STD Testing Info

Gonorrhea is a curable transmitted infection (STI). It is among the most common transmitted diseases in the world. The term comes from gonórrhoia, literally “flow of seed”; in ancient times it was thought that the pus discharge associated with the disease contained semen. More serious clinical syndromes may follow, with ascending involvement of the reproductive tract or systemic spread. Infection is due to N gonorrhoeae , a highly infectious gram-negative diplococcal organism. It is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae , a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. Sometimes referred to as the clap, gonorrhea often is characterized by thick discharge. The gonorrhea germs are found in the mucous areas of the body (the throat and rectum). The disease spreads through semen or fluids during unprotected contact with an infected partner.

Gonorrhea is reported more frequently from urban areas than from rural areas. Gonorrhoea among females can also be transmitted from one individual to another via contact to surfaces that may still be damp from prior contact. Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) occurs following approximately 1% of genital infections. Patients with DGI may present with symptoms of rash, fever, arthralgias, migratory polyarthritis, septic arthritis, endocarditis, or meningitis. Gonorrhea can be passed even if the or tongue does not go all the way into the or anus. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus. It can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID affects more than 1 million women in this country every year and can cause tubal (ectopic) pregnancy and infertility in as many as 10 percent of infected women. When the infection occurs in the genital tract, mouth, or rectum of a child, it is most commonly due to abuse. About three out of four reported cases of gonorrhea in the United States occur in people younger than 30. Treatment for gonorrhea involves a course of antibiotic medications to eliminate the infection. Practicing safe is important in preventing gonorrhea.

Causes of Gonorrhea

The common causes and risk factor’s of Gonorrhea include the following:

    * Bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
    * Use of an intrauterine device.
    * It can also be passed from mother to newborn as the baby passes through the infected birth canal.
    * Persons with a new partner.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea

Some sign and symptoms related to Gonorrhea are as follows:

    * Bleeding between menstrual periods.
    * Men infected with gonorrhea will have burning while urinating and a yellowish white discharge.
    * Anal itching.
    * Fever.
    * Soreness.
    * Thick, cloudy or bloody discharge.
    * Frequent urination.

Treatment of Gonorrhea

Here is list of the methods for treating Gonorrhea:

    * Antibiotics are used to cure gonorrhea.
    * Penicillin – once the most useful treatment but now there are resistent strains and other antibiotics are used.
    * Repeat aspiration of purulent joint effusions may improve patient comfort and speed recovery.
    * Patients with gonorrhea should also be treated for chlamydia (unless testing has ruled out chlamydia infection).
    * Contact should be avoided until the patient and all partner(s) have been treated and cured.
    * Pain relief may be needed for patients with epididymitis, PID, and DGI.
    * If you are pregnant or younger than 18, the doctor will usually prescribe the shot instead of a pill.

How great is the number for those who indulge in teen sex, regardless of numeral configuration, even if that number be one, then it is a problem and more so if both parties are unaware of what can rise from having unprotected sex. The outcome can be that of falling pregnant or catching a sexually transmitted disease (STD.) Okay, getting together with the opposite sex will eventually happen at some time or other (if gay same agenda) so why not make that some time “the right time.” When is the right time, this will depend on what your beliefs are as to whether 15 16 17 years is ideal for a sexual relationship. Remember it is a crime to have underage sex. If you are adamant to go ahead with coupling then at least do your homework first. You need to consider all possibilities which contribute to an unwanted pregnancy occurring or worse still catching a disease that can do more damage that you can imagine.

Sex statistics should never really be taken seriously because of imperfect measurements. Getting people to talk about their sex lives honestly is a difficult mission, especially if it includes a group that is in any way marginalized, as teens are. However study goes on, to help describe and understand sexual behaviors among teens. Here are some facts on statistics and sexual behaviors of interest?

