Generic Valtrex cuts cost of herpes treatment

Posted by admin on October 14, 2010 0 comments

Herpes treatment with Valtrex just got a lot less expensive!

A generic form of Valtrex is now available to treat herpes outbreaks when they’re underway and to suppress future herpes outbreaks in people with the infection. With suppressive treatment, you take the drug continuously to make it harder for the herpes viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) to get reactivated and cause new sores.

Generic Valtrex (valacyclovir) joins another herpes treatment, acyclovir (originally branded Zovirax), on the generic market. A third drug for herpes treatment, Famvir (famciclovir), is also available.

All three medications are effective against HSV-1 and HSV-2, either of which can cause genital sores. You can take any of the three episodically (when symptoms are present) or continuously. These medications work by interfering with DNA synthesis to prevent the virus from reproducing. The directions for each medication vary depending on your situation, so pay close attention to the frequency and strength of the medication. Always consult with your provider about which dosing would be most effective for you.

Considerations of cost and convenience may be important factors when you and your provider consider herpes treatment. Points to consider:

Acyclovir (Zovirax) is effective, and its patent expired years ago, so its cost is usually low. The down side of this medication is that you must take it twice a day.Valacyclovir (Valtrex) is also effective and relatively inexpensive. Its plus: You only have to take it once a day. Famciclovir (Famvir) can still be quite expensive because it’s not available as a generic drug. blog index

View the original article here

How condoms protect you

Posted by admin on October 14, 2010 0 comments

Consistent and correct condom usage can reduce (though not eliminate) the risk of spreading STDs. When considering the different diseases and how effective condoms are in prevention of spreading the infection, it is important to consider:

How is the disease spread from one person to another person?What part of the body does the condom protect?

There are two primary ways that STDs are spread:

One way is through contact between the infected partner’s genital secretions or discharge and the mucous membranes of the uninfected partner. Diseases transmitted this way are HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoiasis. Condoms do a good job of protecting you from diseases transmitted by genital secretions. The other way is through skin or mucous membrane contact with sores shedding sexually transmissible viruses or bacteria — herpes, syphilis, chancroid and human papillomavirus. These sores aren’t limited to the genital or oral areas, so condoms are less effective in stopping transmission.

Latex condoms used consistently and correctly are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This is good news as HIV is the most deadly of all STDs. Latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of HIV. In couples where one partner is infected with HIV and the other is not infected, consistent use of condoms has been highly effective in protecting the uninfected partner.

All of these diseases are transmitted by genital secretions. Latex condoms when used consistently and correctly reduce the spread of these infections. Latex condoms provide an impermeable barrier to particles the size of these bacteria. Studies also provide evidence that latex condoms protect against the spread of these infections.

Condoms may reduce the spread of genital ulcer diseases and HPV. These lesions or sores may occur in areas covered by a condom, but frequently, they are located on other parts of the body. If the sore is located on an area covered or protected by the condom, using a condom will reduce transmission rates. Consistent and correct condom use has been associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer. If the sore is located on a different area of the body — for instance, the buttocks — then the condom will not protect an uninfected partner. Protection against genital ulcer diseases and HPV depends on the site of the sore or ulcer.

Consistent and correct use of condoms is the key for reducing the spread of infections.

blog index

View the original article here

No-period pills: Are they safe?

Posted by admin on October 14, 2010 0 comments

You can go three months — maybe longer — without a period if you take combination birth control pills, which contain the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Many of the women I see wonder how that works and whether it’s safe. Here’s the story.

Three brands of birth control pills — Seasonique, Seasonale and Lybrel — have FDA approval for continuous use. This means they suppress your period completely because every pill in a pack contains hormones. If you take Seasonique or Seasonale, you’ll have no period for three months. If you take Lybrel, you can go without a period for as long as you want.

If you’d like to try the no-period route and you’re taking a combination pill other than one of the brands mentioned above, you may not have to switch brands. The pill you’re already taking may cost less as well.

