Showing posts with label prevention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prevention. Show all posts

Monday, May 5, 2014

More Knowledge About Symptoms Of Syphilis



Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum – a specific type of bacteria called a spirochete. Syphilisis characterized by four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.
After becoming infected with syphilis, there is an incubation period between of 9 to 90 days (the average being around 21 days) before the first signs and symptoms of the disease appear. Each stage of syphilis has characteristic signs and symptoms but any particular sign or symptom of may or may not be present.
Syphilis develops in four stages, each with a different set of symptoms.

Primary stage
During the primary stage of syphilis, a sore (chancre) that is usually painless develops at the site where the bacteria entered the body. This commonly occurs within 3 weeks of exposure but can range from 10 to 90 days. A person is highly contagious during the primary stage.
In men, a chancre often appears in the genital area, usually (but not always) on the penis. These sores are often painless.
In women, chancres can develop on the outer genitals or on the inner part of the vagina. A chancre may go unnoticed if it occurs inside the vagina or at the opening to the uterus (cervix). The sores are usually painless and are not easily seen.
Swelling of the lymph nodes may occur near the area of the chancre.
A chancre may also occur in an area of the body other than the genitals.
The chancre lasts for 28 to 42 days, heals without treatment, and may leave a thin scar. But just because the chancre has healed does not mean the syphilis is cured or that a person cannot pass the infection to others.

Secondary syphilis is characterized by a rash that appears from 4 to 10 weeks after the chancre develops and sometimes before it heals. Other symptoms may also occur, indicating that the infection has spread throughout the body. A person is highly contagious during the secondary stage.
A rash often develops over the body and commonly includes the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
The rash usually consists of reddish brown, small, solid, flat or raised skin sores that are less. But the rash may look like other more common skin problems.
Small, open sores may be present on mucous membranes. The sores may contain pus. Or moist sores that look like warts (called condyloma lata) may be present.

When syphilis has spread throughout the body, the person may have :
A fever of usually less than 101°F (38.3°C). A sore throat. A vague feeling of weakness or discomfort throughout the body.
Weight loss. Patchy hair loss, especially in the eyebrows, eyelashes, and scalp hair. Swelling of the lymph nodes.
Nervous system symptoms of secondary syphilis, which can cause headaches, stiff neck, vision or hearing problems, irritability, paralysis, unequal reflexes, and irregular (different-sized) pupils.

Tertiary (late) stage
This is the most destructive stage of syphilis. If untreated, the tertiary stage may begin as early as 1 year after infection or at any time during a person's lifetime. A person with syphilis may never experience this stage of the illness.
During this stage, syphilis may cause serious blood vessel and heart problems, mental disorders, blindness, nerve system problems, and even death. The symptoms of tertiary (late) syphilis depend on the complications that develop. Complications of this stage include:
Gummata, which are large sores inside the body or on the skin. Cardiovascular syphilis, which affects the heart and blood vessels. Neurosyphilis, which affects the brain or the lining that covers the brain. Congenital syphilis
Congenital syphilis refers to syphilis passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or during labor and delivery.  Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommend that all pregnant women be screened for syphilis because of the severe consequences of being pregnant while infected or having a child born with congenital syphilis. Screening should be done:3, 4

At the first prenatal visit for all pregnant women.
At the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy and again at delivery for women who are at high risk of acquiring syphilis.
Congenital syphilis increases the risk of fetal death and medical complications in newborns. 

Syphilis enters the fetal blood system through the placenta, causing infection of the newborn or death of the fetus. Symptoms of congenital syphilis include:
A highly contagious watery discharge from the nose ("snuffles"). Painful inflammation of the bone coverings. Contagious rash that frequently appears over the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Reduced red blood cells in the blood (anemia). Enlarged liver and spleen.
Swelling of the lymph nodes. Failure to grow and develop normally (failure to thrive).
Because there are other conditions with similar symptoms, an accurate diagnosis is important for treatment.

If untreated, an infected person will progress to the latent (hidden) stage of syphilis. The latent stage is defined as the year after a person becomes infected. After the secondary-stage rash goes away, the person will not have any symptoms for a time (latent period). The latent period may be as brief as 1 year or range from 5 to 20 years.
Often during this stage, an accurate diagnosis can only be made through blood testing, the person's history, or the birth of a child with congenital syphilis.

