Senate approves revised version of STD bill

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —
A proposed law on its way to the governor's desk would allow some people with sexually transmitted diseases to treat themselves with an antibiotic, even if they don't seek medical treatment.Under the practice, called "expedited partner therapy," medical professionals who treat an individual for gonorrhea or chlamydia also may give the patient a single-dose antibiotic to pass along to his or her sexual partner. The idea is to prevent partners from re-infecting one another after one of them seeks medical attention. Expedited partner therapy will curb the spread of STDs, which have become a growing problem in Peoria and elsewhere in Illinois, said Sen. David Koehler, D- Peoria, who is the bill's sponsor.But an opponent, Sen. Dave Syverson, R- Rockford, believes antibiotics shouldn't be made available to anyone who hasn't visited a physician or another medical professional. He said he's particularly worried about how the measure would affect young people."This legislation would allow teen-agers – 13, 14, 15 – to get drugs and go out and give them to their sexual partners. The concern is it sends the wrong message, that this somehow addresses the issue of sexual diseases," Syverson said. "I think everyone ought should see a medical professional so they can at least get the warnings of those kinds of activities, especially for these young kids."Syverson was one of three senators to vote against the legislation, Senate Bill 212, on Wednesday. It passed on a 54-3 roll call. An earlier version of the legislation passed in the Senate earlier this year. But the House of Representatives revised the measure before approving it, a move that required the Senate to sign off on the changes before sending the bill to Gov. Pat Quinn. With his signature, the bill would become law.One of the House revisions spells out that health-care professionals who choose not to provide expedited partner therapy may not be penalized for that decision.

How to Tell Your Partner About an STD

You're diagnosed with an STD and faced with alerting your sexual partner. It's a very important obligation to fulfill as soon as you know there's an issue, says Mary McFarlane, a research behavioral scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of STD Prevention. When just an E-card won't do, here's how you can ease the stress of a face-to-face discussion:

"Summit Looks for Ways to Curb District’s Spiraling HIV/AIDS Rates"

On May 4 at the District of Columbia Black AIDS Leadership Mobilization Summit, participants discussed ways to respond to HIV/AIDS in Washington. About two months ago, the District’s Department of Health reported that 3 percent of all D.C. residents were known to be living with HIV/AIDS. More than 4 percent of the District’s black residents have HIV, including 6.5 percent of black men.

Got unhappy STD news? Break it with an e-card

Breaking up over e-mail is a social no-no. But sending an e-card telling someone to get tested for STDs may be a public health courtesy. Since 2004, a free Web site, inSpot.org has allowed users to anonymously notify their partners to get tested for STDs such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. It may not be the most personal way of delivering the news, but researchers say it beats not saying anything at all. "When you weigh the importance of getting people notified, that's ultimately what needs to be done," said Jeffrey D. Klausner, director of STD Prevention and Control Services in San Francisco, California's Department of Public Health. "By notifying them -- even if it's done anonymously, even distantly, even with an e-card -- the benefits of getting someone diagnosed and treated outweigh the concerns of insensitivity."

Cases Of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea Up In Utah Since 2003, Health Dept. Finds

The number of chlamydia cases increased by 50% and the number of gonorrhea cases nearly doubled in Utah between 2003 and 2007, according to a report released Thursday by the state Department of Health, the AP/KUTV.com reports. Many men and women experience no symptoms from chlamydia infections. Chlamydia, which can lead to fertility problems if untreated, is more than three times more likely to be reported in women than in men. The report found that more than 70% of chlamydia cases in the state occurred among women ages 15 to 24. Some men experience symptoms from gonorrhea, but most women do not. More men than women in Utah were diagnosed with gonorrhea. According to the new report, chlamydia was the most frequently reported communicable disease in the Utah in 2007 with 5,721 cases, while gonorrhea was the fourth most-reported with 821 cases.

HIV cases up among young people in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas — Cases of people testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, which can lead to AIDS, are up overall and among young people in El Paso.
The city's Department of Public Health shows that 22 cases of HIV have been reported in the first three months of this year. There were 64 cases of HIV reported in all of 2008.

STD Testing: the need of the hour

STD or Sexually Transmitted Disease is one of the major concerns for the medical science community. It generally denotes those diseases that travel from one body to another through sexual intercourse and other sexual acts. Like other diseases, this is also caused by viruses and these viruses take different body fluids like saliva, semen, etc. as a means for their transmission. However, even though sexual acts are the main way of transmission, this is not the only way. There are many other means as well.

Still, every disease has its own way to spread. HIV, for example, spreads mainly through the unprotected sexual intercourse. Other sexually transmuted diseases like Syphilis, Chlamydia, etc. spread through similar process. Herpes, on the other hand, can be spread through different ways.

In fact, there are two types of Herpes. The type 1 affects the mouth and therefore it is called oral herpes, while the type 2 affects the genitals. Both of them are however, caused by same virus named Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV.

There is a wide range of symptoms that can be found in herpes. Important among them are cold sores and painful blisters. They appear on the infected area, be it the genitals, or mouth and lips. The cold sores appear initially as fluid-filled blisters. Then it turns into painful ones. The number of blisters can vary from one to many.

One of the most critical factors about the disease is that its primary symptoms often heal quickly after their appearance. But that does not mean the total deletion of the HSV. Rather, they remain in the body and reappear after some time. Also, there is a tendency to think of the symptoms as ordinary skin irritation.

As many as 90% of people that have Herpes are not aware they have the disease. Oral Herpes can be found in more than 50% of the adults. This is dangerous as well, since oral sex can transfer the disease to the genitals. The disease can be infected to a new born baby if her mother has it during her pregnancy.

Therefore, every individual should under go STD Tests. Not only Herpes, other STDs also, can only be detected by STD testing. Since all of them can travel from one’s body to the other’s body, detection can prevent it from getting spread.

SafeLabCentre is the best for confidential STD testing. After all, most of you want privacy when dealing with such a sensitive matter. At the same time, they provide each and every kind of test that is essential to detect the different STDs. Their website provides all the details about their STD testing locations. Also, if you want to know about the diseases, how they spread, what are the symptoms, you can check out the site, as it provides all the information you need to know about STD testing. If you need more information, you can call and speak to their counselors. They have been trained to answer your questions as well as set up STD Testing for you at your convenience.