Greg Louganis, diving Greg Louganis was a world-class, award winning diver. In his career he won five world championships, four Olympic gold medals, and one Olympic silver medal. He competed in three different Summer Olympic Games including 1976, 1984, and 1988. It was that very same year that Louganis was diagnosed as HIV positive. In…
“You’re not just having sex with them, you are actually having sex with every person they have had sex with before.” This is a common phrase in sexual health education. It warns of the dangers that come with not knowing the sexual history of your partner. You may think you have a clean bill of…
The CDC lists numerous benefits to an infant’s health related to breastfeeding including stronger immune systems, a lower risk of some childhood cancers and a better development of an infant’s digestive system. The same way nutrients and vitamins are passed to a child through breastfeeding, some infections can be passed as well. If you are…
According to a recent press release from the CDC, there were over 2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis reported in the United States in 2016. In the CDC’s annual Infectious Disease Surveillance Report, it became clear that the most common STD reported last year was chlamydia. Chlamydia accounted for 1.6 million of all…
Oral herpes, sometimes referred to as mouth herpes, is a very common infection. According to the ASHA, more than 50% of the adult population of the United States already has oral herpes. Oral herpes is typically caused by a virus known as herpes simplex virus 1, or HSV-1. The CDC believes that most people become…
A very common misconception about STDs is that if you’ve gotten it once, then you cannot contract it again. Unfortunately, that simply is not true. Some STDs, such as herpes or HIV, are viral. While manageable with long term treatment, the virus will remain in your body for the rest of your life. Other STDs,…
STD case rates have been rising across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been tracking this increase in STDs for some time. Some STDs are far more common than others which begs the question; what are some of the most common STDs? Let’s take a look: Human Papillomavirus, or HPV…
Many people have tons of questions about herpes. It is a common STD but still there are many misconceptions about the infection. Let’s take a look at 5 quick facts about herpes. Herpes Is Caused By Two Viruses HSV, or herpes simplex virus, is the STD that can cause genital herpes. There are two strains…
Maybe you have heard of bacterial vaginosis but didn’t quite understand what it was. Simply put, bacterial vaginosis is an infection caused when too much of a certain bacteria changes the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina. Women in their reproductive years are more likely to get bacterial vaginosis, but it can affect women…
There can be a lot of questions about testing for STDs. Many people do not know how tests are performed. One of the first questions asked by patients can be, “Will the testing hurt?” This question arises because patients do sometimes assume that an STD test means that they must submit to an invasive swab…