STD Testing Info

AIDS diagnosis can be done using body fluids (like blood, saliva), or by using body cells (such as those from the inside of the cheek) of the patient as the sample for HIV testing.

Currently, there are two types of tests that are very commonly used to diagnose an HIV infection in a person. The first test is called ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test, which looks for the presence of antibodies produced by the host’s body in response to the attack by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The second test is called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test, which looks for the presence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus itself in the body of the host.

If the ELISA test is positive, it indicates that the antibodies (specific to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus) are present in the host’s body. However, this positive result of the ELISA test needs to be confirmed by conducting others more specific tests such as the Western Blot or Immunoflouroscent Assay (IFA). If the result of this test is also positive, then the person is said to be HIV positive or seropositive.

However, there are some drawbacks to the IFA Test and they are as follows:

1) The HIV specific antibodies are not detectable until 3 to 6 months after contacting the infection

2) The prolonged wait until the results of the test are available.

To overcome this drawback, another test known as the Rapid Test (which has almost the same level of accuracy as the ELISA test) is being used currently. It gives the results in just 5 to 30 minutes, although the test is comparatively much more expensive.

The PCR test is capable of detecting the genetic material of HIV and can, therefore, detect the presence of the virus in a person’s within a few days of contacting the infection.

Other tests for diagnosing HIV include Radio Immuno Precipitation Assay (RIPA), Rapid Latex Agglutination Assay, and p24 Antigen Capture Assay.

There is an array of different sexually transmitted diseases that are becoming more commonly transmitted in this day and age. One of these sexually transmitted diseases that is rather taking center stage today is chlamydia. Chlamydia is becoming fairly common amongst sexually active people who have multiple partners. With this in mind, if you are sexually active, it is important for you to have a basic understanding of chlamydia. Through this article, you are provided the basic information that you need in order to better understand this sexually transmitted disease.

In the United States alone, nearly 3 million new cases of Chlamydia infection are reported each and every year. Chlamydia is one of the common of the sexually transmitted diseases in the world today.

Many people with Chlamydia show no symptoms at all and do not know that they are infected. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to serious health complications. Internationally, Chlamydia is one of the leading causes of blindness. The reality is that Chlamydia can easily be treated with antibiotics.

About 50% of the women infected with Chlamydia will end up with pelvic inflammatory disease. A significant number of women do not find out that they have Chlamydia until such time as they have been infected for an extended period of time. Women with Chlamydia are five times more likely to contract HIV if they are exposed to that particular infection than those women who do not have Chlamydia and are exposed.

Men with Chlamydia tend to end up with an infected urethra or an infected prostate. In rare instances Chlamydia can lead to sterility in men.

Over the course of the past six years, lab tests used to detect Chlamydia have become far more effective. However, while lab tests have become more effective, many people still do not realize they have the disease due to the lack of symptoms in many instances. Therefore, as will be discussed in a moment, regular testing for Chlamydia should be sought if you are sexually active.

Doctors now recommend that is a person is sexually active he or she should be tested for different sexually transmitted diseases, including Chlamydia. There is no specific protocol for men to be tested. However, when it comes to pregnancy women, medical experts maintain that all pregnant women should be tested for Chlamydia. Chlamydia can spread to a baby during child birth.

The best defense against Chlamydia if you are sexually active is using a condom during sexual encounters. The regular and proper use of a condom can be very effective in preventing the spread of Chlamydia as well as other sexually transmitted diseases. If you think you have been exposed to Chlamydia or any other sexually transmitted disease, you need to see your doctor immediately.

Syphilis is a transmitted disease caused by a spirochaete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. Syphilis has a myriad of presentations and can mimic many other infections and immune-mediated processes in advanced stages. Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, anus, or in the rectum. Syphilis can also be passed from mother to infant during pregnancy causing a disease called congenital syphilis. Any active person can be infected with syphilis, although there is a greater incidence among young people between the ages of 15 and 30 years. It is more prevalent in urban than rural areas. Syphilis can be frightening because if it goes untreated, it can lead to serious health problems and increase a person’s risk for HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

Syphilis can be acquired or congenital. Primary syphilis occurs within 3 weeks of contact with an infected individual. Syphilis has many alternate names, including syph, Cupid’s Disease, the Pox, lues, and the French disease. The signs and symptoms of syphilis are myriad; before the advent of serological testing, diagnosis was more difficult and the disease was dubbed the “Great Imitator” because it was so often confused with other diseases. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils. The final stage of syphilis is called tertiary syphilis and is characterized by brain or central nervous system involvement, cardiovascular involvement with inflammation of the aorta, and gummatous syphilis. Left untreated, syphilis can lead to serious complications or death. But with early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be successfully treated.

