After spending the weekend reading through the exciting novel we call healthcare reform, I was positive that I would at long last stumble upon a topic that so desperately required attention. With nineteen million new cases of STD infections each year in the U.S., I was certain that there would be an entire section, or at least a paragraph, devoted to this critical topic. After finally coming across it, I almost wish that I hadn’t. Apparently, a pandemic of this type is only worth about one hundred and fifty million dollars. That may sound like a lot, but it’s less than half a buck per person.

If you think that you couldn’t possibly be affected by this, you are wrong. Over half of these infections hit people between the ages of 15 and 24. That means that they are your children, your grandchildren, your nieces, or perhaps even your sibling. Even if it’s only someone you don’t even know who is infected with an STD, more times than not it’s your tax dollars that will be footing the bill for treatment of any complications that might arise.

STDs cost our healthcare system billions of dollars each year, so a few hundred million isn’t really such a large sum relatively speaking. With nearly $16 billion spent to fight the effects of these diseases, it would only make sense to spend a much larger proportion in order to fight them off before they even happen. Due to the silent and often deadly nature of these diseases, a proactive approach is an absolute requisite.

One simple way to combat this epidemic is regular STD testing, and a willingness to have open and honest discussions regarding STDs and other sexual health issues. While sex education in schools is understandably a hot topic, our society needs to find a better way of communicating the dire consequences of spur of the moment decisions. If you talk with most teenagers who are considering becoming sexually active, the majority of them will tell you that their major concern is an unwanted pregnancy. What they also need to be concerned with are the many different life threatening conditions that STDs bring to play.

Whether we like it or not, sex is here to stay and we might as well accept it. The birth control pill has ushered in a new era of sexual freedom for many people, and many people now feel like they are doing all that they need to do to be sexually responsible . The truth, however, is that it’s also opened up a Pandora’s box of other issues that are still seldom ever talked about. If we look at the continent of Europe, we can get a better picture of what changes we might benefit from. They are much more sexually active, and much more sexually open too. However, they have also seen their STD rates decrease at a much faster rate than the US.

Just last year $400 million was placed into the stimulus bill to provide for STD testing and HIV testing. However, both Democrats and Republicans somehow lost their nerve and quickly took it out. We should be united in this effort, as this investment can help trim our nations skyrocketing healthcare costs for us and future generations . Until then, however, we will continue to pay the price for this and other similar past decisions.

Want to read more from Andrew M. Gibson? You can find him on facebook, or check out his blog at www.stdtestingservices.com. There you can also learn more about std testing and how to find std testing centers.

Only 1 In Every 10 Men Know About HPV

A new Danish study among just about 22,000 Danish men, shows that only one in every 10 men aged 18 to 45 years, are informed about HPV – the virus which for men can cause penile and anal cancer and cervical cancer for women. Evidence implies, that men walks around supposing that the HPV virus has nothing to do with them. But men actually do have a large responsibility.

-They do, since HPV is a virus, first and foremost spread sexually. It is consequently incredibly essential that men are aware, that they are carriers in relation to women and cervical cancer and that they can get for example, penile cancer, anal cancer and certain forms of cancer of the head and neck region, “says researcher Ann Nielsen from the Danish Cancer Fighting, who is the major author of the survey.

The study illustrates that the minority of men have heard of about HPV, and this is regardless of whether they are 18 or 45 years.

-For women, research prove that older women have greater knowledge of HPV rather than younger women. However this does not apply to men, says Ann Nielsen.

Even if there has been an increasing attentiveness of HPV and vaccines, Ann Nielsen does not think that it has reached the men yet.

-When we asked the men, there were a developing understanding of HPV. The first vaccine against cervical cancer was – at the time – just come on the Danish market, explains Ann Nielsen.

HPV is first and foremost sexually transmitted. These days all girls born in Denmark in 1996 or later are offered a free HPV vaccination as part of the general vaccination program. In addition, all girls born in 1993, 1994 and 1995 received the offer of free vaccination. So far Danish boys will not be offered free vaccination.

Ann Nielsen points out that there really is a large need for information efforts towards men. – Not only related to sexual life. We also have to do with a target audience – fathers with children who are offered vaccination. It is tremendously critical that their understanding is good, when they should consider whether their daughter should be vaccinated, says Ann Nielsen.

Need for information American research have also shown, that an increased focus on HPV means an increased knowledge. In the U.S., the number of anal cancer and head and neck cancer incidents has grown.

-We estimate that the same applies in Denmark. And we must not lose sight of the genital warts – something that many men and women suffer from. We estimate that around 10 percent of all men, at some time in their lives, become infected with genital warts.

Therefore, it is simply necessary to have knowledge and understanding out to the audience, says Ann Nielsen.

The study is published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention.