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Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs and STDs)

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are not fun or easy to talk about. It can be embarrassing to talk about STIs or STDs, but they are more common than you might realize. And, when it comes to pregnancy and STIs and STDs, it is best to learn about how to protect yourself from and treat STIs and STDs.

STIs and STDs are infections that are spread by having sex with someone that has a sexually transmitted infection. This could include oral, vaginal or anal intercourse. While STIs are common among men and women who are sexually active, many people do not know they have been infected. Some women may not find out that they have an STI until their first prenatal appointment when pregnant. Prenatal STI screening is standard because it is best to find out about an STI early in your pregnancy.

How do I know if I have an STI or STD?

At the first prenatal appointment, many women are tested (screened) for STIs including: chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Testing may be done through blood tests, vaginal swabs and urine tests. If you suspect you might have an STI/STD, you should ask for testing. Testing is routinely done on pregnant women who are less than 25 years of age as well as those women that have new or multiple sexual partners, have a sexual partner that has other partners, past or current needle drug users, not in a monogamous relationship, no or sporadic condom use, a sexual partner that has an STI, sex workers, exchanging sex for drugs or money, and/or those living in high risk areas.

What happens if I have an STI or STD?

If you test positive, you will be notified by your healthcare professional in several days or about a week. Usually, immediate treatment with antibiotics can clear up an STI. A follow-up test in the third trimester may be performed, depending on your age or risk factors. In the case of HIV, on-going treatment for you and your baby will be required. With all STIs, the sooner treatment is started, the sooner the infection can be treated and reduce the incidence of passing the STI on to your baby.

Will my pregnancy be affected?

Early testing during the first trimester and follow-up testing during the third trimester, as well as treatment if an STI has been detected, will have a major impact on the chance of you and your baby being affected. In most cases, early detection and treatment will resolve any potential complications.

If untested and/or untreated, sexually transmitted infections in pregnant women could cause problems during pregnancy such as: pre-term labor, premature rupture of membranes, and low birth weight. The infant could contract the STI during the pregnancy, during vaginal delivery, or after birth through breastfeeding, such in the case of HIV. Some STIs could have lifelong implications for your child. For these reasons, we strongly encourage women to have STI testing early in their pregnancy and to follow recommended treatment protocol(s).

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Syphilis

Syphilis comes in many stages; though it is treatable, untreated syphilis can be of danger. Untreated syphilis can be transferred in various forms, it can be sexually, non -sexually, congenitally, etc. Untreated syphilis can cause death as well. Syphilis can mimic certain diseases, allowing it to gain the name as the great imitator.

Treponema pallidum is the causative agent of Syphilis. Syphilis can be acquired through direct contact on the chancre on the infected person's; lips, mouth, vagina, external genitals, or rectum. The transmission of syphilis through sex can be either through sex, anal sex, or oral sex. For pregnant individuals with syphilis, your baby is at risk of congenital syphilis upon birth.

The usual belief of acquiring syphilis from touching objects that were touched or used by the infected person such as toilet seats, hot tub, swimming pools, utensils, or even doorknobs are a great misconception of its means of transmission.

In the primary stage, the first syphilis symptom that will be visually available is the chancre or sore. It comes out usually on the 21st day after the infection; this manifests as a painless, small, round, and firm sore. But this first symptom is often misdiagnosed as an insect bite or other skin conditions of the like. This might be a good justification why there are people who are still mingling around with syphilis that is untreated.

A syphilis rash is the second of the syphilis symptoms and the mark of the secondary syphilis. It appears usually on the bottom of the feet or at the palms of the head and is not itchy. Sometimes the syphilis rash can manifest all over the body or as a heat rash. This rash lasts for a few weeks and vanishes away on its own just like the first symptom of a chancre sore. Mild fever, headache, fatigue, hair loss, and sore throat can also be experienced in the secondary stage of syphilis.

After the second stage of the syphilis, having pass by the two symptoms and still untreated, syphilis now crawls in your internal organs and causes malfunctions in these organs. In this stage of the disease, syphilis now becomes asymptomatic. Though the disease is not transmittable during this stage, it gives a damage to your internal organs that is more likely to be irreversible.

In the last and chaotic stage of syphilis, death is now an option, as the long infection of the syphilis in your organs have swarmed and caused a lot of damage. Many complications would now come in the picture such as permanent damage to the brain caused by neurosyphilis (syphilis is now in your brain).

Among all the chaotic complications and endings of syphilis, the bright side of that would be that it is highly treatable and curable by antibiotics. If you have any of the symptoms and have engaged in unprotected sex, you should now be considering going though syphilis testing in a hospital or an STD clinic. The diagnosis is quick with a blood test.

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HIV

HIV is spherical in shape and approximately 120 nanometers (nm) in diameter (or 60 times smaller than a red blood cell). It is composed of two copies of single-stranded convoluted RNA surrounded by a conical capsid and lipid membrane that prevents antibodies from binding to it. HIV also consists of glycoprotein (gp120 and gp41) spikes and is a highly mutating virus. Its genome changes by as much as 1% each year, significantly faster than "killer" cytotoxic T-Cells (CD8+) can adapt. It is transmitted through bodily fluids.

