‘Beyond Boundaries’ was the theme of the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), in Albuquerque, that took place between 12-15th of November. Sex Researchers, therapists, doctors, educators, biologists and many more attended the conference to explore the emerging dimensions of Sexual Science. Doug P. VanderLaan, recipient of the […]
Latest articles
So how much do we actually know about the risks posed by ‘chemsex’?
A recent BMJ editorial (3rd November) calls for ‘chemsex’ (the term used by the gay community to designate sex under the influence of drugs taken to heighten pleasure) to be made a ‘public health priority’. The editorial has evidently been triggered by the publication of findings from a research project conducted by Sigma Research and […]
Are health professionals complicit in female genital mutilation (FGM)?
The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been a topic of concern to contributors to this journal (Herieka & Dhar (STIs); Dominguez & Jones (STIs); Leighton & Kingston (STIs). The problem of avoiding extremist or ethnocentric responses to this important and emotive issue is discussed in an earlier blog (Using facts to moderate the […]
Changes in the WHO Guidelines for treatment of HIV
The WHO has released early its revised guidelines on the treatment of those infected with HIV (WHO early release guideline; WHO press release). There are two important changes. First, ART is recommended to all HIV infected individuals regardless of their CD4+ count. Second, PrEP is recommended for people at ‘substantial’ risk of HIV infection as […]
PrEP highly effective against HIV in MSM and has limited impact on risk compensation
The year 2015 is likely to turn out a decisive one for the story of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV). After a slow and faltering beginning, with trials in sub-Saharan Africa dogged by problems of poor adherence (Haberer & Bangsburg/STI/blog; VOICE D/STI/blog; Hendrix & Bumpus/STI/blog), this intervention appears at last to have proved its worth […]
Over-diagnosis of UTIs in Emergency Department leads to STIs going untreated
The role of generalists in the care of STIs has always been important, and, in certain contexts – like the UK – looks set to increase. So it is no surprise that recent studies have raised the question of their adherence to sexual health policy guidelines in the matter of treatment regimes (Trotter & Okunwobi-Smith […]
Take a trip to Brisbane – the World STI and HIV Congress
Take a trip to Brisbane, Australia in the pages of your STI journal! (ISSTDR Brisbane). The International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR) is holding its biennial conference down south for the first time ever – 13-16 September 2015. What’s more, it’s being held back-to-back with the Australasian HIV & AIDS conference (16 -18 September). No surprise, this […]
A case for immediate ART initiation in all HIV diagnosed, regardless of CD4+ count?
The year 2013 saw the WHO recommended threshold for treatment of HIV+ patients with ART rise from a count of 350 CD4+ per mm3 to one of 500 CD4+ per mm3.. The threshold had been fixed as early as three years before (2010) at 350 CD4+ per mm3 (WHO ART recommendations). These recommendations have doubtless […]
Does fear work? New York City experience with “hard-hitting” public health advertising campaigns.
“Young gay men glance fearfully (even shamefully) at the camera. As the sound of a heartbeat quickens, … the viewer sees … a femur, shown in x-ray, snapping, … gray matter shrivelling, … a digitally enhanced internal view of the body fades to a bloody, raw anus, with Frankenstein-like surgery scars, of an African American […]
Can we ensure adherence to STI treatment guidelines in a world threatened by antimicrobial resistance?
Sexual health care in the UK has traditionally centred on specialist GUM (genitor-urinary medicine) services. Since the turn of the twenty-first century primary care has played an increasing role, however. The 2012 Health and Social Care Act is in line with this tendency, with most GP (general practitioner) practices now being commissioned to provide level […]