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Health Chats
Living with STDs - Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Treatments
Wednesday Apr 01, 2009, 03:00PM - 04:00PM (EST)
239123?1267647614
H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.Blank
University of Washington
, Seattle, WA
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are often difficult for patients to discuss with their family and friends, their partner, and even their doctor. The stigma associated with having an STD can prevent patients from getting vital answers to their questions. If either you or your partner has been recently diagnosed with an STD or has been living with it for years and you have unaswered questions, join Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield for an hour-long chat covering the diagnosis, symptoms and treatments related to STDS.<br><br> As the Director of the STD Control Program for Public Health and on the Board of Directors of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections and American Social Health Association, Dr. Handsfield is a renowned expert in the study of STDs. In this live health chat, Dr. Handsfield will answer your questions about syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis, genital warts/human papillomavirus (HPV), chancroid, pubic lice and scabies, trichomoniasis, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), other vaginal infections and less common STDs.<br><br> Note: Questions about HIV will not be permitted during this chat. If you have a question about HIV prevention, please join Dr. Handsfield on April 7th for an <a href="/health_chats/register/9">HIV Prevention Live Chat</a>.
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jane333:
Does a penis that is not circumcised have a higher risk to contract an STD even if its cleaned regularly??
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD:
There was a question here about circumcision status in men and STD risk.  For some reason the question disappeared when I attempted to post it.  The answer is that being uncircumcised definitely increases the risk of HIV, herpes due to HSV-2, and HPV -- and maybe other STDs as well -- compared to circumsized men.  The reasons have to do with thinness of the skin inside the foreskin, its susceptiblity to minor trauma, and the fact that  the foreskin allows for prolonged contact with a partner's genital secretions long after sex is over.
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD:
We have reached the end of the hour.  This was an excellent group of questions.  Thanks to all of you.  Regards--  HHH, MD
MedHelp:
Thanks to everyone for participating in today's chat and thanks to Dr. Handsfield for providing such informative answers. There were a lot of great questions and unfortunately, we could not get through them all in an hour. If you have HIV Prevention and safe sex questions, please join us next week for Dr. Handsfield's chat. You can register for it here: http://www.medhelp.org/health_chats/register/9.
MedHelp:
If you would like to get an answer from Dr. Handsfield, he answers questions in the STDs forum everyday. You can find his forum here: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/STDs/show/116.
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