Per CD4 Cell Tests (Fact Sheet Number 124, AIDS InfoNet, 21 March 2009), when "HIV infects humans" it infects "helper" T-4 (CD4) cells that are critical in resisting infections. HIV does so by merging its genetic code with that of T-4 (CD4) cells. HIV's spikes stick to the surface of T-4 (CD4) cells enabling its viral envelope to fuse with their membrane. Once fused, HIV pastes its contents into the DNA of T-4 (CD4) cells with the enzyme, integrase, so that each time T-4 (CD4) cells replicate, they produce additional "copies of HIV," reducing the count of healthy T-4 (CD4) cells. Then as healthy T-4 (CD4) cells, which come in millions of families geared towards specific pathogens are eliminated, the body is rendered defenseless against the pathogens "they were designed" to fight until ultimately, the immune system is overwhelmed.

When the T-4 (CD4) cell count drops below 200 cells per cubic mm of blood (or a percentage of? 14% of total lymphocytes; normal counts range from 500-1600 or 30%-60% of lymphocytes), indicative of serious immune system damage, the victim is deemed to have AIDS ("the end point of an infection that is continuous, progressive and pathogenic per Richard Hunt, MD (Human Immunodeficiency Virus And AIDS Statistics, Virology - Chapter 7, Microbiology and Immunology On-line (University of South Carolina School of Medicine, 23 February 2010)) and is vulnerable to a multitude of opportunistic infections. Examples are PCP, a fungal infection that is a major killer of HIV-positive persons, Kaposi's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that attacks the brain and other parts of the body and cryptococcosis, a fungal infection that attacks the brain and spinal cord (both usually occur when the T-4 (CD4) cell count drops below 100), and mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), a bacterial infection that can be localized to a specific organ (usually the bone marrow, intestines, liver, or lungs) or widespread, in which case it is referred to as disseminated mycobacterium avium complex (DMAC) (which often occurs when the T-4 (CD4) cell count drops below 50).

Natural Immunity:

Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 1981 cases of people with a natural immunity to HIV have been documented. Although these persons, called long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) are infected with HIV, they never develop AIDS. When LTNPs are infected, some suffer an initial drop in their T-4 (CD4) cell count. However, when their T-4 (CD4) cell count reaches around 500 it stabilizes and never drops again preventing the onset of AIDS. Furthermore, while CD8+ T-Cells (even in large numbers) are ineffective against HIV-infected T-4 (CD4) cells in progressors (persons without a natural immunity to HIV), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported in a December 4, 2008 press release that "CD8+ T-Cells taken from LTNPs [can efficiently] kill HIV-infected cells in less than [an] hour" in which "a protein, perforin (produced only in negligible amounts in progressors), manufactured by their CD8+ T-Cells punches holes in the infected cells" enabling a second protein, "granzyme B" to penetrate and kill them.

Per Genetic HIV Resistance Deciphered (Med-Tech, 7 January 2005) the roots of this immunity dates back a thousand years due to "a pair of mutated genes - one in each chromosome - that prevent their immune cells from developing [Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) receptors] that let [HIV penetrate]." This mutation likely evolved to provide added protection against smallpox according to Alison Galvani, professor of epidemiology at Yale University. Based on the latest scientific evidence, the mutated CCR5 gene (also called delta 32 because of the absence or deletion of 32 amino acids from its cytokine receptor) located in Th2 cells, developed in Scandinavia and progressed southward to central Asia as the Vikings expanded their influence. Consequently up to 1% of Northern Europeans (with Swedes being in the majority) followed by a similar percentage of Central Asians have this mutation, which if inherited from both parents provides them total immunity while another 10-15% of Northern Europeans and Central Asians having inherited the mutation from one parent exhibit greater resistance in lieu of complete immunity to HIV.

At the same time, even though the CCR5 mutation is absent in Africans, a small also exhibit percentage natural immunity (possibly developed through exposure) to HIV/AIDS - CD8+ T-Cell generation that effectively kills HIV-infected cells and mutated human leukocyte group A (HLA) antigens that coat the surface of their T-4 (CD4) cells to prevent HIV from penetrating based on an intensive study of 25 Nairobi prostitutes who per The Amazing Cases of People with Natural Immunity against HIV (Softpedia, 27 June 2007) have "had sex with hundreds, perhaps thousands of HIV-positive clients" and shown no sign of contracting HIV.

In addition, people with larger numbers of the CCL3L1 gene that produces cytokines (proteins that "gum" up CCR5 receptors) to prevent HIV from entering their T-4 (CD4) cells, per Genetic HIV Resistance Deciphered have greater resistance to HIV in comparison to others within their ethnic group that possess lesser quantities of the CCL3L1 gene and get "sick as much as 2.6 times faster."

At the same time, up to 75% of newborn babies also possess natural immunity (for reasons still not known) when exposed to HIV-positive blood. Although born with HIV antibodies - thus HIV-positive, newborns "usually lose HIV antibodies acquired from their HIV-positive mothers within 12-16 - maximum 18 months," in which their "spontaneous loss of [HIV] antibodies" without medical intervention is called seroreversion. "However, with the exception of very few instances, these infants are not HIV-infected" conclusive proof of a natural immunity to HIV.[1] Furthermore, when pregnant HIV-positive women are administered highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which lowers the viral concentration of HIV in their blood, an astonishing 97% of their newborns lose their HIV antibodies through seroreversion to become HIV-free per the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) as posted under Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities Study in HIV-Uninfected Children Born to HIV-Infected Mothers (SMARTT) (Clinical Trials.gov, 29 March 2008). However, at this time, it is not known if these newborns retain their natural immunity throughout their lives.

