sexually transmitted infections

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For Young Adults, Condoms Are a Big 'Uh, No'

Changing attitudes, waning fears of HIV, longer-term birth control are all cited as factors for declining use

(Newser) - It's hard to miss the overflowing bowl of condoms at the entrance of the gym. Some University of Mississippi students walking past after their workout snicker and point, and the few who step forward to consider grabbing a condom rethink it when their friends catch up, laughter trailing behind...

CDC's Latest Syphilis Report Is a Gloomy Read

207K cases were recorded in 2022, per the CDC

(Newser) - There were more than 207,000 syphilis cases in the US in 2022, a count that was last that high in 1950 . The CDC on Tuesday shared the new data, which showed cases numbered 115,064 in 2018—meaning an 80% surge happened over a four-year period. Syphilis is still...

With This STD Exploding, 'Something Is Not Working Here'

Congenital syphilis cases in US newborns skyrocketed last year

(Newser) - Alarmed by yet another jump in syphilis cases in newborns, US health officials are calling for stepped-up prevention measures, including encouraging millions of women of childbearing age and their partners to get tested for the sexually transmitted disease. More than 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022—...

CDC May Soon Recommend Use of Popular Antibiotic to Prevent STIs

Only certain STIs, and only among certain at-risk groups, however

(Newser) - There's now a "morning after" pill, of sorts, for the prevention of certain STIs within certain groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday posted a draft recommendation of guidelines for health care providers; under the new guidance, doctors would be advised to consider prescribing a...

This State Saw 900% Spike in Newborn STD
'Kind of a Shock'
on Newborns
in Mississippi
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 18, 2023 4:35 PM CST

'Kind of a Shock' on Newborns in Mississippi

There were 10 babies with congenital syphilis in the state in 2016; in 2021, 102, per analysis

(Newser) - Mississippi, the nation's poorest state , already claims the worst infant mortality rate in the US. Now, more bad news for newborns there: The number of babies treated for congenital syphilis—meaning the infection is passed down from mother to baby during gestation—spiked 900% over five years, rising from...

This Nation to Make Condoms Free for Anyone 25 and Under

They'll be available to young people, even minors, in pharmacies across France starting Jan. 1

(Newser) - Young people of France, rejoice—you're about to start the new year with free condoms. President Emmanuel Macron has announced that, starting Jan. 1, anyone up to and including 25 years of age will be able to find the rubber contraceptive device at no charge in pharmacies across the...

At-Home Tests to Follow Spike in STDs

Rate of syphilis cases at highest in three decades

(Newser) - Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases—including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year—are prompting US health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. "It is imperative that we ... work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the US,"...

The Dental Dam Finally Has Some Competition

The FDA has OKed underwear to protect against STIs during oral sex

(Newser) - "Oral sex is not totally risk-free," Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, an infectious diseases expert with the University of Alabama at Birmingham tells the New York Times , but a newly FDA-authorized pair of underwear—vanilla scented, no less—has the potential to make it safer. STIs such as herpes, gonorrhea,...

This Rare STD Can Make Genitals 'Rot Away'

UK doctors warn of nasty donovanosis, which remains rare in developing countries

(Newser) - Doctors in the UK are warning about a rising number of cases of a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genitals to "rot away." Donovanosis, caused by the bacterium Klebsiella granulomatis and spread through unprotected sex or other skin-to-skin contact, doesn't eat the skin but is often...

Coronavirus's Effect on Sexual Health Could Last for 'Years'

Experts worry people aren't being tested for STDs

(Newser) - Health experts in Canada are warning about the threat of sexually transmitted infections, which might be overlooked amid the coronavirus pandemic. Syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea infections have been on the rise globally for the last decade, per the CBC . Politico reports nine of the 10 Canadian provinces had declared STI...

STDs Set New Record in US
STDs Set New Record in US
Aug 28, 2018 6:21 PM CDT

STDs Set New Record in US

Number of new diagnoses in 2017 beats 2016's record by more than 200K

(Newser) - A record has been set in the US, but not one to celebrate: Almost 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were diagnosed last year—more than 200,000 over the record set in 2016, per the CDC in a report released Tuesday. One CDC director says there...

In Australia, HIV Cousin Is 'Shockingly' Prevalent

Experts say public health response is needed in remote areas

(Newser) - An ancient virus that has been called a cousin of HIV is "off the charts" prevalent in Australia, affecting more than 40% of adults in remote regions, experts tell CNN . Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1, or HTLV-1, is considered a sexually transmitted infection since it can be spread...

Officials Say Man Has 'Worst Ever' Case of Gonorrhea
Officials Say Man
Has 'Worst Ever'
Case of Gonorrhea
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Apr 1, 2018 10:15 AM CDT

Officials Say Man Has 'Worst Ever' Case of Gonorrhea

Man's gonorrhea is resistant to main antibiotic treatment

(Newser) - Learning you have gonorrhea is bad; learning officials consider your case of gonorrhea the "worst ever" is something else entirely. The Press Association reports a man in the UK was diagnosed earlier this year with what is believed to be the first strain of gonorrhea to be resistant to...

25% of US Men Have HPV Genital Infections Tied to Cancer


Nearly Half of All
US Men Have HPV
Genital Infections
SURVEY SAYS
Jan 19, 2017 1:40 PM CST

Nearly Half of All US Men Have HPV Genital Infections

25% have an HPV genital infection tied to various cancers

(Newser) - The first national estimate suggests that nearly half of US men have genital infections caused by a sexually transmitted virus and that one in four has strains linked with several cancers, the AP reports. Most human papillomavirus infections cause no symptoms and disappear without treatment, and most adults will get...

Study Suggests You Should Leave Your Pubic Hair Alone

Researchers see higher rate of sexually transmitted infections among groomers

(Newser) - People who groom their pubic hair regularly are more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection, say researchers in a new study. To be clear, the researchers aren't saying that the grooming itself helps lead to the STI, reports Live Science . While it's possible that's the case—...

No, This Is Definitely Not a Bernie Sanders Ad

It's an ad for free STD testing

(Newser) - Several billboards scattered around Los Angeles look at first glance like ads for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, but they actually ask, "Feel the Burn?" The ad campaign is the work of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is urging anyone who might feel painful symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases to...

HPV Vaccine 'More Effective Than We Thought'

Has slashed rates of infection among females 24 and under

(Newser) - Cases of HPV in young women and girls are falling, which should lead to fewer cancer cases in the US in the coming years. CDC researchers, who began recommending the vaccine for women and girls in 2006, say the results of a new study are "exactly what we would...

Study: Raising Taxes on Booze Can Decrease STD Rates

In fact, it can be as effective as condom distribution in fighting gonorrhea

(Newser) - Don't like wearing condoms during risky sex? Best start lobbying your local lawmakers to increase the sales tax on alcohol. A study out of the University of Florida and published Wednesday in the Journal of Preventative Medicine found a correlation between gonorrhea rates and the price of alcohol. According...

Teens Invent Condom That Turns Colors Near STDs

Glow-in-the-dark prophylactic emits different hue for each detected disease

(Newser) - Three young teens from the UK are among the brightest, most colorful students at London's Isaac Newton Academy—and so are their condoms. Two 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old took home the top health prize of the TeenTech Awards for designing a condom that not only glows in the dark...

Gonorrhea 'Superbug' Hits Australia

Expert warns of 'major public health concern'

(Newser) - Australia has encountered the most drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea the country has ever seen. The disease, detected in a central European tourist who reportedly contracted it in Sydney, is being called a "sex superbug" by the UK's Independent . While clinics in Australia and New Zealand are boosting their...

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