STD Testing Info

AIDS virus is found in the blood of the infected person. The virus is even found in genital secretions of every infected person. This virus spreads to an uninfected person who happens to come in sexual contact where in the virus from the genital secretions of the infected person enters the tissues of the healthy person (which are at the lining of the anal area, vagina, mouth etc.), the virus enters in the body of an uninfected person if the blood (or genital secretion) of the infected person is touched by the uninfected person who has cut/punctured skin on the area that comes in contact with it or if an uninfected person uses a syringe/needle (used for any purpose such as tattooing, drugs etc.) that is used by an infected person. The virus also spreads from infected mother to newborn baby during pregnancy and even breast feeding from the infected mother can cause AIDS to her baby.

Now let us see effects that a person might experience after getting infected with HIV virus. The person who gets infected by HIV virus (knowingly or unknowingly) does not develop positive HIV antibodies immediately; in fact it takes between 2 to 4 months to turn the HIV antibodies into positive (which can be confirmed by tests such as ELISA and western blot). The starting period of infection of HIV virus is also called primary stage of HIV infection. During this period, the infected person (although this is not what all the infected patients experience, but these are general symptoms) experience a flu-like situation, the person might experience fever for several weeks. Soared throats/mouth, frequent fever, muscles and join pain, swollen lymph nodes in the neck etc. are some of the common symptoms experienced by most of the AIDS patients during their primary stage of infection. In most of the cases it is found that the above enlisted symptoms vanish as soon as the HIV virus turns positive. In this phase, the virus starts spreading (multiplying) inside the body of the infected person and as he has no symptoms of AIDS, only a test can tell whether the person is infected with HIV.

As given above, after the patient passes the primary stage of infection, the virus starts multiplying inside the host’s body. The viral reproduction depends on many factors such as physical condition, immune system etc. of the host. Every day more than some millions (or sometimes billions, the number is not same for everyone and everyday) HIV viruses are produced inside the patient’s body. AIDS is a very slow progressing disease, the procedure of HIV virus multiplying generally takes about 8 to 10 years. Once the HIV virus is reproduced up to a certain extent, a situation called AIDS develops in patient.

Now let us see, how the virus works inside the patient’s body. In biological words, every living cell has its set of functions defined, such as CD4 cells, which has a function to fight with diseases and provide make our immune system stronger. We can say that every cell is programmed to do some activity. The HIV virus; reprograms the cells of immune system and converts them in cells that produces more HIV viruses (as HIV viruses cannot reproduce more HIV viruses or cannot replicate itself just like a living cell can do). This process continues until human immune system becomes so weak that it cannot fight even a simple disease that did not need any special dose of medicine.

HIV virus attacks CD4+T cell, which is also known as T-helper cell of Immune System. HIV virus is called retroviral, because it takes help of enzyme called Reverse Transcriptase, to convert RNA strands into DNA. As a first step of infecting a healthy T-helper cell, HIV virus gets itself attached to the CD4 protein of the T-helper cell wall with the help of its gp120 Envelop protein. This works as a gate opener, the cell wall of the T-helper cell allows the viral core of the HIV virus enters into T-helper cell after gp120 protein docks itself to the CD4 protein. Further, the reverse transcriptase inside the HIV virus core, copies the virus’s RNA into DNA. This newly generated DNA is carried to the T-helper cell’s nucleus by an enzyme called viral integrase, where the virus’s DNA binds itself with the T-helper cell’s DNA. This mutated DNA then creates messenger RNA (mRNA), and in this process it uses the enzymes available in T-helper cell. The messenger RNA is just like blue-print of instruction which tell how to create new viral proteins.

This mRNA is carried out of the nucleus of the T-cell by the cell’s own enzymes. Now the virus inside the cell uses cell’s proteins to make more long chains of viral proteins and enzymes. Here the infected T-helper cell comes completely under control of the HIV virus and works as new virus producing factory. The newly created viral proteins, RNA and enzymes gather at the edge of the T-helper cell ready to get into a protective sheathe and infect another healthy T-helper cell. An enzyme which is called protease cuts the polypeptides into viral proteins. The newly created HIV virus particles then leave the infected T-helper cell and get their own protective sheathe (which again is made up of membrane of the infected T-helper cell) and head towards the other Immune System cells. This process is also called budding and about thousands of T-helper cells are infected slowly until the CD4 cell count reduces to a very low level. At certain level when the number of T-helper cells per millimeter in blood goes below a particular number, the person is considered to have developed AIDS.

