An STD is transmitted by means of physical contact and intercourse. These diseases are caused by parasites, virus or bacteria. Usually, STDs are preventable provided you make the right choices concerning your sexual health. Refraining from sex isn t a feasible idea at all. 

But fortunately there are alternatives too to curb the menace that STDs are:

Abstain: The most effective way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex.
Mutual monogamy: Two people who have sex only with one another don t have any opportunity to bring a new STD into the relationship. If you and your partner have been tested and are healthy, remaining faithful to each other is a very good way to reduce your chances of contracting an STD.
Get Vaccinated: One important prevention tool against STIs is vaccination. Currently, vaccines are available to protect against infection with HPV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Talk to your healthcare provider to see which vaccines might be recommended for you.
Protect Yourself: Condoms work really well in stopping most STIs from being passed from an infected partner to another when they are used consistently and correctly every time a person has oral, vaginal or anal sex. Consistently and correctly means that a person makes sure they use a condom every time they have oral, vaginal or anal sex and put it on and use it the right way.
Avoid alcohol and drug use: Avoiding alcohol and recreational drug use reduce the risk of contracting an STI, having an unwanted pregnancy, or being coerced to have sex. Alcohol and drug use can reduce our ability to make good decisions. It may also make us more likely to be talked into participating in an activity without being able to give our full consent.
Coping and Support
It's traumatic to find out you have an STI. You might be angry if you feel you've been betrayed or ashamed if there's a chance you infected others. At worst, an STI can cause chronic illness and death, even with the best care in the world.

Between those extremes is a host of other potential losses   trust between partners, plans to have children, and the joyful embrace of your sexuality and its expression. If in doubt, don't hesitate to visit a skin specialist or a physician.

STDs - 5 Ways You Can Avoid Them

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) is caused by a virus called Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It should be remembered that it is not necessary that a person having HIV is suffering from AIDS or will inevitably result in it. The illness damages the immune system of the person and makes them more vulnerable to diseases and infections. As the syndrome progresses, opportunistic infections attack the patient, ultimately causing their death.

What are the causes of AIDS?
The virus is spread by person-to-person contact like:
1. Through sexual contact.
2. By sharing the same needle or through blood transfusion.
3. The disease can be spread from mother to the newborn child.

What are the symptoms of AIDS?
1. You may have a high fever or suffer from constant diarrhea which may last for weeks.
2. Red rashes may appear on your skin.
3. You may feel weak and tired all the time.
4. You may have excessive sweating, particularly at night.
5. Your muscles and joints may ache.
6. Your swollen glands don t heal for weeks.

What are the complications related to AIDS?
During the last stage of infection, there is a high risk of having life-threatening diseases.These include:
1. Infections to the nervous system like meningitis, peripheral neuropathy.
2. Inflammation in the lower end of the esophagus.
3. Cancers like cervical cancer, neck cancer, and lymphomas.
4. Tuberculosis.

Can AIDS be treated with homeopathy?
Homeopathic treatment can be of a great help for such patients. It can boost up not only physical health but mental health too. It can combat opportunistic infections very effectively by boosting up the immunity of the patient. There are marvellous results with homeopathic medicines tried in Africa (an epidemic zone for AIDS). Many patients of AIDS are still waiting to die after using homeopathy and their quality of life has improved drastically. Homeopathy works by modulating the immunity which is an important factor in AIDS patient. Some of the homeopathy medicine used to treat symptoms of AIDS are:
1. Syphilinum
2. Arsenic iodum
3. Sulphur
4. Silica,
5. Tuberculinum
6. Kali carbonicum
7. Calcaria iodum
8. Bacillinum
9. Arsenica Album
10. Phosphorus
These medications can be used in conjuction with ART or antiretroviral therapy along with other treatments and has been shown to be very effective in alleviating some of the commonly encountered symptoms of AIDS related complications. But utmost care must ensured and these medicines should not be taken without consulting a homeopathic doctor.