In America nearly half of all 15-19-year-old`s have had sexual intercourse at least once. By the age 15, only 13% of teens have ever had sex, you are breaking the law at this age. By the time 19, seven in 10 teens have had sex. The norm we find for having sex for the first time is that of 17. Teens are wising up to the dangers than that of in the past where teen sex was greater in number. Thankfully teens are taking heed of the alerts telling of the dangers from having unprotected sex. Thirteen percent of females and 15% of males aged 15-19 in 2002 had had sex before age 15, compared with 19% and 21%, respectively, in 1995.

In England and Wales, the law on Sexual Offenses were changed. However the legal age for young people to consent to have sex still remains at 16, whether you are straight, gay or bisexual. Although the age of consent remains at 16, the law will make no intervention unless it involves abuse or exploitation. Under the Sexual Offenses Act you still have the right to confidential advice on contraception, condoms, pregnancy and abortion, even if you are under the legal age. In the US different states may have different age laws for legal sex.

Unfortunately we still have the minute few who believe they know it all until the inevitable happens. Many teens are prepared to take sexual risks despite more than ten years of public warnings. Teen sex should never be an event of chance in hope God will make things right should they go wrong. Nip it in the bud so no prayers have to be said in regards to falling pregnant or catching an STD. The outcome of intensive research showed new infections of the Aids virus in 1999 were the highest in over 10 years.

In reply from some teens who were asked why so early for sex, was, “it is trendy and everyone one else is doing it” so why not me. Another point of interest was, it was a way of showing off where teens would boast “Hey everyone I have done it.” Well this may be the in thing to do but did you ever give any thought to showing off a bump on the belly or a prison ID number when having your mug shot photo taken.

Many teens openly admit to that of feeling pressurized to lose their virginity. The most prominent fear from having unprotected sex was highlighted as to an unwanted pregnancy (88%) and 87% said an STD. To keep safe you have to think condom. Using a condom is one of the safest forms of birth control used and a powerful deterrent against catching a sexually transmitted disease.

We have the male and female condom. The male condom is made of thin latex (rubber) or polyurethane and fits over an erect penis. Condoms are lubricated to make them easier to use.
A condom acts as a barrier between the penis and the vagina, the penis and the mouth, or the penis and the anus. This does not mean sexual intercourse can not take place. A condom will cover the entire penis to prevent sperm entering the vagina.

For women the female condom is made from soft polyurethane and is located inside the vagina. It is held in place by a ring at either end; it lines the vagina and stops sperm getting into it. Using condoms bring no side affects unlike some other forms of contraception.
The female condom if properly inserted is 95% effective. Condoms have been known to split. Problems which occur from using the female condom is – if it slips or moves out of place from not being properly inserted. You can find out more at any family planning clinic where contraception and advice is given freely.

Below some useful resource centers should you need help and advice?

1 Get Connected – One-stop helpline for young people. This organization evolves round youngsters who feel they want to run away from home or have already done so. Services include compassionate support, help and guidance.

Helpline: 0808 808 4994 open 1pm-11pm seven days a week

2 Childlike – an organization which provides a free, confidential telephone counseling service for children or young people regardless of what the nature of the problem is.

National helpline: 0800 1111. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

3 Avert services are more connected to health

International aids & medical research charity.

Telephone: 01403 210202

Never be frightened or to embarrassed to seek help. Prevention is better than any cure. Pick up the phone for a brighter future.

4 bpas (British Pregnancy Advisory Service)

Telephone: 0845 730 4030

Organization of many options i.e. dealing with unplanned pregnancy, emergency contraception, free pregnancy testing and vasectomy services.

Teen Sex
Vaginal odor
Male Erection Problems

Undergoing an HIV test can be quite an overwhelming experience for many people. Owing to the social stigma associated with this disease, undergoing a test is an emotionally disturbing experience. Depending on their mental strengths and confidence levels, people can experience a wide range of emotions such as depression, frustration, fear, anger, hopelessness, despair, panic or even plain denial to accept the truth about their status.

Therefore, just before the test is conducted, the person must be given psychological counseling, also referred to as ‘Pre-Test Counseling’ to strengthen him or her from within and enable him or her to face the test with full confidence, irrespective of what the result may be.

The pre-test counseling is very important to control the emotional trauma and the fear of the impending dangers and consequences associated with the positive result of a test.

