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 […]
PrEP
PrEP PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. The word prophylaxis means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease. The goal of PrEP is to prevent HIV infection from taking hold if you are exposed to the virus. When you think of HIV prevention, condoms are probably the first thing that comes to […]
An Anal Cancer Primer
HPV vaccines do far more than prevent cervical cancer. In December 2014, the FDA approved Merck’s Gardasil 9® vaccine for males and females. The vaccine can be used to prevent cervical cancer, of course, but also is effective against HPV-related cancers of the vagina, vulva, and anus. (The vaccine can also prevent low-risk lesions like […]
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 to plummet in the U.S. and other nations where it’s widely used. It’s no exaggeration […]
FDA Approves a New HPV Vaccine
In December, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9® manufactured by Merck and Company. The new vaccine covers nine HPV types: the two low-risk types that cause most cases of genital warts (HPV 6 and HPV 11) along with seven high-risk types (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, […]
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
STIs and Oral Sex 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. However, the chances of giving or getting STIs during oral sex can be lowered by using a condom or dental dam. By definition, oral […]