Free Republic

Running toward a dream of a lifetimeWhen I tested positive for HIV in 1994, I never would have imagined an AIDS-free generation to be possible in my lifetime. I also didn't think I would live past 35.And yet, I am 42 years old today and we have arrived at the precipice of that dream. With recent medical advances, and the promise of more soon to come, an AIDS-free generation is possible. Achieving this goal, as eloquently outlined by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this month, would save millions of American dollars and countless lives around the world. The question...

Occupy Wall Street protesters are flocking to nearby health clinics for testing for sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV, after getting their freak on in 1960s-style hookups with crusty strangers, sources said. "Last week was free love," a medical professional at a nearby clinic said, referring to the number of people who organizers referred for STD testing. A volunteer at Zuccotti Park admitted concern among protesters about STDs. "We give directions to clinics if people ask for information regarding STDs," the volunteer, who identified himself only as "Captain," said, adding that pregnancy tests are also a hot item.

That's right. The "Republican take" was none other than uber-ditz Meghan McCain. TOTALLY! Among her pearls of wisdom: "Mitt Romney is, like, the most experienced candidate. He will be the nominee, and it's time that people learned to just deal with it." "We are going through each nominee one at a time like when you're...speed dating". "Herman Cain has never held public office before, and I find that, like, so disturbing". "Romney...Mitt..Romney...the best...Romney...." (ok I skipped the rest because I couldn't take it)

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez Los Angeles, Calif., Oct 11, 2011 / 11:36 am (CNA).- Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez joined the California Catholic Conference in criticizing a new law that allows 12-year-olds to receive vaccinations against sexual diseases without their parent’s permission. “Parents bear the first responsibility for their children’s physical and spiritual well-being. This new law, however, bypasses parental involvement, wisdom and guidance,” said Archbishop Gomez in his Oct. 10 response to Governor Jerry Brown's decision to sign the vaccination proposal into law. The new law, which Brown authorized on Oct. 9, allows children as young as...

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed controversial legislation to greatly expand the rights of minors to obtain preventive treatment for sexually transmitted diseases without parental consent, including an HPV immunization for cervical cancer. Brown did not explain his reasoning in the announcement Sunday afternoon. Assembly Bill 499 was carried by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. She said the legislation addresses a gap in the law that forbids prevention steps by doctors but allows minors under 18 to undergo abortions and post-infection treatment for sexually transmitted diseases without the approval of parents or a guardian. Critics counter the measure is an unwarranted...

There was a time when having sex with a woman meant a wedding ring, a court ship or at the very least, dinner. But social psychologists say those days are quickly coming to an end as women become more promiscuous, Yahoo Shine reports. -snip- Other things that are said to have contributed to these changes include gender equality, birth control and internet porn.

Bear with me, this isn’t a “sound bite” subject. The Human Papilloma Virus is an infection, and should not be a moral issue. In contrast, the vaccine against four strains of the virus, Gardasil, has become a political issue, even though the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now recommends it for all boys and girls. Governor Rick Perry has been criticized for his February, 2007 Executive Order that made the vaccine mandatory for girls before entering the 6th grade. Very little is said about the part of the EO that affirmed the right of and facilitated parents who wish...

The Florida Legislature has sometimes been a bit shy when it comes to discussing sex. A state representative was chastised last session for using the word "uterus" on the house floor, and lawmakers recoiled at debating a recent bill to ban bestiality, because children sometimes attend their hearings. But their failure to be more explicit has now crippled a law aimed at protecting people from being exposed to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In 1997, Florida legislators made it a felony for an HIV-infected person to have "sexual intercourse" without informing the partner of their infected status, adding the...

A new strain of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea has become resistant to antibiotics, international research shows. Analysis of the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea found a new variant which is very effective at mutating. Scientists from the Swedish Reference Laboratory warn that the infection could now become a global threat to public health. New drugs to delay the spread of the infection are needed, experts say. The first case of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea was found in Japan. By analysing this new strain of neisseria gonorrhoea, called H041, researchers identified the genetic mutations responsible for the new strain's extreme resistance to all...

Johns Hopkins expert calls for testing and mandatory reportingA Johns Hopkins infectious disease expert is calling for all sexually active American women age 40 and older to get tested for the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis after new study evidence found that the sexually transmitted disease (STD) is more than twice as common in this age group than previously thought. Screening is especially important because in many cases there are no symptoms. "We usually think of STDs as more prevalent in young people, but our study results clearly show that with trichomonas, while too many young people have it, even more, older...

