TresSugar

Dear Quiz: How Well Do You Know Yeast Infections?

DearSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

If you're a woman, chances are you've had to endure at least one horribly uncomfortable yeast infection in your lifetime. If you hadn't heard yet, there may be a yeast infection vaccine in our future which could help to prevent future infections, but until then, take this little quiz to see what you know about yeast infections, their causes, and how they relate to sex.

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Gonorrhea of the Throat?

DearSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I don't know how many women I've talked to that say they'll engage in oral sex with a guy no problem, but if they're going to have sex, they make him get tested first. Um, hello?! For all those ladies out there with that mindset, I have four words for you - Gonorrhea of the Throat. Remember that oral sex still allows secretions to be passed from one partner to another, and since some people with STIs such as gonorrhea don't show symptoms until the condition has progressed, they can unknowingly pass it on. Now can you see why I'm so pushy about advising that you and your partner get tested before any intimacy occurs?

I know gonorrhea of the throat sounds utterly painful, but symptoms only include a sore throat, and some people experience no symptoms at all, although people with this condition often have signs of regular gonorrhea as well. To diagnosis this STI, a doctor will take samples of secretions from the infected areas and luckily, all types of gonorrhea can be treated with a healthy dose of antibiotics.

Seriously ladies, if this doesn't make you request that a new partner get tested, I don't know what will. Any type of intimacy where you have the possibility of being exposed to another person's blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk should only occur if you know your partner is STI free.

Dear's Advice: If getting tested before oral sex isn't happening, you can still protect yourself by having the man wear a condom, or a woman place a dental dam over her lady business. I know that doesn't sound very sexy, but it's better than finding out you have gonorrhea of the throat!

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Genital Herpes 101

DearSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:00:00 -0700

A couple days ago I posted Handle This: He Has Herpes and some of your comments let me know that we could all use a refresher course on this STI.

Genital herpes is highly contagious, and is passed on through sexual contact. It's caused by a strain of herpes simplex virus (HSV), which enters your body through small cuts in your skin or mucous membranes, and then causes outbreaks of painful sores on your privates.

You should know that a person can pass herpes on to someone else even if they have no visible sores. Although there is no cure for genital herpes, the outbreaks can be controlled with medication, so a person with herpes can still be in a relationship and have sex (with protection, of course), without passing it on to his or her partner.

Want to learn more about how this STI is tested and treated? Then read more.

Symptoms	Small, painful blisters or open sores. After they ooze, they'll scab and then heal within one to three weeks. For women, sores may appear in the vagina, on the outside genital area, cervix, anus, or rear end. For men, sores may appear on the penis, scrotum, rear end, anus, thighs, or inside the urethra. Along with an outbreak of sores, a person may have flu-like symptoms including headache, muscle aches, and fever. Many people have no symptoms at all, or they'll have one bad outbreak of sores and then never experience another. Others can experience outbreaks up to 40 years after they first contract herpes.
How do you test for it?	A blood test can detect a herpes infection. If you have present sores, your doctor can take a fluid or tissue sample and test that, too.
Complications	Herpes will not cause death, but it can increase your risk of contracting other STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or HIV. A pregnant woman with sores can pass genital herpes on to her baby during delivery, which could cause brain damage, blindness, or death to the newborn. In this case, a C-section is usually performed.
Treatment	There is no cure, but oral, antiviral medications taken including Zovirax, Famvir, and Valtrex can help heal sores faster and prevent recurrent outbreaks. If taken every day, these meds may also help reduce your risk of passing it on to anyone else. If you have herpes, wait until all sores are healed before resuming sexual activity. Always use a condom to prevent passing it on to your partner, since this virus can be spread even when no symptoms of herpes are present.

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Oral Sex Doesn't Equal Safe Sex

DearSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:00:00 -0800

I hate to bring up this not-so-fun topic, but I'm concerned. Many of my friends have dated guys that they wouldn't have sex because they were worried about STIs, but they didn't seem the least bit worried about having oral sex. When your mouth has contact with someone else's business, you can very well get a whole plethora of STIs - the problem is that many of these sexually transmitted infections are asymptomatic, which means you can't tell if someone is infected just by looking at them. That also means an infected person may not realize they even have an STI so they let their partner perform oral sex on them while unknowingly and accidentally passing the infection on to them.

