Beautify Me !

From the day we are born, our skin requires much care to remain smooth and healthy. It begins with soap to keep us clean. Then, there are creams,powders, and ointments to keep diaper rash from our bottoms.

During the first few years of our lives, our skin will do well with soap for cleaningand the occasional lotion or cream for moisture. Then come the teen years. Our raging hormones bring out the oily skin, the pimples, and a host of other conditions. It's important to understand that everything that comes in contact withour body affects our health and the condition of our skin. That's why choosing natural skin care products and ingredients is important.

The liver filters the toxins and poisons from the food we eat, but whatever we place on our skin is directly absorbed. This includes deodorant, lotions, gels, cleansers, toners, make-up, perfumes, and more. As we age, our skin becomes more sensitive, and we need to be even more careful with the beauty treatments we use.

Don't leave your lenses lying around. When not in use, store them in the appropriate container with the cleaning solution. A dusty atmosphere and chemical fumes may damage your lenses, if they are left uncovered. Utmost hygiene must be maintained as contact lenses come into direct contact with your eyes.



Always wash your hands before you handle your lenses. Daily sterilisation of your lens is a must for soft lens users. Sterilisation refers to cleaning of the lenses with the prescribed cleaning solution, which are sold along with the lenses. Clean the lenses daily ONLY with a cleaner prescribed by your doctor. Regular water must not be used for this, as it is not sterile and may damage the lenses. Change the storage fluid daily.



If the cleaning solution or the storage fluid is unclean, or the container is dirty, this may damage the lenses and, in turn, your eyes. If your lenses do not settle on the eye, get them checked. If you experience any sort of pain, watering, redness, discharge, decreasing vision or heaviness, remove the lenses immediately and consult your doctor. Change the lenses periodically, depending upon their life span.

Why do I need fiber in my diet?

Dietary fiber is the part of plants that cannot be digested. There are 2 kinds of dietary fiber. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to keep foods moving through the digestive system. Soluble fiber holds water which, in turn, softens the stool for easy bowel movements. Fiber is an important part of your diet even though it passes through your body. A high-fiber diet can:

reduce cholesterol levels
promote regular bowel movements
improve blood sugar levels in diabetics
treat diverticular disease (inflammation of part of the intestine) and irritable bowel syndrome (abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation that come and go).

A high-fiber diet may help prevent some cancers, such as colon and breast.
If you do not have enough fiber in your diet, you may have constipation. Your bowel movements may be small, hard, and dry.

What foods contain fiber?

Breads, cereals, and pasta made with whole-grain flour and brown rice are high-fiber foods. Many breakfast cereals list the bran or fiber content, so it's easy to know which products are high in fiber. All fruits and vegetables also contain fiber. Dried beans, leafy vegetables, peas, raisins, prunes, apples, and citrus fruits are all especially good sources of fiber.

How much fiber do I need in my diet?

You should have at least 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories that you eat every day. Read the label on food packages to find out how much fiber a serving of a food will provide. Foods containing more than 20% of the daily value of fiber per serving are considered high in fiber.

Here are a just a few natural skin care solutions for you to try. You'll be very pleased with
the results:-

1. Once a week, rub your skin with baking soda while in the shower, for a smooth, silky feeling. You can also do this on your face to remove blackheads.

2. Fresh tomatoes are great for the oily areas of your face. (Please makesure to try the tomato juice on your arm first, as your skin may be sensitive to it). Rinse thoroughly immediately after using the tomato juice.

3. For a great moisturizer try olive oil. This healthy fat is good for you and is great for your skin. You can also use it to soothe sunburned skin.

4. Vinegar can work wonders for smelly feet and armpits. Mix water and vinegar 50/50, and use in place of deodorant: it will keep the unpleasant sweat smell away, without any irritation. As for your feet, if you suffer with athlete's foot, a week of vinegar foot bath will help a lot, sometimes completely getting rid of your condition.

5. Egg yolk mixed with honey makes for a really great mask. Apply it on your skin, leave it on for 20 minutes, and rinse off. Excellent for sensitive skin. Honey gives a tingling/ticklish sensation, so if you are sensitiveto that, use the egg yolk alone.

6. Another use for egg yolk: for those with eczema, use it instead of soap.It doesn't smell great, but it will heal your damaged skin.

7. A great treatment for dry skin is avocados. What you have to do is mash it, smooth it onto your face, and rinse off after 20 minutes.

8. Lastly, make sure you drink 8 glasses of water every day to keep your skin cared from the inside out.

Burgers, bacon, hot dogs, bologna - their effect have taken another hit. Researcher are now reporting that younger woman who indulge a taste of red meat may their chances of getting a common type of breast cancer.

The connection between eating red meat and breast cancer has been studied before, with no clear conclusions. This study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, zeroed in on premenopausal woman between the ages of 26 and 46 and looked not just at overall rates of breast cancer but at the incidence of different types of the disease.

About 60% of breast cancers are fuelled by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone; the thought is that certain components of red meat, including compounds that develop when is cooking and hormones fed to the animal to spur growth, could encourage the development of that kind of cancer.

Researchers analysed the diets and health records of more than 90 000 women over a period of 12 years. About 1000 cases ofbreast cancer developed. Of those, the women who deveoped cancers sensitive to oestrogen and progesterone (about half of all cases in study) had a histry of eating more red meat than either women who didn't get cancer at all or those who had cancers not fuelled by the hormones.

The extra risk range from 14% more for those who ate between three and five servings per week up to nearly double for who ate more than 1.5 servings a day. Red meat included beef, lamb or pork even as a main dish in sandwiches, and in processed form.

The study does not difinitively prove cause and effect. But given that red meat has also been implicated in other forms of cancer and heart disease.

Aloe Vera has many uses. Externally, it is applied for burns and sprains. Internally, it can be taken for jaundice, constipation, loss of appetite and gas formation in the stomach. In burns, the juice or the pulp of the fleshy part of the leaf is applied externally. For sprains, the pulp or the juice may be gently rubbed over the affected part two to three times.

For all these ailments the juice or pulp of this plant is given. You can add a pinch of salt or sugar to the juice, which is bitter. For treating children with aloe juice, you can add honey, sugar, or jaggery to it. For a patient suffering from jaundice, the juice or pulp should be given by adding jaggery or sugar (salt should not be added).

The dose: Both pulp and juice of the aloe should be given in a dose of one teaspoonful (5 ml) thrice a day, preferably on an empty stomach. Keep a growing aloe in your kitchen windowsill handy as it is a great first aid treatment for burns. Aloe Vera will stop the pain almost immediately and even help in healing if a little of it is freshly applied after a few hours.

Definition
Proteins are complex organic compounds. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids.

Alternative Names
Diet - protein; Complete protein; Incomplete protein

Function
Protein is the main component of muscles, organs, and glands. Every living cell and all body fluids, except bile and urine, contain protein. The cells of muscles, tendons, and ligaments are maintained with protein. Children and adolescents require protein for growth and development.