Causes of Syphilis

The common causes and risk factor’s of Syphilis include the following:

A bacterium called Treponema pallidum.

Transfusion of infected blood.

Direct contact with a syphilis sore on the body of an infected person.

An infected pregnant woman can also pass the disease to her unborn child.

Having with more than one partner.

Symptoms of Syphilis

Some sign and symptoms related to Syphilis are as follows:

The first symptom of syphilis is often a small, round, firm ulcer called a chancre (“shanker”) at the place where the bacteria entered your body.

Fever.

Enlarged lymph nodes in your groin.

Positive serology.

Extragenital chancres occur most commonly above the neck, typically affecting the lips or oral cavity.

Rash – Bilaterally symmetric.

Soreness and aching.

Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort.

Treatment of Syphilis

Here is list of the methods for treating Syphilis:

Penicillin, an antibiotic, injected into the muscle is the best treatment for syphilis. If you are allergic to penicillin, your health care provider may give you another antibiotic to take by mouth.

In patients with allergy to penicillin, skin testing and desensitization are recommended.

Pregnant women with a history of allergic reaction to penicillin should undergo penicillin desensitization followed by appropriate penicillin therapy.

Avoid having while being treated, to reduce the chances of getting the infection again or transmitting it to someone else.

Bed rest, pain relievers (such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen ), and liquids can help.

Alternative treatment regimens should be used only in cases of documented penicillin allergy.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for diseases cure and health care information. She also writes articles on skin diseases.

Condoms are test tube-like sheaths made out of latex or polyurethane. Its use in Uganda must have started after the establishment of the Aids Control Programme in 1987 -to educate the public about how to avoid becoming infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) -under the clinical umbrella of; Abstinence, Being -faithful and Use of condoms (ABC).

Studies have confirmed that condoms are highly effective method of preventing HIV/AIDS -with effective rates ranging between 80% and 95% -depending on how they are effectively and consistently used. While female condoms, which give a woman more bargaining position, are at 98% (Population Action International, 2008).

According to World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States National Institute of Health, intact condoms are essentially impermeable to particles the size of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) pathogens -including the smallest Sexually Transmitted Virus (STV).

Much of the percentages for effective rates vary from one information source to another -all of which do not reach 100%. Yet one would be dealing with a life threatening disease. Greater confidence has shown on how condoms are manufactured, under strict quality control measures, which too stipulate that they are safe. But quality measurements are done basing on a merely on a particular sample of say, five or ten. What quality assurance, then, could one give to those outside the sample?

And with inaccessibility problem still at hand, where in Uganda, the gates to health bodies are now wide open to catch the virus. Mayuge District, with one of the greatest cases of teenage pregnancy, and probably, most fertile people, access is very remote. Yet the majority of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are more in towns than rural areas. This puts health security at stake.

Firstly, in one independent survey carried out on HIV risk in Mayuge, young people, at least once, had unprotected sex. While at the same time, HIV testing facilities there are a dream. They could only be accessed at the main referral hospital. Now, how reliable could the prevalent rates be if in just one district the situation as that bad?
Secondly, absence of female condoms makes women entirely at risk of infection. If their male counter-part could find accessibility difficult, what would be the fate of women, who at all, lack key bargaining position; the female condoms?

Nevertheless, saying they (condoms) are effective, alone, is not enough because it would be a situation involving nature, fear and decision making to guarantee its usage. Not withstanding the fact that society has trained men to be brave, and women to be submissive, soft-hearted, and just to say yes to men’s advances. Given that background, how effective could condoms in particular and ABC strategy in general be?

Sex education too has not been adequate across post-primary and tertiary institutions. Well, an institution like Makerere University has Pastor Martin Ssempa -who has played a noble role in rallying students against HIV through abstinence slogan. As matter of fact, his works are already in the history of Uganda’s fight against HIV/AIDS.

But, firstly, are other schools and tertiary institution in similar motion against HIV/AIDS? Secondly, with the abstinence bit, as the value, does Ssempa’s team carry out annual survey to determine impact of his abstinence crusade?

Moreover, with the curiosity, that new students show, especially those joining universities from mainly strict homes and single schools; would be up to nothing, but to buzz into anyone that can treat the long awaited motive. Really, Ssempa’s abstinence gospel could be challenged. Yet, also, those arriving at universities; the land of the free could be like dogs that have just been let out.

Like, Ssempa, the Catholic Church is against condom use -preferring the mental condom. But with young people screaming hard to respond to their biological clocks, most obviously, could skip the church’s ditch, and manage “time” effectively. Moreover, for those who could be hit hard by the orthodox teaching, may suffer from secondary impotence. They could have got so much used to sexually restricted life, and then, feel most comfortable to do otherwise.

For domestic violence, child abuse, refugee camps, and conflict areas -where the risk of contracting HIV could be potentially high by virtue of the situation, and with condom use definitely un-negotiated, ABC and condom use in particular, would sound like here say to them. And neither Ssempa nor latex material would apply here.
Lack of knowledge about condom use could adversely count big for the young people. Even those, who have their access, might be using them without basic know how. They could, for example; be part of the cases that use same condom throughout the sex exercise, add unauthorized lubricants, use more than one or more condoms, fail to change at different stages of sex intercourse and unaware of when and under what circumstances he would change. What a mess!

Much of the effort, instead, must be on testing sexual partners that not only are about-to-marry, but also adolescents could be encouraged before joining sexual affairs. In about the same context, Uganda must face the reality that kids as early as 8 to 10 are at the stage of experimenting sexual feelings.

And thus; there is no reason, for sure, why condom distribution would be discouraged in primary schools. Are there records of no HIV transmission in the age bracket therein? It is something the country must take care of.

Meanwhile, sex education and life skills training could be started -where they are not, and strengthened, where they are. It would be with such a combination of training programmes that child or young adult would know how to deal with adolescent changes, pressures and/or inappropriate feelings as they emerge.

Truly, schools and tertiary institutions might need to change with changing times. How would it be if a child or student, who passed well at school went out and failed to approach life wholly? And, how would it feel if an ex-student ended up drowning into alcohol and drugs, fraud, drop out of school, join prostitution and, above all; catch HIV?

Jacob Waiswa

“I am the Grandmother of all growth, all growing things, all life. I am the grandmother of bacteria and viruses as well as plants and animals, fish and insects. When you throb with life these other lives live with you. When your life force ebbs, they live on you, growing grotesque without the check of your immunity.

“Do you feel proud of your sexuality my child? Your immune system thrives on true pride; and fails when subjected to blame and shame, guilt and mortification. Walk tall; smile often; be flexible, let life fill you, and you will have little to fear from most viruses you meet.”

“… for women who exhibit the earliest signs of HPV infection, the best prescription may be no treatment at all,” according to Karyn Herndon at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. “Three out of four women in the observation-only group lost their flat warts – a finding that suggests that the body’s immune system can drive the virus into a dormant state.”(1) Women treated with laser removal of cervical warts were twice as likely as untreated women to have precancerous and cancerous changes occur in the following years.

Having an HPV infection is “like having the sniffles,” says Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD. “It’s an infection your body can usually handle … and get rid of.”(2) In a study of 600 sexually active women aged 13 to 21, half became infected with HPV over a 10 year period; 70% of those women did not develop lesions or warts at all, and only 10% of those who did have lesions were diagnosed with cervical cancer.(3)

Many of the papilloma viruses are non-contagious, but some – especially those that give rise to plantar warts and genital warts (HPV) – are not only contagious, but widespread and stealthy. They are resilient enough to live outside the body. Shed skin cells containing the viruses can remain infectious for several days in warm, moist places.(4) And symptomless people can pass HPV to others. Some of the viruses that cause genital warts are benign; others can give rise to deadly cancers.

Of the 20 types of HPV which colonize the genital area, four are known to initiate cervical cancer, a usually slow-growing cancer which is currently responsible for the deaths of more women in Africa, Asia, and India (where Pap smears are not routine) than any other cancer.(5) Several HPV are implicated in penile and rectal cancer as well. HPV is the most common STD in the USA and Europe, with more than six million new cases a year in the USA.(6) At least 50%, and probably closer to 100% of all non-vaccinated sexually-active people will be infected over their lifetime. During a three-year study, 40% of a group of female college students acquired HPV infections.(7) Fortunately, only a small percentage of HPV infections generate cancer, and we can do much to insure we aren’t in that small percent.

Once infected with human papilloma virus, you are infected for life. There is no known cure and no medically-approved treatment. The best strategy is to nourish the immune system.

Homeopathic Thuja is a “ground remedy” for the genitals, and is especially indicated when there are genital warts.(8) Higher dilutions, such as 30C, are best.

While there is no food that prevents or cures HPV infections, the likelihood of warts or cancer is determined by the immune system – which can be nourished and strengthened with whole grains, well-cooked greens, roots, cabbage family plants, olive oil, organic dairy products and meats, onions, garlic, seaweed, mushrooms, and nourishing herbal infusions of astragalus, burdock, and nettle.

St. Joan’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a natural antiviral. One of its alkaloids, pseudo-hypericin, kills HIV. But ingesting it in concentrated form causes hypersensitivity to sunlight, making it useless as a drug. Fortunately, the tincture of the fresh plant – even in large, frequent doses – counters viruses without triggering sensitivity. Avoid capsules or teas; they can cause sensitivity. When I feel the need to prevent a viral infection, I use one dropperful of Hypericum tincture in a little water three or four times a day for a few days. When I want to treat viral infections, I use one or two dropperfuls in water every hour or two until symptoms abate, and continue at a lower dose until I no longer need it.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) are mint family plants with antiviral constituents which are especially effective as salves.

Celandine (Celadonium majus) juice is the most effective way I know to remove external genital warts. It is safe, painless, and easy to use if you live where evergreen celandine grows – in Europe, in North America, from Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to Missouri, throughout Europe, and in waste places in temperate-zone cities. The fresh sap from leaf stalks or the root works fastest, and best, but topical applications of tincture are somewhat effective, too.

American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) is the acknowledged queen of external genital wart destruction. This poisonous plant is used in a concentrated form – Podophyllin – as a topical treatment. Although plant-based, Podophyllin can cause severe side-effects, including burns that scar, fatal reactions, and birth defects or fetal death if used during pregnancy. To prevent damage to healthy tissues, all skin except for the warts must be thoroughly covered with petroleum jelly before it is applied, and the Podophyllin must be wiped off before it penetrates too deeply, usually within one to four hours. Weekly treatments over six or more weeks are the norm. A less concentrated, and thus safer form – Podofilox – is available by prescription for use at home. (But trichloroacetic acid is safer, and celandine is more fun.)

Eastern white cedar, Thuja occidentalis, is the “tree of life.” Thuja is primarily a homeopathic remedy, but thuja tincture or essential oil applied twice a day to genital warts can “burn” them off.

Trichloroacetic acid is as effective as Podophyllin in removing warts, but less likely to leave scars or provoke severe systemic reactions, and is considered safe to use during pregnancy.(9) It is applied in the doctor’s office, usually weekly for six weeks.

Colposcopy is a close examination of the cervix with magnifying binoculars after it has been bathed with acetic acid (vinegar), which turns HPV-infected tissues bright white. You do not have to agree to a biopsy if you agree to a colposcopy; testing for HPV-DNA is better in many ways. If you do agree, biopsy forceps will be used to “chomp” out pieces of cervical tissue for microscopic examination by a pathologist.

Testing cervical cells for the presence of DNA from cancer-causing HPV is “just as effective as a biopsy of cervical tissue, with less expense,” according to researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Screening every woman over 20 every two years with an HPV-DNA test would reduce the number of cervical biopsies by 60%, they conclude.(10) A woman who tests negative for HPV, as 45% of women will, does not need a colposcopy. If the test if positive for HPV, there’s still only a 10-20% chance that she will require treatment.(11)

“It is not known how many women who have had expensive [and painful] laser surgery or … cryosurgery are informed beforehand that the treatment is purely cosmetic and has a high recurrence rate.”(12)

Before you agree to any procedure, remember that removal of infected tissue does not remove the virus, which remains ready to recur when the immune system is at an ebb. Surgery doesn’t cure HPV, and because it is a major stress to the immune system, it can increase the chances that a given lesion will progress to cancer.

“Regardless of treatment, one in four HPV-infected people will have a recurrence within three months.”(13)

Footnotes:

1. “The cervical dilemma: Some warts may be better left untreated,” Kathy A. Fackelmann, Science News, 139: 362 3, June 8, 1991

2. “HPV doesn’t have to spell cancer,” Christie Aschwanden, Health, Jan/Feb 2002

3. Ibid

4. “Contagion: A sometimes lethal sexual epidemic that condoms can’t stop,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, September 13, 1999

5. “Contagion,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 1999

6. “FDA licenses new vaccine …,” FDA news release, June 2006

7. “Contagion,” Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 1999

8. Natural Healing in Gynecology, Rina Nissim, Pandora, 1984 (p. 43)

9. Our Bodies, Ourselves, Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, 1998

10. “Adding an HPV,” Cornell Uni. Women’s Health Advisor, July 2002

11. “One Way to Avoid Unnecessary Testing After Ambiguous Pap Results,” HealthFacts, May 2001

12. “Screening for Cervical Cancer,” HealthFacts, XV (136), Sept 1990

13. PDR Family Guide to Women’s Health, Medical Economics, 1994

Some STDs are worse than others. HIV is arguably the worst one of all to get. Others like gonorrhea and chlamydia are treatable and more or less go away. Then there’s HPV (genital warts) and herpes types 1 and 2. Type one typically considered oral and type 2 being genital although people can have either in either place.

Many people who are out there playing the field or even just playing one on one need to be more informed if they want to remain free and minimize their risk of contracting an STD. Know the ins and outs of all these nasty things out there.

It’s almost a cliche of a line that people in the dating scene use – I’m STD free and tested regularly. How often have you heard that one and wonder just how honest that really is. It’s obvious based on the amount of people out there infected with something that we don’t really know what that means. Did this person get tested for just HIV? Or did they also get tested for hepatitis C, HSV 1 and 2 (blood test), HPV, gonorrhea, chlam. etc…

For example, testing for herpes isn’t usually done unless it is requested by you. Although men can be carriers of HPV, there currently isn’t a test for men with HPV.

Let’s say that you’re reading this and thinking, yeah, this really doesn’t help me now as I’m already infected with something that doesn’t go away. Maybe you’ve just found out or maybe you’ve been living with it for a while. Some people take it hard and some don’t let it define themselves.

When you decide that you would like to still have a healthy physical relationship that includes sex with another person, where can you go? Local support groups for STDs can be found through a search on the internet.

There are various forms of this commonly spread HIV myth: It was developed by the CIA, the Russians or in Hitler’s labatories to be used in germ warfare or to wipe out a minority. Unsurprisingly, none of these are true, and many of them date back to times when so little was known about the disease that such rumours seemed plausible. It is now believed that HIV is a mutation of a disease carried by Chimpanzees – Simian Immunodeficiency Virus – and that it was probably transferred to humans via blood contact through the hunting of an infected animal. The first recorded instance of an HIV death was recorded in 1959 in the Congo.

Swallowed bleach will prevent HIV infection

According to an Associated Press article from earlier in the year, some teens in Florida are under the mistaken belief that swallowing bleach will kill the HIV virus. Whether or not any teens genuinely believe this bizarre AIDS myth, it’s important to restate the fact that swallowing bleach will not kill the virus – but might very well kill you. While using bleach on shared needles is advice direct from the Centers for Disease Control, swallowing it is going to do no good whatsoever, and may well do some bad…

Madmen are leaving syringes filled with HIV positive blood where they will infect random people

There are all sorts of AIDS myths around syringes containing HIV infected blood either deliberately or accidentally infecting innocents who come across them. Movie theatre chairs, gas pump handles, coin slots on payphones and random injections at nightclubs have all be touted, but none of them amount to a real threat with no recorded instances of people contracting the virus through any of these methods. The forwarded emails these are typically spread through are mischief making scare mongering according to various sources, and there are two sources of comfort to take if still worried: 1) The HIV virus cannot last for very long outside of its host, so discarded needles are unlikely to be a threat, and 2) Even if injected with a syringe of fresh HIV infected blood, there is around a 1 in 200 chance of becoming HIV positive (though this increases with the volume of blood involved)

Mosquitos can transmit HIV

not spread in that way.It’s an HIV myth that you can get AIDS via mosquito bites. Because mosquitoes do not inject blood into their prey, they cannot spread HIV in this manner. The way they can spread the likes of malaria and yellow fever is through the insect’s saliva but HIV is  If the insect has HIV infected blood in its gut, there’s a slim chance that swatting it, and then scratching the itch could lead to infection, but it’s such a long shot that this has never been recorded.