Standard birth control pills come in 28-day packs containing 21 active pills and seven inactive (“sugar” or placebo) pills. On day 22 of each month, you switch from active to inactive pills. Shortly after that, you experience vaginal bleeding much like a period. You take your last inactive pill on day 28, then start a new pack.

Stopping your period works best with monophasic pills, which have the same dose of hormones in every active pill. Try this technique:

Take the first three weeks of a new pack of pills as usual.On the first day of the fourth week, start a new pack of pills, skipping all the inactive pills in the first pack. When you reach the inactive pills in your second pack, skip them, too, and start a third pack.Again, take the first 21 pills and skip to your fourth pack.Do not skip the inactive pills in your fourth pack. Take every pill in that pack, including the sugar pills, so you’ll have a period.

Many women complain of breakthrough bleeding or spotting when they are continuously taking active pills.

To solve that problem, try taking your traditional pills until you have spotting. Once you start to spot, switch to inactive pills for four days or seven days, whichever is your normal routine. With time, you may find that you can go longer and longer before you spot.

No. Whether you take inactive pills for four or seven days out of 28 days, four or seven days out of 84 days, or continuously with no inactive pills, birth control pills simply put your fertility on hold. They do not reduce your ability to have a baby.

The important issue is to take your pills correctly to avoid pregnancy.

Birth control pills do not protect you from STDs. Unless you’re in a stable, long-term relationship with someone you trust absolutely, you still need to use condoms. Before having sex with a new partner, you should both get tested to make sure you’re free of STDs.

blog index

View the original article here

Safe sex: Plan B or One-Step for emergency contraception

Posted by admin on October 14, 2010 0 comments

It’s official: Seventeen-year-olds can now legally walk into most pharmacies, ask for emergency contraception and buy an FDA-approved product after giving proof of age — no prescription needed.

Over-the-counter (OTC) emergency contraception — Plan B — is nothing new. The FDA approved the drug, for prescription only, in 1999. Then, in 2006, Plan B got OTC approval, but only for sale to women age 18 or older.

Reproductive rights organizations challenged the age restriction in court, finally receiving a favorable ruling earlier this year. Now, a new product called One-Step — a single-dose OTC version of the same hormone in Plan B — has been approved for anyone over the age of 16.

Plan B and One-Step contain a synthetic form of a hormone called progesterone. Birth control pills also contain progesterone, but at a lower dose.

Here are some common questions about emergency contraception.

You still won’t find Plan B on the open pharmacy shelf. In its unique regulations for selling Plan B without a prescription, the FDA set these rules:

The product has to be kept behind the pharmacy counter. If you want it, you have to ask the pharmacist or pharmacy clerk for the product.A licensed pharmacist has to be on the pharmacy premises when you buy Plan B, although an assistant or clerk can handle the transaction.You need to present some form of government-issued identification to prove your age before buying Plan B.

The simplest thing is to call ahead and ask. Alternatively, your health provider may be able to direct you to local pharmacies where you can get Plan B.

Some pharmacies have chosen not to stock Plan B because of perceived lack of consumer demand. But media attention has focused mainly on individual pharmacists and drugstore owners who have publicly stated their religious objections to emergency contraception and made a point of refusing to stock or dispense Plan B. It’s unclear whether this stance has made Plan B harder to purchase in general, but courts are already grappling with related issues. The controversy has been particularly heated in the state of Washington. Since 2007, pharmacies there have been required either to sell Plan B themselves or to give any customer who requests Plan B the name and address of a pharmacy where it’s sold.

What if I am not 17 yet?
If you are under 17, you can get a prescription for emergency contraception (Plan B, One-Step or Next Choice, which is a generic, prescription-only version of Plan B) from your medical provider. Title Ten clinics and Planned Parenthood clinics also prescribe emergency contraception.

Can I just have a prescription available in case I need it?
Yes — in fact, that’s a great idea! Ask your provider for a prescription when you go for your well-woman exam.

