Should We All Use PrEP? (HIV Prevention)

By David Mang  |   Submitted On August 10, 2015

What is PrEP?
PrEP (or pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a pill that can be taken daily, just like the contraceptive pill, to prevent the user catching HIV. Approximately two-thirds of all women aged 20-24 are using the oral contraceptive pill daily, a medicine which has been praised as 'revolutionising' the modern world and greatly reducing the rate of unwanted pregnancy, proving that preventative medicines can be hugely effective and well-received.
Is PrEP a positive option?
There are currently over 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK, a staggering and unnecessary figure that only seems to rise. Many cases of HIV contraction are entirely avoidable, and PrEP is a solution to many people's risk issues. There is, however, the risk that people will treat the possibility of contracting HIV with a degree of flippancy upon the introduction of a preventative medicine, much as those who use oral contraceptives are less likely to use a condom. Condoms are still exceptionally important in the containment of serious diseases such as HIV, and they also stop additional sexually transmitted infections from being passed on through intercourse. Tests carried out on trial subjects have so far shown no indication that PrEP encourages or produces risky behaviour or a lack of condom use.
Who should take PrEP?
As it stands, PrEP is currently being used as an advisory method of reducing the chance of catching HIV for those already at a high risk - for example, somebody whose partner is HIV positive. It is only at the trial stage in the UK, but has been readily available in the USA since 2012. It is currently being tested predominantly on gay and bisexual males, who statistically have the greatest proportion of HIV cases in the country. As a new medicine, the side effects are still being monitored, but many doctors backing the experiment have stressed that taking medication for something you are not at a high risk of is likely to do more bad than good.
Is PrEP a sustainable medicine?
PrEP has been criticised as unnecessary and expensive, providing healthy people with medication that the NHS will have to pay for, all for a disease they don't have. However, tests have shown that PrEP greatly reduces the probability of HIV, a lifelong illness that requires the afflicted individual to be medicated continually from the point of contraction; in fact, the preventative issuing of PrEP is a much more affordable and sustainable option and saves people needless suffering.
When will PrEP be readily available?
Currently, PrEP is expected to be released for general prescription in 2017, although campaigns for immediate releases for those at the highest risk have begun and are making headway towards releasing medicine earlier than expected.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Mang/2160851

Herpes Is More Common Than You Think

By Nguyen Kinh Luan  |   Submitted On December 07, 2015

You probably think that if you are careful about who you are with and you practice safe sex that you don't have to worry about diseases like herpes. After all, you've been taught for most of your life that doing these things will help you stay healthy.
The truth is, a lot more people have herpes than you think. In fact, the numbers are actually quite staggering. Even those who have always practiced safe sex and done everything else possible to avoid the disease probably have it in one form or another. The truth is, there are probably a lot of things about the disease that you didn't know.
First and foremost, about 90% of adults have herpes. There are eight different types of the disease but the most common types that are experienced by adults are Type 1 and Type 2. Furthermore, two-thirds of the adult population have experienced cold sores on their lips or sores on their genitals as a direct result of the disease. This is a staggering number, to say the least. It is one that usually makes most people stop and think as they realize how easy it is to contract the disease and how they've probably had it for a very long time.
Another interesting fact about the disease is that it never goes away.
People that are infected with herpes will always be infected with it unless a cure is found at some point in the future. Right now, no cure exists. With that being said, there are plenty of treatments that exist which can keep the disease in check and let you live a normal life. In many cases, you can go on for years and have no idea that you are even infected with the disease. Once you start showing symptoms, you can benefit from a number of different medical treatments that can reduce symptoms.
The important thing to remember is that the disease does not always flare up. Even when you have it, there are plenty of times that you will not have to deal with symptoms at all times. With that being said, a flare up can occur at any time. More importantly, you can actually pass the disease from one person to the next whether you show any symptoms or not. A lot of people think that as long as they're not showing symptoms, they're not contagious. That is not correct. Typically, only about 20% of people pass the disease on to someone else whether they're showing symptoms or not, but it is possible for you to be contagious even when you haven't had symptoms in quite some time.
One of the good things about having herpes is that it can actually increase your immunity to other diseases. Because it never leaves the body and it forces your immune system to constantly suppress it, it can actually benefit you when it comes to other bacterial infections because your body can snuff them out before they ever even get started. The next time that you get a cold sore, you'll probably think about herpes in an entirely different way than you ever have before. At least now you know facts.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nguyen_Kinh_Luan/1956160

