http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Bacterial-Vaginosis-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 07:36:24 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/bacterial-std-boosts-hiv-risk-98710-1.htm In women, sexually transmitted bacterial infection ups HIV risk, shows study. The study by researchers at RTI International found that women with the "emerging" sexually transmitted disease Mycoplasma genitalium are more likely to acquire HIV infection. "Further research will be required to confirm a causal relationship and to identify risk factors for M. genitalium infection in African populations," said Sue Napierala Mavedzenge, Ph.D., a research investigator with the Women's Global ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/bacterial-std-boosts-hiv-risk-98710-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/fresh-pathway-liable-for-infection-of-a-common-std-pathogen-keyed-98170-1.htm Novel pathway that is vital for infection to occur with the pathogen iNeisseria gonorrhoeae/i, which is accountable for the second most common infectious disease globally, gonorrhea has been identified for the first time by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). The study, which was recently published online in the iJournal of Bacteriology/i, may lead to new treatment methods for this sexually transmitted disease. iN. gonorrhoeae/i is a pathogenic bacterium ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fresh-pathway-liable-for-infection-of-a-common-std-pathogen-keyed-98170-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Breakthrough-in-Chlamydia-Research-91931-1.htm UK researchers have accessed the genome of chlamydial and they believe that it could pave way for the development of a vaccine for the sexually transmitted disease. For decades experts have been prevented from fully understanding the bacteria, which if undetected can make sufferers infertile. The infection is part of a silent epidemic as most cases do not show symptoms and are left untreated. It can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to scarring of the fallopian tubes, causing ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Breakthrough-in-Chlamydia-Research-91931-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gonorrhoea-Turning-Drug-Resistant-91850-1.htm Gonorrhoea - a commonly transmitted disease is turning incurable over the increased antibiotic resistance, warn UK doctors. The Health Protection Agency told doctors that the antibiotic normally used to treat gonorrhoea is no longer effective because the sexually transmitted disease is now largely resistant to it, the BBC reported. For now, doctors must stop using the usual treatment cefixime and instead use two more powerful antibiotics. One is a pill and the other a jab. The HPA ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gonorrhoea-Turning-Drug-Resistant-91850-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Trojan-Horse-Tactics-to-Infect-Healthy-Cells-Observed-in-Chlamydia-Bacteria-91653-1.htm A novel mechanism has been identified in which IChlamydia trachomatis/i tricks host cells into taking up the bacteria. Researchers from University of California San Francisco, led by Joanne Engel, report their findings in the Open Access journal IPLoS Pathogens /Ion October 6th. Dr. Engel and colleagues show that IChlamydia/I coat themselves with a growth factor made by the cells of the organism they are infecting. This disguise allows the bacteria to infect cells, much like a Trojan horse....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Trojan-Horse-Tactics-to-Infect-Healthy-Cells-Observed-in-Chlamydia-Bacteria-91653-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Action-Needed-to-Combat-Widespread-Antibiotic-resistant-STD-Gonorrhea-90908-1.htm Urgent action is needed to combat Gonorrhea, a public health threat that is evolving into a scourge resistant to most antibiotics, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) A HREF="http:www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj111393.pdf"http:www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj111393.pdf/A. Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes pelvic inflammatory disease and urethritis, is evolving into multiresistant bacteria because most treatments are now ineffective....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Action-Needed-to-Combat-Widespread-Antibiotic-resistant-STD-Gonorrhea-90908-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Way-to-Block-the-Chlamydia-Infections-Identified-88112-1.htm A novel way to block the damaging effects of Chlamydia infections has been discovered by researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Chlamydia, bacteria is responsible for the largest number of sexually transmitted diseases in United States. Chlamydia infections are symptomless at the beginning, but can become chronic in women and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility, as it infects cells in the uterus and fallopian tubes. It's generally harmless to men. A virulence ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Way-to-Block-the-Chlamydia-Infections-Identified-88112-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Cases-Double-Over-Decade-In-Denmark-86491-1.htm