HIV can only infect gay men and drug users

This is an age old AIDS myth that just won’t go away. The HIV virus can infect anyone of any age, ethnicity or sexual orientation. While it’s true that anal sex carries a higher risk of infection, most penetrative sex acts carry a risk of transferring the virus.

An HIV infected mother cannot have children

HIV does not affect fertility – though it’s possible that in its later stages women will have a higher chance of spontaneous miscarriage. The chance of transferring the disease to an unborn child is 15-30% normally but reduced to 2-3% if they follow medical guidelines.

There were plans to kill a Sesame Street Character with AIDS to teach children about death

When Jim Henson died in 1990, rumour spread that Ernie from Sesame Street would be killed off, either because Jim Henson did his voice and no-one else could be found, or to teach children to deal with death. Despite the studio’s denial, these rumours continued to spread and one of the explanations was that he would either die through terminal illness – AIDS, cancer or leukaemia – or via some kind of traffic accident. None of the muppets on the show have ever passed on, although when the actor who played Mr Hooper died in 1982 the show dealt with the situation honestly, and culminated in the adults helping Big Bird understand that his friend wouldn’t be coming back.

However, one HIV related Sesame Street story is true – in 2002, it was announced that the South African version of the show was to introduce a female muppet who was HIV positive to fight stereotypes of people with the virus. It may seem an odd area to introduce into a children’s show, but with 1 in 9 people HIV positive in South Africa, the importance of working against the stigma of females with the virus is an issue that they felt needed to face head on.

Hopefully listing these AIDS myths will help people better understand a disease that has much misinformation spouted about it! Although we still have no cure for AIDS, if you are concerned that you may have become infected, getting HIV testing as soon as possible is very important. Not only will you be able to prevent the spread to other people, but scientists have developed many ways of improving the quality of life for sufferers and an early diagnosis can really help.

Tim Leach is the Marketing Manager of USA Lab Testing, providers of local HIV testing.

I have met literally hundreds of surrogate mothers, both traditional and gestational (although I readily admit that most were gestational). The women who tried to match themselves “independently” were the most interesting to talk with because they #1 had the most issues/problems #2 failed to actually complete a surrogacy and #3 some ended up going with an agency. Now I know of a very few who have had a great experience matching themselves and I was happy and relieved to hear that they had a great experience. However, more often then not, there wasn’t a happy ending.

The question I had to women who want to be surrogates but did not want to go through an agency is WHY NOT? What is wrong with agencies? I know why some Intended Parents don’t want to hire an agency and #1 is money but why do surrogates avoid agencies? Here are some of the top reasons women ‘go independent’:

#1 Potential Surrogates feel that they are saving potential IPs money

#2 Potential Surrogates can set their own base fee without an agency interfering and if the IP is ‘saving money’ (see #1) it can be given to the Independent surrogate

#3 Surrogates don’t have to go through the screening an agency requires. Examples:
A. BMI higher then 30 would be “OK”
B. Not parenting their own children would be “OK”
C. On public assistance would be fine
D. No Insurance is OK because they could be on public assistance
E. No Background Check because IP’s don’t want to spend the money
F. No psychological evaluation unless required by the clinic
G. Taking certain medications for anxiety for example might be acceptable
H. Hazardous working conditions can be overlooked
I. A ‘retainer fee’ can be requested
J. If Traditional and in-home insemination then No IQ testing, No STD testing, no waiting for sperm quarantine

#4 Going through an agency requires too much time and paperwork

Are these REALLY the type of women that IP’s want to carry their child? NO! But then again I don’t think that Intended Parents who want to save time and money know what they are getting themselves into when they don’t ask the right questions or require the most basic of background information.

Something to think about!

As a two time gestational surrogate mother and an author, as well as having many friends in the surrogacy community, I often hear women ask this question. Herpes is very common today, and does not automatically disqualify you from becoming a surrogate mother.

All clinics will require potential gestational surrogate mothers to undergo extensive physical and psychological testing prior to becoming approved as an acceptable carrier. Part of this testing is complete STD panels for both the surrogate and her partner.

Some clinics and intended parents will automatically disqualify any woman as a surrogate who has Herpes, but this is not a hard and fast rule. With proper arrangements, Herpes can become a non-issue.

The main problem with the Herpes virus is that it can be transmitted to the baby at birth. The simple solution for this is that the surrogate mother delivers the baby via c-section instead of vaginally.

The risk to the infant is only if there is an active Herpes infection present during delivery, though intended parents might ask for a mandatory c-section with a surrogate who carries the STD to be on the safe side.

