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☆ Sexually Transmitted Infections Have Surged, and Age Is No Barrier
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Catherine Pearson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amy is currently seeing a man she described as a “friend with benefits,” but it’s nothing she takes too seriously. What she does take seriously is talking to him — and every partner — about safe sex practices amid rising rates of sexually transmitted infections in seniors. “I’m very aware of it,” said Amy, who asked to use only her middle name to protect her privacy. “I require proof of negative testing before I become intimate with anyone.” She also insists on using a condom. Research suggests many older people are unaware of these risks, and that’s keeping them from adequate screening and practicing safer sex.

Persons: Amy, —, “, ” Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Research

☆ STIs: How to talk about them with a new partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

However, “how to bring it up is tricky because any topic related to sexual health is so taboo and so value-based,” Brito said. But regardless, “it’s important for you to be assertive about your own health,” Brito said, especially as rates of STIs have been rising over the last several years. Whether it’s due to shame or selfishness, not everyone is forthcoming about their sexual health status. Additionally, it’s easier to be proactive and prevent contracting STIs than it is to have to handle a health problem. “There are many … STIs that have really bad stigmas that actually don’t cause any long-term problems,” Earle-Cruickshanks said.

Persons: CNN — You’ve, haven’t, Janet Brito, ” Brito, “, Germaine Earle, Cruickshanks, — won’t, Earle, you’re, ” Earle, Brito, —, you’ve, I’m Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Center, Sexual, Health, Mount Auburn Hospital Locations: Honolulu, Cambridge , Massachusetts

☆ An Antibiotic After Sex Greatly Reduced Syphilis and Chlamydia Cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A single dose of doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, taken after sex halved the incidence of chlamydia and early syphilis among gay and bisexual men and transgender women in San Francisco, city health officials announced on Monday. The findings offered a glimmer of hope amid a rising tide of sexually transmitted infections nationwide. In San Francisco, gay and bisexual men and transgender women who had a history of S.T.I.s or multiple sex partners were given a supply of the antibiotic and asked to take two 100-milligram pills within 72 hours of unprotected sex. New cases of chlamydia and early syphilis — but not gonorrhea — dropped over the course of about a year. “It’s not subtle, it is very fast and we’re seeing the beginning of it, not the end,” Dr. Hyman Scott, a medical director at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said in an interview.

Persons: —, “, Dr, Hyman Scott Organizations: Conference, San Francisco Department of Public Health Locations: San Francisco, Denver

Vending machines offering tests for sexually transmitted infections hold promise as a way to reach people with sexual health services, according to a study that comes on the heels of recent increases in STIs in both the U.S. and England. For the study, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, researchers analyzed data associated with nearly a dozen vending machines in two regions of England that were stocked with free kits to help detect chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Approximately 6% of the STI tests were positive for chlamydia, while 2.5% tested positive for gonorrhea, according to the study. A total of four samples tested positive for HIV, though they were from people already known to be HIV positive, and three tests came back positive for syphilis antibodies. Previous research suggests vending machines that offer self-tests for HIV can lead to increased uptake in testing among men who have sex with men, and the latest study adds to those findings.

Persons: “, what’s, ”, Aaron Glatt, Glatt Organizations: U.S, World Health Organization, The Washington Post, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America Locations: STIs, England, Black, U.S, Mount Sinai South Nassau, New York

But there's some unexpected good news: The rate of new gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in a decade. Total cases surpassed 207,000 in 2022, the highest count in the United States since 1950, according to data released Tuesday. About 59,000 of the 2022 cases involved the most infectious forms of syphilis. STD testing was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials believe that's the reason the chlamydia rate fell in 2020. “We are encouraged by the magnitude of the decline,” Mermin said, though the gonorrhea rate is still higher now than it was pre-pandemic.