All You Need To Know About Chlamydia

By Jovia D'Souza  |   Submitted On December 14, 2015

Chlamydia is a very common STD so much that is more common than syphilis and gonorrhea. Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacterium that causes the disease and it ends up damaging the female reproductive organs. This infection is passed during sexual contact mostly vaginal and anal sexual contact but there are also risks of infection from oral sex.
What is most serious about chlamydia is that symptoms are usually mild or absent and hence it is possible for many people to transmit it without knowing. It can lead to serious complications some of which cause damage that is irreversible such as infertility. By the time the symptoms start to show the damage is already done and it is therefore advisable to get tested for chlamydia from time to time so you can get relevant treatment or have peace of mind that all is well.
Symptoms
Even though a large number of people do not experience any symptoms when they are infected with chlamydia, those who do experience the symptoms might notice some of the following signs a few days after they get infected.
Women
· Abnormal vagina discharge
· Abdominal pain
· Painful intercourse
· Vaginal or anal swelling
· Frequent urge to urinate
· Bleeding after intercourse
· Burning sensation or pain when urinating
· Bleeding between menstrual cycles
· Low grade fever
· A yellow cervical discharge that could be smelly
Men
· Milky or watery or pus from the penis
· Burning sensation or pain when urinating
· Tender or swollen testicles
· Anal swelling
Chlamydia can also affect the eyes causing itching and redness or the throat causing soreness. Usually chlamydia symptoms appear during morning hours especially for men and could be mild hence making it harder for people to realize that they are infected.
Chlamydia complications
When left untreated for a very long time, this infection can cause serious health issues. Pelvic inflammatory disease and epididymitis both leading to infertility in women and men respectively are some of the serious complications.
Considering that the symptoms are mostly absent, it helps that you take the initiative of getting tested so that you can get the relevant treatment. You can consult your healthcare provider to get the test done or visit reliable STD testing facility. Cell samples from the anus, urethra, penis and cervix are taken using a swab for testing and you may also have a urine test.
Treatment
The good news about chlamydia is that it can be treated. After you get treated and diagnosed with the infection, you are most likely going to be prescribed antibiotics. The treatment advice you get will determine how many doses you take with some requiring only one dose and others up to seven doses. It is important to have you sexual partner or partners treated as well before you go back into having sex. Your healthcare provider may recommend a retest after a few months and it is best that you ensure you get retested as a simple way of confirming that the treatment was a success. Treatment might be continued in case the results are not effective.
Reducing Infection
To reduce the chances of infection, it is very important to abstain from sex or use a condom especially if you do not have one stable sexual partner. There are female condoms today that women can use to reduce infection. It is also advisable to alert all your partners in case you have tested positive for chlamydia so they can get the necessary treatment before you engage in sex again and to avoid chances of them infecting others. It is also advisable to get regular checkups for this sexually transmitted disease and to reduce your number of partners so you can reduce the risks of infection.

There are very good STD testing facilities you can visit to have your test and results delivered the same day. Such facilities are great for chlamydia testing to give you peace of mind and protect you from complications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jovia_D'Souza/2007086

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Herpes and Its Viral Consequences to Anyone

By Aman Tumukur Khanna  |   Submitted On January 04, 2016

Herpes simplex can be described as a viral disease. It is caused by the popular simplex virus. There are many infections that cause this and these infections are categorized based on the part of the body that gets infected. There is also oral herpes that affects the face and the mouth. It can result in small blisters in groups that is often called as the cold sores and fever blister. It can also just cause a simple sore throat and have you down for a few days. Genital herpes is also often simply known as herpes and can have a few and minimal symptoms that can form various types of blisters. These blisters can break open and result in small ulcers.
Genital herpes
There have been lots of studies done on the subject of genital herpes in the recent past. Genital herpes is a highly contagious virus. It is spread mostly through improper and unhygienic sexual activities. This infection is also caused by the simplex virus-2 of herpes or HSV-2. The virus is also responsible for the cold sores that affect your body. Genital herpes can be treated by a few medicinal treatments. These medicines control the flow of the virus in the body and can make life easier for the infected person.
The herpes tests
There are also herpes tests that are done in order to find the HSV virus. A simple HSV infection can also cause painful sores, small sores that can look like a blister on your skin and also the tissue lining of the nose, mouth, throat and urethra. A herpes infection can cause only a single outbreak of sores but can also cause a person to have more number of outbreaks. The herpes virus is highly common in the United States of America. We say this because at least one in every six people who are aged between the years of 14 and 49 have this virus.
Herpes is spread to the untraditional form of having sex. This includes oral sex, vaginal and anal sex. Particularly with someone who already has the disease. There are fluids that re found in the herpes sore and these fluids very often carry the disease. Also the virus can easily be released through these fluids. You can also acquire herpes from an infected partner while having sex with him or her. Preventive measure must be taken while having sex.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Aman_Tumukur_Khanna/1972047