November 22, 2023 • 23 mins
You might think you've got the lowdown on STIs, but prepare for your perceptions to be flipped upside down. I'm Dr. Tiffany Montgomery, and today I'm sitting down with my co-host, Nick Cuevas, to dive into the commonly misunderstood world of sexually transmitted infections. Now, did you know that one in five Americans have an STI according to the CDC? Today we're stripping down the misconceptions, debunking myths, and getting real about this topic.
Are STIs always symptomatic? Not necessarily—an STI can be silent yet still potent. So, how does this affect us and our partners? Let's talk about it. We're also dipping our toes into the fascinating pool of genetics—can you believe some genes can make you more susceptible to STIs? But don't fret, we're also sharing about the magic of DNA testing for sexual health. These kits are discreet, user-friendly, and pain-free—putting power back into your hands. So, let's unmask STIs together and foster a healthier, more open future. Let's navigate this journey together, armed with knowledge and understanding, and take charge of our sexual health. No more fear, no more stigma, just pure, empowering facts.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Intro (00:04):
P23 Knowledge, access, power.
P23, wellness and Understandingat your fingertips P23.
And that's no cap.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (00:20):
Welcome to Demystifying DNA, where we
dive into topics that are oftenshrouded in secrecy and stigma.
I'm your host, dr TiffanyMontgomery, and today we're
tackling a subject that deservesa spotlight Sexually
transmitted infections andsexual health.
(00:42):
Join us as we break downbarriers, challenge taboos and
foster an open dialogue that'slong overdue.
Our expert guest today and myco-host, is Mr.
Nick Cuevas.
He is the marketing manager forP23 Labs and P23 Health.
(01:08):
He is a father of four and anesteemed health enthusiasts,
fitness coach and friend.
We are so thrilled to have himjoining us today.
I couldn't think of a betterco-host to join me for today.
(01:29):
When I thought about who wecould bring on the team to
really debunk this, the firstperson that came to mind was
Nick.
So welcome, nick.
Thank you for joining us.
Nick Cuevas (01:41):
Well, thank you for having me.
That was a great introduction.
I really appreciate theopportunity to come here on this
great platform and just enjoythis.
I can't wait to hear all of thegreat things that you're going
to show me and tell thelisteners.
I know you have a lot ofknowledge in this.
This is your field.
I'm just going to pick yourbrain and we're going to make
(02:05):
this happen.
Thank you for having me.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (02:08):
More than my pleasure.
Thank you so much, Nick.
I know that the conversation isgoing to be an intense one,
right?
But I'm certain because youhave four children.
You are very familiar andcomfortable with sex, so we're
going to have a very open andhonest conversation.
I want to just thank you forhelping me get beyond the taboos
(02:32):
and really working to fosterthis open dialogue.
I think that we have so muchthat we can just share with the
listeners.
When we think about where weare in the US with sex and STIs,
we begin to wonder why don't wetalk more about this?
(02:53):
Right, it's a relevant topic.
Did you know that one in fiveAmericans have an STI?
Nick Cuevas (03:03):
What Really?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (03:04):
This is according to the CDC Yep.
Nick Cuevas (03:07):
Wow.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomer (03:09):
According to the CDC, there were more
than 2.5 million cases ofChlamydia gonorrhea encephalus
reported in 2019.
Nick Cuevas (03:22):
That's incredible.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (03:27):
It is really a time where we can stop
and we can think about it,because it's personal.
It's a personal topic.
We don't like to talk about it.
Sometimes it's looked upon asbad or taboo, but it's so common
that we have to take time andaddress these things and talk
(03:49):
about how you deal with apositive diagnosis or how you
work to get in cures andtreatments for these types of
things, because it's about oursexual health.
The healthier you are, the moreyou're going to enjoy sex and
the better sexual health you'regoing to have.
(04:11):
You don't want to have painfulintercourse or painful urination
after your intercourse.
You want it to be somethingthat's enjoyable truly from the
beginning to the end.
I'm happy to really get intothat.
As we think about some of thebasics and just what we know
(04:33):
about sex, I think what'ssomething that sticks out in
your mind?