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Herpes

From day one my own personal life-long herpes infection has presented me with several ethical challenges. It has challenged me on the question of who to tell and when. It has challenged me on the issue of what to say and how to others with herpes. It has challenged me on the question of "Do I have any responsibilities towards trying to prevent the people in the community who do not herpes from getting it, and if so what are they"?

On how to tell and when:

When I was diagnosed with herpes the doctors told me that it was safe to have sex with others as long as I avoided having sex during outbreaks and that I would get warning signs of when an outbreak would be coming. Luckily, we are working with much better information these days. A person with herpes is potentially contagious every-single day of the year and safer sex including using a combination of a condom or dental dam and an anti-viral gel is the best way of ensuring that one isn't inadvertently spreading the virus.

I was an irresponsible coward when I first got herpes. Because thedoctors told me that I wasn't contagious without outbreaks and because I was in the habit of using condoms, I decided that I only had to tell someone that I had herpes if and when it seemed like the relationship was turning serious and there would be regular sexual contact. I had justified my cowardice by thinking that the risk to others was too small to stick my neck out and get the rejection due to a herpes leper. Please don't be like me. Not telling someone before you have sex that you have herpes is absolutely the wrong thing to do. There's no real way to justify it. I now tell potential lovers I have herpes even before the first date. It gets the weight of this guilt most herpes people have off my chest and to me it feels like the right thing to do.

Many people tell me that it's okay if you're not going to have sex with someone to wait and see if the relationship becomes serious before telling them about herpes. Sure this is much better than waiting until after sex, but to me it still isn't good enough. If you care about someone, if you respect them , why not tell them as early as possible so they can decide if they want to invest the energy and time in getting to know you better? Isn't it a bit manipulative to allow someone to develop feelings for you without warning them that they risk a life-long viral infection if they get involved with you? Think about it. If you wait until they are already emotionally attached to you, they may feel compelled to continue with the relationship when they may not have if you had told them up-front. It takes more courage and integrity to tell early but it feels better to have the weight off your chest and the person you tell will usually respect you for giving them the choice.

I am especially appealing to men since I believe that men are not as protective of their sex partners when it comes to telling about herpes as women are. Guys, please don't have sex with anyone without telling them about your herpes. And if they don't know the facts don't understate the risks- herpes is a more physically and emotionally devastating disease for women than it is for men and it is much easier for a man to give a woman herpes than it is for a woman to give it to a man.

On how and what to say to others with herpes:

I am a holistic healer- a herbalist and homeopath. My family have been healers for many generations in my native country of Trinidad and Tobago and as far back as Africa. I had little to no interest in treating herpes as a healer until I got herpes myself. Wanting to change a negative to a positive, I decided to make the holistic treatment of herpes the cornerstone of my practice. The bible says "the stone that the builder refused, I will make my cornerstone. Bob Marley and the wailers sing about it too.

It didn't take me long once I decided to become a holistic viral specialist to realize that I was confronted with a daunting challenge. Most professionals including all the herbalists and homeopaths I know rely heavily on referrals to build their client-base. Here I was now working with a client-base that I was never going to get a lot of referrals from. My patients with herpes don't go around telling the world that I helped them with their outbreaks. Some of my patients have yet to tell their significant others that they have herpes, many have not told their closest friends and their family. I am not a company. I don't have an advertising budget. The only way for me to reach out to others with herpes and encourage them to come for me for treatment was to speak out in public about my herpes work and about herpes in general. This forced me to be far more out of the closet than would have been my personal choice.

I seem to always create challenging situations for myself. Speaking to others with herpes is not a task for the faint of heart. Some people like to shoot the messenger- I have the bullet-wounds to prove it. But I can say that speaking to others with herpes has been and continues to be one of the most gratifying experiences in my life. I feel a deep bond with many of the people with herpes who interact with me. I felt this kind of bond when I played team sports. I've felt this kind of bond all my life with other black people. There's something about "us against the world" that can make people tight with other. I love my herpes friends. I love my herpes patients- even the ones who misbehave. I am not grateful for getting herpes, but I don't regret it either. Nevertheless, the truth hurts, and I have some bitter truth to tell others with herpes:

Having a lover who also has herpes isn't a free ticket for unprotected sex. Even if you both have the same strain Even if one gave it to the other. Having unprotected sex with each other can and often will make one or both partner's cases of herpes worse. It's called re-inoculation and it's a message many with herpes don't want to hear.

If you have herpes or cold sores you are potentially contagious everyday and there is no sure way to tell if you are shedding virus. So do consider using a condom/dental dam combined with an anti-viral gel when having sex and do be careful about sharing wet towels or wash cloths with others.

No two people get herpes the same way so you are going to have your own individual experience with the virus and will have to find your own way of dealing with it on all the different levels you will have to deal with it.

