December 20, 2023 • 26 mins
Settle in as we aim to disrupt preconceived notions surrounding STIs with our distinguished guest, Gregory Masterson. We unbox the importance of routine STI tests and annual physicals, especially for same-sex couples. We also shine a spotlight on HIV prevention for gay men, dissecting the role of Prep, an antiretroviral medication, and its effectiveness in reducing the risk of HIV infection while underscoring that it doesn't confer immunity against other STIs.
In this no-holds-barred conversation, we tap into the power of genetic research in helping design bespoke healthcare for the gay community. Together with Greg, we bust myths and challenge stigmas about STIs, substantiating that informed decisions are the first step to a healthy life. We encourage you to join us on this educational journey to redefine societal taboos. Here at P23 Health, we believe in the intersection of knowledge, access, and power to help navigate the health landscape.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Theme Music (00:04):
P23 Knowledge, access, power.
P23, wellness and Understandingat your Fingertips P23.
And that's no Cap.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (00:21):
Welcome back to Demystifying DNA, the
podcast where we unravel themysteries of genetics and its
impact on our lives.
I'm your host, curious lady Dr.
Tiffany Montgomery, scientistand epidemiologist, joined by
(00:42):
the insightful Mr.
Gregory Masterson.
I call him Greg.
He is not only the Director OfOperations for P23 Labs and P23
Health.
He serves as my executiveassistant, my right hand,
helping us stay on top ofeverything.
(01:04):
He is an uncle, a son, apartner, a twin sibling and an
amazing man to know.
He comes from an industry ofnot just life but also
restaurant managemententrepreneurship.
(01:26):
He's been the owner of GoGoBathers, a very successful dog
grooming business, as well asworking in the field of life
sciences and genetic development.
Greg's skills are very robust.
(01:48):
Today he's going to bring withus the skills of just life and
we're grateful to have him.
Welcome, Greg.
Greg Masterson (01:56):
Thank you so much for having me, Dr.
T, It's a pleasure to be hereand I'm excited to talk with you
today.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (02:03):
Well, thank you, Greg, for joining.
We are so excited to have youbecause today in our special
three-part STI series, we'refocusing on taboos revisited.
Navigating the STI landscape,we're going to delve into the
intricate world of sexuallytransmitted infections, again
(02:28):
aiming to dissect the geneticaspects and break down the
societal taboos that oftenobscure our understanding.
We've talked a little bit aboutbeing single in STIs, being in
relationships or marriages withSTIs.
We've talked about it at lengthwith Nick and today we're going
(02:49):
to talk about it as it affectssame-sex relationships.
So we have a very special guestin Greg because he covers that
aspect of it as well.
We're going to explore theintersection of genetics, health
and societal perceptions,providing a clearer and more
(03:10):
informed view of STIs.
Greg, can you tell us a littlebit about yourself other than
what I already said?
Greg Masterson (03:19):
Sure, that was a great introduction.
I really appreciate it.
I will say that I definitely ama family man, close with my
siblings and my nieces andnephews, and also my partner.
We've been together for 13years.
We just celebrated our 13-yearanniversary this past October.
Dr. Tiffany Mon (03:41):
Congratulations .
Thank you so much Thank you.
Greg Masterson (03:46):
It's really been an amazing thing to share my
life with Nathan, and he doeskeep me sane in a lot of ways.
I'm really proud that I get toshare my life with him for sure.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (04:00):
Well, that's amazing.
I think that when you thinkabout being in a relationship
for 13 years, that's commendableCongratulations.
However you do, maybe we'llhave a relationship forum and
we'll bring you back on thatwhen we can talk about all of
the relationship tea.
For this episode, I wanted tofocus on some of the stigmas
(04:24):
that are out there and delveinto that are in a same-sex
relationship with your partner,nathan.
So I'm wondering are you awareof, or do you know of, any
taboos or stigmas that are outthere?
Anything that you would like todiscuss, questions that you may
have or anything?
(04:44):
We're open.
Greg Masterson (04:46):
Yeah, thank you.
One thing I would definitelythink would add value to our
listeners would be talkingthrough a recommendation from
you about the importance ofregular STI testing,
specifically within the gaycommunity, and even in a
committed relationship, I thinkthat people still should be
(05:09):
tested regularly, so I'd love tohear your thoughts on that.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (05:12):
Well, I think that you are absolutely
correct.
If you were listening to thelast podcast, we talked about
how these things can literallybe on toilet seats.
We used to think back in my daywhen I was in school oh you
didn't get anything off thattoilet seat girl.
We used to have a joke, it usedto be like a running thing and
(05:32):
I don't know if the kids arestill doing it now, but somebody
would say they're pregnant andit's like I didn't have sex.
I must have sat on the toiletseat with teenage pregnancy and
things like that.
But I mean, it's common, justlike we just had a whole
pandemic with COVID-19 and thosethings going around.
