Stds
In The News: HIV (Sex Ed 101)
There have been a lot of new discoveries inside the health world when it comes to HIV, and it's good to remain educated about such an intense virus. Scientists are continually studying to find cures and better options for treating somebody who has the virus, as well as ways of prevention.In an article posted on August 3rd, 2009 (Scientists ID First Human With Gorilla Strain of HIV), scientists discovered just how much the HIV virus is evolving as we are studying it. According to the article, "French scientists reported Sunday that a woman in the West African country of Cameroon carried a strain of the AIDS virus that is closely related to a similar virus found in gorillas. It's not yet clear whether this strain of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is common among humans or whether it's especially dangerous."
In my eyes, it's particularly scary to think that viruses gorilla can carry are being passed onto humans! Sure, we're closely related, but how many diseases are out there that an animal can have that can cause a real problem if they begin spreading and evolving like this? And how can we protect ourselves when we don't even know anything about this "new" virus, or how it's evolved, what it's capable of, or what it's going to do? I can only imagine how I would feel if I found out I might be the only person, as of right now, that has this strain of virus, and nobody quite knows what it's going to do.
Another article (Scientists Decode HIV Genome), also found on the Discovery Health website was posted this summer, as well. According to recent research, scientists have decoded the structure of an entire HIV genome, discovering that it is a single stranded RNA, as opposed to double stranded DNA, making it all that much more complex. Although, complex, this research can prove to be very successful and is definitely a huge step in the right direction.
"One approach is to change the RNA sequence and see if the virus notices," co-author Ron Swanstrom, a professor of microbiology and immunology, said in the release. "If it doesn't grow as well when you disrupt the virus with mutations, then you know you've mutated or affected something that was important to the virus."
With this discovery, many other researchers can hop on board and help to discover what exactly makes HIV tick and how we can change it. Just like Ron Swanstrom said, if you change one thing on a virus and it no longer acts the way it usually does, that's big news. And that's an even bigger step towards a cure for one of the nastiest viruses out there.
Tags: stds, sexually transmitted diseases, hiv, aids, sex education
In The News - HPV Vaccines, Keeping Couples Together, and Teenage Birth Rates (Sex Ed 101)
Recently, in sexual health news:
- New HPV vaccine for women
- Love isn't enough to keep couples together
- HPV vaccine for men approved by FDA advisory committee
- Birth rates higher in religious states
One Less, One Less! - Already know what commercial I'm referring to? Chances are, you do, since Gardasil has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Gardasil, the first HPV prevention vaccine for females as young as 8, has been recommended and administered to many women as the only HPV vaccine available, however that isn't the case anymore. The FDA now backs a new cervical cancer vaccine known as Cervarix, which they say is safe for women ages 10 to 25. Soon, this vaccine looks as though it will be competing with the already popular Gardasil. Getting vaccinated is something every young woman should look into, as protection against HPV will help prevent cervical cancer, which is the leading cause of becoming infertile.
What's Love Got To Do With It? - Studies show that love isn't the only thing that is needed to keep couples together. Sure, sure, it seems like it's common sense... but honesty, trust, and chemistry aren't even on the list of things that are necessary for couples to stay together! What is you ask? Simple - parents who stay together, no kids before marriage, and a husband of no more than 9 years older than his wife, to name a few.
One Less... For Men? - Finally, men can be involved in preventing HPV through a vaccine just as women have been able to for the past few years. An FDA advisory committee just OK'd Gardasil to be used in prevention for men ages 9 to 26 years of age. Now, this doesn't mean the vaccine is going to be available to men anytime soon, but it does mean that the FDA needs to choose whether Gardasil is effective enough (clinical trials show 89%) to market. Generally, the FDA does follow the vote of their advisory committee, however, it is not required to do so.
Religion = Babies? - According to recent research, there is a direct relationship between teenage birth rates and the amount of religion in a state. This leads to an interesting debate, especially considering the amount of people for abstinence only education, which generally stems from religious areas of the nation.
Tags: hpv, stds, gardasil, sexual education, vaccines, in the news, cervarix
When to Visit a Doctor (Sex Ed 101)
BabyB, 18 writes...
When I was younger I had a bad habit of biting the inside of my cheek and my tongue. Now that I'm older I constantly have loose tissue in my mouth. I dated this one guy for a year and near the end of the relationship, he showed me a small sore on his penis. Right away I was worried i had something. As time went on, I would kiss guys and a few days later they would all complain about a toothache. I have had a viral infection before and I have been checked for every STD there is. I noticed small bumps around the opening on my vagina and they feel rough but they are the same color as my vagina. I feel like I have something. What do you think I should do?
