About AIDS / HIV

Santa Gets Around - Hopefully He Practices Safer Sex

2009-12-23T20:29:54Z

For one night a year, for 24 short hours, Santa parties all night. While Mrs. Claus is back at home watching the elves, Santa is cavorting from city to city, sneaking into the houses of thousands of beautiful women. With his loaded "sack" of surprises, Santa goes from house to house, leaving his goodies behind; sexy lingerie, satin pajamas, or 5-inch heels. He is discreet but there are times we get a glimpse of his playboy ways. At the mall, hundreds of kids wanting to talk to Santa and with each little boy or girl, there is a mother giving Santa that come hither look; dreaming about her own gift from Santa. Farther back in line a group of young coeds from the nearby college waiting to take a seat on Santa's lap letting him know just how good the coeds have been all year. With all his playing the field, we can only hope that he is smart and uses condoms each and every time he comes down the chimney...pardon the pun. Santa if you're listening...or reading...here is some helpful information to keep you and your female followers safe. And remember...always wrap your gift...each and every time.

Safer Sex Resources

Santa Gets Around - Hopefully He Practices Safer Sex originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 20:29:54.

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Medicare to Cover the Cost of an Annual HIV Test

2009-12-17T20:25:31Z

As part of the Medicare expansion, the cost of an annual HIV test will be covered for all Medicare beneficiaries who request a test. The coverage takes affect immediately. The exact language of the decision actually states an annual HIV test will be covered for the following people; those people at risk for HIV:

Men who have had sex with men after 1975
Men and women having unprotected sex with multiple [more than one] partners
Past or present injection drug users
Men and women who exchange sex for money or drugs, or have sex partners who do
Individuals whose past or present sex partners were HIV-infected, bisexual or injection drug users
Persons being treated for sexually transmitted diseases
Persons with a history of blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985
Persons who request an HIV test despite reporting no individual risk factors, since this group is likely to include individuals not willing to disclose high-risk behaviors; and
Voluntary HIV screening of pregnant Medicare beneficiaries when the diagnosis of pregnancy is known, during the third trimester, and at labor.

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services calls the decision a milestone that helps keep Medicare beneficiaries healthy and will allow Medicare take a more active role in evaluating the evidence for preventive services.

Medicare to Cover the Cost of an Annual HIV Test originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 20:25:31.

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HIV and a Healthy Heart

2009-12-17T19:41:24Z

The announcement linking HIV and heart disease is not the first example of the connection. In 2005, a European study examined the impact of HIV medications on the human body. This study is thought to be the first that suggested HIV had an effect on cardiac health. Specifically, the study showed that people infected with HIV were twice as likely to have a heart attack than people not infected with HIV. This was confirmed in a study whose results were reported in 2007. Again, the study confirmed that HIV positive people were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than HIV negative people. Read about the connection between HIV and coronary heart disease.

Related Information

HIV and a Healthy Heart originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 19:41:24.

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Has Tiger Put His Wife at Risk?

2009-12-13T13:40:59Z

If you read magazines or newspapers you have heard the story. If you have watched any television over the last couple weeks you have been bombarded by the constant updates. The word is out; Tiger Woods has ventured outside of his marriage a number of times. What's more is that at least one of his mistresses has reported that Tiger alledgedly doesn't use condoms. If this is the case, has Tiger put his wife and to some degree his children at risk for STDs and HIV? If the stories are true than absolutely his wife has been put at risk. Depending on the timing of his trists, he may have even put his children at risk. So what should his wife do now that the word is out? If she would ask me, I would tell her what I tell everyone in her position; get tested. Don't rely on signs and symptoms; many times people show no signs of HIV or STD symptoms. The only way to know for sure is for his wife to be tested for HIV and STDs. This whole situation is tragic to say the least. Let's hope it doesn't get worse because of unprotected sex.

Information on HIV Testing and Condoms

Has Tiger Put His Wife at Risk? originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Sunday, December 13th, 2009 at 13:40:59.