Covid-19, at the end of the day, is a virus, right, and STIs
(05:54):
are just viruses and bacteriasthat are transmitted through
bodily fluids.
So sex, sexual contact, sharingdifferent items, could also
lead to the same effect that youwould see with a sexually
(06:15):
transmitted infection.
So, just being mindful thatthere are so many avenues and
ways to attract these viruses, Ithink we're way beyond thinking
about.
Oh, I'm monogamous, I've onlyslept with one person and it's
going to be extremely importantto embrace those regular testing
(06:39):
opportunities.
There are annual physicals thatare always recommended where you
see your doctor once a year andjust get a checkup when you're
doing your annual physicals.
That's an excellent time, evenif you're 100% monogamous, to
just have that STI checkup,depending on your sexual
(07:01):
lifestyle or choices that youmake and routes for sexual
penetration, because there aremultiple routes.
So you got your oral, your anal, your vaginal.
You've got things going on withthe penis, you've got things
going on with the vagina.
So those are ever changingenvironments.
It's going to be very importantto have those monitored and
(07:25):
come up with a schedule to dothat.
You could work with yourprimary healthcare physician,
you could work with yourgynecologist, you could also
work with your P23 health coachor any type of health and
wellness coach that you have toanswer those questions to help
understand the right cadence.
Is it weekly, is it monthly, isit semi-annually or is it
(07:49):
annually?
Right, but even at a bareminimum, everybody should be
checking in once a year.
Greg Masterson (07:56):
Thank you.
That's great advice and I thinkthat that's really helpful for
our listeners, because a lot ofpeople wrongly assume that they
can get tested once and thenthey wait five, 10 years or
longer maybe, and then they justdon't give it the importance
that it deserves.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (08:15):
Yeah, and I think that if we continue
to have talks like this andremove those stigmas, it's going
to really open up the dialogueso that people look at it just
like you would go and have ateeth cleaning every six months.
Right, we all brush our teethregularly, some people once a
day, some people twice a day,some people every time they eat,
they're going to stop andthey're going to go brush your
(08:35):
teeth.
Flossing we have to fight withpeople about flossing, but
flossing is a really good thing,okay, but we want it to be as
routine and as regular as evenyour hygiene check.
Right, when you tell the spouseor the husband or the boyfriend
or whatever, hey, I gotta goget my teeth cleaned, nobody
looks at you like you have eighteyes Nobody.
(08:56):
They might not enjoy going tothe dentist, but we all do it.
We have to have that same typeof view or attitude when it
comes to our STI testing,because it's going to be
important for maintaining goodsexual health, preventing the
transmission of infections andthen treating them as early as
possible.
(09:17):
It's important to understandthat you can have an STI without
any symptoms, so you may noteven know that you're infected.
Not all STIs are transmittedevery time you have sex, so you
may have not contracted the STIfrom your current partner.
Some of these STIs have alonger latency period, or period
(09:39):
that they're dormant, so itcould be months or years from
when you were exposed to thatinfection to when it actually
develops or manifests in yourbody.
Some STIs can cause seriouscomplications of left untreated,
such as infertility, pelvicinflammatory disease or PID, or
(10:00):
an increased risk to otherdiseases such as HIV.
Your propensity to thesediseases and how long it would
take you for it to manifest isall in your DNA.
It's all in your code.
You have genes that are alreadytriggering what that is gonna
look like for you.
You might talk to people andthey might say I've had COVID
(10:25):
five or six times, and you'lltalk to other people and they'll
say I've never had COVID.
Why is that?
Scientists are nowunderstanding the true power of
genetics and some of that isgoing to be directly related to
your genes.
So you cannot make thesegeneralized statements or
(10:45):
objectives like we used to.
We have to really focus on theinformation that we have in hand
, the testing that's available,and making the testing a regular
part of our good health lives.
Getting tested can help youmake informed decisions about
your sexual health and protectyourself and your partners from
(11:07):
future infections.
Getting tested can also reducethe stigma and the shame
associated with STIs, because wewant to encourage more people
to just get tested in treatmentregularly, right?
Same way, when you go to thedentist and they clean your
teeth and they say you need afluoride treatment or you have a
(11:28):
lot of plaque buildup, so we'regonna do some testing or some
treatment or give you a specialtoothpaste to help reduce this
amount of plaque.
So we wanna treat and view oursexual health, whether we're
straight or gay or curious orbisexual, however you identify
sexually.
If you're a non and you'reabstinent but using public
(11:51):
toilet seats, I'm gonna stillrecommend testing on a regular
basis.
Right, it's just.
That's just real, that's justhow we live, that's just the
society that we're in now.
Greg Masterson (11:59):
So Thank you.
That really does help take alot of the scary part away, and
when you're armed with knowledge, that can only ever help you be
less afraid, for sure.
