A Cure for HPV? Evaluating HPV Treatment Options
A cure for HPV! Satisfaction guaranteed! No more outbreaks! If you’ve had an HPV diagnosis, you may have seen claims like this in your search for information on the Internet and elsewhere, often written in large bold type. In smaller type are the disclaimers: “Individual results may vary.” “This information is not intended to replace […]
Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance
We’re well into the fall season but honestly, this feels like Groundhog Day. This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published STD surveillance data for 2015 that show cases of reportable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis—are at record levels. Also we see a continuation of the same trends we’ve been […]
What Women Need to Know about the New World of Cervical Cancer Screening
It used to be very simple—a woman had an annual Pap test. Now, Paps can be done alone or in combination with an HPV test (one HPV test can even be used for primary cervical cancer screening). Added to the mix is a set of updated guidelines that, for most women, means an annual cervical […]
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an annual, nationwide observance that sheds light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) leads National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Every year on March 10, and throughout the […]
Thoughts Around the CDC STD Surveillance Report
At some point you just want to scream. Last week CDC published STD surveillance data for 2014 that point to the same trends we’ve been worried about for years: 20 million new STDs each year and our most vulnerable populations—particularly young people, women, and men who have sex with men- continue to be hardest hit. […]
Podcast: Coping with Cervical Cancer
Cancer can be isolating, and it’s easy to see where friends and family members who haven’t personally dealt with cancer—and if they have, probably haven’t dealt with your specific cancer—aren’t able to fully relate and a patient can feel alone in some ways. The volunteer chapter leaders who work with ASHA’s National Cervical Cancer Coalition […]
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 […]