Brittany says...
Well, when your first boyfriend had the sore on his penis, he should have gone to the doctor to see what it is. That way, if he knows what is causing his sore, he can tell you since you may have gotten it.
As far as chewing on your tongue and inside your mouth, I don't think that will have anything to do with causing somebody a toothache. Sure, it might make you more apt to get a disease from somebody else if you're still chewing on your tissue and causing sores in your own mouth... but it wouldn't give somebody else a toothache. I think it's just weird coincidence that the people you're kissing complain of this ache. Could it be just rough kissing and fooling around causing it?
And about the flesh colored bumps on your vagina... I'm not a doctor and cannot diagnose this for you. Vaginas are not smooth and they can have tiny flesh colored bumps, but these types of things are always there. If you're noticing something random and new occurring, you need to consult a doctor to be sure it's not a disease of some sort.
Over all, if you're really worried about all of this, go to a health clinic and get tested. Explain why you're there and what you're worried about and they will know what to test for. A trip to the gynecologist is wise, too, especially if you're 18 and sexually active.
Tags: vagina, sex, stds, sexually transmitted diseases, bumps, sores, penis
The Deal on Herpes (Sex Ed 101)
Embarrassed, 17 writes...
I've always been scared to ask this question, though I've known of this problem for three years now. My father carried on multiple affairs while he was married to my mom. In this time my mom suspected, but never knew. She finally divorced him when she was pregnant with me and found out he was currently and had carried on multiple affairs. Later (this is where we enter three years ago) my doctor diagnosed my mom with almost surely having herpes. (she couldn't be tested, but had a lot of the symptoms.) She had to of had this STD before she gave birth to me, there is no chance she has gotten it sexually after. Anyways, my mom gave birth to me vaginally and breast fed me, and I've got this awful fear in the back of my mind that I may have herpes. I don't know what to do though, I don't want to be tested because I feel so incredibly humiliated about the whole thing, and I don't want word to get out around my town either. Do you know if it is very likely I would have an STD passed down from my parents, or what I can do? I just want to pretend it's not a possibility.Brittany says...
Thanks for writing in with a great question! Here at Purple Pjs, you never have to be embarrassed or worried about asking a question, though. We're always open minded and never judge our readers... we're here to answer questions that you aren't ready or don't want to ask to anyone else!
Sexually transmitted diseases and their effects on a child when passed from the mother can be very tricky. What you need to know is that there are two types of herpes - HSV 1 and HSV 2. HSV 1 is the virus that causes cold sores, which as you probably already know is so common and nobody really thinks of it like "OhmyGod, you have... herpes!", but it still is herpes. HSV 2 is the virus that is known as genital herpes, which is what your mom was diagnosed with.
While genital herpes can be passed from mother to child when birthed vaginally, I can pretty much tell you that you do not have herpes from your mother because of this. Herpes isn't something that you can get via breast milk, either; It's a skin to skin spread disease. If you mother had sores on her nipples, this could be spread to you, but I'm sure by now you would have noticed because you would have sores around your mouth (which, keep in mind, could just be the normal cold sore!). It's way more common to have sores around the vagina, anyways... but you could always ask your mother if you're worried about that. Back to herpes and the vagina, though... if your mother had passed it on to you during delivery, it would be rather obvious and she would have been having her first outbreak at the time of birth, pretty much. You could have eye problems, or sores on your face, and a lot of the time, babies that get herpes through delivery may die or have brain damage.
I really don't think you have anything to worry about, dear. But here is some more information on Genital Herpes, if you wish to read up more on your own. It's always great to be educated!
Tags: babies, stds, sexually transmitted diseases, passing on stds, hsv 1, genital herpes, hsv 2, stds and birth
“The Question” (Sex Ed 101)
CuteAsApplePie, 21 writes...
How do you ask one night stand guys if they have an STD? I want to explore my sexuality more and have more experience with hook ups and stuff. I take a lot of precautions, such as birth control and I always make sure the guy is wearing a condom. However, what is the best way to make sure they don't transfer anything to me?Brittany says...
"Hey, have you ever been checked for an STD?"
Or just make sure you're hooking up with people you already know a little bit about. And then you should have already had ample time to ask them about their sexual history.