Food Sources
Proteins are described as essential and nonessential proteins or amino acids. The human body requires approximately 20 amino acids for the synthesis of its proteins.
The body can make only 13 of the amino acids -- these are known as the nonessential amino acids. They are called non-essential because the body can make them and does not need to get them from the diet. There are 9 essential amino acids that are obtained only from food, and not made in the body.
If the protein in a food supplies enough of the essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. If the protein of a food does not supply all the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.
All meat and other animal products are sources of complete proteins. These include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, and milk products.

Protein in foods (such as grains, fruits, and vegetables) are either low, incomplete protein or lack one of the essential amino acids. These food sources are considered incomplete proteins.
Plant proteins can be combined to include all of the essential amino acids and form a complete protein. Examples of combined, complete plant proteins are rice and beans, milk and wheat cereal, and corn and beans.

Side Effects
A diet high in meat could lead to high cholesterol or other diseases, such as gout. Another potential problem is that a high-protein diet may put a strain on the kidneys. Extra waste matter, which is the end product of protein metabolism, is excreted in the urine.

Recommendations
A nutritionally balanced diet provides adequate protein. Vegetarians are able to get enough protein if they eat the proper combination of plant proteins.
The amount of recommended daily protein depends upon age, medical conditions, and the type of diet one is following. Two to three servings of protein-rich food will meet the daily needs of most adults.

The following are the recommended serving sizes for protein:
For recommended serving sizes of protein for children and adolescents, see age appropriate diet for children
2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, and fish (a portion about the size of a deck of playing cards)
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, lentils, or legumes
1 egg or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, which count as 1 ounce of lean meat
Select lean meat, poultry without skin, fish, and dry beans, lentils, and legumes often. These are the protein choices that are the lowest in fat. For more information, see the food guide pyramid.

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1. Do you really know how to shampoo your hair? When washing your hair, work the lather from roots to ends. Always massage scalp well with your fingertips — never with fingernails.

2. Don't condition your roots. No matter what type of hair you have, you do not need conditioner there. Roots are close to the oil glands and that's plenty of lubrication. Besides, roots don't get damaged like the rest of the tresses. Apply conditioner at the nape of your neck and work up and through hair, concentrating on the ends.

3. DO make sure you completely coat your ends with conditioner.

4. DO rinse with cool water to help seal the cuticle and lock in more shine.

5. DO dry your hair without damaging it. Pressing your dryer directly on your hair will not dry it faster or make it straighter. This technique causes the hair shaft to expand and the outer layer to curl up, which produces a fuzzy look. Wrap your hair in a towel until it is about halfway dry. Then, hold your dryer five inches away from your hair aiming from roots to ends.

6. When straightening your curly hair with a flat iron, always have a leave-in conditioner spray on your side. The direct heat from flat irons can cause damage to your hair. To combat this damage, spritz a leave-in conditioner on each hair "chunk" before putting the flat iron on it.

7. When adding curl to your straight hair with a curling iron, always have a leave-in conditioner spray on your side.The direct heat from curling irons can cause damage to your hair. To combat this damage, spritz a leave-in conditioner on each hair "chunk" before applying the curling iron.

All hair types need to use a conditioning treatment at least monthly. From blow-drying to coloring, and from flat-irons to swimming, we all do things that are damaging and dulling to our hair. Pamper your stressed hair at least once a month with hot oils and other deep conditioners that will restore it to its best condition.

1. Cleanse your face with cleansing milk.

2. After an hour, take a clean tissue and wipe your forehead, nose, chin and cheeks. If you find oily residue from all of the above mentioned areas, then you have oily skin.

3. If you find oily residue on the tissue only from forehead, nose and chin then you have combination skin.

4. If the tissue picks up dry, flaky skin then you have dry skin.

5. Those lucky few Scooty girls who pick up neither oil nor dry flakes can be said to have normal skin.

6. There are others who have very sensitive skin which reacts quickly and often adversely to hot and cold temperatures, common place chemicals found in soaps, detergents and cosmetics. Those with sensitive skin have to be careful before choosing any product.

Here are some easy-to-make facial cleansers. All you need to do is raid your kitchen and follow the recipe for some very effective cleansing effect!

1. Oat-yogurt combo You will need:
1/2 cup oatmeal or cornmeal
Plain yogurt
Mix the two to form a paste. Spread it over your entire face and scrub gently. Wash with warm water and enjoy bright sparkling skin. Ideal for daily use.

Did You Know?
Oat grains and straw appear in shampoos, dusting powders, moisturizers, and cleansing bars? Oatmeal is highly absorptive, hypoallergenic, and aids in softening skin. Oats have the best amino acid balance of all the cereal grains and have been clinically proved to help heal dry, itchy skin. Source: Oatmeal: Not just for breakfast anymore2.

Yogurt Walnut Scrub You will need:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup very finely grounded walnuts
Mix ingredients together. Wet your face then gently work the scrub into your skin. Rinse off with warm water.

Did You Know?
Walnuts - During Medieval times, walnuts were considered a medicine. A potion containing walnut leaves was used to treat muscular aches and pains and walnuts were believed to soothe the digestive system.

For oily-normal skin

Red and brown exotic facial2-3 large carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons honey

Cook carrots till soft. Mash and mix with honey. Apply gently to the skin, wait 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.


Did You Know? Carrots are very high in vitamin A and a source of vitamin C, folacin and potassium. A good fortifier of skin cells.

For dry skin

Banana Facial Mask
2 medium bananas
Honey optional

Mash bananas with a spoon. Let is not be too smooth. Let the mashed mixture be lumpy. Add honey if need be. Apply and keep on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Did You Know? Bananas are a good source of ascorbic acid (Vit. C), Vitamin B 6 , and potassium and honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains other sugars as well trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. They make excellent moisturizers.



Pearl Peach Mask (for renewal skin)

1 medium peach
1 tablespoons honey
1 tbs oatmeal

Cook peach and mash in the soft insides into the honey and oatmeal mixture. Apply and keep on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Did You Know? Peaches are great exfoliates and remove dead skin cells. Peaches speed up cell renewal, leading to healthier skin tone. The AHAs in these fruits help soften wrinkles, sun spots, age spots, blemishes and can even unclog pores.

For oily skin that is acne prone

1 medium size apple (grated)
5 tablespoons of honey

Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask. Smooth over skin and rinse off with cool water after ten minutes.

Did You Know? Apples - One medium 2-1/2 inch apple, fresh, raw, with skin has 81 Calories, 21 grams Carbohydrate, 4 grams Dietary Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Insoluble fiber, 10 mg Calcium, 10mg Phosphorus, .25mg Iron, 0.00mg Sodium, 159mg Potassium, 8 mg Vitamin C, 73 IU Vitamin A, 4mcg Folate. Source USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

Fundamental rule:

Listen to your eyes. Whether they are sore, tearing, itchy or tired, they are sending you a message. Listen to them. If your eyes hurt when you have been working at the computer for too long, stop and take a break. Be receptive to your eyes.

