Welcome to Finerish's Blog: 2015-11-15

Saturday 21 November 2015

HIV/AIDS in the Internet Age

Hooking up has never been easier. For those who want to avoid the crowded, boozy bar scene, finding a sexual partner is just a click away online. One popular site for such cyber-assisted trysts is Craigslist, which has an entire section dedicated to “casual encounters,” categorized by who’s looking for whom. Also, a number of new smartphone apps have hit the market recently, bringing no-strings-attached sex to the palm of one’s hand. Continue...

Bradford McIntyre never expected to live to be 63. A year after he was diagnosed with HIV in 1984, he was told he had only six months to live.

But he beat the odds and is one of many Canadians now aging with HIV. New research from the Canadian Observational Cohort Collaboration found the average life expectancy for HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral therapy is now 65. Continue...

Why Facebook friends and HIV connections go hand in hand

This is not the first post in which I’ve extolled the virtue of using social media in the context of HIV work or been surprised at the number of those who, in 2015, have yet to embrace it. True, those who work in HIV or are part of the wider HIV community are busy with competing priorities. Immersion in social media can suck up time like nobody’s business. But if you want to stay ahead of the game and be informed and inform others, social media is not just a “nice to have”, it’s an absolute necessity. Ignore it at your peril. Continue...

National Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2015

Calgary, AB (November, 2015) – The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) proudly announces national Aboriginal leadership and their supporters will gather in Calgary, AB on December 1, 2015 to launch Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2015. It will be accompanied by workshops across the country (Ottawa, Regina, Montreal, Winnipeg, Halifax, and Inuvik) to continue discussions on Aboriginal HIV and AIDS issues in Canada on November 30, December 2 – 5, 2015. Continue...

Los Angeles voters committed some bad public policy in 2012 when they approved Measure B, which mandated the use of condoms in any adult film shot in the county. Now, state lawmakers are prepared to double down on that misadventure and spread the mandate to all of California. Continue...

There could also be a moralistic aspect here—a kind of hangover from America’s Puritan founding. I raised this possibility with Shaun Miller, a philosopher at Marquette University who focuses on love and sexuality. “I'm not sure if it relates to our Puritan values,” he told me, “but I do think the stigma is a proxy for moral judgment. Sexuality has always had to do with one's moral character, and so if one has an STI, it suggests that one's character is ‘infected’ as well.” Continue...

Imagine that a thousand people—randomly selected from the U.S. population—had unprotected sex yesterday. How many of them will eventually die from contracting HIV from that single sexual encounter? Continue...

A Picture Guide to Erectile Dysfunction and Treatment

What Is Erectile Dysfunction (ED)?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man has persistent problems sustaining an erection. ED can make sexual intercourse impossible without treatment. ED can first emerge in a man as early as 40 according to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study on sexual dysfunction. They also found that an estimated 18 to 30 million men are affected by ED.

Lean Red Meat

If you're a steak-and-potatoes guy, you're in luck. Red meat can be good for you, says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, a dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lean cuts of beef and pork are packed with protein and have only a little more fat than chicken breast. Red meat is also a good source of leucine, an amino acid that helps build muscle.

Unfortunately, early symptoms of Ebola virus disease are nonspecific and include...

fever,
headache,
weakness, Continue...

What causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever?

The cause of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is Ebola virus infection that results in coagulation abnormalities, including gastrointestinal bleeding, development of a rash, cytokine release, damage to the liver, and massive viremia (large number of viruses in the blood) that leads to damaged vascular cells that form blood vessels.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever was first noted in Zaire (currently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DRC) in 1976. The original outbreak was in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease was named. During that time, the virus was identified in person-to-person contact transmission. Of the 318 patients diagnosed with Ebola, 88% died. Since that time, there have been multiple outbreaks of Ebola virus, and five strains have been identified; four of the strains are responsible for the high death rates. The four Ebola strains are termed as follows: Zaire, Sudan, Tai Forest, and Bundibugyo virus, with Zaire being the most lethal strain. A fifth strain termed Reston has been found in the Philippines.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by four different strains of Ebola virus; these viruses infect humans and nonhuman primates. It is also referred to as Ebola virus disease.
Compared to most illnesses, Ebola hemorrhagic fever has a short history since it was discovered in 1976. There have been a few outbreaks, including the current (April 2014-May 2015) "unprecedented epidemic" in Africa that is now abating. Continue....

