One aspect of the challenge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is the stigma. But consensual sexual activity, which is a natural part of adult life, involves intimate contact that can spread infection. And millions of people get STIs every year. Make that about 20 million new cases a year, according to the CDC, including infections… Continue reading Stigma-Free Talk about Genital Herpes
Category: Sexually Transmitted Infections and STDs
A New Way to Test for Sexually Transmitted Infections
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing two tests to detect the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea, through diagnostic testing of extragenital specimens. The Aptima Combo 2 Assay and the Xpert CT/NG are the first devices cleared for extragenital diagnostic testing of these infections via the throat and rectum, the… Continue reading A New Way to Test for Sexually Transmitted Infections
Newborn Syphilis Is on The Rise
Cases of congenital syphilis, passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or delivery, have more than doubled since 2013. The number of reported cases jumped from 362 in 2013 to 918 in 2017, according to the annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 2017 figure… Continue reading Newborn Syphilis Is on The Rise
News Alert: HPV Vaccine Approved for People 27 to 45
The anti-cancer HPV vaccine Gardasil 9, previously approved only for people aged 9 through 26, has now been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for women and men aged 27 through 45. FDA officials said that the expanded application of the vaccine would prevent thousands of cases of cancer caused by… Continue reading News Alert: HPV Vaccine Approved for People 27 to 45
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Increasing Sharply
Nearly 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were diagnosed in the United States in 2017, according to preliminary statistics released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) This surpassed the previous record set in 2016 by more than 200,000 cases and marked the fourth consecutive year of sharp increases in… Continue reading Sexually Transmitted Diseases Increasing Sharply
STD Confidential: “Intimate” Skin Diseases Are on the Rise and Dermatologists Can Help
While love, according to the song, is the sweetest thing, the after-effects of its activity can sometimes be not-so-sweet symptoms: the bumps, sores, and rashes of sexually transmitted disease. These infections often include skin symptoms and dermatologists are an important resource for diagnosis and treatment. All insurances cover treatment of STDs as it is important… Continue reading STD Confidential: “Intimate” Skin Diseases Are on the Rise and Dermatologists Can Help
Battling A Sexually Transmitted Superbug
Every year, more than 100 million people worldwide develop the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, with health consequences such as infertility, transmission of the disease to newborn babies, and increased risk of HIV infections. Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria which can rapidly develop resistance to all known antibiotics; the bacteria are commonly called superbugs. Gonorrhea superbugs… Continue reading Battling A Sexually Transmitted Superbug
Researchers Take an Important Step Toward a Gonorrhea Vaccine
Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis and Purdue University are paving the way toward a new therapeutic approach for gonorrhea by shedding light on the mechanism behind important proteins on the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria’s outer membrane. The findings were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in February 2018. The National Institutes of Health… Continue reading Researchers Take an Important Step Toward a Gonorrhea Vaccine
Trichomoniasis: What You Need to Know Today
Unlike the other six STIs, trichomoniasis is neither caused by a virus nor by a bacterium. The culprit is the protozoan T. vaginalis, which is a single-celled organism with long appendages called agella that the organism uses to propel itself. This STI, colloquially referred to as “trich”, is common in both heterosexual and homosexual women… Continue reading Trichomoniasis: What You Need to Know Today
Syphilis: What You Need to Know Today
Syphilis is a potentially deadly infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Ever since the discovery of penicillin in the 1940’s, the disease has been quickly cured with this antibiotic for those not allergic to the drug. As a result, the incidence of syphilis dropped dramatically. For close to two decades after the turn of this… Continue reading Syphilis: What You Need to Know Today
Gonorrhea: What You Need to Know Today
Gonorrhea, a bacterial STI caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and colloquially called “The Clap”, is currently the second most common STI after Chlamydia. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on July 7th 2017 that antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is on the rise and that new drugs are needed. The drugs that used to be effective are Rocephin,… Continue reading Gonorrhea: What You Need to Know Today
Chlamydia: What You Need to Know Today
Chlamydia, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that if unreported cases are included in the overall count, there are about 2.8 million chlamydia cases every year. Fortunately though, unlike the viral STIs (HPV, HSV, and HIV),… Continue reading Chlamydia: What You Need to Know Today