Articles Index
Neonatal Herpes Infection
Neonatal herpes is a serious illness that can be life threatening. Although most women with herpes during pregnancy will not transmit neonatal herpes to their children, if you or your partner has genital herpes, it is important to inform your doctor about your risk.
Genital Herpes (HSV) - Understanding Herpes Genital Infections
Genital herpes and oral herpes are only caused by two of the family of six herpes viruses that can infect humans. Herpes genital infections are often highly socially stigmatized despite the fact that many people are living with herpes
STD Screenings - Sex on TV
For all the sex on TV, there are startlingly few discussions of sexually transmitted diseases. Except in rare circumstances, the consequences of sex on TV tend to be pregnancy or embarrassment, not an infection.
California's 30 Day Rule - STD Testing for Adult Film Stars
California has a multi-billion dollar adult film industry that provides many adult film stars with a good living. To regulate the industry, and try and increase the safety of adult film stars, it's required that they regularly undergo STD testing and test negative for HIV and other STDs within 30 days of a performance. But does a 30 day STD testing rule actually make sense?
Antibiotic Resistant Gonorrhea
Antibiotic resistant gonorrhea is on the rise. As strains become more and more resistant to treatment, there is a growing concern that one day soon we may have gonorrhea that can't be treated with antibiotics at all.
What is AIDS?
What is AIDS? AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In some ways, the most important word in that name is syndrome, because AIDS isn't a disease in the way most people think of diseases. Instead, AIDS is a definition. You have AIDS when you are infected with HIV and when your body fits certain criteria that show you are immunocompromised.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus that causes genital warts, as well as several reproductive and systemic cancers. The discovery that HPV caused infectious cancers was stunning. Even 30 years ago, if you had told doctors that a virus could cause cancer, most of them would have laughed you out of the room.
Gonorrhea: An Overview
What is gonorrhea? This page will provide you with an introduction.
Abnormal Pap Smear Results
It can be scary to get your abnormal Pap smear results from your doctor. Although "normal" is easy to understand, if you have an abnormal Pap smear, it can be difficult to know if the pap smear results are anything you really need to be worried about. This guide to abnormal Pap smear results will help you understand what your doctor is trying to tell you, so that you can be informed when making decisions about follow up care.
HIV/AIDS Overview
HIV is a virus, but AIDS is a definition. HIV-positive individuals can stay healthy for years, or even decades, before they become sick enough to receive an AIDS diagnosis. Learn about HIV/AIDS here.
What is Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
A diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or cervical neoplasia, refers to changes in the cervix that may or may not be precursors to cervical cancer. In fact, a cervical neoplasia diagnosis can refer to a wide range of changes to the cervix. These changes can range from self-resolving mild to moderate cervical dysplasia all the way to the early stages of cervical cancer.
Newly Diagnosed With A Herpes Genital Infection
Hearing from your doctor that you have a herpes genital infection can be extremely stressful. It's not uncommon for people to get a herpes diagnosis and panic that they will never be able to date or have sex again. Fortunately, that isn't true. Herpes doesn't have to be the end of your sex life. You may end up changing the way you talk and think about sex, but just because you have a herpes genital infection doesn't mean you need to give it up.
HIV Entry
HIV entry into white blood cells is dependent on cell receptors and not all strains of HIV gain access to white blood cells in the same way. Those variants that use the CCR5 receptor are known as CCR5 HIV or CCR5 tropic HIV
The Anal Pap Smear : Who, When, & Why
The anal pap smear is one way in which anal cancer can be detected. Anal cancer is one of the major possible effects of HPV infection in men.
House M.D. - No More Mr. Nice Guy - STD Screenings
A man is so nice that House thinks there must be something wrong with him. Could his symptoms be explained by syphilis?
Questions About Common STDs
Have a question about sexually transmitted diseases? All your frequently asked questions about STDs are aggregated right here. Want to know more? Submit a question yourself and maybe it will make it into the STD FAQ. Learn about STD symptoms, STD treatment, STD testing, STD Prevention and more!
Condom Size Chart
There are lots of factors to think about when choosing a condom, and one of them is size. Although most condoms will fit most men, men who fall far to one end or the other of the penis size scale may have a harder time finding a brand in which they feel comfortable.
STDs & the Elderly
Sexually transmitted diseases aren't only a problem of the young. Older people can suffer from them, too. In fact, there are several reasons why older adults may actually be in more danger from STDs than their younger companions.
Health Belief Model
The health belief model is a tool that scientists use to understand people's health behaviors.
Living With Herpes
Genital herpes is a frightening diagnosis for many people. Society may have exposed them to messages suggesting that people with herpes are dirty or somehow flawed. However, genital herpes is just a disease like any other--a disease, in fact, that affects approximately one in five Americans.
Questions About Viral STDs
Have a question about viral sexually transmitted diseases? All your frequently asked questions about viral STDs are aggregated right here. Want to know more? Submit a question yourself and maybe it will make it into the STD FAQ. Learn about STD symptoms, STD treatment, STD testing, STD prevention and more!
Deciding When To Visit An STD Free Clinic
How do you know when it's time to go to an STD free clinic? They're not just for when you have STD symptoms.
The Incubation Period of Common STDs
You've just had unprotected sex with a new partner, and all of a sudden a strange mark has appeared in your pubic area. Although many sexually transmitted diseases can remain asymptomatic for years, it's good to have a few guidelines for when you're just being paranoid. If the sheets haven't even cooled down yet, that pimple is almost certainly not a new STD. Next time, practice safer sex. It will drastically reduce your stress levels.
How You Know That HPV Cure, HIV Cure, or Herpes Cure is Fake
How do you know that an advertised drug is really just a novel form of snake oil? By the fact that it claims to cure herpes, cure HPV, or cure HIV. To date, there is absolutely no data that a drug which can do any of these things exists.
Screening Guidelines for Sexually Transmitted Disease
Even doctors who test their patients regularly, don't necessarily test for all common STDs. There are good reasons not to test for genital herpes and HPV in individuals who don't have symptoms, but it may give some people a false sense of security. Therefore it is important to know exactly what diseases you have and haven't been tested for. What should you be tested for and how often? To some extent it depends on your individual risk factors, but some general guidelines are below.