STD Testing Info

Sexual health is very important to be educated on, especially if you are sexually active yourself. Out of all the different issues that are included in the topic of sexual health, sexually transmitted diseases are definitely in the top ranking. STDs are more common than ever and are being spread at a faster rate than ever before.

When it comes to your sexual health you need to take certain precautions in order to guard yourself against these diseases, and one of the best steps you can take here is to make yourself informed and educated on the different diseases that are out there.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most commonly contracted sexually transmitted diseases in the world and definitely one of the most important sexually transmitted diseases to discuss in the topic of sexual health.

Chlamydia is passed through sexual contact with an infected person, and an infected mother may also pass the disease onto her baby during childbirth.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is another of the most popular sexually transmitted diseases, and also one that is critical to discuss when speaking about sexual health. In women gonorrhea can spread to the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and in men it can cause urethritis and penile discharge. It can also be spread from the penis to the throat during oral sex, although this is not particularly common.

Herpes

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that that results in painful blister-like sores that appear on the penis and vagina and it is spread by direct contact. Herpes is highly contagious if there are open sores present and it can spread even before sores form and after they heal.

Genital Warts

Another very common sexually transmitted disease, genital warts can appear on the penis, vagina, vulva, cervix, and in an around the anus and throat. There are often no symptoms at first and then a few months after contact with an infected person bumps may appear on the areas mentioned.

One of the most dangerous aspects to genital warts is that women who have developed the disease are at much higher risk of cervical cancer. In terms of treatment, warts may be treated with solution, gel, ointment, or frozen or burned off with laser or electric needle.

If you ever think you may have contracted a sexually transmitted disease you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible in order to make a proper diagnosis and then find the right method of treatment if necessary.

Original source: A Guide To Sexual Health

Glandular fever is the common name for infection Mononucleosis which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. This infection can make one quite ill but the individual suffering from the infection usually makes a full recovery.

Glandular Fever – Causes

The Epstein-Barr virus causes the glandular fever. It is passed on via the saliva and the mucus produced in the nose and throat of the infected person. People who are suffering from glandular fever are most infectious when they have fever. As the disease is spread mainly via the saliva and close contact, it is also referred to as the ‘Kissing Disease’. Hence, close contact and using the same towel and spoons with the infected person should be avoided.

The virus affects the cells of the salivary glands and a certain part of the white blood cells which are known as B-lymphocytes which are actually responsible for producing the antibodies against diseases. The infection begins in the salivary glands and large amount of the virus is released in the saliva. The virus then spreads to the B-lymphocytes where they multiply causing the lymph nodes to swell up and become very painful.

Glandular Fever – Symptoms

At the onset of the mononucleosis infection, the symptoms pass off as that of flu for about two weeks. The health practitioner usually suspects otherwise after some time has elapsed and there is no improvement in the condition of the patient. Some of the common symptoms seen in glandular fever are:

    * Fever along with severe fatigue
    * A soar throat along with swollen tonsils which are heavily covered with a white coating
    * Headache and muscle pain
    * Excessive tendency to sweat
    * Sore and swollen lymph nodes in the throat, armpits and the groin
    * Enlargement of liver along with jaundice
    * Development of rash on parts of the body especially the trunk and limbs
    * Stomach pain along with signs that the spleen has enlarged

Glandular Fever – Complications

The spleen which is present under the ribs on the left side at the back can sometimes become enlarged because of glandular fever. This is usually a very rare complication and the spleen can get swollen to a point that it can rupture. In such cases, an emergency surgery to remove the spleen will have to be performed as the ruptured spleen can cause heavy internal bleeding. This would be associated with abdominal pain along with the sudden deterioration in the patient.

Further, in theory there is also the risk of damaging the spleen if the patient who is recovering from the infection takes part in heavy physical activities. Therefore the patients are strongly advised not to exercise for four weeks after the disease has ended.

Apart from the inflammation of the spleen, the rare complications that are seen in patients with glandular fever include damage to the nervous system like inflammation of the brain, hepatitis, pneumonia and anemia. Further, it has also been estimated that about 10% of the people who have glandular fever develop long term chronic fatigue syndrome accompanied with occasional fever, the respiratory canal can become partially blocked, the number of platelets in the blood may decrease and lymph node enlargement.