A cure for herpes in our lifetime is unlikely and there are no quick-fix solutions for managing herpes. Herpes cannot be managed with a topical agent alone- whether it be creams, lotions, or essential oils. Managing herpes takes changing your diet, managing stress and other triggers, and may also require either taking herbal medicine or drug therapy.

You may not get fewer outbreaks as you get older. While this is often the case, since no two people get herpes the same way, other diseases, menopause, self-abuse, re-inoculation by unprotected sex and other factors can change the pattern of frequency and severity of outbreaks at any point during your life-long journey with herpes.

Cold-sores are just as contagious if not more contagious than genital herpes and you can infect others when there are no signs of sores present.

Having herpes does make you more vulnerable to other sexually transmitted infections including HIV, cervical dysplasia and genital warts.

Daily use of l-lysine is an ineffective strategy for treating herpes and can do more harm than good. There are more effective natural remedies such as garlic for treating herpes without side-effects.

On talking to those who don't have herpes:

The reality check for me is that the mainstream and alternative media do not want talk about herpes. They would prefer to keep us in a ghetto. There is a lot of misinformation floating around and people without herpes have few places to turn to hear the facts about herpes. They don't hear the facts in their churches, young people are not being educated enough about herpes in school. Most parents aren't teaching their children about herpes, older siblings are not passing information down to the younger ones.

It's really up to us who have herpes to try harder to dialogue with those who don't. HIV won't be the last word in human population control from the world of viruses. If we don't learn how to better protect the population from getting herpes and other sexually transmitted infections we are going to be in a lot of trouble. Herpes is a gateway disease it provided easy access through your mucus membranes for any sexually transmitted virus.

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Hepatitis

Hepatitis is characterized by the destruction of a number of liver cells and the presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue caused by excessive alcohol drinking, disorders of the gall bladder or pancreas, including medication side effects, and infections.In this article, we will discuss causes, symptoms, types, prevention and treatment of hepatitis. I. Causes of hepatitis

A person can develop hepatitis if they contract one of the viruses that can cause liver inflammation, or as a result of exposure to substances that can cause hepatitis. There are two ways that can lead to hepatitis: it can either occur as a result of infections or from autoimmune processes.

Hepatitis can be divided into two subgroups:

1. Acute hepatitis Acute hepatitis caused by the below in result of inflammation that causes damaging to the liver's normal function and lasting less than six months. People having a weakened immune system and weaken liver, making them more susceptible to be infected by hepatitis.

a) Infectious viral hepatitis such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, E. b) Inflammation of liver caused by Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. c) Inflammation of liver caused by other bacteria. d) Medication overdose causing damage to liver tissues and cells such as tranquilizers, chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics and anesthetics. e) Excessive alcohol drinking.

2. Chronic hepatitis: Chronic hepatitis means active, ongoing inflammation of the liver persisting for more than six months. Chronic hepatitis, although much less common than acute hepatitis, can persist for years, even decades. In most people, it is quite mild and does not cause significant liver damage. It may be caused by hepatitis B and C viruses, drugs and excessive alcohol drinking. It can also result in cirrhosis, with an enlarged spleen and fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity. In some people, continued inflammation slowly damages the liver, eventually resulting in severe scarring of the liver, liver failure and sometimes liver cancer.

II. Symptoms

1. Jaundices Jaundices caused by the excession of a chemical called bilirubin accumulated in the body's tissues. When the liver is damaged by hepatitis virus, it's unable to do its normal job and this chemical accumulates in the blood and starts to leak out into body tissue resulting in a yellow color in the skin, and especially around the whites of the eyes.

2. Loss of appetite Loss of appetite is also called anorexia, is often the first symptom of acute hepatitis. Sometimes this symptom lasts for a very short time before being replaced by nausea and vomiting.

3. Fatigue Fatigue is a debilitating tiredness and is a big source of frustration for people with liver disease. When the liver is damaged, feelings of extreme weakness is common.

4. Pain in the muscles and joints Pain in the muscles and joints can last from days to weeks and are very common in acute hepatitis infection.

5. Low blood sugar Infection by Hepatitis A virus may cause low blood sugar. Therefore regular monitoring of blood glucose level with constant glucose infusion is essential, because dangerously low blood sugar is a constant threat.

6. Insomnia Insomnia is caused by liver inflammation of hepatitis virus C leading to trouble of sleeping, and waking up often during the night. Some people also experience unusually vivid, intense and frightening dreams.

7. Pruritus People with hepatitis C sometimes have pruritus, itching to the palms of the hand and the soles of the feet.

8. Lymphadenopathy Hepatitis may also cause inflammation of lymph nodes. They usually appear in the armpits, groin and neck.

9. Weakness Hepatitis C also causes a sense of weakness. This symptom can vary from mild to severe and tends to come and go.

If you have any of the above symptoms, please consult with your doctor immediately.

III. Types of Hepatitis

1. Hepatitis A (HAV) Hepatitis A causes swelling and inflammation in the liver and is very common in underdeveloped countries, resulting in drinking water or eating food that is infected by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse. This type of hepatitis usually has slow onset and most people fully recover. Hepatitis A can be discovered by blood testing.

2. Hepatitis B (HBV) Hepatitis B virus is most often contracted via blood contact such as blood, semen, body fluids, IV drug abusers sharing needles or someone using tainted needles. It can also be transmitted through sexual contact and from mother to baby during childbirth. Hepatitis B causes inflammation of the liver leading to a serious infection that can cause liver damage, which may result in cancer.

