Disclaimer: If you think you have been exposed to HIV, please talk to a health care provider about PEP as soon as possible (within 72 hours). Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is an emergency Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention method where individuals start a 28-day course medication within 72 hours of HIV exposure in order to prevent an infection….
Tag: Treatment
Sex and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental disorder that can develop after a person experiences trauma.1 PTSD can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or background. Although PTSD is most commonly associated with war or military experience, PTSD can also develop following a natural disaster, accident, sexual assault, or other traumatic or life-threatening…
Pica
The National Eating Disorders Association defines pica as “the recurrent eating of non-food substances that offer no nutritional value and are not part of a culturally sanctioned practice”.1 To be considered a disorder, this behavior must take place over at least one month.2 Some of these substances may include cloth, hair, wool, starch, soil, string,…
When Pornography Becomes a Problem
Watching pornography is a generally an acceptable and positive way for a person to express their sexuality. However, it can also cause a person distress if they feel they are watching it too often or feel they are losing control of their habit. How Much Is Too Much? There is no “normal” amount of pornography to consume….
Isotretinoin (Accutane) Use
Acne is one of the most common issues that adolescents face. Suffering from acne can have a dramatic effect on one’s self esteem and body image. Severe acne can last for a prolonged period of time, result in scarring, and may not be effectively treated by over-the-counter treatments or treatments prescribed by a dermatologist. Isotretinoin,…
Diabulimia
Diabulimia is an eating disorder in which patients with Type 1 diabetes deliberately skip and/or restrict their intake of insulin in order to cause extreme weight loss, and many patients often supplement this activity with bulimic behaviors. Bulimia is an eating disorder that involves binge eating followed by a compensatory behavior, such as vomiting or…
Drug Treatments to Control Herpes
Transmission of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) often goes undetected. This is because HSV has an incubation period that can range from a few weeks to over a year. Most people infected with the virus discover their condition either from an initial outbreak or from the results of a blood test.1 The realization that a person is…
Oral Sex and STIs
Oral sex is a sexual activity that uses the mouth, lips, or tongue as a way to stimulate a partner.1 There are many reasons why individuals enjoy oral sex, and it is a much more common sexual activity than people are led to believe. In fact, a statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more…
HIV Treatment
Treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) consists of taking a combination of medicines daily to suppress viral activity and slow the progression of the virus.1 HIV is classified as a retrovirus, a class of virus using RNA as genetic material and replicates through integrating to the host DNA. While there is no current cure for HIV, there is…