Denmark health officials were worried as the nation sees doubling of cases of the venereal disease chlamydia over the past decade. "In 2000 there were 15,000 registered cases (of chlamydia), and in 2009 the number had increased to 30,000," a report published by Denmark's National Board of Health said, adding that in addition, "we think that one in 10 sexually active young people have the disease without knowing." If discovered in time, the bacterial disease can be treated with antibiotics, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Cases-Double-Over-Decade-In-Denmark-86491-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Blame-Facebook-For-Spike-in-Teen-STD-Rates-85279-1.htm Social networking sites like Facebook blamed for the recent rise in sexually transmitted diseases among teens and young adults in America. Health experts said users letting their guards down before meeting someone in person may be the cause of the rise. Experts also said online social networking can make it easier to move on to multiple partners before learning about their sexual history. According to Florida's Seminole County Health Department (SCHD), there has been a 200 per cent rise in Syphilis cases within the last year....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Blame-Facebook-For-Spike-in-Teen-STD-Rates-85279-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Young-People-in-Oz-Being-Paid-10-for-Chlamydia-Test-80200-1.htm Australian youngsters are being paid (Dollor) 10 to undergo testing for sexually transmitted disease known as Chlamydia with health officials in the country struggling to keep its rise under control. People between ages of 16 to 30 years living in the Australian Capital Territory are being encouraged to test for the infection with researchers looking at new ways to curb the rise of the disease with over 63,000 cases registered in 2009. Apart from the patients being given (Dollor) 10, a similar amount will also be given to pharmacies who test for the disease....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Young-People-in-Oz-Being-Paid-10-for-Chlamydia-Test-80200-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Young-Minority-Women-Screened-at-Higher-Rate-for-Chlamydia-Than-Young-White-Women-79952-1.htm Black and especially Hispanic young women are screened for chlamydia at a significantly higher rate than young white women, a new study from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute has found. This discrepancy in screening rates may contribute to nationwide reporting of higher rates of this sexually transmitted disease among minority young women. The research, which used data from more than 40,000 visits to health care facilities, appears in the February issue ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Young-Minority-Women-Screened-at-Higher-Rate-for-Chlamydia-Than-Young-White-Women-79952-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Women-With-Chlamydia-At-Greater-Risk-of-Ectopic-Pregnancy-79393-1.htm A new study has found that women who have had chlamydia are at greater risk of an ectopic pregnancy because of a lasting effect of the infection. The research provides evidence for the first time of how chlamydia can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. University researchers found that women who had had the sexually transmitted infection were more likely to produce a particular protein in their Fallopian tubes. Increased production of this protein - known as PROKR2 - makes a pregnancy ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Women-With-Chlamydia-At-Greater-Risk-of-Ectopic-Pregnancy-79393-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Review-Ordered-by-Obama-After-Guatemala-STD-Study-77221-1.htm A review of human protection in medical research in the wake of a polemic over a newly revealed US study that infected hundreds Guatemalans with sexually transmitted diseases from 1946-1948 has been ordered by President Barack Obama. Obama sent a letter to Amy Gutmann, director of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, asking her to convene a panel in January to determine "if federal regulations and international standards adequately guard the health and well-being of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Review-Ordered-by-Obama-After-Guatemala-STD-Study-77221-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-may-be-Easily-Diagnosed-With-the-Help-of-A-Pee-on-Mobile-Chip-76592-1.htm It may be simpler for people to diagnose sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) by urinating on a computer chip and connecting it to their mobile phones or computers. The can also know the results almost immediately However, Australia's foremost sexual health expert has raised concerns about the idea, saying it may be a long time before such a product is consumer-ready. British experts are developing small devices, similar to pregnancy testing kits, that will tell people if they have caught an infection through sexual contact....