A person is contagious during the early part of the latent stage and may be contagious during the latent period when no symptoms are present.
About 20% to 30% of people with syphilis have a relapse of the disease during its latent stage.2 A relapse means the person was symptom-free but then started having symptoms again. Relapses can occur several times.
When relapses no longer occur, a person is not contagious through contact. But a woman in the latent stage of syphilis may still pass the disease to her unborn baby and may have a miscarriage or a stillbirth or give birth to a baby infected with congenital syphilis.



Monday, April 14, 2014

Chlamydia and Infertility



Chlamydia is the most common, curable, bacterial, sexually-transmitted infection in the UK. Last year there were almost 104,000 cases in genito-urinary clinics alone. The number of sexually active people under 25 infected with Chlamydia is now thought to be just under half a million - about one in ten.
It often has no obvious symptoms. But if it is left untreated it can lead to severe complications. It is widely believed to cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and sometimes infertility in women, and in men it can lead to inflammation of the testicles and sperm conducting tubes, and affect joints.
But in August 2005 Lord Robert Winston suggested the link between Chlamydia and infertility was not clear. He said:
"I think the evidence that Chlamydia affects fertility is very dubious. Most infertility is not due to Chlamydia. I haven't seen any figures that demonstrate that it is causing infertility. The link between Chlamydia and tubal disease is based on only two papers written in Sweden in the Sixties and it has never been checked. There's no British data."

But there is little room for doubt according to Professor Bill Ledger, a consultant at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire hospital and one of the UK's leading infertility specialists. In Sheffield, he and his three colleagues treat around 100 women a year who are experiencing problems due to Chlamydia. Nationally, he believes that up to a third of all IVF treatments are because of the damage caused by Chlamydia - that's somewhere between 5,000-10,000 couples.
It's believed that the Chlamydia infection damages the hairs along the fallopian tubes which help the egg travel from the ovaries to the womb. This damage can lead to scarring, which in turn leads the tubes to be blocked. 

Women with damaged tubes do occasionally fall pregnant but there is an increased risk of the pregnancy developing in the tubes rather than the womb. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. The tube can split apart causing serious pain and bleeding. This is an emergency because the bleeding can be life threatening. 

Women with damaged tubes do occasionally fall pregnant but there is an increased risk of the pregnancy developing in the tubes rather than the womb. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. The tube can split apart causing serious pain and bleeding. This is an emergency because the bleeding can be life threatening. 

One of the key papers, "Chlamydia and its effect on reproduction (1996)" by L.V. Westrom measured the likelihood of infertility after episodes of Chlamydia. His research found that 79 out of 1025 women (7.8%) were infertile because of post-salpingitic tubal occlusion compared with a control group where the incidence was just 0.9%.
The paper also measured the relative risk (RR) of infertility when considering the number of episodes of Chlamydia. It was 1% with no episodes, 5% after one episode, 11.3% after two episodes and 19.8% after three episodes
There is also evidence showing a relationship between Chlamydia screening and a fall in genital tract infections and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease amongst women. In Sweden in 1985 a Chlamydia screening programme was introduced across the country in a variety of health settings - including primary care (such as GPs) and at specialist clinics (such as GUMs). Rates of testing increased from 1985 to 1991 and a corresponding decrease occurred in the number of cases diagnosed. In one county the number of cases had falled to 40% of initial levels

In Wisconsin (USA), a state wide initiative in 1986 used risk factors to determine who should be screened. By 1990 a 53% decrase in prevalence was seen.4 In one randomised controlled trial of 2607 women, the number of Pelvic Inflammatory cases fell by 56%. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Infections Associated with AIDS




Because people with AIDS have weakened immune systems, they're more prone to infections, called opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are caused by organisms that typically don't cause disease in healthy people but affect people with damaged immune systems. These organisms attack when there's an opportunity to infect.
Deterioration of the immune system is caused by the decline in CD4+ T cells, which are key infection fighters. As soon as HIV enters the body, it begins to destroy these cells.

Opportunistic Infections: Brain
Cryptoccoccal Menigitis — This is a yeast-like fungus infection that usually involves the brain and lungs, although it can affect almost any organ. The fungus that causes this condition is found in soil throughout the world. It is most common in soil contaminated by bird droppings. This disease most often occurs when a person's CD4+ T cell count falls below 100 cells per cubic millimeter of blood.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Choose The Best Rapid Syphilis Test



Syphilis is a disease caused by a spirochete called Treponema pallidum (TP). If untreated, the organism moves across the body and can cause damage to many organs, making syphilis life-threatening diseases if not treated early fully. Serological response to syphilis involve the production of antibodies against various antigens, including non-specific antibodies and specific anti-TP antibody. The first response to infection is detected the production of specific anti-treponemal IgM, which can be detected within 4 to 7 days after the chancre appears and until the end of the second week of infection, anti-treponemal IgG appeared in about four weeks later. The symptoms of syphilis as the disease progresses, most patients have both IgG and IgM detected. Syphilis infection can spread through the bloodstream to all parts of the body. If untreated, syphilis can cause severe heart disease, brain damage, spinal cord damage, blindness, and death.

