About.com AIDS / HIV

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:38:24 +0000

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in men and fourth leading cause of cancer in women in the United States. The frequency of colorectal cancer varies around the world; common in the western world and rare in Africa and Asia. According to the American Cancer Society, almost 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed and approximately 50,000 people died from the disease last year in the US. Because it's so common and potentially devastating, colorectal cancer awareness is very important. That's why March is colorectal cancer awareness month. While colorectal cancer affects so many people, it is preventable through regular screenings, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. Simply put, colorectal cancer awareness is necessary if colon cancer is going to be beaten.

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Ten Facts About HIV Everyone Should Know

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:16:28 +0000

HIV is a complex disease that continues to take its toll around the world. For those living with the disease, understanding it is key to staying healthy. For those of us who aren't infected, an important key to staying that way is to understand how the disease spreads from person to person. This feature presents ten facts about HIV that everyone should know. Read more....

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A Letter to Charlie Sheen - Please Use a Condom!

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:40:32 +0000

Everyone wants a piece of Charlie Sheen. Every talk show host, radio personality, and news outlet wants Charlie to unload for them. In fact, there are porn stars, prostitutes, and gold diggers looking for a share of Mr. Sheen as well. And according to Charlie, he is all to happy to oblige. He has admitted to a wild life, filled with wild parties, drugs, beautiful women, and lots and lots of sex. Everyone wants to talk with Charlie, including myself. My chances are slim, so instead, I have written him a letter.

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Cholesterol Lowering Drugs May Slow HIV Progression

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:43:52 +0000

Because many HIV medications raise cholesterol levels, it is not uncommon for people living with HIV to be taking cholesterol lowering drugs. Results of a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggest that a class of these cholesterol lowering drugs, "statins" as they are referred to, may in fact benefit HIV positive people in a way other than just lowering their cholesterol levels. Dr. Brian Agan, director of HIV research with the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md. reports that this study suggests that statin drugs may suppress the inflammatory process of HIV positive people. Chronic inflammation is common in people living with HIV and if left unchecked can be very detrimental to the health of the HIV positive person.

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Elite Controllers - Are They the Key to an HIV Vaccine?

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:50:54 +0000

Since HIV emerged 30 years ago, experts still agree that the Holy Grail of HIV research is the quest for an effective HIV vaccine. While a few have shown some promise, we are still without the vaccine that would halt this HIV epidemic we are living through. However, new research into what experts call elite controllers may hold the key to an effective HIV vaccine. Read more...

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An Interesting Look at HIV

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:10:30 +0000

Scientists from the 2010 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge got a look at a unique representation of HIV. Ivan Konstantinov and his team at the Visual Science Company in Moscow spent months combing through the latest research, compiling data from more than 100 papers and assembling the information into a coherent image of a 100-nanometer HIV particle. What resulted was the winning image and gave us all a very haunting look at HIV and its structure. HIV is a very complex virus that few of us get to see close up. Konstantinov's illustration allows us a peak at this amazing and deadly virus.

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New York Health Department Offers Condom Smart Phone App

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:04:53 +0000

In an effort to get a condom in everyone's purse or wallet, the New York City Health Department has released an iPhone application (App) that will identify five places where you can get a free condom; the five places closest to your location. The key to stopping HIV and STDs in their tracks is a condom and this new app will help people locate condoms without worrying about cost. Sure, it may be unconventional but getting a condom to even one more person is an improvement that is worth the effort. The App is available for download on PC and on your iPhone.

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Smart Phone Apps are Now Helping People Take Their Meds

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 12:51:37 +0000

Since the first HIV medications and the first HIV medication regimens, adherence to drug therapy has been the main hurdle to effectively controlling HIV. While once a day regimens and combination medications have made adherence easier, adherence continues to be an issue with some HIV positive people.

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Online Dating - Be Safe While Looking for that Special Someone

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:12:27 +0000

In this age of social networking, meeting people is no longer something you do only at bars and nightclubs. Online matchmaking sites, chat rooms, instant messaging, and social networking sites are bringing people together in greater numbers, allowing them to "meet" in cyberspace in the safe confines of their home, protected by the anonymity of the internet. But eventually, when it's time to take the next step and meet in person, safety becomes a concern. After all, how much do you really know about your new online acquaintance? From the first instant message to the first face-to-face meeting, you must take every precaution when meeting people online. This feature provides you with a few rules to keep you safe in the new online dating world. Read more...

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National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:03:24 +0000

This February 7 marks the eleventh year of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). The African American community continues to be hit particularly hard by the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The purpose of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is to encourage members of the African American community to get educated, tested, treated, and to get involved with HIV prevention, education and awareness.

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