One thing I wanted to ask you,doctor, was about PrEP.
I'm not sure if you've heardabout this I'm sure you have but
(12:19):
a lot of younger people in thegay community believe wrongly
that because they are takingPrEP, which is pre-exposure
prophylaxis, it helps preventthe HIV infection that causes
HIV and AIDS.
But a lot of people wronglyassume that PrEP helps protect
(12:40):
them from everything.
Maybe you can help clear thatup for our audience a little bit
and help them understand thatthat's not the only way to be
safe or to help prevent thespread of STIs.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (12:55):
Well, greg, I think you summed that up
better than I could sum it up.
Really, to be honest with you,as I stated, and I always say, I
am not a medical doctor.
I'm a researcher, a scientistand an epidemiologist.
But I will still say I can talkto you very fluidly about
(13:16):
disease and disease transmission, and one of the things is that
pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEPis a preventative approach when
individuals are at high risk ofcontracting HIV.
So you take the antiretroviralmedications to reduce the risk
of infection, but themedications used are typically
(13:40):
the same ones used to actuallytreat HIV, but when you take
them in your HIV negative personbefore your potential exposure,
it can prevent the virus fromestablishing itself in the body.
I think that there's a goodpurpose.
The medications are out there.
The usage is gonna be once aday.
(14:02):
However, it's important tounderstand that it does not
protect against other STIs.
You wanna think about it likethe same way you would the
vaccines that we get and thereare a large number of vaccines,
right, you have your COVIDvaccine, you got your RSV
(14:23):
vaccine.
Now We've got a flu vaccinethat we have to, or encourage to
, take once a year, every fluseason.
We're still trying to figureout the cadence of the COVID
vaccine.
So we've got a lot of thingsgoing on when it comes to our
vaccines.
Right, you can say that, okay,hey, I had my flu vaccine, get
(14:46):
the respiratory infection, andyou find out you have COVID.
Wow, we never say but I got theflu vaccine, because we all
understand you didn't get theflu, you got COVID.
There are also differentstrands.
So even when you get your fluvaccine or your COVID vaccine,
guess what?
You could still get COVID orthe flu because there's so many
(15:07):
different strands.
Same thing with HIV.
I think that COVID helped morepeople speak in simple terms
about very complex things likeviruses that are always a part
of who we are and where we are,and it's important to really
understand that these things aredesigned to reduce the risk of
(15:28):
that one particular thing, butit doesn't eliminate that one
particular thing and it hasnothing to do with the 99
million other things that youcan get right.
So, while we do not want anyoneto contract HIV, there are
other things out there.
There's HSV, herpes, symplecvirus, which is very common.
If you listened to our lastpodcast, we talked about some
(15:51):
numbers around that one in six.
So you have to make sure thatyou're protecting yourself all
the way around with all of theviruses and you're taking full
precaution, not just thinking,okay, I took a prep and so I can
just go get busy, because itdoesn't give you a blanket card
(16:14):
to getting busy.
You've got to understand that.
It just reduces the risk,making everything else you do
that much more effective.
Greg Masterson (16:24):
Thank you, doctor.
That really does help clear itup.
Excuse me, and it's almost likewearing a seatbelt it doesn't
protect you from everything, butit can certainly help if you
are in an accident.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (16:35):
Great analogy.
Greg, did you have?
We have time for about one morequestion.
So if you wanted to do one morequestion that maybe you had, or
that someone had asked you, orthat came in from one of the
viewers, I'm happy to.
Greg Masterson (16:50):
Yeah, as you look at the genetic research
initiatives, anythingspecifically that you could
recommend tailored to the needsof gay men, maybe something that
P23 offers?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (17:04):
When you're thinking about gay men
and the gay male community.
What are some of the types ofneeds that the community has?
Greg Masterson (17:15):
Well, I mean, one thing that comes top of mind
is HIV and AIDS, but alsorecently, in the past year or so
, there was a big outbreak andyou know a scare about monkeypox
.
I know that was something thatthe gay community faced, I think
at a larger rate than the restof the population, but that's
(17:37):
something that definitely comesto mind.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (17:40):
That's a great one, and you know we were
one of the labs also testingwith that monkeypox.
I think when monkeypox firstcame out we thought it was going
to be more like COVID and thenwe found out it was something
that was specifically targetingor at higher risk in the gay
male community, and the thingabout these diseases or
(18:02):
infections is that they'realways lurking in the background
like the burglars.
They're here, we don't knowwhere they are, you don't know
when they're going to hit yourhouse, but unfortunately
burglars exist.
Viruses are the same way, veryunfortunate they're out there,
but they're out there lurking,waiting for an opportune time to
(18:23):
attack.
It could be because your immunesystem is already low.
It could be because you arestressed out, and so when you're
stressed your body is notprotecting you as much because
it's trying to comfort you andcalm you down.