Palming :

A simple technique called palming can refresh your eyes when they are feeling tired( Remember the first rule! ).

The term 'palming' was coined by William Bates, the author of 2 books on vision improvement (The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses/With Eye Chart) and (The Cure of Imperfect Sight by Treatment Without Glasses).

You just close your eyes and cover them with your palms, resting them on your cheek bones. Make sure you do not put pressure on your eyeballs. Relax and think of pleasant images. A variation is to imagine the 'blackest' black that you can. But the important thing is to keep your mind relaxed. There are more eye exercises available on the Vision Improvement Site.

Computer work:

Nowadays, people spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen. Thus it is even more crucial to give your eyes adequate rest. Here are some things you can do:

If possible, do computer work without wearing your glasses. I know this is difficult for most people but this is enormously beneficial. I can only see the screen about 8-10 inches away, so I move the monitor nearer and shift my chair forward. Now my eyes don't feel as tried as before.
Look up across the room or out of the window every few minutes. Take a few deep breathes before continuing your work.

Stop work after every 40 minutes or so. Get up from your seat and take a walk around the place. Palm for a few minutes before going back to face the computer screen again.
Whenever possible, make use of your distant vision. Extended periods of time spent at the computer can really spoil one's eyesight, as you may have noticed. Seek out opportunities to see things that are far away.

Reading:

When you are reading, do try to read without wearing your prescription glasses. Most people will find they can do so at a comfortable distance. Put the material you are reading far away just so that the letters can be seen clearly. Gradually, the distance at which you can read will increase.

Best articles from my favourite beauty blogs for the last weekend :

All Lacquered Up : Summer Nail Trends

Beauty and Fashion Tech:
New Sunscreen Database from the Environmental Working Group

Beauty and Personality Grooming:
Lose weight by reading sensational novels

Canadian Beauty : Bobbi Brown Makeup Facelift

Elke Von Freudenberg : Some Great Bath & Soap Products

Face Candy : C-Shock with EVE + Live Chat

Hello Dollface:
Bourjois Paris, Part Two: Another look at Bourjois

Lipstick, Powder 'n Paint:
Two Great Websites with Products to Glam Up Your Toes

The Life of a Ladybug:
Initial Reactions to the MAC C-Shock Collection

The Mineral Makeup Blog:
Mineral Makeup for a Fresh Summer Look

The Perfume Bee : The Perfume Bee Goes Green

Both men and women lose hair for similar reasons. Hair loss in men is often more dramatic, and follows a specific pattern of loss which has been termed "Male Pattern Baldness". This loss is caused by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Factors for male hair loss include: heredity, hormones, and aging.

This may also apply to women but to a lesser degree. Women may experience loss of hair after menopause and 2-3 months after having a baby. Other contributing factors include: poor diet, poor circulation, acute illness, radiation, chemotherapy, high stress, thyroid imbalance, certain drugs, coming off the contraceptive pill, diabetes, high doses of vitamin A (more than 100,000 IU), sudden weight loss, high fever, iron deficiency, ringworm, some fungal infections, chemicals and hair dyes, vitamin deficiencies, and lack of proper nutrition.

Drastic or premature hair loss may be caused by:
1. Stress and bodily weakness from overwork.

2. Dietary imbalances or nutritional deficiency.

3. Using abrasive shampoos, hair lacquers, dyes and bleaching, etc.

4. Endocrine disorder.

5. Genetic factors.

6. Infectious diseases.

7. Hormonal metabolic changes in lactating women.

8. Nutrient and protein deficiencies in the hair cells.

Some girls, who used to be slim prior to their marriage, gain weight gradually after marriage. This is due to the changed eating habits or eating rich food to which they might not be used to previously. Perhaps a more care free & comfortable life is also to be blamed for this. This is acceptable to them as well as to their spouses now to consider their weight gain as a sign of good health until they become pregnant.

Obesity right from the first month of pregnancy has its own disadvantages. The fatty tissues in the abdomen make it difficult for the expanding uterus, as the months advance exert great pressure on the bladder & bowels, disturbing the function of these waste eliminating organs. Wrong conceptions about the needs of a pregnant woman that she should eat double the amount of food to feed her and her child to be born and she should rest and relax more to preserve her energy for the time of labour. Nothing is near the truth, because the correct way of sensible eating & mild exercises & activities till the time of delivery facilitated a normal & comfortable delivery of a healthy child.

While in some cases there is reduction in weight after childbirth, in other, the young mothers keep gaining weight & remain obese for the rest of their lives. Generally two reasons can be attributed for obesity after childbirth. If normal delivery of the child is not there then this deprive the young mother of normal activities & exercises after delivery, resulting in the uterus not shrinking as it should, and gradually distention of abdomen takes place. The additional nourishment consumed undergoes poor digestion and the weight keeps increasing.

Some young mothers despite normal delivery gain weight steadily because they are fed on fatty & starchy food in place of proper nutritious food under the erroneous notion that the weakness caused by labour can only be compensated by a rich diet. Sometimes young mothers, after delivery is also make rest more than it is necessary. Just as exercises is a must till almost the last stages of delivery for easy delivery, mild exercise after delivery is necessary for the contraction of the uterus to its original size. But exercise becomes more difficult if there is a weight increase. There fore, obesity worsens the condition. Women, who use contraceptive devices, oral contraceptives on a regular basis also tend to become obese. This is due to the effect on the hormones contained in those drugs.

Menopause:

Some women tend to gain weight during their menopause. Due to hormonal imbalance, obesity sets in, even though they had maintained normal weight previously. Menopause is a natural phase in a woman's life. Some women seek medical solutions in the form of hormone supplement for their irregular monthly cycles, disturbing symptoms & mild discomforts. Obesity caused by hormone pills is a bit difficult to get rid unlike other forms of obesity. Yet unani medicines successfully treated these hormone pills related obesity.

Mind over body:

Some women suffer from obesity for identifiable psychological reasons that manifest themselves as expressions of their underlying unhappiness and for no other reason. Such persons feel unwanted at home & outside. They develop severe complexes, become discontented with every one around & become indifferent towards anything & everything. They lose interest in every activity, which provide a pleasant diversion. In such cases, unless the under lying cause is attended to, they remain obese. Whenever they feel tense, overcome with unknown fears they seek a diversion in frequent eating. This type of eating gives them only a false sense of their tension being eased. At such times due to the absence of actual hunger, they resort to eating snacks, which please their palate. This naturally ads bulk the body.

