How to Build a Better Butt

Booty Boot Camp

If you feel your "rear view" needs a makeover, the right fitness routine can help give you a lift. Can you achieve the "perfect" Brazilian beach butt seen on TV? That depends partly on your body type and genes. But most everyone can shape up to look better in jeans. These pictures show you the moves.

Behind It All: Meet Your Glutes

The shape of the buttocks is defined by muscles known as the glutes. That's the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus, as well as the fat that lies over them. Walking, running, and climbing all work the glutes. Strength training that targets these muscles can help give you a tighter, more rounded look. Adding a few butt-busting moves to your routine may be enough to see a change.

Squat and Tone

The squat tops every list of butt-sculpting exercises. It directly works the glutes.You can build bigger bottom muscles by adding hand-held weights.
Form: Keep feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower the hips as if sitting in a chair; then return to standing.  Make sure your knees do not push out in front of your toes. Keep your torso tight and back straight.

Or Try a Ball Squat

If you're just starting out, a large ball can help with balance while you master the form. For each exercise on our list, aim for three sets of 15 reps. Try to do each exercise three times a week.
Form: Keep the ball between your low back and a wall. Slowly perform the classic squat. Walk your feet out in front so the knees stay behind your toes.

Forward Lunge

This butt builder also tones the thighs and calves. It's a pretty good fat burner, too.
Form: With your feet parallel and hip-distance apart, take one giant step forward. Lower your body slowly, bending both knees, and return to standing. Repeat on the other side. Bend your knees no more than 90 degrees. Keep your front knee stacked right over your front ankle. Do not rest your back knee on the ground.

Or Try a Backward Lunge

When you step backward into a lunge, it works the glutes a little harder. Your workout gets variety, too. Lunges also add flex to your hips. They align your body better, too, something  that can suffer when people spend long hours sitting at a desk.
Form: Use the same posture as in a forward lunge, but step backward to position the lower leg. Don't let the front knee push out in front of your toes.

Or Try a Side Lunge

The side lunge targets the muscle on the outside of the hips, the glutes, and tones the inner thighs, too.
Form: From a wide stance, bend one knee. Keep the shinbone under that knee straight up from the floor. If the knee falls inside the foot, use a shorter stance. Lean forward slightly, but keep your shoulders behind your knees to keep from hurting yourself. Put your hands where they help with balance.

On the Ball: Leg Lift

Leg lifts done while you balance on an exercise ball will strengthen your shoulders and abs, as well as your glutes. As you get more fit, try lifting both legs at the same time for a harder, beautiful-butt move.
Form: Keep your abs tight and back flat. Squeeze your glute muscles tight as you lift one leg. Just a few inches is fine when you're just starting out. Be careful not to use your lower back muscles.

On the Ball: Hip Lift

This small movement focuses on the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the body. Be careful not to use the back muscles; the glutes should do the work.
Form: Bend the knees 90 degrees, feet together. Squeeze the glutes and slowly move the thighs up off the ball. A small, controlled, 2-inch movement  is the goal.

Floor Work: Bridge

This classic is a super workout for the glutes, as well as the hamstrings and hips.
Form: Begin on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the tailbone. Tighten the glutes and hamstrings as you do this. When your body has formed a long, slanted line from shoulders to knees, hold for a few seconds. Then lower slowly.

Floor Work: Side Leg Raises

This move targets the two smaller muscle groups in the buttocks, the gluteus medius and minimus.
Form: Lift the top leg while lying on your side. Keep the hips stacked and the torso still. Both knees should face forward. To work slightly different muscles, you can turn the top leg out from the hip.

Floor Work: Dirty Dog

This bottom builder gained fame in the exercise videos of the 1970s as the "fire hydrant."  It targets two of the muscle groups in the buttocks.
Form: Keep your knees hip-width apart and your hands directly under your shoulders, elbows straight. Gently stiffen the abs and keep your back in a neutral position with no sagging or arching. Slowly draw one knee up. Rotate the hip to bring the leg toward the torso, then away.

Floor Work: Mountain Climbers

Along with pushing your glutes, the running plank works the shoulders, hips, and core muscles. Do it quickly to burn calories while building muscle.
Form: Tighten the abs to protect the lower back. Spread your fingers wide to protect the wrists. Bring one leg in at a time -- bending the knee, like you were running. Keep your upper body steady. Repeat as if you’re running in place.

