Sexually Transmitted Diseases
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is any disease that can be passed to others through sexual contact. This contact does not just include intercourse -- it also includes oral sex and anal sex, and other types of sexual contact.
Everyone who is sexually active is at risk. Teenagers in particular are at high risk, because they may believe they are "immune" if they only have oral sex, or if they have sex in a certain position.
Many people wrongly believe that getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is only for those who engage in risky behavior. The truth is, STDs can and do impact many who feel and act mature and responsible, according to Edward Hook, MD, a professor in the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB)’s division of infectious diseases. “STD diagnosis is almost always a ...
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that intrauterine devices are safe and effective in a population of women previously not considered as good candidates for this method of birth control. The findings may help physicians develop improved guidelines for providing intrauterine devices (IUDs) to patients. The IUD is the most common form of reversible birth control used by women worldwide. ...
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- During National Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month this April, Mission Pharmacal is urging increased awareness of, and testing for, trichomoniasis (also known as "trich"), the most common curable STD in the United States. Awareness of the condition remains low, despite the fact that trich affects an estimated 7.4 million men and women each year in ...
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- Chlamydia, a common bacterial infection can lead to infertility, yet new data released today by the American Social Health Association (ASHA) reveal that few young women are getting screened for this disease. The data summarize millions of Chlamydia tests performed in 2005 by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, a provider of diagnostics testing and services. "Chlamydia ...
Targeting people at highest risk for HIV and STD infection may not be the best approach, says TulaneUniversity public health expert Tom Farley. Farley and coauthor Deborah Cohen of the RAND Corporation published an article in this month's issue of the International Journal of STD & AIDS, proposing broader campaigns to the general public to reduce STD risk. “This idea ...
A Nevada television station reporter tested two Las Vegas homes for various kinds of disease-causing bacteria, swabbing tile floors, carpeted areas, the soles of shoes, and even the family pet’s paws. The samples were taken to the Silver State Analytical Labs and scientists there found mold, fungus and coliform found ...
BALTIMORE -- New vaccine requirements will affect anyone who is applying for an immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. and anyone seeking adjustment of status for permanent residence. Applicants must show proof of vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Passport Health, ...
As Midwest floodwaters recede and clean-up efforts get underway, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) offers advice to help reduce the risk of infection:Nothing beats hand hygiene – It’s critical to remember to practice basic hand hygiene during the emergency period. Always wash your hands with ...
Georgia Tech associate professor Pinar Keskinocak, graduate student Faramroze Engineer and executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC Larry Pickering (left to right) display the new online tool they developed that allows parents and pediatricians to ensure that the missed vaccines and future vaccines are ...
Research shows that only 20 percent of consumers use thermometers, and a mere 30 percent are aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. Several experts addressed home-based food safety issues in “Consumers’ Refrigerators: A Danger Zone” Monday at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food expo ...
Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!