Sex+Health

In this episode we chat with Dr. Suelyn Hall, author of How To Get A-Head, Secrets to Male Sexual Pleasure From a Female Urologist. The book goes into more than just technique, as Dr. Hall looks at what drives male pleasure on every level, even considering how cultural norms, mental health, and our own history converge in the wonderful, sometimes chaotic mind-body dynamic. (Don't worry, we talk at length about female pleasure in this episode, too!) Dr. SueLyn Hall is a trailblazing urologist, author, and advocate for holistic wellness. Born and raised in Jamaica, Dr. Hall earned her medical degree from New York Medical College and is Board-certified by the American Board of Urology. As one of the first 50 female urologists in the United States, Dr. Hall has spent decades excelling in a male-dominated field. Show Notes Follow Dr. Hall and order her book at https://www.instagram.com/howtogetaheadbook/ Learn more about STI prevention and find free/low-cost STI testing at https://www.cdc.gov/sti/testing/index.html.

Welcome to our master class with Keosha T. Bond, EdD, MPH, CHES. Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine at CUNY School of Medicine, Dr. Bond has centered her work on the complex intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and racial equity among marginalized populations. In this episode, she discusses her award-winning research that highlights the impact of colorism on the healthcare Black women receive, the Black maternal mortality crisis, and her work training the next generation of health care providers to understand implicit bias, racism, structural inequality, and how these factors impact health outcomes. Learn more about Dr. Bondhttps://www.drkeoshabond.com/ Dr. Bond's Book Recommendations Pleasure Activism, The Politics of Feeling Goodadrienne maree brownhttps://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html Good Sex: Stories, Science, and Strategies for Sexual LiberationCandice Nicole Hargons, PhDhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Good-Sex/Candice-Nicole-Hargons-PhD/9781955905794

The American Cancer Society recently released new guidelines for cervical cancer screening that include HPV testing with self collected samples. In this episode, we talk to Rebecca Perkins, MD, MSc, from Tufts University Medical School about what's different in these new guidelines and how HPV testing with self collection can help get more women screened. Resources American Cancer Society Updated Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Information for patients on HPV screening with self collected sample (from ASHA) HPV Self collection infographic (from ASHA)

The FDA recently approved two new medications to treat gonorrhea and they are sorely needed. Give a listen as infectious diseases expert Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo explains why the new drugs are so important in providing a more convenient, oral treatment option against an infection that is increasingly resistant to other therapies. About our guest: In 2023, Dr. Marrazzo was appointed as the sixth Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. She previously was Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024. Her research portfolio is pretty broad and includes the relationships between the vaginal microbiome and female reproductive tract infections, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, hormonal contraception, and risk of STI/HIV acquisition.

With HPV vaccination and regular screening, we have the tools we need to eliminate cervical cancer. Now we have a new tool—HIV screening with self collected samples. We invited Dr. Rebecca Perkins from Tufts University Medical School to talk about this new screening tool and its potential to help get more women screened and prevent cervical cancer. Learn more about HPV screening with self collection at ASHA or at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC). January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Learn more about cervical health and cancer prevention at the NCCC.

This episode focuses on the state of boys and young men, with a special look at their mental health. Give a listen to our conversation with Dennis Barbour as we discuss the challenges male youth seem to be grappling with as they navigate contemporary society. Mr. Barbour is the President and CEO of the Partnership for Male Youth, the only national organization that has a singular focus on the health and wellbeing of males ages 10 to 25. Show Notes Partnership for Male Youth National Center for Men's Health: Fast Stats

People use apps to find someone to date or hook up, nothing new there, but what about using apps to notify someone when they need to think about STI testing and prevention services? It’s happening (permission based, of course), and we’re exploring this today with Morgan Finke, the Communications Coordinator with Public Health Madison & Dane County in Wisconsin, and we want to talk to Morgan because HER health department is utilizing dating apps for some partner notifications.    Show Notes: Public Health Madison & Dane County: Digital Partner Services  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STI Prevention Page ASHA’s STIs A to Z