You want to do the right thing. You take care of your health so you’re ready and able for the good times. You’re proactive; when you have a medical question, you do a search on the Internet. Sometimes the answer is straightforward, sometimes not. It’s complicated. I get it. I’m a WebMD doctor, and I follow the health news every day, sifting through it for what’s important. My job is deliver to you health information that’s correct, understandable, and useful. Here’s some of what I’ve learned along the way. Continue...

When I approach the subject of whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination with my pregnant patients, I am often met with blank stares. For better or for worse, everyone talks about the flu shot, but many have not even heard of the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap). Many women are resistant to the idea of any vaccine in pregnancy, fearing unknown effects on their little ones. But getting the Tdap during pregnancy is safe and effective – and important. In the last 10 years the US has seen the largest outbreaks of whooping cough since the invention of the vaccine in the 1930’s, and sadly, newborns are the most vulnerable to the disease. Continue...

When you’re at the doctor’s office, do you check to see if everyone washes or sanitizes their hands before they touch you?
Maybe you’re one of the many who don’t notice. Why would you? You’re focused on the problem at hand – the reason you came to the doctor, so the last thing on your mind is worrying about getting sick while you’re there at the doctor’s office. Continue...

Next month I’ll turn 40 – time to consider getting a mammogram. As you may have noticed in the headlines and on your FB feed, it’s not a cut-and-dried decision. Though we have more studies on breast cancer screening than any other type of cancer, there’s still a lot of controversy over when to start mammograms and how frequently to have them. Continue...

No woman looks forward to going to the gynecologist. Gynecologists know this, so don’t think we’re offended when you’re grumpy and nervous. And that awkwardness you feel during your exam? It’s normal. (It’d be a little odd if you were comfortable having an examination!) Even though it may be the last thing in the world you want to do, seeing your gynecologist every year is important for your health. So let me try to deconstruct what happens a little bit to make your next visit a little easier.

Do you feel safe in your relationship? Have you ever felt afraid or threatened? Have you been hurt? These questions sound so simple, but can you answer them? Or do the answers feel complicated?

Domestic violence is very common, affecting more than 32 million Americans. The graphic images of the Ray Rice video and the revealing words shared in the #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft Twitter movements have been a wake-up call that violence is happening all around us behind closed doors. This is a problem that doesn’t spare any race, age group, or socioeconomic status.

Myth #1: Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are the same thing

Fact: Dementia is not a specific disease itself; rather, the term refers to a group of symptoms that can be caused by several different brain disorders. Dementia is characterized by impaired intellectual functioning such as memory loss, language difficulty, decreased perception, and impaired reasoning. Alzheimer's disease is just one of many types of dementia though it does account for between 60 to 80% of all cases of dementia. Continue....

Why Does My Vagina Smell?

The supermarket shelves are lined with products encouraging us to keep our lady parts clean and pleasant-smelling . Many of us still remember the line “Do you ever get that not-so-fresh feeling?” from a douche commercial years ago that made many a woman begin doubting their vaginal cleanliness at a very young age. The truth is that most women’s natural scent is normal. Your vagina doesn’t need to smell like that field of flowers on the box of feminine deodorant spray. Continue...

Treament that Work: It’s a myth that relaxing or “giving it time” will overcome infertility. Fertility problems are medical in nature and can often be treated. Worldwide, more than 3 million babies have been born through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Other treatments are successful, too. At least half of couples who seek help will get pregnant. Continue...

