Posts Tagged ‘STD’

British researchers examined historical data for human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancers and found that the post World War II baby boomer generation saw an increase in these cancers. HPV is an STD that can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Changes in sexual practice and greater exposure to HPV are seen as the most likely cause for these increased rates. Currently, an HPV vaccine called Gardasil is available. It’s routinely recommended for 11 and 12 year old girls. It is also recommended for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released national sexually transmitted disease surveillance data for the year 2007. More than 1.1 million chlamydia cases were reported – the largest number of cases ever reported to CDC for any condition. Rates of primary and secondary syphilis also increased by 15% from 2006. While the rates of STD infections continue to rise, federal funding for the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention has declined since 2003, which results in decreased state and local funding as well.

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News sources are reporting that lawmakers in Papua, one of Indonesia’s poorest provinces, are considering passing a law that would mandate certain “sexually aggressive” HIV-positive people be implanted with microchips so they can be better monitored. This would allow them to be easily prosecuted if they knowingly infect others, a provincial crime that carries a sentence of up to 6 months or a large fine. Prostitution and drug use are believed to be the major cause of HIV infection in Indonesia. In Papua, tribal rituals that encourage partner swapping, along with lack of education about STDs and condom use, are thought to be particular reasons for the high rate of HIV spread. Those who are against the bill say it’s a breach of human rights and support a focus on HIV/AIDS education instead.

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One of the ways to control the spread of STDs is to notify the sexual partners of a person who has been diagnosed with one. And in the age of the internet one nonprofit group, Internet Sexuality Information Services, is doing just that through a free E-card service that can be used by anyone to contact their sexual partners. The cards, with message such as, “No one wants to be the bearer of bad news…but I got diagnosed with STDs (You might have one, too),” can be sent to up to 6 people anonymously, or they can include contact information with a personalized note. Since inSPOT’s launch in 2004, more than 30,000 people have sent more than 49,500 of the cards. No details about the senders or recipients are stored in order to protect users’ privacy. And while misuse by pranksters is a possibility, fewer than 10 recipients have complained of receiving a message in error since the launch of the service in 2004 .

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Public health researchers have found that women who have bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common vaginal infection, may be more susceptible to contracting HIV. It is unclear what the nature of the relationship between the two sexually transmitted diseases is. One theory is that BV changes the environment of the vagina by depleting “healthy” bacteria that usually defend against infections. BV also decreases the acidity of the vaginal environment, which may allow the HIV virus to better survive and cause infection. Full Story.