The most important thing for you to do as a potential surrogate mother who has Herpes is to disclose this information during the matching process to the set of potential intended parents that you are interviewing with. You will also need to disclose this to the clinic before they have done any testing on you.

This way, if there is a problem, any relationship can be ended immediately, which will save everyone valuable time and money. Plus, this shows that you are honest and forthright with information, even derogatory information, which is vital in a surrogacy arrangement.

If you do not disclose this information in advance of testing, and it is found later, it could be a very large black spot on your relationship with both the clinic and the intended parents. STDs are not something to be taken lightly. They can have permanent and damaging effects on any unborn child.

It is important to note that Herpes is usually the only exception when it comes to carrying any sort of STD and still qualifying to become a surrogate mother. Because Herpes is only contagious when the baby passes through the birth canal, as opposed to being contagious in vetro, and because Herpes is so common in America, clinics and intended parents may turn a blind eye towards it.

Do not get offended if a clinic or intended parents reject you based on your Herpes status. These parents undergo a very expensive and emotional journey trying to become parents. They are usually extra cautious and extra sensitive to such issues.

But for every set of intended parents who may reject a Herpes carrier, there is another set of intended parents who simply do not care, so long as the proper safety precautions are taken. Good luck in your surrogacy journey!

Painters, composers and genocidal maniacs – it takes all sorts to die of syphilis! In fact, about 15% of the earth’s population in the 19th century contracted the dreaded venereal disease at some point in their lives.

These days a positive STD test would lead to treatment for this curable disease but for many who contracted the disease in those days it could prove deadly. Here are the ten most famous historical characters suspected to have suffered from the sexually transmitted disease.

10 – Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin, known as the ‘King of Ragtime’, wrote the famous piece of music ‘The Entertainer’. However, Joplin’s final hours would have been far from entertaining – he died in a mental institution suffering from the physical and mental influences of syphilis.

9 – Casanova

Casanova used a condom made out of sheep’s gut and tied on with a tasteful pink ribbon. However, the sexually prolific Venetian adventurer and author wasn’t as careful as he could have been and, as a result, suffered frequent bouts of venereal diseases including syphilis.

8 – Tolstoy

The Russian literary giant, author of ‘War and Peace’ and ‘Anna Karenina’ Leo Tolstoy suffered from syphilis during his youth, which was cured using arsenic treatment. In his novels, Tolstoy vividly examined the relationship between life and death.

7 – Ivan the Terrible

Ivan’s sexual promiscuity with both sexes, his last illness and many features of his personality support a diagnosis of syphilis. It was often ‘treated’ with mercury and he died of mercury poisoning. However, it cannot be determined if Ivan’s terrible problems were physical or psychological, and with anonymous STD testing yet to be invented in Ivan’s era we may never find out the truth.

6 – Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and philologist who had a major influence on philosophy, particularly in existentialism and postmodernism. A popular, though hotly disputed, story about Nietzsche is that he went insane after being infected with syphilis.

5 – Mussolini

Benito Mussolini exploited a grenade wound in the First World War to cover up syphilis, according to research which would explain the Italian dictator’s uncharacteristic refusal to boast about his heroism at the front. The syphilis theory fits with rumours which circulated in Italy during his rule – and his chronic gastric problems, a symptom of the sexually transmitted disease.

4 – Henry VIII

The gradual mental deterioration and paranoia which Henry VIII developed as he grew older was possibly the result of late stage syphilis. However, This well known theory was probably first promoted about 100 years after his death.

3 Beethoven

Whether Beethoven actually had syphilis has been debated for decades. Since anonymous STD testing was not available at that time we probably won’t find out. However, the composer was known to associate with prostitutes, and propagators of the theory often claim that the disease is what caused him to become deaf.

2 – Hitler

Adolf Hitler’s tremors and irregular heartbeat during the last years of his life could have been symptoms of late stage syphilis, which would mean he had had the sexually transmitted disease for many years. His many symptoms included encephalitis, dizziness, neck pustules, chest pain, an accentuated heartbeat and frequent paranoid rages.

1 – Shakespeare

After a close examination of William Shakespeare’s writings, the Infectious Diseases Society of America published an article suggesting that Shakespeare most probably had syphilis, and that his sickness could possibly explain several events in his later years.

Tim Leach is the Marketing Manager of American Lab Testing, providers of anonymous STD testing.