If the person is found to be HIV negative, then the person can be sent away after advising him some prevention measures for the future. However, if the person is found to be HIV positive, then the person should be told about this only after another round of psychological counseling, referred to as ‘Post-Test Counseling’.

The objective of post-test counseling is to ease the worry and tension in the patient’s mind and to support him or her emotionally when their status is disclosed to them. The counseling is necessary to prevent suicidal tendency in the patient and to keep his emotions in control. The counselor should project the situation in a positive light and emphasize that it is actually good that the patient has learnt about his or her positive status early because this will make treatment easier and enable him or her to handle the future complications associated with this disease better. The counselor should also help the individual regain his confidence, infuse a determination to live his remaining life better.

Trichamoniasis, also known as “Trich” is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects about 7.4 million men and women in America each year. This STD is caused by a parasite called Trichamonas vaginalis. Trich is most commonly found in women and uncircumcised men. Trich is the most common curable STD in sexually active men and women to this date. Trichamoniasis is primarily an infection of the reproductive organs and the urinary system (a.k.a. genitourinary system.) In men, the most common site of infection would be the urethra; the urinary tract. In women, the most common site of infection would be the vagina. In uncircumcised men, the most common site would be the tip of the penis.

Trich is one of the most common STD’s caused by a parasite Trichamonas vaginalis. This parasite can live in the urinary and reproductive system of males and females. Trich is spread sexually by penis-to-vagina intercourse or vulva-to-vulva contact with an infected partner, especially if not using any form of protection. It is more common for females to get the disease from an infected male or female than it is for a male to get it from an infected female/male. Some people try to say that it is possible to get Trich from a toilet seat, wet towel or event hot tubs. Let me just say this now…that is not true. The Trichamoniasis parasite cannot live long enough on inanimate objects and surfaces to be spread from person to person.

Sorry to say this, but the most logical way to prevent getting Trich or any other STD is to refrain from having sex. If that is impossible, then abstain from sexual activity with more than one partner or with someone who has more than one partner. That will surely reduce the risk of contracting any STD including Trich. Also properly and consistently using a latex condom or a female polyurethane condom also decreases the risk of contracting any STD’s. Lady’s DO NOT DOUCHE after having sex, this can actually increase your risk of contracting STDs. This is because douching can actually change the natural flora of the vagina and possibly flush bacteria higher into the genital tract increasing chance of STD.

Symptoms usually appear in women between 4 to 28 days after having sex with an infected person. However, 50% of women are asymptomatic (have no symptoms) when it comes to Trich and never get treatment. Usually if left untreated for six months, women then start showing some of the symptoms listed below.

* Vaginal discharge ranging in color from gray to green to yellow.

* Foul odor, smells fishy.

* Sourness, tenderness, and itching if the genital area.

* Pain during urination.

* Uncomfortable during sexual intercourse.

* Itching or soreness of the labia and inner thighs.

* Swollen labia.

Just be sure that you make sure your teenage daughter knows a normal female discharge is usually clear or whitish and has no odor. This will ensure that she will know if anything is wrong.
Males who have Trichamoniasis have the tendency to be more asymptomatic than females. Of the men who do seek treatment, typically do so because of an infected partner, not necessarily because of showing any symptoms. Of the men who do show symptoms of Trich would experience:

* Urethral itching.

* Burning after urination or ejaculation.

* Urethral discharge, frothy or pus-like.

* Painful/ difficult urination.

* Inflammation of the prostate gland.

If you think that some of the symptoms you are experiencing may be Trich, then go see your doctor. The doctor will determine whether it is Trichamoniasis by giving a pelvic or genital examination and by testing a sample of vaginal or urethral discharge. Sometimes a doctor will detect Trich through a Pap smear.

Trich can be treated with prescription medication and both partners should be treated at the same time, even if one has no symptoms.

And what to do if your budget allows for neither …

Awhile back the “Grants” listserv of CharityChannel, the Internet’s premier resource for nonprofit information, featured a lively debate about the merits of Metasoft’s BIG Online subscription database versus The Foundation Center’s Foundation Directory Online database. The merits of Guidestar’s Grant Explorer were even touched upon.

