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abouthealthcaretests · 7 months

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Understanding Syphilis Testing: Methods, Accuracy, and Early Detection

Introduction

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It can have serious consequences if left untreated, including damage to the heart, brain, and other organs. Detecting syphilis early is crucial for effective treatment. In this article, we will discuss different methods of syphilis testing and diagnosis, their accuracy, and the importance of early detection.

Symptoms of Syphilis

Syphilis can present with a wide range of symptoms or may even be asymptomatic in its early stages. Common symptoms of Syphilis include painless sores called chancres, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, these symptoms can be easily mistaken for other conditions. Therefore, it is important to get tested if you suspect you have been exposed to the infection and experiencing any syphilis symptoms.

VDRL Test: A Reliable Method

The VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) test is one of the most commonly used tests for syphilis. It detects antibodies produced by the body in response to the infection. The test requires a blood sample and can be done at any diagnostic laboratory near you. The VDRL test price varies depending on the facility and location. Results are usually available within a few days. However, it is important to note that false-positive results can occur due to other conditions like autoimmune diseases or recent vaccinations.

RPR Test: Another Effective Option

The Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test is similar to the VDRL test in terms of its methodology. It also detects antibodies against T. pallidum in the blood. The RPR test is widely available and offers quick results. However, as with the VDRL test, false-positive results can happen.

Early Detection is Key

Early detection of syphilis is crucial for preventing the complications associated with the infection. If left untreated, syphilis can progress through different stages, leading to serious health problems. Regular testing is recommended, especially for individuals who are sexually active or engage in high-risk behaviours.

Seek Medical Help

If you suspect you may have syphilis or have been exposed to someone with the infection, it is important to seek medical help promptly and get the syphilis test done under the guidance of a reliable healthcare professional. Your healthcare provider can guide you on the appropriate tests to detect syphilis and offer suitable treatment options if necessary.

Protect Yourself and Others

Preventing the spread of syphilis is essential to protect yourself and others. Practising safe sex by using condoms consistently and correctly can significantly reduce the risk of transmission. Regular testing is also crucial, even if you do not have symptoms. Remember that syphilis can be transmitted through any form of sexual contact, including oral and anal sex.

Confidentiality and Support

When getting tested for syphilis or any other sexually transmitted infection, it is important to remember that your privacy should be protected. Confidentiality is an essential aspect of healthcare, and healthcare professionals are bound by ethical guidelines to maintain it.

Conclusion

Early detection of syphilis through reliable testing methods like the VDRL blood test and RPR test is key for effective treatment and prevention of complications associated with this sexually transmitted infection. If you suspect you have been exposed to syphilis or experience symptoms, do not hesitate to seek medical help and get tested. Remember to practice safe sex and regular testing for optimal sexual health.

#VDRL blood test #syphilis test

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mistymuichirou · 4 years

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hello :))) can I have hcs Muichiro, Giyuu and Obanai with s/o that shorter than all the pillars? :)

Yes, yes of course you can! (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

𝓣. 𝓜𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓸𝓾

・The second shortest after Shinobu so he doesn't really have a place to tease you. Plus, he wouldn't even notice or mind that you are shorter than everyone.

・If he can do that, he can surely tease you once he grows taller and becomes more observant/ mindful of his surroundings

・His playful comments may sometimes come off too strong since he usually says it without much expression.

・However, he absolutely does not have the intention of hurting or insulting you with what he says and he makes sure his point goes through.

・When you broke down unexpectedly for the first time because of his comments, he was immediately conflicted. It was not the first time he had teased you about your height so what was it that he had said this time? Should he stop doing this?

・After his short panic, he would try his best to comfort you and try to find out what is wrong, apologising in the midst of doing that.

・It was his first time doing all these, so of course, his actions would be very awkward. Despite that, he still tries and that's what matter.

・"...Are you okay? I- I told you everytime that what I said are just jokes, remember?" Muichirou slowly rubbed his hands up and down your back. This situation was so unfamiliar to him that it caused him to sweat slightly. Out of fear, he could not help but dart his eyes around as he spoke. Were you going to break up with him because of this? What if his comments affected you so much more than he knew?

・"I'm sorry... I promise I didn't mean it, please don't take it to heart..."