Walk the Hills

For a no-fuss butt workout, all you have to do is walk. Tackle hills for the most glute-shaping impact. You'll burn extra calories, too.  On a treadmill, you can get this effect using a 5% to 7% incline.

Tone Your Tush With Cardio

In the gym, try stair steppers, arc trainers, and elliptical machines.They challenge the glutes while giving your heart and lungs a healthy workout. Inline skating and cycling are other choices that help both heart and tush.

Firm Up Without Bulking Up

Some people's muscles rise to a challenge by bulking up.  If that's what your genes have dealt you -- and you don't like a pumped-up look -- focus on aerobic activity over weight training. Don't crank the resistance up too high on an exercise machine. And skip the weights when you do butt-sculpting exercises.

Slim Your Assets

Targeted exercises alone may give you a firmer behind but not always a smaller one. For more impact, watch your diet, burn more calories, and lose weight. You'll reduce the fat pad lying over the gluteal muscles, giving you tight, trim curves back there.

How To Go for the Maximum

If bigger is better to you, you'll want to really challenge the glute muscles. Dial up the resistance on a stationary bike or other cardio machine. During strength training, go for more weight, more reps, and shorter rest periods between exercises.  A high-quality diet also helps build muscle mass.

Can You Shift Your Shape?

There's much talk in beauty magazines about a rounded, "Brazilian-style" butt.  Targeted exercises can move a flat fanny closer to this beauty ideal. But a workout will most likely enhance the shape your behind already has: heart-like, pear, bubble, or another. For total reshaping, after a huge weight loss, for instance, cosmetic surgeons offer implants, lifts, and reshaping.

Shapewear for Your Tush

Lots of underwear now aims to "separate and lift" your bottom. Some styles rein in skin with elastic panels. Others enhance your rear view with padding. You can even find padded inserts and lifting Spandex panels in jeans.

Dress Your Assets Down

Boot-cut and flared jeans balance out the hips and rear for a slimming effect. Long pant legs make your legs look longer and your booty smaller. And back pockets can do much to buff up your butt. Just beware of super-long back pockets. They can make your behind look flat or saggy instead of showing off those sexy contours you earned at the gym.

Dress Your Assets Up

Skip the peg leg and ankle jeans. They widen the hips and make your body look like an ice cream cone with a big, round scoop on top. A better choice to really show off your curves are skinny-fit pant legs or leggings. Look for a tight, form-fitting rear panel for head-turning style.



Read more: WebMD
 

Food Poisoning From Coffee

 

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 By Kimberly Schaub

 

 

Kimberly Schaub is a nutritionist, writer, and cook whose passions have led from serving in the United States Air Force (2005-2006), to R&D for Day by Day Gourmet (2009) and into professional writing for publications since 2006. She has been published in Pepperdine's "Graphic," "That's Natural in Pueblo," and "Pike Place Market News." Schaub earned her Bachelor of Science in nutrition at Pepperdine.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit coffee and coffee-beans image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com

Food safety is an important issue, but coffee is an unusual source of food poisoning. However, while most food professionals are more concerned with meat, dairy and cooked foods, coffee can become contaminated with ochratoxin and mold. Milk and creamers used to flavor coffee drinks can also transmit food-borne illnesses.

Sources

ServSafe, FDA's food safety guidelines, states that foods that contain carbohydrates or protein, such as meat, poultry, dairy and eggs are at risk for causing illnesses. However, ServSafe emphasizes that any food can be contaminated and be a carrier for bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that will cause illness. Foods previously not considered sources of food illness include sliced melons, cut tomatoes, sprouts and untreated flavored oil mixes. In addition, corn, peanuts, cottonseed, milk, treenuts and coffee beans are potential sources for fungi contamination.

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Toxins and Molds

According to ServSafe, fungi mostly spoil food without causing illness, and they can be found in air, soil, plants, water and some foods. Some molds produce aflatoxin, which can cause liver disease. According to Food Safety Watch, toxicity of aflatoxin results in necrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Coffee is a potential host for aflatoxin-producing molds because it is grown in tropical climates, where there is higher humidity and more rainfall. Coffee can also be a source of ochratoxin, another toxin produced by fungi, that can cause severe illness or even death. Our Food states that this dangerous toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking, and mortality is high if a person consumes the toxin.