Genital warts are caused by a virus that is extremely common amongst the population around the world and spreads very quickly over the body and between people. The virus is spread by skin to skin contact and can do so easily. The problem is that there is a huge population of people that have the virus that causes genital warts but do not know it since they may not have experienced the symptoms or been able to recognize what they have as genital warts symptoms . Before we go any further I must say that if you think that you have the virus or think that you may have symptoms of warts then you should go right to a qualified doctor to make the diagnosis and assist you in the treatment.

Most warts are not painful and very few people that have them experience anything further than mild itching. The warts can range in size from very tiny all the way to large when they cluster together. The thing about genital warts is that they can show up anywhere and everywhere on the genital area as well as internally. The warts can start off in one area and if left untreated they can actually show up in more and more areas which is common. The visible ones are bad enough but at least they can be identified and treated. The ones that show up in areas that cannot be seen are the problem ones. Women can get genital warts on their cervix which if left unnoticed or untreated can lead to much more problems. The other thing that can happen if there are warts that go unnoticed, the person may not know they have them or the virus and they can spread it much more easily.

The only true way to prevent the spreading of the HPV is by abstaining from sex altogether. If you are not going to get tested and want to have sex still then the best thing to do is have protected sex. There is not guarantee that if you use a condom or similar that you cannot spread the virus but it will help. A smart thing to do is to go to the doctor and have yourself tested for the virus that causes genital warts so that you can learn for sure if you have it so that you do not pass it on to others. If you want to keep yourself safe then you and your partner should be tested at the same time and then continue to have a monogamous relationship.

The more that you know about what is available to you testing and prevention related the better and safer you will be. The virus is out there and it will not be eliminated anytime soon so the best that we can al do is prevent spreading it around further. Do not forget, you can have the virus and not know it and so can anyone else. Trust nobody but the tests that say someone is clear of the virus. People can lie but the tests do not. Stay safe and be careful.

Although there are many stories/guesses of how and from where the disease originated? HIV virus is strongly believed to be originated from Africa around 1940. According to stored records, the first known patient of AIDS disease was from one of the states of Africa in 1959 whose blood was stored in order to find out the possible cause of his death. In tests carried out, the blood is confirmed to contain AIDS virus.

It is believed that the HIV virus inherits its properties from a virus SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus), which is found in monkeys. The AIDS virus also has developed its own characteristics along with those which it inherits from SIV. The SIV virus has exactly same genetic structure as that of HIV and both the viruses are transmitted same way from one host to another. The SIV virus causes AIDS in monkeys and has exactly same effects on them but it does not show any such effect on humans, whereas HIV causes AIDS in humans but not in monkeys. There are again many interesting stories/guesses/hypothesis as how the HIV virus born from the SIV virus? And how SIV virus got mixed in the human blood?

The AIDS virus was first discovered around year 1980 in the United States. A group of young gay men and also some drug users; were getting ill often, and there was no trace of the disease that they were suffering from. Most of the diseases they were falling prey of were related to the immune system. As it was not known that how much time the disease takes to surface? And how the disease spreads? The virus of AIDS found new home for itself from one man to another in the same group and also those who came in sexual contact or used the same syringe which was used by infected person. After some months, people from the group began to die, the diseases which killed all those people, were some of the common diseases which affects human at much extent if they have a damaged immune system. The T cells, also known as CD4 cells which help human body in fighting with the diseases were found damaged and there level was lowered in the patients suffering from the mysterious disease. It was outbreak of the new disease and it was identified and named AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in 1981. Doctors started research in order to find out the possible causes of the disease. First, it was not known whether AIDS was caused by viral infection or something else until two doctors Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo found the virus causing AIDS. The virus was named Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Further in 1985, a blood test was formulated which helped in identifying if a person was carrying HIV. Since 1985, this blood test is used effectively for diagnosing HIV infection. Some more tests were also found to help in diagnosing the virus and the disease using the saliva and urine.

During first few years of the detection of the new disease AIDS, all the possible reasons of spread of the disease were unknown. This helped the disease spread from one infected person to another. Back in the decade of 60′s, there were very rare chances of a disease spreading across continents or countries. It was possible only when one person traveled from one country to another and carried the disease knowingly or unknowingly. The spread of AIDS is also said to be related with the same situation. It is said that when flight attendants used to fly across the seas, they had many sex partners in almost all the countries they visited. This helped AIDS spread from Africa and allowed it to enter in America.

