Traditional Intravaginal Practices and the Heterosexual Transmission of Disease

Article Abstract:

Many traditional intravaginal substances and practices do not appear to damage the lining of the vagina but further research is needed to determine whether they increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. This was the conclusion of researchers who analyzed the medical and social science literature as far back as the 1940s. Reports covered the use of traditional intravaginal substances and practices in 11 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and in Qatar, Indonesia, Thailand, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the US. Women use these substances and practices for personal hygiene, disease prevention or treatment, and enhancement of sexual experience.

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Gender difference in persistent at-risk sexual behavior after a diagnosed sexually transmitted disease

Article Abstract:

A history of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) may indicate current unsafe sexual behavior by heterosexual men, but safer sexual behavior by heterosexual women. Researchers in France surveyed 2,517 adults and found that men who had been diagnosed in the past with an STD were 2.8 times more likely to be engaging in unprotected sex than men without an STD history. Women with an STD history were 3.4 times more likely to have changed their sexual behavior toward safer practices than women without an STD history. Men may benefit from better safe-sex education after they contract an STD.

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Reliability of Self-Reported Sexual Histories: Test-Retest and Interpartner Comparison in a Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic

Article Abstract:

Patients at sexually transmitted disease clinics reliably report their sexual histories when they are interviewed. Researchers had a physician and a nurse interview 288 patients on separate occasions, then compared the answers. Generally, there was high agreement between the two interviews. Patients reported fewer sexual partners in the doctor interview than in the nurse interview, and women provided more reliable histories than men. There was only 26% agreement between members of couples when asked about their frequency of sexual intercourse.

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