Considerations

The incidence of mold developing in food is increased when food is improperly harvested and dried. This is particularly the case with coffee, because the humid climate in which coffee naturally grows can slow adequate drying. In humans, toxicity is rare, but there have been documented cases of people becoming ill due to consuming contaminated food, according to Food Safety Watch. Our Food suggests that low level contamination is fairly common, but the levels found have been below the legal limits.

Dairy-related Food Poisoning

Bacterial contamination is the most typical cause of dairy-related food-borne illnesses. According to ServSafe, bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, listeriosis and salmonellosis. When the bacteria infect the food, they rapidly reproduce when the environmental conditions are ideal. They thrive in room temperature foods and in contaminated, unpasteurized dairy products. They can also be transferred to other foods that would not naturally host the bacteria. People can be at risk if contaminated milk is used to make coffee drinks.

Safe Handling and Storing

Carefully handling coffee and milk products can keep food safe and prevent food-borne illness. ServSafe, which complies with state regulations, recommends keeping milk at 41 degrees F or colder. When heating milk and coffee, the beverage should be heated to above 140 degrees F. Make sure to adhere to the expiration dates and discard expired milk. The FDA states that the shelf-life for coffee in unopened containers is up to one year, and once opened can last two to three months at room temperature. If you refrigerate your coffee, you shorten the shelf-life, and it will last only two or three weeks, but frozen coffee can last up to four months.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/157213-food-poisoning-from-coffee/#ixzz2VuCclHNk

OBESITY & OVERWEIGHT

Obesity and overweight

 

 

Fact sheet N°311
Updated March 2013

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Key facts

• Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.
• In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
• 35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.
• 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
• More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011.
• Obesity is preventable.

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What are overweight and obesity?

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m²).
The WHO definition is:

• a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight
• a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.

Facts about overweight and obesity

Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. In addition, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.
Some WHO global estimates from 2008 follow.

• More than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight.
• Of these overweight adults, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
• Overall, more than 10% of the world’s adult population was obese.

In 2011, more than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight. Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight and obesity are now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. More than 30 million overweight children are living in developing countries and 10 million in developed countries.
Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight. For example, 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight (this includes all high-income and most middle-income countries).

What causes obesity and overweight?

The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Globally, there has been:

• an increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat; and
• an increase in physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization.

Changes in dietary and physical activity patterns are often the result of environmental and societal changes associated with development and lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing and education.

What are common health consequences of overweight and obesity?

Raised BMI is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as:

• cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), which were the leading cause of death in 2008;
• diabetes;
• musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis - a highly disabling degenerative disease of the joints);
• some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).

The risk for these noncommunicable diseases increases, with the increase in BMI.
Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects.

Facing a double burden of disease

Many low- and middle-income countries are now facing a "double burden" of disease.

• While they continue to deal with the problems of infectious disease and under-nutrition, they are experiencing a rapid upsurge in noncommunicable disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings.
• It is not uncommon to find under-nutrition and obesity existing side-by-side within the same country, the same community and the same household.

Children in low- and middle-income countries are more vulnerable to inadequate pre-natal, infant and young child nutrition At the same time, they are exposed to high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods, which tend to be lower in cost but also lower in nutrient quality. These dietary patterns in conjunction with lower levels of physical activity, result in sharp increases in childhood obesity while undernutrition issues remain unsolved.

How can overweight and obesity be reduced?

Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices, making the healthier choice of foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice (accessible, available and affordable), and therefore preventing obesity.
At the individual level, people can:

• limit energy intake from total fats and sugars;
• increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts;
• engage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes per week for adults).

Individual responsibility can only have its full effect where people have access to a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, at the societal level it is important to:

• support individuals in following the recommendations above, through sustained political commitment and the collaboration of many public and private stakeholders;
• make regular physical activity and healthier dietary choices available, affordable and easily accessible to all - especially the poorest individuals.

The food industry can play a significant role in promoting healthy diets by:

• reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods;
• ensuring that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers;
• practicing responsible marketing especially those aimed at children and teenagers;
• ensuring the availability of healthy food choices and supporting regular physical activity practice in the workplace.