Nick Cuevas (04:41):
The first thing.
I'm still stuck on what yousaid.
One out of five people that'sincredible.
I mean, when I was young wedidn't talk about those things
really too much.
It was just you heard about it.
It was like that fairy talethat girl or that dude over
there, they got something goingon, but you never knew that it
(05:04):
was so common.
That, to me, is a crazy stat.
One out of five people.
Let me ask you a question asfar as STIs go.
Could somebody carry an STI andnot really know about it?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (05:19):
You can.
I think that that is one of thecommon myths that we should
just debunk right now.
Our STIs are not symptomatic.
Men and women are geneticallydifferent.
If you are involved in aheterosexual relationship where
(05:40):
two different sexes are involvedmale, female then your symptoms
or how you express a disease,or even how you're treated for a
disease, is going to bedifferent from your partner.
Might not be the same.
There is a time there's a.
(06:01):
Chlamydia and gonorrhea, Ithink, are perfect examples.
Those two STIs are common.
They're, of course, curablewith antibiotics or around the
antibiotics.
It is definitely something thatyou want to be mindful of, as
(06:26):
chlamydia and gonorrhea don'tmanifest themselves in both
partners.
Again.
Now if it is a same sexrelationship, then that's going
to be a bit different thefemales and males.
(06:46):
There is a difference in howthe body responds to chlamydia
and gonorrhea.
Some are completelyasymptomatic and then some are
symptomatic.
Nick Cuevas (07:00):
Okay, that makes total sense because you know
I've heard of people that I getsomething and they don't really
show nothing.
They're just walking around theworld and they don't even know
it, sometimes until they go tothe doctor or something.
You know they have some kind ofsomething on their skin, but
it's not always that way whereyou could see it on top of your
(07:20):
skin.
It could be in in your body andyou have no idea.
That's kind of freaky, right.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (07:25):
That's kind of crazy it's happening and
you don't even know it is andit's.
You know it's even crazierbecause it is not just
intercourse right, it isfallatio, which is the act of
oral sex, conning ligands, whichis oral sex performed by a
(07:46):
person on female genitalia.
I think in the in the earlierdays there were all kinds of
nicknames for this.
I think the most commonnickname is eating out or
something like that.
Nick Cuevas (07:58):
I don't even know that was in my day.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (07:59):
I don't know what they say today.
That wasn't my day too, which isanal sex.
So these are infections ordiseases that are passed even in
these acts, right?
So we have to be mindful of notjust sexual intercourse but, in
(08:21):
the cases of like mycoplasmagenitalia and urea plasmas,
these are contact past organisms, which means it's not just
sexual intercourse, it's notjust exchanging fluids, it is
contact, coming into contactwith those genitals, right?
(08:43):
So even rubbing or grinding orsometimes, depending on you know
how you're dressed and how theother person is dressed, it can
even be dancing, really closelyand tightly, really Dancing, yes
.
Nick Cuevas (08:57):
Wow, that's crazy.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (09:00):
So if your genitals are rubbing or
touching, then that's anopportunity for these organisms
to be passed and spread.
Wow, that's true you thinkabout putting something like
that with the fact that it couldbe asymptomatic, meaning you
have no symptoms at all.
It is mind boggling.
(09:22):
Never fear, because from thebasics urine tests or blood
screenings or swabs I'll breakdown what each test entails and
why timing matters.
Plus, we'll talk about theimportance of regular testing,
whether you're in a relationshipor you've been in one for a
(09:45):
while.
Nick Cuevas (09:46):
Okay, yeah, that's true.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (09:48):
These are some things that you know.
It just really.
It doesn't matter the length oftime that you've been in a
relationship.
Don't avoid the conversation.
According to even the materialsthat the CDC expressed in their
STI Awareness Week, it wasimportant not to avoid the
(10:12):
conversation.
Talk to your partner beforehaving sex so you can both make
informed decisions about yoursexual health, whether it's the
type of protection that you useor the type of sexual acts that
you're going to perform.
Don't avoid the conversation.
Be understanding.
Being respectful andnon-judgmental can create a
(10:34):
space for a more productiveconversation and if you want to
lay down the groundwork to keepthose conversations going, that
works as well.