3. Hepatitis C (HCV) Hepatitis C, like hepatitis B is spread via blood and body-fluid contact such as blood, semen, body fluid, IV drug abusers sharing needles or someone using tainted needles. Hepatitis C used to be the most common type of hepatitis acquired through blood transfusions until a test for it became available in the 1980s. Hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver resulting in liver damage that can lead to cancer. It also commonly leads to chronic liver inflammation and slowly damagesthe liver over a long period of time before leading to cirrhosis of the liver, that means scar tissue replacing normal, healthy tissue in result of blocking the flow of blood through the liver and preventing it from from working as it should.

4. Hepatitis D (HDV) Hepatitis D is caused by the virus HDV. You can only get hepatitis D if you are already infected with hepatitis B. Hepatitis D also causes inflammation of liver and is transmitted through infected blood, needles and sexual contact with with a person infected with HDV.

5. Hepatitis E (HEV) Similar to hepatitis A, hepatitis E is also caused by drinking water or eating food that os infected by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can also be transmitted through sexual intercourse causing temporary swelling of the liver and no long term damage to it.

IV. Prevention and Treatment

A. With Foods

1. Fresh water algae Fresh water algae contains high amounts of antioxidant-chlorophyll that has the power in strengthening the immune system to fight any bacteria and virus infection. It also helps in cleansing liver toxins as well as fat build-up in liver.

2. Whole grain products Whole grain product stimulates the liver to rid the body of toxins, supports the heart and is rich in protein, B vitamins, and fiber. It also helps lower blood cholesterol, reduce tumors, strengthens the immune and treats hepatitis.

3. Green vegetable juices The fresh raw vegetable juices are vitally important in the nutritional treatment of hepatitis. Green Vegetable juice contains high amounts of vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, living plant enzymes to aid digestion & vitamin K resulting in cleansing of liver toxins as well as strengthening the immune system, helping to fight against hepatitis infection.

4. Legumes Legumes contain the nutrients and good sources of water-soluble fibers that your body needs to produce and activate the dozens of enzymes involved in the various phases of detoxification.

5. Cold water fish Cold water fish contain high amounts of essential fatty acids that helps to support the detoxification pathways in the liver, break down toxic chemicals and toxins from the blood stream. A healthy liver filter will keep your blood stream clean and free of dangerous toxins and microorganisms. The regular use of a liver tonic such as essential fatty acids support the repair of liver cells.

6. Limit daily intake of alcohol Alcohol is a potent toxin to the liver. Excessive alcohol drinking can lead to cirrhosis and its complications, including liver cancer.

7. Stop smoking Cigarette fumes contain high amounts of cadmium, a toxic chemical that causes not only blood clots but also weakens the immune system functioning by fighting against harmful viruses and detoxifying the liver.

B. With Chinese Herbs

Here are some Chinese herbs that have been used to prevent and treat hepatitis with proven results.

1. Natural schisandra Schisandradra contains essential oils, acids and lignans that help to regenerate liver tissue caused by excessive drinking of alcohol and hepatitis virus.

2. Milk thistle consists of three components silybin, silydianin, and silychristin that help to reverse liver damage from alcohol, liver injure in result of chronic hepatitis and sloe the advance of cirrhosis.

3. Dan shen Danshen is frequently used for these problems in combination with other herbs in treating liver diseases such as cirrhosis, fibrosis, and chronic hepatitis B.

4. Lycii Lycii contains high amount of beta-carotene that helps to nourish and tonify liver and kidney.

5. Chinese licorice Licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin and has a long history of medicinal use in both Eastern and Western systems of medicine in treating infections caused by viruses, such as hepatitis.

6. Astragalus Astragalus is used conbination with other Chinese herbs are thought to possess properties in treating cancer, viral infection and immune system disorder. Astragalus is an ingredient in

7. Baikal scullcap Baikal scullcap contains a chemical of baikalin that helps liver to detoxification and fight against liver infection.

8. Gynostemma pentaphylla This herb has been used over thousand years in Chinese history in treating a variety of diseases such as high blood fat, heart disease, strengthen immune system as well as hepatitis.

9. American ginseng American ginseng contain the ginsenosides ingredient that is effective in preventing GalN-induced liver cell damage and is a useful agent for chemoprevention of cancer or inflammatory diseases such as liver infection by hepatitis virus.

C. With Nutrition

1. Cranberry juice Study shows that cranberry juice can be used as alternative antibody in helping our immune system fight off the hepatitis virus before it can do damage to the liver.

2. Lemon juice Lemon juice contains high amounts of vitamin C that helps to fight against free radical build up in our body as well as detoxifying liver cells damaged by hepatitis viruses to regenerate, forming new liver cells.

3. Apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid and acetic acid and it is effective against most viral diseases including Hepatitis virus.

4. Olive leaf Olive leaf helps to improve immune system and contains achemical oleuropein which converts to elenolic acid in the body. The oleuropein targets viruses and bad bacteria before they can cause any damage to the body including liver, while relaxing blood vessels.

5. Peppermint Peppermint is a stimulant that helps to relieve digestive disturbances caused by chronic hepatitis by stimulating the release of bile.