We’ve had a lot of discussions on this podcast around syphilis, especially the alarming rates of the infection in newborns, but today we’re talking about syphilis and ocular (or eye) infections, in particular syphilitic uveitis, a disease affecting the uvea, the middle layer of the eye. It’s not very common, but it has been increasing in recent years and can severely damage one’s vision if not diagnosed and treated. To learn more, we’re fortunate to be joined by Dr. Meghan Berkenstock, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute where she specializes in the care of patients with uveitis.   Show Notes   A recent paper published by Dr. Birkenstock and colleagues: Incidence and Prevalence of Syphilitic Uveitis and Associated Ocular Complications in the TriNetX Database.   CDC About Syphilis fact sheet https://www.cdc.gov/syphilis/about/index.html

Today we’re talking about Native Americans and sexual health, with an emphasis on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). With any group, conversations on these topics can always come around to a discussion of culture, societal norms and expectations, and so on but there is really a great deal we can explore when talking about Native communities because of the rich diversity within this population but also the importance of Tribal sovereignty. Listen as we explore these topics with our guests from the National Indian Health Board, Lacey Wind, NIHB’s Public Health Policy and Programs Director, and Audrianna “Dri” Marzette, one of the Board’s Public Health Managers who has worked on STI prevention and programs with Tribal communities.   Indian Health Service National Indian Health Board

Compared to the U.S. overall, Native Americans/Alaska Natives have higher rates of syphilis but the disparity is most shocking with congenital syphilis (when newborns contract the infection). What’s driving these infections in Native communities, and what can we do to reverse the tide? We explore this with our guest, Meghan Curry O’Connell, a citizen of the Cherokee nation, who’s a physician and the Chief Public Health Officer with the Great Plains Tribal Leaders'Health Board, which represents18 tribal communities across South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.    Show Notes: Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board   ASHA’s Syphilis Hub   CDC’s Syphilis Page

Is romance dead? Is sex passé? How do we even start talking with our partners about intimacy and pleasure? Let’s add a convo about STI testing and prevention to the mix, too. Who can guide us to talk about all this? Julia Fowlkes, aka Sex Ed Miss Frizzle, that’s who! Join us for a humorous and informative journey with our guest, who describes herself as “Just a broad who wants to talk about the stuff no one taught us.” Resources @SexEdMissFrizzle for Julia on TikTok YesMeansTest.org to find STI testing resources and prevention tips

In this episode of our doxy PEP series, we continue the conversation with Maxfield Haynes, discussing how to talk with your provider and how to know if doxy PEP is right for you. Doxy PEP—or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis—is a sexual health strategy that involves taking an oral antibiotic after sex to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Doxy PEP is the first new prevention method for bacterial STIs, and many experts believe it will be an important tool in our fight against this epidemic. Learn more about doxy PEP at https://www.ashasexualhealth.org/doxy-pep-is-a-new-strategy-to-help-prevent-stis/

Doxy PEP—or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis—is a sexual health strategy that involves taking an oral antibiotic after sex to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Doxy PEP is the first new prevention method for bacterial STIs, and many experts believe it will be an important tool in our fight against this epidemic. In this episode, we speak to Oscar Alexis to get the patient's perspective on doxy PEP. They share their experience, offer tips for others considering doxy PEP, and explain how they've helped educate providers about this new prevention method. Learn more about doxy PEP at https://www.ashasexualhealth.org/doxy-pep-is-a-new-strategy-to-help-prevent-stis/ Hear more from Oscar on their podcast Liquorice Chix.  

In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition presents the Cervical Cancer Survivor Series. Across eight episodes, we share stories from cervical cancer survivors across the country, touching on topics including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as advice for others whose lives are impacted by this preventable disease. We also talked to providers in the field to answer questions about screening prevention and treatment. In this episode we speak to gynecological oncologist, Brad Monk. Dr. Monk leads clinical trials and has authored or co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications on cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and other gynecologic cancers and also sees patients. We talked to Dr. Monk about finding a cancer expert and possible treatment options.

