STD Awareness: New STDs on the Block, and STDs Making a Comeback

Last month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a piece about “old-timey” STDs that are making a comeback (think shigellosis), newer STDs to hit the scene (think Zika virus), and “classic” STDs that are finding new ways to harm us (think antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea). Let’s meet this rogues’ gallery of sexually transmitted bugs.

A Young Person’s Guide to STIs

You probably have herpes or HPV, but how much do you know about them and other STIs?

No Freak Out Guide to Common STDs

Sometimes talking about STDs makes one feel like Coach Carr from Mean Girls: “If you do touch each other, you will get chlamydia, and die. Everybody take some rubbers.” But, even though it feels like we *knowwww* we should be having safe sex, a report released earlier this year by the CDC found that there has been a rise in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the last year. And, as if you needed another stat to make you go eeeek, there are an estimated 110 million STIs in the US at any given time. (Could this have something to do with the state of sex ed in US schools?)

Nobody Uses Dental Dams

Their potential to prevent more common STDs has gone largely unrealized. Juliet Richters, a former professor of sexual health at the University of New South Wales, is one of few researchers who have performed quantitative research on dental-dam use.

The Era of Cheap and Easy STD Treatment Is Over. What Went Wrong?

Gonorrhea may not seem like a big deal. Aside from HIV, sexually transmitted diseases seem like solved problems, relics of some long-ago time when sex wasn’t discussed and sexual health care was difficult to access. In fact, gonorrhea is surging back, along with its equally forgotten partner, syphilis.

The Most Common Signs and Symptoms of STDs

We asked real docs so you can stop asking Dr. Google.

Tinder and Grindr don't want to talk about their role in rising STDs

Health experts see online dating as the new frontier for STD prevention — but major sites don’t want to engage.

America May Be Heading Into an STD Epidemic—and Gay and Bi Men Are Going to Be the Hardest Hit

This news came on the heels of a recent STD Surveillance Report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention which showed that the total combined cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis reported in the U.S. in 2015 reached record highs. Those most at risk were gay and bisexual men (regardless of their PrEP status), as well as the youth of America...

Chlamydia, Gonorrhea Rates Climb, But Few Young Women Feel At Risk

In the midst of record-high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs or STDs), a new industry-sponsored survey finds that many of those at high risk for STDs are not getting tested—and don’t seem to think they need to.

Don’t Panic!

The CDC reported a surge in STI diagnoses last year. But there’s no cause for alarm.

Emergency Rooms May Be Overdiagnosing UTIs on a Massive Scale

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology tracked nearly 300 female patients to find that emergency departments massively overdiagnose urinary tract infections. What’s worse, in many cases ERs fail to diagnose the sexually transmitted infections that are the real culprits behind the symptoms. This means millions of women are being put on unnecessary antibiotics for nonexistent UTIs and/or going around unaware that they have STIs.

Growing antibiotic resistance forces updates to recommended treatment for sexually transmitted infection

Resistance of these STIs to the effect of antibiotics has increased rapidly in recent years and has reduced treatment options. Of the 3 STIs, gonorrhoea has developed the strongest resistance to antibiotics. Strains of multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea that do not respond to any available antibiotics have already been detected. Antibiotic resistance in chlamydia and syphilis, though less common, also exists, making prevention and prompt treatment critical.

How PrEP, the pill to prevent HIV, may be fueling a rise in other STDs

A recent review of studies found that some people on PrEP engage in more risky sex.

Some STDs Are Shyer Than Others

But they'll still do anything to get in your pants.

STDs...The Latest is...Head and Neck Cancer

The incidence of head and neck cancer is going down. The bad news is another type of head and neck cancer is on the rise and is related to a common STD...HPV the same virus implicated in cervical cancer. Could oral sex play a role?

The Best Explanation For The Growing STD Crisis? Politics

There are a number of hypotheses about what is driving the increase, some focusing on “personal responsibility.” There have been more men having sex without condoms, for example, or young women using IUDs and therefore not seeing a physician regularly. There’s no question that dating apps make sex more anonymous—which makes public health investigation and tracking much more difficult and less accurate.