6. Honey Honey provides the energy needed by the body for blood formation and blood cleansing. It also increases the liver's glycogen through the increase of blood glucose, helping the liver to function properly and fight against hepatitis virus.

7. Royal jelly Royal jelly contains protein, vitamins B, C, E, niacin and pantothenic acid that helps to strengthen our immune system, protecting our body against any viruses including the hepatitis virus as well as cleansing toxic deposits in the body.

8. Green tea Green tea contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols that scavenge free radicals. It also seems to protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol.

D. With Supplements

1. Vitamin C It is found only in fruits and vegetables and is highest in fresh, uncooked foods. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin. It helps prevent oxidation of water-soluble molecules that could otherwise create free radicals. Vitamin C not only stimulates the immune system but also improves the prevention and treatment of infections and other diseases.

2. Vitamin E Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties and is used for prevention or treatment of numerous health conditions such as liver detoxification. Vitamin E levels have been shown to be low in people with hepatitis as well as in those who later develop liver cancer from long-standing hepatitis therefore increasing the amount of intake of vitamin E may protect the liver from damage in people with hepatitis C.

3. B vitamins B vitamins support metabolic functions, including energy production, nerve cell immune system functions and as well as antioxidant activity.

4. Selenium Selenium is an essential trace mineral that helps in cleansing liver toxins. Selenium is proven to have a protective role against hepatitis B. The right dose of selenium will help to ware off liver cancer.

5. Flax seed Flax seed is an excellent vegetarian source of essential fatty acids that helps to reduce inflammation of liver and restore damaged liver cell membranes. It will also support the filter inside the liver, which removes microorganisms, dead cells and toxins from the blood stream.

6. L-Glutamine L-Glutamine contains high amounts of amino acid and natural growth hormones that help to combat the effect of alcohol addiction, benefiting the liver and strengthening the immune system. Click here for more information

7. S-adenosymethionine (SAMe) Study shows that S-adenosymethionine (SAMe) has ananti-oxidant effects in chronic liver disease and in the treatment of viral hepatitis C. It also helps to restore abnormalities and cellular dysfunctions in human liver disease. Oral SAMe is also helpful in treating patients with chronic liver disease.

E. With Herbs

1. Red clover Rich in micro-nutrients it possesses activity against several bacteria. A good dietary supplement of vitamin A and Iron, it also contains B- complex, vitamins C,F, and P, some selenium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, sodium and is particularly rich in magnesium, calcium and copper.

2. Oregon grape root The herb stimulates the action on the liver and is one of the best blood cleansers. Mild stimulant to the thyroid functions and aids in the assimilation of nutrients.

3. Echinacea Echinacea is an immuno stimulant. Enhancing the body's resistance against both bacterial and viral infections it is probably the best detoxifying agent in Western Herbalism. It cleanses the blood and lymph systems, helps arrest pus formation and tissue putrefaction

4. Sarsaparilla Sarsaparilla purifies the urino-genital tract, dispelling all infection and inflammation. It's purifying action extends to the nervous system and is therefore useful in many nervous disorders. Sarsaparilla's diaphoretic and blood cleansing action is useful for rheumatic inflammation.

5. Licorice root Licorice root is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. It helps to increase the secretion of digestive enzymes and bile and is widely regarded as the supreme liver tonic.

6. Burdock It clears congestion, reduces swelling and dispels toxins via the skin, kidneys and bowel. It is a nutritive and rejuvenatory tonic . Historically it has been used to support the action of the kidneys in urinary tract infections.

7. Dandelion Dandelion cleanses the liver, kidneys, lymph and bowel and is ideal for toxic blood conditions. It increases the secretion of digestive enzymes and bile and is widely regarded as the supreme liver tonic.

F. With Common Sense Approaches

1. Reduce intake of saturated and trans fats Uncontrolled diet that is high in saturated and trans fats not only cause cholesterol build up in your arteries but also increase high blood pressure and also damaging the immune system. It also is the main contributor to gallstone formation, fat liver that reduce the normal function of liver and making it vulnerable for virus infections.

2. Avoid intake of processed foods Processed food contain high amounts of salt and artificial food additives that causes free radicals to build up in the body and high blood pressure. They are also toxic to the liver causing the kidney and liver to work harder in cleansing the extra toxins in the bloodstream. If this lasts for a prolonged period, they may damage the kidney and liver causing liver inflammation if infected by the hepatitis virus.

3. Limit alcohol drinking Drinking a maximum of 250 ml for women and 500 ml for men will help the circulation of blood, nourish the body's cells, and strengthen the immune system and liver. Excessive drinking not only causes liver inflammation, but will also lead to cirrhosis.

4. Drink a lot of green and yellow juices Green and yellow juices contain high amounts of vitamins C, E and B that help to detoxify the body's toxins and reduce burden of the liver. Green and yellow juices also help to protect our body from free radical build up, normalizing the liver function.

5. Quit smoking Cigarettes contain toxic cadmium causing high blood pressure, increases the risk of calcium clotting up the arterial wall and reduces the amount of antioxidants in the body in result of weakening the immune system and liver causing the liver to be easier to be infected by hepatitis virus.

