Researchers have been hard at work developing a vaccine for human papilloma virus. HPV is an STD that affects millions of people each year. Although many cases of HPV will clear up without treatment there is a concern because HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer. With the introduction of the HPV vaccine many women can be assured that their chances of developing this serious form of cancer will be reduced.

Considering that in the United States alone the incidence of HPV infection in women aged between 18 and 22 is 50%, it’s obvious that a vaccine could have a significant impact. In many other under-developed countries this percentage is much higher and with limited access to medical treatment 80% of the world’s cervical cancer deaths occur in these countries.

Some of the factors regarding HPV vaccine that need to be taken into consideration are:

* The age at which vaccination should occur. Some medical experts argue that the HPV vaccine should be administered to young women before they become sexually active. This would mean the HPV vaccine would be given at a fairly young age which has upset many people. They view the HPV vaccine as a signal to these young women that they can be sexually active without worry of STDs.

* Pap smears still need to be done. Women need to remain vigilant about their annual Pap test even after receiving the vaccine. Although the HPV vaccine can reduce the incidence of cervical cancer it is certainly not the only cause. A Pap smear can detect any abnormalities early which allows for the highest rate of survival in women who do have pre-cancerous or cancerous cells.

The cost of the HPV vaccine is also heavily debated. Although many researchers view it as a necessity and instrumental in the sexual health of women, it is a concern in underdeveloped countries where the resources just aren’t available.

The HPV vaccine could certainly add to a woman’s health arsenal. As with any STD, prevention is truly the key. When a woman employs safe sex practices along with an annual Pap smear and the HPV vaccine she has a fighting chance against cervical cancer.

Symptoms Which Indicate that You Might be Having Vaginal Sores

Vaginal sores can be a symptom of yeast infections, or another vaginal problem such as genital warts. Since it might be difficult to know whether you have vaginal sores, you will only have other symptoms to go by so these should be heeded and attended to by a qualified physician. Again, the problem with vaginal sores is that since you have to rely on other symptoms to warn you of this, you might very well ignore these other symptoms thereby causing your vaginal sores to become worse and in some cases, spread.Symptoms to indicate that you might have vaginal sores include, but are not limited to itching in and around the vaginal area, tenderness, soreness, a burning sensation, pain during sexual intercourse, possible pain during urination, and maybe an outer rash or redness on the vulva or outer lips. If you have any or all of these indications you could have vaginal sores, or you could be suffering from some other medical condition. This is why it’s always good to have these looked at by trained medical personnel. Another problem that arises with such things as vaginal sores is that quite a lot of people are embarrassed about their condition and won’t seek medical help. While all this is very admirable from a social standpoint, it can be potentially dangerous for you to ignore such blatant symptoms as those mentioned earlier. You’re much better off leaving your social graces and conditionings behind you and getting then necessary treatments for your vaginal sores. Additionally, by going in for a medical checkup you have the option having a pap smear performed which can give you a much better idea as to what you might be suffering from. Especially in cases such as vaginal sores, a pap smear will be better able to identify the reason behind the vaginal sores appearing. For this procedure a speculum will be inserted into your vagina and widened so as to open the mouth of the vagina. This facilitates a specimen gathering brush – sort of like a long cotton bud – to be inserted into your vagina where it will take a small swab of the surrounding vaginal walls. This specimen will then be sent off to testing and come back later in the form of report which you will then be informed about by your doctor. It might sound like something out of a torture chamber but it’s all very simple and fast and over before you know it. A pap smear can also show you whether you have anything more serious than vaginal sores. With this knowledge you can then begin treatment of your vaginal sores.

What is a Pap Smear?

