urologic oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. "It helps us to understand how cancers develop and ultimately learn how to combat the disease," he said. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin that covers the ... Read more

Related support groups: Prostate Cancer, Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Many Teen Girls Mistakenly Think HPV Vaccines Cut Risk for All STDs

Posted 4 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4 – Nearly one in four girls who gets the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine mistakenly thinks that her risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases is lowered, a new study indicates. HPV is the most commonly transmitted sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States, with nearly 30 percent of sexually active girls aged 14 to 19 infected. Some virus types can raise the risk for genital warts and cervical cancer. "I think it's important to counsel [girls] about what the vaccine protects against," said lead researcher Dr. Tanya Kowalczyk Mullins, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The findings were reported in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Two HPV vaccines are now licensed in the United States. One, ... Read more

19 Million New STD Infections Reported Annually, CDC Says

Posted 17 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Nov. 17 – The 19 million new cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnosed in the United States each year cost the nation's health care system $17 billion annually, according to an annual report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are treatable but can cause serious, life-long consequences, such as infertility, if they aren't detected. "STDs are one of the most critical health challenges facing the nation today," CDC researchers said in their report. Reported cases of chlamydia steadily increased for the past 20 years and reached 1.3 million in 2010. The increase stems from expanded screening efforts, not an actual rise in the number of people infected with chlamydia. However, a majority of chlamydia infections still go undiagnosed, and fewer than half of sexually active young women undergo ... Read more

More Teen Males Using Condoms When They First Have Sex: Survey

Posted 12 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12 – A new national survey finds that significantly more teenaged males are using condoms when they have sex for the first time. Since 2002, there has been an increase of 9 percentage points in young males who reported using a condom the first time they had sex, with 80 percent now taking that precaution. There was also an increase of 6 percentage points in males using a condom in tandem with their female partner using a hormonal method of birth control. Teenaged girls also showed some changes in contraception use: 2 percent used a hormonal method of birth control other than the Pill in 2002, while 6 percent said they made that choice by 2010. The alternate methods included contraceptive patches, injectable devices and emergency contraceptives. Coupled with statistics that show a continuing trend toward slightly less sexual activity overall among youths aged 14 to 19, ... Read more

Older Women Can Benefit From Sex Ed Campaigns

Posted 14 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 – Most campaigns designed to educate people about their sexual health target younger generations, excluding a large number of sexually active women over the age of 50 who need and want this information, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of Florida revealed that although older women are aware of the risks for sexually transmitted diseases, they are not comfortable asking their doctor questions about their sexual health. The study, published in a special issue of the Journal of Consumer Affairs, concluded the communication between women over the age of 50 and their physicians needs improvement. Study author Cynthia Morton and her colleagues pointed out that many health professionals mistakenly think older women already have all the information they need. On the contrary, the study revealed older women need information on how to discuss safe sex ... Read more

Faster Way to Treat Partners of Women With STDs Urged: Experts

Posted 25 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 25 – When a woman is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, her doctor should be able to pass along antibiotics to her male partner without examining him, to cut both partners' odds of re-infection, experts say. The new physician guideline was issued this week by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the nation's largest group representing ob/gyns. In a new committee opinion, the ACOG panel of experts stated that doctors who diagnose their female patients with these infections should pass along a prescription for antibiotics to the male partner – a practice called "expedited partner therapy." "Evidence indicates that [this type of approach] can decrease re-infection rates" compared to the more standard practice of simply referring the patient's partner for examination and treatment, Dr. Diane F. Merritt, ... Read more

HHS: Insurers Must Pay for Birth Control for Women

Posted 1 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Aug. 1 – Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, women in the United States will have their birth control covered by insurance companies, free of co-pays, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday. "Most private health care plans, including the private health care plan available to members of Congress, already include most of these services, including contraception. Family planning is something that keeps women healthy, and it was an important piece of today's announcement," Stephanie Cutter, a White House advisor, told ABC News Monday. The move to make contraception free to women is one of eight new measures aimed at providing "preventive health services" to women, the HHS said. They follow on recommendations from a report issued July 19 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which advises the federal government. The new initiatives are based on those recommendations and ... Read more

Gonorrhea's Growing Resistance to Antibiotics Concerns CDC

Posted 7 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, July 7 – Gonorrhea appears to be growing increasingly resistant to drugs called cephalosporins, the only remaining class of antibiotics available to treat the sexually transmitted disease, according to a new report. Researchers analyzed 10 years' worth of gonorrhea samples (isolates) from men in 30 U.S. cities. The samples were collected between January 2000 and June 2010 through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project. The analysis revealed an increase in the proportion of samples with elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), the lowest concentration of antibiotics needed to halt the growth of gonorrhea bacteria. These increases in MICs suggest a decline in gonorrhea's susceptibility to antibiotics, the researchers explained in a CDC news release. During the study period, the percentage of gonorrhea samples ... Read more

