Herpes
How To
How to Discuss Your Sexual History with a New Partner in 10 Steps

We know you don’t want to hear it, but: you’ve got to have the hard conversation with each new sexual partner about where your junk has been and what it’s seen. Especially in an age when casual sex is de rigueur, and Tinder is causing STD rates to skyrocket, and almost everyone has or has […]

Dear Em & Lo
Dear Em & Lo, How Risky Is Oral Sex for STD Transmission?

I’m a teenager who was kinda pressured to give a guy oral (he’s my age) and though it was only for 3 minutes tops, I don’t know anything about his medical history except that he has had sex before. I myself had never done that before, nor have I had sex (I am a virgin) and didn’t even […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate, What’s This Bump on My Boyfriend’s Penis?

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your medical questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dear Dr. Kate, Hi,  I have some concerns about my boyfriend and his private parts…. […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Vanessa, Did My Girlfriend Give Me Herpes?

photo via Flickr Every few weeks, Dr. Vanessa Cullins, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood® Federation of America, will be answering your questions on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Vanessa, I’ve been with my current partner for six months, and I just got […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Kate: When Should I Tell a Partner About Oral Herpes?

photo via Flickr Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City and she answers your medical questions here every two weeks. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Kate, I am a woman with oral herpes. Is this something I should tell new partners […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Vanessa, My GF Has Genital Herpes – What Are My Risks?

photo by Gabriel Delgado Every few weeks, Dr. Vanessa Cullins, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood® Federation of America, will be answering your questions here. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Vanessa, My girlfriend has HSV 1 (herpes simplex virus 1) genitally but hasn’t had […]

Personal Essays
Confession: I'm a Safer Sex Scold and Proud Of It

photo by Lori Greig Our contributor Abby Spector, who is majoring in Feminine/Gender/Sexuality Studies at Wesleyan University, has a confession to make: College students have a lot of sex. They are horny, hot and away from home. Add in a drop (or gallon) of alcohol and you get strangers pairing off by 8pm — or […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Kate – Looks Like Herpes, Could It Be Something Else?

photo by Katie_Tegtmeyer Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City and she answers your medical questions here once a week. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Kate, I recently had a few zit-like sores on my labia that I was convinced were […]

News
Herpes – the Good News, the Bad News, and the Really Bad News

photo by Nathan Csonka A new study out from the CDC shows that herpes is twice as common in women than men, and three times as common in blacks than whites. A massive 48% of new herpes cases are among black women. We called on Dr. Vanessa Cullins, an obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical […]