Signs of STD

So you've spotted a lump…down there…and you're a little nervous. It could be nothing. Maybe it'll go away by itself. Right? There are times where we might play the 'wait and see' game, but it's not wise to gamble when it comes to sexual health. Paying attention to changes in your body and taking action when things don't seem right is important because sexual health isn't just about you – it's about your partners' health, too. But as you'll see, being smart about sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is more than just looking for odd bumps and lumps. What are STIs? STIs are infections that can be transmitted during sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. They occur when viruses, bacteria or parasites pass from one person's body to another's during sex or intimate skin-on-skin contact. Some STIs affect an isolated area only, like the genitals, while others can spread and cause damage in other parts of the body. How

World AIDS Day is observed Dec. 1 each year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness that human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among us. It is also a day to unite with others around the world to prevent HIV, to provide support to individuals with HIV, and to remember those who have lost their life to an HIV-related illness. Myths surrounding the disease include the disease is no longer a threat, and only targeted populations can get it, such as gay males. Since 1981, HIV has taken the lives of 700,000 Americans, including men, women, and children, and 32 million people worldwide. The United States currently has 1.1 million individuals living with HIV, with 59 percent being 45 years or older in 2019. There are many more are at risk of getting the disease. There have been enormous strides made in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, treatment, and care since the epidemic began 40 years ago. Screening and testing are important prevention and tr

The FDA granted marketing authorization to LetsGetChecked for the Simple 2 Test, making it the first FDA-authorized diagnostic test for chlamydia and gonorrhea with at-home sample collection, as well as the first for any sexually transmitted disease other than HIV. 1 The Simple 2 Test was reviewed under the FDA's De Novo premarket review pathway, a regulatory pathway for low- to moderate-risk devices of a new type. Before the collection kit's approval, the only authorized tests for either chlamydia or gonorrhea were those used with samples collected at the point of care. After purchasing the Simple 2 Test collection kit, available over the counter for intended use by adult patients ages 18 and older, the user activates it online and fills out a health questionnaire for evaluation by a health care provider. Samples are then collected at-home via provided vaginal swabs or urine specimens, as appropriate, and sent back to the designated laboratory for testing. Once samples are tes

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise nationwide and in Oregon, with public health officials encouraging sexually active individuals to get tested because some people can have an infection without being aware. The overall number of reported STIs has been increasing nationally since 2014, with no sign of slowing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young people under the age of 25, racial and ethnic minorities, and gay or bisexual men have higher rates of STIs, which have serious health consequences if not treated early. The Oregon Health Authority and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to failures in providing equitable access to quality sexual healthcare for everyone as a cause of higher rates of STIs in racial and ethnic minority groups, gay and bisexual men and young adults. Factors such as discrimination, poverty, drug use, inadequate access to health care, lack of health insurance, housing and education inequalities can increase the

It's normal for penile discharge to occur during arousal but before ejaculation, also known as precum, However, if penile discharge occurs that's not precum, ejaculation, or urine, or if the discharge is abnormally colored or textured, an infection could be the cause. Abnormal penile discharge is often a symptom of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but the symptom can also be present with other conditions. Some common causes of abnormal penile discharge include STIs like gonorrhea or chlamydia, urinary tract or foreskin infections, and allergens or irritants. It's advised to see a healthcare professional when abnormal penile discharge occurs. This article covers the symptoms and types of penile discharge, the causes of penile discharge, and how to treat penile discharge. Kanizphoto / Getty Images Symptoms of Penile Discharge Common symptoms of penile discharge include: Clear liquid that appears during sexual arousal

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise nationwide and in Oregon, with public health officials encouraging sexually active individuals to get tested because some people can have an infection without being aware. The overall number of reported STIs has been increasing nationally since 2014, with no sign of slowing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young people under the age of 25, racial and ethnic minorities, and gay or bisexual men have higher rates of STIs, which have serious health consequences if not treated early. The Oregon Health Authority and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to failures in providing equitable access to quality sexual healthcare for everyone as a cause of higher rates of STIs in racial and ethnic minority groups, gay and bisexual men and young adults. Factors such as discrimination, poverty, drug use, inadequate access to health care, lack of health insurance, housing and education inequalities can increase the

So you've spotted a lump…down there…and you're a little nervous. It could be nothing. Maybe it'll go away by itself. Right? There are times where we might play the 'wait and see' game, but it's not wise to gamble when it comes to sexual health. Paying attention to changes in your body and taking action when things don't seem right is important because sexual health isn't just about you – it's about your partners' health, too. But as you'll see, being smart about sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is more than just looking for odd bumps and lumps. What are STIs? STIs are infections that can be transmitted during sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. They occur when viruses, bacteria or parasites pass from one person's body to another's during sex or intimate skin-on-skin contact. Some STIs affect an isolated area only, like the genitals, while others can spread and cause damage in other parts of the body. How

Being HIV-positive doesn't affect fertility, and the many advances in HIV treatments make it safe to avoid transmisison if you have a child.. At the onset of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the 1980s in Jamaica, being HIV-positive was considered a death sentence, and the truth is that a number of people died in the early years of the pandemic. Fear, anxiety, uncertainties, homophobia, stigma, and discrimination led the way as people at all levels of society went more into panic mode, rather than showed genuine care and support for the infected and affected. Indeed, with still much uncertainty about the treatment required and phobia relating to the idea that this was a homosexual or gay disease, in a context in which fear of homosexuality is like a pandemic by itself, those who were infected were condemned twice. That is, they were infected with a virus that would most certainly lead to their death with complications from AID

Patience Magagula says every day, for more than 15 years, she has taken a pill to treat HIV. Having arrived in Canada after fleeing political unrest in Zimbabawe in 2007, she says receiving treatment shortly after being diagnosed was "a blessing in disguise." But Magagula says the pills are daily reminders of her condition, and she wishes she and others living with the human immunodeficiency virus in British Columbia had more access to another treatment option. Magagula is one of several patients, doctors and advocates who launched a letter-writing campaign on Monday, urging British Columbians to pressure their MLAs to push for increased access to a first-of-its-kind, long-lasting, injectable HIV treatment called Cabenuva. "Injectable treatments can release people from stigma and fear of violence, just by providing privacy and flexibility in how and when to take their medication,&qu

After the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, several Hamas militants were reportedly found to be high on the illegal drug Captagon, which surely fueled their murderous rampage. But the drug's threat is greater than the boost it gives terrorists. The Captagon trade has become a key tool of influence for the Syrian regime and a massive source of income for the Iranian-backed militias now attacking U.S. troops. Captagon, the highly addictive methlike drug, typically comes in small white pills exported by the millions across the Middle East and beyond. Its manufacturing is directly linked to the Syrian armed forces and the family of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In addition to being a dictator, war criminal and mass murderer, Assad can now add the title of drug kingpin to his résumé. Exporting these drugs worldwide earns him several billion dollars a year. To get Captagon, named after a former brand of fenethylline, into Europe, the Syrian regime built a distribution network that