April is STD Awareness Month, which should serve as a yearly reminder to get tested for STDs if you’re sexually active. When you make your annual trip to the gyno, your doc will probably give you a Pap smear, check your boobs for lumps, and inspect your lady parts for abnormalities. But your gynecologist won’t test you for anything else, unless you ask—so ask! Here’s what tests you should be getting.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS in the later stages of the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one million people in the United States are infected with HIV/AIDS, and about a quarter of those people don’t know they’re infected. Approximately 39.5 million people are infected with HIV worldwide. With those high numbers, it’s important that everyone knows how HIV spreads and how to avoid contracting the virus.

1. HIV attacks the immune system by destroying white blood cells that fight off disease. Once HIV has weakened the immune system to the point where the body can’t fight off infection, the infection advances to its final stage: AIDS. It can take years for the body to arrive at this stage. People infected with HIV/AIDS usually die of other so-called “opportunistic” diseases and cancers that the body can no longer fight off.
2. HIV lives in the blood and semen or vaginal fluid of the infected person. This is why the most common ways of transmitting HIV is through vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. The second most common way of transmitting HIV is through the sharing of needles and syringes. Lastly, HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breast-feeding. Because HIV is carried in the infected person’s blood, the virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ and tissue transplants, and shared needles. HIV is not transmitted through handshaking, hugging, contact with a toilet seat, touching a doorknob, or casual contact, and HIV cannot live outside the body for long.

German pop singer Nadja Benaissa was arrested Tuesday in Frankfurt, Germany, for allegedly having unprotected sex with three men without telling them she is HIV positive. One of the men has tested positive for the virus. In Germany, the law says that anyone convicted of knowingly infecting a person with HIV faces a prison sentence of between six months and 10 years for “grievous bodily harm.” If the victim dies, the sentence can be even greater—up to life imprisonment for manslaughter.

It’s STD Awareness Month! We’ve been talking a lot about the icky stuff you can get while bumping uglies, while Dr. V has urged you to have as much fun as you want, so long as you wear a condom. In the past, we’ve talked to the guys on our IM about how often they actually use condoms, but we’ve never grilled them about how often they get tested for STDs. And what I really wanted to know was how often they were actually honest when a potential sex partner asked them that question. Let’s find out…

Gonorrhea is one of the most commonly sexually transmitted diseases (STD), with about 700,000 people being infected each year in the United States. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 120.9 per 100,000 people in the U.S. were infected with gonorrhea. With that in mind, here’s five things you need to know about the disease.

1. Gonorrhea is normally spread through sexual activity. The bacteria grow in warm areas of the reproductive track, especially the cervix, urethra, uterus, anus, and fallopian tubes. Gonorrhea can be found in both women and men, and therefore is spread through vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse.

2. Many people infected with gonorrhea don’t know they’re infected, and that’s why it’s so easily spread! The symptoms of gonorrhea are very mild and sometimes absent in both men and women, making them perfect carriers for the disease. The most common symptoms of gonorrhea are a burning sensation and pain during urination, and vaginal/penile discharge. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact a doctor immediately to be tested to avoid further spreading of the disease, because Gonorrhea also has long-term effects on those who don’t seek early treatment. It’s a common cause of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which causes pain in the abdomen and fever. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease also can cause infertility in women. Those infected with gonorrhea are more likely to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Lastly, pregnant women infected with gonorrhea can spread the disease to their newborn baby. Gonorrhea in newborns can cause blindness and life-threatening blood infections.

Trichomoniasis is a very common STD among both men and women. Ladies, that hot guy you met at the club last night can spread it to you without ever knowing he has it. You also could unknowingly give it to him. Trichomoniasis can weaken the immune system and make an infected person more susceptible to other STDs, including HIV. Pregnant women who are infected are at risk for delivering early or having a baby with low birth weight. Are you thinking twice about your sexual behavior now?

1. Both men and women can be infected, but because men often experience few to no symptoms, it can seem to only affect women. That is so untrue.

2. Trichomoniasis spreads easily and quickly. Because symptoms of trichomoniasis are often mild to nonexistent, this STD can be spread quickly and easily. It is one of the more common STDs. Women are more likely to have symptoms than men are, but both can be infected.

3. Symptoms often are mild or nonexistent, but women should look for abnormal discharge. If you’re smelling a bit foul down there, that’s also a sign of infection. There may be pain or discomfort during urination or sex. Itching or other genital irritations also may occur. Men don’t usually have symptoms, but some include burning or irritation during urination or an unusual discharge.

