Podcast: Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical cancer screening used to all be so simple—women were told just go for your annual Pap. But now we have new tests to screen for cervical cancer, plus updated guidelines that—for most women—mean routine screening is done every few years rather than annually. The changes are confusing not only to women but their healthcare […]
Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month

September is Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month https://youtu.be/UGwd7QfjkbI According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that this year more than 113,500 women will be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer and more than 33,000 will die from the disease. Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month provides an important opportunity to draw attention to this important women’s health issue […]
Podcast: HPV FAQs

Most sexually active individuals are estimated to have one or more infections in their lifetime with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and, not surprisingly, ASHA receives countless HPV questions: What should I tell a partner? Will I always have it? How are HPV tests used? How well do vaccines work? In this episode of our Sex+Health […]
Podcast: All about HPV with Ina Park, MD

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a common sexually transmitted infection. So common that most (~80%) of sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point. While it is often harmless, it can cause genital warts and even lead to cervical cancer. In this episode of ASHA’s Sex+Health podcast, Fred Wyand talks to Ina […]
An Anal Cancer Primer

The American Cancer Society estimates that there were about 10,540 new cases of anal cancer in the U.S. in 2024, with approximately 2,190 deaths. Women are affected more than men, although men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for anal cancers.
Making Sense of Pap Tests, HPV Tests, and the New Landscape of Cervical Cancer Screening

Making Sense of Pap Tests, HPV Tests, and the New Landscape of Cervical Cancer Screening It used to be so simple – go for an annual Pap. For generations of women the Pap was a yearly ritual, something of a cultural icon. Invented by Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou, his namesake test has caused cervical cancer rates […]
World AIDS Day: December 1

World AIDS Day takes place each year on December 1st. The annual observation is held to bring attention to the global impact of HIV/AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that an estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV, and 1 in 7 don’t know it. More than 36 million people around the […]
Oral Sex and STIs

Can someone be infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from oral sex? Yes. Many STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, can be spread through oral sex.
Grassroots Hope

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” ― Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol Danah Abarr needed answers about HPV. She figured others did, too. So she started an organization and a movement. It’s a familiar story: when Danah Abarr first searched for answers to her questions […]
National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This national awareness day was first launch in 2008 by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), as a way to draw attention to the disproportionate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on gay men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about […]