Glandular Fever – Treatment

There is no set path of treatment for glandular fever. People suffering from glandular fever usually recover completely in a couple of weeks. The treatment is only prescribed for the symptoms if they become very troublesome:

    * Fluids: It is very important to consume plenty of fluid during the infection. Swallowing the liquid can be rather painful during a sore throat but not drinking can lead to dehydration especially if the patient also has fever. Further, mild dehydration can also make the tiredness and headache worse.
    * Antibiotics: Antibiotics does not kill the virus that causes the glandular fever. However, in some cases, people develop a secondary bacterial infection on the inflamed tonsils which the antibiotics will be able to treat.
    * Paracetamol: can be prescribed to ease the pain, headache and fever.
    * Steroids: As steroids help in reducing the inflammation, a short course of the steroids can be prescribed to reduce the throat inflammation. However, the use of steroids is very rare.

Most of the women die of poor reproductive health as a result of unwanted pregnancies or because of sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted disease, as the term indicates is any sort of venereal disease caused due to sexual intercourse or other sexual intact. The microbes which cause STD’s are just opportunity bugs that don’t consider any gender or sex but only require a warm body. In women, STD’s often lead to infertility, miscarriage, infection among the newborn or premature birth of the child.

You should know the below mentioned facts to protect yourselves from sexually transmitted diseases.

1. STD easily spreads when there is any transfer of bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions or blood from any person to another.

2. If a person has any sort of sexually transmitted disease and some other person has sex with that infected person, he or she is the quickest victim of STD. This is the reason why one should avoid having multiple partners or any monogamous relationship where one person is carrying an infection from a prior sexual encounter.

3. Sexually transmitted diseases are very contagious so if a woman has sex with his partner who is already infected with gonorrhea (a kind of STD) then she holds a chance of 80 to 90 percent of getting the disease. In case her partner carries two diseases namely gonorrhea and Chlamydia, she could be infected with both of them at the same time.

4. Vaginal intercourse carries the highest STD infections but other routes such as anal sex, oral sex or sexual abuse of children and mother to baby infection during child birth are also causes for such diseases.

5. STD’s weakens the immune system and therefore if a person is infected with such disease he or she has more chances of getting other infections. Even if a person recovers from a sexually transmitted disease, he or she has a weak immune system.

6. STD among women is not much obvious as compared to men which show clear symptoms of the disease. As such the problem could be misdiagnosed among women.

7. Most of the times, it happens that women are infected with such diseases but since the symptoms are not clear they unknowingly infect other sexual partner.

8. Men are secretly bisexual and as such they could easily pick up an STD from any homosexual encounter and pass it to an unsuspecting heterosexual partner.

9. Lesbians are less likely to have STD’s as sexually transmitted diseases are not easily spread from woman to woman.

People with STDs may have symptoms that can be seen, but many people do not exhibit any symptom at all, and it can take months or even years for them to come face to face with this unpleasant truth. If one is sexually active, it is vitally important to practice safer sex each and every time one is intimate. Going for STD testing when you decide to become intimate with someone new is also imperative to staying sexually healthy.

Testing for sexually transmitted infections is available in the Health Center as well as the Women’s Center. The term currently considered most correct to refer to these infections is STI’s, however the most common usage continues to be STD’s, or sexually transmitted diseases.

An STD test is a medical test for the presence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). I would like to stress on one very important fact at the very beginning, which is that no STD test is 100% accurate. Some STDs do not appear right away. The infection can take anywhere between a couple of days and a few years to show up.

It is also important to know that not all doctors perform the same tests for STD and hence it becomes vital to know what to ask for and the limitations of STD testing.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia screening is done either through a urine test or through a swab inside the penis of the men or from the cervix of a women. The swab test requires collection using a special small q-tip. Women must have a pelvic exam with a q-tip used to collect mucus from the cervix. This exam is occasionally uncomfortable. Specimens are collected from men by inserting the q-tip up inside the urethra, which is the opening where urine comes out. This is usually painful for men, but takes just a few seconds. Tests for syphilis is performed via a blood test or a swab from the genital pores. People in the late stages of syphilis infection need to have the Cerebrospinal Fluid Test performed. For this test, a sample of your spinal fluid will be collected and assessed to determine the extent of your infection. Washing the infected area with prescription shampoos treats Crabs. Tests for HIV and AIDS are performed by blood test, which is also known as the ELISA test. If the results of this test is positive, then a second test called the Western Blot is performed which will confirm if the someone is truly HIV positive. This is done as in some cases; several diseases like syphilis or lupus may cause the ELISA test to return a positive result.

Apart from the tests mentioned above which are performed when you show symptoms of STD or suspect something wrong, it is important to undergo routine tests to rule out the presence of STDs. It is recommended that the women undergo a Pap smear test annually, which is a simple procedure that collects cells from the cervix to test for cancer and pre-cancerous changes. Routine work for men is not recommended unless they have sex with other men. In such cases, the men should undergo tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia annually.