In general, aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises are safe during pregnancy. Walking, swimming, water aerobics, dancing, stationary biking, weight lifting, and stretching or yoga are some of the activities that are safe for pregnant women. However, each pregnancy, and each woman, is different. So, exercise programs are individualized to assure safety. Always ask your doctor for advice before beginning any exercise program when you are pregnant. Here are some of the precautions that you should follow. Continue...

Pass Up Soft Cheeses

Enjoy some grated Parmesan on your pasta -- but pass up the cheese dip. Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk can harbor listeria bacteria, which can be dangerous or even life-threatening for you and your baby. It’s best to avoid brie, Camembert, feta, blue cheese, queso blanco, queso fresco, and panela -- unless the label says it's pasteurized. When in doubt or dining out, ask before you eat.

A missed menstrual period is often the first recognizable sign of a possible pregnancy, but there are other signs and symptoms of early pregnancy as well. Not all women have all symptoms or experience them in the same way. The most common first trimester symptoms are discussed in the following slides. Continue...

Mind and body fitness? Many people who want to get into shape don't realize there is more to fitness than well-toned muscles. There's no shortage of exercise regimes that just promote the perfection of the body, or the idea of fitness as a part of a weight loss plan. Continue...

Doctors in primary care fields of medicine often hear their patients complain of night sweats as they are common. Night sweats refer to any excess sweating occurring during the night. However, if your bedroom is unusually hot or you are using too many bedclothes, you may begin to sweat during sleep, which is normal. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment. Continue...

Drink Water Before Meals to Lose Weight?

Drinking about 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before meals can help with weight loss for obese adults, new research suggests. The results of the small study need to be confirmed in bigger trials, though, say the researchers from the University of Birmingham in the U.K.

The study team recruited 84 obese adult volunteers through their doctors. Everyone received a weight-management consultation that covered lifestyle changes, better diet choices, and the benefits of more exercise. Then the researchers randomly split the participants into two groups. They asked one group of 41 volunteers to drink 500 milliliters (about 16 ounces) of water half an hour before meals.

The desire to lose weight must come from the individual. If you're truly ambivalent about making changes in your lifestyle or are doing this to please someone else, you're likely to fail. When making changes, decide what's right for your lifestyle. Your best friend's diet and exercise plan may be completely wrong for your habits and interests. The key is to find a system that works for you. Continue...

Maintenance of a healthy body weight is important for maintaining both physical and emotional well-being and preventing disease. Excess weight and obesity have been associated with an increased risk for numerous medical conditions, including

Sign #1: The Allergic Salute

You vacuum with a HEPA filter. You stay indoors when the pollen count is high. You take medications as directed. But do you really have allergy symptoms under control? If you're constantly doing the "allergic salute," the answer is probably no. This gesture -- a swipe at the tip of an itchy, runny nose -- is especially common in children. Continue...

Who doesn't love a dazzling, white smile? Tooth whitening is one of the most requested dental procedures done every year, with Americans spending nearly $2 billion annually to keep their smiles looking bright.
Over time, drinking coffee, red wine, smoking cigarettes, and simply aging can stain our teeth, as can certain medications such as tetracycline. Continue...

How to Reduce Wrinkles

Sleep On Your Back

An uninterrupted 8 hours of restful sleep is important in maintaining good overall health. Chronic sleep deprivation can decrease one's sense of well-being and increase the likelihood of depression. Severe depression could cause wrinkling by producing undesirable contraction of the muscles controlling the forehead and around the mouth.

Whether you've never changed a diaper before or you're an old hand, you'll get plenty of practice with your new baby. Most parents have made common mistakes, like putting a diaper on backward or lopsided, or even getting an unexpected spray of urine from their baby boy. These step-by-step tips will help you master the art of diaper changing and fix any first-time mistakes fast. Continue...