Syphilis is a public health problem in many persistent low-income countries that have limited capacity for testing, which has traditionally relied on non-treponemal tests are sensitive and specific treponemal tests. However, the development of new rapid treponemal tests provide opportunities to enhance syphilis screening in many settings where traditional tests are not available.

The reason you might not be able to perform the test or why the results can not be helpful include:
# The use of antibiotics before having the test.
# A blood transfusion in the weeks before a test.
# Has other conditions or diseases, like lupus, heart disease, HIV infection, or yaws.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Rapid Herpes Test Accurate For You



Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is referred to as type 1 (HSV1) or type 2 (HSV2). It causes painful blisters to appear on the genitals and the surrounding areas. Genital herpes can be passed to others through sexual contact.
HSV1 is acquired orally and the most common symptom is cold sores. HSV2 is acquired through sexual contact and affects mainly the genital area.

The herpes simplex is a virus and works as such. It causes ulcers or sores such as cold sores or genital blisters. It is an effective virus, but one the human immune system is equipped to fight. Of those people infected with the virus, the majority of them are asymptomatic.
It is passed through sexual contact, so is regarded as a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). This is because the moist skin that lines the mouth, genitals and anus is the most susceptible to infection.
The virus can also enter the body through a cut or abrasion on the skin. If the wound comes into contact with a cold sore for example, the virus can pass into the body. This is rare, but does happen occasionally.

If symptoms do occur in the infected, they appear between 2 and 8 days after contracting the virus. The symptoms will generally last up to a month, then disappear.
Symptoms include:
>> Itching or tingling sensation in the genital or anal area
>> Small fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving small sores
>> Flu-like symptoms, including swollen glands or fever
>> Pain when passing urine over the open sores (especially in women)
>> Headaches
>> Backache
Any of these symptoms can be caused by a number of things, which is why the virus is difficult to identify. The initial symptoms will disappear, only to reappear at random times. Not everyone will display the initial outbreak, let alone further ones.
As each outbreak appears, the symptoms become less and less. This is because the immune system fights the virus effectively and suppresses it when it arises. Anyone, including those who have been previously asymptomatic, may display symptoms when under stress or ill with something else. The weakness of the immune system as it fights something else can allow the virus to surface again.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Revealed More Clearly About Symptoms of Hepatitis



Hepatitis is the Greek term for liver inflammation. It is characterised by the destruction of a number of liver cells and the presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue.
Hepatitis can be caused by viruses that primarily attack the liver cells, such as hepatitis A and B. Patients with glandular fever, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, can also suffer from an attack of hepatitis.

The symptoms of acute hepatitis vary considerably from person to person. Some patients have no symptoms at all, and in most cases, children only show mild symptoms.
In the early stages: tiredness, general malaise, slight fever, nausea, poor appetite, changes in taste perception, pressure or pain below the right ribs caused by an enlarged liver, aching muscles and joints, headache, skin rash.
The jaundiced phase: yellowing of sclerae (the whites of the eyes), skin and mucous membranes, dark urine, light-coloured stools, around this time, the other symptoms subside.
The recovery phase: tiredness that can last for weeks.
The symptoms Chronic hepatitis : Many patients have no symptoms. Tiredness, an increased need for sleep, aching muscles and joints. Periodic light pressure or pain below the right ribs – enlarged liver. Jaundice is a very late symptom of chronic hepatitis. It is a sign that the disease has become serious.

Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is found in the faeces of someone infected with the virus. It only takes a tiny amount of faeces getting inside another person’s mouth to cause hepatitis A infection. Personal hygiene, such as careful hand washing, can minimise the risk of the virus being passed on. HAV is a common infection in many parts of the world where sanitation and sewage infrastructure is poor. Often people become infected with HAV by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
Hepatitis A is also classed as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because it can be passed on sexually, particularly during activities such as anilingus (rimming). The washing of genital and anal areas before sex, and the use of condoms or dental dams can help to prevent this risk.Hepatitis A can affect all age groups. Once a person is exposed to the virus it takes between 2 and 6 weeks to produce symptoms.
It is possible to experience mild or no symptoms whatsoever, but even if this is the case the person’s faeces will still be infectious to others. Many people who become infected with HAV will have symptoms that include:
A short, mild, flu-like illness; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; loss of appetite; weight loss; jaundice (yellow skin and whites of eyes, darker yellow urine and pale faeces); itchy skin; abdominal pain.
The infection usually clears in up to 2 months, but may occasionally recur or persist longer in some people. Once a person has been infected and their body has fought off the virus they are permanently immune.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Exposure of Hepatitis C Virus


Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have no symptoms. In fact, most people don't know they have the hepatitis C infection until liver damage shows up, decades later, during routine medical tests.

Hepatitis C is one of several hepatitis viruses and is generally considered to be among the most serious of these viruses. Hepatitis C is passed through contact with contaminated blood — most commonly through needles shared during illegal drug use.

In most cases, the initial infection doesn't cause any symptoms. When it does, they tend to be vague and non-specific. The most common symptom experienced is fatigue, which may be mild but is sometimes extreme. Many people initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome are later found to have hepatitis C. Unlike hepatitis A and B, hepatitis C doesn't usually cause people to develop jaundice.

Most people have no symptoms until the virus causes liver damage, which can take 10 or more years to happen. Others have one or more of the following symptoms :
# yellowish eyes and skin, called jaundice
# a longer than usual amount of time for bleeding to stop
# swollen stomach or ankles
# easy bruising
# tiredness
# upset stomach
# fever
# loss of appetite
# diarrhea
# light-colored stools
# dark yellow urine

Hepatitis C is chronic when the body can’t get rid of the hepatitis C virus. Although some people clear the virus from their bodies in a few months, most hepatitis C infections become chronic. Without treatment, chronic hepatitis C can cause scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis; liver cancer; and liver failure.

Your risk of hepatitis C infection is increased if you :
# Are a health care worker who has been exposed to infected blood
# Have ever injected illicit drugs
# Have HIV
# Received a piercing or tattoo in an unclean environment using unsterile equipment
# Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
# Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987
# Received hemodialysis treatments for a long period of time
# Were born to a woman with a hepatitis C infection

About 20-30 per cent of people clear the virus from their bodies - but in about 75 per cent of cases, the infection lasts for more than six months (chronic hepatitis C). In these cases, the immune system has been unable to clear the virus and will remain in the body long term unless medical treatment is given. Most of these people have a mild form of the disease with intermittent symptoms of fatigue or no symptoms at all.
About one in five people with chronic hepatitis C develops cirrhosis of the liver within 20 years (some experts believe that, with time, everyone with chronic hepatitis C would develop cirrhosis but this could take many decades).

Hepatitis C virus is usually transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. One common route is through sharing needles when injecting recreational drugs - nearly 40 per cent of intravenous drug users have the infection and around 35 per cent of people with the virus will have contracted it this way. Most people diagnosed with hepatitis C can identify at least one possible factor which may have put them at risk but for some, the likely origin of the infection isn't clear. Because it can remain hidden and symptomless for so many years, it may be very difficult to think back through the decades to how it might have begun.

You can protect yourself and others from hepatitis C if you :
# do not share drug needles
# wear gloves if you have to touch another person’s blood
# use a condom during sex
# do not borrow another person’s toothbrush, razor, or anything else that could have blood on it
# make sure any tattoos or body piercings you get are done with sterile tools
# do not donate blood or blood products if you have hepatitis C

If you think you could have been in contact with the Hepatitis C Virus at any point in the past, you can have a test to find out if you've been infected. Testing for hepatitis C infection in people who have a high risk of coming in contact with the virus may help doctors begin treatment or recommend lifestyle changes that may slow liver damage. This is recommended because hepatitis C infection often begins damaging the liver before it causes signs and symptoms.

A test is now available to identify antibody (proteins produced by the immune system in response to the virus) to HCV, which is present in approximately 50 percent of persons with early hepatitis C infections and in almost all with chronic Hepatitis C infections.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

About Hepatitis B (HBV)



Hepatitis B is a liver disease. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is the painful, red swelling that results when tissues of the body become injured or infected. Inflammation can cause organs to not work properly.

The virus is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids such as semen and vaginal fluids, while viral DNA has been detected in the saliva, tears, and urine of chronic carriers. Perinatal infection is a major route of infection in endemic (mainly developing) countries.

