One of the most hotly debated issues when it comes to children is if boys should be circumcised. Unless you do it for religious reasons, the issue can start an argument in no time at all. There are vehement arguments for both sides of the issue and the problem is, it doesn’t seem like anyone is right or wrong because both sides can find studies to back up their beliefs.
A new study out has weighed in on the benefits of circumcision – the potential that it can help prevent the spread of the human papillomavirus (HPV). A few forms of …read more

We don’t hear about the “old” STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) as much any more. Most of our focus is on HIV and HPV (human papillomavirus), which can lead to cervical cancer. But those older STDs are still out there. Just ask the 10 teens who were diagnosed over the past month in Oklahoma. All 10 are under 18 years old (Officials Confirm Teen Syphilis Outbreak).
Those kids were lucky. Why? Syphilis is curable. HIV isn’t. That doesn’t mean that syphilis is harmless – it’s not.
If the syphilis infection isn’t diagnosed in the early or middle stages, it may not be detectable …read more

When I was a teen (in the dark ages), the most women had to worry about if they were sexually active was getting pregnant or catching a treatable sexually transmitted disease (STD). Because of the pregnancy concern, the Pill was a major breakthrough for women, changing their lives.
Unfortunately, the world has changed significantly since the 70s. Now, sex without a barrier method of protection is like playing Russian Roulette. I don’t think we should even call barrier protection birth control. That’s a misnomer, in my mind. Those barriers are life-savers. They prevent the transmission of illnesses like HIV, which may …read more

I have been watching the news coverage discussing the relatively new HPV vaccine, but it wasn’t until I saw that the government is trying to mandate this vaccine for all 6th grade girls, that I decided I needed to talk about it.
HPV or genital human papillomavirus is the cause of 70% of cervical cancer cases and 90% of all genital warts. By offering the vaccine to girls and women ages 9-26, the FDA and Merck, the makers of Gardasil®, stand to save 3,700 lives per year.
However, is it the place for our government to MANDATE this vaccine be …read more