Which STIs can be passed on through oral sex? To find out read more.

Gonorrhea: I know this is gross, but if you perform oral sex on an infected person, you can get gonorrhea of the throat.

Chlamydia: This can also infect the throat in the same way.

Genital Herpes: This STI is passed by skin-to-skin contact with a developing or existing sore. Unfortunately, even when there are no sores present, an infected person can still pass it on to their partner.

Genital Warts (HPV): This can be passed on when an uninfected person touches infected skin on their partner's genitals. So you don't even have to be having vaginal or oral sex in order to get HPV from someone else.

Syphilis: If a person performs oral sex on someone who's infected, and they come in contact with an open sore or a skin rash, they can get syphilis, too. Since lesions can appear on the genitals and on the lips and mouth, that means you can even get it from kissing an infected person.

HIV: This potentially deadly STI can be passed on through blood (including menstrual fluid), semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk. So if a person performs oral pleasure on an infected person, and if they have a cut or sore in their mouth or on their gums, then they can contract HIV, too.

I know this is all very scary information, but knowing the facts will help keep you safe. Before becoming sexually active, you and your partner should get tested. It'll show that you respect one another, that you're responsible, and your sense of relief will make it all worth while when you do share that kind of intimacy.

Dear's Advice: If you are planning on having oral sex even though you're not sure about your partner's STI history, using male and female condoms and dental dams can reduce your risk tremendously.

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You Gotta Know About Gonorrhea

DearSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0800

OK folks, it's time for America's favorite subject - gonorrhea. Well, maybe it's not your favorite, or even on your list of 100 favorite topics to discuss, but it's definitely something everyone should know about. Take this quiz to test what you know about this STI.

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STI Facts

DearSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:40:24 -0700

If you are sexually active, it's a sad fact that we need to watch out for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Knowledge is prevention, so take this quiz to test your understanding of STIs.

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US STD Rate Highest of Developed Countries - and Rising!

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:49 -0800

Let's talk about sex . . . or else! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reluctance to talk about sex is keeping STD infection rates on the rise in the US, especially among teens. After practically being eradicated, syphilis is resurgent, and chlamydia and gonorrhea are also at "unacceptably high levels." Thanks to our prudishness, the US has the highest rate of STDs of any developed country in the world.

It's no secret that abstinence-only sex education is popular in America. Thankfully, after confronting the fact that abstinence-only education does not effectively reduce STD infection rates, some school districts are moving to abstinence-plus education, which reasonably stresses the importance of using protection if a teen is sexually active.

Of course, parents can also do something to reduce STD risks by providing a little sex education at home. When I asked a while back, more than half of TrèsSugar readers said their parents avoided having an awkward conversation about contraception. Maybe these new statistics will remind parents that reducing health risks are worth a few uncomfortable minutes.

Hump Day: Is My Cold Sore Contagious?

TresSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Welcome to Hump Day, TrèsSugar's sex advice column! Are you confused about sex? Do you have trouble having an orgasm? Is there something you'd like to try but you're worried it's too weird? Send your questions to TrèsSugar, and our friend Dr. Charlie Glickman from Good Vibrations will offer his sound advice!

Today's Question:

“I know that cold sores are the same virus as herpes. Is it a bad idea to go down on my boy when I have one? Is it transmissible that way?” To hear what Dr. Glickman has to say, read more.

Dr. Glickman's Answer:

YES!!!

There are two types of herpes virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Oral herpes is usually HSV-1 and it’s estimated that 80 percent of the population has been exposed to it. Genital herpes is usually HSV-2 and it’s estimated that 25 percent of women and 12 percent of men have it. However, genital herpes can be caused by either version of the virus, so going down on someone when you have a cold sore (another name for a herpes outbreak) can spread it. To make things a bit more complicated, only about 1/3 of the people who have genital herpes are aware of it - either they’ve never had an outbreak or the outbreak was very mild. (See herpes.com for more info.)