6. Limit intake of sugar High amount of sugar promotes liver inflammation and free radical damage.

7. Do not overdose your medication Overdosing medications is toxic to the body causing extra burden for liver function.

8. Do not share things with others such as clippers, scissors, toothbrushes or anything that may have come into contact with blood or body fluids.

9. Casual sexual activity must be taken with extra care.

IV. Other Treatment

1. Liver Detoxification Strengthens the immune system with vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbs that we have been discussed lengthily in other articles.

2. Ozone therapy Ozone oxidizes the cells of the body systemically. It stimulates enzymes and phagocytes of the white blood cells which chew up the viruses and the bacteria in the blood. It also activates alpha interferon, gamma interferon, interleukin II and tumor necrosis factor. It is effective in treating hepatitis B patients with high successful rate.

3. Lamivudine therapy Combining vaccine therapy with lamivudine has improved therapeutic potential for chronic hepatitis B. It helps to strengthen the immune system fighting against the hepatitis B virus specially with patients with chronic HBV infection and active viral replication.

4. Interferon-alpha therapy Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem because of its worldwide distribution. There are over 350 million people in the world infected with chronic HBV, 75% of whom live in the Asia-Pacific region. Interferon-alfa and direct antiviral agents such as lamivudine and adefovir are effective in the therapy of chronic HBV infection but only with some success, particularly in perinatally infected patients, patients with lower ALT levels and those with negative chronic hepatitis B.

5. Pegylated interferon Pegylated interferon may be considered the best choice of treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. This therapy has been shown to be superior to both conventional interferon as well as lamivudine in the treatment of both hepatitis B positive and negative chronic hepatitis B with successful rates of 35-45%.

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Gonorrhea

According to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC), close to 700,000 men and women per year have contracted gonorrhea, making it one of the most common of the sexually transmitted infections. Less than 50% of those cases of gonorrhea are reported to the CDC. Lots of the people that have gonorrhea have no idea that they could be infecting other people. That is because early gonorrhea symptoms are minimal and may even be overlooked or incorrectly recognized for some other issue. For these reasons, for anyone who is sexually active, you should obtain STD testing to stop you from unknowingly spreading gonorrhea.

Signs and symptoms in Men

Many men have simply no symptoms whatsoever. In some men, however, the symptoms of gonorrhea consist of:

-a burning sensation while urinating -and a yellow or green discharge from the penis.

Some men with gonorrhea could also encounter pain or swelling in the testicles. Gonorrhea symptoms can surface within 2-5 days of infection, yet might not appear for up to thirty days.

Signs and symptoms in Women

Women who have contracted gonorrhea might encounter:

-pain or burning when urinating, -bleeding between periods -and increased vaginal discharge.

However, most women who have gonorrhea have no signs whatsoever. Of those women that do encounter gonorrhea symptoms, they typically confuse the symptoms for something different like a urinary tract infection, or some other vaginal infection since the symptoms are minor. Regrettably, untreated gonorrhea in women could potentially cause serious complications and harm like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Rectal Gonorrhea Symptoms

Rectal gonorrhea has the very same symptoms in both men and women. Those symptoms consist of:

-itching and discharge, -painful bowel movements -and bleeding.

Again, many people who are affected by rectal gonorrhea show no symptoms whatsoever. In addition, those who have infections in the throat have hardly any signs outside of a slight sore throat.

Untreated Gonorrhea Complications

The complications of untreated gonorrhea are devastating. As discussed earlier, in women, it can lead to PID, among the many main reasons for infertility in women. PID also causes serious pain, abscesses and an elevated danger of ectopic pregnancy. Expecting mothers with gonorrhea could pass the infection to the infant, and it might lead to blindness, joint infection or a life-threatening blood infection. Gonorrhea may also lead to infertility in men, and also to a painful problem called epididymitis. In both sexes, gonorrhea can extend to the joints and the bloodstream and come to be debilitating.

Testing for Gonorrhea

Since gonorrhea can so often be asymptomatic-that is no gonorrhea symptoms-many people that have gonorrhea can spread the disease by way of sexual contact without actually realizing that they have it. That's the reason why it is vitally important to be screened for STDs should you have unprotected sexual contact beyond a monogamous relationship. STD tests are painless, rapid and simple and will help prevent the spread of gonorrhea. Any sexually active person should schedule routine STD testing to make sure that they are not infected with gonorrhea even when they have no symptoms of the disease.

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chlamydia

In North America, Chlamydia is reported as the most prevalent among the different types of sexually transmitted disease. From all over the world, there are estimated 89 million cases of Chlamydia and the number of cases is still growing from time to time.

Chlamydia can be transmitted in many ways. The most known way to transmit Chlamydia is through sexual transmission (oral, anal, and vaginal). There is a case wherein the fetus gets infected through vaginal birth from his mother. This is called Congenitally Acquired Chlamydia. Anyone can acquire Chlamydia but little girls have more chances to acquire it. Individuals who have many sex partners have higher chances to be infected by Chlamydia. The Chlamydia transmission takes place during the exchanging of body fluids.

The symptoms of a Chlamydia can be noticed after weeks from the time the infection entered the body. But in most cases, Chlamydia shows no symptoms. Chlamydia is labelled as a silent killer kind of STD. Among the 89 million Chlamydia cases, almost 75 % of cases in women and 50% cases in men noted that infected people experienced no symptoms from the infection. They are not even aware that the infection has already entered their body.