In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition presents the Cervical Cancer Survivor Series. Across eight episodes, we share stories from cervical cancer survivors across the country, touching on topics including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as advice for others whose lives are impacted by this preventable disease. We also talked to providers in the field to answer questions about screening prevention and treatment. In this final episode, we hear from all of our survivors from this series—Jen English, Shaundra Hall, Aisha McClellan, Selena Rushton, and Cheryla Thompson. We talked to them about a range of topics, including advice they’ve received and would offer others after a diagnosis, how family and friends can best offer support to loved ones dealing with cancer, what they would say to anyone considering the HPV vaccine, and why they decided to become involved in advocacy.

There's a new way to screen for cervical cancer with self-collection. People can take a sample of cells from their own vagina to test for HPV. The FDA recently approved this for use in providers offices. There's no pelvic exam stirrups or speculum involved. Research has shown that the results are just as accurate as when samples are collected by a clinician. Self-collection has the potential to expand testing to other healthcare settings and reach underscreened populations. In this episode, we speak to Jennifer S. Smith, PhD, who has been involved in the research around HPV for decades to explain this new method to us, and how it might help us reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer.

There's a new way to screen for cervical cancer with self-collection. People can take a sample of cells from their own vagina to test for HPV. The FDA recently approved this for use in providers offices. There's no pelvic exam stirrups or speculum involved. Research has shown that the results are just as accurate as when samples are collected by a clinician. Self-collection has the potential to expand testing to other healthcare settings and reach underscreened populations. In this episode, we speak to Barbara Moscicki, MD, who has been involved in the research around HPV for decades to explain this new method to us, and how it might help us reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer.

In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition presents the Cervical Cancer Survivor Series. Across eight episodes, we share stories from cervical cancer survivors across the country, touching on topics including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as advice for others whose lives are impacted by this preventable disease. We also talked to providers in the field to answer questions about screening prevention and treatment. In this episode we speak to Shaundra Hall. Shaundra tells us that her very first Pap test came back abnormal, but she still didn't know anything about cervical cancer when she was diagnosed. She also talks about how this experience changed the course of her life, both personally and professionally. To learn more about clinical trials, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov. Learn more about Shaundra and her NCCC chapter at http://www.nccc-online.org/nccc-arizona-southwest-regional/ Learn more about cervical cancer prevention at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition website at www.nccc-online.org/

In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition presents the Cervical Cancer Survivor Series. Across eight episodes, we share stories from cervical cancer survivors across the country, touching on topics including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as advice for others whose lives are impacted by this preventable disease. We also talked to providers in the field to answer questions about screening prevention and treatment. In this episode we speak to Jen English. Jen had a lot of experience in sexual health, and was comfortable talking about the topic, but she realized how much she didn't know about HPV and cervical health when she was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer. Her experience inspired her to become an NCCC chapter leader. Learn more about Jen and her NCCC chapter at https://www.nccc-online.org/nccc-iowa-cedar-rapids-chapter/ Learn more about cervical cancer prevention at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition website at www.nccc-online.org/

In honor of Cervical Health Awareness Month, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition presents the Cervical Cancer Survivor Series. Across eight episodes, we share stories from cervical cancer survivors across the country, touching on topics including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as advice for others whose lives are impacted by this preventable disease. We also talked to providers in the field to answer questions about screening prevention and treatment. In this episode, we speak to Aisha McClellan. Aisha went to a clinic with symptoms, and was sent home with antibiotics for an STI she didn't have. It took three visits before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Aisha had to be her own advocate for health care, which inspired her to become an advocate on TikTok, where she has over 25,000 followers. Follow Aisha on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@aisha_the_advocate Learn more about cervical cancer prevention at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition website at www.nccc-online.org/