Hormonal influence:

Endocrine glands are organs, which pour internal secretion into our blood. But for these glands, the growth of our body & mind becomes defective & results in various disorders & diseases, obesity being one of them. The glands produce some chemical substances, which are called hormones. Hormone is a circulating chemical substance that is capable of acting on distant organs from its original site. The glands that function in a unique way need a mention in this chapter because a few glands & other functions are responsible for causing obesity. These are the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pacers & gonads. Hormones are the agents that stirrup activity and bring about psychological changes in our behavior & bodily functions. Abnormal conditions of our health, is the direct result of an excess or deficient secretion of these hormones.

Lime is the best physician at all times. It relieves many symptoms which no doctor could do. Lime is very effective in coughs, cold and influenza. A big glass of warm water, one table spoon honey, half a lemon works wonders. Those who drink one lemon drink every day hardly have to visit a doctor.

Lime destroys the toxins in the body. Typhoid and other diseases die within no time. It is very effective in destroying the uric acid. It is very effective in destroying bacteria from intestinal tract. I t cures constipation, loss of appetite, arthritis, skin diseases, heart diseases. The high potassium content in them makes the lime very useful for preventing and curing heart diseases. It strengthens the teeth and gums. It freshens the breath. It purifies blood and liver.

It stimulates the functions of the kidney, liver and sweat glands. A ripe lime is a good appetizer. It destroys intestinal worms and expels the excessive gases formed in the digestive tract. Regular exercies and the juice helps excreting waste toxins innyour body. It purifies blood. Each and every cell of the body is rejuvenated by taking lime.

Some interesting facts that I would like to share :

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

COKE

1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

So, are you going to have a glass of Coke instead of a glass of water? Think about it again.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition first reported in the United States in 1981, that has since become a major worldwide epidemic.

AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). By killing or damaging cells of the body’s immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection.

How is HIV spread?

There are several common ways that HIV can be passed from person to person, including:

* Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected
* Using needles or syringes that have been used by people who are infected
* Receiving infected blood products or transplanted organs (Since 1985, the United States actively tests all donated blood for HIV; therefore, the risk of getting HIV in this way in the United States is now extremely low.)
* Transmission from mother to child – An infected mother may pass the virus to her developing fetus during pregnancy, during birth, or through breastfeeding.

If you have a sexually transmitted disease, you may be at higher risk for getting infected with HIV during sex with an HIV-infected partner.

There is no evidence that HIV is spread by contact with saliva or through casual contact, such as shaking hands or hugging, or the sharing of food utensils, towels and bedding, swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats. HIV is not spread by biting insects such as mosquitoes or bedbugs.

What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?

Although when AIDS first appeared there were few treatments, researchers have now developed drugs that can help fight both HIV and the related infections and cancers that come with it. Treatment advances have improved the survival rates and decreased progression of HIV disease in developed countries like the United States, where antiretroviral drugs are available.

Additional treatment information is available from the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases at NIH. The NIH is currently conducting many clinical trials related to HIV/AIDS to test treatments and therapies. These trials are sponsored and co-sponsored by various Institutes, including the NICHD.

The NICHD supports and conducts research related to HIV/AIDS in specific groups of people, including pregnant and non-pregnant women, infants and children, and adolescents and young adults. The information below applies to those groups.

How does HIV/AIDS affect women?

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 19.2 million women are living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. In many countries, the rate of HIV infection in women is rising faster than in any other group.

Worldwide, more than 80 percent of HIV infections are spread by heterosexual sex (vaginal intercourse); women are particularly at risk of contracting HIV through this type of contact. HIV is increasing most dramatically among African American and Hispanic women.

Although most of the signs and symptoms of HIV infection are similar in men and women, some are more specific to females. For example:

* Vaginal yeast infections may be chronic, more severe, and difficult to treat in women with HIV infection than in women who are uninfected.
* Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the female reproductive organs, may also be more frequent and severe in women with HIV infection.
* Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, which cause genital warts, may occur more frequently in HIV-infected women, and can lead to pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix or cancer of the cervix.

The NICHD, along with other Institutes, supports studies to determine what aspects of HIV are specific to women and the best treatments for these symptoms.

How does HIV affect pregnant women and infants?

Women can give HIV to their babies during pregnancy, while giving birth, or through breastfeeding.

But, there are effective ways to prevent the spread of mother-to-infant transmission of HIV:

* Taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy—either a drug called zidovudine or AZT alone or in combination with other drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)—a mother can significantly reduce the chances that her baby will get infected with HIV.
* Delivering the baby by cesarean section, and doing so before the mother’s uterine membranes rupture naturally, reduces transmission that may occur during the birth process. Use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy and delivery, combined with a cesarean section in women with certain levels of HIV in their blood, can reduce the chance that the baby will be infected to less than 2 percent.
* Avoidance of breastfeeding by an HIV-infected mother. HIV can be spread to babies through the breast milk of mothers infected with the virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, in countries such as the United States, where infant formula is safe and is often available and affordable, HIV-infected women feed their infants commercially available formula instead of breastfeeding.

Approximately one-fourth to one-half of all untreated pregnant women infected with HIV will pass the infection to their babies. HIV infection of newborns is very rare in the United States because women are tested for HIV during pregnancy, and women with HIV infection receive anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery if their HIV blood levels are high, and are advised not to breastfeed their infants.

How does HIV affect children and adolescents?

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 children are living with HIV infection in the United States. In the United States, the number of infants born with HIV infection has dramatically decreased from about 2,000 a year to fewer than 200 a year due to identification of HIV infection in pregnant women and use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, and avoidance of breastfeeding.

In contrast to the United States, mother-to-child transmission in developing countries remains a major problem; about 700,000 infants are newly infected with HIV each year because most women are not screened for HIV during pregnancy, anti-HIV drugs are not available, and safe alternatives to breastfeeding are not available.

Prior to 1985, when screening of the nation’s blood supply for HIV began, some children as well as adults were infected through transfusions with blood or blood products contaminated with HIV, but this is now rare in the United States.

In contrast to the dramatic decrease in mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection, the number of cases of HIV infection in adolescents and young adults continues to increase in the United States. About one-third to one-half of new HIV infections in the United States are among adolescents and young adults.

Most HIV-infected adolescents and young adults are exposed to the virus through unprotected sex; some teens and young adults are also infected through injection drug use. In addition, an increasing number of children who were infected as infants are now surviving to adolescence.

Health Articles.

Introduction

The first cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported in the U.S. in June of 1981. The occurrence of the syndrome among homosexual men, intravenous (IV) drug abusers and, later, blood transfusion recipients and persons with hemophilia suggested a transmissible agent as the cause. In 1984, scientists identified a retrovirus, human immune deficiency virus (HIV), also known as human T-Iymphotropic virus type III/lymphoadenopathy, associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV), as the primary cause of AIDS. In 1985, screening tests to detect antibodies to HIV were licensed, allowing identification of infected individuals and the screening of the blood supply. Researchers have been able to map the genetic structure of HIV and to demonstrate the nature of the immune defect. Ongoing research is aimed at identifying risk factors and preventive strategies, evaluating antiviral drugs, developing drugs to augment the immune system, and developing a vaccine.

