BACKGROUND It has been suggested that vaginal colonization with lactobacilli may reduce the risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), but supporting data are limited. Our objective was to determine the relationship between vaginal bacterial flora and VVC. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort analysis that involved 151 Kenyan sex workers. At monthly follow-up visits, VVC was defined as the ...

BACKGROUND Vaginal infections are common and have been associated with increased risk for acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). METHODS We conducted a randomized trial of directly observed oral treatment administered monthly to reduce vaginal infections among Kenyan women at risk for HIV-1 acquisition. A trial intervention of 2 g of metronidazole plus 150 mg of fluconazo...

This article examines the sexual practices of young Brazilians based on data from the GRAVAD Research Project, a household survey targeting males and females from 18 to 24 years of age (n = 4,634) in three Brazilian State capitals: Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador. The set of practices experienced over the course of their sexual careers is characterized by traits of social belonging, ...

BACKGROUND Daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with Truvada (a combination of emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate (TDF)) is a novel HIV prevention strategy recently found to prevent HIV transmission in men who have sex with men and heterosexual couples. We previously showed that a coitally-dependent Truvada regimen protected macaques against rectal SHIV transmission. H...

Rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, vary across ethnic minority groups, yet few studies have evaluated sexual risk behaviors and their psychological correlates to determine if risk and protective factors vary by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess sexual sensation seeking (SSS), sexual inhibition (SIS1 and SIS2), and sexual excitation (SES) as correlat...

CONTEXT Although partially anecdotal, some evidence suggests that oral-genital contact is increasingly excluded from young people's notions of what behaviors constitute sex. Such a shift may have implications for STD prevention. METHODS In 2007, a convenience sample of 477 university students participated in a survey that included the question "Would you say you 'had sex' with someone if the ...

OBJECTIVE HIV transmission is ongoing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the UK. Sex without a condom (condomless sex, CLS) is the main risk factor. We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with types of CLS. METHODS Cross-sectional questionnaire study in UK HIV clinics in 2011/2012 (ASTRA). MSM diagnosed with HIV for ≥3 months reported on anal and vaginal sex, CLS with ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel laser treatment for vaginal relaxation syndrome. Method: A pilot study was conducted on 21 patients who received the novel laser treatment (IntimaLase) for vaginal tightening with a 2940 nm Er:YAG laser between June 2011 and January 2012. All patients received two treatment sessions with an interval between sessions ...

INTRODUCTION Women with breast cancer have better cancer-related outcomes with the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), but the physiological suppression of estradiol can negatively affect sexual functioning because of unpleasant urogenital and vaginal symptoms. Local health care practitioners have observed that the benefits of vaginal testosterone in allaying these unpleasant symptoms in women w...

PURPOSE The current study examined the association between formal and non-formal virginity pledges and the initiation of genital play, oral sex, and vaginal intercourse among adolescents. METHODS Logistic regressions controlling for age, gender, race, expectancies, academic achievement, contraceptive education, perceived peer pledging behavior, and parental and peer attitudes were conducted t...