After few years, all the possible reasons which helps AIDS virus to spread from one person to another were revealed, such as blood transfusion from an infected person to a healthy person, sexual intercourse between infected person and a healthy person, use of syringe etc. Right from the time of outbreak of the virus, it has infected over 50 million people and killed about half of the same till today (The number of people infected and killed due to AIDS might change, as there is a huge difference in official and unofficial data). But the right cure for the virus has not yet been discovered.

The hike in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases among pregnant women has raised a situation whereby there is no protection against sexually transmitted diseases making the situation of pregnant women worst as compared to women who are not pregnant.

This is a vital fact that STDs contracted during pregnancy is quite life threatening. Most of the women are not even aware of the potential consequences of such diseases even before they get pregnant so they need to know how to protect themselves and their upcoming children from these threats.

The consequences of such sexually transmitted diseases for pregnant women can be same as for non pregnant women but these may lead to devastating effects too such as cervical cancer, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and other complications.

Very often there are no symptoms among women who are infected with these sexually transmitted diseases and even the women may not be aware that she is infected as such until she is already pregnant.

Many other complications that occur due to sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy may include early onset of labor or premature rupture of the uterine membranes surrounding the baby and can even cause uterine infection after delivery.

It is quite common that sexually transmitted diseases are being transmitted from pregnant women to her fetus, newborn or any infant before, during or after birth. Certain STD’s such as syphilis even cross the placenta and infect the fetus that affects the fetal development. Many other sexually transmitted diseases include gonorrhea, Chlamydia, hepatitis B and genital herpes that could be transmitted from the pregnant mother to her infant through vaginal delivery. HIV positive women can transmit the virus causing AIDS to the fetus through the placenta while pregnancy or any sort of infection that could occur during the process of birth. Unique to the HIV this is a fact that transmission can occur in infants through breastfeeding by an infected mother.

HIV infection in Africa has spread more through medical practices, such as injections, than it has through unsafe sex, according to research published today by the Royal Society of Medicine.

Since the 80s, it has been widely assumed that 90% of HIV cases in Africa were sexually transmitted. But new research, based on reviewing hundreds of studies, suggests that only about a third of HIV infections in Africa are transmitted by sex.

Instead, the authors claim that “healthcare exposures caused more HIV than sexual transmission”, with contaminated medical injections representing the biggest risk.

They said that their findings have “major ramifications for current and future HIV control in Africa, whose focus has been almost exclusively on sexual risk reduction and condom use”.

The study, published in today’s International Journal of STD and Aids, was conducted by a research team of HIV and public health experts. The team was led by anthropologist Dr David Gisselquist, from Pennsylvania.

The researchers say that HIV cases in Africa have not followed the pattern of most types of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). In Zimbabwe in the 90s, HIV infections rose by 12% per year, while overall STD cases dropped by 25% and condom use increased among high-risk groups.

Places with the highest level of risky sexual behaviour, such as Yaounde, in Cameroon, have low and stable rates of HIV infection.

Many studies reported young children being infected with HIV even though their mothers were not. In one, 40% of children with HIV had mothers who tested negative. These children had an average of 44 injections in their lifetime, compared with 23 for uninfected children.

Dr Gisselquist said that those with HIV may have more injections because of their condition, but that would not account for all the extra jabs.

Countries such as Zimbabwe, which have the best access to medical care, also have the highest rates of HIV transmission. Typically, STDs are associated with being poor and uneducated, but HIV in Africa is linked with urban living, good education and higher income.

Dr Gisselquist said that he had found no reliable study to back up the 1988 estimate that 90% of HIV infections were sexually transmitted. He added that the figure “did not fit the data available at the time”, and suggested epidemiology and propaganda had become entwined.

This might be due to fears over people losing trust in healthcare, disbelief that medical practices could be so unsafe, and preconceptions about African sexuality, he said.

The aim of the new research was not to scare people, but to show the importance of carrying out medical procedures correctly, such as using syringes only once.

“People can get quality healthcare in Africa: it is just the difference between doing it right and doing it wrong,” Dr Gisselquist said.

“I would like to open up the debate and get attention to the research, but also get through to people who are living there about where HIV could be coming from.”

Dr Christopher Uoma, HIV co-ordinator for ActionAid in Kenya, said he had not had chance to study the full research, but his initial reaction to the findings was one of shock.

“It could have profound implications for our programme, and for Africa in general,” he said. “It could lead to a serious change in terms of health behaviour, with people being reluctant to enter hospitals.”