An estimated 1,000,000 Americans have been infected by the HIV virus. The virus has been isolated from various bodily fluids including blood, semen, saliva, tears, urine, breast milk and cerebrospinal fluid. Transmission of HIV occurs primarily through four major routes: sexual contact, intravenous drug use, blood transfusions and perinatal contact with an infected mother. The screening of donated blood since 1985 for HIV antibodies has virtually eliminated blood transfusion as a risk for acquiring AIDS in the U.S. 95% of the cases of AIDS reported in the U.S. have belonged to the following high risk groups: homosexual and bisexual men, 73%; IV drug abusers, 17% (11% of homosexual and bisexual men also inject drugs); blood transfusion recipients, 2%; persons with blood clotting disorders or hemophilia, 1%; heterosexual contacts of persons in the above groups, 1%; and infants born to mothers with AIDS or HIV infection, 1%.

All persons with AIDS or with antibodies to HIV are considered carriers of the virus and capable of transmitting it to others. It is believed that most people with antibodies to HIV will remain free of AIDS symptoms. The ratio of persons infected with HIV to those with AIDS is estimated currently at between 100:1 to 50:1. The three-year incidence of AIDS among persons with the HIV infection ranges from 8% to 34.2% in selected municipal studies. Estimates are that 10% to 30% of infected persons will develop AIDS within 5 years. For persons who develop AIDS, the overall fatality rate in April of 1986 was 54%. At the end of two years following diagnosis of AIDS, however, the fatality rate was over 75%. At five years, the fatality rate was about 90%.

90% of AIDS patients are between 20-49 years of age. The loss of years of potential life before age 65 due to AIDS is nearly the same as for cancer in single men 25-44 years of age. The economic costs of AIDS are considerable, totalling an estimated $4.1 billion in 1985. Data cited here are changing rapidly and represent the situation only as of 1986.

Prevalence

Prevalence of HIV Infection

As of 1987, an estimated 1.5 million Americans were infected with the HIV virus.

In 1984-1985, the prevalence of the HIV antibody in populations of homosexual men ranged from a low of 44% in Washington, D.C. to 65% in New York City to a high of 68% in San Francisco.

In 1984, the prevalence of the HIV antibody in population of IV drug users ranged from a low of 9% in San Francisco to a high of 68% in New York City.

In 1983-1985, the prevalence of the HIV antibody in populations of hemophilia patients ranged from 46% to 75%.

The period of time between known exposure to the HIV virus and seroconversion ranges from 19 days to 12 weeks.

AIDS in adults usually develops more than two years after HIV infection and may appear more than five years after seroconversion.

The three-year incidence of AIDS among all HIV seropositive subjects in a study of five cohorts (three groups of homosexual men, one group of IV drug users and one group of hemophilia patients) ranged from 8.0% to 34.2%.

Prevalence of AIDS

A total of 21,517 cases of AIDS were reported in the United States by June 9, 1986.

AIDS cases have been reported from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 3 U.S. territories.

Although the number of new AIDS cases continues to increase each year, the rate of increase has diminished, as shown below.

The length of time required for a doubling of the cumulative number of AIDS cases in the U.S. has increased from 5 months in 1982 to 11 months in January, 1986.

The annual incidence rate of AIDS in the U.S. has increased from 0.11 cases per 100,00 persons in 1981 to 1.43 cases per 100,000 persons for the year ending May 31, 1984.

The prevalence of AIDS in the U.S. as of June 9, 1986, was 94.5 cases per million population. Broad geographical variation exists, with the highest prevalence rates recorded in New York City (722.0 cases per million) and San Francisco (684.8 cases per million). Those two cities accounted for 41% of all 21,517 AIDS cases reported in the U.S. by June 9, 1986.

In the U.S., 95% of AIDS cases have occurred to persons belonging to one or more groups known to be at high risk for AIDS, including homosexual or bisexual males, intravenous drug abusers, hemophilia or coagulation disorder patients, blood transfusion recipients or heterosexual contacts of persons with AIDS or at risk of AIDS.

Of the 6% of AIDS cases initially reported without identifying risk factors, about 33% are persons from countries where heterosexual transmission accounts for many AIDS cases. Further interviewing of available members of the remaining group identified risk factors for all but 33%. Thus, less than 2% of all AIDS cases ultimately remained without identifiable risk factors.

Opportunistic infections occur in all AIDS patients. To date in the U.S., 58% of AIDS patients have had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), 17% have had Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), 5% have had both PCP and KS and 19% have had other opportunistic infections.

Kaposi’s sarcoma has been reported in over 34% of homosexual men with AIDS, but in only 6% of AIDS patients in all other groups.

Mortality from AIDS

As of June 9, 1986, 11,713 people died in the U.S. from AIDS, representing 54% of all known cases.

The case fatality rate is over 75% for persons diagnosed with AIDS for two years or more.

In a follow-up of approximately 3,600 cases of AIDS in New York City and State, the median survival time for gay men was 10 months and for IV drug abusers 7 months.

The median survival of those AIDS patients with Kaposi’s sarcoma was 14 months, those with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was 7 months and those with other opportunistic infections was 6 months.

Since about 90% of AIDS patients are between 20-49 years old, AIDS results in a disproportionate number of years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 65. In single men ages 25-44 years in the U.S., AIDS caused nearly as many YPLL in 1984 (32,300) as did cancer (39,500) in 1980. In Manhattan and San Francisco in 1984, AIDS was the leading cause of YPLL among 25-44 year-old men with more YPLL than for accidents, homicide, suicide, and cancer combined.

Modes of Transmission

All persons with AIDS or with antibodies to HIV are considered carriers of the virus, capable of transmitting the infection to others.

Although HIV has been isolated from the blood, semen, saliva, tears, urine and breast milk of infected individuals, the only known transmission has been via blood and semen. Studies of nonsexual household contacts of AIDS patients indicate that casual contact with saliva and tears does not result in transmission of infection.

HIV infection can persist even in asymptomatic individuals for at least several years. Retrovirus infections in animals persist for life. The presence of HIV antibody is presumptive evidence of current infection and infectibility.

In most cases, HIV appears to have been transmitted through one or more of four routes: sexual contact, intravenous drug administration with contaminated needles, administration of blood and blood products, and passage of the virus from infected mothers to their unborn babies.

After four years of close observation of AIDS in the U.S., no evidence exists showing the transmission of HIV infection or AIDS through food, by arthropods, or from casual contact. Similarly, no cases of AIDS or HIV transmission have been attributed to the use of immunoglobulins or the hepatitis B vaccine.

The risk of HIV transmission through blood or blood products transfusion has been virtually eliminated by current practices, which include screening of donated blood for HIV antibodies and heat treatment of clotting factor concentrates.

The risk of perinatal transmission of HIV by infected mothers is not known precisely, but was observed in one study to be as high as 65%.

No known transmission of HIV infection to household contacts of infected persons has been detected when the household contacts have not been sex partners or infants of infected mothers.

No known transmission of HIV infection has occurred from the preparation or serving of food or beverages. No known risk of transmission to coworkers, clients, or consumers exists from HIV-infected workers in other worksites (e.g., offices, schools, factories, construction sites).

The risk of acquiring HIV infection from a needlestick exposure to a source patient is much less than 1%. For comparison, the risk of hepatitis B infection following a needlestick from a hepatitis B carrier ranges from 6%-30%.

AIDS Outside the United States

In Europe, a cumulative total of 1,573 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed through September 1985. The highest prevalence rates were recorded in Belgium (11.9 per million), Switzerland (11.8 per million) and Denmark (11.2 per million), but were far below the estimated prevalence of AIDS in the U.S. in September 1985 of 60.0 per million.

In Europe, 92% of the AIDS patients as of September 1985 were males and 88% were between 20-49 years of age. Of the total European AIDS cases, 69% were homosexual or bisexual men, 6% were IV drug abusers, 2% were both of the above, 3% were hemophilia patients, 2% were transfusion recipients without other risk factors, 2% were unknown, and 11% had no known risk factors. Of those without identifiable risk factors, up to 72% were from countries where heterosexual transmission of HIV occurs commonly.

The Pan-American Health Organization reports 1,685 cases of AIDS in the Americas outside the U.S. through December 31, 1985. The majority of those cases were from Brazil (540), Canada (435) and Haiti (377).

Cases of AIDS have been reported in residents of nearly 20 African countries, but studies of AIDS have been conducted primarily in Zaire and Rwanda. In Zaire, the male-to-female ratio was approximately 1:1 and the annual incidence was estimated at 17-40 per 100,000 population. In the U.S., the male-to-female ratio among adults is currently 14.2:1. In 1984, the annual incidence of AIDS in the U.S. among single males was 14.3 per 100,000, and among the general population, 1.4 per 100,000.

HIV and AIDS in Homosexual and Bisexual Men

In a cohort of 6,875 homosexual and bisexual men in San Francisco, the prevalence of HIV antibodies had reached 73.1% by August, 1985.

In the San Francisco cohort, 3.8% of the entire group and 5.2% of those with HIV antibodies had developed AIDS by August, 1985.

Two-thirds of the men in the San Francisco cohort study who had HIV infections for over five years had not developed AIDS or AIDS-related illness.

The seroprevalence of HIV antibody among a group of homosexual males in New York City was 65% in a 1985 study.

The three year incidence of AIDS was 34.2% in a, cohort of HIV seropositive homosexuals in Manhattan.

Intervention Data

Changes in Sexual Behavior Among High Risk Groups

Surveys of risk factors for HIV infections among gay and bisexual men in San Francisco revealed that the percentage of persons with more than one sexual partner during the 30 days prior to the survey decreased from 49% in August, 1984, to 26% in April, 1985. The percentage of persons who were monogamous, celibate or had no unsafe sexual activity outside a primary relationship increased from 69% in August, 1984, to 81% in April, 1985. (In this study, an unsafe sexual practice included anal intercourse without a condom and oral sex with exchange of semen.)

Cases of rectal gonorrhea in men attending the San Francisco City Health Department clinics declined 73% between 1980-1984.

Between 1980-1983, rates of rectal and pharyngeal gonorrhea in men in Manhattan decreased 59%.

Use of Health Services

The initial hospitalization of AIDS patients entails a mean length of stay of 31 days. Rehospitalization for new or recurrent opportunistic infections is frequent.

A New York City study found that 14% of AIDS patients died during the initial hospitalization, 35% spent less than 30% of the time in the hospital after the initial hospitalization, 16% spent between 30%-50% of the time hospitalized and the remaining 35% spent more than 50% of the time in the hospital.

It is estimated that the first 10,000 patients with AIDS will spend a total of 1,677,900 days in the hospital.

A California study reported that AIDS patients had an average of 6.4 hospitalizations at an average length of stay of 14 days over an 18-month average lifespan.

Economic Impact

An estimated $147,000 is spent on the entire hospital care of each AIDS patient.

A study of the economic costs of AIDS estimated that in 1984 each AIDS patient was admitted to a hospital an average of 1.7 times for an average length of hospitalization of 13.0 days. The average charge per hospital day was $740. The average outpatient charge was estimated at $2,015 for each AIDS case in 1984.

The total economic impact of the first 10,000 cases of AIDS in the U.S. has been estimated at $6.3 billion, including $1.4 billion on direct hospitalization expenses, $189 million in lost wages due to disability and $4.6 billion in lost earnings from premature death.

The direct economic costs of AIDS in 1985 have been estimated at a total of $836.5 million, including $517.4 million in personal medical care costs and $319.1 million in non-personal costs (research, blood screening, education and prevention services).

The indirect economic costs of AIDS in 1985 were estimated at $3,285.6 million, including $205.7 million in morbidity costs (value of productivity losses due to illness and disability) and $3,079.0 million in mortality costs (value of earnings lost due of premature death).

According to these estimates, the total direct and indirect costs of AIDS in 1985 were $4,122.1 million.

In 1984, total personal health care expenditures in the U.S. were estimated at $387.4 billion, and total indirect costs of morbidity and mortality of all illness and death were estimated at $304.7 billion, for a total of $692.1 billion in direct and indirect costs. Estimates of the direct and indirect costs of AIDS for 1984 total $1.9 billion, a fraction of 1% of the total economic costs for all diseases that year.

Expenditures for Research on AIDS

Research expenditures on AIDS have increased from $60 million in 1984 to $113.6 million in 1985 to $233.7 million in 1986.

The expenditures for AIDS health education, information and support services by the Centers for Disease Control, State and local governments and community-based volunteer organizations have been estimated at $19.3–$23.3 million for 1985 and $27.6–$31.6 million for 1986.

Health Articles.

In one of the most promising developments in more than 20 years, scientists claim that drugs used to control HIV/AIDS in patients may also be effective in preventing the disease in the first place.

The drugs in question are tenofovir (Viread) and emtricitabine, or FTC (Emtriva), sold in combination as Truvada by Gilead Sciences Inc. Gilead is the California company best known for inventing Tamiflu.

Previous research has been aimed at finding a vaccine against HIV/AIDS, with the intention of conditioning the immune system against the disease. But these drugs work differently. They simply keep the virus from reproducing, and have already been used successfuly by health care workers to prevent them from being infected by the virus carried by patients.

This approach to fighting HIV/AIDS has been tempting researchers for many years, but has only recently become feasible as preventative drugs have been developed that are safe for non-infected persons to take. Previous drugs had unreasonable effects for uninfected persons.

