STDs

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In Big First, Koalas Are Getting an STD Vaccine

Australia has OK'd a vaccine for chlamydia for the marsupial creatures to fight infertility, death

(Newser) - A regulator has approved a world-first vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, which is causing infertility and death in the iconic native species listed as endangered in parts of Australia. The single-dose vaccine was developed by Queensland's University of the Sunshine Coast after more than a decade of research...

England Is Waging War Against Gonorrhea

Pilot vaccine program launching amid a spike in infections will be a world first

(Newser) - England will become the first country to introduce a mass vaccination drive against gonorrhea, targeting primarily gay and bisexual men who either have a history of multiple sexual partners or prior STIs. NHS England will begin offering the vaccine in August at sexual health clinics, with the aim of...

Long Portrayed as a Female Problem, It's Actually an STI
Long Considered a Female
Problem, It's Actually an STI
in case you missed it
Mar 9, 2025 11:30 AM CDT

Long Considered a Female Problem, It's Actually an STI

Research suggests bacterial vaginosis is passed from men to women

(Newser) - About one in three women globally will get bacterial vaginosis (BV), a vaginal infection triggered by an imbalance in bacteria, and treatment isn't straightforward. It typically involves a week of antibiotics, but 50% of women will become infected again, says Lenka Vodstrcil, an expert in women's sexual health...

For Young Adults, Condoms Are a Big 'Uh, No'

Changing attitudes, waning fears of HIV, longer-term birth control are all cited as factors for declining use

(Newser) - It's hard to miss the overflowing bowl of condoms at the entrance of the gym. Some University of Mississippi students walking past after their workout snicker and point, and the few who step forward to consider grabbing a condom rethink it when their friends catch up, laughter trailing behind...

FDA Approves First At-Home Syphilis Test

It's a new tool amid a surge of cases in the US

(Newser) - With syphilis cases surging in the US , the FDA has approved what it sees as a potential tool to help keep the numbers in check—the first at-home test. The kit made by NowDiagnostics allows people to test themselves for the STD using a drop of blood from their finger...

Growing Killer of Infants in US: Syphilis
Syphilis
Is Killing
More Infants
in the US
longform
Mar 10, 2024 12:15 PM CDT

Syphilis Is Killing More Infants in the US

ProPublica reports how a drug shortage is making the 'entirely preventable' problem worse

(Newser) - Syphilis cases have been surging in the US over the last several years, and ProPublica zeroes in on the most vulnerable cohort of patients—infants. The crux of the story is how a drug shortage is costing lives:
  • The impact: The disease is easily spread from a pregnant woman to
...

With This STD Exploding, 'Something Is Not Working Here'

Congenital syphilis cases in US newborns skyrocketed last year

(Newser) - Alarmed by yet another jump in syphilis cases in newborns, US health officials are calling for stepped-up prevention measures, including encouraging millions of women of childbearing age and their partners to get tested for the sexually transmitted disease. More than 3,700 babies were born with congenital syphilis in 2022—...

Pastor Ordered to Pay $2.45M in Herpes Case

Jury found Texas megachurch pastor liable for giving woman genital herpes

(Newser) - A pastor at a Houston megachurch was spreading more than the good word, a jury determined. The Rev. Ralph D. West II was ordered to pay $2.45 million to a woman who said he infected her with genital herpes, KPRC reports. After a three-day trial, the jury found the...

CDC May Soon Recommend Use of Popular Antibiotic to Prevent STIs

Only certain STIs, and only among certain at-risk groups, however

(Newser) - There's now a "morning after" pill, of sorts, for the prevention of certain STIs within certain groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday posted a draft recommendation of guidelines for health care providers; under the new guidance, doctors would be advised to consider prescribing a...

A Known Antibiotic Could Be a Fierce Weapon in STI Fight

Doxy-PEP has shown promise at preventing new infections in studies involving men

(Newser) - The inexpensive antibiotic doxycycline has been around for years—but new research indicates it may be more versatile than previously known. NPR reports that when taken within 72 hours of condomless sex, studies have shown that doxy-PEP (that's short for post-exposure prophylaxis) may protect against contracting sexually transmitted infections....