But I'd say definitely,strongly and intensely be
respectful and understanding.
Nick Cuevas (10:51):
You don't want people to shut down when they're
talking to you right.
You can scare somebody and thenthat's it.
You know, they close up, theydon't tell you the truth, and
then you guys are both walkingaround with STIs and have no
idea.
I have a question, though,regarding just genetics and
genes and so on DNA, basicallyhow does that intertwine with
(11:14):
STIs?
Can our genes affect ourchances of getting an STI?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (11:19):
I think that that is a great question
and thank you for asking,because in fact it can.
Nick Cuevas (11:32):
Really All right, you got to tell me, but please,
because I just didn't think that.
I mean, I thought you knowthat's kind of like an even
thing, you could just get it ifyou're at the wrong place at the
wrong time, type of deal.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (11:48):
So those little pesky genes in our DNA
play such a huge role in abouteverything that happens to us,
right?
And I think even years ago whenwe were having those fake free
will arguments, really, it washow much of this is predestined
(12:08):
in your DNA, right, but genescan affect your ability to get
an STI in different ways.
Some genes may make you moresusceptible to infection and
take it away from even STIs.
Let's just talk viruses andbacteria in general.
(12:28):
Let's think about COVID, right,that was a big thing that a lot
of people knew about, they wereaware of and you heard very
early on, some people weregetting it and some people
weren't, and we couldn't figureout why some people were getting
it and some people weren't.
Right, and we began tounderstand and explore that
(12:49):
phenomena that some people weregenetically resistant and some
susceptible to infection.
And that goes for any infection.
It's no specific or respect toCOVID, right?
It's any infection, includingHIV, HPV, gonorrhea, syphilis,
chlamydia, so on and so forth.
(13:10):
For example, some studies havefound that people with certain
variants of the HLA genes, whichare involved in the recognition
of elimination of foreigninvaders people with that gene
have a lower risk of contactthan HIV or HPV okay.
(13:31):
And then some genes may affectyour immune response to STIs,
which can influence the severityand the duration.
So once you get through thegenes that help influence
susceptibility and resistance,how easy it is for you to catch
it, you have more genes thatwill regulate or already provide
(13:51):
some guidance to how severeit's going to be.
For example, some people withthe gene called IL-2AB, which
regulates a projection ofinterferon, which is a protein
that fights viral infections,may get better responses for hep
(14:12):
C treatment.
This is not a phenomenon whenyou think about how important it
is to reflect on genes andtheir ability to respond to
medication, to heal themselves.
When we talk about thosegenetic predispositions, it's
(14:36):
not on your family questionnaireat the doctor's office, but
it's very relevant.
Your genes, your genetics, willplay a part in how susceptible
or how resistant you are.
And then the outcome of yourtreatment for the STIs, the
ability for your body to respondto the STI medication all of
(14:57):
those things are alreadydetermined in your DNA.
Nick Cuevas (15:04):
Wow, what's crazy to me is that, like you know,
when you go to a primary doctor,none of this stuff is discussed
.
Why and I guess this isprobably a whole other
conversation, but if you canjust give it to me raw, no pun
intended, but for real like, whyisn't it not discussed like
(15:28):
that?
Why aren't other primarydoctors or just regular
physicians talking about howimportant your genetics are when
it comes to all of these things?
I mean, I would think thatwould be one of the you know,
something that would be in theforefront of when they ask you
you know about yourself, yourfamily history.
Why don't they do a genetictest on you?
(15:49):
Why don't they take your saliva, like what you do with P23
health and all that good stuffwith the testing kits?
Why don't they?
What's the reason?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (15:58):
I have to tell you, nick, I do strongly
feel that the more weunderstand DNA and its impact on
people, more medical models aregoing to be moving in the
direction that we are at P23,where we're pushing personalized
(16:18):
health and personalizedmedicine and personalized
treatment.
Having these decisions madebased on your DNA and making
informed decisions based onknowledge pre-established is
going to revolutionizehealthcare.
(16:39):
This is where we're going.
