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Columbus Voyage Tied to Syphilis Spread?
Posted 28 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28 – A new examination of the origin of syphilis supports the theory that the sexually transmitted disease was carried to Europe aboard Christopher Columbus' ships as they sailed home from the New World. The disease was not spread through sexual contact at the time, but adapted to survive once it got to Europe, Emory University researchers say. "Syphilis has been around for 500 years," study co-leader Molly Zuckerman, a former Emory graduate student who is now an assistant professor at Mississippi State University, said in an Emory news release. "People started debating where it came from shortly afterwards, and they haven't stopped since. It was one of the first global diseases, and understanding where it came from and how it spread may help us combat diseases today." After analyzing skeletal evidence in 54 published reports, the researchers found that syphilis did not ... Read more
Related support groups: Syphilis
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
Related support groups: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chlamydia Infection, Syphilis, Human Papilloma Virus, Gonococcal Infection
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
Related support groups: HIV Infection, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Herpes Simplex, Trichomoniasis, Chlamydia Infection, Syphilis, Human Papilloma Virus, Condylomata Acuminata, Gonococcal 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
Related support groups: HIV Infection, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Herpes Simplex -- Suppression, Herpes Simplex, Trichomoniasis, Chlamydia Infection, Syphilis, Gonococcal Infection -- Uncomplicated, Human Papilloma Virus, Condylomata Acuminata, Herpes Simplex, Mucocutaneous/Immunocompetent Host, Herpes Simplex Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex, Mucocutaneous/Immunocompromised Host, Tertiary Syphilis, Human Papillomavirus Prophylaxis
Needle-Sharing by Sex Workers Tied to Spread of Syphilis
Posted 6 May 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, May 6 – Needle-sharing among drug abusers may play as big a role as risky sexual behavior in the transmission of syphilis, a new study suggests. American and Mexican researchers interviewed more than 900 female sex workers in the Mexican border towns of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, which are adjacent to San Diego and El Paso, Texas, respectively. The sex workers, who were also tested for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), operate legally in the two Mexican towns, which are located on major drug trafficking routes. The researchers found that female sex workers who didn't have HIV, but tested positive for active syphilis infection, were more likely than those without active syphilis infection to inject drugs, to use illegal drugs before or during sex in the past month, and to have U.S. clients who had higher rates of drug use, including the use of injection drugs. "As ... Read more
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Syphilis -- Early, Syphilis -- Latent, Congenital Syphilis, Tertiary Syphilis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases