Barb's Daily Dose

Herpes: Medications Help, but Aren't 100% Protective

Brittany and Tom sat in my office holding hands. They looked a little worried and yet were interested in finding out more information about how to prevent Tom from passing Herpes on to Brittany. They were both in their late 20's and been together for about 6 months and so far, so good, she had not become infected, which was reassuring, but they wanted to do everything they could to prevent a future transmission.

Women & Herpes

Women at Higher Risk

We know that women are 6 to 7 times more likely than men to become infected with herpes.

A new report by the WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that worldwide up to 28 % of women will be infected with Herpes by age 50! Here in the US, studies have found that in general between 20 -25% of women are infected, with 90% being unaware that they have this particular infection. 

Sexual Health: Contraceptives and Condom Use

Please check out this great article that was featured on HealthDayNews.  To view the video- click here.

Condom-Use Errors Common

Improper use Could Contribute to Unwanted Pregnancies or STIs

MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2012 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of data from 50 studies across 14 countries finds that errors in using condoms are common and could contribute to unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.

Stephanie Sanders and colleagues at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University looked at 16 years of data on the issue, mainly from the United States and Britain.

The Condom Broke! I Want to beTested for Everything!

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I would be taking more vacations to tropical beaches! When I hear this, what I also understand is that the person wants to be tested for every sexually transmitted disease/infection (STD) ever known. By the time, the person comes in to see me, I can offer up a few tests that will help them know if they contracted an infection.

16 Signs You May Have HIV - Health.com

Another Great Article form Health.com

 16 Signs You May Have HIV - Health.com.

Herpes Treatments

I get calls and emails all the time from people with herpes who want to know if the over the counter remedies they've seen in on-line ads will really help with their symptoms.  Having herpes can be emotionally challenging and it's normal to want to get rid of symptoms quickly and get on with your life. It's also normal to want to use a so called natural ingredient to prevent outbreaks and make them go away as quickly as possible. If there were such remedies that really worked, I'd be the first person telling my patients about it, but unfortunately these things DON'T work.

Birth Control Pill Use Increased

"Hey Mom, can I take the car?  Do you have an extra $10 you can loan me?"  These are typical questions you might here from your teen, right?  What's not typical is for them to also ask, "Oh, and by the way, can I have sex tonight?"

The truth is that  teens are making their own decisions about when to have sex that are much less about what you think and more about what they think.  And we know from study after study, after study that  teens don't wait to have sex until after they start to use contraception.  They usually start having sex and then think about contraception. 

Is it Yeast or Could it Be Herpes?

I saw a patient recently who came in for what she thought was a yeast infection, and when I examined her, I saw that she had multiple small red lesions around her genitalia. She hadn't noticed the sores, but did notice that when urine touched the skin, it hurt.  She thought that the pain was from her recurrent yeast infections that she was treating with over the counter creams because she was traveling so much, she never had time to come in for an exam.  Since the creams worked after a week or so, she figured that it was yeast and no big deal.  She finally had time to come in to find out why she was getting so many yeast infections.

Should Boys be Vaccinated for HPV?

The HPV vaccine, Gardisil, which is used in girls and young women to protect them against both cervical cancer and HPV that causes genital warts externally has also been shown to be effective in boys.  In a study of over 4,000 boys, Gardisil showed a 90% effectiveness rate in preventing the 2 strains of HPV that cause most of the genital warts.  Boys between 12 and 18 can be offered the vaccine.  I recommend it not only for my patients, but also in my own family.

Click here to read more.

Pennies for Pause

Our Featured Guest Today is Gina Dillon,

President/Founder of Pennies for Pause

Pennies for Pause (PfP) Concept is Simple:

It addresses unplanned pregnancy in young adults 18-29 by encouraging the use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs), life planning and problem solving skills with the use of a reward-based system delivered through social media outlets and an online collaborative website. PfP collects donated merchandise and creates a prize chest of items that can be earned by making responsible choices. Participants are awarded points for choosing to use a LARC, testing for STDs, committing to the use of condoms, participating in online discussions, problem solving and real life challenges. In order to be authentic and engaging, a staff of energetic young adults will operate the program in an edutainment approach.