WHO response

Adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2004, the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health describes the actions needed to support healthy diets and regular physical activity. The Strategy calls upon all stakeholders to take action at global, regional and local levels to improve diets and physical activity patterns at the population level.
WHO has developed the 2008-2013 Action plan for the global strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases to help the millions who are already affected cope with these lifelong illnesses and prevent secondary complications. This action plan aims to build on, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The action plan provides a roadmap to establish and strengthen initiatives for the surveillance, prevention and management of NCDs.
The Political Declaration of the High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases of September 2011, recognizes the critical importance of reducing the level of exposure of individuals and populations to unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. The political declaration commits to advance the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, including, where appropriate, through the introduction of policies and actions aimed at promoting healthy diets and increasing physical activity in the entire population.

SOURCE: WHO

FOODS FOR BETTER SEX



AFRODISIAC FOODS



When your love life is lacking, you're tempted to try almost anything to reignite the spark. Well one answer may lie as close as what’s on your plate.
Sari Greaves, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and co-author of the Cardiac Recovery Cookbook, says, "For centuries, the smell, taste, and appearance of food has been touted as passion-producing."

Certain foods are reputed to strip away inhibitions, put you in the mood for lovemaking, or improve blood flow to your genitals, all of which could enhance your performance and your pleasure.
In truth, there’s not much scientific proof to substantiate the link between food and passionate sex. But that's no reason why you and your partner should shy away from these so-called natural love potions.
Experts say that most notorious food aphrodisiacs are a treasure trove of nutrients that are needed for sexual prowess and good health. It’s a win-win situation.

Sexually Suggestive Fruits and Vegetables

Some people find produce erotic. Bananas, asparagus, cucumbers, and carrots speak for themselves.
Avocados were prized by the Aztecs, who called them "testicle trees" because they grow in pairs. Ancient Greeks and Romans feasted on figs to promote potency. Pomegranates were also known as "love apples."
Ancient civilizations were on to something. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals required to produce the sex hormones necessary for sexual arousal and pleasure.

Honey

Ever wonder where the term "honeymoon" came from?
Centuries ago, newlyweds in Europe drank honey wine during the first month of marriage to improve their sexual stamina. As a bonus, the long-ago lovebirds also got small amounts of beneficial vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from honey.

Chocolate

The Aztec emperor Montezuma's chocolate consumption is legendary. Rumor has it that he drank 50 glasses of honey-sweetened chocolate a day in the name of virility.
Perhaps Montezuma valued chocolate for its feel-good qualities too. Cocoa beans contain phenylethamine, a compound that triggers the release of endorphins, compounds associated with pleasure.
Cocoa powder processed without alkaline provides the biggest bang for the buck. It contains the highest levels of the antioxidants associated with lower blood cholesterol levels, reduced inflammation in blood vessels, and maximum blood flow. Darker chocolate contains more cocoa powder.

Oysters

Oysters are dripping with dopamine, a compound that stirs feelings of sexual desire and pleasure. These mollusks are also bursting with zinc, a mineral that fosters the production of testosterone, necessary for arousal and pleasure in men and women.
You may need to resist the temptation to ply your paramour with raw oysters -- your romantic interlude could end with a severe case of food poisoning. Some raw oysters in the U.S. carry a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus. Healthy people are unlikely to have adverse effects from eating raw oysters. But those with diabetes, liver disease, immune systems disorders, AIDS, and other chronic diseases can end up with a severe infection that may be fatal.

Salmon

You can't get down when you're uptight. Eating salmon can help brighten your disposition.
"Salmon harbors an abundance of omega-3 fats, which qualifies it as a natural mood booster," says registered dietician and author or The Good Mood Diet, Susan Kleiner.
Salmon also supplies large amounts of vitamin D. Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that vitamin D appears to work in the brain like many antidepressant medications do: by raising levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that induces feelings of calm and banishes bad moods.

Garlic

Rich in antioxidants that protect against cell damage, garlic is said to stir sexual desire and increase blood flow, Greaves says.
Just be sure to eat as much as your bed partner because the effects of garlic can linger on your breath for hours.

Alcohol

A glass of the bubbly can help set the mood. But remember, though a drink a day may help reduce the risk of heart disease in healthy people, too much booze can turn your tryst into a snooze fest. Alcohol is a central nervous system downer. Chronic drinking is also linked to erectile dysfunction, which will put an even heavier damper on lovemaking.

The Couple that Eats Together, Sleeps Together?

