HIV/AIDS Page
- Saying No and Postponing Sex-- Tips from Channing L. Bete's (1997) 'Abstaining from Sex' (Talk with your partner!)
- Good Reasons for Postponing Sex
- Sex complicates relationships. Abstinence from sex gives you time to get to know one another.
- There are ways to show affection without having sex--dry kissing,hugging,and holding hands.
- How to Say No! Ways to Answer Your Date (Tips from Channing L. Bete's [1997] 'Abstaining from Sex')
-
'If you really loved me, you'd have sex with me.'
ANSWER: 'If you
really loved me, you wouldn't pressure me.'
-
'Everybody's doing it.'
ANSWER: 'That's not true. I'm not doing it
and I'm somebody.'
-
'If I don't relieve this tension, I'll be in physical pain.'
ANSWER: 'That's a myth. Besides, if I have sex before I'm ready, I'll be hurt emotionally.'
-
'What's wrong with you?
ANSWER: 'There's nothing wrong with choosing
to wait.'
Remember, whether its drugs or sex 'It's o.k. to say 'No!' Go
ahead and let your feelings show.' (Quotation from Joe Beard, and Susan Amerikaner, song, 'It's O.k. to Say No.'
- Dating (and Drinking) Tips
- Tips for Safe Sex!--From AIDSInfo
- AIDSInfo Tips
- Tips for Safe Sex!--From Canada's Youth Co.
- Youth Co's
'Safer Sex' site, with tips about dating and safe sex (Note: This site has been under repair!)
- Brushing Teeth and Bleeding Gums
- Youth Co. suggests not brushing right before you date--to avoid making yourself more susceptible to infection as a result of bleeding gums. This does not mean you should never brush, of course. Careful brushing and flossing keep your teeth and gums healthy so they do not bleed all the time and become infected. Healthy teeth and gums can help protect you from illnesses, including HIV. Just do not brush during the hour before deep kissing or oral sex!
- How effective are condoms?
- Orange
County Health Department's Discussion of Condom Use, With data from 3 studies of Condom use and its effect on the transmission of HIV (See Orange Co.Health for more!)
- Reality™--the Female Condom
- Reality is made of polyurethane
which is less irritating than latex; samples are available at The Orange
County Health Department
- What About Serial Monogamy?
- Serial monogamy is being faithful or 'monogamous' to partners in a series. This means that you date only one person at a time, but you date a series of people. Is this safe?
The Orange County Health Department does not advocate serial monogamy, arguing that only life-long or nearly life-long monogamy is safe.
However UNAIDS and the World Health Organization argue in their 2000 report that serial monogamy might be a lot safer than having multiple partners at the same time. Serial monogamy is safest if you and your partner both get tested for HIV and other STD's before having sex, and then share test results. To be really safe, you should wait the Window Period--that's 3 to 6 months, and get tested together for HIV again before having unprotected sex.
- Mixing Alcohol and Sex
- Should you do it? Study these links and decide.
- Alcohol's Effects on Judgement-- Alcohol Awareness Information from the Prophetstown Lyndon Tampico School District in Illinois' web pages. (If you have problems accessing this link--try clicking the back button and then the forward button on your browser!)
- How Alcohol Affects the Brain-- Alcohol does not actually kill brain cells, at least the quantities that normally cross the brain barrier--but it does disrupt their communication network, according to Wonder Quest with April Holladay. The good news is that changing your drinking habits allows the damage to repair!
(A Drexel University report has noted that metabolism of alcohol occurs in the liver and requires B-complex vitamins; the liver can process about 1/2 ounce of alcohol every hour or hour-and-a-half. Unprocessed alcohol must circulate through the bloodstream until the liver can process it. From the bloodstream, it goes to the brain. In the forebrain, it affects judgement and reasoning. In the midbrain, it affects muscular control. In the hindbrain, it affects respiration and heart rate. With twelve or more drinks, death is often possible from alcohol!)
- Tips for Teens: The Truth About Alcohol-- More basic information about alcohol!
