Check out this interesting mini-bio of Rig Rush, the latest in IRMA’s “Meet a Friendly Rectal Microbicide Advocate” series on the IRMA website here.  Rig is one of the six new bios just posted the other day, including individuals from Thailand, Kenya and the US.  Each will be featured on the blog, and you can read all of Read More >>

via AIDSmap.com, by Gus Cairns Neither rectal douching nor vaginal washing appear to be as significantly associated with sexually transmitted infections as had been feared, the International Microbicides Conference in Sydney heard yesterday. In the case of women, vaginal washing and other vaginal health practices have been associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), an imbalance in the types Read More >>

IRMA and researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health are conducting a brief survey to help better understand the types of products people use rectally for anal sex including lubricants and enemas or douches. Take the survey in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, or Russian. We’re trying to gain a better understanding Read More >>

Via PlusNews. A new global survey of more than 5,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) reveals a marginalized group of people with little access to basic HIV prevention tools such as condoms and few means to learn about HIV. Conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV between 24 June and 17 August 2010, Read More >>

Via RHrealitycheck.org, by Martha Kempner In 2006–2008, 29 percent of females and 27 percent of males ages 15 to 24 reported that they had never had sexual contact with another person. This was a small but statistically significant change from 2002 when it was 22 percent for both males and females. Many teens are making responsible decisions Read More >>

Men, who use erectile dysfunction drugs like , are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases as compared to non-users, revealed a study. The findings indicate that physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older patients. For the study, the researchers Read More >>

via Salon.com, by Tracy Clark-Flory Women are skipping the condoms when it comes to, well, the backdoor. It seems women have a safe sex blind spot when it comes to anal sex, according to a new report by the New York City Health Department. Far fewer women consistently use condoms during anal sex than men who sleep Read More >>

via TheBody.com Adolescent males continue to be overlooked by health care providers in terms of reproductive health services, new research shows. Dr. Arik Marcell, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues compared data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth to determine whether improvements Read More >>

Critics question the relevance of the African studies, saying that most of the HIV transmission in the United States occurs among drug addicts and gay men, whose risk would be unaffected by whether they were circumcised. They also worry that it will give circumcised men a false sense of security. And they say it permanently diminishes the Read More >>

Among a population of HIV-positive men who reported unsafe anal intercourse with other men in the preceding year, the authors assessed rates of childhood sexual abuse and its demographic and mental health correlates. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 593 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), who were enrolled in the Read More >>