If you enjoy foods with a reputation for making you hot to trot, you may be thinking about whipping up meals that will knock your partner’s socks off. Well, there's more involved than just what's on the menu.
"A delicious meal can be a prelude to sex," Kleiner says. The act of cooking together can even be a form of foreplay, and the smell of food can ignite intimacy.
Research has shown that for men the aroma of pumpkin pie, cheese pizza, and buttered popcorn induces blood flow to the penis, and the combination of pumpkin pie and lavender does the best job. Women, on the other hand, respond to a combination of Good & Plenty and cucumber.
The smell of vanilla is particularly alluring. "Add vanilla extract to whole grain French toast or drop a vanilla bean into your champagne," Greaves says.
If you're not interested in any of the foods with a reputation for enhancing your love life, are you doomed to a lust-free existence? Not at all.
What matters most is that you and your partner dine on meals that include foods you both enjoy, as long as you don't overeat or drink yourself into a stupor, Kleiner says. "What you eat on a daily basis is far more important to overall sexual satisfaction than a single meal."

Good Health Is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac

Judith Reichman, MD, author of I'm Not In the Mood: What Every Woman Should Know About Improving Her Libido, says, "If you want better sex, take care of your health." Peak physical and emotional well-being is the most important factor in a satisfying sex life.
You don't need to be model-thin to have a wonderful sex life, but if you're uncomfortable with your weight, you may not be at your best in the bedroom for a few reasons.
"Being overweight may deflate your libido, especially if you don't feel attractive," Kleiner says.
Extra body fat also raises the specter of elevated blood glucose levels that can damage the blood vessels and nerves that allow for arousal and sexual pleasure. It also increases the risk for high blood pressure and clogged arteries.
Clear, flexible arteries allow maximum blood flow to all the right places during sex, enhancing your pleasure.
A balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other lean protein foods helps to control your blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, and your weight.
But don't cut too many calories. According to Reichman, menopausal women lose 90% of their circulating estrogen, which may result in less blood flowing to the genitals and diminished capacity for arousal. Body fat offers some protection, because, like your ovaries, it produces estrogen.
Whatever your weight, exercise has a positive effect on your sex life because it improves circulation, manages blood pressure, increases energy levels, and helps you look better.


ByElizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD
WebMD Feature

GENITAL HERPES FACTS

INTRODUCTION
The incidence of herpes, a sexually transmitted disease, varies across the world. Among pregnant women with herpes, nearly 75% can expect at least one flare‐up during their pregnancy. Transmission of the virus from mother to baby typically occurs by direct contact with the virus during birth. It is often recommended that a cesarean should be offered to women with active lesions to reduce the risk of transmission to the baby. In addition, several antiviral agents are available for use both for therapy and for preventing a flare‐up. These antiviral drugs include acyclovir, penciclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. The review assessed whether antiviral drugs given to pregnant women with herpes before a recurrence might be effective in reducing transmission to the baby. Seven studies were identified involving 1249 women. Giving antiviral drugs reduces viral shedding and recurrences at labor and birth. They also reduced the use of cesarean, but there is no evidence of reduction in neonatal herpes. Women should also be informed that the risk of the baby getting herpes during birth is low.



FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT GENITAL HERPES
1. Most people with genital herpes do not know it.
About 16% of people aged 14-49 in the U.S. are infected with the herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) that causes genital herpes, but as many as 81% of them had not received the diagnosis.

2. Genital herpes is very common, infecting at least 45 million people aged 12 and older in the United States.

3. About one in five women between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes caused by HSV-2, while about one in nine men in that same age range are infected.

4. Genital herpes is caused by a virus, so antibiotics will not help resolve the infection. There is no cure for herpes, but treatment is available to reduce and prevent outbreaks and decrease the risk of transmission to a partner.

5. As with other sexually transmitted diseases, herpes can be spread by close contact or sexual activity. It is highly unlikely to be spread by a toilet seat or other objects.

6. Genital herpes can be transmitted even if the infected partner has no symptoms or visible signs or doesn’t know he or she is infected.

