Talking about sexually transmitted infections can be tricky. Most of the time, sex educators focus on how to have the conversation before you have sex. Reid Mihalko’s safer sex elevator pitch is a really good format for that: Reid’s Safer Sex Elevator Speech Write down your answers for each and then try it out on […]

If you need some evidence that we’re not actually in a post-racism world, here’s another bit of proof. When adolescent women show up at emergency rooms saying that they’re experiencing lower abdominal pain and/or urinary or genital symptoms, just over 26% of them test positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or trichomonas. And since many adolescents don’t […]

The NY Times reported today that anyone working out at a gym needs to be really careful to avoid skin infections such as MRSA, impetigo, jock itch, or athlete’s foot from contact with other people’s skin or from gym equipment. These Gym Transmitted Infections (GTIs- a term I just made up) can be annoying, in […]

CNN posted an article today called “The Downside of  ‘Friends with Benefits,’” which is another example of someone writing about sex without taking a look at their own assumptions about sex, relationships, and how people work. The focus of the article is the increase of STIs and the claim that having more than one partner […]

This post first appeared on the Good Vibrations Magazine. I recently received a press release about STD Test Express, an online service designed to make getting tested for sexually transmitted infections easier. At first, I thought it was a great idea. After thinking about it, I still think it’s a good idea but not perfect. […]

A few days ago, I was following a Twitter conversation between @AlexaRPD and @audaciaray about the issue of mandatory disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners. In part, it was sparked by a news story about a sex worker whose arrest for prostitution became a felony rather than a misdemeanor because she’s HIV positive. And […]

There’s been lots more buzz lately about the porn HIV case. Fortunately, there are some places where a more reasonable and informed conversation is taking place. Rather than reiterate it all, here’s a few pointers. Ernest Greene’s blog, with lots of great comments & discussion: here, here & here. That third link has pointers to […]