Both programs offer their users a variety of methods to seek out foundation funders. Both obtain their information through foundations’ 990 tax forms. And, based on feedback, both BIG Online and Foundation Directory Online share an equal number of loyal fans.

However, the fact is there are many nonprofit organizations whose budgets (or executive director’s mindsets) do not allow for choosing ANY foundation prospecting tool, let alone BIG Online, which will run you thousands for a six-month (their shortest) run.

What’s a smaller nonprofit organization with limited resources to do? Is it possible to still seek out those little known national and regional foundations whose missions align with yours? Without expensive tools and connections, how will my little $250,000 annual budget children’s arts organization find foundation support to grow and create new programming?

With an internet connection, preferably high speed, some time and practice, and a number of detecting tools, even those on very limited budgets can regularly seek out foundations that will support your mission – year after year.

Your best start is a foundation directory. Almost every state, with exceptions such as Alaska and Hawaii, publish one and sometimes several. More and more these directories are moving to Internet subscription-based services – but they’re still a deal.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease. It is menacing, silent and caused by the bacteria Chlamydia Trachomatic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control calculates the approximate costs linked with Chlamydia in the United States are to be over $2 billion annually. Since Chlamydia often shows no symptoms, the disease frequently goes untreated until it has caused serious consequences in both men and women.

However, in about 15-25% of the cases of Chlamydia in women, and 50% of cases in men, there are symptoms. You should see a doctor to be checked for Chlamydia if you are active sexually and having any of the following symptoms:

- a yellowish, pussy or mucous-y vaginal discharge

- burning with urination

- a persistent, smelly vaginal discharge

- any discharge from your anus

- light vaginal bleeding or spotting, especially right after intercourse

- frequent lower abdominal pain, particularly if it worsens during menstruation

- anal bleeding

- frequent lower back pain, particularly if it worsens during menstruation

If Chlamydia goes untreated, it may result in more serious conditions which affect the urethral and reproductive systems. In females, it may cause scarring that can block the fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility and increasing the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg implants itself in the fallopian tube rather than in the uterus. This can result in rupture of the fallopian tube which may be fatal. The disease may also cause urethral scarring, especially in men, and can cause low fertility and infertility.

Chlamydia can also result in chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may lead to persistent and chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. According to CDC statistics, 40% of women with untreated Chlamydia will develop PID, and of those, 20% will become infertile because of it. 18% will deal with chronic pain seriously affecting their day to day life, and 9% will have an ectopic pregnancy. Even more alarming, other recent studies have asserted that women with Chlamydia are from 3-5 times more likely to acquire HIV when exposed to it.

There is an array of different sexually transmitted diseases that are becoming more commonly transmitted in this day and age. One of these sexually transmitted diseases that is rather taking center stage today is chlamydia. Chlamydia is becoming fairly common amongst sexually active people who have multiple partners. With this in mind, if you are sexually active, it is important for you to have a basic understanding of chlamydia. Through this article, you are provided the basic information that you need in order to better understand this sexually transmitted disease.

In the United States alone, nearly 3 million new cases of Chlamydia infection are reported each and every year. Chlamydia is one of the common of the sexually transmitted diseases in the world today.

Many people with Chlamydia show no symptoms at all and do not know that they are infected. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to serious health complications. Internationally, Chlamydia is one of the leading causes of blindness. The reality is that Chlamydia can easily be treated with antibiotics.

About 50% of the women infected with Chlamydia will end up with pelvic inflammatory disease. A significant number of women do not find out that they have Chlamydia until such time as they have been infected for an extended period of time. Women with Chlamydia are five times more likely to contract HIV if they are exposed to that particular infection than those women who do not have Chlamydia and are exposed.

Men with Chlamydia tend to end up with an infected urethra or an infected prostate. In rare instances Chlamydia can lead to sterility in men.