He also warned that it could encourage some people to revert to previous habits of risky sexual behaviour.

We have all heard about the wonders that staying for a few hours in a sauna can provide for the tired person. While there are many ways that you can enjoy these benefits of soaking the steam into your body the best way is probably to build sauna room units. You will be able to find different companies that will provide you with various sized pre-cut sauna rooms.

Some of these companies will also help you with the assembling of the sauna room that you need. You can also find various manuals and articles that will detail the process of how to build sauna rooms in your homes. A few of these materials can be found on the internet and in other cases you can find books on building saunas at your local library and book shops.

The best way to build sauna rooms is to look for a good location for the sauna. You can find the various items that you need for the sauna from companies that supply water resistant wood.

To build sauna rooms the best type of wood that you can buy and place inside of the sauna is that of Cedar wood. This wood is water resistant by nature and it is also stain resistant. You will also be able to clean the sauna once you gave finished using it.

Additionally you will need to locate stones that have the ability to withstand the constant heating and cooling that is needed in a sauna. Therefore when you are buying these sauna stones to place in your sauna stove you should buy good quality Finnish stones. When you about to build sauna needs to have a place set in the center for the sauna stones.

The roof of the sauna should be high enough so that the heat will not press too much on you. You can make this roof level about seven to eight feet about the ground of the sauna. You will have to ensure that when you are about to build sauna shed that any metallic pieces are not showing or protruding outside into the sauna itself.

For the various inhabitants of the sauna you will need to provide long and wide benches. These benches should be attached to the walls in a manner where you won’t have any problems with the benches moving aside.

While you are able to create the perfect sauna in your home you may feel less stress when you buy a ready to assemble sauna instead of seeing if you can build sauna rooms with the various pieces that you have.

The Vatican published an ethical dictionary yesterday saying homosexuality has “no social value”, warning against concepts such as “safe sex” and “reproductive health” and insisting that condoms don’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

The book, one of the Vatican’s most scathing attacks yet on what it considers deteriorating social values, caused outrage in Italy’s gay community, among some Italian politicians and even at certain levels within the Vatican itself.

The 900-page Lexicon On Ambiguous and Colloquial Terms About Family Life and Ethical Questions queries the use by world leaders and public organisations of 78 key words related to sexuality, abortion and birth control.

Leaders who encourage the use of condoms for safe sex are running a commercially motivated “exercise in self-justification”, the book says, concealing the fact that tests show condoms don’t work 10% of the time.

“The Vatican, these imbeciles, are burning up years of work of professional doctors in a matter of seconds,” said Fabio Canino, a popular gay television presenter in Italy, referring to the Vatican’s message to the world’s one billion Catholics on condoms.

He added: “The irony of this vicious message against homosexuality is that there are more gays per capita inside the Vatican than in most other countries.”

Reproductive health is of concern for both men and women but it requires much attention in the case of a woman because she is more critical to many diseases and this could even lead to her death many a times. The women reproductive health is very sensitive and reacts to very minor hormonal imbalances. So being a woman, you should be well aware of the functioning of your reproductive system. You should also go for regular pap smears (check up) during your reproductive years for a good reproductive health. At the same time you should be aware of diseases caused due to unsafe sex practices and contraception methods.

Understanding your reproductive system:
The more you know about your reproductive system, the better would be your situation to make decision to prevent or increase your pregnancy. Your reproductive health is more than your menstrual cycle. Each month, your body goes through natural body and hormonal changes. Therefore, the process of fertilization of ova with the sperm takes place leading to pregnancy. When the released egg doesn’t get fertilized while passing from the fallopian tubes towards the uterus, it sheds in the form of menstrual cycle. In this way you can make a chart of your ovulation and menstrual process to decide pregnancy.

Visit your health provider for pap smears:
You should always be conscious for your reproductive health and visit your health provider for proper papanicolaou smear check ups which is done to access cervix (an opening above vagina and below uterus) health. You might think that this test is not of much important but it will let you know about cervical cancer that could be treated in its early stages.

Proper use of tampons and contraceptive methods:
If you are a regular user of contraceptive methods such as pills and tampons you should take appropriate care of. This is because uses of tampons often lead to toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome is a type of blood poisoning that makes a person ill in a very short span of time. Women experience this disease at the time of their menstrual cycle in the form of high fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, rashes, peeling of skin, blood shot eyes, sudden down blood pressure and organ failure.

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.