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New HIV Treatment Guidelines

2009-12-09T21:05:07Z

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released their new HIV treatment guidelines and it calls for earlier treatment. In fact the new guidelines call for HIV treatment for anyone with a CD4 count less than or equal to 350 regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. What is really surprising is half the panel of experts feel the CD4 cutoff should be higher. Read about the new HIV treatment guidelines.

Related Information

New HIV Treatment Guidelines originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 21:05:07.

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Making Healthy Choices

2009-12-06T08:42:05Z

Staying healthy is much of the time a matter of making healthy choices. Choosing the right foods to eat; choosing to exercise; choosing to stop smoking. No matter how you look at it, being healthy depends a great deal on you making healthy lifestyle choices. in this feature, I have provided you with some resources that will assist you when it's time for making healthy choices.

More Healthy Resources

Making Healthy Choices originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 08:42:05.

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FDA Issues New Warning About Lexiva

2009-12-05T10:37:21Z

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to physicians regarding an increased risk of heart attack and elevated cholesterol in people taking the GlaxoSmithKline HIV drug Lexiva (fosamprenavir). The FDA has sent "Dear Healthcare Professional" letters to HIV providers warning them of the increased risk of heart attacks and abnormally high cholesterol levels in patients taking a Lexiva containing regimen. The letter also warned providers of the need to monitor patients closely for fat redistribution signs and symptoms and cholesterol and triglyceride elevation during and after Lexiva use. The letter also suggested that people with other cardiac risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, previous heart disease, or a family history of heart disease should be monitored very closely while taking Lexiva. If you are taking Lexiva, speak with your HIV provider to see if you are at risk.

More Information

FDA Issues New Warning About Lexiva originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 10:37:21.

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AIDS Awareness - Observe World AIDS Day all Year

2009-11-30T22:15:26Z

Tuesday, December 2, 2009 marks another Worlds AIDS Day. Here at About.com we provide you with the best HIV resources on the Internet. We have assembled some of those resources for you. Also, as part of the worldwide observance or World AIDS Day, we have provided you with a few simple and fun ways you can participate in World AIDS Day on December 1, 2009 and throughout 2010. Read more about what HIV/AIDS at About.com has to offer.

Related Information

AIDS Awareness - Observe World AIDS Day all Year originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 22:15:26.

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Half of all Young People Say they Don't Know Enough About HIV

2009-11-29T12:28:17Z

According to a recent survey of 1500 people age 15 to 24 from all parts of the world, 50% of those surveyed say they don't know enough about HIV and AIDS. While over 80% do feel HIV is one of the great challenges of our time almost 25% would not always use condoms when having sex. In fact, over one third of young people survied don't feel condoms are an effective means of preventing HIV transmission. Many of the respondents of this worldwide survey say that there is not enough HIV educational material available to them. Over 94% say they go online to get the HIV information they need and will go online before talking about HIV with family, medical professionals, or friends. It's obvious from the survey results that much needs to be done in terms of educating our young people about HIV and there is a huge need for free, easy to access HIV information on the Web.

Related Information

Half of all Young People Say they Don't Know Enough About HIV originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 12:28:17.

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Uganda Considering Death Sentence for Homosexuality and HIV

2009-11-28T11:18:07Z

In what most outsiders consider to be rooted in hate and fear, the Ugandan Parliament is now considering what they call Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009. If approved and signed into law this atrocity would make it a crime punishable by a life sentence or even death if a person is found to be gay. Clause 2 of the Bill states that if a person is convicted of "gay sex" that person can be sentenced to life imprisonment. What's worse is if that person is living with HIV, the sentence is death. While not officially supported by the Ugandan government, the Bill was allowed to proceed through parliamentary channels and has been praised by many government officials. Other clauses in the Bill call for a 3 year sentence for anyone not reporting homosexuality within 24 hours and a 7 year sentence for anyone defending the rights of gay men and women. Because Uganda is part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, fellow member countries Britain and Canada, have voiced strong protest to the proposed Bill that will set back any progress Uganda has made toward human rights for its citizens.

More Information

Uganda Considering Death Sentence for Homosexuality and HIV originally appeared on About.com AIDS / HIV on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 11:18:07.

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