It's kind of, if you think back10, 15 years ago, we would say
why doesn't everybody have aniPhone?
And it was so many people whowere resistant to iPhone or to
cell phones.
You know, in the very beginningyou wouldn't think 10 years
later or 15 years later,everybody would have a phone.
(17:01):
People are even getting phonesfor their elementary children.
Okay, second, third, fourthgrade.
I've seen these children withtheir own phones.
That's a long way from wherewe've been, and I think that
it's really important tounderstand that this is
technology, just like the phone.
(17:22):
It's healthcare technology, butit's going to take some time
and some understanding, somediscussions like what we're
having, to help peopleunderstand and be comfortable
with the concept of thetechnology and what it can do
for us.
Nick Cuevas (17:39):
So true, because it just seems like this would help
a lot of people out if theyknew more about their genetics,
their genes, their DNA, how itall works for them, because
everybody's different and wekind of label everybody as the
same.
You know like we're a template,you know like if you go to a
new community they have likefive different designs of the
(18:00):
homes and every after every fouror five homes is the same home
over again.
They kind of the medical systemseems like it's just like that.
Let me, let me get a piece ofpaper.
I have 20 questions that askthis patient and then I go off
and that's it.
It's over.
I might do blood work or mightnot.
Intro (18:16):
And that's it.
Nick Cuevas (18:18):
And it just doesn't seem right because, based on
what you're saying, just I mean,and you're just talking about
STI, you're not even going intoall of the in depth stuff that
you know about how everythingworks as far as all of it, and
just by talking about STIs,that's crazy because it
(18:38):
basically it seems like yourgenetics do affect how your body
responds to STIs and so andstuff like that.
So it's crazy to know that,because I kind of felt like it
was a one fits all type of athing.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (18:51):
Nick, I think that this has been an
amazing discussion.
I want to see how our guestsfeel about it, how our partners
feel about it.
I want to see if they contactus with any questions.
We got to have a part two tothis discussion because I think
that we are just really tappingin to some really amazing things
(19:17):
about DNA and aboutdemystifying it and being more
comfortable with it and applyingit to every aspect of our lives
, right?
Intro (19:27):
and so.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (19:28):
I'm excited to just talk about.
I have the opportunity to talkwith you about it.
I want to just say one of thethings that have always been
important with me in any of myrelationships is being open and
honest.
Right, let people know ifyou've got something going on.
Talk to your partner.
(19:49):
Be clear about the number ofsexual partners that you
currently have and know when thelast time you were tested.
Be comfortable with those tests, because regular testing is
crucial to preventing andreducing the spread of sexually
(20:14):
transmitted infections, which,like we've already talked about,
could be completelyasymptomatic.
You could not have anythingwrong and yet be in a situation
where you're spreading a STIfrom person to person that could
have been prevented.
Early detection leads to earlytreatment, preventing
(20:37):
complications and futuretransmission.
To reduce the bad stigma thatwe have associated with STI's or
with sex, we need to normalizetesting as routine health care
practice, something that youwould do on a regular basis
(20:58):
based on your sexual health,just like getting a checkup or a
flu shot, and with at hometesting kits, you can do it
privately, in the comfort ofyour own home with the partner,
like P23 health, but anybodythat you choose that you trust.
(21:20):
Before we wrap up, I want toencourage all of our listeners
to take a proactive step towardstheir health, because you
matter.
If today's discussion hasprompted any questions or
concerns about your sexualhealth, I have a simple and
convenient solution for you.
(21:40):
You contact P23 health and makeus your partner every step of
the way.
Set up your virtual healthcoaching, get partnered with
your friend.
That's not going to judge you,not going to condemn you, but we
(22:01):
want you to be comfortable withyou.
Are you curious about yoursexual health status?
Do you want to take control ofyour well-being from the comfort
of your home?
Consider ordering an at-hometesting kit with us today or
joining our membership program.
(22:21):
Our testing kits are discreet,user-friendly, pain-free and can
provide you with valuableinsights about your sexual
health.
I want to thank you sincerelyfor tuning in and I want to
(22:41):
encourage you to stay curious,stay informed and take charge of
your health, one gene at a time.