That situation changed when Tenofovir came on the market in 2001. Tenofovir is powerful and safe, and it only has to be taken once a day. It also does not interact with other medicines or birth control pills, and manifests less drug resistance than other AIDS medications.

Monkey studies show exciting results

A major study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Atlanta, Georgia involved six macaques. The monkeys were given a combination of Tenofovir and FTC and then administered a deadly combination of monkey and human AIDS viruses. They were given the viruses in rectal doses to simulate contact between gay men.

Each was given 14 weekly exposures of the virus, and none of the monkeys became infected. In a control group which did not receive the drugs, all but one got the disease, normally after just two exposures.

The scientists then stopped giving the drugs to the test group to see if the prevention was only temporary. The results were equally impressive. None of the monkeys contracted the disease. “We’re now four months following the animals with no drug, no virus. They’re uninfected and healthy,” reported a CDC researcher.

Now other research teams are pushing to have this drug combination tested on humans. A $29 million CDC study of drug users in Botswana will now be switched to this new drug combination.

Another study of 400 heterosexual women in Ghana by the Family Health Initiative, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is studying the effects of tenofovir alone.

But several other studies have failed to materialize because studies of this nature immediately raise suspicions that scientists are using local people as guinea pigs. The fear is that they will intentionally expose the test subjects to the virus.

The cost of tenofovir and Truvada also make testing difficult. In African countries condoms are now liberally donated by companies, aid groups, UN agencies, and western governments. While the drugs are relatively cheap, the cost remains an impediment.

Nevertheless researchers have been reinvigorated by the stunning results out of Atlanta, and new tests are going ahead in pockets of interest around the world.

Health Article.

In a significant shift in strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Centers for Disease Control recently recommended that tests for HIV be extended to all patients entering hospitals and clinics in the U.S. The CDC also recommended that doctors begin offering routine voluntary HIV tests to patients between 13 and 64.

It is estimated that of the more than 1 million people in the U.S. with HIV and AIDS, about 25% are unaware they have HIV. The new strategy is aimed at discovering these cases before HIV develops into AIDS. It is also hoped these measures will curb the spread of the disease since these 250,000 people are carriers who unknowingly infect others.

This marks a departure from the previously followed strategy of testing only people in high risk categories.

This policy change will also involve a shift away from the promotion of abstinence and condom use to prevent the spread of the disease, towards more emphasis being placed on testing for HIV status and early treatment.

According to a spokesperson for the CDC, what explains this change in policy is that drugs now exist that can prevent the development of AIDS from HIV. Early detection can therefore result in early treatment. In the past early detection did not necessarily mean much since there was very little that could be done for someone infected with HIV.

It is also hoped that early detection will result in less transmission of the disease. A recent CDC survey found that sexually-active adults altered their sexual behavior patterns after they were diagnosed with HIV. They were less likely to engage in unprotected sexual activity, in many cases opting for a condom or for not engaging in sex at all.

Drug companies and makers of oral tests stand to benefit significantly from this change of emphasis. It is expected that tests which are now administered at hospitals and clinics will soon be available over the counter. People interested in testing themselves will be able to do it at home. This should result in a significant increase in sales of HIV testing kits.

There should also be a rise in HIV treatment drugs as hundreds of thousands of people learn they have HIV and begin treatment with anti-HIV drugs. Currently anti-HIV drugs account for about $6-billion in sales in the U.S. That number should increase dramatically if the new testing procedures prove to be effective.

Some argue that as in so many areas within the health industry, efforts aimed at prevention will be replaced by promises of a quick cure brought to us compliments of the incredibly influential and increasingly invasive drug companies.

Health Articles

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.

The HIV virus, type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system, this causes nerve and muscle pain, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.

HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions, mother to infant (at time of birth, or through breast milk), sharing needles with an infected person, and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.

Often people who are infected with HIV have few symptoms and in some cases there are none. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. This may be severe, with swollen glands in the neck and armpits, tiredness, fever and night sweats. This is where as much as 9 out of 10 of the infected individuals will develop AIDS. At this point the person may feel completely healthy and not even know that he/she has the virus. The next stage begins when the immune system starts to break down and the virus becomes more aggressive in damaging white cells. Several glands in the neck and armpits may swell and stay swollen for an extended period of time without any explanation. As this disease progresses boils or warts may spread over the body. They may also feel tremendously tired, night sweats, high fevers, chronic diarrhea, and they may lose a considerable amount of their body weight. Most cases have shown thrush as a symptom as well. At this point the person is in the final stages of HIV–AIDS. Severe chest infections with high fever are common and survival rate is above 70% but decrease with each recurrence.

A person is diagnosed with AIDS when he/she has one or more positive HIV screening and the presence of an AIDS defining condition. Some of the common conditions include but are not limited to: Meningitis, Encephalitis, Dementia, Pneumonia, Kaposi sarcoma, and Lymphoma. There is also a blood test called an Immune Profile that can be done. This test is used to measure the loss of immunity and help decide on the best treatment. There is a test that is rarely used due to its high cost, it is known as a Viral Load: This test detects the virus itself, and also measures the amount of HIV in the blood. It shows how quickly the HIV infection is likely to advance. A high viral load suggests that the person may progress rapidly to AIDS.

Although there is no cure for AIDS there are medical treatments that aide in prolonging, and maintaining the best quality of life possible. These include two nucleoside inhibitors, lamivudine and zidovudine. Actual treatment plans will vary with each patient, along with the physical aspect of this disease. The psychological side has to be addressed in order for a treatment plan to be effective.

The easiest way to escape contracting this disease is to avoid the risk factors that you are in control of. Such as: unprotected sex, not sharing a needle, and if you are in the healthcare field be sure to use all precautions necessary to avoid an accidental prick from a possible infected needle (remember that in this diseases early stages it is common for the person not to even know they are infected). Today AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among all adults aged 25 to 44 in the United States. Among African-Americans in the 25 to 44 age group, AIDS is the leading cause of death for men and the second leading cause of death for women. Our society needs to become aware that by not protecting ourselves we are killing ourselves and that this has to stop.

Genital Warts are an extremely common problem. Its is unknown to most people but around 70% - 80% of the population carry a strain of HPV. There are 100 species of HPV and over 30 of those are sexually transmitted .

Genital Warts is an infection that is transmitted though sexual intercourse. Genital Warts are a symptom of the virus Human papillomavirus or HPV. A person can be infected with HPV and not have Genital Warts. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the name of a group of viruses in which there are more than 100 different strains.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is reported to be the most common cause of sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Health experts estimate there are more cases of genital HPV infection than any other STI in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 6.2 million new cases of sexually transmitted HPV infections are reported every year. At least 20 million people in this country are already infected.

