Venereology (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS) with Ina Park

What It Covers

Dr. Ina Park, UCSF professor and CDC consultant, covers sexually transmitted infection testing schedules, treatment protocols, vaccine developments, and stigma reduction. Topics include HPV vaccination benefits, herpes suppression methods, bacterial vaginosis partner treatment breakthroughs, HIV prevention advances with PrEP, testing recommendations by population, and communication strategies for sexual health conversations.

Key Questions Answered

• •Testing frequency guidelines: People under 25 should test annually for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis if sexually active. Men having sex with men should test every three months for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, including throat and rectal swabs based on sexual practices. Everyone ages 13-64 should receive at least one HIV test in their lifetime. Monogamous partners with no outside exposure require less frequent testing.
• •HPV vaccine expansion: The nine-valent HPV vaccine now covers ages 9-45 and prevents cervical, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Recent research shows one dose may provide long-term protection against HPV 16 and 18. Oropharyngeal cancers from HPV now exceed cervical cancer rates in the United States. Dosing reduced to two shots for those under 14, with potential single-dose protocols emerging.
• •Bacterial vaginosis partner treatment: A 2025 New England Journal of Medicine study proved treating male partners with both topical and oral antibiotics significantly reduces recurrent bacterial vaginosis in female partners. The bacteria create biofilm coating on vaginal walls, making solo treatment ineffective. This paradigm shift addresses chronic infections previously blamed on individual vaginal health rather than partner transmission.
• •HIV prevention and treatment: Undetectable equals untransmittable means people with suppressed HIV viral loads cannot sexually transmit the virus. PrEP options now include daily pills, event-driven dosing, two-month injectables, six-month injectables, and upcoming twelve-month injectables. This eliminates difficult disclosure conversations and creates bridges between HIV-positive and HIV-negative sexual partners, dramatically reducing stigma and transmission risk.
• •Herpes management strategies: Suppressive valacyclovir medication reduces herpes transmission risk by fifty percent but does not eliminate it completely. Condom use during penetrative sex reduces transmission by over eighty percent. Viral shedding peaks during the first two years after infection but continues on approximately ten percent of days even after ten years. New gene-editing treatments and improved diagnostic tests are under development.
• •Disclosure and communication tactics: Offer personal testing results first before asking partners about their status. This vulnerability creates permission for open conversation and demonstrates proactive sexual health management. Partners who refuse treatment for infections like trichomonas demonstrate unreliability beyond sexual health. Negotiated non-monogamy with open communication actually reduces STI risk compared to undisclosed cheating because testing becomes routine.