Thank you for joiningdemystifying DNA with your host,
dr Tiffany Montgomery, and yourco-host Mr.
(23:06):
Nick Cuevas, thank you we existto help you capitalize on your
health and wellness, empoweringyou to embrace a richer quality
of life, with a treasure troveof success stories from
individuals just like you.
We're here to help guide you onyour goal and your journey.
(23:29):
At p23, we're with you everystep of the way, until next time
.
knowledge, access, power,well-nissing understanding at
(23:49):
your fingertips, and that's nocap.
P23 Knowledge, access, power.
P23, wellness and Understandingat your fingertips P23.
And that's no cap.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (00:20):
Welcome to Demystifying DNA, where we
dive into topics that are oftenshrouded in secrecy and stigma.
I'm your host, dr TiffanyMontgomery, and today we're
tackling a subject that deservesa spotlight Sexually
transmitted infections andsexual health.
(00:42):
Join us as we break downbarriers, challenge taboos and
foster an open dialogue that'slong overdue.
Our expert guest today and myco-host, is Mr.
Nick Cuevas.
He is the marketing manager forP23 Labs and P23 Health.
(01:08):
He is a father of four and anesteemed health enthusiasts,
fitness coach and friend.
We are so thrilled to have himjoining us today.
I couldn't think of a betterco-host to join me for today.
(01:29):
When I thought about who wecould bring on the team to
really debunk this, the firstperson that came to mind was
Nick.
So welcome, nick.
Thank you for joining us.
Nick Cuevas (01:41):
Well, thank you for having me.
That was a great introduction.
I really appreciate theopportunity to come here on this
great platform and just enjoythis.
I can't wait to hear all of thegreat things that you're going
to show me and tell thelisteners.
I know you have a lot ofknowledge in this.
This is your field.
I'm just going to pick yourbrain and we're going to make
(02:05):
this happen.
Thank you for having me.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (02:08):
More than my pleasure.
Thank you so much, Nick.
I know that the conversation isgoing to be an intense one,
right?
But I'm certain because youhave four children.
You are very familiar andcomfortable with sex, so we're
going to have a very open andhonest conversation.
I want to just thank you forhelping me get beyond the taboos
(02:32):
and really working to fosterthis open dialogue.
I think that we have so muchthat we can just share with the
listeners.
When we think about where weare in the US with sex and STIs,
we begin to wonder why don't wetalk more about this?
(02:53):
Right, it's a relevant topic.
Did you know that one in fiveAmericans have an STI?
Nick Cuevas (03:03):
What Really?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (03:04):
This is according to the CDC Yep.
Nick Cuevas (03:07):
Wow.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomer (03:09):
According to the CDC, there were more
than 2.5 million cases ofChlamydia gonorrhea encephalus
reported in 2019.
Nick Cuevas (03:22):
That's incredible.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (03:27):
It is really a time where we can stop
and we can think about it,because it's personal.
It's a personal topic.
We don't like to talk about it.
Sometimes it's looked upon asbad or taboo, but it's so common
that we have to take time andaddress these things and talk
(03:49):
about how you deal with apositive diagnosis or how you
work to get in cures andtreatments for these types of
things, because it's about oursexual health.
The healthier you are, the moreyou're going to enjoy sex and
the better sexual health you'regoing to have.
(04:11):
You don't want to have painfulintercourse or painful urination
after your intercourse.
You want it to be somethingthat's enjoyable truly from the
beginning to the end.
I'm happy to really get intothat.
As we think about some of thebasics and just what we know
(04:33):
about sex, I think what'ssomething that sticks out in
your mind?
Nick Cuevas (04:41):
The first thing.
I'm still stuck on what yousaid.
One out of five people that'sincredible.
I mean, when I was young wedidn't talk about those things
really too much.
It was just you heard about it.
It was like that fairy talethat girl or that dude over
there, they got something goingon, but you never knew that it
(05:04):
was so common.
That, to me, is a crazy stat.
One out of five people.
Let me ask you a question asfar as STIs go.
Could somebody carry an STI andnot really know about it?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (05:19):
You can.
I think that that is one of thecommon myths that we should
just debunk right now.
