ASTDA is the proud sponsor of:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP) and The American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA) have partnered to bring you the latest research and best practices for STD prevention with the STD Prevention Science Series.
This quarterly series will bring lectures on cutting edge issues by scientists and program experts of world renown to all persons interested in the prevention of STI including HIV.
June 27, 2013, 1:00-2:00pm ET
James Blanchard, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor, Departments of Community Health Sciences and Medical Microbiology
Director, Centre for Global Public Health
Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health
Faculty of Medicine
University of Manitoba
“Program Science” is a relatively new construct that has emerged to help address the gap between the domains of public health programs and scientific research. In this presentation Dr. Blanchard will discuss the challenges and issues for developing, synthesizing and translating scientific knowledge into the design and implementation of public health programs focusing on STI and HIV prevention. Examples from several different countries in diverse epidemiological and socio-cultural contexts will be used to illustrate emerging approaches to improve assessment and program strategies, definition of programs and prevention services, and measuring the progress and achievement of programs.
To join the webinar on June 27, visit the event site and dial in at 1-888-606-5949. The conference number is PW4841833 and the audience passcode is 2894953.
The Microbiome of the Penis in Adolescent Men
March 7, 2013, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
In this seminar, Dr. Fortenberry will summarize methodologic issues in conducting a prospective study of the penis microbiome among 14-17 year old adolescents. The microbiota of the coronal sulcus and urethra will be described, along with potential interactions of the penis microbiota with urethritis, Chlamydia infections and other STI. The overall objective is to develop a new paradigm for understanding the developmental sexual health of young men.
Dr. Fortenberry is an adolescent medicine physician and researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is principal investigator of this study of the penis microbiome, funded through the Human Microbiome Project and NIAID. Currently he also serves as Co-PI on a NICHD protocol entitled “HIV-Related Care Engagement: Linkage to Care and Care-Seeking for HIV-Infected Adolescents.” Over the past 25 years, he has guided a research program focused on sexuality, sexual health, and sexuality transmitted infections. Highlights include description of STD-related care-seeking among adolescents, demonstration of the importance of Chlamydia reinfection among adolescent women, evaluating the covariation of health-protective and health-harming behaviors, addressing the contextual and interpersonal factors associated with adolescent sexual activity, and national surveys of sexual behavior and sexual health across the lifespan.
The Road From Observation to Intervention to Implementation: Perspectives of a Pragmatic HIV Prevention Researcher
December 13, 2012, 11:00am – 12:00pm ET
Connie Celum, MD, MPH
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Contraception and STI/HIV: Balancing the Tradeoffs in Different Contexts
by Ward Cates, MD, MPH
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
For complete information on Continuing Education and this program, please visit the CDC website.
It’s Not Just the Pathogen Anymore: The Genital Microbiome and Implications for Sexually Transmitted Infections
by Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA
Abstract: The healthy vaginal environment favors reproductive health, and is dominated by H2O2-producing lactobacilli specific to the human vagina that maintain characteristically low pH (<4.7). Although the vaginal microbiome is dynamic, with daily sampling revealing marked changes in bacterial concentrations that can sometimes be related to sex, menses, or other external factors, sustained disruption in the ratio of key lactobacilli to commensal anaerobes can result in bacterial vaginosis (BV). BV involves loss of the “normal” hydrogen peroxide-producing lactobacilli and acquisition of complex bacterial communities that include many fastidious BV-associated bacteria (BVAB). BV is a common cause of vaginitis and increases women’s risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and risk of STD/HIV acquisition. Recent evidence in populations at high risk for HIV acquisition suggests that BV increases affected women’s risk of transmitting HIV to their male sex partners. The etiology of BV is unclear, though risks reflect a sexual component: sex without a condom, multiple partners, sex with women, and sex with an uncircumcised male partner. Treatment failure is common, and is facilitated by unprotected sex. Potential contributions to BV and BV persistence include (1) sexual partners as a reservoir for BVAB; (2) specific sexual practices, including male partners’ condom use and inoculating anatomic site; (3) extravaginal reservoirs for BVAB, and (4) the composition of the vaginal microbiota involved in BV. While Gardnerella vaginalis plays a major role in BV, other BVAB in the Clostridiales Order are considerably more specific for BV, and may predict BV persistence when detected pre-treatment. BVAB colonization of men may serve as a reservoir for re-infection of women; specific sexual practices may favor vaginal colonization with certain BVAB that have been associated with persistence. This session will provide background on BV, and discuss recent developments in our understanding of the epidemiologic and microbiologic data that inform understanding of this complex dysbiosis.