Persons: It's, gonorrhea, Philip Chan, Meghan O’Connell, O'Connell, Jonathan Mermin, ” Mermin Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Brown University, Plains Tribal, ’, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, District of Columbia, CDC’s National Center, HIV, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: United States, U.S, Providence , Rhode Island, Alaska, South Dakota, New Mexico, South, Rapid City , South Dakota

☆ Gonorrhea Is Becoming Drug Resistant. Scientists Just Found a Solution.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | More About Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

About half of infected people show no symptoms, but in others gonorrhea can lead to painful joints and burning urination. It has become resistant to azithromycin and is increasingly resistant to another antibiotic called ceftriaxone, which is now the standard of care. Based on previous research, the drug is unlikely to be as effective in the throat and rectum, said Dr. Marrazzo. In studies, zoliflodacin appears to be effective against a wide range of resistant strains of gonorrhea. The partnership’s agreement minimizes that chance: The nonprofit plans to manage how the drug is distributed, and to see that it is used only to treat gonorrhea.

Persons: gonorrhea, ”, Manica Balasegaram, “ I’ll, that’s, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Jeanne Marrazzo, Marrazzo, zoliflodacin, Margaret Koziel Organizations: Global, Research, Development, Pharmaceutical, European Union, Therapeutics, Princeton University, National Institute of Allergy Locations: American

☆ Doctors are now prescribing doxy-PEP, a morning-after pill that helps prevent STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Taking doxy-PEP within 72 hours of unprotected sex has the potential to help anyone concerned about their risk of bacterial STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, doctors say. More recently, studies have found it can reduce STI risk in certain groups. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year found that doxy-PEP reduced the risk for STIs like chlamydia. The medication is already approved for use in anyone 12 or older, and an updated CDC recommendation isn't necessary for doctors to prescribe it. Condoms are still importantThe CDC recommendation is in what's called a public comment period, which will last through mid-November.

Persons: aren't, —, Stephanie Cohen, Laura Purdy, Purdy, Doxycycline, gonorrhea, Dahlia Philips, chlamydia, Philips Organizations: CDC, Service, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco City Clinic, Associated Press, The New England, of, Care Locations: The, what's

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials plan to endorse a common antibiotic as a morning-after pill that gay and bisexual men can use to try to avoid some increasingly common sexually transmitted diseases. The proposed CDC guideline was released Monday, and officials will move to finalize it after a 45-day public comment period. Doxycycline, a cheap antibiotic that has been available for more than 40 years, is a treatment for health problems including acne, chlamydia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. That kind of antibiotic resistance hasn't materialized in San Francisco, but it will be important to watch for, Cohen said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: ”, Jonathan Mermin, Mermin, Stephanie Cohen, —, Taimur Khan, Khan, Cohen Organizations: —, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, New, of Medicine, Fenway Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: — U.S, “, Boston, San Francisco

☆ STIs are on the rise in the US. A pill taken after sex could help slow them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Yet recent research suggests that one pill of the drug can be effective in preventing such infections among men who have sex with men if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. He added that any guidance from the CDC will help “fill gaps,” provide direction to clinics and offer a framework for using doxyPEP for STI prevention. “Drug resistance when taking doxyPEP is currently being studied in people using this treatment for STI prevention. “There are still many STI prevention and treatment gaps left to fill. “In STI prevention, we’ve been relying on tools that are decades, sometimes centuries old.

Persons: Dr, Jonathan Mermin, ”, doxyPEP, Stephanie Cohen, “, “ We’re, ” Cohen, ” David C, Harvey, ” Harvey, DoxyPEP, someone’s, Annie Luetkemeyer, gonorrhea, ” Luetkemeyer, Connie Celum, Kenya Medical Research Institute —, Jenell Stewart, Stewart, ” Stewart, Suneer Chander, Wisp, ” Chander, Sanjay Gupta, Mermin, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC’s National Center, HIV, CDC, San Francisco Department of Public Health, California Department of Public Health, San Francisco Department of Public, National Coalition, STD, “, New England, of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, University of Washington, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Hennepin Healthcare, University of Minnesota, PEP, Food and Drug Administration, CNN Health Locations: United States, San Francisco, Seattle, King County, Washington, Kenya, Hennepin

☆ There was a gonorrhea outbreak at a McDonald's branch among staff who were having sex with each other, a report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There was an outbreak of gonorrhea among staff at a McDonald's branch in the UK, a report says. The BBC reported that there had been an outbreak of gonorrhea among staff at a branch in Northern Ireland but did not provide any further details. Another manager at a Cheshire branch is alleged to have tried to pressure a 16-year-old female worker into having sex. He added that McDonald's UK would investigate all of the allegations. The US-owned hamburger chain has 1,450 outlets in the UK and employs 170,000 staff, the BBC reported.