Pap smears test for cervical cancer in women. They can help to determine if you are at a higher risk for cervical cancer as well. When doctors perform pap smears, they collect cells from your cervix for testing. Your cervix is just a few inches inside of your vagina. You will be asked to undress either completely or from the waist down for the procedure. A speculum is inserted so that your doctor can more easily get to your cervix. Cell samples are taken with a small brush or spatula. This is usually painless and is sometimes undetectable by the patient. A pap smear helps your doctor to find cancerous or precancerous cells. Early detection is helpful when treating cervical cancer and can greatly improve your chances of overcoming this disease. A pap smear enables your doctor to initiate treatment of unusual or precancerous cells. This can help you to avoid the development of cancer. In addition to the pap smear, your doctor will usually also perform a pelvic exam. This is basically an examination of the external anatomy of your genitals, uterus, vagina and ovaries. Your doctor will be feeling for abnormalities during this exam.It is recommended that you have a pap smear yearly after you reach adulthood. If abnormalities are suspected, you may need one earlier in your teen years. If consistent normal results are found, then your doctor may recommend that you only have a pap smear every two to three years. If abnormalities are found, it may be recommended that you have more frequent tests. You may also need more frequent tests if you have any immunity problems, such as HIV.If very few abnormal cells are present, then they may not be detected in the pap smear. Cervical cancer develops over many years, so it will most likely be noticed in the following pap smear without severe consequence. This is another reason that it is important to regularly get your pap smear done.Before going to the OB/GYN for your pap smear, there are a few steps you should take. Do not have intercourse for two to three days before the test. Do not use any kind of vaginal medications, spermicidal products or lubricants during this time either. Douching can also alter the results of your test. In general, anything you insert or use vaginally for the two or three days before your pap smear can wash away or obscure abnormal cells that would have otherwise been detected.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 15 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported in the US each year. With rising divorce rates and incidences of infidelity, it is no wonder that the number of sexually transmitted infections is on the rise. The best way to protect yourself is to always use a condom, screen potential partners, limit the number of partners you are intimate with and see a gynecologist every six months. According to medical information, the most dreadful sexually transmitted disease is a killer. The number of people with HIV (the sexually transmitted infection that leads to AIDS) worldwide has risen from 8 million in 1990, to more than 33 million, according to AVERT.org. More than 2.1 million people died from HIV/AIDS in 2007. The symptoms often do not emerge immediately; therefore, many people don’t realize they have the disease until it has already spread. In the US, there is a disproportionate amount of African Americans and gay men with AIDS, statistics reveal. In addition to AIDS, experts say even treatable STDs like HPV can lead to cancer if left undetected. Other diseases like chlamydia, crabs, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis can be cured with antibiotics. Syphilis is another of the curable sexually transmitted diseases, but has been known to affect the nervous system and brain if left untreated. Sometimes, trichomoniasis, or trich, is mistaken for a yeast infection, causing women to use the wrong type of medication for treatment. Even though these STDs can be treated, the shame and disappointment one feels is often the worst symptom that takes the longest to heal. The best way to stay safe from sexually transmitted diseases is to visit your health care professional every six months. There you will undergo a few simple tests that are over before you know it. A pap smear will check women for cervical cancer, but do not assume that you will automatically be tested for STDs as well. Usually, you have to ask for a chlamydia/gonorrhea test separately. Finding out you have something is an incredibly terrifying feeling initially, but once you understand your treatment options and undergo some counseling on how to tell your partner and how to prevent future occurrences, you will feel much better. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but if you are one of the unfortunate ones to contract an STD, then you will learn your lesson the first time and always wear condoms thereafter. Mike Selvon offer a free autoimmune disease audio gift. Learn more about sexually transmitted diseases at our portal, and drop us a note at our autoimmune thyroid disease blog.

What You Can Do About Genital HPV

There are a few things that you can do about genital HPV and for a list of treatments available, both medical and alternative, Here though what I’ve tried to do, is to give you a reasonable understanding of what you can do about your genital HPV during and after any treatment that you might have. • It begins with getting a proper medical checkup to make certain that you do indeed have genital HPV and not something else• After successful removal of your warts, you should keep any follow up appointments that you have as they can recur and you want to be ready if they do• Have a pap smear every six months, or every three months if cervical dysplasia has been detected, until you have at least three normal tests in a row• Go for regular screening for not only genital HPV, but other sexually transmitted diseases• Take all the necessary precautions to avoid developing genital warts• As far as possible, maintain a healthy stress free lifestyle• Cut down on alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking

What is a Pap Smear?

Pap smears test for cervical cancer in women. They can help to determine if you are at a higher risk for cervical cancer as well. When doctors perform pap smears, they collect cells from your cervix for testing. Your cervix is just a few inches inside of your vagina. You will be asked to undress either completely or from the waist down for the procedure. A speculum is inserted so that your doctor can more easily get to your cervix. Cell samples are taken with a small brush or spatula. This is usually painless and is sometimes undetectable by the patient. A pap smear helps your doctor to find cancerous or precancerous cells. Early detection is helpful when treating cervical cancer and can greatly improve your chances of overcoming this disease. A pap smear enables your doctor to initiate treatment of unusual or precancerous cells. This can help you to avoid the development of cancer. In addition to the pap smear, your doctor will usually also perform a pelvic exam. This is basically an examination of the external anatomy of your genitals, uterus, vagina and ovaries. Your doctor will be feeling for abnormalities during this exam.It is recommended that you have a pap smear yearly after you reach adulthood. If abnormalities are suspected, you may need one earlier in your teen years. If consistent normal results are found, then your doctor may recommend that you only have a pap smear every two to three years. If abnormalities are found, it may be recommended that you have more frequent tests. You may also need more frequent tests if you have any immunity problems, such as HIV.If very few abnormal cells are present, then they may not be detected in the pap smear. Cervical cancer develops over many years, so it will most likely be noticed in the following pap smear without severe consequence. This is another reason that it is important to regularly get your pap smear done.Before going to the OB/GYN for your pap smear, there are a few steps you should take. Do not have intercourse for two to three days before the test. Do not use any kind of vaginal medications, spermicidal products or lubricants during this time either. Douching can also alter the results of your test. In general, anything you insert or use vaginally for the two or three days before your pap smear can wash away or obscure abnormal cells that would have otherwise been detected.