In the case of women, if pregnant, please inform the doctor before hand, as the course of treatment that is to be followed will be different.

Alarming statistics show that ignorance and carelessness are prime reason for STDs, its essential to inform and educate the younger generation that using condoms correctly will reduce the risk of infection. Central role of STD prevention is vital in improving health among women and infants and in promoting HIV prevention.

Here, we can conclude that that while some STDs can be completely treated and cured, other STDs cannot be cured; their symptoms can only be managed. Prevention is better than cure and hence it is imperative to practice safe sex and get your testing done today!

From time to time, I am sure all businesses go about looking to obtain additional leads. The question is; where do we go to gain these leads? The answer to this question is that there are a number of places that we can go to attract new business and in this article I will be writing about these different options.

I have worked within the insurance industry for most of my working life. As I am sure most people are aware, insurance brokers are paid via commission and at times these earnings can be quite substantial. For this reason, the broker I work for has a number of what are called insurance introducers. These are basically people who refer their friends, family and other contacts that they have, to our company in return for a percentage of this commission. This has worked very well for us in the past and is a practice that we are thinking of expanding in the future.

There is also an exciting new development in the insurance world which is the birth of a new website called leadbay. This is a site which is quite similar to ebay and is where mortgage brokers/companies can bid on leads that are put up for auction. This is quite a new concept but is one that I am confident will prove to be very popular and successful. I would like to congratulate the people who thought of this quality idea.

Another idea which has worked very well for our company is being a member of the local breakfast club. This has helped us to meet a lot of interesting and valuable contacts who we now regularly receive referrals from and to whom we are also able to refer our own clients to. The breakfast is not bad either!

These are just a few of many ways that companies can go about gaining additional leads/business.

He was the greatest basketball player and possibly the greatest athlete who ever lived. The 63-year-old Wilt Chamberlain was reported to have died of a heart attack, but that tells you nothing. You are supposed to ask why the world’s greatest athlete would die of a heart attack?

He was born in 1936, in Philadelphia. He was 6-11 when he entered Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School, led them to three public school championships and two all-city titles, Chamberlain became one of the most recruited players ever with more than 200 colleges interested, scored more than 100 points in a single National Basketball Association game and averaged more than 30 points a game throughout his professional career. However, when he was in high school, he was the best high school quarter miler in the United States and ran under 48 second. He also high jumped over 6 feet, five inches and was the best shot putter in Pennsylvania. He remained active after his NBA career and was considered an outstanding volleyball player. He also ran in the Honolulu marathon and competed in a 50-mile race in Canada.

Long after his career ended, Chamberlain made news by claiming in an autobiography that he had had sex with 20,000 women. Let’s see how good you are in diagnosing disease. Chamberlain’s health first became an issue in the 1960s, when a former coach told the news media that the star player might have had a heart attack before the 1964 season. But Chamberlain denied it. In 1992, when Chamberlain gathered with former teammates for a halftime ceremony marking the anniversary of their 1971-72 NBA championship, he had to leave early because he was having trouble breathing. He was admitted to a hospital and found to have an irregular heart beat. He was released from the hospital after three days wearing a heart monitoring device.

During his last years, he was diagnosed as having cardiomyopathy which means that his heart was too weak to pump blood through his body and he lost 50 pounds in the months prior to his death. There are three causes of a weak heart muscle. Lack of nutrients, blocked arteries, and infection.
You can suffer from a nutritional deficiency such as beriberi caused by lack of the vitamin thiamine or pellagra caused by lack of the vitamin niacin. This is almost impossible today in North America. The second possible cause of a failing heart is blocked arteries caused by arteriosclerosis and he did not have a very high cholesterol and he did not have arteriosclerosis. The third possibility is an infection in his heart caused by such bacteria as chlamydia and mycoplasma.

The fact that he lost 50 pounds and was unable to go anywhere in the last months of his life point to a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, that’s heart muscle damage, caused by infection with chlamydia or mycoplasma, from making love to considerably less than the 20,000 women that he claimed. That comes to 500 women per year, or 10 differnt women per week for 40 years, which would make the world’s greatest athlete, the most prolific lover of all time. Cardiomyopathy is often caused by chlamydia.

Chamberlain’s body was cremated, so we will never know for sure how he died.