Our STIs are not symptomatic.
Men and women are geneticallydifferent.
If you are involved in aheterosexual relationship where
(05:40):
two different sexes are involvedmale, female then your symptoms
or how you express a disease,or even how you're treated for a
disease, is going to bedifferent from your partner.
Might not be the same.
There is a time there's a.
(06:01):
Chlamydia and gonorrhea, Ithink, are perfect examples.
Those two STIs are common.
They're, of course, curablewith antibiotics or around the
antibiotics.
It is definitely something thatyou want to be mindful of, as
(06:26):
chlamydia and gonorrhea don'tmanifest themselves in both
partners.
Again.
Now if it is a same sexrelationship, then that's going
to be a bit different thefemales and males.
(06:46):
There is a difference in howthe body responds to chlamydia
and gonorrhea.
Some are completelyasymptomatic and then some are
symptomatic.
Nick Cuevas (07:00):
Okay, that makes total sense because you know
I've heard of people that I getsomething and they don't really
show nothing.
They're just walking around theworld and they don't even know
it, sometimes until they go tothe doctor or something.
You know they have some kind ofsomething on their skin, but
it's not always that way whereyou could see it on top of your
(07:20):
skin.
It could be in in your body andyou have no idea.
That's kind of freaky, right.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (07:25):
That's kind of crazy it's happening and
you don't even know it is andit's.
You know it's even crazierbecause it is not just
intercourse right, it isfallatio, which is the act of
oral sex, conning ligands, whichis oral sex performed by a
(07:46):
person on female genitalia.
I think in the in the earlierdays there were all kinds of
nicknames for this.
I think the most commonnickname is eating out or
something like that.
Nick Cuevas (07:58):
I don't even know that was in my day.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (07:59):
I don't know what they say today.
That wasn't my day too, which isanal sex.
So these are infections ordiseases that are passed even in
these acts, right?
So we have to be mindful of notjust sexual intercourse but, in
(08:21):
the cases of like mycoplasmagenitalia and urea plasmas,
these are contact past organisms, which means it's not just
sexual intercourse, it's notjust exchanging fluids, it is
contact, coming into contactwith those genitals, right?
(08:43):
So even rubbing or grinding orsometimes, depending on you know
how you're dressed and how theother person is dressed, it can
even be dancing, really closelyand tightly, really Dancing, yes
.
Nick Cuevas (08:57):
Wow, that's crazy.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (09:00):
So if your genitals are rubbing or
touching, then that's anopportunity for these organisms
to be passed and spread.
Wow, that's true you thinkabout putting something like
that with the fact that it couldbe asymptomatic, meaning you
have no symptoms at all.
It is mind boggling.
(09:22):
Never fear, because from thebasics urine tests or blood
screenings or swabs I'll breakdown what each test entails and
why timing matters.
Plus, we'll talk about theimportance of regular testing,
whether you're in a relationshipor you've been in one for a
(09:45):
while.
Nick Cuevas (09:46):
Okay, yeah, that's true.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (09:48):
These are some things that you know.
It just really.
It doesn't matter the length oftime that you've been in a
relationship.
Don't avoid the conversation.
According to even the materialsthat the CDC expressed in their
STI Awareness Week, it wasimportant not to avoid the
(10:12):
conversation.
Talk to your partner beforehaving sex so you can both make
informed decisions about yoursexual health, whether it's the
type of protection that you useor the type of sexual acts that
you're going to perform.
Don't avoid the conversation.
Be understanding.
Being respectful andnon-judgmental can create a
(10:34):
space for a more productiveconversation and if you want to
lay down the groundwork to keepthose conversations going, that
works as well.
But I'd say definitely,strongly and intensely be
respectful and understanding.
Nick Cuevas (10:51):
You don't want people to shut down when they're
talking to you right.
You can scare somebody and thenthat's it.
You know, they close up, theydon't tell you the truth, and
then you guys are both walkingaround with STIs and have no
idea.
I have a question, though,regarding just genetics and
genes and so on DNA, basicallyhow does that intertwine with
(11:14):
STIs?
