A Three-Part Conversation with Dr. Pepper Schwartz on Female Sexual Difficulties
Sociologist, sexologist and relationship expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz joins our Sex+Health podcast for a three-part discussion on the range of female sexual difficulties and offers practical advice and resources for women (and their partners).
Transgender Day of Rememberance
November 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual event designated to memorialize those who have been killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered on November 28th, 1998. Eighteen years after the […]
Understanding Women’s Experiences with Bacterial Vaginosis
Understanding Women’s Experiences with Bacterial Vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common gynecologic infection, affecting nearly 29 percent of women in the U.S. While not all women with BV have symptoms, those that do may experience an abnormal vaginal discharge that may be white or gray, watery, and may also have a strong fish-like odor, […]
New Series Exploring Sexual Health and Sex Ed from VICE
This week, VICE Media released a new series Unscrewing Ourselves that explores the state of sexual health and sex education today. Available on its sites Broadly and Tonic, the series covers topics ranging from sexuality and chronic illness, LGBT-inclusive sex ed, and dating HIV-positive partners. The series also highlights the efforts of young people educating […]
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban on Transgender Service Members
[post_date] This week, a federal judge overturned President Trump’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, first announced in July. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the proposed ban was discriminatory and violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution. As the judge wrote in […]
STD Rates in the U.S. Rise for the Third Straight Year
[post_date] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 2016 was the third straight year of increasing rates for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The 2016 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report released earlier this week, points to the same worrisome trends noted in recent years: nearly 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) […]
Herpes Vaccine Research
There are currently both preventive and therapeutic vaccines under development. While the primary focus is on HSV-2, the primary cause of genital infection, HSV-2 vaccines may also have benefits in preventing or treating HSV-1 infection.
Pregnancy, Birth and Abortion Rates in US Adolescents Hit Historic Lows
[post_date] A new report from the Guttmacher Institute reveals that rates of adolescent pregnancy, birth and abortion in the United States reached historic lows in 2013. The decline among teens specifically is striking: the U.S. pregnancy rate among 15–19-year-olds was at its lowest point in at least 80 years and had dropped to just above […]
Last Abortion Clinic in Kentucky in Court Fight to Stay Open
[post_date] A federal court case that got underway this week will determine whether or not the last remaining abortion clinic in the state of Kentucky will be forced to close. The EMW Women’s Surgical Center has been under threat of closure since March, when state regulators planned to revoke the clinic’s license, stating that the […]
New Research Highlights the Need for Improved Herpes Diagnostics
A paper published ahead of print in Sexually Transmitted Diseases finds that commercial blood tests commonly used to diagnose herpes simplex virus (HSV) are frequently not reliable, especially in those with “low positive” results.