- Alcohol Impairment Chart-- A Guide From Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board
- Tips for Responsible Drinking-- A Guide to Making Responsible Choices from Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board
- Absolutely Alcohol-Free Drinks!-- Great Drinks and Recipes from Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board
- Alcohol, Tradition, and Health-- Some ideas about alcohol from David Hanson at Potsdam U's In My Opinionsite!
(Hanson argues for moderate drinking--and argues that all liquor is o.k. in moderation!
One might add to Hanson's arguments that red wine, and only red wine, has small amounts of an important vitamin, B12, in it. However, when red wine is consumed in large amounts, the B12 in your body is actually destroyed by the alcohol. Other kinds of liquor do not have B12!)
-
Betty Ford is working to conquer alcohol dependence! Check Out Inpatient- and Outpatient-Treatment Available for Substance Abuse Problems at the Betty Ford Center
- TIP: Ask your bartender to make your drink with just the syrup,soda, and garnish. Do your date a favor, and suggest that he or she order the same.
Fluids That Transmit and Do Not Transmit HIV
- HIV Is Transmitted By:
- Blood (This includes blood products, such as the immunoglobulins used in post-exposure vaccinations for rabies and hepatitis A; and the clotting factor given to persons with hemophilia. Today of course, blood products are screened for HIV and hepatitis C, though it is occasionally possible for some infected blood to get into the supply, particularly when the infection is in the early stages and still undetectable--but this is rare. Screening of blood products for HIV started sporadically in late 1984, but did not really become at all effective until 1986. Blood products were not screened for Hepatitis C before 1994, however! Blood products are still not screened for all infections, though work is being done to make blood products safer. Someday blood products may be treated using radiation. The Red Cross uses only donated blood, and never buys blood, so its blood is generally safer than the blood and plasma products supplied by 'for profit' blood suppliers--however, since plasma donation is quite painful compared to whole blood donation, it is difficult to get plasma [which is needed to manufacture immunoglobulins and blood clotting factor] from unpaid donors. Blood outside the body is not nearly as dangerous once it has dried.)
- Semen
- Vaginal Fluids (HIV is not quite as concentrated in these as in semen, but,it depends on a persons's Viral Load)
- Breast Milk
That's it!
- It Is Very Unlikely That HIV Can Be Transmitted By:
- Urine
- Urine is too acidic, and only trace
amounts of HIV are found in it!
- Saliva
- Saliva is one of those fluids that has all those good IgA antibodies in it! IgA antibodies are the 'Guardians at the Gates' of the body--they protect the body's mouth and skin (and occasionally other areas in certain individuals) from outside invaders.
But the mouth can have blood in it, if you have a sore, dental
infection, or bleeding or infected gums--so be careful.
- Sweat
- Sweat is another fluid with lots of the IgA 'Guardian-at-the-Gates' antibodies. The antibodies in sweat help protect the skin from microbial infection. No need to worry about pumping muscles and working out with your friends. (IgA antibodies protect the body from more than HIV, so, keep the juices flowing by not
getting dehydrated!)
- Tears
- Tears are similar to sweat--salty, watery, and full of IgA antibodies again.
Skin-to-skin contact, with the skin protected by all those good IgA antibodies in sweat--provided there are no cuts or breaks--is pretty safe. Indeed, skin is one of the best barriers to infections ever made.
(NOTE: Persons under eighteen may prefer to view this table with a cool parent or guardian!)
Having a sexually transmitted disease or another infection of the genital area and reproductive organs can increase your risk of contracting HIV! The sores and lesions in the mucosal linings of the reproductive area that are left by a yeast or bacterial infection provide an easy pathway into the blood stream. In addition, any sickness weakens you and lowers your resistance to new illnesses.
- Yeast or Fungal Infections
- Yeast--these infections are common, especially in women
- Bacterial Infections
- Bacterial infections that infect the genital area and reproductive track include: Vaginitis (often a flare-up or the body's own fauna and flora; also transmitted from
person-to-person); Staph infections (which can be water-born or
transmitted from person to person); Chlamydia ; Gonorrhea ; and Syphilis
- Viral Infections
- One of the most common bacterial infections to infect the genital area and reproductive tract is Herpes Simplex ; another is Human Papillomavirus
- HIV
- HIV stands for the Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus.
