|
HIV and AIDS-- AIDS is an incurable viral infection that doctors think is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It can be transmitted only through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. The disease is ultimately fatal, yet more and more people are living for years with HIV and not becoming ill. They are, however, infectious. HIV antibodies usually appear in the bloodstream three to eight weeks after infection, though it may take up to six months for them to show. How Common? HIV now infects less than one million people in the United States, but close to 34 million people worldwide. Of the nearly 6 million new cases expected this year, only 40,000 will occur in the U.S. Help: CDC AIDS Hotline, 800-342-AIDS. Get Tested: If you don't want to deal with going to a clinic, buy a test online... it comes in a discreet box.
| * |
Preliminary research conducted by the UT Medical Branch in Galveston found that 3 vaginal lubricants- Astroglide, Silken Secret, and Vagisil Intimate Moisturizer- significantly reduce the number of HIV-infected cells and free-floating HIV in samples of infected semen. The lubes manage to do this in less than five minutes and continue to fight HIV for eight hours. And since lubricant helps keep a condom from breaking, you have all the more reason to use it! |
| * |
A new test that's currently on the market can determine in a mere 20 minutes if you have the virus that causes AIDS, thereby eliminating both the long wait and the necessity of a follow-up appointment to find out your status. If the results from this test, known as OraQuick, turn out to be positivie, they must be confirmed by an additional test. |
|