Routine Tests-Pregnancy

Blood tests Complete blood count This test screens for anemia, which is very common during pregnancy. Anemia may be due to low iron levels, or can be an inherited form, such as thalassemia. Blood type This test will determine your blood type as well as show if you are Rhesus positive (Rh+) or negative (Rh-). If you are Rh- you will usually receive a medication called rhogam after medical procedures such as amniocentesis, or if you have vaginal bleeding. You will usually get an extra dose at around 28 weeks. Antibody screen This test determines whether you have antibodies that could cross the placenta and cause the baby to become anemic.Hepatitis BThis test will identify women who are actively infectious with hepatitis B, a viral liver disease that can be transmitted to the baby during pregnancy and labor.HIV This test will identify women who have been infected with the HIV retrovirus.Rubella This blood test determines whether you are immune to rubella. If you are not, you will usually get vaccinated right after delivery. You cannot have the vaccine during pregnancy.Syphilis Syphilis does not always cause symptoms but can cause serious problems for the fetus.Urine test This test looks for extra sugar or protein in your urine, and for signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Extra protein can be a sign of kidney disease extra sugar may indicate diabetes. UTls will be treated with antibiotics to prevent a serious kidney infection, which can cause pregnancy complications.Cervical smear Unless you have had one recently, you may have a cervical smear (PAP smear).Blood pressure Blood pressure usually falls at the beginning of pregnancy. Women with high blood pressure or blood pressure at the high end of normal early in pregnancy are at increased risk of having blood pressure problems later.Weight This baseline value will let your care provider calculate how much weight you have gained as your pregnancy progresses, and guide how much weight you need to gain during the pregnancy.If your are uncertain as to whether you have had chicken pox, a blood test will let you know whether you should stay away from people with this infectious disease while you are pregnant. If you are not immune, and do happen to be exposed, there is treatment to prevent severe chicken pox during pregnancy. If you are African American, Hispanic, or of mediterranean , descent you will have tests for blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia, which are more common in these groups.Last but not least, you will be given your due date at this appointment (some times called the EDC - estimated date of confinement). Your due date is based on your last menstrual period. Even if you think you know the date you conceived, your last menstrual period is usually the most accurate way to estimate your due date. The exception occurs when you don’t remember when your last period was or if you have very irregular periods. In this case, an early ultrasound will be the most accurate way to date your pregnancy. Don’t get too attached to your due date remember, it is only an estimate. Usually your care provider will see you again in 4-6 weeks to review your test results and discuss first trimester screening results. However, your doctor should call you before your second visit if any of the results are abnormal.

Your First Appointment-pregnancy

Your first visit with a care provider is important. During this visit, he or she will take a full medical history to determine if you have any underlying health problems. In addition, your care provider will ask you about any health problems that run in your family, and in your partner’s family. Unless you have a preexisting medical problem, your doctor will usually treat you like any other pregnant woman in terms of scheduling your first appointment, at about 8 weeks. One of the main reasons for the delay is that early miscarriage is very common and in most cases can not be prevented by medical treatment. There fore, most care providers wait until you have passed the danger zone of early miscarriage before they order all the pregnancy blood tests.Preparing For Your AppointmentIf your partner is not going to come with you to your first visit, it’s important for you to sit down together and brainstorm about possible family problems. Any family conditions may be passed on to your baby and testing may be an option. If you have any health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, bring your medical records with you. Your questions can then be answered right away instead of having to wait until your care provider can get copies of your records. You may be asked some embarrassing but important questions about drug use, sexually transmitted diseases and past pregnancy terminations. It’s critical that you tell the truth about your medical history. If your partner doesn’t know about it, you can arrange to tell your care provider when your partner is not present.Standard TestsIn addition to answering a lot of questions, you will probably have a thorough physical exam, including a pelvic examination and cervical (PAP) smear (unless you have recently had one). Your doctor should also discuss your options for first trimester screening for abnormalities so that tests can be arranged between 10-14 weeks if you want them. Depending on how many weeks pregnant you are, you may get to hear your baby’s heartbeat. Finally, you will be asked to give samples of your blood and urine for routine testing and have your weight and blood pressure checked.Testing for HIV is recommended for all pregnant women. If you have HIT, the chances of passing the virus on to your baby can be significantly reduced by taking antiretroviral agents. In additional to these routine tests you may also have additional. tests. A swab may be taken from your cervix for testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can be symptom-free but could affect your baby if not diagnosed and treated.In some cases, blood tests may also be done to check for varicella (chicken pox) and toxoplasmosis. Past infection with toxoplasmosis is a good thing because you will be protected from developing an infection during pregnancy when it can harm your baby.

