This is a touchy subject, filled with the potential for multitudes of infantile references and innuendo, so naturally I embraced discussing it.  Realistically, I decided to blog on this subject because of the torrent of both young and old patients who have recently contacted an STD and were baffled as to where it came from.  And these are not uninformed, naive college freshmen, these are mature, professional women who just didn’t understand the new reality of the dating world.  Most of this is directed at the single female, as the married female or one in a monogamous relationship have generally far fewer concerns.  So here is a quick primer on what to look for and what to avoid. First, understand that the more contact a guy has had the more likely he is to carry some unwanted baggage.  This may apply to his psychological makeup as well as his hygiene.  In this age of Internet hook ups and casual encounters, unless you have a certificate from their doctor, it’s safe to say that their likelihood of having something is directly proportionate to the number of hits on their Tinder profile.  I realize that I am making some major generalizations here, but the reality is that no longer are STDs just something you can take a drug and get rid of…some can kill you. Take HPV for example.  Human Papilloma Virus is as prevalent as nerds at a math camp.  This virus is largely responsible for pre cancerous and cancerous changes in the cervix, so much so that many organizations recommend doing away with the Pap smear and simply testing for HPV.  The problem is that there is no effective treatment for the virus.  You simply have to let your body’s immune system act like little Pac Men and chew up the offending critters.  Luckily most women will clear the little buggers from their system, however, as long as they are present they can cause these abnormal changes. Unfortunately, many men have no idea that they are transmitters of HPV.  Some do get attractive genital warts, which is a great reason to avoid contact if he happens to announce at dinner that he has more warts than a witch’s nose. What about the magic sheepskins you may ask, and I am not talking about a diploma.  Condoms can reduce the incidence of HPV spread, along with other things, but nothing is perfect.  The only proven prevention is abstention, and I don’t think I have to tell anybody that that is about as popular as leprosy. Another “tool” of destruction is our friend herpes.  If I guy tells you he had this once but it is gone now, run don’t walk to the nearest exit.  Once you have this virus, unlike HPV, you always have it.  You may not have outbreaks but every leap year, but rest assured it is there and can potentially be spread.  I suspect there are some folks out there that sincerely believe that they have been “cured” but just trust me, I’m a doctor, they haven’t.  Most of the time a guy can spread the joy only when he has an active ulcer, but he can be what is known as an asymptomatic shedder (great band name) meaning if you do it, you can get it. In a perfect world there would be no STDs, no elevator music, and no under cooked chicken, but this is not a perfect world.  Be smart, be careful, and be protected.      
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