HIV / AIDS - Can Homeopathy Medicines Helps in Treating it


- hiv testing in pregnancy should be done early so as standard care can be taken for the pregnant women.


- this hiv testing must be repeated in the third trimester, usually before 36 weeks of gestation. This should be done in women with hiv-seronegative and also in pregnant women who are at a high risk of developing hiv infection.


- expedited hiv tests should be performed at the time of delivery and labor and this is a must in women who have not been documented for hiv. The results of the test should be available in one hour of the test and the testing should be available 24 hours. In case the results are positive then, infant postnatal antiretroviral and intrapartum drug prophylaxis should be started immediately.


- women who have not been able to be tested for hiv at the time of labor and delivery are suggested expedited screening for hiv. Their screening can be done immediately postpartum or their babies should undergo screening. In case the infant and mother, both are positive, then infant antiretroviral drug prophylaxis should be started immediately. These mothers should avoid breastfeeding their babies, until the supplemental hiv tests are negative. In infants with positive hiv, prophylaxis should be discontinued and antiretroviral drug therapy should be started.


- in case of acute hiv infection during pregnancy, that is in the intrapartum period, or during breast feeding, initial testing can be performed with an antigen/antibody combination immunoassay. If the supplemental test is negative, then an additional test which is the virologic test (dna, rna) are necessary for the diagnosis of the hiv infection.
- if the mother is hiv positive then this information must be documented in the infant's medical record and also communicated to the infants care provider.
The knowledge of an antenatal maternal hiv infection allows the:
- women with hiv infection to get the correct antiretroviral therapy along with prophylaxis for the infections which might occur due to the immunocompromised state of the body. This also prevents and decreases the risk of transmission to their partners.
- when there is provision for antiretroviral therapy for the mother during pregnancy and labor along with antiretroviral drug prophylaxis for the baby there is less risk of perinatal transmission of the hiv.
- the hiv infected women should be counseled for a cesarean delivery. The option of an elective cesarean reduces the perinatal transmission of the hiv.
- the hiv women should be counseled about the risk of breastfeeding.

Identification and Management of Perinatal HIV Treatment

In most diseases, early detection of the disease is the key to control the symptoms, cure, reduce progression and improve prognosis. This holds true for sexually transmitted diseases too. As soon as there is a mild degree of suspicious of having contracted a sexually transmitted disease, it is advisable to go for a test. Most of the STDs can develop into serious complications over a period of time, ranging from infertility to even death.

Complications: Why early diagnosis is important: When left undiagnosed and untreated, most STDs progress to cause severe damage from sterility to cancer to even death. Listed below are some complications associated with each of the common STDs.

Chlamydia: If left untreated, can lead to epididymitis and testicles shrinking and infertility in males. This is a condition where there is pus formation in the scrotum. In women, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease which is deep-seated and unable to cure completely. This brings with it symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to uterine infections to sterility.
Syphillis: Undiagnosed syphilis can lead to blindness and deafness. It can also be passed onto the newborn and lead to severe disabilities.
Gonorrhea: If diagnosed early, it can be cured completely with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, it can lead to infertility.
HIV/AIDS: Early diagnosis can help in curtailing the disease. If detected late, then the damage is quite extensive and treatment is both expensive and cannot help restore a lot of functions. 
Symptoms of Sexually transmitted diseases: If there is a doubt of having contracted an STD, then it is very important to get tested for the same. Some of the most common symptoms are listed below.

Women: The most common symptoms in women including painful urination, burning sensation, abnormal vaginal discharge (sometimes bleeding), warts, and abdominal pain.
Men: Testicular pain, urethral pain, painful urination, pain and inflammation in the prostate, sores, fever, and abdominal pain.
Prevention: Always practice safe sexual practices. When in doubt, refrain from sex until diagnosis and treatment is complete.