There are a number of factors,but when you trigger them,
that's when you get these very,very nasty encounters with these
(18:47):
opportunistic viruses.
So, for gay men in particular,some of the things that we offer
and that may be beneficial areHIV testing.
Not only does P23 have an athome kit that can be mailed to
(19:08):
you and mailed back to the labfor PCR testing.
We also have rapid testing, so,but HIV testing is extremely
beneficial.
Gay men, especially those whoare sexually active, should
consider regular HIV testing.
Somebody has to help you definewhat regular is.
Regular for you, depending onyour number of partners could be
(19:32):
every week.
Regular for you could be once amonth.
Regular for you could be everysix months.
So it's where you're definingthis word regular that I would
recommend working with the P23health coach or your primary
care provider or anyknowledgeable medical
professional that can help younavigate through the landscape
(19:53):
and really understand your risk.
Sti testing so regular testingfor other sexually transmitted
infections is important,especially those who have
multiple partners.
Common STIs testing, such aschlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis
and hepatitis is highlyrecommended, and those are all
(20:16):
tested or offered at P23.
You would have an at home testkit mailed to you.
You would provide a samplewhether it would be a rectal
swab or a saliva sample or urinesample and you would mail that
back to the lab forcomprehensive PCR or genetic
testing.
(20:36):
High risk activities soindividuals engaging in any high
risk sexual activitiesunprotected sex, unprotected
anal sex, multiple partners mayneed more frequent testing.
Hepatitis screening is gonna besomething that's gonna be
really important for you and itis also offered at P23.
(20:58):
That's just testing for yourhepatitis B and C, which is
recommended especially if you'reengaging in activities that
increase the risk oftransmission, such as
unprotected anal sex.
Vaccination is gonna besomething that's gonna be
important.
Gay men may wanna considergetting vaccinated against
(21:21):
hepatitis A and B, if theyhaven't already.
Unfortunately, p23 does notoffer vaccinations at this time,
but being vaccinated issomething that's gonna be
extremely beneficial.
And then HPV testing.
So we talk about it in womenquite often, but for gay men,
(21:44):
you really wanna use that analswab or get that anal pap smear
so that you can be screened forHPV, which is a virus that leads
to cancer anal cancer, penilecancer.
Gay men, particularly thosewith HIV, detect and prevent
(22:07):
anal cancer associated with HPVby having the screening test.
Now, the swab is something thatP23 offers.
We do provide the moleculargenetic testing for the HPV that
is found in the anal cells.
That is something that youwould wanna talk to your health
(22:29):
coach about or to your primaryprovider about and make sure
that you're on a regularschedule for that, whether
that's yearly or every two orthree years, just making sure
that you're regularly screenedif you are receiving a penis in
your anus, and that goes forwomen too.
(22:49):
If you are a woman that'sreceiving a penis in your anus,
you still wanna be screened foranal HPV Syphilis testing.
So finding a regular cadence forsyphilis testing and that is
something that P23 offers wewould be looking at.
(23:10):
Also having regular physicalexams, because with the syphilis
it might even include sores orrashes.
So you wanna be which can besimilar to monkeypox.
You wanna be prepared to kindalook at that and be screened for
that.
Herpes testing one thing wetalked about herpes earlier, but
(23:30):
that's gonna be something thatit might not even have symptoms.
You could have symptoms.
So you definitely wanna betested if you have symptoms but
you might not.
So just stand on top of thoseregular checkups, regular sexual
health checkups, even if yourabsence of symptoms are
important for overall well-being.
(23:52):
And then keeping that opencommunication with your
healthcare providers.
If you're having a healthcoaching session with your P23
health coach, even if youhaven't come out to your family
yet or you haven't exposed thatyou're gay or maybe you think
people don't know, it'simportant when you talk to your
providers that you disclose thatbecause your treatment
(24:13):
frequency or your checkupfrequency or your testing
frequency may vary depending onthe sexual activities that you
participate in.
If you have a hard time talkingabout it, write it down.
Put it on a piece of paper andslide that paper right to the
doctor.
They'll read it.
Have that open conversation orhave somebody in your corner
(24:36):
that you could really rely onand share these things, because,
I'm telling you, opencommunication is gonna be
essential for personalizedassessments and testing needs.
It's so individual.
Greg, I wanna thank you for yourtime today and those amazing
questions, being so open withyour life, with your partner,
(25:00):
with your situation.
You didn't have to do that, Ididn't ask you.
So I am just so gratefulbecause you never know who's
listening or how many peoplethat we've helped.
As we conclude today'sinsightful episode of
Demystifying DNA TaboosRevisited Part Three Navigating
(25:20):
the STI Landscape.
Myself and Greg wanna thankeach of you listeners for
joining us in this crucialdiscussion.
In our special three-partseries on STIs, we aim to
provide a comprehensiveunderstanding, debunk myths and
address the stigmas associatedwith sexually transmitted
(25:44):
infections.