Far too many pregnancies are unplanned. If efforts to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies are to be successful, women must be given access to a full range of contraception options.

blog index

View the original article here

Sex and bacterial vaginosis

Posted by admin on October 14, 2010 0 comments

It’s understandable to fear you’ve caught an STD when you’re really just having symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. You might be particularly concerned if you notice bacterial vaginosis symptoms soon after you start having sex with someone new — a common pattern with bacterial vaginosis.

But bacterial vaginosis (BV for short) is not a sexually transmitted disease. Instead, it’s the overgrowth of normal vaginal bacteria. All women have bacteria in the vagina. These bacteria are part of the normal vaginal ecosystem. When some types of these normal bacteria overgrow, the result is BV.

Bacterial vaginosis symptoms include:

Increased vaginal discharge, usually watery and gray or greenStrong alkaline or “fishy” odor, which can come and goBurning of the vulvar tissueItching (this is not very common)

The vagina is normally acidic, helping to keep the bacteria in normal volumes. If the pH of the vagina becomes alkaline, the bacteria overgrow. Bacteria love an alkaline environment. Things that can increase vaginal alkalinity are:

Menstruation. Blood is alkaline. If your periods are heavy and long, exposure to blood may raise the vaginal pH to a higher alkaline level, so the bacteria can overgrow. The alkaline odor may be particularly strong during your period.Frequent sexual intercourse between a male and female. Sperm is also alkaline. The sperm can alter the pH of the vagina to be more alkaline. With frequent exposure to an alkaline substance, the bacteria can over grow. After sex, you or your partner may notice a stronger alkaline odor.During menopause, women are more prone to BV because the vagina becomes alkaline due to hormone changes.

How is BV treated?

First, it is important that you see your provider to make sure you have BV.There are several antibiotics used to treat BV. Treating the partner is not usually necessary. Remember, he didn’t give you an infection but the sperm promotes BV by altering the pH of the vagina.

If exposure to alkaline substances continues, BV can recur after treatment.

What are some basic things you can do to prevent BV?

If you have heavy periods, talk to your provider about reducing the blood flow of your period. Your provider has many options to offer.If you are having frequent sex, use a condom to reduce the exposure of the alkaline sperm in the vagina. For example, if you have sex 3 times a week, consider using a condom 2 of those times. (If you are using a condom to prevent STDs, then you need to use it all the time!)If you are menopausal, consider local estrogen to help keep the vagina acidic. Local estrogen comes in the form of a cream, pill or acrylic ring that you insert in the vagina.

Bacterial vaginosis can be very frustrating for some women because it can be recurring. We are not sure why some women get it so frequently. Remember, promoting an acid environment in the vagina helps to prevent BV!

blog index

View the original article here

STD testing: Don’t assume older means safer

Posted by admin on October 13, 2010 0 comments

I was asked the other day if I recommended sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing before sex for older couples. The answer is a firm yes! Requesting that your partner get STD testing is an expectation for many in the younger generations. But the same request is uncomfortable for many older people considering a sexual relationship. If you read through my blog postings, you will see why STD testing is so important! Many of my commenters are not in their teens. They are in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s! Sexually transmitted diseases don’t know age. These viruses and bacteria are happy to infect any age person.

STDs remain a major public health challenge in the United States and throughout the world. In the United States, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections each year. Almost half of them are among young people 15 to 24 years of age. That means the other half are in the older population! The Centers for Disease Control recommends all sexually active men and women who are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship should have STD testing.

I know asking your potential partner to get STD testing is a difficult task but it is important! Because so many STDs have no symptoms, it is difficult to know if you or your partner has been exposed to a virus or bacteria.

Asking the question, “Should we get tested first?” is an easier conversation than, “What did you give me?”