Over the course of the past six years, lab tests used to detect Chlamydia have become far more effective. However, while lab tests have become more effective, many people still do not realize they have the disease due to the lack of symptoms in many instances. Therefore, as will be discussed in a moment, regular testing for Chlamydia should be sought if you are sexually active.

Doctors now recommend that is a person is sexually active he or she should be tested for different sexually transmitted diseases, including Chlamydia. There is no specific protocol for men to be tested. However, when it comes to pregnancy women, medical experts maintain that all pregnant women should be tested for Chlamydia. Chlamydia can spread to a baby during child birth.

The best defense against Chlamydia if you are sexually active is using a condom during sexual encounters. The regular and proper use of a condom can be very effective in preventing the spread of Chlamydia as well as other sexually transmitted diseases. If you think you have been exposed to Chlamydia or any other sexually transmitted disease, you need to see your doctor immediately.

Syphilis is a transmitted disease caused by a spirochaete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. Syphilis has a myriad of presentations and can mimic many other infections and immune-mediated processes in advanced stages. Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, anus, or in the rectum. Syphilis can also be passed from mother to infant during pregnancy causing a disease called congenital syphilis. Any active person can be infected with syphilis, although there is a greater incidence among young people between the ages of 15 and 30 years. It is more prevalent in urban than rural areas. Syphilis can be frightening because if it goes untreated, it can lead to serious health problems and increase a person’s risk for HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

Syphilis can be acquired or congenital. Primary syphilis occurs within 3 weeks of contact with an infected individual. Syphilis has many alternate names, including syph, Cupid’s Disease, the Pox, lues, and the French disease. The signs and symptoms of syphilis are myriad; before the advent of serological testing, diagnosis was more difficult and the disease was dubbed the “Great Imitator” because it was so often confused with other diseases. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils. The final stage of syphilis is called tertiary syphilis and is characterized by brain or central nervous system involvement, cardiovascular involvement with inflammation of the aorta, and gummatous syphilis. Left untreated, syphilis can lead to serious complications or death. But with early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be successfully treated.

Causes of Syphilis

The common causes and risk factor’s of Syphilis include the following:

A bacterium called Treponema pallidum.

Transfusion of infected blood.

Direct contact with a syphilis sore on the body of an infected person.

An infected pregnant woman can also pass the disease to her unborn child.

Having with more than one partner.

Symptoms of Syphilis

Some sign and symptoms related to Syphilis are as follows:

The first symptom of syphilis is often a small, round, firm ulcer called a chancre (“shanker”) at the place where the bacteria entered your body.

Fever.

Enlarged lymph nodes in your groin.

Positive serology.

Extragenital chancres occur most commonly above the neck, typically affecting the lips or oral cavity.

Rash – Bilaterally symmetric.

Soreness and aching.

Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort.

Treatment of Syphilis

Here is list of the methods for treating Syphilis:

Penicillin, an antibiotic, injected into the muscle is the best treatment for syphilis. If you are allergic to penicillin, your health care provider may give you another antibiotic to take by mouth.

In patients with allergy to penicillin, skin testing and desensitization are recommended.

Pregnant women with a history of allergic reaction to penicillin should undergo penicillin desensitization followed by appropriate penicillin therapy.

Avoid having while being treated, to reduce the chances of getting the infection again or transmitting it to someone else.

Bed rest, pain relievers (such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen ), and liquids can help.

Alternative treatment regimens should be used only in cases of documented penicillin allergy.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for diseases cure and health care information. She also writes articles on skin diseases.

“I am the Grandmother of all growth, all growing things, all life. I am the grandmother of bacteria and viruses as well as plants and animals, fish and insects. When you throb with life these other lives live with you. When your life force ebbs, they live on you, growing grotesque without the check of your immunity.

“Do you feel proud of your sexuality my child? Your immune system thrives on true pride; and fails when subjected to blame and shame, guilt and mortification. Walk tall; smile often; be flexible, let life fill you, and you will have little to fear from most viruses you meet.”