This State Saw 900% Spike in Newborn STD
'Kind of a Shock'
on Newborns
in Mississippi
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 18, 2023 4:35 PM CST

'Kind of a Shock' on Newborns in Mississippi

There were 10 babies with congenital syphilis in the state in 2016; in 2021, 102, per analysis

(Newser) - Mississippi, the nation's poorest state , already claims the worst infant mortality rate in the US. Now, more bad news for newborns there: The number of babies treated for congenital syphilis—meaning the infection is passed down from mother to baby during gestation—spiked 900% over five years, rising from...

Doctors Are Very Worried About a New Strain of Gonorrhea

Strain highly resistant to antibiotics has been detected in the US for the first time

(Newser) - Health authorities say they're very concerned about a new strain of gonorrhea that has been detected in the US for the first time. The strain, found in two Massachusetts residents with no known connection to each other, showed resistance to every kind of antibiotic used to treat the bacterial...

Moment of Passion Leads to Odd Car Insurance Claim
Unusual STD Case Takes
a Turn in Geico's Favor
UPDATED
Jan 12, 2023 2:45 PM CST

Unusual STD Case Takes a Turn in Geico's Favor

For now, ruling that insurer owes woman $5.2M is overturned

(Newser) - Geico is at least temporarily off the hook in a bizarre case involving an STD. A woman in Missouri sued the company after she contracted HPV, human papillomavirus, in the car of a man who was insured by the company. This week, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned a lower court'...

This Nation to Make Condoms Free for Anyone 25 and Under

They'll be available to young people, even minors, in pharmacies across France starting Jan. 1

(Newser) - Young people of France, rejoice—you're about to start the new year with free condoms. President Emmanuel Macron has announced that, starting Jan. 1, anyone up to and including 25 years of age will be able to find the rubber contraceptive device at no charge in pharmacies across the...

At-Home Tests to Follow Spike in STDs

Rate of syphilis cases at highest in three decades

(Newser) - Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases—including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year—are prompting US health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. "It is imperative that we ... work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the US,"...

Syphilis Killed More Than 150 US Babies Last Year
Pandemic Didn't Stop Rise
in STDs. Babies Suffered
in case you missed it
Apr 17, 2022 6:31 AM CDT

Pandemic Didn't Stop Rise in STDs. Babies Suffered

Congenital syphilis is up more than 200% from 2016

(Newser) - The pandemic didn't change the trajectory of the years-long rise in sexually transmitted diseases in the US, according to a CDC report released this week, and it has had tragic consequences for babies. The CDC says congenital syphilis—syphilis passed from mother to fetus—led to 149 infant deaths...

This Rare STD Can Make Genitals 'Rot Away'

UK doctors warn of nasty donovanosis, which remains rare in developing countries

(Newser) - Doctors in the UK are warning about a rising number of cases of a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genitals to "rot away." Donovanosis, caused by the bacterium Klebsiella granulomatis and spread through unprotected sex or other skin-to-skin contact, doesn't eat the skin but is often...

Coronavirus's Effect on Sexual Health Could Last for 'Years'

Experts worry people aren't being tested for STDs

(Newser) - Health experts in Canada are warning about the threat of sexually transmitted infections, which might be overlooked amid the coronavirus pandemic. Syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea infections have been on the rise globally for the last decade, per the CBC . Politico reports nine of the 10 Canadian provinces had declared STI...

New Charges Against R. Kelly: He Hid STD From Minor

2 new women are named in cases out of New York

(Newser) - Legal woes just increased for R. Kelly , with a slew of new federal charges lobbed against him in New York. TMZ cites legal documents that show the 53-year-old was slammed with a new indictment from the Eastern District of New York tied to two new alleged victims, with charges including...

The Horror of Herpes? It's Way Overblown
The Horror of Herpes?
It's Way Overblown
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Dec 8, 2019 10:25 AM CST

The Horror of Herpes? It's Way Overblown

Writer at Slate explains how the 'generally harmless skin condition' became stigmatized

(Newser) - Genital herpes is a common ailment, a fact that wouldn't surprise most people. But in a story on the STD at Slate , LV Anderson lays out another fact that might: "It is, for the vast majority of people, no big deal." And yet, herpes simplex virus 2,...

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