Wrinkles, redness, dryness, and fuzz. Newborn skin is far from flawless but it usually doesn't mean something is wrong. Baby's skin is adjusting to life outside the womb. Most skin imperfections disappear over time. For example, premature babies sometimes have soft hair on their face and back. Late babies often have dry, peeling skin. Both should go away within a few weeks. Continue...

Take note that sex is good for you in ways you may never have imagined and that the health benefits extend well beyond the bedroom.

"When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more. That's a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. 'Of course, sex is everywhere in the media,' she says. 'But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people.'

Men Will Talk About Feelings

Was your guy raised as a traditional, stoic, man's man? If so, let WebMD walk you through 18 relationship secrets, gathered from psychologists who study gender roles. Secret No. 1: It may be easier for your man to talk about feelings indirectly. Ask what he'd do during a romantic weekend. Or what he thought the first time he met you. His answers will reveal how he feels and bring you closer.

A Caring Guy Is a Hot Guy

What do women want? For those who've ever pondered this question, here are 19 relationship secrets. They're based on the study of healthy, happy couples and our changing gender roles. Secret No. 1: Women appreciate a guy with a sensitive side, especially when they're upset. Put your arm around her and hand her a tissue. Nurturing is a powerful way to connect. S

Hot Flash Cooldown

Keep a diary to track what sets off your hot flashes. Caffeine? Alcohol? A hot room? Stress? All are common causes. When a flash starts, take slow, deep breaths, in the nose and out the mouth. For tough cases, talk to your doctor. See more after cut...

Sex-Drive Killer: Stress

The body does not react well to stress. Emotional stress may affect physical function, including sexual desire and performance. Realizing what underlying stressors may exist is the first step in treatment. Self-help may work but some people may need to visit a counselor or doctor. See more after cut...

How To Lose 12 Pounds of Weight In 30 Days

Diets? They’re often unhealthy hunger-fests. For you instead: a satisfying meal plan that slims you with seriously energizing and nutritious eats.

Start by following the key strategies, along with our week-long, 1,300-calorie-a-day kickstart. When you add in exercise (at least four weekly 45-minute moderate-to-intense cardio sessions), you can knock off up to 12 pounds in 30 days! Continue...

Some foods have a very high thermogenic effect, so you literally scorch calories as you chew. Other eats contain nutrients and compounds that stoke your metabolic fire. Feed your metabolism with these.

There are various remedies that can be used at home to help soothe a sore throat, including:

Gargling with warm saltwater (1 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water) and then spitting it out.
Drinking warm liquids (such as caffeine-free tea, water with honey, or warm soup broth) or

Pharyngitis can cause the pharynx (the throat) tissue to become swollen and reddish. Some people can develop a mild fever and have some difficulties speaking or swallowing food. swollen Lymph nodes and tonsils may enlarge and become tender. Those affected may feel excessively tired.
Laboratory studies can detect group A streptococci (rapid antigen detection). Other diagnostic tests can include throat cultures or the Mono spot test. A health-care professional may help you determine the cause of your sore throat. In addition, some doctors use the specific set of criteria (Centor criteria) to determine the likelihood of a person getting strep throat (Streptococcal pharyngitis).

Pharngitis is medical term for a sore throat. Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharynx (throat) that results in throat discomfort, pain and/or throat scratchiness; in some individuals it may cause painful swallowing. Sore throat is usually caused by a viral infection and less commonly, a bacterial infection usually by group A streptococci (strep throat). Other causes of sore throat include inflammation due to allergy, toxins, or cancer. Some doctors distinguish pharyngitis from laryngitis and/or tonsillitis, but others do not. Laryngitis is confined to the larynx (voice box) while tonsillitis is inflammation confined to the tonsils. Since it is not unusual for a pharingitis to spread to adjacent structures like the tonsils or larynx, it is not unreasonable to lump these inflammatory diseases together; however, the symptoms are slightly different for each disease.