The acute illness causes liver inflammation, vomiting, jaundice and, rarely, death. Chronic hepatitis B may eventually cause cirrhosis and liver cancer—a disease with poor response to all but a few current therapies. The infection is preventable by vaccination.

The Transmission
You could get hepatitis B through contact with an infected person’s blood, semen, or other body fluid.
You could also get hepatitis B:
- from being born to a mother with hepatitis B
- having sex with an infected person
- being tattooed or pierced with unsterilized tools that were used on an infected person
- getting an accidental needle stick with a needle that was used on an infected person
- using an infected person’s razor or toothbrush
- sharing drug needles with an infected person
- people who have had more than one sex partner in the last 6 months or have a history of sexually transmitted disease
- men who have sex with men
- people who have lived in parts of the world where hepatitis B is common
-  people on hemodialysis

You cannot get hepatitis B from:
- shaking hands with an infected person
- hugging an infected person
- sitting next to an infected person

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus either may be asymptomatic or may be associated with a chronic inflammation of the liver (chronic hepatitis), leading to cirrhosis over a period of several years. This type of infection dramatically increases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Chronic carriers are encouraged to avoid consuming alcohol as it increases their risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus has been linked to the development of Membranous glomerulonephritis.

If you are at higher risk of hepatitis B, get tested. Many people do not know they are infected. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent liver damage. The tests, called assays, for detection of hepatitis B virus infection involve serum or blood tests that detect either viral antigens (proteins produced by the virus) or antibodies produced by the host. The Home Bio Hepatitis B test is an easy to use, accurate and reliable assay that will detect antibodies to the hepatitis B virus present in whole blood, serum or plasma.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Gonorrhea, pregnancy & newborn



The CDC currently recommends that pregnant women who live in a community where the infection is relatively widespread, as well as those who are otherwise at risk for the infection, should be tested for gonorrhea at their first prenatal visit and again in the third trimester if they remain at risk.

Sexually active females younger than 25 are at highest risk. Other risk factors include prior gonorrhea infection, other STIs, onset of sexual activity at a young age, new or multiple sex partners, commercial sex work, inconsistent condom use, and substance abuse. Those who are nonwhite, unmarried, or of a low socioeconomic level are also at higher risk.

If you think there's any possibility that you might have contracted gonorrhea or any other STI, let your caregiver know and ask to be tested. You should also be tested (or retested) at any time during pregnancy if you or your partner develops any symptoms of gonorrhea, or if you contract another STI, because they're often found together.

To test for gonorrhea, your practitioner will swab your cervix and send the swab to the lab for analysis. Sometimes a urine specimen is used instead.

If your test is positive, you'll be treated immediately. And if you weren't tested for other STIs along with the gonorrhea test, you'll be tested for them now. You'll be retested for gonorrhea in two to three months (sooner if you have symptoms) to make sure you haven't been reinfected, and again in the third trimester.

Babies can get the infection during birth as they pass through the birth canal. In babies, gonorrhea can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection.


How does Gonorrhea affect pregnant women?
Infected women can pass gonorrhea to their newborn baby during delivery. If a baby catches gonorrhea during childbirth, they might have eye infections. When the infection occurs in the genital tract, mouth, or rectum of a child, it is due most commonly to sexual abuse.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Common Gonorrhea Q&A






What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD). The disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonorrhea bacterium can grow and multiply easily in warm, moist areas including the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, urethra, mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.

Any sexually active person, man or woman, can get gonorrhea – even if they have had gonorrhae and received treatment before.

How common is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a very common STD in the U.S. The CDC estimates nearly a million new cases of gonorrhea each year. Because gonorrhea often doesn't show any signs or symptoms, many people are infected without even realizing it. You should get an STD test for gonorrhea if you suspect an infection. If you have any signs or symptoms, abstain from having any kind of sex and see your doctor immediately.

Who is at risk for gonorrhea?
Any sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea. In the United States, the highest reported rates of infection are among sexually active teenagers, young adults, and African Americans.

How can you get gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea can be passed from one person to another during any kind of sex or sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.

How is gonorrhea diagnosed?
Several tests are used to diagnose gonorrhea. Some can be performed on urine; other tests require a sample be collected from a site such as the cervix, urethra, rectum or throat.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Chlamydia, pregnancy and the newborn



Men and women can both be affected by Chlamydia, but symptoms of the infection are not always present. In fact, up to 75% of women and 50% of men experience no symptoms of Chlamydia. Because Chlamydia can easily be passed to your newborn, causing illness and possible tissue damage, it is important to get tested if you are experiencing any Chlamydia symptoms or are pregnant.

