HPV (human papillomavirus) is a highly transmittable, and very common STI that, among other things, can lead to cervical cancer in women, and causes genital warts regardless of sex. The thing is, there’s no reason to get it because there is a vaccine. So why is this preventable infection so common? Because people don’t get vaccinated.
But the vaccine is entirely safe. Check out these great charts that show you, visually, just how safe the vaccine is. And if you feel like it, poke around the site a bit longer as there are some really great visualizations of data bouncing around on it.
xkcd is by far my favorite webcomic. As always, this strip has a startling conclusion. Note that the alt text (when you hover over the image) is important to read as well!
This article argues that women wanting to get pregnant should look for an ugly guy because they are likely to produce more sperm. I look at it differently: pick the hot guy AND you have less risk of having children. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Admit it, no matter how plain-vanilla you are, there is probably something that you would like to try sexually or learn more about that you have yet to explore. Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s human nature. Sex Positive is a documentary film series held at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum twice each month that explores the various facets of human sexuality. Heck, why not give it a shot, it’s free and there are snacks. Those are really the only two requirements I have for getting out of the house. I say skip that rerun of Law & Order: SVU and hop on the #8 bus for an interesting change of pace.
Did you know that condoms, although recommended for use during anal sex, have never really been tested clinically for that purpose? In hindsight it makes sense. Condoms have been in use for a much longer time than anal sex has been considered acceptable and although science is often pushing the limits of social acceptability this one was way out in left field until recently. So it is good to read that someone is finally taking this on. The initial data sounds very promising, 0% viral permeability vs. 5% for most condoms, less breakage, and on top (haha) of it all - it feels better. Still, mass production of the condom is a long way off - consumer markets won’t see it until at least 2014. Not that you ever want to rush something like this, but sometimes it does seem like the FDA is just a little too difficult to maneuver when developing promising new products that will really have a positive impact on the health and welfare of Americans.
Enjoy the weekend and stay safe
I’m off for a nice three day holiday weekend. This is supposedly the most sexually active weekend of the year so if you aren’t going to keep your pants on at least use the right protection and know your status! Happy Independence Day!
There have been a handful of HIV vaccine attempts in recent years, all of which have failed to work at scale. This article fails to explain why this attempt should be any different but quotes Luc Montagnier, one of the scientists that helped to discover HIV, as saying a successful attempt at developing an HIV vaccine is “a matter of four to five years” away.
Swimming in a sea of sex and stds
OK but not the way you think. Apparently I hold Chicago back because of my relatively low number of sexual encounters and I assure you I am tested frequently and am fully STD free. I do, however, work for a great little startup that is changing the way STD testing is done, and as a result I’ve learned a lot more about what you can catch from a bedtime encounter than the average bear (ew, bears) (but no less than the average bear really should know).
So here is the story on Jordan’s World of Sex. I used to share these links by emailing them to coworkers or putting them in my Google Talk status. But occasionally there are too many in a day to distribute that way. So, if you, like me, find yourself interested in the fact that an HPV vaccine may work on men or the latest AIDS research, follow me. We should all be a little more in touch with our sexual health, and this might just be my piece of the crusade to enlighten the world.
Interesting cover story from the RedEye today. Chicagoans have sex on average 73 times a year? I think I’m a little behind. Maybe this weekend I’ll meet a nice guy so I can help round that number up a bit!