Remember, knowledge is apowerful tool in navigating
these complex health issues.
Stay informed, stay engaged andcontinue with us on this
journey to demystify theintricate connections between
genetics, health and society.
(26:04):
And remember we are with youevery step of the way.
Theme Music (26:14):
P23, knowledge access power.
P23, wellness and understandingat your fingertips P23,.
And that's no cap.
P23 Knowledge, access, power.
P23, wellness and Understandingat your Fingertips P23.
And that's no Cap.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (00:21):
Welcome back to Demystifying DNA, the
podcast where we unravel themysteries of genetics and its
impact on our lives.
I'm your host, curious lady Dr.
Tiffany Montgomery, scientistand epidemiologist, joined by
(00:42):
the insightful Mr.
Gregory Masterson.
I call him Greg.
He is not only the Director OfOperations for P23 Labs and P23
Health.
He serves as my executiveassistant, my right hand,
helping us stay on top ofeverything.
(01:04):
He is an uncle, a son, apartner, a twin sibling and an
amazing man to know.
He comes from an industry ofnot just life but also
restaurant managemententrepreneurship.
(01:26):
He's been the owner of GoGoBathers, a very successful dog
grooming business, as well asworking in the field of life
sciences and genetic development.
Greg's skills are very robust.
(01:48):
Today he's going to bring withus the skills of just life and
we're grateful to have him.
Welcome, Greg.
Greg Masterson (01:56):
Thank you so much for having me, Dr.
T, It's a pleasure to be hereand I'm excited to talk with you
today.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (02:03):
Well, thank you, Greg, for joining.
We are so excited to have youbecause today in our special
three-part STI series, we'refocusing on taboos revisited.
Navigating the STI landscape,we're going to delve into the
intricate world of sexuallytransmitted infections, again
(02:28):
aiming to dissect the geneticaspects and break down the
societal taboos that oftenobscure our understanding.
We've talked a little bit aboutbeing single in STIs, being in
relationships or marriages withSTIs.
We've talked about it at lengthwith Nick and today we're going
(02:49):
to talk about it as it affectssame-sex relationships.
So we have a very special guestin Greg because he covers that
aspect of it as well.
We're going to explore theintersection of genetics, health
and societal perceptions,providing a clearer and more
(03:10):
informed view of STIs.
Greg, can you tell us a littlebit about yourself other than
what I already said?
Greg Masterson (03:19):
Sure, that was a great introduction.
I really appreciate it.
I will say that I definitely ama family man, close with my
siblings and my nieces andnephews, and also my partner.
We've been together for 13years.
We just celebrated our 13-yearanniversary this past October.
Dr. Tiffany Mon (03:41):
Congratulations .
Thank you so much Thank you.
Greg Masterson (03:46):
It's really been an amazing thing to share my
life with Nathan, and he doeskeep me sane in a lot of ways.
I'm really proud that I get toshare my life with him for sure.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (04:00):
Well, that's amazing.
I think that when you thinkabout being in a relationship
for 13 years, that's commendableCongratulations.
However you do, maybe we'llhave a relationship forum and
we'll bring you back on thatwhen we can talk about all of
the relationship tea.
For this episode, I wanted tofocus on some of the stigmas
(04:24):
that are out there and delveinto that are in a same-sex
relationship with your partner,nathan.
So I'm wondering are you awareof, or do you know of, any
taboos or stigmas that are outthere?
Anything that you would like todiscuss, questions that you may
have or anything?
(04:44):
We're open.
Greg Masterson (04:46):
Yeah, thank you.
One thing I would definitelythink would add value to our
listeners would be talkingthrough a recommendation from
you about the importance ofregular STI testing,
specifically within the gaycommunity, and even in a
committed relationship, I thinkthat people still should be
(05:09):
tested regularly, so I'd love tohear your thoughts on that.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (05:12):
Well, I think that you are absolutely
correct.
If you were listening to thelast podcast, we talked about
how these things can literallybe on toilet seats.
We used to think back in my daywhen I was in school oh you
didn't get anything off thattoilet seat girl.
We used to have a joke, it usedto be like a running thing and
(05:32):
I don't know if the kids arestill doing it now, but somebody
would say they're pregnant andit's like I didn't have sex.
I must have sat on the toiletseat with teenage pregnancy and
things like that.
But I mean, it's common, justlike we just had a whole
pandemic with COVID-19 and thosethings going around.
Covid-19, at the end of the day, is a virus, right, and STIs
(05:54):
are just viruses and bacteriasthat are transmitted through
bodily fluids.
So sex, sexual contact, sharingdifferent items, could also
lead to the same effect that youwould see with a sexually
(06:15):
transmitted infection.
So, just being mindful thatthere are so many avenues and
ways to attract these viruses, Ithink we're way beyond thinking
about.