With the bolstering technological improvements and breakthrough, anything beyond your imagination becomes possible. Entering the outer space, getting through the ocean, searching volcanoes and mountains—are inexplicable wonders of human prowess. Same goes with the invention of machines, robots, androids, to name a few, all of them have replaced human intervention in labor-extensive works and have continuously altered human mind and power. All of these modern advancements prove that nothing is impossible; the wonders of science and technology that befall to man will incessantly sweep the grounds to reality.

Human cloning has been a catchphrase for years and aroused worldwide interest for its scientific and ethical implications. Imagine, if someone dearest to you died, you could just consult some scientists to clone that person and make him/her alive again. You could have also cloned yourself so that someone will do homework for you while you are enjoying a night out with friends. Renowned personalities like Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and even Adolf Hitler could have been alive with the help of this technology. Historical people like Queen Nefertiti, Egyptian emperors, or Roman cavaliers could also be brought back to life with all of this wonderful human mind.

If cloning is meant to duplicate human or produce plants and animal; are you aware that the new trend today is the creation of dolls that might replaced men and women for sexual pleasure?

Realistic silicon love dolls have been gaining massive popularity and been invading the cyber space. Thousands of men are spending almost $6,500 or embezzling million dollars for silicone love doll. These dolls are doomed to feed men’s sexual desire and fantasies.

Real love dolls are manufactured and designed as a total replication of humans. You can choose from different body types, size of heads, skin tones, palette of make up, colors of hair, pubic hair style, areola color plus the shipping fee and you can have your own silicone dolls.

You can choose the breast size that you can massage. These dolls would be a more erotic and pleasurable companion in bed because they help you easily reach your orgasm anytime. These dolls can pose at different erotic angles and you’ll be assured that she will be loyal to you. She’ll never cheats, get pregnant, or passes on sexually transmitted disease. And most of all, she never says “no” when you want to have sex.

At any viewpoint you have and cast to these creation, adult love dolls manifest either the intimate or lustful necessities of men. These love doll for sex serve as the companion and relief for men until they reach their orgasm. They become a potential friend to those who are seeking momentary happiness and unexplainable sexual cravings.

Although it is spine-chilling to know that there are a lot of men who are indulged in having or having had sex to these dolls, we have to keep in mind that there are reasons why they are inclined to do it. We can’t find words or adjectives to describe these men—misogynist, pervert, rapist, loser, desperate—they tragically do!! Many of them are simply longing for companions or some are blatantly sexual monster!!!

By: Badeth Abonita

Vaginal sores are usually a symptom or sign of another problem such as a yeast infection or even genital warts. Sometimes it’s hard to know if you have sores, so you should have yourself seen by a doctor as soon as possible. It might be hard to know, because if you are suffering other symptoms of yeast infections such as itching in and around the vagina, tenderness, soreness, burning sensation during urination and sexual intercourse, pain during urination and intercourse, rash, redness of vagina and vulva; you might not know exactly what’s going on down there, except you are uncomfortable and probably in pain.

Vaginal sores embarrass the hell out of people, maybe because they associate them so sexually transmitted diseases (STD), I don’t know. What I do know is that women should get over the embarrassment and see their doctor as soon as they can. It is potentially dangerous to ignore the symptoms, even life threatening in some cases.

When you see your doctor, in most cases, you will get a pap smear done. Its better able to identify what the underlying problem is as they test for a variety of problems. When getting a pap smear done, a speculum is inserted into the vagina and widened to open it. A specimen brush that looks like a long cotton bud is used to swab the vaginal walls and is sent to testing. Many women are scared of this procedure, they feel its very violating, but its one of the best things you can do for yourself as a woman. When the results come back, you then know why you have vaginal sores, and a course of treatment can then begin.

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by HSV (herpes simplex viruses). HSV type 2 (HSV-1) is the usual cause of genital herpes. Although, in some cases HSV type 1 (HSV-2) is also found responsible for this disease. Usually HSV-2 is responsible for oral herpes (herpes sores on the lips and in the mouth).

Many people have heard about the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). But very few people know what causes it. There are several kinds of herpes strains. We will talk about the Genital herpes in this article.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV2) is also known as genital herpes because it affects the genital area. Common areas of infection are the cervix, labia, vagina, inner thighs, and anus of female and the shaft of the penis, scrotum, inner thighs and anus for men. As per the recent research approximately 86 million people worldwide are affected by this disease. The main cause of transmission of genital herpes is through sexual contact.

Getting Diagnosed

Think you have genital herpes? See your doctor for testing and treatment right away. Doctors can diagnose genital herpes by looking at visible sores or by taking a sample from the sore for testing in a lab. Blood tests can also be done to detect HSV-1 or HSV-2.Follow your doctor’s advice and finish all the medicine that you are given. It is very important to finish all the medicine even if the symptoms go away.

