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Dear Quiz: How Well Do You Know Yeast Infections?

DearSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

If you're a woman, chances are you've had to endure at least one horribly uncomfortable yeast infection in your lifetime. If you hadn't heard yet, there may be a yeast infection vaccine in our future which could help to prevent future infections, but until then, take this little quiz to see what you know about yeast infections, their causes, and how they relate to sex.

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Gonorrhea of the Throat?

DearSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I don't know how many women I've talked to that say they'll engage in oral sex with a guy no problem, but if they're going to have sex, they make him get tested first. Um, hello?! For all those ladies out there with that mindset, I have four words for you — Gonorrhea of the Throat. Remember that oral sex still allows secretions to be passed from one partner to another, and since some people with STIs such as gonorrhea don't show symptoms until the condition has progressed, they can unknowingly pass it on. Now can you see why I'm so pushy about advising that you and your partner get tested before any intimacy occurs?

I know gonorrhea of the throat sounds utterly painful, but symptoms only include a sore throat, and some people experience no symptoms at all, although people with this condition often have signs of regular gonorrhea as well. To diagnosis this STI, a doctor will take samples of secretions from the infected areas and luckily, all types of gonorrhea can be treated with a healthy dose of antibiotics.

Seriously ladies, if this doesn't make you request that a new partner get tested, I don't know what will. Any type of intimacy where you have the possibility of being exposed to another person's blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk should only occur if you know your partner is STI free.

Dear's Advice: If getting tested before oral sex isn't happening, you can still protect yourself by having the man wear a condom, or a woman place a dental dam over her lady business. I know that doesn't sound very sexy, but it's better than finding out you have gonorrhea of the throat!

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Genital Herpes 101

DearSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:00:00 -0700

A couple days ago I posted Handle This: He Has Herpes and some of your comments let me know that we could all use a refresher course on this STI.

Genital herpes is highly contagious, and is passed on through sexual contact. It's caused by a strain of herpes simplex virus (HSV), which enters your body through small cuts in your skin or mucous membranes, and then causes outbreaks of painful sores on your privates.

You should know that a person can pass herpes on to someone else even if they have no visible sores. Although there is no cure for genital herpes, the outbreaks can be controlled with medication, so a person with herpes can still be in a relationship and have sex (with protection, of course), without passing it on to his or her partner.

Want to learn more about how this STI is tested and treated? Then

Oral Sex Doesn't Equal Safe Sex

DearSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:00:00 -0800

I hate to bring up this not-so-fun topic, but I'm concerned. Many of my friends have dated guys that they wouldn't have sex because they were worried about STIs, but they didn't seem the least bit worried about having oral sex. When your mouth has contact with someone else's business, you can very well get a whole plethora of STIs — the problem is that many of these sexually transmitted infections are asymptomatic, which means you can't tell if someone is infected just by looking at them. That also means an infected person may not realize they even have an STI so they let their partner perform oral sex on them while unknowingly and accidentally passing the infection on to them.

Which STIs can be passed on through oral sex? To find out

You Gotta Know About Gonorrhea

DearSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0800

OK folks, it's time for America's favorite subject — gonorrhea. Well, maybe it's not your favorite, or even on your list of 100 favorite topics to discuss, but it's definitely something everyone should know about. Take this quiz to test what you know about this STI.

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STI Facts

DearSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:40:24 -0700

If you are sexually active, it's a sad fact that we need to watch out for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Knowledge is prevention, so take this quiz to test your understanding of STIs.