Testing for STDs: Some of the standard tests include:

1. Herpes- HSV I & II - 
2. Testing HIV-- Kits and ELISA available for testing 
3. Blood test for syphilis antibodies 
4. Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea - from urine as well as swabs for culture
It is understandable that getting tested for STDs is an embarrassing situation. However, there are options available where anonymity can be maintained when getting tested for STDs. This is a wise choice to make as the risk is not just for the person affected but for the partner and in some cases even for the fetus. Early testing can help prevent complications like infertility and cancer.

STD Testing - Why You Should Never Delay?

Certain diseases are a major cause of concern as often these diseases can cause severe health complications. Various campaigns and awareness have been spread both by the government and NGOs for practicing safe sex to fight against these sexually transmitted diseases. Here are a few tips on how to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

1. Selective Abstinence: Selective abstinence is when people indulge in certain sexual activities, but limit in what they do to avoid the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. People who do practice selective abstinence run a lower risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, which is also dependent on the type of sexual activity they indulge in as certain sexual acts have a higher chance of spreading STDs than others.

2. Using condoms: Using latex condoms decreases the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. If you use lubricants, make sure that they are water based. Condoms are however not 100% effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases, but reduce the chance of infection to a great extent. It is highly advised to learn how to properly use condoms.

3. Mutual monogamy: Another way to avoid getting infected by STDs is to practice mutual monogamy. If you and your partner do not have sex with anyone else, then it greatly reduces the chances of getting infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

4. Getting tested: Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases as well as asking your partner to do so decreases the chances of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases. Refrain from having sex if either of you test positive.

5. Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs: Avoiding the usage of recreational drugs and alcohol reduces the chances of contracting STDs. Indulging in sexual activities while being highly intoxicated can both cause you to forget practicing safe sex.

6. Practicing healthy habits: Practicing certain healthy habits also reduces the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. These include avoiding sharing towels and undergarments, washing before and after sexual intercourse and getting a vaccination for hepatitis B.

7. Low risk and high risk activities: Certain sexual activities such as open mouth kissing and hand to genital contact have a lower risk of infection. Other activities such as oral sex, vaginal intercourse, and genital to genital contact have a higher chance of infection. Understanding the risks better would allow you to avoid contacting diseases easily.

7 Tips to Avoid Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Hearing that a person is HIV positive instantly makes us wary of him or her and unconsciously we may begin avoiding social interactions with them. However, HIV does not spread through the air or by water and hence there is no reason to ostracize HIV positive people. To understand how to prevent the transmission of HIV it is essential to first understand how the virus is transferred from one person to another. There are three ways in which this virus can be transmitted from an HIV positive person to another. These are:

Through blood
Through bodily fluids such as semen and vaginal or rectal fluids
From a mother to a child
Keeping this in mind, here are a few ways to prevent the transferring of HIV from one person to another:



Use only Disposable Syringes: Getting pricked by a needle that has been used on a HIV positive patient can increase your risk of suffering from the disease. Hence, insist on using a fresh needle for blood tests etc. Also ensure that the syringe and needle and destroyed after being used.
Registered Blood Banks: In case you need a blood transfusion, get blood only from registered blood banks. These blood banks need to run HIV screening tests before collecting blood and hence are guaranteed to have only HIV negative blood as opposed to local quacks.
Use a Condom: The only way to prevent the transference of HIV cells while having intercourse is by using a condom. This is essential not only for vaginal intercourse but for anal intercourse as well.
Get Tested: Today, an HIV screening test can be easily done and your results are guaranteed to be kept confidential. STDs can increase your risk of getting infected with HIV or spreading it to others. Get tested regularly for STDs and insist that your partners are checked for it as well. This is crucial if you have more than one sexual partner.
Limit the Number of Sexual Partners: The more number of people you have sex with, the higher your chance of getting infected with the virus and transmitting it to others. Remember, HIV has no overt symptoms that are visible to the naked eye.
HIV cannot be cured but it can be controlled through medication. Hence, if you suffer from this disease, follow the doctor's prescription religiously to prevent transmitting the virus to your partner. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

HIV/AIDS - How To Prevent It?

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