The Losing Battle Against Bacterial STDs

World Health Organizaiton unveils new treatment guidelines to cope with antibiotic resistance.

The US Is Suffering From An STD Epidemic

Infectious diseases seem to come and go, sometimes causing scary outbreaks, while other times seeming to disappear. But some infectious pathogens are always with us, lurking just below the surface of society.

U.S. Has Highest STD Rates In Industrialized World. Experts Blame A Lack Of Resources.

Health experts say we know how to stop sexually transmitted diseases. “We just don’t necessarily want to pay for it.”

You Might Still Have an STD Even if You’re Not Peeing Fire

We’ve compiled a handy cheat sheet of the most common STD warning signs to let you know when it’s time to skip your freshman Shakespeare seminar and get thee to a student health center.

America May Soon Have Another Sexually Transmitted Infection

While there is some debate among epidemiologists about whether to call monkeypox “sexually transmitted” versus “sexually transmissible,” it is reasonable to consider that sex is one activity that transmits infection, similar to other infections that are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact during sex, like herpes, syphilis and the human papillomavirus.

Sexually transmitted infections are at an all-time high. Urgent action is needed

Our concerns are especially acute because the medical and public health communities know how to prevent these infections, yet as a country we have failed to implement basic public health practices that could reverse these trends. STIs are at an all-time high.

STDs reduce your fertility: Here’s everything you need to know

Nobody enjoys having a conversation about STDs. We find it embarrassing, there’s so much stigma around them, so we are often nervous about being checked out. However, understanding the link between an STD and the impact they can have on your future fertility could be all the motivation you need.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing Best Practices

Historically, microbiological culture was the gold standard for diagnosing chlamydial and gonorrheal infections. This method has been largely replaced by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), which have sensitivities of up to 100 percent and specificities of 97 percent for diagnosing chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Don’t Miss This! Penile Lesion

The patient that presents with a single genital lesion can be a challenge to diagnose...

Everlywell now has an STI test subscription. Is it worth it?

Not everyone in the United States has access to medical care; that's an unfortunate fact. For those who do, visiting a doctor will provide more answers than a monthly STI test delivered to you — as well as advice on how to prevent them in the future. For those who don't, Current may provide some peace of mind, as long as the user is aware of the drawbacks.

Grindr, other dating apps are discussing ways to add STD notifications

Popular dating apps could soon help stop the spread of record high STD infections among their users. Grindr and other primarily gay dating apps are exploring ways to add the ability for people who test positive for an STD to notify partners using the app...

My Husband’s Tinder Date

While we were separated, my husband had sex with a woman. Now we have a positive STI test.

People Are Still Having Sex. So Why Are S.T.D. Rates Dropping?

Public health officials believe many cases are going undetected as clinics close during the pandemic and testing supplies are diverted to coronavirus screening.

Primary Care Doctors Aren't Doing Enough to Fight the Spread of STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases are often asymptomatic​, so screening is essential. “If providers don’t ask the questions and don’t apply the screening recommendations, the majority of STDs will be missed.”

Sexually Transmitted Disease Cases Rise to Record High, C.D.C. Says

Cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia in the United States jumped last year, and an alarming number of newborn deaths were linked to congenital syphilis.

The 3 STDs You Probably Won’t Get Anymore (Thanks, Science!)

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you probably remember hearing a lot about genital warts, pubic lice, and hepatitis B. All three are sexually transmitted diseases, but thankfully, they're not as threatening as they once were. Full disclaimer: This is not a green light to have unprotected sex. These do still exist, and there's a host of other STDs out there that you need to protect yourself against.

The World War II battle against STDs

What happens when you mix venereal disease and global war?

These Four New STIs Are On the Rise

With cases of STIs on the rise, basic methods of protection are more important than ever.

Why Sexually Transmitted Infections Can’t Shake Their Stigma

We live in an era of sex positivity — until we get positive test results. And that’s unfortunate, because S.T.I.s are on the rise.