For women, a pelvic examination is necessary to test for trichomonas infection, both to detect the signs of the infection and to gather samples for examination under the microscope. Often, there is redness of the labia and vagina, and a frothy, bad-smelling yellow-green discharge in the vagina. The discharge has a higher pH than the [...]

It is estimated that over 30 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, with 16,000 new ones added each day. Approximately a million people are infected in the United States, and 350,000 people have died of AIDS in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic. By the year 2000, it is estimated that [...]

Women whose immune systems are compromised, such as those infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), should have more frequent Pap smears, since they risk having a more rapid progression to cervical cancer. A Pap smear is generally recommended every six months for HIV-positive women, and more frequently if abnormalities are noted. For a Pap [...]

If a person has breaks in the skin of the mouth (such as chapped lips or a cold sore) or bleeding gums, this may increase the likelihood that he or she will become infected with an STD while performing oral sex on a partner, since breaks in the skin can make transmission easier. Using a [...]

This is another salvo in the argument about whether treatment for prostate cancer has any effect on long-term survival. Critics have stated, loudly, that “there is no evidence that definitive treatment of localized prostate cancer increases survival.” However, there has been no large, well-designed study to evaluate the effectiveness of early prostate cancer treatment in [...]