Can our genes affect ourchances of getting an STI?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (11:19):
I think that that is a great question
and thank you for asking,because in fact it can.
Nick Cuevas (11:32):
Really All right, you got to tell me, but please,
because I just didn't think that.
I mean, I thought you knowthat's kind of like an even
thing, you could just get it ifyou're at the wrong place at the
wrong time, type of deal.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (11:48):
So those little pesky genes in our DNA
play such a huge role in abouteverything that happens to us,
right?
And I think even years ago whenwe were having those fake free
will arguments, really, it washow much of this is predestined
(12:08):
in your DNA, right, but genescan affect your ability to get
an STI in different ways.
Some genes may make you moresusceptible to infection and
take it away from even STIs.
Let's just talk viruses andbacteria in general.
(12:28):
Let's think about COVID, right,that was a big thing that a lot
of people knew about, they wereaware of and you heard very
early on, some people weregetting it and some people
weren't, and we couldn't figureout why some people were getting
it and some people weren't.
Right, and we began tounderstand and explore that
(12:49):
phenomena that some people weregenetically resistant and some
susceptible to infection.
And that goes for any infection.
It's no specific or respect toCOVID, right?
It's any infection, includingHIV, HPV, gonorrhea, syphilis,
chlamydia, so on and so forth.
(13:10):
For example, some studies havefound that people with certain
variants of the HLA genes, whichare involved in the recognition
of elimination of foreigninvaders people with that gene
have a lower risk of contactthan HIV or HPV okay.
(13:31):
And then some genes may affectyour immune response to STIs,
which can influence the severityand the duration.
So once you get through thegenes that help influence
susceptibility and resistance,how easy it is for you to catch
it, you have more genes thatwill regulate or already provide
(13:51):
some guidance to how severeit's going to be.
For example, some people withthe gene called IL-2AB, which
regulates a projection ofinterferon, which is a protein
that fights viral infections,may get better responses for hep
(14:12):
C treatment.
This is not a phenomenon whenyou think about how important it
is to reflect on genes andtheir ability to respond to
medication, to heal themselves.
When we talk about thosegenetic predispositions, it's
(14:36):
not on your family questionnaireat the doctor's office, but
it's very relevant.
Your genes, your genetics, willplay a part in how susceptible
or how resistant you are.
And then the outcome of yourtreatment for the STIs, the
ability for your body to respondto the STI medication all of
(14:57):
those things are alreadydetermined in your DNA.
Nick Cuevas (15:04):
Wow, what's crazy to me is that, like you know,
when you go to a primary doctor,none of this stuff is discussed
.
Why and I guess this isprobably a whole other
conversation, but if you canjust give it to me raw, no pun
intended, but for real like, whyisn't it not discussed like
(15:28):
that?
Why aren't other primarydoctors or just regular
physicians talking about howimportant your genetics are when
it comes to all of these things?
I mean, I would think thatwould be one of the you know,
something that would be in theforefront of when they ask you
you know about yourself, yourfamily history.
Why don't they do a genetictest on you?
(15:49):
Why don't they take your saliva, like what you do with P23
health and all that good stuffwith the testing kits?
Why don't they?
What's the reason?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (15:58):
I have to tell you, nick, I do strongly
feel that the more weunderstand DNA and its impact on
people, more medical models aregoing to be moving in the
direction that we are at P23,where we're pushing personalized
(16:18):
health and personalizedmedicine and personalized
treatment.
Having these decisions madebased on your DNA and making
informed decisions based onknowledge pre-established is
going to revolutionizehealthcare.
(16:39):
This is where we're going.
It's kind of, if you think back10, 15 years ago, we would say
why doesn't everybody have aniPhone?
And it was so many people whowere resistant to iPhone or to
cell phones.
You know, in the very beginningyou wouldn't think 10 years
later or 15 years later,everybody would have a phone.
(17:01):
People are even getting phonesfor their elementary children.
Okay, second, third, fourthgrade.
I've seen these children withtheir own phones.
That's a long way from wherewe've been, and I think that
it's really important tounderstand that this is
technology, just like the phone.