Symptoms Which Indicate that You Might be Having Vaginal Sores

Vaginal sores can be a symptom of yeast infections, or another vaginal problem such as genital warts. Since it might be difficult to know whether you have vaginal sores, you will only have other symptoms to go by so these should be heeded and attended to by a qualified physician. Again, the problem with vaginal sores is that since you have to rely on other symptoms to warn you of this, you might very well ignore these other symptoms thereby causing your vaginal sores to become worse and in some cases, spread.Symptoms to indicate that you might have vaginal sores include, but are not limited to itching in and around the vaginal area, tenderness, soreness, a burning sensation, pain during sexual intercourse, possible pain during urination, and maybe an outer rash or redness on the vulva or outer lips. If you have any or all of these indications you could have vaginal sores, or you could be suffering from some other medical condition. This is why it’s always good to have these looked at by trained medical personnel. Another problem that arises with such things as vaginal sores is that quite a lot of people are embarrassed about their condition and won’t seek medical help. While all this is very admirable from a social standpoint, it can be potentially dangerous for you to ignore such blatant symptoms as those mentioned earlier. You’re much better off leaving your social graces and conditionings behind you and getting then necessary treatments for your vaginal sores. Additionally, by going in for a medical checkup you have the option having a pap smear performed which can give you a much better idea as to what you might be suffering from. Especially in cases such as vaginal sores, a pap smear will be better able to identify the reason behind the vaginal sores appearing. For this procedure a speculum will be inserted into your vagina and widened so as to open the mouth of the vagina. This facilitates a specimen gathering brush – sort of like a long cotton bud – to be inserted into your vagina where it will take a small swab of the surrounding vaginal walls. This specimen will then be sent off to testing and come back later in the form of report which you will then be informed about by your doctor. It might sound like something out of a torture chamber but it’s all very simple and fast and over before you know it. A pap smear can also show you whether you have anything more serious than vaginal sores. With this knowledge you can then begin treatment of your vaginal sores.

Looking at Visual Examination as a Form of Genital Warts Testing

Genital warts testing can be done in many different ways, although the most common method is that of a visual examination. This method of genital warts testing relies heavily on the fact that there will be physical signs visible to the naked eye of the genital warts infection.However, as this isn’t always the case and not all people who have the genital warts HPV infection display any visible signs, other genital warts testing methods may also need to be utilized. Genital warts can also show up as small lesions on the skin, and can at times be red. They can also be large and gathered in clusters or have a cauliflower like appearance to them. Some warts however, can be flat and almost invisible to the naked eye. In this case, the physician will take into account the other symptoms that the patient displays and will look into further genital warts testing methods. For one of these genital warts testing methods the physician will daub a small amount of acetic acid (vinegar) on the suspected area. If there are any warts in the area they will turn white, thereby revealing themselves. This acetic acid genital warts testing method can of course only be accomplished if the warts are on the outside genital area. If the warts are found in the vagina or the cervix the genital warts testing methods will differ. One such genital warts testing method is a pap smear. Pap smear tests should be conducted on a regular basis, and if the patient tests positive for genital HPV, they should have Pap smear tests as regularly as every three to six months even after the infection has cleared up. This state of genital warts testing should continue until three consecutive good results are obtained. After that the patient may go back to her normal routine of Pap smear testing. Another such genital warts testing method is called a colposcopic exam. In this genital warts testing method, a speculum is used to part the walls of the vagina. An acetic acid solution is then applied to the cervix and the walls of the vagina. If there is a difference in shading readily apparent after the application of the acid solution, a special dye will then be applied to these suspect areas. If the dye does not take, then a sample of cells is taken. This is done by using a small swab or a wooden spatula. This sample is then sent off for genital warts testing. These are but a few examples of available genital warts testing methods which are available, and if you want to find out more, you will need to consult with your physician or primary caregiver.