Cover your sneeze!

This article highlights the disgusting practice of not covering your mouth/nose when you sneeze. I have mastered the art of "the Dracula" (see article). I get so grossed out when people near me spray me with their snot/saliva when they cough or sneeze. And it does not make it any better when you just cover your hands with your mouth and wipe your germy hands on the nearest fomite (or on someone else's hands- nice to meet you, too, thanks for sharing your germs. Hello hand sanitizer...)

Yuck: Few people correctly cover coughs, sneezes

Wow- what a brilliant plan! Who'da thunk it...

Obama HIV/AIDS plan calls for reducing infections

Great article about Nurse Practitioners!

Doctor shortage? 28 states may expand nurses' role

When Plan A fails...

http://planbonestep.com/index2.aspx

You've Got Mail! and an STD...

This is great. There is a new way to anonymously notify a sex partner (or former partner) that they may have an STI (sexually transmitted infection): 

http://inspot.org/TellThem/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx

So many patients I've encountered have an STD and are afraid or embarrassed to tell their partner. Obviously no one wants an STD but if you don't tell your partner (or ex) then guess what? It keeps getting passed on! I once had a patient who got herpes from a girl he had sex with immediately after meeting on a bus. He didn't want to tell his girlfriend, the mother of his baby, that he had herpes because he considered her to be "so good and clean, she doesn't deserve that," but that didn't stop him from going home and having sex with his girlfriend and exposing her to herpes and who knows what else. Ladies beware: this is the type of guy you encounter who wants to have sex with you without a condom after meeting you on a bus. Oh, and this guy refused to be tested for HIV... I hope he hears about this website!

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate...

Gardasil, the new HPV vaccine, is a series of 3 injections that protect women from 4 strains of human papilloma virus. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and it is transmitted via tiny cuts in the the skin. Condoms are helpful to prevent transmission, but do not fully protect against HPV since condoms don't cover everything. While HPV is very common, cervical cancer is not very common in the general female population. It is very important that women have their Pap test as often as your health care provider recommends (typically once a year), and get follow-up tests if your healthcare provider recommends them. Here is a link link to the Gardasil website where you can get more information about the vaccine.

http://www.gardasil.com/

http://www.drugs.com/news/new-evidence-supports-hpv-vaccine-18668.html

Female Genital Mutilation

This is just another example of how women are injured and even killed in the name of misogynistic cultural and religious beliefs. Very sad...

[Link expired]

For more information on this topic, this is a good website:

http://www.fgmnetwork.org/index.php

Protect your Skin!

Many people think they look better with a tan, even though they know sun exposure is linked to premature signs of aging and skin cancer. Instead of using the tanning beds or laying out in the sun, try self-tanning lotions or the spray-on tan (Mystic Tan). The spray-on tans are great! They last about a week and you get even coverage all over your body (important for summer weather!). After getting a spray on tan, I like to use the 'gradual tan' self-tanning lotions on my legs and arms to keep the color up as the spray-on tan fades.

Important skin protection tips:

- You are exposed to the sun's rays every day, not just on hot or sunny days

- Apply sunscreen liberally! Most people don't use enough sunscreen, or they fail to re-apply after swimming or sweating

- Use suncreens with UVA and UVB protection, with a SPF of at least 15 (higher is better, I recommend 30+)

Check your sources!

There has been a lot of hype in the media about certain birth control methods that shall remain nameless. This information has caused many of my patients to be mislead about the risks of their contraceptive method, and many women stopped using their birth control without consulting their health care provider...leading to unintended pregnancies! Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about your medication because the often the information in the media is inaccurate or misleading.