TresSugar

Medical Groups Disagree on HPV vs. Pap Tests For Cervical Cancer Prevention

Tara Block — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:05:00 PDT

Today several medical groups have released proposals on cervical cancer prevention, and while they agree on the current guidelines that recommend women 21 to 29 get Pap tests every three years instead of yearly, they disagree on HPV screenings.

The US Preventative Services Task Force says that women under 30 should not be using HPV tests alone or in combination with a Pap to screen for cervical cancer. Even though the HPV virus can lead to cervical cancer, in younger women it usually clears out on its own. And the government-run task force notes that "screening for HPV causes more false positive cancer results than the Pap smear alone."

While the task force isn't for HPV testing, the guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology say routine HPV tests should be an option along with Pap tests.

"The main difference is that, dating back to 2002, the American Cancer Society and several other organizations recommended that HPV testing, along with the Pap test, is a good option for screening women starting at age 30," says Debbie Saslow, the American Cancer Society's director of breast and gynecologic cancer.

Luckily, the groups are taking public comment before coming together with a final set of consistent guidelines in the next couple months. Let's hope they are less confusing than these initial proposals!

What do you think about the every-three-year Pap for cervical cancer? (Not to be confused with a yearly breast and pelvic checkup.) Doctors have and continue to push the yearly Pap, sometimes making it mandatory before getting a yearly birth control prescription. But whether it's gyno-suggested or not, are you still getting a yearly Pap test, or do you spread it out over every few years like the new recommendations say?

3 Things to Know About the Latest Gonorrhea Superbug

Annie Scudder — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:00:34 PDT

If the prospect of gonorrhea already worries you, you better prepare for a world with a gonorrhea superbug. A doctor in Japan has discovered a strain of the STI that is not treatable with any of the antibiotics currently used to treat gonorrhea.

Gonorrhea is one of the most common STIs; 340 million people contract it each year, and in the US at least 700,000 do. And while gonorrhea can cause painful sex, swollen testicles, pain while urinating, and infertility in women, it's currently treatable. That may soon change if this new drug-resistant strain spreads. Here are three things to know about this worrisome development.

The new strain is called H041 and it's resistant to every known antibiotic.
It was discovered in Japan. Gonorrhea has become more resistant over time, leaving only one class of antibiotics that will treat it. In the past, Japan has been the first place where new resistances are detected before spreading across the world. Typically it can be 10 to 20 years before a new resistance spreads internationally, but this superbug might move more swiftly since it's completely drug-resistant. Right now in the US, a quarter of gonorrhea strains are resistant to common antibiotics, but they can still be treated with newer drugs.
Doctors may use untested medicine to treat it. Doctors are urgently working to develop new drugs, but if someone contracts H041 before they can, untested medicine will be the only treatment option. In the meantime, using a combination of two different types of antibiotics to treat nonsuperbug infections will help limit the creation of an even greater resistance.

DrSugar: HPV Questions and Concerns

DrSugar — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:00:09 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar
If I was tested last year for HPV and it was negative, and this year I am positive and only had one sexual partner between the year, can I assume it was that person? Thanks!
- Confused by HPV

First of all, I’m so glad you asked this question, since human papillomavirus (HPV) is so common. This question is the perfect springboard to discuss HPV, testing for HPV, what a positive HPV test means, and how to determine how you got it. To learn more about HPV, keep reading!

Don't Let These Meds Dampen Your Sex Drive

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:00:13 PDT

Sometimes we're just not in the mood for sex, but a persistent lack of sexual desire is a bigger issue. Numerous factors can contribute to low libido, including common prescription drugs.

If you've been battling a weak libido, maybe your meds are to blame. To see which drugs can decrease a woman's sex drive,

Allegra, Claritin, and other allergy meds. Certain antihistamines, both over the counter and prescription, can lead to vaginal dryness. If you use these drugs, you may need to supplement your sex with lubricants.
Antidepressants. SSRI drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft can prompt orgasmic dysfunction in women and lessen desire for sex. If you experience this side effect, talk to your doctor about adjusting your dosage. Since depression can also interfere with sex drive, you don't want your meds working against you!
Antianxiety drugs such as Xanax. Like antidepressants, too much of these medications could decrease sex drive and delay orgasms.
Hormonal birth control. In addition to other side effects, birth control pills and Depo Provera can decrease a woman's sexual desire and arousal. If this happens to you, consider switching to a nonhormonal birth control method.

DrSugar: Testing For STDs?

DrSugar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:48 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

DrSugar,
I have no specific reason to believe that I have an STD, nor do I have any symptoms. I've been in a monogamous relationship for almost four years. I've been to the gynecologist for exams (including pap) on an annual basis since I was 18 (eight years), and have had my blood tested by my general practitioner as part of routine physical exams twice in the past few years, with nothing to report. I'm wondering whether or not STDs would show on a blood test or during a gynecological exam or if it's possible that I could have one and not know. Thanks.
- Concerned About Testing

I think this is a fantastic issue to discuss as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be a cause for concern in sexually active individuals, whether in monogamous relationships or not. First, I'd like to applaud you for seeing your gynecologist and primary care physician on a yearly basis to get pelvic exams/pap smears and routine blood tests. I cannot stress enough the importance of having at least a primary care physician and seeing him or her on a routine basis for yearly physicals and screening.