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-may-be-Easily-Diagnosed-With-the-Help-of-A-Pee-on-Mobile-Chip-76592-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Pornography-at-Early-Age-Increases-STD-Risk-Later-On-73321-1.htm Early exposure to the easily accessible pornographic material online could increase the risk of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases later on, states a new study. "Children are becoming exposed to sex at an earlier age," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr Patricia Weerakoon, co-ordinator of the University of Sydney's graduate program in sexual health, as saying. The average age of first sexual intercourse for men and women has dropped from 19 in the 1960s to 16 today. And ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Pornography-at-Early-Age-Increases-STD-Risk-Later-On-73321-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Vaccine-Viewed-Positively-by-American-Women-73128-1.htm Authors of a recent article in the journal ISexual Health/I say that cost but not convenience plays a significant role in attitudes about vaccination for common human papillomaviruses for women over the age of 26. Currently, the two vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the primary cause of cervical cancer, are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for females from 9 to 26 years of age. The vaccines, Gardasil (Merck and Co.) and Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline) are under review by the FDA for an older population of women....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Vaccine-Viewed-Positively-by-American-Women-73128-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Assam-Sees-Surge-in-AIDSHIV-Cases-69966-1.htm Assam has shown a quantum jump in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS, although the state is not yet categorised as a high risk region. As per latest figures released by the Assam State AIDS Control Society, there are 4,251 people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The jump in the number of people infected with the virus has increased from 364 in 2001 to 4,251 in April this year. "Assam may not be a high prevalent state, but the worrying part is that we are ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Assam-Sees-Surge-in-AIDSHIV-Cases-69966-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Drinking-Culture-Has-Contributed-to-Sex-Infection-Chlamydia-68391-1.htm New Zealand's youth drinking culture is the cause for the increase in sexually transmissible infection chlamydia, a Kiwi sexual health expert has said. A report shows high rates of chlamydia transmission among under 25-year-olds in Waikato. The report, submitted to the Health Waikato Advisory Committee, shows that between February 2008 and January 2010 in Waikato, 16 percent of those under 25 who were tested were positive for chlamydia. Also, the report shows that Maori ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Drinking-Culture-Has-Contributed-to-Sex-Infection-Chlamydia-68391-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Urologists-Blamed-for-Rise-in-Chlamydia-Among-Young-Men-67804-1.htm Urologists are failing to pick up and treat Chlamydia infection in young men, say UK researchers in a letter published ahead of print in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Yet Chlamydia trachomatis is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in Europe and the commonest cause of inflammation of the testicle and the epididymis (involved in sperm manufacture), a condition known as epididymo-orchitis. If chlamdyial infection goes untreated, it can cause infertility. Many cases ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Urologists-Blamed-for-Rise-in-Chlamydia-Among-Young-Men-67804-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Womens-Chances-of-Pelvic-Disease-Not-Reduced-by-Chlamydia-Screening-67545-1.htm New research published on bmj.com says that annual chlamydia screening may not protect women from pelvic inflammatory disease. The study, which included 2529 sexually active female students between the ages of 16 to 27 from 20 universities and further education colleges in London, concluded that most cases of pelvic inflammatory disease occurred in females who did not have chlamydia infection when they were screened, suggesting they may have become infected later. Chlamydia often has no symptoms and remains undiagnosed....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Womens-Chances-of-Pelvic-Disease-Not-Reduced-by-Chlamydia-Screening-67545-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gonorrhoea-on-the-Brink-of-Becoming-Superbug-Experts-Warn-67098-1.htm Gonorrhoea-causing bacteria develops resistance to antibiotics quite quickly and if new treatment is not considered soon the sexually transmitted infection may become extremely difficult to treat, an expert has warned. Addressing the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh, professor Catherine Ison said it was quite possible that strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistant to all current treatment options could emerge in the near future. Prof Ison, from the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gonorrhoea-on-the-Brink-of-Becoming-Superbug-Experts-Warn-67098-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/HIV-And-Gonorrhoea-On-The-Rise-In-Australia-66453-1.htm Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, seem to be running rampant in Australia. While Queensland Health says the number of reported HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) cases in the state is climbing, health authorities of Newcastle, the port city, are warning of an alarming spike in gonorrhoea cases. There were 178 new cases of HIV reported in Queensland last year compared with 166 the year before. Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young says the figures are worrying. "That's the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/HIV-And-Gonorrhoea-On-The-Rise-In-Australia-66453-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Screening-Ineffective-And-Wasteful-Says-UKs-Parliamentary-Committee-64383-1.htm Chlamydia screening is proving ineffective and wasteful, the Public Accounts Committee of the British parliament has said. Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed bacterial sexually transmitted infection and the prevalence of this infection is increasing, especially in young people under the age of 25. The infection is often symptomless but if left untreated can lead to serious health problems including infertility in women. The Department of Health launched the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (Programme) back in 2003....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Screening-Ineffective-And-Wasteful-Says-UKs-Parliamentary-Committee-64383-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Screening-and-Treating-Doesnt-Reduce-Chlamydia-Prevalence-in-Teen-Girls-63423-1.htm Repeated testing and treatment of chlamydia in urban teenage girls does not reduce the prevalence of the infection, revealed a long-term study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers. The researchers found that despite being screened every three months and treated when infected, the proportion of infected girls did not change over the course of the study. On entering the study, 10.9 percent of the young women were infected. After 18 months of participation, 10....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Screening-and-Treating-Doesnt-Reduce-Chlamydia-Prevalence-in-Teen-Girls-63423-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Simple-Blood-Test-to-Predict-Chlamydia-and-Infertility-62540-1.htm A simple blood test to predict which women are at risk of infertility from Chlamydia is being developed by an Australian scientist. Dr Wilhlemina Huston of the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, said that infection by the bacteria Chlamydia could be said to lead to infertility in as many as 20 per cent of couples undergoing IVF. "We are looking for immunological markers in the blood which indicate the person has had Chlamydia and within that, more ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Simple-Blood-Test-to-Predict-Chlamydia-and-Infertility-62540-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Kiwi-Town-Promotes-Condom-as-Christmas-Gift-to-Curb-Chlamydia-Spread-62501-1.htm Authorities of a town in New Zealand are promoting condoms as a Christmas gift to tackle rising chlamydia infection among under-25s. Hamilton Family Planning has taken into account Environmental, Science and Research data, which suggests 849 in 100,000 people in Waikato were inflicted with the disease. Health promotion area manager Glenys Wood claimed that the holiday season could further fuel the menace. "The holiday period means more social activity and excess alcohol which can lead ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Kiwi-Town-Promotes-Condom-as-Christmas-Gift-to-Curb-Chlamydia-Spread-62501-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Vaccine-on-the-Anvil-61096-1.htm A new discovery by scientists has ensured that vaccine against Chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in humans, may not be far away. A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy has shown that when a woman becomes infected with Chlamydia, the first white blood cells that arrive at the scene to fight the infection are not the most effective. The disease is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, which is transmitted by unprotected sexual contact. Many don't realise that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Vaccine-on-the-Anvil-61096-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Men-With-STD-at-Increased-Risk-of-Prostate-Cancer-Study-57910-1.htm A strong association between the common sexually transmitted infection, Trichomonas vaginalis, and risk of advanced and lethal prostate cancer in men has been found by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The study appears online on September 9, 2009, on the Journal of the National Cancer Institute website and will appear in a later print edition. "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in western countries, and the second leading cause of cancer-specific mortality....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Men-With-STD-at-Increased-Risk-of-Prostate-Cancer-Study-57910-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Test-Offers-Rapid-Chlamydia-Diagnosis-for-Men-55614-1.htm Researchers have developed a new urine test which will allow doctors to diagnose Chlamydia infection in men within the hour, improving the ability to successfully treat the infection on the spot and prevent re-transmission. Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Sexually active women aged under 25 have a one in 10 chance of getting chlamydia, while men aged between 20 and 30 are most at risk of becoming infected. In the majority of cases, the disease is asymptomatic in both men and women....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Test-Offers-Rapid-Chlamydia-Diagnosis-for-Men-55614-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Chlamydia-That-Avoids-Diagnosis-51687-1.htm A new strain of Chlamydia that was identified in Sweden in 2006 after spreading rapidly across the country. The new strain spread successfully by evading most established diagnostic tests. Therefore new sequencing and analysis of six strains Chlamydia will result in improved diagnosis of the sexually transmitted infection. The results also reveal more about the evolution of the IChlamydia trachomatis/I bacterium, which is the most common cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Chlamydia-That-Avoids-Diagnosis-51687-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Plays-Crucial-Role-In-Causing-Spondylarthritis-50802-1.htm Scientists have found that Chlamydia could play a major role in causing a type of arthritis. Spondylarthritis (SpA) represents a group of arthritidies that share clinical features such as inflammatory back pain and inflammation at sites where tendons attach to bone. It includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel-disease-related arthritis, reactive arthritis (ReA) and undifferentiated spondylarthritides (uSpA). While Chlamydia trachomatis or Chlamydia ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Plays-Crucial-Role-In-Causing-Spondylarthritis-50802-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Why-STD-Patients-Are-More-Susceptible-To-HIV-Infection-46740-1.htm Taking a major step in the research on HIV/AIDS, scientists have uncovered why prior infection by other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) make individuals more susceptible to HIV infection. Researchers have shown that HIV faces a genetic "bottleneck" when the virus is transmitted heterosexually from one person to another, by way of the genital mucosa. Led by Eric Hunter of Emory University, the research team identified 20 heterosexual couples soon after infection occurred and obtained viral genetic sequences from both partners....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Why-STD-Patients-Are-More-Susceptible-To-HIV-Infection-46740-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Alerts-Via-E-mail-and-E-cards-43201-1.htm A new report has said that it is now easy to let your sexual partner now if you have unknowingly exposed them to the risk of a sexually transmitted disease. The report said that some 30,000 people have used an Internet service that allows then send of alerts to their partners with the click of a mouse. "This has been an innovative and effective way for us to enable people to communicate with their sex partners," said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, director of STD prevention and control services at the San Francisco Department of Health....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Alerts-Via-E-mail-and-E-cards-43201-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Kelly-Osbourne-Says-She-Undergoes-Four-STD-Tests-a-Year-42477-1.htm In a candid admission TV star Kelly Osbourne has revealed that she gets herself tested four times a year for sexually transmitted diseases. The daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, admitted having unprotected sex in the past but said that she get the tests for her own 'peace of mind'. The 23-year-old ambassador for World Contraception Day also revealed mum Sharon, who survived colon cancer, fears she will get the disease as she is on the Pill - or if she goes near a microwave. "Because of her history she's convinced it causes cancer....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Kelly-Osbourne-Says-She-Undergoes-Four-STD-Tests-a-Year-42477-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Langerhans-Cells-Elevate-HIV-Risk-in-STD-Affected-Persons-Study-41529-1.htm The Netherlands-based scientists have for the first time described a way whereby sexually transmitted diseases - such as genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia - increases an individual's risk of becoming infected with HIV through sexual contact. Teunis B.H. Geijtenbeek and colleagues at VU University Medical Center showed the way in which STDs can increase acquisition of HIV-1 infection in an ex vivo human skin explant model. The researchers say that though immature immune ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Langerhans-Cells-Elevate-HIV-Risk-in-STD-Affected-Persons-Study-41529-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/India-Launches-Condom-Ringtone-to-Spread-AIDSHIV-Awareness-40750-1.htm A cellphone ringtone that chants "condom, condom!" has been launched in India to promote safe sex and tackle the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The "condom a cappella" has been designed to break down Indians' reluctance to discuss condom use and to make wearing