It's Human, because it infects humans;
Immuno-deficiency,because it's associated with impaired immune function (AIDS--acquired immune deficiency syndrome), that is, impaired ability to fight infection--though it's possible for someone to be infected with HIV for years and still have a good immune system
Virus, because it is a virus.
For more about viruses, see Microbe World's Viruses
- AIDS
- AIDS stands for Acquired
Immune Deficiency
Syndrome.
It's Acquired, through infection
with the virus; AIDS cannot be transmitted directly, so you cannot catch AIDS from a person, only HIV; being infected with HIV often leads to AIDS
and an Immune Deficiency Syndrome, because it is the name for impaired immune function, that is, people with AIDS have trouble fighting off infections that most people fight off with no problem! For this reason, it's especially important for persons with AIDS to practice safe sex!
Progression from HIV infection to actual AIDS varies not only with a person's overall health and resistance to diseases, but also with the way the person contracted the human immunodeficiency virus, according to Robert S. Root-Bernstein (1995), Myth One of Five Myths About AIDS That Have Misdirected Research and Treatment. A person who contracts HIV through a blood transfusion may progress very rapidly to AIDS, according to Root-Bernstein.
- AIDS Wasting
- Wasting is the SINGLE FACTOR most
associated with disease progression and death in HIV/AIDS! Clinically defined as the loss of more than 10 percent of one's body weight accompanied by more than 30 days of either diarrhea, weakness, or fever; losing as little as 5 percent of one's body weight can have the same effect! More important than weight loss is the loss of 'lean tissue.' Here's brief information about how to combat wasting.
- Yeast or Fungal Infections
- Like bacteria, yeasts or fungi feed on organic materials and reproduce in their active states; both fungi and bacteria can also go into a 'sporous' state where they retreat into a spore or shell and become inactive.
Yeasts and fungi live naturally in the body. Infection can be caused by an imbalance within the body--due to fatigue, general ill health, or poor hygiene. Yeast and fungal infections can also be
transmitted from person to person, or sometimes in swimming pools. And, of course, wet paint and household adhesives are breeding grounds for some kinds of fungi which, though they may not cause a yeast infection, can interfere with your breathing! (Make sure air filters on air conditioning and heating are regularly cleaned; if molds and dampness are a problem, you might consider having your home's indoor air quality checked; also air ionizers can be used where you are working or sleeping to reduce dust and microbes in the air you breathe.) Check out treatment!
For more about fungi, see Microbe World's Fungi
- Protozoal Infections
- Protozoa and other larger microbes
(amoeba and worms) are classified as parasites. Because these are larger than bacteria, the protozoa are generally more complex. Protozoa are similar to amoeba, one step from a worm. SURPRISE: the macrophages and monocytes, cells that help form part of the body's immune response,are amoeba-like cells in the body. Every living organism has its own amoeba-like cells.
- Cryptosporidiodis
- Cryptosporidiosis causes intestinal infections and diarrhea, especially profuse, watery diarrhea. This protozoa is found in the manure of cows stabled together. It can
also live in water supplies, has a protein in it that acts as a pump to pump out toxic substances, and so is increasingly resistant to the chlorine used to treat drinking water. As a result, it is often transmitted by drinking water. (Drink distilled water! Or drink hot drinks made with boiled water!) Cryptosporidiosis can also be transmitted sexually, particularly by oral-anal sex. Read more about preventing and treating cryptosporidiosis!
- Toxoplasmis Gondi
- Toxoplasmis Gondi is an intestinal
infection. Toxoplasmis can also infect the nervous system and brain. It is usually transmitted by eating undercooked meat. Some cats carry toxoplasmis from time to time, and toxoplasmis can also be transmitted by improper handling of cat feces. (Use gloves when changing litter! Or test your cat for toxo, and, if negative, keep your cat from hunting and also keep him/her away from other cats!)
