I remember when the Gardasil phenomenon first started.  Commercials for the vaccine were played on MTV approximately every three seconds, and within weeks, everyone I knew was rushing to the gynecologist for their three doses.  And why wouldn’t they? The commercials and doctors promised that the vaccine would prevent cervical cancer and who wouldn’t deal with the momentary pain of a shot when it comes with a promise like that?

For the few of you who haven’t had your doctor insist you get it (if there are even any of you out there), Gardasil is the vaccine that promises to help prevent certain kinds of HPV, including the two types of the virus that are often the cause of cervical cancer.  Because there are no real symptoms of HPV, it has become an epidemic and doctors have urged patients to protect themselves with this revolutionary injection.

But while the vaccine can do amazing things, it has also devastated thousands of lives. Read More »

Miley Cyrus hates the paparazzi.

These trenches make rainy days a lot better.

Victoria Beckham eats. Really!

Could there be an HIV vaccine on the horizon?

Julia Roberts is pissing some people off.

Justin Timberlake gets starring role. In the Facebook movie.

Health guidelines and facts are constantly changing as we learn more about the human body and what we need to stay strong. To maintain optimal health, you need to keep up to date with the newest in fitness, nutrition and medical research.

Check out the latest headlines about that unique body of yours:

- So you think you’ll impress your crush by taking on a beer bong like a champ? A new study published in the March issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors asked women how much they thought they needed to drink at a social event to interest a man. The women’s estimates were more than twice what the guys said they would prefer. At your next party, drink less and truly impress! Read More »

When’s the last time you took a trip to visit your good old friend, the doctor? Chances are you’ve missed some really important appointments! It’s time to suck it up and face the music, sister.

Here are three necessary dates you need to jot down in that calendar of yours:

Your Gynecologist:

You’re probably used to a getting a little more romance prior to anyone coming near your cookie, but you’re gonna have to make an exception here! You should have your first pap test done once you become sexually active or once you turn 21, whichever comes first. The doctor will use a device called a speculum to widen the opening of the vagina so that the cervix can be examined for cancerous cells. This will only be uncomfortable for a minute as they take a swab of your cells. You should get your results within 3 weeks. If you don’t have this test done annually, you are putting yourself at risk for undetected cervical cancer. Hey, and while you’re at it, go get yourself the HPV vaccine and give cervical cancer the one-two punch!

Your Dentist:

Those needles, that drilling, the disappointing absence of this month’s Cosmo in the waiting room. No one likes making a date with the big D! (Well, that big D.) But if you don’t go for your 6 month checkup like you know you should, your dentist won’t be able to catch a small issue before it turns into a huge (not to mention painful and expensive!) problem. Say you do have a cavity; if your dentist finds it quickly, he can fill it right away. If you let a cavity hang out in your tooth for too long, you will end up having to suffer a crown and root canal. Your dentist also needs to regularly check you for periodontitis, oral cancer, gingivitis, and decay. So, catch up on your flossing and give Dr. Giggles a call.

Your Optometrist:

Staring at a computer for hours, not wearing eye-wear in the tanning bed, binge-drinking, and smoking cigarettes are all ways we damage our eyesight on a daily basis. An annual check up with your Optometrist can help determine if you are at risk for glaucoma or macular degeneration (a slow progression of blindness. Remember Amanda from ANTM season 3? She had macular degeneration!). A quick visit will determine if you have either of these conditions as well as evaluate your vision. You’ll take a puff of air to the eye, have a flashlight waved over your pupil and read some letters off a poster. Way easier than any exam you’ll take in class!

So, if you want to avoid resembling a guest on Jerry Springer (blind, toothless and probably full of vadge cancer), you need to get your bum to the doc. It may not be the greatest way to spend an afternoon, but it sure beats developing a serious disease! And if you just can’t bring yourself to go alone, have a friend tag along. She probably needs to go too.

I knew that HPV was a “popular” STD, but I never realized just how widespread it was. According to health studies, HPV currently affects 1 in 4 women in the United States. 25% of women in the U.S. are currently living with the disease!

That statistic alone is staggering. What makes it even scarier, though, is the fact that two types of HPV can cause much more serious issues than simply having an STD: they can lead to cancer.

The problem with HPV, and the reason it affects as many people as it does, is that it oftentimes goes undetected. While many types are characterized by genital warts, many don’t have obvious symptoms, which leave the person without the slightest inkling that they are infected. Clearly, this proves the importance of getting tested regularly.

Unfortunately, though, many people don’t.

And since they don’t know they have it, they go around like nothing is wrong and, consequently, infect their partners. I don’t write this to be preachy. This is some scary shit and women need to know. I mean, I always knew STD’s were a problem, but I also always thought they were much less common than this. Read More »