Hi, I’m Dr. V.  I’m not a real doctor, I just play one on the Internet. What I am is a lady, a lady who is a fool for love! And I love nothing more than sex. My deepest desires have happily led me on many adventures in the sack, but they have also, sadly, made me one of my gyno’s most valuable players. But I’ve lived to tell the tale(s)! So, from time to time, I will dish the dirt on everything from getting freaky to getting freaked out. Now, let’s get this party started…

After blathering on and on about anal sex, herpes sores, and stanky vajayjay’s, I, Dr. V, am going to say something that will really shock you! I have never, ever had sex without a condom. Ever.  Not even once.

April is STD Awareness Month, and we asked you to share your STD-related stories so we could learn from your each other’s mistakes. If you have a tale involving sores, Valtrex, or a judgy gynecologist, send an email to tips@thefrisky.com. We will keep your identity anonymous.

I wanted to let you know about my experience with an STD because although I feel uncomfortable telling anyone else about it, I think it’s important for other people to be aware. In November I noticed bumps on the outside of my genital region and thought they were just pimples. They didn’t go away, and when I told my boyfriend he freaked and said he had them too. He blamed me for getting infected, but I hadn’t been with anyone else since we started dating!

April is STD Awareness Month, and we asked you to share your STD-related stories so we could learn from your each other’s mistakes. If you have a tale involving sores, Valtrex, or a judgy gynecologist, send an email to tips@thefrisky.com. We will keep your identity anonymous.

My freshman year of college was probably the worst time of my life because I was out of my element, didn’t get along with my roommate, and was extremely homesick. I went home just about every weekend. To make matters worse, I experienced my first STD while away at school.

There has been a lot of sex-related stuff in the news over the last couple days, which makes complete sense because April is STD Awareness Month, and, you know, the S in STD stands for sexually.

When a red bump appeared on my crotch, I listened to Antony and the Johnson’s sad album about a dying tranny, “I Am A Bird Now,” while I waited to see a doctor at the walk-in clinic. Clearly, I’m a little dramatic and also, what I thought was the herp wound up just being an ingrown hair. Phew!  But next time I get an STD scare, I’m not going to sit around the doctor’s office like a Debbie Downer.  Instead, I’m going to listen to this bumpin’ STD Awareness Month playlist, made especially for the party in your pants.  So, kids, don’t forget to always use a condom, and headphones!

Hi, I’m Dr. V.  I’m not a real doctor, I just play one on the Internet. What I am is a lady, a lady who is a fool for love! And I love nothing more than sex. My deepest desires have happily led me on many adventures in the sack, but they have also, sadly, made me one of my gyno’s most valuable players. But I’ve lived to tell the tale(s)! So, from time to time, I will dish the dirt on everything from getting freaky to getting freaked out. Now, let’s get this party started…

April is STD Awareness Month, but I can tell you, I, Dr. V, do not need a special month to become aware of STDs.  Unfortunately, I’ve had brushes with almost every bacteria and virus in Bum Town.  What can I say, I’m a Frisky gal who has challenged a lot of cowboys to whip out their guns.  So, over the course of this month I’ll be speaking up about some of my more dangerous showdowns.

April is STD Awareness Month, and we asked you to share your STD-related stories so we could learn from your each other’s mistakes. If you have a tale involving sores, Valtrex, or a judgy gynecologist, send an email to tips@thefrisky.com. We will keep your identity anonymous.

I picked it up from a girl one drunken, unprotected night at the New Jersey Shore (figures) over Labor Day weekend. Symptoms appeared, on schedule, the morning of the fourth day. While there wasn’t any discharge, urinating was excruciatingly painful—like no other pain I have felt before or since. It was so painful that I stupidly refrained from urinating for about 24 hours. At that point the pain from my swollen bladder began overwhelming the pain I would felt while urinating, so I starting going in little spurts. That was taking too long, so I decided to try to numb my penis by placing it in a bowl of ice water. Again, dumb idea. Not only was that separately excruciating, it did nothing to ease the pain of my inflamed urethra.

Passing along the info to your new honey that you’ve got an STD is something you’re probably looking forward to about as much as attending your nephew’s 5th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Need hints on how to deliver the dirty truth? We asked Jill Grimes, M.D., author of Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STDs for some tips, after the jump…

AIDS researchers are one step closer to finding another method of protection that can help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS among women. Dr. Salim Abdool Karim of the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa and his colleagues have tested two protective gels, one called PRO 2000 and the other called BufferGel, in trying to find a microbicide (that’s the fancy scientific word for something that reduces the chance that you’ll be infected by a virus or bacteria) that will protect women from HIV/AIDS when their partners aren’t wearing condoms. Among the 3,000 women tested, PRO 2000 reduced the rate of HIV infection by a third. “We do not regard it as a definitive conclusion that PRO 2000 is a microbicide but we certainly view it as very promising,” said Karim at a conference of AIDS experts in Montreal. Unfortunately, his team was unable to find any evidence that BufferGel helped. The study was only designed to determine whether the gels were safe, since other, similar studies revealed that gels and creams like PRO 2000 and BufferGel actually increased the likelihood of infection. [Reuters]