- PCP, or Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
- This is one of the first infections related to AIDS that was discovered! Its symptoms include a deep, dry cough, and night sweats.
- Bacterial Infections
- The body has its own bacteria in
it, including bacteria in the intestines that help in the digestion of food. Even more dangerous bacteria, such as the tuberculosis bacteria,can inhabit the body harmlessly. Bacterial infections result from an imbalance in the body--due to fatigue or general ill health. Bacterial
infections can also be transmitted from person to person.
For more about bacteria, see Microbe World's Bacteria
- Streptococcal Pneumonia
- Transmitted by air on microscopic drops of moisture from the breath. Good news: there's a vaccine!
- Tuberculosis
- Transmitted by air on microscopic drops of
moisture from the breath. Infects the lungs or other organs. Symptoms include night sweats, fever, and fatigue.
- Mycobacterium Avium Complex
- A type of tuberculosis that normally infects chickens. Symptoms include night sweats, fever, and
fatigue.
- Chlamydia
- Usually transmitted sexually. Chlamydia is the most common sexually-transmitted bacterial infection today. Chlamydia causes inflammation and sometimes discolored
discharge.
- Gonorrhea
- Another very common sexually-transmitted bacterial infection, with symptoms similar to those of chlamydia. Gonorrhea was described in medical treatises prior to the first century A.D.
- Syphilis
- Syphilis is caused by a rickettsial bacterium. It causes a recurrent rash and infects the joints. It can also infect the central nervous system. Learn about its treatment,past and present.
- Viral Infections
- Viruses have two forms, a crystal 'non-living' form, which the virus takes when it is not active--all viruses in this form have a crystal structure; and a living form,in which the virus uses the proteins and cellular machinery of a living organism to reproduce its genomes. All viruses have genomes composed of nucleic acids (either DNA or RNA), and an outer shell. Some viruses also have an 'envelope,' a loose membrane covering the virus.
Read more about viruses at Microbe World Viruses
- CMV or Cytomegalovirus
- Infects the eyes and sometimes the lungs
- Hepatitis C
- Many people are co-infected with HIV and
Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C infects the liver, causing jaundice and
flue-like symptoms that may or may not progress to liver cancer and permanent liver damage. Alcohol use worsens the chance of liver damage. Hepatitis C infects 1 out of 10,000 people, but a much larger percentage of injecting drug users. People with elevated liver functions who test negative for Hepatitis A and B might have Hepatitis C. Treatment is limited, but there are some options!
- Herpes or Shingles
- The are two types of Herpes,
- (1), Herpes Simplex,
- which
infects the genitals and lips with painful ulcerous sores at the nerve endings--it is transmitted primarily sexually or by skin-to skin contact;
- (2) Herpes Zoster,
- which often infects the lower legs and ankles, again causing painful blisters at the nerve endings--Herpes
Zoster is a reactivation of the Chicken Pox virus, a virus which usually inhabits people harmlessly after usually only a brief infection. And--good news for people who do not have HIV yet--there is a vaccination to prevent chicken pox: Chicken Pox Vaccination Information, courtesey of Arlington-on-line.net!
- Prevention and Treatment for Herpes
- Herpes Simplex can be prevented. Both kinds of Herpes can be controlled through treatment.
- Human Papillomavirus
- Human Papillomavirus causes genital warts and is linked to cervical cancer.
- KS or Kaposi's Sarcoma
- Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer characterized by purplish, brown, red, or pink lesions or 'splotchy' areas on the skin. It can also infect the lungs, where it is dangerous. Kaposi's sarcoma normally occurs in older men, and in persons with immune disorders. It is transmitted sexually, and can infect people with healthy immune systems too. It's most often transmitted by men, and it infects men more often then women. For more information, see Catie of Canada's Fact Sheet on Kaposi's Sarcoma (June 30, 1999). Or learn a little about treatment here!
This page created by C. E. Whitehead, July, 2001; last updated April, 2002
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