(17:22):
It's healthcare technology, butit's going to take some time
and some understanding, somediscussions like what we're
having, to help peopleunderstand and be comfortable
with the concept of thetechnology and what it can do
for us.
Nick Cuevas (17:39):
So true, because it just seems like this would help
a lot of people out if theyknew more about their genetics,
their genes, their DNA, how itall works for them, because
everybody's different and wekind of label everybody as the
same.
You know like we're a template,you know like if you go to a
new community they have likefive different designs of the
(18:00):
homes and every after every fouror five homes is the same home
over again.
They kind of the medical systemseems like it's just like that.
Let me, let me get a piece ofpaper.
I have 20 questions that askthis patient and then I go off
and that's it.
It's over.
I might do blood work or mightnot.
Intro (18:16):
And that's it.
Nick Cuevas (18:18):
And it just doesn't seem right because, based on
what you're saying, just I mean,and you're just talking about
STI, you're not even going intoall of the in depth stuff that
you know about how everythingworks as far as all of it, and
just by talking about STIs,that's crazy because it
(18:38):
basically it seems like yourgenetics do affect how your body
responds to STIs and so andstuff like that.
So it's crazy to know that,because I kind of felt like it
was a one fits all type of athing.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (18:51):
Nick, I think that this has been an
amazing discussion.
I want to see how our guestsfeel about it, how our partners
feel about it.
I want to see if they contactus with any questions.
We got to have a part two tothis discussion because I think
that we are just really tappingin to some really amazing things
(19:17):
about DNA and aboutdemystifying it and being more
comfortable with it and applyingit to every aspect of our lives
, right?
Intro (19:27):
and so.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (19:28):
I'm excited to just talk about.
I have the opportunity to talkwith you about it.
I want to just say one of thethings that have always been
important with me in any of myrelationships is being open and
honest.
Right, let people know ifyou've got something going on.
Talk to your partner.
(19:49):
Be clear about the number ofsexual partners that you
currently have and know when thelast time you were tested.
Be comfortable with those tests, because regular testing is
crucial to preventing andreducing the spread of sexually
(20:14):
transmitted infections, which,like we've already talked about,
could be completelyasymptomatic.
You could not have anythingwrong and yet be in a situation
where you're spreading a STIfrom person to person that could
have been prevented.
Early detection leads to earlytreatment, preventing
(20:37):
complications and futuretransmission.
To reduce the bad stigma thatwe have associated with STI's or
with sex, we need to normalizetesting as routine health care
practice, something that youwould do on a regular basis
(20:58):
based on your sexual health,just like getting a checkup or a
flu shot, and with at hometesting kits, you can do it
privately, in the comfort ofyour own home with the partner,
like P23 health, but anybodythat you choose that you trust.
(21:20):
Before we wrap up, I want toencourage all of our listeners
to take a proactive step towardstheir health, because you
matter.
If today's discussion hasprompted any questions or
concerns about your sexualhealth, I have a simple and
convenient solution for you.
(21:40):
You contact P23 health and makeus your partner every step of
the way.
Set up your virtual healthcoaching, get partnered with
your friend.
That's not going to judge you,not going to condemn you, but we
(22:01):
want you to be comfortable withyou.
Are you curious about yoursexual health status?
Do you want to take control ofyour well-being from the comfort
of your home?
Consider ordering an at-hometesting kit with us today or
joining our membership program.
(22:21):
Our testing kits are discreet,user-friendly, pain-free and can
provide you with valuableinsights about your sexual
health.
I want to thank you sincerelyfor tuning in and I want to
(22:41):
encourage you to stay curious,stay informed and take charge of
your health, one gene at a time.
Thank you for joiningdemystifying DNA with your host,
dr Tiffany Montgomery, and yourco-host Mr.
(23:06):
Nick Cuevas, thank you we existto help you capitalize on your
health and wellness, empoweringyou to embrace a richer quality
of life, with a treasure troveof success stories from
individuals just like you.
We're here to help guide you onyour goal and your journey.
(23:29):
At p23, we're with you everystep of the way, until next time
.
knowledge, access, power,well-nissing understanding at
(23:49):
your fingertips, and that's nocap.
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