7. Washing the genital area doesn’t help prevent any sexually transmitted disease (STD), including genital herpes. The best way to prevent any STD is to abstain from sex or engage in sex only with someone you know is not infected. Condoms are not guaranteed to prevent infection, but research has shown that they provide some protection.
The estimated number of pregnant women infected with HSV-2 is 880,000. Most transmission to newborns occurs during vaginal delivery. If a woman had genital herpes before getting pregnant, her baby may be infected but the chance is very low -- less than 1%. However, the risk of infecting the baby is much higher (25% to 50%) when a woman is newly infected late in pregnancy.

 8. If you are pregnant and think you may be infected, tell your doctor right away. Women with genital herpes are examined carefully for any symptoms before giving birth. If sores or signs that an outbreak is coming are present at the time of delivery, the baby may be delivered by cesarean section (C-section).

9. To find out if you have genital herpes, a doctor can take a sample from a sore and test it in the laboratory. There is also a blood test that looks for antibodies to the virus that your immune system would have made. HSV-2 almost always infects the genitals, so if antibodies to HSV-2 are detected in your blood, you probably have genital herpes.

A blood test that shows antibodies to HSV-1 means you could have genital or oral herpes. That's because oral herpes, typically caused by HSV-1, can be spread to the genitals during oral sex.

 

10. When a person is first infected with the herpes virus, if symptoms occur they usually develop within the first two weeks of virus transmission. Symptoms can include fever and flu-like symptoms, genital itching, burning and discomfort, vaginal discharge, swollen lymph nodes, and a feeling of abdominal pressure.

 

11. The classic symptom of genital herpes is small fluid-filled blisters that break, forming painful sores that crust and heal. These may appear four to seven days after the initial virus transmission.

 

12. Genital herpes typically causes several outbreaks (four or five) within a year of the first outbreak, with fewer and less severe outbreaks over time.

 

13. Some commonly reported triggers for genital herpes outbreaks include stress, illness, surgery, vigorous sex, diet, and menstrual periods.

 

14. Once inside the body, HSV-2 travels to the nerve roots near the spinal cord and settles there permanently.

 

15. About half the people who have recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes feel an outbreak coming a few hours to a couple of days before it happens. They may feel tingling, burning, itching, numbness, tenderness, or pain where the blisters are going to appear. This is called the prodrome.

 

Genital herpes outbreaks increase in frequency over time.

• True
• False

• Previous
• Continue

Genital herpes outbreaks increase in frequency over time.

• Your Answer:
• Correct Answer:

Genital herpes typically causes several outbreaks (four or five) within a year of the first outbreak, with fewer and less severe outbreaks over time.

• Previous
• Continue

Which of these is NOT a commonly reported trigger of a genital herpes outbreak?

• Vigorous sex
• Stress
• Surgery
• Perspiration

• Previous
• Continue

Which of these is NOT a commonly reported trigger of a genital herpes outbreak?

• Your Answer:
• Correct Answer:

Some commonly reported triggers for genital herpes outbreaks include stress, illness, surgery, vigorous sex, diet, and menstrual periods.

• Previous
• Continue

Herpes simplex virus type 2 settles permanently in the body closest to what region?

• Stomach lining
• Spinal cord
• Digestive tract
• Bone marrow

• Previous
• Continue

Herpes simplex virus type 2 settles permanently in the body closest to what region?

• Your Answer:
• Correct Answer:

Once inside the body, HSV-2 travels to the nerve roots near the spinal cord and settles there permanently.

• Previous
• Continue

The period of time when a person feels an outbreak coming on is called the:

• Prodrome
• Prescience
• Preconception
• Presage

• Previous
• Continue

The period of time when a person feels an outbreak coming on is called the:

• Your Answer:
• Correct Answer:

About half the people who have recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes feel an outbreak coming a few hours to a couple of days before it happens. They may feel tingling, burning, itching, numbness, tenderness, or pain where the blisters are going to appear. This is called the prodrome.

• Previous
• Continue

Your Score: You correctly answered out of questions.

Your Score:  You correctly answered out of questions.

RESULTS: Congratulations, you have a high sexual health IQ!

RESULTS: Not bad, but keep trying. A high sexual health IQ is within your reach!

RESULTS: Keep trying. A high sexual health IQ is within your reach!