“… for women who exhibit the earliest signs of HPV infection, the best prescription may be no treatment at all,” according to Karyn Herndon at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. “Three out of four women in the observation-only group lost their flat warts – a finding that suggests that the body’s immune system can drive the virus into a dormant state.”(1) Women treated with laser removal of cervical warts were twice as likely as untreated women to have precancerous and cancerous changes occur in the following years.

Having an HPV infection is “like having the sniffles,” says Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD. “It’s an infection your body can usually handle … and get rid of.”(2) In a study of 600 sexually active women aged 13 to 21, half became infected with HPV over a 10 year period; 70% of those women did not develop lesions or warts at all, and only 10% of those who did have lesions were diagnosed with cervical cancer.(3)

Many of the papilloma viruses are non-contagious, but some – especially those that give rise to plantar warts and genital warts (HPV) – are not only contagious, but widespread and stealthy. They are resilient enough to live outside the body. Shed skin cells containing the viruses can remain infectious for several days in warm, moist places.(4) And symptomless people can pass HPV to others. Some of the viruses that cause genital warts are benign; others can give rise to deadly cancers.

Of the 20 types of HPV which colonize the genital area, four are known to initiate cervical cancer, a usually slow-growing cancer which is currently responsible for the deaths of more women in Africa, Asia, and India (where Pap smears are not routine) than any other cancer.(5) Several HPV are implicated in penile and rectal cancer as well. HPV is the most common STD in the USA and Europe, with more than six million new cases a year in the USA.(6) At least 50%, and probably closer to 100% of all non-vaccinated sexually-active people will be infected over their lifetime. During a three-year study, 40% of a group of female college students acquired HPV infections.(7) Fortunately, only a small percentage of HPV infections generate cancer, and we can do much to insure we aren’t in that small percent.

Once infected with human papilloma virus, you are infected for life. There is no known cure and no medically-approved treatment. The best strategy is to nourish the immune system.

Homeopathic Thuja is a “ground remedy” for the genitals, and is especially indicated when there are genital warts.(8) Higher dilutions, such as 30C, are best.

While there is no food that prevents or cures HPV infections, the likelihood of warts or cancer is determined by the immune system – which can be nourished and strengthened with whole grains, well-cooked greens, roots, cabbage family plants, olive oil, organic dairy products and meats, onions, garlic, seaweed, mushrooms, and nourishing herbal infusions of astragalus, burdock, and nettle.

St. Joan’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a natural antiviral. One of its alkaloids, pseudo-hypericin, kills HIV. But ingesting it in concentrated form causes hypersensitivity to sunlight, making it useless as a drug. Fortunately, the tincture of the fresh plant – even in large, frequent doses – counters viruses without triggering sensitivity. Avoid capsules or teas; they can cause sensitivity. When I feel the need to prevent a viral infection, I use one dropperful of Hypericum tincture in a little water three or four times a day for a few days. When I want to treat viral infections, I use one or two dropperfuls in water every hour or two until symptoms abate, and continue at a lower dose until I no longer need it.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) are mint family plants with antiviral constituents which are especially effective as salves.

Celandine (Celadonium majus) juice is the most effective way I know to remove external genital warts. It is safe, painless, and easy to use if you live where evergreen celandine grows – in Europe, in North America, from Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to Missouri, throughout Europe, and in waste places in temperate-zone cities. The fresh sap from leaf stalks or the root works fastest, and best, but topical applications of tincture are somewhat effective, too.

American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) is the acknowledged queen of external genital wart destruction. This poisonous plant is used in a concentrated form – Podophyllin – as a topical treatment. Although plant-based, Podophyllin can cause severe side-effects, including burns that scar, fatal reactions, and birth defects or fetal death if used during pregnancy. To prevent damage to healthy tissues, all skin except for the warts must be thoroughly covered with petroleum jelly before it is applied, and the Podophyllin must be wiped off before it penetrates too deeply, usually within one to four hours. Weekly treatments over six or more weeks are the norm. A less concentrated, and thus safer form – Podofilox – is available by prescription for use at home. (But trichloroacetic acid is safer, and celandine is more fun.)

