Spending the rest of your life with the love of your life is one of life’s greatest gifts. But, not so fast. While you are busy picking the right cake flavour for the wedding, you should definitely not skip on premarital screening. Not only does this screening help you identify genetic disorders and infectious diseases, it also aids you in preventing passing the disease to your loved one and future kids if one of you turns out to be positive. Here are 5 medical tests prospective brides and grooms should undergo to ensure each other’s safety.
Continue readingWhat Should You Do If Your Partner Refuses STD Testing?
Getting physical with your partner is one of the things to look forward to in any relationship. However, it is imperative that every person do STD testing to ensure that no infections or diseases can be passed to the partner no matter which stage of relationship you are at. It is great if your partner is on board with this idea, but what if they refuse to carry out STD testing? We round up six steps you can try to convince them to take the test. From arguing logically and providing the facts to empowering them, we get you covered.
Continue readingGetting the Covid-19 Vaccine When You Are HIV-Positive
HIV is a virus that targets the immune system and weakens it extensively without a treatment. This is why many HIV-positive individuals worry about the prospects of becoming infected with Covid-19. When it comes to protecting oneself, getting vaccinated is the best choice. But can HIV-positive people in Singapore get their Covid-19 shot?
Continue readingUnusual STD Symptoms to Acquaint Yourself with
Most STDs will either cause an array of well-known symptoms or remain completely asymptomatic. In some instances, however, these conditions will express themselves in unusual ways. What are some of the atypical symptoms and can you use those to tell definitively that you have an STD? Here’s everything you need to know.
Continue readingImportant HPV Statistics You Need to Know Right Now
When reading about common types of sexually transmitted medical problems, you’ve probably come across two terms – STD and STI. One of them refers to a sexually transmitted disease and the other – to sexually transmitted infection. Is there any huge difference between the two terms or could they be used interchangeably?
Continue readingAre STIs and STDs the Same Thing? What’s the Main Difference?
When reading about common types of sexually transmitted medical problems, you’ve probably come across two terms – STD and STI. One of them refers to a sexually transmitted disease and the other – to sexually transmitted infection. Is there any huge difference between the two terms or could they be used interchangeably?
Continue readingCan You Get STDs by Only Having Protected Sex?
Protected sex through the use of barrier contraception (like condoms) is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of getting an STD. As effective as condoms are, however, there’s still a possibility of becoming infected. How big is this possibility and is there anything you can do to minimise the potential of exposure even further?
Continue readingHIV and Depression
Various studies confirm the fact that HIV-positive individuals are predisposed to developing clinical depression. Unfortunately, the mental health condition can lead to complications and poor health outcomes. Choosing a good strategy to manage and counter depression is an important part of every holistic HIV treatment.
Continue readingDr. Shim in the News: Males should be vaccinated against HPV from as early as 9
Dr. Shim recently contributed to a Singapore local Chinese language newspaper on the topic of HPV vaccination for males. Here is the translated english version.
Continue readingWhy Haven’t We Developed a Genital Herpes Vaccine Yet?
Genital herpes is one of the most common STDs. It’s been around for millennia, historical records suggest. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies haven’t managed to develop an effective vaccine for it yet. There are several reasons why the HSV-2 virus proves to be exceptionally difficult to tackle.
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