Jun 30 2010

What are the symptoms, complications, & treatment of Chlamydia?

Category: Chlamydia — Stephanie @ 1:52 pm

Chlamydia is known as a “silent” disease because the majority of infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

Get tested for Chlamydia.

In women, the bacteria initially infect the cervix and the urethra (urine canal). Women who have symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating.

If the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry fertilized eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), some women still have no signs or symptoms; others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods. Chlamydial infection of the cervix can spread to the rectum.

Men with signs or symptoms might have a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis. Pain and swelling in the testicles are uncommon.

Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner.

What complications can result from untreated Chlamydia?If untreated, chlamydial infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often “silent.” To get tested go to .

In women, untreated infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. Chlamydia can also cause fallopian tube infection without any symptoms. PID and “silent” infection in the upper genital tract can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus). Chlamydia may also increase the chances of becoming infected with HIV, if exposed.

Complications among men are rare. Infection sometimes spreads to the epididymis (the tube that carries sperm from the testis), causing pain, fever, and, rarely, sterility. Rarely, genital chlamydial infection can cause arthritis that can be accompanied by skin lesions and inflammation of the eye and urethra (Reiter’s syndrome).

What is the treatment for Chlamydia?Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) are the most commonly used treatments. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV negative.

All sex partners should be evaluated, tested, and treated. Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual intercourse until they and their sex partners have completed treatment, otherwise re-infection is possible.

Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple infections increases a woman’s risk of serious reproductive health complications, including infertility. Retesting should be encouraged three months after treatment of an initial infection. This is especially true if a woman does not know if her sex partner received treatment.
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Source: CDC

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Jun 29 2010

What are the signs and symptoms of syphilis?

Category: Uncategorized — Stephanie @ 1:48 pm

Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. Although transmission occurs from persons with sores who are in the primary or secondary stage, many of these sores are unrecognized. Thus, transmission may occur from persons who are unaware of their infection.

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Syphilis Primary Stage

The primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre), but there may be multiple sores. The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from 10 to 90 days (average 21 days). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks, and it heals without treatment. However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Syphilis Secondary Stage

Skin rash and mucous membrane lesions characterize the secondary stage. This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. The rash usually does not cause itching. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear as the chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed. The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. In addition to rashes, symptoms of secondary syphilis may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease. Get tested at .

Syphilis Late and Latent StagesThe latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body. This latent stage can last for years. The late stages of syphilis can develop in about 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis, and can appear 10 – 20 years after infection was first acquired. In the late stages of syphilis, the disease may subsequently damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.
How do people get syphilis?
Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.
What is the treatment for Syphilis?
Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year. For people who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. There are no home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that will cure syphilis. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.
Because effective treatment is available, it is important that persons be screened for syphilis on an on-going basis if their sexual behaviors put them at risk for STDs.
Persons who receive syphilis treatment must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed. Persons with syphilis must notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary. Source: CDC

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Jun 28 2010

See hilarious flick on SNL with Alec Baldwin, herpes, and Valtrex.

Category: Herpes — Stephanie @ 1:36 pm

See hilarious flick on SNL with Alec Baldwin, herpes, and Valtrex. If you have a concern or two we can help . 

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Jun 10 2010

Chlamydia Infections in Adolescents and Adults

Category: Chlamydia — Stephanie @ 2:07 pm

In the United States, chlamydial genital infection is the most frequently reported infectious disease, and the prevalence is highest in persons aged ≤ 25 years. Chlamydia can cause PID, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.
Asymptomatic infection is common among both men and women. Annual screening of all sexually active women aged ≤25 years is recommended, as is screening of older women with risk factors (e.g., those who have a new sex partner or multiple sex partners). Screening of sexually active young men should be considered and an appropriate sexual risk assessment should be conducted for all persons.
Diagnostic Considerations
Chlamydia urogenital infection in women can be diagnosed by testing urine or swab specimens collected from the endocervix or vagina. Diagnosis of Chlamydia urethral infection in men can be made by testing a urethral swab or urine specimen. Rectal Chlamydia infections in persons that engage in receptive anal intercourse can be diagnosed by testing a rectal swab specimen. Culture, direct immunofluorescence, EIA, nucleic acid hybridization tests, and NAATs are available for the detection of Chlamydiaon endocervical and male urethral swab specimens. NAATs are the most sensitive tests for these specimens and are FDA-cleared for use with urine. Patients’ whose condition has been diagnosed as chlamydia also should be tested for other STDs.
Treatment
Treating infected patients prevents transmission to sex partners. In addition, treating pregnant women usually prevents transmission of Chlamydia to infants during birth. Treatment of sex partners helps prevent reinfection of the patient and infection of other partners. Coinfection with Chlamydia frequently occurs among patients who have gonococcal infection; therefore, presumptive treatment of such patients for chlamydia is appropriate. Treatment regimens cure infections.
Source: CDC

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Feb 01 2010

Study: Casual Sex Not Emotionally Damaging

Category: Uncategorized — Stephanie @ 10:47 am

Casual sex isn’t a bad thing — at least not for young adults, according to a new study.
University of Minnesota researchers asked more than 1,300 people age 18 to 24 about their most recent sexual encounters, their self-esteem and their emotional well-being — and found the results startling.