Eastern white cedar, Thuja occidentalis, is the “tree of life.” Thuja is primarily a homeopathic remedy, but thuja tincture or essential oil applied twice a day to genital warts can “burn” them off.

Trichloroacetic acid is as effective as Podophyllin in removing warts, but less likely to leave scars or provoke severe systemic reactions, and is considered safe to use during pregnancy.(9) It is applied in the doctor’s office, usually weekly for six weeks.

Colposcopy is a close examination of the cervix with magnifying binoculars after it has been bathed with acetic acid (vinegar), which turns HPV-infected tissues bright white. You do not have to agree to a biopsy if you agree to a colposcopy; testing for HPV-DNA is better in many ways. If you do agree, biopsy forceps will be used to “chomp” out pieces of cervical tissue for microscopic examination by a pathologist.

Testing cervical cells for the presence of DNA from cancer-causing HPV is “just as effective as a biopsy of cervical tissue, with less expense,” according to researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Screening every woman over 20 every two years with an HPV-DNA test would reduce the number of cervical biopsies by 60%, they conclude.(10) A woman who tests negative for HPV, as 45% of women will, does not need a colposcopy. If the test if positive for HPV, there’s still only a 10-20% chance that she will require treatment.(11)

“It is not known how many women who have had expensive [and painful] laser surgery or … cryosurgery are informed beforehand that the treatment is purely cosmetic and has a high recurrence rate.”(12)

Before you agree to any procedure, remember that removal of infected tissue does not remove the virus, which remains ready to recur when the immune system is at an ebb. Surgery doesn’t cure HPV, and because it is a major stress to the immune system, it can increase the chances that a given lesion will progress to cancer.

“Regardless of treatment, one in four HPV-infected people will have a recurrence within three months.”(13)

Footnotes:

1. “The cervical dilemma: Some warts may be better left untreated,” Kathy A. Fackelmann, Science News, 139: 362 3, June 8, 1991

2. “HPV doesn’t have to spell cancer,” Christie Aschwanden, Health, Jan/Feb 2002

3. Ibid

4. “Contagion: A sometimes lethal sexual epidemic that condoms can’t stop,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, September 13, 1999

5. “Contagion,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 1999

6. “FDA licenses new vaccine …,” FDA news release, June 2006

7. “Contagion,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 1999

8. Natural Healing in Gynecology, Rina Nissim, Pandora, 1984 (p. 43)

9. Our Bodies, Ourselves, Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, 1998

10. “Adding an HPV,” Cornell Uni. Women’s Health Advisor, July 2002

11. “One Way to Avoid Unnecessary Testing After Ambiguous Pap Results,” HealthFacts, May 2001

12. “Screening for Cervical Cancer,” HealthFacts, XV (136), Sept 1990

13. PDR Family Guide to Women’s Health, Medical Economics, 1994

Some STDs are worse than others. HIV is arguably the worst one of all to get. Others like gonorrhea and chlamydia are treatable and more or less go away. Then there’s HPV (genital warts) and herpes types 1 and 2. Type one typically considered oral and type 2 being genital although people can have either in either place.

Many people who are out there playing the field or even just playing one on one need to be more informed if they want to remain free and minimize their risk of contracting an STD. Know the ins and outs of all these nasty things out there.

It’s almost a cliche of a line that people in the dating scene use – I’m STD free and tested regularly. How often have you heard that one and wonder just how honest that really is. It’s obvious based on the amount of people out there infected with something that we don’t really know what that means. Did this person get tested for just HIV? Or did they also get tested for hepatitis C, HSV 1 and 2 (blood test), HPV, gonorrhea, chlam. etc…

For example, testing for herpes isn’t usually done unless it is requested by you. Although men can be carriers of HPV, there currently isn’t a test for men with HPV.

Let’s say that you’re reading this and thinking, yeah, this really doesn’t help me now as I’m already infected with something that doesn’t go away. Maybe you’ve just found out or maybe you’ve been living with it for a while. Some people take it hard and some don’t let it define themselves.

When you decide that you would like to still have a healthy physical relationship that includes sex with another person, where can you go? Local support groups for STDs can be found through a search on the internet.