Part of what makes herpes tricky is that it can be transmitted even when you don’t have a visible outbreak. The virus lives in your nervous system and every so often, it’ll come to the surface. It’s especially likely to happen when you’re sick or have been stressed for a while. There’s evidence that the virus starts shedding from the skin (and is therefore potentially contagious) before any visible symptoms. It’s a low risk, but it’s a possibility. To make matters worse, if the site of the shedding isn’t covered by a condom, it can be spread even when you’re practicing safer sex.

While herpes can be uncomfortable, it doesn’t represent nearly as much risk as other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papilloma virus (HPV), or HIV. Having said that, there’s evidence that HSV-2 makes HIV transmission more likely. See this article for more information about how that works.

It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve seen a lot of people get really upset about STIs when they don’t get nearly as upset about any other health issue. I’ve also seen a lot of people who have all sorts of judgment about STIs but think nothing of going to work and sharing their flu germs (or worse)! STIs can be unpleasant, annoying, or life-threatening, but they don’t mean anything about the person who has them any more than chicken pox or measles do. Negative attitudes about STIs are a holdover from before we invented antibiotics and when diseases such as syphilis were seen as the wages of sin. But now we know that they’re just germs and we don’t need to shame people for having them. (Not that I’m saying that you’re doing that, but I wanted to mention it.)

The best thing that we can all do is to get tested for STIs regularly, even if you’ve never had a symptom. Lots of people have STIs and don’t know it. Check your local Planned Parenthood or other agency for information, although I recommend going with anonymous testing in order to ensure your privacy.

And safer sex is always a good choice. It’s easy to do, with a little practice. Using a lubricant can make safer sex more enjoyable since latex tends to have a bit more friction than skin. Try a silicone-based brand if you’re prone to yeast infections. Water-based brands are a bit easier to clean up since they rinse away.

If you or your partner don’t like the way condoms feel, try a different brand. The Japanese-process condoms such as Maxx and Skinless Skin are more sheer than other types. Or you could give Skyn a whirl. It’s made from polyisoprene, rather than latex, so it’s very sheer and both people will get more sensation.

Given that you have oral herpes, you might want to talk with your boyfriend about using condoms for oral sex. If you go that route, change the condom before having intercourse. That will make sure that you don’t spread the herpes virus to your vulva or vagina. It’ll also reduce the risk of your condom breaking; teeth can cause small abrasions that weaken the condom.

For an excellent, sex-positive read on safer sex, check out The Hot Guide to Safer Sex . It’s full of helpful advice and great tips.

Female Marine Recruits More Lax About Sex Than Civilians

TresSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Hoping to learn how to prevent unintended pregnancies from impacting combat readiness, the Marine Corps took a look at the sex lives of female Marines. The study revealed that female recruits had higher rates of the most common STDs (chlamydia and gonorrhea) and were less fond of using condoms than the general civilian population. The survey also revealed more lax attitudes toward mixing sex with alcohol among the new female Marines.

When you're in the armed forces, your sex life can impact the country's national security. Hoping to avoid losing Marines to unplanned pregnancy or illness, the Marine Corps includes sex ed in basic training. Each female recruit also has to have a 30-minute informal discussion about reproductive health with a senior drill instructor. That's got to be a little awkward - drop and give me birth control!

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Binge Drinkers Are at a Higher Risk For STIs

DearSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Over the weekend I came across an article that I just had to share with all of you. A study performed at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that binge drinkers (five or more alcoholic beverages at one time) are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, making them (particularly women) more likely to contract an STI. We all know that binge drinking lowers inhibitions, but the findings of this new study are very sobering:

Across gender, women binge drinkers are more likely to have anal sex than men binge drinkers. Within gender, women binge drinkers are three times as likely to have anal sex, and twice as likely to have multiple sex partners compared to women who do not drink alcohol. Compared to non-drinking women, women binge drinkers are also five times as likely to have gonorrhea.

To make things even worse for women, anatomical differences place women at a higher risk of contracting STIs, since men infect women with disease more efficiently than women to men.

This is pretty frightening stuff, but is it all that shocking? Of course alcohol affects everyone differently, but what are your thoughts on this news?

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