Persons: Alistair Macrow Organizations: Northern, Service, BBC, . Workers, vapes, Workers, Ireland Locations: Northern Ireland, Wall, Silicon, Hampshire, Cheshire, Plymouth

☆ TBD Health wants to make STI testing feel like a 'moment of self-care for the day.' Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck it used to win over investors like Tusk Ventures.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

STI testing startup TBD Health just raised $4.4 million in a seed round led by Tusk VenturesThe startup sells at-home testing kits and offers telemedicine consultations about sexual health. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck TBD Health used to raise its seed round. Instead of feeling embarrassed, TBD Health's goal is to help people feel empowered about staying on top of their sexual health. When it comes to sexual health, there are numerous startups targeting the reproductive and fertility space, like women's health startup Maven and surrogacy platform Nodal. Check out the nine-slide pitch deck TBD Health used to raise its $4.4 million seed round from Tusk.

☆ New ‘Superbug’ Strain of Gonorrhea Is Outsmarting Most Antibiotics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Dominique Mosbergen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Incidence of gonorrhea, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has risen sharply in recent years, the CDC said. A highly drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea has been detected in the U.S. for the first time, raising concerns among public-health officials about the scarcity of treatments and a future when gonorrhea could become untreatable. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said on Jan. 19 that it had detected two cases of a novel strain of gonorrhea that was more impervious to existing antibiotics than any other strain previously recorded in the U.S.

☆ Free condoms: France is making condoms available to all young people after learning a startling percentage of its population doesn't use protection
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

France will start offering free condoms to all young people in January in an effort to curb STIs. Health officials there say STIs have been on the rise lately, especially among young people. More than a quarter of people say they never or don't always use a condom, per a 2021 study. Young people in particular have become more prone to infection, French health officials have said, in large part due to a lack of knowledge around preventative methods. Macron acknowledged that the country has a "real issue" regarding young people's sexual health in his Friday video, according to French reports.

☆ We're closer to getting the first new pill to treat UTIs in over 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It would be the first new pill to treat uncomplicated UTIs in 20 years, GSK said. The drug, called gepotidacin, could become the first new oral antibiotic for uncomplicated UTIs in more than two decades, according to the company. GSK's drug was tested in uncomplicated UTIs, which are restricted to the the bladder and urethra and are generally less serious than complicated UTIs. On Thursday, GSK said two studies enrolled over 3,000 patients with uncomplicated UTIs. GSK, on the other hand, paid $66 million in September to license another antibiotic program being tested to treat complicated UTIs.

☆ Doctors urge more research into little-known STI linked to infertility in men and women
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Caroline Hopkins | Nbc News Contributor Caroline Hopkins Is A Health | Science Journalist Who Covers Cancer Treatment For Precision Oncology News. She Is A Graduate Of The Columbia University Graduate School Of Journalism. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Doctors are urging more research into a little-known sexually transmitted infection that may be more common than thought. However, it wasn't until 2019 that the first Food and Drug Administration-approved test for M. gen. became commercially available. Similar to chlamydia and gonorrhea, M. gen. is sometimes asymptomatic, but it may lead to severe complications in both men and women. In women, M. gen. is associated with cervical swelling, pelvic inflammatory disease, miscarriage, preterm birth, and infertility. However, more research is needed to determine the longterm risks from M. gen infection, experts said.

☆ 'Out of control' STD situation prompts call for changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

“It is imperative that we ... work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the U.S.,” said Dr. Leandro Mena of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a speech Monday at a medical conference on sexually transmitted diseases. Last year the rate of syphilis cases reached its highest since 1991 and the total number of cases hit its highest since 1948. Annual congenital syphilis cases numbered only about 300 a decade ago; they surged to nearly 2,700 last year. But some experts say the government needs to provide more funding for STD work, not divert it. Mena, who last year became director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, called for reducing stigma, broadening screening and treatment services, and supporting the development and accessibility of at-home testing.

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