Oh, I'm monogamous, I've onlyslept with one person and it's
going to be extremely importantto embrace those regular testing
(06:39):
opportunities.
There are annual physicals thatare always recommended where you
see your doctor once a year andjust get a checkup when you're
doing your annual physicals.
That's an excellent time, evenif you're 100% monogamous, to
just have that STI checkup,depending on your sexual
(07:01):
lifestyle or choices that youmake and routes for sexual
penetration, because there aremultiple routes.
So you got your oral, your anal, your vaginal.
You've got things going on withthe penis, you've got things
going on with the vagina.
So those are ever changingenvironments.
It's going to be very importantto have those monitored and
(07:25):
come up with a schedule to dothat.
You could work with yourprimary healthcare physician,
you could work with yourgynecologist, you could also
work with your P23 health coachor any type of health and
wellness coach that you have toanswer those questions to help
understand the right cadence.
Is it weekly, is it monthly, isit semi-annually or is it
(07:49):
annually?
Right, but even at a bareminimum, everybody should be
checking in once a year.
Greg Masterson (07:56):
Thank you.
That's great advice and I thinkthat that's really helpful for
our listeners, because a lot ofpeople wrongly assume that they
can get tested once and thenthey wait five, 10 years or
longer maybe, and then they justdon't give it the importance
that it deserves.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (08:15):
Yeah, and I think that if we continue
to have talks like this andremove those stigmas, it's going
to really open up the dialogueso that people look at it just
like you would go and have ateeth cleaning every six months.
Right, we all brush our teethregularly, some people once a
day, some people twice a day,some people every time they eat,
they're going to stop andthey're going to go brush your
(08:35):
teeth.
Flossing we have to fight withpeople about flossing, but
flossing is a really good thing,okay, but we want it to be as
routine and as regular as evenyour hygiene check.
Right, when you tell the spouseor the husband or the boyfriend
or whatever, hey, I gotta goget my teeth cleaned, nobody
looks at you like you have eighteyes Nobody.
(08:56):
They might not enjoy going tothe dentist, but we all do it.
We have to have that same typeof view or attitude when it
comes to our STI testing,because it's going to be
important for maintaining goodsexual health, preventing the
transmission of infections andthen treating them as early as
possible.
(09:17):
It's important to understandthat you can have an STI without
any symptoms, so you may noteven know that you're infected.
Not all STIs are transmittedevery time you have sex, so you
may have not contracted the STIfrom your current partner.
Some of these STIs have alonger latency period, or period
(09:39):
that they're dormant, so itcould be months or years from
when you were exposed to thatinfection to when it actually
develops or manifests in yourbody.
Some STIs can cause seriouscomplications of left untreated,
such as infertility, pelvicinflammatory disease or PID, or
(10:00):
an increased risk to otherdiseases such as HIV.
Your propensity to thesediseases and how long it would
take you for it to manifest isall in your DNA.
It's all in your code.
You have genes that are alreadytriggering what that is gonna
look like for you.
You might talk to people andthey might say I've had COVID
(10:25):
five or six times, and you'lltalk to other people and they'll
say I've never had COVID.
Why is that?
Scientists are nowunderstanding the true power of
genetics and some of that isgoing to be directly related to
your genes.
So you cannot make thesegeneralized statements or
(10:45):
objectives like we used to.
We have to really focus on theinformation that we have in hand
, the testing that's available,and making the testing a regular
part of our good health lives.
Getting tested can help youmake informed decisions about
your sexual health and protectyourself and your partners from
(11:07):
future infections.
Getting tested can also reducethe stigma and the shame
associated with STIs, because wewant to encourage more people
to just get tested in treatmentregularly, right?
Same way, when you go to thedentist and they clean your
teeth and they say you need afluoride treatment or you have a
(11:28):
lot of plaque buildup, so we'regonna do some testing or some
treatment or give you a specialtoothpaste to help reduce this
amount of plaque.
So we wanna treat and view oursexual health, whether we're
straight or gay or curious orbisexual, however you identify
sexually.
If you're a non and you'reabstinent but using public
(11:51):
toilet seats, I'm gonna stillrecommend testing on a regular
basis.
Right, it's just.
That's just real, that's justhow we live, that's just the
society that we're in now.
Greg Masterson (11:59):
So Thank you.
That really does help take alot of the scary part away, and
when you're armed with knowledge, that can only ever help you be
less afraid, for sure.
One thing I wanted to ask you,doctor, was about PrEP.
I'm not sure if you've heardabout this I'm sure you have but
(12:19):
a lot of younger people in thegay community believe wrongly
that because they are takingPrEP, which is pre-exposure
prophylaxis, it helps preventthe HIV infection that causes
HIV and AIDS.
But a lot of people wronglyassume that PrEP helps protect
(12:40):
them from everything.