Take the approach that you care about each other and you can’t know about your status of STDs unless you have been tested. It is important for both of you to have current STD tests. Please take care of each other in this way!

blog index

View the original article here

AIDS awareness on the decline

Posted by admin on October 13, 2010 0 comments

Researchers in South Africa have developed and tested a vaginal gel that shows promise in preventing HIV. Women who used the gel were 39 percent less likely overall to contract HIV than those who used a placebo. The news is exciting, but it will likely be years before the product is available. In the meantime, education is our biggest tool to prevent HIV and AIDS. Yet AIDS awareness appears to be declining.

In 2009, 13 percent of students reported never having been taught about AIDS or HIV in school. This number is up from 10.5 percent in 2007, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A decline in AIDS awareness is concerning given the following U.S. statistics:

More than 1 million people are now living with HIV/AIDSOver 56,000 people become infected each yearIn 2006, persons aged 13 to 29 were most affected, accounting for 34 percent of  infectionsMen who have sex with men account for 53 percent of new cases

Despite the severe impact of HIV in the United States, studies show that many Americans — even those at greatest risk of infection — have grown complacent about HIV and AIDS. This is a major concern since lack of AIDS awareness can contribute to an increase in high-risk behaviors. We can’t forget to discuss this difficult and complicated disease with our youth. HIV is preventable in most cases. The importance of condoms cannot be stressed enough.

blog index References Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/index.htm. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.HIV in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/us.htm. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010. Anti-HIV Gel Shows Promise in Large-scale Study in Women. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2009/niaid-09.htm. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.Estimates of new HIV infections in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/factsheets/pdf/incidence.pdf. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.Projecting possible future courses of the HIV epidemic in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/us-epi-future-courses.htm. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.

View the original article here

Herpes testing: What to ask for, when to ask

Posted by admin on October 13, 2010 0 comments

If you think you might have herpes, you probably want to get it diagnosed as soon as you can. But it’s better to hold off on herpes testing for about four months after your first outbreak. Then, when you do get the blood test for herpes infection, make sure it’s the correct test — the one that detects an antibody called IgG.

Health care providers often order a different test, the IgM test. A positive IgM test, however, doesn’t necessarily mean you have HSV-2, the genital herpes virus.

Herpes testing based on IgM seems like a good idea because your immune system starts producing IgM in early infection with most viruses. Theoretically, an IgM test can tell you whether sores you just developed are or aren’t herpes, and it might help you figure out when you were infected.

For diagnosing HSV-2, though, the IgM test has serious shortcomings.

The IgM test doesn’t distinguish one herpes virus from another. A new infection with HSV-1, which causes oral cold sores, could give you a positive herpes IgM result. If that’s not taken into account, you could be told you have HSV-2 (genital herpes) when you really don’t.A positive herpes IgM test could also mean you’re having a recurrence of HSV-2. Many people with HSV-2 produce new IgM every time they have a herpes outbreak. With IgM testing, there’s no way to know whether you have a new infection or when you initially acquired the virus.

In contrast, IgG testing can distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2. It’s an important distinction, because HSV-1 is less severe and quite common. Most people have antibodies to HSV-1 by the time they’re grown.

The IgG tests approved by the FDA are very accurate. That means there is only a small chance that you would get a false positive or false negative result.

But there is a drawback: You have to wait four months between your first outbreak and your IgG test. Your immune system takes that long to produce IgG against herpes, so a negative result from an earlier IgG test isn’t reliable.

If you’re not sure whether you have HSV-2, or if you doubt the accuracy of a genital herpes diagnosis you received some time ago, it makes sense to get tested (or retested). Be sure to ask for IgG testing.

blog index

View the original article here

Condom how-to’s for better protection

Posted by admin on October 13, 2010 0 comments

Use of the male latex condom can reduce (though not eliminate) the risk of spreading STDs.

Using male condoms seems pretty easy, too. But condoms don’t work unless you use them — correctly — every time you have sex. All it takes is one unprotected act of intercourse to infect your partner with an STD, which you may not even know you have.