a condom more acceptable. Organisers of the campaign, funded by the foundation set up by Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, hope the ringtone will become a craze among young Indians. About 2.5 million people live with ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/India-Launches-Condom-Ringtone-to-Spread-AIDSHIV-Awareness-40750-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Strategy-Deemed-Inadequate-in-Canada-40440-1.htm Liberal house leader Laurie Blakeman has slammed the prevailing strategy to combat sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis in the Canadian province of Alberta. Alberta has the highest rate of syphilis in the country, with some five babies dying from the disease, while nine others contracted the disease perinatally. "How could we, in the third millennium, be dealing with the levels of syphilis that are out there in this province with this amount of money?" Blakeman asked....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Strategy-Deemed-Inadequate-in-Canada-40440-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Black-Girls-Using-Marijuana-Prone-to-Higher-STD-Rate-40276-1.htm A new study has revealed that black girls who use marijuana are more likely to get involved in risky sexual acts and contract sexually transmitted diseases. Conducted by Emory University public health researchers, the study analysed the marijuana use and self-reported sexual behaviour of 439 sexually active black females in the age group of 15-21 years. It was discovered that black girls who used marijuana had significantly higher rates of incident STDs than non-marijuana users (32 percent compared to 23 percent)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Black-Girls-Using-Marijuana-Prone-to-Higher-STD-Rate-40276-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Drug-to-Be-Sold-OTC-in-UK-40224-1.htm The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the UK has announced that a drug to combat chlamydia infection will now be available as "over the counter" medicine. The move means that 16 year olds may also be able to buy the antibiotic should they test positive for chlamydia or have sex with someone who tests positive. Campaigners are not pleased with this move saying it may encourage promiscuity among teenagers. However people will need proof to show pharmacists ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Drug-to-Be-Sold-OTC-in-UK-40224-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Experimental-Vaccine-for-Chlamydia-Shows-Promising-Results-39516-1.htm Aussie researchers say that an initial trial of an experimental vaccine designed to protect koalas from the infectious disease chlamydia has shown positive results. Eighteen female koalas were vaccinated Brisbane's Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary during the trial, say the researchers. "It seems to be going well. We are genuinely excited about the results we've seen so far," ABC Online quoted Professor Peter Timms of Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation as saying....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Experimental-Vaccine-for-Chlamydia-Shows-Promising-Results-39516-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brit-Youths-Urged-to-Be-Cautious-as-Chlamydia-Infections-Soar-39400-1.htm With sex infections rising sharply in the UK, couples have been warned to have fewer lovers and to stop having "overlapping" relationships. Health experts have issued the warnings in a bid to halt the spread of sex infections. According to last year's reports, cases of chlamydia rose six per cent. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) called for under 25s to be screened for it when they change lovers. It also urged everyone to use a condom with a new partner until they have both been screened....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brit-Youths-Urged-to-Be-Cautious-as-Chlamydia-Infections-Soar-39400-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Among-US-Teens-Increasing-Abstinence-Education-Criticized-35927-1.htm If sexually transmitted diseases continue to increase among US teens, what is the point in spending millions of dollars on abstinence education, senators have begun to wonder. Earlier this year the Center for Disease Control said one in four teenage girls had a sexually transmitted disease. Also Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization, estimates that two thirds of teenagers will have experienced sexual intercourse by the time they leave school. And with some 750,000 teenage pregnancies a year, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/STD-Among-US-Teens-Increasing-Abstinence-Education-Criticized-35927-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Kenya-Adopts-Male-Circumcision-as-Standard-AIDSHIV-Prevention-Strategy-35424-1.htm The Kenyan government has issued a new policy to adopt male circumcision as a standard HIV prevention strategy, Kenya's Nation reports. The Policy on Male Circumcision in Kenya 2008 calls for the procedure to be provided to all willing males. The decision to adopt circumcision as an HIV intervention follows studies showing that male circumcision can significantly lower risk for HIV, the Nation reports. According