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More Reading on Genital Herpes

• Pictures and Facts About STDs
• Herpes Simplex: Understanding Herpes Type 1 and 2
• How to Tell Your Partner You Have Genital Herpes

SOURCE: WebMD

LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS (ELEPHANTIASIS)

Lymphatic filariasis

Fact sheet N°102
Updated March 2013

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Key facts

• Nearly 1.4 billion people in 73 countries worldwide are threatened by lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis.
• Over 120 million people are currently infected, with about 40 million disfigured and incapacitated by the disease.
• Lymphatic filariasis can result in an altered lymphatic system and the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain and severe disability.
• Acute episodes of local inflammation involving the skin, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels often accompany chronic lymphoedema.
• To interrupt transmission WHO recommends an annual mass drug administration of single doses of two medicines to all eligible people in endemic areas.

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The disease

Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease. Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. When a mosquito with infective stage larvae bites a person, the parasites are deposited on the person's skin from where they enter the body. The larvae then migrate to the lymphatic vessels where they develop into adult worms in the human lymphatic system.
Infection is usually acquired in childhood, but the painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease occur later in life. Whereas acute episodes of the disease cause temporary disability, lymphatic filariasis leads to permanent disability.
Currently, more than 1.4 billion people in 73 countries are at risk. Approximately 65% of those infected live in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 30% in the African Region, and the remainder in other tropical areas.
Lymphatic filariasis afflicts over 25 million men with genital disease and over 15 million people with lymphoedema. Since the prevalence and intensity of infection are linked to poverty, its elimination can contribute to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Cause and transmission

Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are three types of these thread-like filarial worms:

• Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases
• Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases
• B. timori, which also causes the diseases.

Adult worms lodge in the lymphatic system and disrupt the immune system. They live for 6-8 years and, during their life time, produce millions of microfilariae (small larvae) that circulate in the blood.
Lymphatic filariasis is transmitted by different types of mosquitoes for example by the Culex mosquito, widespread across urban and semi-urban areas; Anopheles mainly in rural areas, and Aedes, mainly in endemic islands in the Pacific.

Symptoms

Lymphatic filariasis infection involves asymptomatic, acute, and chronic conditions. The majority of infections are asymptomatic, showing no external signs of infection. These asymptomatic infections still cause damage to the lymphatic system and the kidneys as well as alter the body's immune system.
Acute episodes of local inflammation involving skin, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels often accompany the chronic lymphoedema or elephantiasis. Some of these episodes are caused by the body's immune response to the parasite. However most are the result of bacterial skin infection where normal defences have been partially lost due to underlying lymphatic damage.
When lymphatic filariasis develops into chronic conditions, it leads to lymphoedema (tissue swelling) or elephantiasis (skin/tissue thickening) of limbs and hydrocele (fluid accumulation). Involvement of breasts and genital organs is common.
Such body deformities lead to social stigma, as well as financial hardship from loss of income and increased medical expenses. The socioeconomic burdens of isolation and poverty are immense.

Treatment and prevention

The recommended regimen for treatment through mass drug administration (MDA) is a single dose of two medicines given together - albendazole (400 mg) plus either ivermectin (150-200 mcg/kg) in areas where onchocerciasis (river blindness) is also endemic or diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) (6 mg/kg) in areas where onchocerciasis is not endemic. These medicines clear microfilariae from the bloodstream.
Mosquito control is another measure that can be used to suppress transmission. Measures such as insecticide-treated nets or indoor residual spraying may help protect populations in endemic regions from infection.
Patients with chronic disabilities like elephantiasis, lymphoedema, or hydrocele are advised to maintain rigorous hygiene and take necessary precautions to prevent secondary infection and aggravation of the disease condition.

WHO's response

World Health Assembly Resolution 50.29 encourages Member States to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public-health problem.
In response, WHO launched its Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) in 2000. The goal of the GPELF is to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public-health problem by 2020.
The strategy is based on two key components:

• interrupting transmission through annual large-scale treatment programmes, known as mass drug administration, implemented to cover the entire at-risk population;
• alleviating the suffering caused by lymphatic filariasis through morbidity management and disability prevention.

Mass drug administration (MDA)

To achieve interruption of transmission first the disease is mapped to know where to administer MDA then community-wide annual MDA of single doses of albendazole plus either diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin is implemented in endemic regions, treating the entire at-risk population.
MDA should be continued for 4-6 years to fully interrupt transmission of infection. By 2011, 59 endemic countries had completed mapping, and 53 countries had started implementing MDA. Of the 53 countries that had implemented MDA, 12 countries have moved to the post-MDA surveillance phase.
From 2000 to 2011, more than 3.9 billion treatments were delivered to a targeted population of about 950 million individuals in 53 countries, considerably reducing transmission in many places. Recent research data show that the transmission of lymphatic filariasis in at-risk populations has dropped by 43% since the beginning of the GPELF. The overall economic benefit of the programme during 2000-2007 is conservatively estimated at US$ 24 billion.

