Sexual Health News - October 2012

While hormonal contraceptives can be successful in preventing unwanted pregnancies, they do not protect against the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea, chlamydia and genital herpes.

When it comes to sexual health, many individuals aren't aware of the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) because some infected individuals are asymptomatic.

In light of its high rates of both chlamydia and gonorrhea, the state of Alaska is reaching out to its residents to try and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), the Alaska Dispatch reported.

According to a new study published in the Review of General Psychology, between 60 and 80 percent of college students have engaged in casual sex with one of their peers.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently released new guidelines on how often women should receive Pap smears to test for cervical cancer.

Scientists are constantly trying to find ways to decrease the number of people who contract HIV, which involves helping at-risk populations gain access to condoms and reliable information.

A new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine discusses a new set of criteria that could potentially classify sexual addiction as a mental health condition.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is no advantage for HIV-positive individuals who consume high-dose multivitamins while receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and doing so may even be detrimental.

According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, the parenting behavior of fathers may impact their children's sexual behavior as adolescents.

When the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine debuted in 2006, protestors argued that one of the reasons why parents should not let their teenage girls receive it was because it may advocate a more promiscuous lifestyle.

This month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new recommendation that baby boomers receive blood tests for hepatitis C.

In the U.S., chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosed by healthcare professionals.

When the HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix were developed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent individuals from being infected with the virus, the world had its first method to combat a type of cancer.

According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, overall, the rate at which people who are HIV positive die from the virus has decreased between 1993 and 2007.

Public health officials are constantly looking for new ways to reach out to the young adult population about sexual health.

According to a new report published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, when healthcare providers extend care that goes beyond the doctor's office, poor individuals with HIV have a better chance of managing the virus.

Clinicians diagnose cervical cancer in more than 12,000 women in the U.S. every year, and approximately 4,000 of them die from it.

HPV is currently the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S., and there are more than 40 different strains that can infect the reproductive organs and surrounding area, as well as the mouth and throat.

HIV is a serious problem not only in the U.S., but around the globe.

To reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among young people, it's important for parents and educators to talk to teens about the dangers of unprotected sex.