If you are not affected with genital herpes then abstinence from sex is the surest way to avoid getting genital herpes. The next way is to limit sex to one uninfected partner who only has sex with you. If you have a partner with genital herpes, do not have sex – even with a condom – when he or she is affected with an outbreak.

Cure and Precautions

Unfortunately there is no cure for this disease; the virus will always be in the infected body. Certain drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir can decrease the outbreaks, or stop them from happening. Your doctor can give you proper advice/medicine to cure the outbreaks and stop them from affecting you in future.

Always follow the following steps to stop frequent outcomes of the virus and to stop the transmission to another person.

1. Do not touch the sores with hands or with a cloth, in severe conditions one can use cotton, which can be thrown after use.

2. Wash hands after contact.

3. Clean the infected area and keep it dry.

4. Avoid sexual contact until the herpes are healed.

5. Avoid having any sexual activity while you have any symptoms of an outbreak. Be sure to tell your sexual partners, so they can also be tested. Genital herpes is a life long virus, which cannot be cured, get advice from your doctor in order to prevent the outbreak to happen and to prevent spreading of disease to any other person.

During an outbreak, there are different ways to relieve pain.

- Take warm bath. After bathing, carefully dry affected areas gently with cotton.

- Wear loose cotton clothes.

- Keep the area dry.

- Hold ice packs to the sores a few minutes, several times.

- Take aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or doctors prescribed medicine to relieve pain and fever.

It is very important for a pregnant woman that the outbreak of the herpes should be treated before giving birth. If the mother is affected by genital herpes while she is pregnant, she is more likely to pass the virus to her baby. If the outbreak is not the first one, the baby’s risk of getting the virus is very low. Babies born with herpes may be premature or may die, or they may have brain damage, severe rashes, or eye problems. Doctors may do a C-section to deliver a baby if the mother has herpes lesions near the birth canal to help prevent passing the virus. Also, acyclovir can help babies born with herpes if they are treated right away. It is not yet known if all genital herpes drugs are safe for pregnant women to take. Herpes is spread through contact with sores and can be dangerous to a newborn while breast-feeding if the sores are on sores on your nipple or areola. Breast-feeding should be stopped until the sores are healed.

If you have never had a baby before, the first time you visit the OB can be an exciting and scary event, especially if you don’t know what to expect. The exact procedures and routines vary from practitioner to practitioner, but there are a few things that are standard across the board.

As with visiting any new medical doctor, you will first be given a gaggle of forms to fill out while you wait in the waiting room. You will fill out paperwork that gives basic information, your name, address, date of birth, social security number, marital status, spouse’s name, insurance information, date of your last period, etc. You will also probably fill out a medical history form, where you will be asked about past illnesses, injuries, surgeries, and hospitalizations. You will also be asked about your family history as well, and maybe even for some of your spouse’s information too, so it is a good idea for him to come along to this first appointment. Some practitioner’s will also ask questions about your sexual history, as well as talk to you about testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Don’t be offended, it is routine with every pregnant patient, and some STD tests are required by law.

Once you have filled out all of your paperwork, you will probably first meet your practitioner in his or her office, where you will go over the forms that you filled out, find out some background information about your practitioner, and be allowed to ask any questions that you may have. When this is over, you will be ushered into either the waiting room, or a patient examination room, depending on what is available.

A member of the staff will check your weight, blood pressure, pulse, and will likely have you give a urine sample, which will be done at every prenatal visit, to check for signs of protein or sugar, which could be a sign of a potential problem. Once this is done, you may have blood drawn for routine lab work, or may be given forms to take to another site, if your practitioner doesn’t do labs.

You will be asked to disrobe, and your practitioner will do a routine pelvic exam, and will also check your uterus, to try to get a more accurate idea of how far along you are. This can also be confirmed in other methods, blood tests, ultrasound, and amniocentesis as well. You may also get to hear the baby’s heartbeat at this time as well, which can be very exciting, especially for first-time parents. When the exam is complete, your practitioner may talk to you about exercise, diet, and answer any questions that you have. You will be instructed on when to come back in for your next prenatal checkup, and will likely either be given samples or a prescription for prenatal vitamins, which you should take everyday.

You get a lot of information at your first prenatal visit, and it can be overwhelming, so if you think of questions or concerns after you have left, don’t hesitate to call. In fact, your doctor probably expects you to, particularly if this is your first pregnancy.