Morbidity management

Morbidity management and disability prevention are vital for public health improvement and should be fully integrated into the health system. The GPELF aims to provide access to a minimum package of care for every person with acute dermatolymphangioadenitis (ADLA)/acute attacks, lymphoedema/elephantiasis or hydrocele in all areas where lymphatic filariasis is endemic, thus alleviating suffering and promoting improvement in their quality of life.
Clinical severity of lymphoedema and acute inflammatory episodes can be improved using simple measures of hygiene, skin care, exercise, and elevation of affected limbs. Hydrocele (fluid accumulation) can be cured with surgery.


SOURCE: WHO

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DOCTOR

The relationship between you and your doctor should be one of open communication and complete trust -- a two-way street of listening and discussion. Things you need to know.

1. Don't wait until you are sick to pick a doctor. You may be rushed and possibly too sick to make a good decision.

2. It's actually a good idea to have a friend or family member present during doctor's visits so they can take notes or help you remember what the doctor said.

3. If you are worried you will forget something important from a doctor's office visit, bring a tape recorder with a blank tape and fresh batteries to your next appointment. A cell phone with recording capability will also work.

4. Bring any X-rays or pathology reports to a doctor's appointment. If these tests were performed at a hospital or clinic that does not release files directly to you, make sure they will send that information to your doctor's office prior to your visit so he can review it ahead of time.

5. Prior to an appointment with your doctor, prepare your questions, bring the list with you and write down your doctor's answers during your appointment. This ensures you will remember all the questions you had, and you will get the most from your appointment.

6. When booking a doctor's appointment, always try to get the first appointment of the day. At that time, things haven't had a chance to become backed up, and you'll spend less time waiting.

7. A doctor’s time is limited: the average office visit is estimated to last 15 minutes.

8. If you have a lot to discuss during a particular visit, tell the office receptionist so he or she can help. You may also consider asking if you can have two consecutive appointments. Finally, befriend the office nurses and the administrators -- they can make your life much easier when dealing with the doctor.

9. In addition to any questions you may have and past lab results, you should also bring a baggie filled with every medication, vitamin, herb or whatever else you take regularly (in the original bottles or containers) and a copy of your health profile to your appointment.

10. A health profile is one or more forms that lists pertinent health information: current and past medical problems, family health history, as well as current medications or supplements.

11. The best way to start a doctor's appointment is by providing a concise background of your symptoms. Although you may need to discuss several issues, it's best to start with just one.

12. You should tell your doctor if an explanation, description or word is unfamiliar. Ask your doctor to explain it in more simple terms.

13. You may have several more questions at each doctor's visit, but these three should always be asked: How is my overall health?; Are there any tests I should have based on my age or for other reasons?; Do you have any recommendations about lifestyle modifications I should make?

14. It's crucial to be honest about your medical history and compliance (or not) with the doctor's treatment or prescription. Doctors can act only on what they're told. If you're not honest, Doctors will not be able to treat you properly; Doctors will not be able to diagnose your condition properly; Doctors will think the treatment or prescription they suggested for you is not working.

15. If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor, he's probably not the best doctor for you. In order to work, a doctor-patient relationship has to be open and trusting.

16. If your doctor isn't providing the right kind of care, find another one. Physicians provide a service, and if you're not happy or comfortable with it, it is your right to seek better care elsewhere.

17. Some people are told they have "white coat hypertension." This means the patient's blood pressure may be elevated at the doctor’s office or clinic, but not at home or at other times.

18. Some patients take their prescription medicines only as long as the doctor's white coat remains vivid in their minds. About half of patients who need drugs long-term stop taking their medications within six months of their last doctor visit. This is called "white coat non-compliance."

19. Patient non-compliance happens when the patient does not take prescription medications as directed by the doctor. Reasons may include cost, a fear of becoming addicted to the medication and side effects, as well as forgetting to take medications on time.

20. You should always ask for a copy of your test results. There may be a time you need them and the doctor's staff can't be reached.