Only about one-fifth said their last encounter was casual, but their overall emotional status was no different than the four-fifths who said they were in a committed relationship. “We were so surprised,” said Marla Eisenberg, an assistant professor at the university’s School of Public Health. “The conventional wisdom is that casual sex, ‘friends with benefits,’ and hooking up is hurtful.”
Source: NYPOST.COM
Thursday , December 10, 2009

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Dec 18 2009

Web Improves Treatment of STD’s

Category: Uncategorized — Stephanie @ 8:55 am

Dr. Pupillo also known as “Ask Dr. Gian” has been making Chlamydia and other STD’s easier to diagnose and, as a result, easier to prevent among uninfected people. Typically one must schedule an appointment with a doctor to be examined and then a test is ordered. For over 16 years Dr. Pupillo has provided easy access for STD screening which helped to remove the “silence” that many people associate with an STD.
He has reached out to help people understand an STD is not a “dirty little secret” and that millions of people contract an STD every year! He provides a way for people that have a concern that they might have an STD an outlet for easy access testing by offering same day testing over the web. In fact his website is called www.stdweb.com  and he makes screening for Chlamydia, HIV, Gonorrhea, Herpes, Syphilis, and Hepatitis easy, fast, private, and affordable using a urine or blood test.
Source: Dr. Giovanni A. Pupillo

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Nov 29 2009

STDs linked to stroke risk

Category: Chlamydia — Stephanie @ 11:32 am

STDs linked to stroke risk Chlamydia, cytomegalovirus, herpes and other infections appear to be associated with an increased risk of
stroke, suggests a new study in the Archives of Neurology.

Known risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, heart disease,
abnormal cholesterol levels and smoking, but many strokes occur in patients with none of these factors.

Now, there is new evidence that prior infection with pathogens such as herpes promotes inflammation, contributes to arterial disease and thereby increases stroke risk. Researcher Mitchell S. V. Elkind, of Columbia University Medical Center, tested more than 1,500 adults (average age 68.4, none of whom had a stroke) for antibodies indicating prior exposure to five common pathogens: Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2.

The subjects were then followed up annually over a seven year period. During this time period, 67 had strokes. “Each individual infection was positively, though not significantly, associated with stroke risk after adjusting for other risk factors,” Elkind said. “The infectious burden index was associated with an increased risk of all strokes after adjusting for demographics and risk factors.”

Elkind speculates that each of these common pathogens may persist after an acute infection and thus contribute to perpetuating a state of chronic, low-level infection. Additionally, prior studies demonstrated an association between each of these pathogens and cardiovascular diseases. “Our study could have potential clinical implications,” Elkin said. “For example, treatment and eradication of these chronic pathogens might mitigate future risk of stroke.”

10 November 2009

Source: Archives of Neurology

     

 

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Nov 22 2009

Break the Silence: Stop the Violence

Category: sexual violence — Stephanie @ 12:59 pm

It may shock you to know that one out of every eleven teens reports being hit or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past twelve months. But why is that, and how can we change it? In “Break The Silence: Stop the Violence,” parents talk with teens about developing healthy, respectful relationships before they start dating. Kids involved in abusive relationshipsare also more likely to have other problems such as fighting, binge drinking, sexual activity and even suicide attempts. 

Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)

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Nov 21 2009

Condoms and STDs

Category: Uncategorized — Stephanie @ 12:35 pm

Consistent and correct use of male latex condoms can reduce (though not eliminate) the risk of STD transmission. To achieve the maximum protective effect, condoms must be used both consistently and correctly. Inconsistent use can lead to STD acquisition because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse with an infected partner. Similarly, if condoms are not used correctly, the protective effect may be diminished even when they are used consistently. The most reliable ways to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are to abstain from sexual activity or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner. However, many infected persons may be unaware of their infections because STDs are often asymptomatic or unrecognized.

       

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Nov 03 2009

For Children with HIV, Growing Up Is a New Frontier

Category: Uncategorized — gian4 @ 8:31 am

During the late 1980s to mid-1990s, thousands of parents adopted babies with HIV/AIDS before the advent of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) created the prospect of children surviving the disease. Before there were robust therapies, between one-quarter and one-third of HIV-infected infants died within the first two years of life, and half survived just nine years, according to CDC.
 
 Between 1980 and 1998, US mothers who died of AIDS orphaned 20,715 HIV-positive children, according to a 2003 Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes study. Since the mid-1990s, several reports found that infants who began HIV treatment within the first six months of life were still living two to five years later. But there are no data on how many of the infected children are being raised by adults who are not their relatives.
 
 ”This is the frontier,” said Diana Bruce, director of policy at AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families in Washington. “We have never before dealt with these kids. They used to die and now they are not.” “We don’t know how long people with HIV will live,” she continued. “There is still a lot we don’t know.”
 
 In 1989, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services struggled to find homes for about 30 “AIDS babies,” said Elizabeth Monk, specialty services administrator. Between 1986 and 1996, 191 wards were HIV-infected by their mothers and more than 40 children died. In the next decade, there were 42 infected wards and 17 deaths, according to state figures.
 
 One adoptee, Lisa Robinson-Ross, now 22, dreams of becoming a nurse who works with babies and thinks about having a family of her own some day. A couple in Chicago, both 72, who used to worry about their adopted daughters’ health now are making plans for when their girls – now ages 15 and 17 – outlive them. “My chances of giving them away at a wedding might not happen,” the father says. “It would be nice to see them graduate from college.”

Chicago Tribune (04.06.08):: Ofelia Casillas

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