Hi, I’m Dr. V.  I’m not a real doctor, I just play one on the Internet. What I am is a lady, a lady who is a fool for love! And I love nothing more than sex. My deepest desires have happily led me on many adventures in the sack, but they have also, sadly, made me one of my gyno’s most valuable players. But I’ve lived to tell the tale(s)! So, from time to time, I will dish the dirt on everything from getting freaky to getting freaked out. Now, let’s get this party started…

This week, I got an alarming phone call.  My most recent ex-boyfriend went to get tested like a sensible young man and I’m so proud of him—but I’m sorry he had to call me with his results.  While it wasn’t good news, I’m truly grateful he talked to me about it openly. Sex is dirty, and sometimes you can’t totally clean up the mess, but you can always take measures to stop it from spreading! I know my ex was not so thrilled to have to call me to tell me to get tested too, however, it made me realize why I was with him in the first place. He’s respectable and responsible for divulging what he knows with me, for better or for worse.  Although it can be a tearful inspiration, I’d like to dedicate this installment of Dr. V to all the men and women, like my ex-boyfriend out there, who are brave enough to pick up the phone and show someone they still care by telling them the truth about their health and the risks they shared.  According to the CDC, who just this week reported 19 million cases of STDs in 2007, there are a lot of people who need to make a similar confession.  So, here’s how you do it, as pain-free as possible.

Yikes—19 million STD infections occur each year according to the Center for Disease Control’s NEW report this week. The numbers from 2007 are in and the stats are a total bummer. Gonorrhea and chlamydia, the most common STDs, recorded the largest number of known cases to date, 1.5 million according to the most recent assessment. However, the government agency thinks that’s a low estimate, and suspect that there are actually twice as many people who are carrying the infections. Agh! Unfortunately, the infections often go undiagnosed because they can be asymptomatic. While gonorrhea and chlamydia frequently come together in one big STD package, they are both cured with antibiotics. However, if someone isn’t a responsible sexy time partner and doesn’t get tested regularly, the diseases can wreak havoc and even do things jeopardize your ability to get pregnant. Since young women, age 15-34, are in the highest risk categories, it’s essential that we take care of our business!  Go visit the gyno and let them smear your pap, why dontcha?!  [CDC]

On the cover of today’s free paper AM New York is a hard-hitting headline about how the New York City Department of Health found that…wait for it… binge drinking leads to sex. Puh-lease, after ZERO drinks I’ll do the nasty! Plus, if that was all it took to get laid, I’d get hammered in morning, I’d get hammered in the evening, I’d get hammered all over this land!  According to the Health Department’s report, if you have more than five drinks in one sitting, at least once a month, you’re a big slutty drunky-drunk. [Oops. Oops again. Oops.—Editor] And by slutty, the study means you have had two to four partners a year. Whore! 

As sexting gets more popular, safe sexting gets a grant! A series of modern sex ed soap operas have been filmed and distributed via cell phones thanks to an endowment and the commitment of a New Jersey nurse and professor. Rachel Jones, the RN behind the video productions, has spent her career committed to preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS in young women. Sadly, her home state of New Jersey has the highest number of women living with AIDS in the entire U.S. Shockingly, 82% of infections in the 18-to-29-year-old group nationwide are heterosexual African-American ladies and Latinas. Nurse Jones is perplexed by the figures, saying, “It is astounding, it is a completely preventable infection.” So, she has labored for grants to normalize condom use by sending girls text messages. More, after the jump…

Hi, I’m Dr. V.  I’m not a real doctor, I just play one on the Internet. What I am is a lady, a lady who is a fool for love! And I love nothing more than sex. My deepest desires have happily led me on many adventures in the sack, but they have also, sadly, made me one of my gyno’s most valuable players. But I’ve lived to tell the tale(s)! So, from time to time, I will dish the dirt on everything from getting freaky to getting freaked out. Now, let’s get this party started…

As winter sets in, I just wanted to put your mind at ease because the cold sore has a bit of a misleading name. It’s a common misconception that weather more frigid than a nun could cause you to get a cold sore, but ironically, too much sun can actually increase your chances of an outbreak. While cold sores are a type of the herpes simplex virus, they are also called “fever blisters” because having the flu can up the odds of getting one. But alas, stress, hormonal changes—like getting your period, skin injuries, a lowered immune system, and added stress—can also bring it on.  But what eggs on a flare up is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the real cause of the problem, the herpes simplex virus. So, here’s everything you need to know about the blister and what you can do with your mister…