More than two dozen bacterial, viral or parasitic infections are known to be transmitted largely or exclusively through sexual contact. U.S. public health authorities focus on a limited set of these STIs. Read more about it in "Facts on Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States" published by the Guttmacher Institute. [more inside]
posted by pick_the_flowers on Oct 22, 2009 - 38 comments

When two Williamsburg hipsters met at a party, they exchanged more than just telephone numbers. Hell hath no fury like a hipster infected. Meet the Williamsburg Avenger. (via Gawker)
posted by PeterMcDermott on Oct 25, 2007 - 157 comments

Don't call it hip hop. "The Rappist" by Schaffer the Darklord.
posted by stavrogin on Sep 15, 2007 - 43 comments

I love my friends...My friends love me...We're just as friendly...As friends can be...And just because...We really care... Whatever we get, we share.
posted by jfuller on Jun 29, 2007 - 24 comments

"The Father Daughter Purity Ball is a memorable ceremony for daughters to pledge commitments to purity and their fathers to pledge commitments to protect their girls." Do Purity Balls, an offshoot of the virginity pledge movement work? The research says they do postpone first intercourse but have no impact on STD rates (1, 2 - PDFs). Perhaps a discussion of, uh, protection should be added to the "Covenant of Purity and Protection" signed by the dancing dads.
posted by donovan on Apr 20, 2006 - 111 comments

Tell your boyfriends, partners, ex's, or hookups they may have been exposed to HIV or another STD.
posted by The Jesse Helms on Dec 17, 2005 - 64 comments

For the first time since the 1980s, the CDC estimates that there are more than 1 million people living with HIV in the United States. [MSNBC link, but the article is actually good.] This is good news and bad, it means more people are living with the disease with the help of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), of which there are just over 20 drugs in 4 different classes. The CDC has recently launched a new prevention initiative targeted at people with the disease, rather than at convincing HIV- people to avoid contracting it. Central to the new effort are increased HIV surveillance methods, which basically boil down to increased testing (in the case of pregnant mothers, testing they would have to opt out of) and reporting of HIV positive testees. This despite the fact that there is plenty of evidence that HIV discrimination is alive and well.
The other discouraging news is that despite the success of HAART for controlling HIV, the adverse effects are significant, including much higher rates of heart attack and cardiac disease, increased incidence of diabetes and insulin resistance, lipodystrophy and very noticeable changes to how people look, lactic acidosis, as well as the more standard (and less toxic) problems of nausea and diarrhea. Up to 50% of people on HAART will experience these problems.
posted by OmieWise on Jun 13, 2005 - 80 comments

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." (by way of William Congreve) [via MoFi]
posted by AlexReynolds on May 3, 2005 - 57 comments

STD-ster is an online community that connects people through networks of sexual partners for tracking STD contraction. (flash)
posted by LexRockhard on Aug 1, 2003 - 4 comments

Multiple Sclerosis could be sexually transmitted! Not only that, your risk of developping the disease can double if you own a bird, but if you own a cat or a dog, your risk decreases...
posted by titboy on Sep 19, 2002 - 28 comments

Sexual Encounters 1.0 for the Pocket PC. (Work safe). If you need this, then you need this. (Via Cruel).
posted by KevinSkomsvold on May 22, 2002 - 12 comments

Haunted House = No STDs! "As visitors make their way through a dimly lit, S-shaped maze, they view startling, full-color photos of canker sores and genital warts on male and female genitalia infected with syphilis, chlamydia or gonorrhea. An empty casket at the end sends a message that death awaits anyone who does not practice safe sex."
posted by adrober on Oct 30, 2001 - 8 comments