CDC Data on African-Americans and Herpes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics say that approximately 17% of all Americans ages 14-49 have herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2, usually associated with genital herpes), but among African-Americans the rate is more than doubled. Black women are especially hit hard, with nearly half in this study found to have HSV-2.

Sex and the Senior Set

The notion that older people have sex lives isn’t as quaint or as easily dismissed as in years past, I believe. The age of Viagra® allows countless men to stand at attention and report for duty even as they qualify for the senior menu at most any chain restaurant. Then there’s the phenomenon of “cougars” – older women hooking up with younger guys – that has such cultural cache its spawned everything from television shows to niche online dating sites. The idea that “40 is the new 30” has been stretched to the point that even those in their sixth and seventh decades look, feel, and act “younger” than in generations past.

Condoms and Earth Day: Wrap Your Willie and Save the World?

Thursday marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the Center for Biological Diversity distributed 250,000 latex condoms to counter what it says is the harsh environmental impact of an expanding global population.

Ah, but there was a hitch to their pitch. Leslie Kaufman, writing in the Green blog on the website of the New York Times, points out that critics note the condoms given away by the organization are made of latex, which doesn’t break down easily when discarded (think landfills) and might be considered a somewhat odd choice for a group promoting environmental responsibility.

STI Awareness Month

Throughout ASHA’s history – and especially during Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Awareness Month – we’ve focused on the “nuts and bolts” of education and prevention: STIs are at epidemic levels, you should use condoms, get tested, and so on.

Sexual health is a mixed bag, though: STIs are there, but emotional, social and cultural elements are also in the game. So is pleasure. They all overlap and each impacts the others. There is so much more to a good sexual health discussion than “wear a rubber and if you didn’t, well, then everybody go pee in a cup and get a blood test.” With that in mind, earlier this year ASHA launched new online and print resources that address these topics (and more) that are all a part of being healthy, happy, and sexually fulfilled. Let’s look at a few key points.