African-Americans continue to bear a greater burden of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. A CDC report released this week shows that, just as is the case for the HIV epidemic, African-Americans are disproportionately impacted by other STDs. Both the number of STD cases reported in 2008, and rates of all three nationally reported STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) are highest among African-Americans. One of the most staggering statistics revealed in the report is that gonorrhea rates among blacks are now 20 times that of whites. Additionally, while blacks make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population, almost half of all chlamydia and syphilis cases were among blacks.

While black men and women share the burden of STDs, black women continue to face the most severe health consequences. This is of great concern because of the potential impact on the future of our community. Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can rob a teenage girl or young woman of her ability to have children later in life, and untreated syphilis in pregnant women can result in infant death or cause severe physical or mental developmental disabilities.

It is vital that communities disproportionately affected by STDs, as well as their community leaders and health providers, are aware of the disparities. Testing, knowledge of infection, and treatment of those with an STD and their sex partners are critical to reducing the number of infections that occur each year. Many STDs have no symptoms, so one of the first steps for those at risk is to get tested and find out if they are infected. I encourage health care providers to routinely take a sexual health history from each of their adolescent and adult patients and follow up with appropriate counseling, vaccination, testing, and, if needed, treatment of both patients and sex partners.

There are also many actions that individuals within our community can take to prevent STD infection, including:

By Nicole Smith, Staff Writer, BlackDoctor.org --Want to lose a few pounds in a hurry? The magic word is half. These ½ Rules will get you on your way to dropping weight in a hurry.

1. Eat Half of What's on Your Plate
In today's super-sized society, controlling your portions can be the key to losing weight. Some restaurants will serve half the daily recommended calories in one serving. That means you may be eating 1000 calories in a single sitting!

For example, a bagel from your favorite bakery or restaurant can have anywhere from 300 to 400 calories. Add cream cheese and you're eating nearly 600 calories for breakfast! Instead, eat half the bagel. You can save the other half for later or even for the next day's breakfast.

Even when you're at home, make sure you are controlling your portion sizes. Most food products have their nutrition information printed on the back of the package. Make sure you know what they consider to be a portion size and how many calories it has.

2. Fill up on Veggies
Vegetables are full of proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, calcium and other good stuff. But what they are not full of is calories.

When you sit down to meals, make sure that at least half your plate is vegetables. Preferably the green leafy kind. Think plain old broccoli is boring? To keep things interesting, switch up your side dishes. Brightly colored veggies like tomatoes, carrots and spring peas will excite your eyes as well as you stomach.

(BlackDoctor.org) -- Thanksgiving celebrations, holiday gatherings, sorority and fraternity meetings, national conventions and family reunions are all well-known community gatherings that take place during the holidays that have food as their centerpieces. So often menus for such gatherings feature soul food mainstays like fried chicken, catfish, macaroni and cheese, potato salad and collard greens. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has created a new tool to assist in planning healthy meals without sacrificing flavor for the next church, community or holiday gathering.

This month, the ADA published 'The Family Style Soul Food Diabetes Cookbook,' its fourth cookbook by well-known dietitians Fabiola D. Gaines and Roniece A. Weaver. The popular authors were joined by dietitian Rojean L. Williams and chef Shawn Fralin to serve up healthy varieties of traditional soul food dishes the entire family will love.

"As the holidays approach, we feel our new cookbook makes an excellent resource in bringing the family together with delicious and nutritious meals," said Lee Romano Sequeira of the ADA. "While being a beneficial tool for families, churches and community organizations, the cookbook also shows how to prepare the traditional soul food favorites, but in a new, exciting and healthy way."

By Glenn Ellis, Editor At Large, BlackDoctor.org

The statistics are staggering. More than 18 million people--6 percent of the U.S. population--have diabetes. Of those, it is estimated that more than 5 million people don't even know that they have the disease. And as if that's not enough, the rate of diabetes among African-Americans has tripled in the last 30 years, with nearly 3 million African-Americans (11.4 percent of the total African-American population) current victims of the disease. Today, African-Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic Whites, and most likely to have complications from the disease.

Facts You Should Know:

* Diabetes is the result of the body's inability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and produce energy.

* There is an estimated 5 million undiagnosed people with diabetes in the United States. * The disease kills nearly 200,000 Americans annually.

* African-Americans over 45, persons who are overweight and those who have a family history of the disease are most at risk.

* One in 4 African-American women over 55 and 1 in 4 African-American men between 65 and 74 are affected by diabetes.

* Medical authorities have not been able to fully explain why African-Americans are affected at a higher rate, although they believe factors such as heredity, diet and increased incidences of high blood pressure are contributors.

* Diabetic symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, increased hunger and irritability, unexplained weight loss or weight gain, tingling in fingers and/or toes, nausea, fatigue and vomiting.

* Diabetes is one of the most manageable chronic diseases. In many cases, diabetes can be controlled if you eat well-balanced meals on a regular basis, exercise regularly, take prescribed medication (if necessary) and test your blood sugar routinely.

* Unlike most other diseases, the person affected with diabetes does most of the care.

* Inhaled insulin is expected to be widely available to treat those who would prefer that method to injection.

* Diabetes is the seventh-leading killer in the United States and the No. 1 disease causing blindness, kidney ailments and non-traumatic amputations.

* Diabetes is the country's second most-costly disease, behind mental disorders.

* Manufacturers have created glucose-monitoring systems that require a smaller blood sample, making living with diabetes more comfortable because there is less pain associated with the test.

Each year, Trojan and Durex, two major condom manufacturing companies, emphasize the importance of safer sex through elaborate commercials geared towards Americans purchasing their products. While their efforts to have Americans practice safe sex should be applauded, the lack of African American and Latino representation should raise a red flag from minority consumers.

African Americans and Latinos are sexual beings who should be interested in (or targeted for) practicing sexual safety. And since Black and Brown communities are at a greater risk for contracting HIV, shouldn't we be prioritized in the marketing strategy? If not prioritized, these communities should at the least be included. Yes, I know that's an optimistic thought. But look, they owe us that much considering all the Magnum references made in hip-hop songs -- LOL. Bottom line, these companies know we're purchasing their products and to not include us is unacceptable and highly questionable.

How many times have you sat at home and stumbled across a condom commercial? Did you ever feel compelled to use a condom based on the "European" individuals in the ad? Did the condom ad appeal to your sense of culture, sensuality or sexuality?

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, herpes, and gonorrhea are among the much better known sexually transmitted diseases, but the human papilloma virus (HPV) is just as common, according to Virgie Bright-Ellington, M.D.

More than 99 percent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV, Dr. Bright-Ellington writes in her book, 'What your Doctor Wants You to Know, But Doesn't Have Time To Tell You.' HPV, which has about 100 different strains, is found in 40 to 50 percent of adults worldwide.

"Out of dozens of strains of HPV, only two-16 and 18-cause changes that can be seen by the human eye: genital warts,'' writes Dr. Bright-Ellington, who trained at the Cambridge Hospital of Harvard Medical School. "However, there are a dozen HPV strains that can cause changes in the cervix. Over a long period of time, these changes can become cancerous. Once these cells become cancerous, there are minimal symptoms until the cancer has spread to other organs in the woman's pelvis and abdomen. Before the widespread use of the Pap smear for regular screening in the 1960s, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S. and worldwide."