Teen Abstinence May Not Stop Later Risky Sex

Posted 20 May 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 20 – Teens who choose to practice abstinence or delay having sex may still engage in sexual risk-taking as adults, according to a new study. The researchers found that a combination of other factors, including genetics and environment, are stronger contributing factors than being sexually promiscuous in young adulthood – which they described as associated with but not causing later sexual risk-taking. When it comes to causal factors for sexual risk-taking, "it doesn't really matter whether you delay sex or not," the researchers said in a news release from the Association for Psychological Science. They cited having multiple partners, drug and alcohol use during sexual encounters and unprotected sex as examples of sexual risk-taking. The findings are scheduled for publication in a future issue of Psychological Science. For the study, Marina A. Bornovalova, a University of ... Read more

Related support groups: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

U.S. Officials Take Aim at Questionable STD Products

Posted 3 May 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 3 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission are cracking down on manufacturers of over-the-counter products that claim to treat, cure or prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The agencies jointly sent letters to companies including Medavir, Herpaflor, Viruxo, C-Cure and Never An Outbreak, warning that their products are unproven and violate federal law, the FDA said in a news release issued Tuesday. "These products are dangerous because they are targeted to patients with serious conditions, where treatment options proven to be safe and effective are available," Deborah M. Autor, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the release. Chlamydia, genital warts, herpes, HIV and AIDS are among the diseases that the products – sold online and through retail outlets – claim to treat. ... Read more

Related support groups: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

More Screenings May Explain Higher Chlamydia Rates Among Minorities

Posted 26 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 – Screening rates for the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia are significantly higher in the United States among young black and Hispanic women than among young white women, which might explain why black and Hispanic women have higher reported rates of the disease, a new study suggests. Researchers who analyzed data from more than 40,000 visits to health-care facilities found that young Hispanic women were 9.7 times more likely to be screened for chlamydia than young white women. The screening rate was 2.7 times greater for young black women. The investigators also found that: Women with public health insurance were more likely to have chlamydia testing than were those with private insurance. A medical history was more important than race, ethnicity or insurance status in terms of differences in chlamydia screening. Young women with a previous sexually ... Read more

Related support groups: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chlamydia Infection

New STD Report Finds Some Progress, High Costs for U.S.

Posted 23 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 22 – The approximately 19 million new sexually transmitted disease (STD) infections that occur each year in the United States cost the health care system about $16.4 billion annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its annual STD report released Monday. The data for 2009 shows a continued high burden of STDs but there are some signs of progress, according to the report, which focuses on chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. The national rate of reported gonorrhea cases stands at 99 cases per 100,000 people, its lowest level since record keeping started in 1941, and cases are declining among all racial/ethnic groups (down 17 percent since 2006). Since 2006, chlamydia infections have increased 19 percent to about 409 per 100,000 people. However, the report suggests that this indicates more people than ever are being screened for chlamydia, which is ... Read more

Teens Waiting Longer for Sex, But Still Taking Risks: Analysis

Posted 8 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 8 – Teenage girls in the United States are more likely than boys to have unprotected sex during their first sexual experience, new research indicates. The finding was a surprise to researcher Nicole Weller, an Arizona State University graduate student working on her doctoral degree in sociology. "I'm looking at the interaction between sexual education and how it impacts young adolescent sexual behavior. This in particular was an interesting finding because males usually report that they are having more sex than females," Weller said in a university news release. Her analysis of data from the National Survey of Family Growth also found that young people are waiting longer than in the past to have a first sexual encounter, but they are contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) earlier than in the past. "Fifteen- to 19-year-olds have the most sexually transmitted ... Read more

Related support groups: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Vaginal Gel Cuts Risk of HIV Infection, Study Shows

Posted 19 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 19 – A vaginal gel applied consistently before and after sex reduced the risk of HIV infection by more than half, according to a study presented Monday at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna. The gel contains tenofovir (Viread), an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV/AIDS. "If this was implemented and women in the general population used it in the same way as we observed in the trial, it could avert 1.3 million infections over the next 20 years," said study co-author Dr. Salim S. Abdool Karim. The report also appears in the July 20 online issue of Science. Despite these promising results, the gel still needs to be further researched, licensed and approved and is not likely to be available to women at clinics any time within the next year or two, said Abdool Karim, who is director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and pro ... Read more

Related support groups: HIV Infection, Sexually Transmitted Diseases

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HIV Infection, Herpes Simplex, Chlamydia Infection, Trichomoniasis, Human Papilloma Virus, Gonococcal Infection, Syphilis, Infections