to the policy, male circumcision will become the fourth part of the ABC HIV prevention ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Kenya-Adopts-Male-Circumcision-as-Standard-AIDSHIV-Prevention-Strategy-35424-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Increases-Cervical-Cancer-Risk-Study-34275-1.htm The human papillomavirus (HPV), an infectious disease of the skin and inner membranes, is considered one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world and a necessary agent of cervical cancer. Research now shows that Chlamydia increases this risk. Jeff Korte, Ph.D., principal investigator of a National Cancer Institute funded study and assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), tracked HPV infections in 68 women with existing STDs to analyze the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Increases-Cervical-Cancer-Risk-Study-34275-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Red-Ribbon-Express-Inseminate-AIDS/HIV-Awareness-Among-Masses-31269-1.htm The Red Ribbon Express, flagged off on December 1, 2007 from Delhi by Ms Sonia Gandhi, the UPA Chairperson, has chugged through 16 stations crisscrossing Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. "This exhibition has been an eye-opener for me, as I knew very little about HIV. Now that I have learnt about it I realize that each one of us must protect ourselves. In my village most people don't know enough, and I will go back and tell them more about HIV," Ram Hari, a coolie from Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, commented....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Red-Ribbon-Express-Inseminate-AIDS/HIV-Awareness-Among-Masses-31269-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Test-Could-Detect-Chlamydia-in-30-Minutes-30083-1.htm Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new chlamydia test that can tell people within 30 minutes if they have the sexually transmitted infection (STI). Developed by a team of researchers led by Dr Helen Lee at the University of Cambridge, the new rapid test uses self-collected vaginal swabs which are much easier to obtain and up to twice as accurate, rather than cervical swabs. In trials the new Chlamydia rapid test (CRT) detected the STI in more than four out of five ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Test-Could-Detect-Chlamydia-in-30-Minutes-30083-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Chlamydia-Test-Quicker-and-More-Cost-effective-Than-Current-Tests-30068-1.htm A new test for diagnosing Chlamydia is quicker and more cost-effective than current tests, and has the potential to reduce complications and transmission to sexual partners, finds a study published on bmj.com today. Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world but often has no symptoms. Yet, if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Developed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Chlamydia-Test-Quicker-and-More-Cost-effective-Than-Current-Tests-30068-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Vaccine-to-Be-Tested-on-Women-in-Three-Years-28625-1.htm Australian researchers have geared up efforts towards the development of the world's first vaccine for chlamydia, the most common sexually transmitted infection, by starting new tests on animal models to determine how the body's immune system responds to the disease. Collaborators from Queensland University of Technology and Harvard Medical School will genetically engineer mice, and direct their immune-fighting cells, known as T-cells, specifically to protect against the mouse strains of chlamydia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Vaccine-to-Be-Tested-on-Women-in-Three-Years-28625-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Makes-Men-Infertile-by-Damaging-Their-Quailty-of-Sperm-27962-1.htm Scientists from Spain and Mexico have warned that chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection which usually passes undetected, can make men infertile by damaging the quality of their sperm. In a study, the researchers have found that men with chlamydia have three times the normal number of sperm with genetic damage, which can reduce their likelihood of becoming fathers. Britain's national screening programme has revealed that 10.2 per cent of both men and women aged 18 to 25 carry the bacteria, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chlamydia-Makes-Men-Infertile-by-Damaging-Their-Quailty-of-Sperm-27962-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Expected-Approval-by-FDA-on-Mercks-Raltegravir-Could-Be-a-Milestone-in-AIDSHIV-Fight-Wall-Street-Journal-Reports-27776-1.htm FDA's expected approval this week of Merck's antiretroviral drug raltegravir could "break new ground" in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, despite the "continuing need and market for HIV treatments," as well as some physicians' "enthusiasm about the drug's prospects," it is "no sure thing" that raltegravir will "pay off" for the company, according to the Journal. An independent FDA panel of medical experts ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Expected-Approval-by-FDA-on-Mercks-Raltegravir-Could-Be-a-Milestone-in-AIDSHIV-Fight-Wall-Street-Journal-Reports-27776-1.htm