GynoFiles

What are the first things that pop into your mind when you think about a potential partner? He’s so good looking. She’s so smart and funny. I can’t wait to spend some alone time with him. Maybe you are looking for that Russian bibliophile or that other owner of the 100 best philatelic nudes ever printed. However, as a gyno, I’m as concerned about your sexual health as your intellectual health. And frankly, without both, nope, there’s no staying together. So, before you get that alone time with your partner and get out a large magnifying glass to examine your…ah….. relationship and where it is going, there should be a frank discussion about sexual histories and sexual health. The couple that does STD screening together will likely stay together, let alone stay heathlier. Although you want to trust the person that you are spending time with, you need to consider the fact that many people aren’t completely open and honest about their sex lives. And, when it comes to...

If you have what you think is a painful pimple or gentile area sore you may in fact have a herpes out break. Classic cases of blisters or ulcers are fairly clear cut and your gyno would likely be able to diagnose the cause by visualization. Confirmation of active herpes simplex infection (HSV)  is best, particularly for first outbreaks, done with medical testing. If there is a lesion then a culture test should be done, if not, then blood testing is indicated.Some people either never get the obvious blister cluster or just get such mild symptoms that they don't come to the gyno with an active infection to culture. But even with a cluster of herpes blisters it may not be an easy condition to confirm by culture tests as the virus is difficult to grow. Since the herpes virus is difficult to culture and in fact false negative culture results are common. So you may need a blood test to see if you have herpes. The blood test is for HSV-2 IgG, and you can get tested for HSV-1 IgG if you s...

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection of the Labial Area The appearance of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 2 is often a blister, but can appear as an ulcer or visually as a cut. Especially after the first few days. Here is an example of an outbreak of a new case of Herpes Simplex after a few days. If you think you might have an infection, or you have a painful area that appears to be this, please check with your gyno to get a diagnosis.

At the 2011 Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists gyno physicians were updated in STDs. The fact remains that over 40 million Americans have an incurable STD and it’s important to understand how to best protect ourselves. Dr. Jennifer Gunter of San Francisco pointed out that while your best way of protection against STDs is to use a condom, only 40% of people use condoms when they first have a new sexual partner. You can protect yourself, just don’t leave home without them (condoms). Oddly some studies show that married people are more likely to use condoms than unmarried couples, although the couples with steady partners are less at risk. The protection mantra in Uganda is the “ABC” strategy: abstinence, being faithful, and condom use. Although abstinence will always be condoms at protection, it reduces one’s chance of getting HIV by over 85% and HPV by 70% and HSV (Herpes) by 30%. Now you have to remember a few facts. You need to u...

You've itched, you've used some creams, you've had some doc appointments. Is it time to get a test of what exactly is going on? Consult your gyno and your may get some different answers to this issue. The Affrim probe is one DNA test. Not needed on every routine visit, but often a very accurate way to make sure the right infection is being treated. So be sure to ask when you are at your gynos, do they have the latest tests and do you need them, we watch health care $ carefully. When it comes to Herpes perhaps a culture is best. When it comes to Chlamydia a DNA test may be best. For each disease the appropriate test has to be selected

Avoiding HPV can be a challenge. And no matter how enticing the condom commercials sound (and I've heard some new enticing ones on our local radio station for  Sounds like I need to try this Condom Radio Ad   ), they cannot cover all the parts you can conceive of touching. So what's a girl to do? LOOK! Pretty simple. But what to look for? Well, some "looks" just are more obvious than others if you follow me. If something looks sort of alien, it probably is. But some folks from the other side have a pretty awesome site for all things itchy and oozy and lumpy, so next time you aren't sure what to touch check out the NZ DERM QUESTION BUSTERS (ok, I named them that, but really it's a fabulous reference and getting better all the time!).

WE have become so worried regarding exotic infections we've not heard of, it's easy to ignore those infections that are quite common. Herpes is one of the most common infections in the adult population, and therefore in pregnancy as well. Common pregnancy infections are classified in the grouping of infections we name the TORCH or STORCH infections, it is named as this is a the mnemonic physicians use to define a set of infections we have seen in in pregnancy: Toxoplasmosis Other (syphilis) Rubella Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Herpes simplex virus (HSV) or we move the S to define syphilis at the front and leave other for "Other" like HIV, Listeria, Haverhill fevers (it's from rats, I confess, I don't think I've ever seen a case, do people really ever get bitten by rats? that's not really possible is it??!), and now Zika Virus Infection would go under this rubric as well. Toxosoplasmosis comes from an outdoor cat, and you can be tested for it. But what we ...