A baby who is exposed to C. trachomatis in the birth canal during delivery may develop an eye infection or pneumonia.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis, which include discharge and swollen eyelids, usually develop within the first 10 days of life.

Symptoms of pneumonia, including a cough that gets steadily worse and congestion, most often develop within 3 to 6 weeks of birth. Health care providers can treat both conditions successfully with antibiotics. Because of these risks to the newborn, many providers recommend that all pregnant women get tested for chlamydia as part of their prenatal care.
(Reproduced from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

If you are pregnant it is important to be tested, even if you are exhibiting none of the signs and symptoms of Chlamydia. Chlamydia has been linked with premature delivery resulting from the infection stimulating the rupture of your uterine membranes. Additionally, Chlamydia can cause your baby to have a low birth weight at birth. The infection can also be easily passed to your child during birth.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Gonorrhea Prevention (2)







Early Detection

Scientists haven't yet developed a vaccine or other way to prevent gonorrhea. You can avoid the disease by abstaining from sex or engaging in it with a monogamous, uninfected partner.

You can reduce, but not eliminate, your risk of getting gonorrhea by practicing safe sex.


The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends gonorrhea screening for all sexually active women who have risk factors for gonorrhea.

If you engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, you may want to consider being tested once a year for gonorrhea even though you don't have symptoms. Testing will allow gonorrhea to be quickly diagnosed and treated. This helps reduce the risk of transmitting gonorrhea and avoid complications of the infection. Nowadays Gonorrhea testing is made easy with The Home Bio Gonorrhea Test. The test is an easy to use, accurate and reliable assay that will detect antibodies to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea present on swab samples collected from the cervix or the urethra. The result is available within minutes – in the privacy of your own home.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends screening for pregnant women who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors to prevent them from transmitting gonorrhea to their babies. If a pregnant woman is at high risk for gonorrhea, she may be tested again during the third trimester before delivery, to prevent transmitting the infection to her newborn.

Several gonorrhea tests can be used to detect or confirm an infection. Your doctor will collect a sample of body fluid or urine to be tested for gonorrhea bacteria (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Most tests give results within a few days.

Other sexually transmitted infections may be present with a gonorrhea infection. Your doctor may recommend testing for:

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Gonorrhea Prevention (1)




Steps to reduce your risk of gonorrhea:

- Practice safe sex
Preventing a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.

- Talk with your partner about STIs before beginning a sexual relationship.
Find out whether he or she is at risk for an STI. Remember that it is quite possible to be infected with an STI without knowing it. Some STIs, such as HIV, can take up to 6 months before they can be detected in the blood.

- Be responsible.

- Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STI or are being treated for an STI.

- Avoid sexual contact with anyone who has symptoms of an STI or who may have been exposed to an STI.

- Don't have more than one sexual relationship at a time. Your risk for an STI increases if you have several sex partners at the same time.If you or your partner have had several sex partners within the past year, or you are a man who has unprotected sex with men, talk to your doctor about screening for gonorrhea and other STIs even if you don't have symptoms.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Symptom Of Hepatitis And Prevention



Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Many illnesses and conditions can cause inflammation of the liver, for example, drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and autoimmune diseases. Many viruses, for example, the virus of mononucleosis and the cytomegalovirus can inflame the liver. Most viruses, however, do not primarily attack the liver; the liver is just one of several organs that the viruses affect. When doctors speak of viral hepatitis, they usually are referring to hepatitis caused by a few specific viruses that primarily attack the liver. There are several hepatitis viruses; they have been named types A, B, C, D, E, F (not confirmed), and G. As our knowledge of hepatitis viruses grows, it is likely that this alphabetical list will become longer. The most common hepatitis viruses are types A, B, and C.

Hepatitis can heal on its own with no significant consequence, or it can progress to scarring of the liver. Acute hepatitis lasts under six months, while chronic hepatitis lasts longer.
Most liver damage is caused by 3 hepatitis viruses, called hepatitis A, B and C. However, hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol and some other toxins and infections, as well as from our own autoimmune process (the body attacks itself).
About 250 million people globally are thought to be affected by hepatitis C, while 300 million people are thought to be carriers of hepatitis B.

Not all forms of hepatitis are infectious. Alcohol, medicines, and chemical may be bad for the liver and cause inflammation. A person may have a genetic problem, a metabolic disorder, or an immune related injury. Obesity can be a cause of liver damage which can lead to inflammation. These are known as non-infectious, because they cannot spread form person-to-person.
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