Maybe you can help clear thatup for our audience a little bit
and help them understand thatthat's not the only way to be
safe or to help prevent thespread of STIs.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (12:55):
Well, greg, I think you summed that up
better than I could sum it up.
Really, to be honest with you,as I stated, and I always say, I
am not a medical doctor.
I'm a researcher, a scientistand an epidemiologist.
But I will still say I can talkto you very fluidly about
(13:16):
disease and disease transmission, and one of the things is that
pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEPis a preventative approach when
individuals are at high risk ofcontracting HIV.
So you take the antiretroviralmedications to reduce the risk
of infection, but themedications used are typically
(13:40):
the same ones used to actuallytreat HIV, but when you take
them in your HIV negative personbefore your potential exposure,
it can prevent the virus fromestablishing itself in the body.
I think that there's a goodpurpose.
The medications are out there.
The usage is gonna be once aday.
(14:02):
However, it's important tounderstand that it does not
protect against other STIs.
You wanna think about it likethe same way you would the
vaccines that we get and thereare a large number of vaccines,
right, you have your COVIDvaccine, you got your RSV
(14:23):
vaccine.
Now We've got a flu vaccinethat we have to, or encourage to
, take once a year, every fluseason.
We're still trying to figureout the cadence of the COVID
vaccine.
So we've got a lot of thingsgoing on when it comes to our
vaccines.
Right, you can say that, okay,hey, I had my flu vaccine, get
(14:46):
the respiratory infection, andyou find out you have COVID.
Wow, we never say but I got theflu vaccine, because we all
understand you didn't get theflu, you got COVID.
There are also differentstrands.
So even when you get your fluvaccine or your COVID vaccine,
guess what?
You could still get COVID orthe flu because there's so many
(15:07):
different strands.
Same thing with HIV.
I think that COVID helped morepeople speak in simple terms
about very complex things likeviruses that are always a part
of who we are and where we are,and it's important to really
understand that these things aredesigned to reduce the risk of
(15:28):
that one particular thing, butit doesn't eliminate that one
particular thing and it hasnothing to do with the 99
million other things that youcan get right.
So, while we do not want anyoneto contract HIV, there are
other things out there.
There's HSV, herpes, symplecvirus, which is very common.
If you listened to our lastpodcast, we talked about some
(15:51):
numbers around that one in six.
So you have to make sure thatyou're protecting yourself all
the way around with all of theviruses and you're taking full
precaution, not just thinking,okay, I took a prep and so I can
just go get busy, because itdoesn't give you a blanket card
(16:14):
to getting busy.
You've got to understand that.
It just reduces the risk,making everything else you do
that much more effective.
Greg Masterson (16:24):
Thank you, doctor.
That really does help clear itup.
Excuse me, and it's almost likewearing a seatbelt it doesn't
protect you from everything, butit can certainly help if you
are in an accident.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (16:35):
Great analogy.
Greg, did you have?
We have time for about one morequestion.
So if you wanted to do one morequestion that maybe you had, or
that someone had asked you, orthat came in from one of the
viewers, I'm happy to.
Greg Masterson (16:50):
Yeah, as you look at the genetic research
initiatives, anythingspecifically that you could
recommend tailored to the needsof gay men, maybe something that
P23 offers?
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (17:04):
When you're thinking about gay men
and the gay male community.
What are some of the types ofneeds that the community has?
Greg Masterson (17:15):
Well, I mean, one thing that comes top of mind
is HIV and AIDS, but alsorecently, in the past year or so
, there was a big outbreak andyou know a scare about monkeypox
.
I know that was something thatthe gay community faced, I think
at a larger rate than the restof the population, but that's
(17:37):
something that definitely comesto mind.
Dr. Tiffany Montgomery (17:40):
That's a great one, and you know we were
one of the labs also testingwith that monkeypox.
I think when monkeypox firstcame out we thought it was going
to be more like COVID and thenwe found out it was something
that was specifically targetingor at higher risk in the gay
male community, and the thingabout these diseases or
(18:02):
infections is that they'realways lurking in the background
like the burglars.
They're here, we don't knowwhere they are, you don't know
when they're going to hit yourhouse, but unfortunately
burglars exist.
Viruses are the same way, veryunfortunate they're out there,
but they're out there lurking,waiting for an opportune time to
(18:23):
attack.
It could be because your immunesystem is already low.
It could be because you arestressed out, and so when you're
stressed your body is notprotecting you as much because
it's trying to comfort you andcalm you down.
There are a number of factors,but when you trigger them,
that's when you get these very,very nasty encounters with these
(18:47):
opportunistic viruses.
So, for gay men in particular,some of the things that we offer
and that may be beneficial areHIV testing.
Not only does P23 have an athome kit that can be mailed to
(19:08):
you and mailed back to the labfor PCR testing.
We also have rapid testing, so,but HIV testing is extremely
beneficial.
Gay men, especially those whoare sexually active, should
consider regular HIV testing.
