Do I Need an STD Test

•The Facts About HIV and the Confidential HIV Test
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus to give it its full title, is a special type of virus, known as a retrovirus, which attacks the body’s immune system via the CD4 cells which are found in the blood and would normally be used to fight off infection. As the retrovirus moves through the body, it breaks down and then reassembles the DNA in the body’s cells, so making copies of and spreading the ‘bad’ DNA. As more and more cells are affected, so the immune system becomes weaker and weaker until...

•The Benefits of a Confidential HIV Test
There are many reasons why a confidential HIV test may be something to think about. Sex We may as well get directly to the point! Whether it is casual, recreational or part of a sincere and deep relationship, sex for you is hopefully enjoyable and an expression of your desire, passion and feelings for another person. Unfortunately, HIV (and other sexually transmitted diseases or ‘STDs’) just can’t be thought about in the same positive terms. They can be transmitted during various forms of...

•What Are the Symptoms of STDs
People are very funny about sexually transmitted diseases. Despite our society’s increased openness about sexuality in general, STDs are still a huge taboo: people find it embarrassing to admit that they’ve even been tested (even though it’s a mature decision to make) let alone if they ever had treatment for a disease. As such, people are always going to great pains to avoid making an appointment for an STD test. They increasingly do internet research to find out symptoms and try and figure...

•Confidential HIV Test AIDS Myths Busted
If you’ve ever been in the situation where you’ve needed to take a confidential HIV test you’re likely to be concerned with how you may have caught the virus and where your strain originated from. Scientists have been trying to work out where the virus originated from since it was discovered in the 1980s, but even now that the exact origin of AIDS and HIV is clear, there are still some ridiculous rumours and conspiracy theories about where AIDS came from. Here we bust the worst of...

•Confidential HIV Test What Else Can You Do
Have you recently taken a confidential HIV test? With any luck, you’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief as your results came back negative, but not everyone will be so fortunate. Having taken a test, you might just feel a little more fired up towards helping those who are living with HIV. If this is the case, then one of these fundraising opportunities might be just what you’re looking for. Aids Walk 2010 The longest and largest fundraising walk held to raise money for those living with Aids...

•HIV and AIDS in the Movies
For those who can remember back to the early 1980s and the start of the AIDS epidemic, there was something vaguely surreal about seeing the warnings on our television screens and the reports put out by the media. Was this all just hype, we were left wondering? Could this new disease really be that bad? Should we all be rushing off for a confidential HIV test? Since then, of course, the grim reality of the destructive forces of HIV and AIDS has hit home, with millions dying. Today, many more are...

•What to Expect From Your STD Clinic Visit
So you haven’t been as careful as you should, and you’re contemplating your first ever visit to an STD clinic to get tested? It’s understandable that you’d be nervous, but it really isn’t as bad as you’d imagine. Here’s what you can expect from your visit, so you’ll know the general procedure. First steps… First of all you have to pick a place to be tested. In the US, your personal doctor or gynaecologist can administer STD tests, or you could drop into a planned parenthood or public health...

•Which STDs Can be Cured
Quite a lot of times I have heard anecdotes of people avoiding STD tests because they’re scared of knowing for sure that they have a sexually transmitted disease. They’d prefer to stay in the dark, but while there may have been a twisted logic to this some years ago when little could be done about sexually transmitted diseases, nowadays it makes no sense at all. Some STDs can be cured, and there are ways of managing the symptoms of others to ensure they’re barely a hindrance any longer. In the...

•10 Discredited or Untested HIV Cures
It’s well documented that there are no medically verified cures for HIV and AIDS. While researchers continue to make progress towards getting a cure, there are always going to be a number of discredited treatments and conmen trying to make some money off the backs of people’s desperation. Here are 9 of the more unusual ones, as well as one that is yet to be externally verified that’s been rumbling on for 8 years… The Remarkable Recovery of Andrew Stimpson Anecdotally, there have been a lot of...

•STDs in Popular Culture
With the spread of sexually transmitted diseases becoming more and more of a problem, it’s no surprise to see popular culture mediums picking up on the risk. The only surprise is that they’re not more prevalent in entertainment, as art mimics life, but there’s still a certain taboo apparent which makes each instance remarkable. Here’s some of the more memorable instances of STD is music, film and even video games! Film The subject of sexually transmitted disease in film has been explored on...