So, again: Use a new latex condom every time you have sex.

Studies show that this isn’t happening. According to the Minnesota Student Survey, a health and safety questionnaire administered every three years to teenage students, only 66 percent of male 12th graders and 59 percent of female 12th graders used a condom the last time they had intercourse.

Similarly, if condoms are not used correctly every time, the protective effect may be reduced. Using the condom incorrectly can lead to breakage, slippage, or leakage. The most common mistakes are:

Putting the condom on after sexual activity has startedPutting the condom on incorrectlyFailing to withdraw the penis while it is still erect

If you’re using a latex condom every time, great. But to be sure you’re getting the most possible protection from condoms, carefully read these instructions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal and oral sex-throughout the entire sex act (from start to finish). Before any genital contact, put the condom on the tip of the erect penis with the rolled side out. If the condom does not have a reservoir tip, pinch the tip enough to leave a half-inch space for semen to collect. Holding the tip, unroll the condom all the way to the base of the erect penis. After ejaculation and before the penis gets soft, grip the rim of the condom and carefully withdraw. Then gently pull the condom off the penis, making sure that semen doesn’t spill out. Wrap the condom in a tissue and throw it in the trash where others won’t handle it. If you feel the condom break at any point during sexual activity, stop immediately, withdraw, remove the broken condom, and put on a new condom. Ensure that adequate lubrication is used during vaginal and anal sex, which might require water-based lubricants such as K-Y JellyTM, AstroglideTM, AquaLubeTM, and glycerin. Oil-based lubricants (e.g., petroleum jelly, shortening, mineral oil, massage oils, body lotions, and cooking oil) should not be used because they can weaken latex, causing breakage.

If you have frequent yeast infections, use a water-based lubricant, such as System JO, that does not contain glycogen. Glycogen promotes yeast infections.

Using a condom correctly and consistently shows that you respect yourself and your partner!

blog index References Minnesota Departments of Education, Health, Human Services, & Public Safety. Behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of Minnesota’s 6th, 9th and 12th graders.  http://health.minnesota.gov/divs/chs/mss/trendreports/finalmss1992to2007.pdf. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Male latex condoms and sexually transmitted disease prevention.  http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/brief.html#Consistent. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.

View the original article here

Syphilis makes a stealthy comeback

Posted by admin on October 13, 2010 0 comments

In the United States, rates of syphilis have been rising each year since 2000. This is particularly true for men who have sex with men (MSM), mainly those living in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, southern California, Miami and New York City.

Twenty to 70 percent of people infected with syphilis also have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. It’s no accident that these two STDs frequently coexist. Early syphilis causes sores on the mucosal surfaces of the genitals and mouth, creating an easy route for catching as well as transmitting HIV. If either you or your partner has a genital rash or sore, you’ll both be safer if you let the skin heal before having sex.

In the primary stage of syphilis, about 10 days to three months after exposure, a small, firm, painless sore (chancre, pronounced SHANG-ker) appears on the part of your body where the bacteria entered, usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or lips. A single chancre is typical, but you may have multiple sores. Chancres go away without treatment, but you still have the infection.

The secondary stage of syphilis occurs two to 10 weeks after the chancre appears. In this stage, you develop multiple flulike symptoms, along with a rash and wartlike sores in the genital area or mouth. You may have secondary syphilis in a single episode lasting a few weeks, or the signs and symptoms may come and go for as long as a year.

Next, the infection may enter a latent or hidden stage in which all symptoms often go away. This stage can last for years.

Without treatment, syphilis progresses to the tertiary stage in 15 to 30 percent of those infected. Tertiary syphilis may permanently damage your brain, nerves, eyes, heart, liver, bones and joints.

Fortunately, penicillin cures syphilis at any stage. The sooner you get treated, the simpler it will be to get rid of the infection.

Want to know more about syphilis? Enter “syphilis” in the search box under the blue bar across the top of this page to find detailed information.

blog index

View the original article here