Half of urban teenage girls may acquire at least one of three common sexually transmitted infections (STI) within two years of becoming sexually active.

Ok, some might say. STIs can be treated. The rebuttal to that is: yes and no.

Sure, some STIs can be successfully treated. But, there’s a big “but.”

1. The STI has to be identified.
2. The girl has to be willing to have it treated.
3. The girl has to seek treatment.
4. The girl has to be sure that she completes the treatment properly.
5. The girl has to be sure that it has worked.

Oh, and one more step: She has to prevent getting another infection.

Unfortunately, not all girls know they are infected so they don’t get treated. This can, and often does, lead to health problems down the road. Also, we can’t lose sight of the fact that some STIs are *not* curable – like HIV.

According to the study that was published in the most recent issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 381 teen-age girls who were studied had repeated infections with chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

“Depending on the organism, within four to six months after treatment of the previous infection, a quarter of the women were re-infected with the same organism,” said Wanzhu Tu, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and a Regenstrief Institute investigator.

Second infections, sometimes the same one but sometimes different ones, occurred frequently (75%) within two years of the first STI. The number reaches 92% getting a second infection within four years of the first STI.

So, parents, what is happening? How can this be stopped? While the seriousness of STIs may not be obvious to the girls when they get them, we do know how serious they are. If almost all the girls who get one STI as a teen are pretty well sure to get at least a second, then there is something wrong and more has to be done to prevent this from happening again – and again – again.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

• Nearly a third perfect our kissing techniques using our hands, which is the highest in the country, while 10% admit they have kissed photographs and posters of sexy celebrities in a bid to up their game.
• A fifth of people have read up on techniques or used the web to improve their puckering up prowess
• Nearly a third of people (31%) admit that they are more likely to have a one night stand with a stranger if they’re a good kisser
• More than quarter of people say they kiss members of the same sex for fun – with a third of men admitting to snogging a male mate during nights out
• Most people experience their first good kiss between the age of 16 and 18. It’s downhill from then on with only 1% of men and women finding their lip nibbling nirvana after the age of 30
• Bad breath is a bigger turn off for women than for men and twice as many women as men cite an overeager “face eater” as the worst type of kisser.
• While only a third of men don’t like a sloppy smacker the number rises to nearly two thirds for women who say they’d rather be left high and dry than face a wet kisser
• A quarter of women prefer eyes shut while men don’t mind as much
  Tender and sensitive kissing is the most favourite type of snog while too much “tonsil tennis” is the least favoured bit of kissing for a fifth of Brits

Now, in case you think that this study was just a bit of light hearted fun, there is a serious side to it. The study was instigated to rasise money for HIV and AIDs awareness and prevention among young people.

The money is being raised through the sale of The Body Shop’s Tantalising Lip Butter. Almost 75% of the price of each sale will be donated to the MTV Staying Alive Foundation charity which is planning this year to award a grant for HIV/Aids awareness projects in the United Kingdom.

Wonder what a similar study would reveal in the United States and New Zealand?

Post from: Healthbolt

HIV/AIDS remains one of those subjects that not talked about so much over the dinner table or when out for coffee with the girls. But prehaps it should be because the numbers tell us it’s a disease that does not seem to be going away. In fact, according this Snapshot of the U.S. Epidemic provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, it seems to be growing…

• Number of new HIV infections, 2006: 56,300
• Number of people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million, including more than 468,000 with AIDS
• Number of AIDS deaths since beginning of epidemic: 583,298, including 14,561 in 2007
• Percent of people infected with HIV who don’t know it: 21%

So what can you do? The CDC suggests the following.

• Get tested for HIV. To find a testing site center near you, text your zip code to Know IT (566948).
• Attend an event near you.
• Download or listen to National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day ( 2:56 mins)
• Learn more about the impact of HIV/AIDS among women in the United States.
• Stand up against stigma, racism, and other forms of discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS.
• Donate time and money to HIV/AIDS organizations.

Post from: Healthbolt

In a year where most of the media has been focusing on the American elections, these are the ten Most unreported humantiarian stories of 2008…
 

• Somalia’s Humanitarian Catastrophe Worsens
• Beyond the International Spotlight, Critical Health Needs in Myanmar Remain Unmet
• Health Crisis Sweeps Zimbabwe as Violence and Economic Collapse Spread
• Civilians Trapped as War Rages in Eastern Congo
• Millions of Malnourished Children Left Untreated Despite Advances in Lifesaving Nutritional Therapies
• Critical Need of Assistance in Ethiopia’s Somali Region
• Civilians Killed and Forced to Flee as Fighting Intensifies in Northwestern Pakistan
• No End in Sight to Violence and Suffering in Sudan
• Iraqi Civilians in Urgent Need of Assistance
• HIV/TB Co-infections Posses Health Battle on Two Fronts

Have a read. It’s a true eye opener on what’s really happening in the world around us.
 

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Post from: Healthbolt

Have you heard the song ‘Sing‘?

It’s the latest from the Scottish musician and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigner Annie Lennox. It’s a song that was over a year in the making and features not only Annie Lennox’s powerful voice but also the voices of 23 other well known singers. Singers such as Madonna, Gladys Knight, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, and more…

The result is amazing. Powerful. And moving.

All proceeds from the sale of ‘Sing’ will go to Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a grass-roots organization founded in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1998, the TAC campaigns have resulted in the development of antiretroviral treatment programs, countrywide mother-to-child transmission prevention programs, and HIV treatment and prevention programs.

By the way, did you know that March 10th is ‘National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day’, so designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources in 2006.

So Take Action

There are many ways women and girls can take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Here’s a few recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Resources:

• get tested for HIV
• practice safe methods to prevent HIV
• decide not to engage in high risk behaviors
• talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues
• provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS
• get involved with or host an event for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in your community

Spread the word. Be aware.

Post from: Healthbolt