Chlamydia: A Common and Curable Infection
Chlamydia: A Common and Curable Infection Chlamydia is a common and curable infection caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis. It is the most common reportable STI in the U.S. In 2022, there were about 1.6 million cases reported. Chlamydia can cured with antibiotic treatment, but if left untreated it can lead to complications such as […]
Study Says Cervical Cancer Death Rates Are Far Higher Than We Thought
New research finds that women in the U.S. are dying from cervical cancer at rates far higher than we realized, especially with black women.
Study Finds Nearly Half of Men have HPV
Nearly half of males in the United States have genital human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.
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 […]
FDA Approves 2-dose Regimen for HPV Vaccine
On October 12th the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 2-dose schedule for Merck’s Gardasil-9® HPV vaccine for males and females ages 9-14. The new schedule calls for the second dose of the vaccine to be given 6-12 months following the first. The 3-dose schedule originally licensed with the vaccine may still be used, […]
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 […]