In cases that women experience symptoms, they experienced fever, abdominal pain, irregular vaginal discharge, painful urination, nausea, vaginal bleeding even there's no menstruation. In cases of men, symptoms can be in the forms of irregular penile discharge, painful urination, itching sensation at the opening part of the penis, and swollen testicles.

Chlamydia trachomatis can be eliminated through antibiotics. Taking the antibiotics properly can be a good way to treat Chlamydia disease. Azythromycin can immediately kill Chlamydia by its single dose. Other antibiotics that can kill Chlamydia is called doxycycline. Repetitive doses of doxycycline are required.

If Chlamydia cannot be treated immediately, it will cause serious complications to the infected body. You can acquire the so-called PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, the worst complication of Chlamydia, if you won't treat the infection immediately. If PID will travel going to women's reproductive organ, it can cause a worst scenario of fallopian tube inflammation causing women's infertility. Chlamydia can be also the cause of chronic pelvic pain.

Chlamydia complications have higher chances to occur in women compared to men, but can also possibly occur to men. Chlamydia infection can go directly to epididymis. The transferring of Chlamydia infection to the epididymis can be the cause of so much pain, fever, and in rare cases, it causes sterilit.

Through moderating sexual activities and not having many sex partners can prevent you from having Chlamydia disease. One sex partner is enough and make sure that your partner is not an STD carrier. The use of contraceptives like condom can decrease the possibility of having Chlamydia infection but contraceptives cannot totally eliminate the risks brought by the disease.

Avoid complications. If you are having suspicions that you are infected by any disease, go immediately to and STD clinic or to your doctor and ask for a Chlamydia test.

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STD

Sexually transmitted diseases are escalating nowadays when more people have started entering into multiple sexual relationships. They might not consider this ethically wrong but the fact remains that such people are more prone to sexual diseases. However, if unfortunately one gets infected by any such disease, it is better to start ailment as soon as possible for these diseases have the potential to ruin your entire life. People often are embarrassed and scared to disclose their problem to others even to their friends but they fail to realize that delaying diagnose is compromising with their life. Thus, as soon as you fear a sexually transmitted infection, approach a doctor. This article informs the readers about certain primary STDs and their symptoms. 1.    AIDS and HIV •     Transmitted through- AIDS and HIV are two more or les related diseases. The HIV stands for the ‘human immunodeficiency virus’ and the disease that spreads through it is known as AIDS i.e. ‘acquired immune deficiency syndrome’. HIV travels through blood. It can be transmitted from one HIV positive person to his partner through sex. It can also pass on from the HIV positive mother to her child through infected breast milk and even from an infected syringe or other equipments that come into contact with the blood of the HIV positive to any other individual who is treated with the same devices. •     Symptoms- weak immune system and susceptible to more infections than usual. HIV gets translated to AIDS when the HIV patient acquires a particular indicative illness. •     Preventive Measures- not much available yet. But avoid taking drugs. Maintain hygiene. 2.    Chlamydia- •     Infected via- the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis is the cause of this infection. Once this bacterium enters the individual’s body it affects his mucous membranes, eyelids and even reproductive tissues. •     Symptoms- the symptoms Chlamydia often confused with another similar STD called Gonorrhea and even with Conjunctivitis due to eyelid infection. The common symptoms to this disease are pain during sex, burning and abnormal discharge. Chlamydia can be without any typical indications also. •     Prevention- the disease is curable. As a precautionary measure one should maintain hygiene during sex and get medical check up done in order to avoid infection. 3.    Pelvic Inflammatory Disease- usually women are afflicted by this disease. It is a an infection in the upper genital tract and reproductive organs including ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. •     Spreads through- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the two STDs that are most often responsible for this disease. Women between 15 to 25 years of age are more prone to be infected by it. Excess douching can also lead to PID for it cleanses the naturally beneficial bacteria from the women’s vagina. •     Symptoms- When ailing PID, women might experience pain during intercourse, burning and even fever. •     Precautions and Cures- antibiotics are useful to cure PID. But it is recommended to get frequent check ups done and in case the disease is discovered medicines and proper treatment should commence the very moment for PID can be unexpectedly harmful in later stages. 4.     Gonorrhea- infects the individual’s sensitive tissues of reproductive system. •     An individual can acquire this disease through all types of sexual contacts like oral sex. •     Indications- the indicators to Gonorrhea are very few which makes it all the more difficult to adjudicate it and so stop it from being transmitted from one to the other person through sex. Symptoms are akin to Chlamydia so the two diseases are liable to be confused with each other. A person suffering from Gonorrhea experiences unusual discharge, burning, pain during sexual activity, swelling, fever and other infections like women may have bleeding between periods.   •     Remedies and Safety- treatment should commence in initial stages to cure Gonorrhea. Those who are pretty active in their sexual life should get check ups done on a regular basis to be on a safer side. Apart from these there are several other STDs not discussed here like Hepatitis, Scabies, Herpes, Syphilis, HPV etc. which are most common in ones. It is better to acquire information about them once you are sexually active and consult a gynecologist every now and then to avert from all kinds of STDs.