Comments on: Know your enemy: a guide to sexually transmitted infections

By: ali

ali — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:26:53 +0000

i have so many questions. is Hpv cureable?

By: HSV

HSV — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:25:07 +0000

What type of sores are created when someone contracts genital herpes through oral sex? Are the mouth herpes located both inside and outside of the mouth? With the growing prevalence of oral sex in youth culture, it’s a truly scary thought that many young people could grow up with genital herpes in their mouth!

By: BD

BD — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:53:29 +0000

Great post and very informative. While your friend should be congratulated for getting tested before he began his new relationship he is not alone when it comes to his disregard to other STDs. I guess that’s why there are over 6 million new cases of HPV a year. Like Watrol guy I too am shocked and amazed that people still have unprotected sex.

By: Watrol Guy

Watrol Guy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:41:46 +0000

Great educational post on protecting yourself against STD. The stats are still on the rise and its shocking to see how many people still have unprotected sex with multiple partners.

By: newlydiagnosed

newlydiagnosed — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:47:47 +0000

I was just this week diagnosed with herpes. Awaiting results from a swab. Will going my whole life (30) without anything I have a flings my my ex hs sweetheart. 3 days later I’m sick with flu symptoms, worst flu ever. And A sore. So off to the doc. Herpes it is. So I’ve been searching everywhere for info.

2 questions,

1#during an outbreak of “shedding” can just touching or kissing my kids spread to them, I feel like I need to be in complete body armor.

2# I gave oral the same night we had sex. Strange thing is, we used a condom, but had brief contact before. So if I developed herpes from that brief moment, why don’t I also have sores on my mouth. I now have 3 on my genital, and doc said I had them on my cervix. So why didn’t my mouth break out?

I don’t know how to confront this guy about this.

And I’m taking an antiviral. 3 days now…..I hope relief soon. I’m dieing… and is 3 sores a bad outbreak? Will my next be easier? The flu is what killed me.
Thank u!

By: Jessi Knowles

Jessi Knowles — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:41:44 +0000

Just one more! Australia has approved Gardasil for boys aged 9-15 years. Hooray Aussies!

By: Jessi Knowles

Jessi Knowles — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:38:30 +0000

One more HPV update:
New Hampshire is currently the only state that provides girls the vaccine free of charge. A bill was passed and will go into effect next year in Virgnia requiring all girls in 6th grade to get the vaccine (parents could opt out). A similar bill has passed the House in Kentucky and is going on to the Senate.

There are currenlty 15 other states with similar bills pending. Check out your state’s status:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardasil#Government_Mandates

By: Jessi Knowles

Jessi Knowles — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:26:21 +0000

I’m sorry – I should have been more clear. Gardasil protects against the two kinds of HPV, Types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital warts. It also protects against Types 16 and 18, which cause 70% of HPV-related cervical cancer.

There is no HPV test for men, and Gardasil is still only approved by the Food and Drug administration for women. But there seems to be a growing movement to have it approved for men in the U.S., and some doctors are vaccinating men, especially in the UK (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/newsarchive/2007/february/18070574).

It was recently discovered that oral sex can transmit HPV and can put you at risk for throat cancer. Many men have also contracted anal cancer from HPV, and so it seems that it makes just as much sense for men to be vaccinated as women. While obviously only women can get cervical cancer, everyone is at risk for throat and anal cancer.

Like you said, women should get an PAP smear annually. Getting the vaccine is not a replacement for getting regular PAP smears.

Also! The scary number that most govenment agencies are producing that put the HPV infection rate at close to or over 50% doens’t specify if it’s only for genital HPV strains. Many people have hand warts or other kinds of HPV and might be included in this number. I read a report that actually put the genital HPV infection at a much lower rate, but now I can’t find it…does anybody have any information on this?

A.W., I’m kudos to you for getting regular tests. I hope that the HPV didn’t cause any serious problems, and thanks so much for your input!

By: A. W.

A. W. — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:33:44 +0000

There are a couple of inaccuracies here in your info about HPV. First off, there are more than two kinds of HPV that cause genital warts. The Gardasil vaccine simply protects against the two most common strains which cause about 70% of genital warts cases. Also, there are over 30 strains of genital HPV. Many of them are low-risk, which means they do not cause cancer, but as you mentioned, doctors only test women over 21 or 30 to find out if they have low grade or high grade HPV. Also, the Gardasil vaccine is NOT approved for men. Men cannot get the vaccine. That’s important, because it’s very clear that the medical community does almost nothing to address HPV infection in men. Most men who contract HPV never have any symptoms at all, since they don’t have cervixes to get lesions on. Therefore, doctors don’t see a reason to pour money into testing, vaccinating, and treating men for HPV. Sad but true. As someone who recently was diagnosed with HPV through an abnormal PAP smear (get them regularly, everyone!), I thought these things were important enough to mention. It’s good that you are trying to inform people though.

By: Jessi Knowles

Jessi Knowles — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:36:58 +0000

New information on life expectancy for people with HIV: The estimate has changed from 10 years to 24 years since the late 1990s. For more info, check out this website: http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2006/11/13/4
Thanks to Alec Thorne for the update!