Somebody has to help you definewhat regular is.
Regular for you, depending onyour number of partners could be
(19:32):
every week.
Regular for you could be once amonth.
Regular for you could be everysix months.
So it's where you're definingthis word regular that I would
recommend working with the P23health coach or your primary
care provider or anyknowledgeable medical
professional that can help younavigate through the landscape
(19:53):
and really understand your risk.
Sti testing so regular testingfor other sexually transmitted
infections is important,especially those who have
multiple partners.
Common STIs testing, such aschlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis
and hepatitis is highlyrecommended, and those are all
(20:16):
tested or offered at P23.
You would have an at home testkit mailed to you.
You would provide a samplewhether it would be a rectal
swab or a saliva sample or urinesample and you would mail that
back to the lab forcomprehensive PCR or genetic
testing.
(20:36):
High risk activities soindividuals engaging in any high
risk sexual activitiesunprotected sex, unprotected
anal sex, multiple partners mayneed more frequent testing.
Hepatitis screening is gonna besomething that's gonna be
really important for you and itis also offered at P23.
(20:58):
That's just testing for yourhepatitis B and C, which is
recommended especially if you'reengaging in activities that
increase the risk oftransmission, such as
unprotected anal sex.
Vaccination is gonna besomething that's gonna be
important.
Gay men may wanna considergetting vaccinated against
(21:21):
hepatitis A and B, if theyhaven't already.
Unfortunately, p23 does notoffer vaccinations at this time,
but being vaccinated issomething that's gonna be
extremely beneficial.
And then HPV testing.
So we talk about it in womenquite often, but for gay men,
(21:44):
you really wanna use that analswab or get that anal pap smear
so that you can be screened forHPV, which is a virus that leads
to cancer anal cancer, penilecancer.
Gay men, particularly thosewith HIV, detect and prevent
(22:07):
anal cancer associated with HPVby having the screening test.
Now, the swab is something thatP23 offers.
We do provide the moleculargenetic testing for the HPV that
is found in the anal cells.
That is something that youwould wanna talk to your health
(22:29):
coach about or to your primaryprovider about and make sure
that you're on a regularschedule for that, whether
that's yearly or every two orthree years, just making sure
that you're regularly screenedif you are receiving a penis in
your anus, and that goes forwomen too.
(22:49):
If you are a woman that'sreceiving a penis in your anus,
you still wanna be screened foranal HPV Syphilis testing.
So finding a regular cadence forsyphilis testing and that is
something that P23 offers wewould be looking at.
(23:10):
Also having regular physicalexams, because with the syphilis
it might even include sores orrashes.
So you wanna be which can besimilar to monkeypox.
You wanna be prepared to kindalook at that and be screened for
that.
Herpes testing one thing wetalked about herpes earlier, but
(23:30):
that's gonna be something thatit might not even have symptoms.
You could have symptoms.
So you definitely wanna betested if you have symptoms but
you might not.
So just stand on top of thoseregular checkups, regular sexual
health checkups, even if yourabsence of symptoms are
important for overall well-being.
(23:52):
And then keeping that opencommunication with your
healthcare providers.
If you're having a healthcoaching session with your P23
health coach, even if youhaven't come out to your family
yet or you haven't exposed thatyou're gay or maybe you think
people don't know, it'simportant when you talk to your
providers that you disclose thatbecause your treatment
(24:13):
frequency or your checkupfrequency or your testing
frequency may vary depending onthe sexual activities that you
participate in.
If you have a hard time talkingabout it, write it down.
Put it on a piece of paper andslide that paper right to the
doctor.
They'll read it.
Have that open conversation orhave somebody in your corner
(24:36):
that you could really rely onand share these things, because,
I'm telling you, opencommunication is gonna be
essential for personalizedassessments and testing needs.
It's so individual.
Greg, I wanna thank you for yourtime today and those amazing
questions, being so open withyour life, with your partner,
(25:00):
with your situation.
You didn't have to do that, Ididn't ask you.
So I am just so gratefulbecause you never know who's
listening or how many peoplethat we've helped.
As we conclude today'sinsightful episode of
Demystifying DNA TaboosRevisited Part Three Navigating
(25:20):
the STI Landscape.
Myself and Greg wanna thankeach of you listeners for
joining us in this crucialdiscussion.
In our special three-partseries on STIs, we aim to
provide a comprehensiveunderstanding, debunk myths and
address the stigmas associatedwith sexually transmitted
(25:44):
infections.
Remember, knowledge is apowerful tool in navigating
these complex health issues.
Stay informed, stay engaged andcontinue with us on this
journey to demystify theintricate connections between
genetics, health and society.
(26:04):
And remember we are with youevery step of the way.
Theme Music (26:14):
P23, knowledge access power.
P23, wellness and understandingat your fingertips P23,.
And that's no cap.
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