ScienceDaily (June 1, 2011) — Gay young men in serious relationships are six times more likely to have unprotected sex than those who hook up with casual partners, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. The findings provide a new direction for prevention efforts in this population who account for nearly 70 percent of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in adolescents and young adults in the United States and who also have the highest increase in new infections. "Being in a serious relationship provides a number of mental and physical health benefits, but it also increases behaviors that put you at risk...

It's a personal story, but let it also serve as a public health rebuttal to the proposed ban on male circumcision that will be on the San Francisco ballot this November. San Francisco's ballot initiative would prohibit circumcision on all males under the age of 18. It would allow no religious exemptions, and it apparently gives no regard to the numerous studies demonstrating that male circumcision can substantially reduce—by more than 50%—the transmission of the HIV virus during sex. "Communities, and especially women, may benefit much more from circumcision interventions than had previously been predicted, and these results provide an...

Not only does Dominique Strauss-Kahn have to worry about a possible prison sentence, but now he also has reason to be concerned about coming into contact with the HIV/AIDs virus. The alleged victim of the IMF chief's sexual assault lives in a Bronx apartment rented exclusively for adults with HIV or AIDS. The hotel maid is a West African immigrant, and has occupied the fourth floor of the building with her 15-year-old daughter since January. Before that, she had lived in another apartment since 2008 that was set aside by Harlem Community AIDS United for adults with the virus and...

Dominique Strauss-Kahn may have more to worry about than a possible prison sentence. The IMF chief's alleged sex-assault victim lives in a Bronx apartment rented exclusively for adults with HIV or AIDS, The Post has learned. The hotel maid, a West African immigrant, has occupied the fourth-floor High Bridge pad with her 15-year-old daughter since January -- and before that, lived in another Bronx apartment set aside by Harlem Community AIDS United strictly for adults with the virus and their families. The Post has not been able to ascertain whether the maid, 32, has HIV/AIDS because of medical confidentiality laws.

NEW YORK, May 5 (C-FAM) The UN is about to ask governments to fund the vaccination of every girl in the world against the sexually transmitted disease HPV, human papillomavirus. The controversial campaign could cost as much as $300 per person, totaling billions. Dignitaries who launched the campaign at the UN in mid-April included a prominent African first lady, leaders from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the American Cancer Society, and the contraceptives manufacturer PATH. UNFPA and PATH want donor nations to buy the vaccine at $14 per shot. Three shots are required over a period of six months, totaling...

Across the nation, and especially in the Sunshine State, the free-love generation is continuing to enjoy an active — if not always healthy — sex life. At a stage in life when many would expect sexually transmitted diseases to be waning, seniors are noticeably ahead of the national curve. In the five years from 2005 to 2009, the number of reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia among those 55 and older increased 43 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In Central Florida, the rise is even more dramatic. Among those 55 and older, the reported cases of syphilis...

Bail was denied today for a woman accused of fatally shooting a man because she thought he had given her a sexually transmitted disease. A lawyer for Ashley Nicole Steele, 21, argued that she grew up a ward of the state, has a 10th grade education and suffers from bipolar disorder.

The combination of Live Action's undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood employees conspiring with sex traffickers and a new conservative majority in Congress adds up to trouble for Planned Parenthood. Following the lead of veteran Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the House took a historic vote that would remove federal funding for Planned Parenthood. But Planned Parenthood and their allies on the Left, fearing an end to the federal gravy train on which they have become dependent, are fighting back. Planned Parenthood's political arm reportedly is spending a small fortune on political ads and a PR campaign. And Planned Parenthood is not...

Planned Parenthood Corrects Staffer Telling STD Man to Give Blood Roanoke, VA -- Planned Parenthood in Virginia has reportedly taken corrective action regarding an employee who encouraged an undercover investigator who said he may have an STD to donate blood. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/03/17/planned-parenthood-corrects-staffer-telling-std-man-to-give-blood/

Planned Parenthood Advises Man With STD to Donate Blood Washington, DC -- By now, many Americans are already familiar with the slate of new videos showing Planned Parenthood staffers helping alleged sexual traffickers get abortions and STD testing for the underage girls the said they exploited. But one section of one of the videos contains another concern. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/02/15/planned-parenthood-advises-man-with-std-to-donate-blood/