Genital Warts appear as soft flesh colored mounds that occur in the genital area within weeks or moths of infection. They can appear in clumps and can resemble cauliflower like bumps. They can appear raised, flat, small or large. For men Genital warts usually appear on the shaft of the penis or on the scrotum. For women they can show up on the skin surrounding the vagina and also on the cervix and vulva.

If 80% of the population are carrying a strain of HPV then if you are sexually active it’s quite certain you will be exposed to HPV at some time. If some one has slept with 10 people over the span of there sexually active life then its likely they have come into contact with HPV 8 times.

Only around 10% of people who are infected with HPV actually display symptoms of Genital Warts. The strains that most often cause the symptoms are less likely to cause abnormal cells which can be attributed to the cause of cervical cancer.

If someone has been diagnosed with Genital Warts or HPV they are probably quite shocked or embarrassed. There are many social taboos surrounding STI’s and it can be quite upsetting for most people. The first thing they need to realize is that they are not alone. Remember that that many people who carry this virus do not realize they are infected. This is how they can pass it on unknowingly.

Although the medical profession deems Genital Warts incurable there are ways of treating the symptoms. Often people develop an immunity to the strain they are infected with and although they continue to be infected they no longer display symptoms.

There are products available to help treat the symptoms and many people have found that some of these products have cleared there infection up completely.

HIV/AIDS continues to dramatically affect people all over the world despite preventive measures such as educational awareness and testing programs and treatment initiatives such as drug research and development. Even in the United States, where government funding, medical technology, and education would seemingly defeat this disease, the epidemic continues. According to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) over 1,000,000 people are living HIV/AIDS in this country and approximately 40,000 new cases are reported each year. Although high, this is a significant drop from the new annual cases reported during 1980’s, which approached 150,000.

The statistics from the CDC are an important resource for tracking changes and measuring the impact of efforts, whether focused on treatment or prevention. An overview of recent data reveals important trends. First, prevention awareness and educational programs that aim to inform and promote less risky behavior are reducing the number of new cases within the United States.

Second, despite the efforts of these programs people are continuing to transmit HIV/AIDS. This is largely due to risky behavior revolving around drug use and unprotected sex, but continued lack of HIV/AIDS testing is also to blame. It is estimated that close to thirty percent of people infected with HIV are asymptomatic and do not know it. Routine testing remains major priority, and as such, officials have tried to institute these blood tests as a routine clinical procedure.

Third, while the number of new active cases has decreased, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS has increased. This illustrates the improvements of drug therapy. Successful drug regimes help contain HIV so that it does not become AIDS and help the body fight off opportunistic infections – infections or diseases that can capitalize on a weakened immune system of an HIV/AIDS patient, but not in a healthy person – which are normally the ultimate cause of death.

Thanks to these efforts and more, today’s picture is brighter than the past. People with HIV/AIDS are now living longer and healthier lives, but they still face serious health problems. These complications include aversion to medicine, afflictions stemming from a weakened immune system, and adverse effects of the infection itself. Because of these on-going vulnerabilities, in 2004 HIV/AIDS was reclassified from an infectious disease to a chronic disease. As such, the treatment strategy, adopted from the Guide to Primary Care for People with HIV/AIDS, stresses a comprehensive long-term model that involves clinical attention, proactive community groups, and self-management.

Within this model, the contributions of community groups provide HIV/AIDS patients with resources and support to improve their lives. Services and direct care programs help patients with financial matters, housing, nutritional needs, counseling, support groups, and transportation. Given that the national budgets are invested in large-scale educational programs and research, individual impact is felt most strongly when contributions go to organizations that provide services directly to individuals in need.

Vitamins for Acne - Will It Work?
Acne is the most common skin diseases. A lot of people all over the world have experienced some form of acne at some point of their lives; some have experienced more acne and some less. The reasons for the appearance of acne can be: genetic, environmental, hormonal imbalance, and others.

Lack of zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin A, and other vitamins and minerals may lead to acne.
Since the cause of acne is natural and effected by the body’s hormonal imbalance, the person who suffers from acne should check the individual reason for his / her acne and take care of the problem naturally.
There are many more causes of acne that should be treated along with vitamin consumption. Some of the causes are: smoking, sweat, dirt, excess testosterone, metabolism, genes, nutrition, and more.

Some of these causes can be treated by simply changing the person’s basic life style and taking care of oneself.
Supplements can help the body to get its balance back.

The supplements can be vitamins and mineral:
Vitamin C: essential for collagen formation, a protein that helps the skin to build connective tissues and is also anti-inflammatory.
Vitamin B: Helps to produce new body cells and improves the neural functioning.
Vitamin A: essential for the body’s hormonal balance and effects the skins health.
Zinc: Helps to better absorb vitamin A, essential for the body’s immunity system, anti-inflammatory, and also helps to keep hormonal balance.

There are many more vitamins and minerals which can be used in order to treat acne. The way to deal with it is to check what the body is missing in order to keep its balance.

It is very important to notice that excess of vitamins can sometimes become toxic, and can also hurt the person who consumes it, can cause stomachaches and other bad symptoms, therefore the best advice would be to go to the doctor and check the body’s hormonal balance and get his opinion.

Like everyone else, we’ve all suffered from acne; only thing is this time it’s years past puberty. If this has happened to you, rest assured, you’re in good company. 1 in 5 women between the ages of 25 and 40 suffer from adult acne. Here are 3 critical facts about adult acne that could change the way you battle acne for good.

Fact #1: Cheese and chocolate have nothing to do with your acne. Although adult acne is often a cause of bad diets, it is more of a long term effect rather than short. Indulging in a few late night cravings has nothing with the acne that might sprout a few weeks later. Instead acne is often caused by an inefficient digestive system – resulting from years of an improper diet, causing stress to your intestines. What can you do? The best way to combat adult acne is to start by a proper detoxification diet, to properly cleanse out any waste and toxins that have built up over the years.

Fact #2: There are several causes of adult acne. On top of a bad diet as mentioned above, stress, bad cosmetics, hormones and birth control pills are among many factors in the production of acne. Stress for instance, can cause your oil glands to overcompensate, while bad cosmetics lead to clogged pores filled with bacteria. There are many unsuspecting factors that cause adult acne to form, the best way to narrow it down is to start a log of your daily routine and review what goes on in your life that could use a change.

Fact #3 Acne usually begins with blackheads. Contrary to common beliefs, blackheads are not dirt. They are actually the result of oil and dead cells trapped in a pore mixed with bacteria, blocking the duct. Blackheads only turn black when they are exposed to air. When a blackhead becomes inflamed and spread when touched with dirty hands, a red pimple is formed – increasing the chance of breaking and causing a scar. How to deal with blackheads? Instead of a heavy and harsh facial scrub, look to use an alpha-hydroxy based cleaner, and gently massage it into your face. Salicylic acid based cleansers are also a good substitute, both types of cleansers clean out blocked pores and are highly recommended in place of facial scrubs.