All The Sex Issue articles
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News
After sexual intercourse, both partners leave traces of their own unique genital microbiome
Researchers have shown that bacterial species are transferred between both individuals during sexual intercourse, and these species can be traced to a sexual partner’s unique genital microbiome, with potential for identifying perpetrators of sexual assault.
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Features
Under the microscope: syphilis
The number of infectious syphilis diagnoses has reached a new high over the past decade, with an 184.4% rise in reported cases between 2013 and 2023. But what is syphilis and what are the risks?
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News
Global sisterhood seeks to understand what makes a healthy vaginal microbiome
A study shares insights gleaned from a ’sisterhood’ of thousands of citizen scientists, illuminating gaps in knowledge about the vaginal microbiome, including which bacteria are helpful or harmful and whether microbiomes look different for people across the globe.
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Features
The birds, the bees, and the bugs: how gut microbes impact sex hormones and reproductive health
The gut microbiome has been tied to our reproductive health through its ability to produce, break down, and modify sex hormones.
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Opinion
Reproductive biology though the lens of the microbiome
Madangchanok Imchen and Seth R. Bordenstein from the One Health Microbiome Center - winner of AMI’s WH Pierce Prize 2024 - explore the potential of the reproductive microbiome, particularly the fascinating Wolbachia, to counter global disease threats.
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News
Human papillomavirus infection kinetics revealed in new longitudinal study
Non-persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are characterized by a sharp increase in viral load followed by a long plateau, according to a new study.
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News
Changes in microbiome predict risk for sexually transmitted disease
Researchers have found that bacterial vaginosis consists of two subtypes—one of which significantly increases the risk of developing chlamydia infections.
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News
Parasite ‘matchmakers’ genetically alter plant cells to attract insects
Researchers have revealed how parasitic phytoplasmas manipulate plant biology to act as matchmakers, boosting male insect appeal by modulating hosts to attract more reproductive females.
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News
As prevention strategy for sexually transmitted infections rolls out, experts highlight both promise and knowledge gaps
Real-world evidence demonstrates that the postexposure strategy of doxy PEP is reducing the rate of syphilis and chlamydia, but has had little to no effect on gonorrhea and needs close monitoring for signals of antibiotic resistance.
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News
New study shows plummeting STIs with doxyPEP use
A new study has found that rates of chlamydia and syphilis plummet among people prescribed doxycycline for sexually transmitted infection prevention in routine clinical care.
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News
Study links vaginal microbiome differences to higher cervical cancer rates in Native American women
Researchers found that protective microorganisms were present at higher rates in non-Native women compared with Native American women.
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News
Syphilis had its roots in the Americas, archaeological bone reveals
New research supports a root in the Americas for syphilis and its known relatives, and their introduction to Europe starting in the late 15th century is most consistent with the data, scientists say.
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News
Around 1 in 5 of the world’s under 50s living with genital herpes (HSV)
Around 1 in 5 of the world’s under 50s—846 million people—are living with genital herpes infection, and more than 200 million 15-49 year olds probably had at least one symptomatic outbreak of the infection in 2020, suggest the latest global estimates.
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News
University awarded $1.5 million to study vaginal bacterial disorder linked to serious health risks
With a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine will study the dynamics of bacterial vaginosis in hopes of identifying a more effective approach.
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News
Women’s health company Freya Biosciences announces key $10.4m strategic investment
Freya Biosciences, a transatlantic biotech company specializing in women’s health, has announced a major strategic investment which will be used to develop microbial immunotherapies for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
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News
Researcher targets BV, a common infection affecting women
A biomedical professor is targeting one of the most common – and dangerous – infections in women. With the help of a five-uear grant, she will study Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and, ultimately, offer more effective personalized treatments.
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News
Part of the GBHSH community in Spain uses doxycycline to prevent STIs
Researchers have carried out the first study in Spain on the use of DoxyPEP as a preventive strategy among the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBHSH) community in Spain.
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News
Call for global gender-neutral HPV vaccination by 2030
A new global initiative is calling for a more ambitious, ethical and equitable approach that will see more boys and men gain access to cancer-preventing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and protect more people worldwide from HPV-related cancers.
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News
Emergency department screening more than doubles detection of syphilis cases
Providing optional syphilis tests to most people seeking care at a large emergency department led to a dramatic increase in syphilis screening and diagnosis, according to a study of nearly 300,000 emergency department encounters in Chicago.
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News
NIH awards will support innovation in syphilis diagnostics
NIAID has awarded grants for 10 projects to improve diagnostic tools for congenital and adult syphilis—conditions currently diagnosed with a sequence of tests, each with limited precision.