To learn more about screenings for STDs, keep on reading.

Could Birth Control Pills Be Hurting Your Sex Drive?

FitSugar — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:00:30 PDT

Attention users of the pill: according to a new study, women who use hormonal contraceptives are at a higher risk for sexual problems. The German study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, evaluated over 1,000 women using various birth control methods; the pill, the ring, and condoms were most popular. Most of the women involved in the study were in a stable, monogamous relationship for at least six months. Researchers found that nearly 33 percent of the women were at risk for female sexual dysfunction, including lack of orgasm, desire, satisfaction, arousal and lubrication.

Women using nonhormonal contraceptives experienced the least dysfunction. Women using non-oral hormonal contraceptives - like the ring- were at highest risk, followed closely by those using oral hormonal contraceptives. Researchers can't explain the exact connection between hormonal contraception and dysfunction, but cite one possibility: oral contraceptives have been found to reduce circulating levels of androgens, perhaps leading to low circulating levels of testosterone, the hormone needed to trigger desire.

How do you feel about this study? Do the findings mirror your experiences with birth control?

Doctors Tell Women to Ditch Annual Pap Test

TresSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:42 PST

There may be no need to feel guilty about putting off your annual trip to the gynecologist anymore! New guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists assert that healthy women should not get cervical cancer screening pap tests every year. Instead they encourage women to get the screening every two to three years. The medical group also recommends against getting a pap test until after the age of 21, even if an adolescent is sexually active.

The new recommendations against annual cervical cancer screenings are not intended to save you embarrassment or discomfort - they're meant to prevent unnecessary and possibly harmful treatments. For example, treatment of precancerous HPV symptoms that would otherwise go away on their own puts women at a higher risk of giving birth to a premature or underweight baby. Still, cervical cancer rates have dropped 50 percent since the 1970s mostly thanks to the pap test, so I hope the doctors aren't trying to fix something that isn't broken. But the authors of the guidelines explain that the same results can be accomplished with less-regular screenings.

I'll admit the idea that less screening can be better for your sexual health seems counterintuitive. Will you stick to your annual pap test or do you welcome a chance to get one less frequently?

Another Plastic Health Risk - Erectile Dysfunction

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:13:34 PST

While there have been previous studies, linking bisphenol A (BPA), found in hard plastics, to health problems, including precancerous tumors, prostate cancer, and brain damage, a new study, conducted in China, substantiates its claims with results in humans. In one of the first studies of its kind to be conducted on humans, researchers are finding that much of what they've previously seen in animal studies holds true - men exposed to significant amounts of BPA are at greater risk of sexual health problems.

The study compared the levels of sexual dysfunction in two groups of male factory workers - one group, which was exposed to high levels of BPA, while the other was not. The overall findings of the research reveal that when BPA enters the body, it may mimic estrogen, and block male sex hormones from functioning. In the males who were exposed to high levels of BPA, researchers observed that the risk of erectile dysfunction was four times that of a man not exposed to the chemicals.

According Dr. Rebecca Sokol, the director of the andrology program at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, and specialist in the effects of toxins on the reproductive system, these are some "compelling results." She notes that, "It's not cause and effect, but when you have the kind of ambient air quality assessment that they made, it comes pretty close to cause and effect."

To learn more about the study keep reading

Have Sex and Live Longer!

DearSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:00:00 PDT

We all know that sex is a wonderful way to connect with and express love for your partner, and that getting it on is also good for your health, but check out this great news: According to Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, a healthy sex life sex can also help women live longer. That's right; research shows that women who engage in satisfying nookie whenever they have the urge live longer than those who don't. There's good news for guys, too - men who have sex three times a week have a 50 percent reduction in their risk of stroke and heart attack. Now that sure is a reason to have an orgasm!

Source

Can Sex Cause a Yeast Infection? Yes and No

DearSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:00:00 PST

If you've ever had a yeast infection, you know that it's not something you want to go through again. The good news is that you can do a lot to keep the healthy bacteria below your waist at a normal level, like wearing cotton undies, loose fitting pants, and avoiding douching altogether.

Staying dry down there is crucial in order to avoid the annoyance of a yeast infection, but that can be tough if you're a sexually active person. Natural lubrication that your body makes isn't going to affect your lady business, but if you use a personal lubricant that contains glycerin, for many women, that's a yeast infection waiting to happen, so make sure your lube is glycerin-free! Also, if you don't use condoms and your man does his business inside of you, make sure to use the bathroom after sex to help release some of the semen.

There's something else to think about when it comes to sex and yeast infections so

Hormonal birth control can cause yeast infections for some women, so if you're prone, try Monophasic birth control, where the same dosage is delivered daily, which can help curb an infection. If that doesn't work, you may benefit from experimenting with other forms of BC until you find the right one for your body. Another thing to note is that pregnancy can cause a yeast infection. Now I'm not saying having an infection means you're preggers, but it could be one of the early signs.

Source