Facts About HIV

- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infects cells of the immune system.
Infection results in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body's ability to fend off infections and diseases. AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.

- You can't catch HIV from just being around a person or having casual contact with someone who is infected

- HIV infection is not carried in sweat or tears. It also can't be transmitted through water fountains, phones, toilet seats or clothes.

- HIV can be transmitted in several ways. HIV can be transmitted through:

* unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person;
* transfusions of contaminated blood;
* the sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments;
* the transmission between a mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding

- It's not just homosexual people who need to be tested. Every one can get HIV.

- Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents the HIV virus from multiplying in the body
If the reproduction of the HIV virus stops, then the body's immune cells are able to live longer and provide the body with protection from infections.

- A person can't catch HIV from mosquitoes or any other bug bites or stings.

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.

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:

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.