・"I know, it's just... I don't know why... why am I crying..." You merely continued sobbing as Muichirou tries to comfort you by loosely embracing you.

・"I'll stop teasing you from now on so please... don't cry anymore," Perhaps it was just empathy, perhaps it was because the person crying was his precious s/o, but tears threatened to fall from the corner of his eyes as well. The sight of you crying made his heart clench in his chest. It hurts so much, the pain he felt was unbearable.

・"Please, I love you so please... stop crying..."

𝓣. 𝓖𝓲𝔂𝓾𝓾

・Doesn't even notice your height throughout the whole time you have been togther until you mention it.

・Totally confused boy

・When he heard your concerns for the first time, he would stare at you dumbfoundedly for a few minutes straight.

・After hearing everything that you've said, he only nods.

・He just doesn't get it. What's wrong with your height?

・He doesn't even have to try, his blunt opinions are enough to ease your minds, knowing he doesn't care.

・Will subconsciously try to show that your height does not matter through small everyday actions.

・"Giyuu... why would you be with me when I'm so short?"

・"You are what?" He stopped in his tracks, a sign for you to stop as well.

・"Short- yes," Repeating this only makes your mood drop even further, once again reminded of the fact that you were just that short.

・"...Are you?" Only now does he take a good look and registers the fact that you are the shortest out of all the pillars.

・He lets out a small "oh" and just pats your head. Just as you were about to slap his hand away and question what he think he's trying to do, he opens his mouth.

・"I don't see a problem with that, and... it's cute that I can do this to you," He merely tells it as a matter of fact, not even getting slightly flustered.

・"S-stop it! That's embarrassing!" However, you can't bring yourself to move his hand away because of hearing what he just say. You can't help but wonder, does he always think that when he ruffles your hair?

・"To answer your question, I didn't even notice you were short until now. So your height doesn't matter to me at all," Hearing that, you are beyond relief and you bashfully smiled, muttering a 'thank you'.

・"Well, we have more important missions to do now, so let's go," Grabbing your hands, the both of you walked off together to the designated place.

𝓘. 𝓞𝓫𝓪𝓷𝓪𝓲

・Lowkey insecure about the fact that he is one of the shortest as well so he is happy that he is at least taller than you. It boosts his self-esteem a little y'know what I meannnn 😌

・Wouldn't let anyone know but he thinks about how cute you are whenever he sees them. Your height is just another plus that appeals to him.

・On very rare occasions, he carries you up onto the tree to lie with him. The first time, you were scared out of your mind and kept on rambling on how you might fall.

・"You're too noisy, I can't rest like this," He would then proceed to wrap his arms around you on pull you close to him.

・"Now, you won't have to worry about falling, right?" You have no idea how fast his heart was beating at that point in time, even his mask couldn't fully conceal the blush that found its way to his cheeks.

・Both of you spent almost the whole day up there and he did not even once, loosen his hold on you.

・Whenever he talks to you, he makes sure to come down from his tree so both of you can converse at (almost) eye level.

・He knows how sometimes you are insecure about your height and him being so high up there would only make it worse.

・If anyone ever questioned him about it, he would panic internally but still manage to keep his calm exterior.

・Of course, he would blurt out an excuse as to why he would do so. He can't even imagine himself saying something so embarrassing, or at least he thinks it's embarrassing.

・"Obanai, I recently noticed but... why do you always come down when you talk to me?"

・"What do you mean? I don't remember doing anything like that,"

・"Really? But I-"

・"I must have gotten down to do something but you just always coincidentally come at that time. Speaking of which, I should go and train now," Not giving you the chancr to explain, he just walks past.

・However, the slight tint of pink on his cheeks did not go by you as he passes. It took you a while to realise what was going on. Once you do, you can't help but let out a small giggle and be on your way to find Obanai.

Published：2 Feb 2020

#kimetsu no yaiba headcanons #kny x reader #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer #demon slayer headcanons #kny headcanons #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #kny #tomioka giyuu #iguro obanai #tokitou muichirou

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foxfeaturewriting · 5 years

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Prevention In Vein

Being Gay and Navigating Fear, Stigma, and Tele-medicine

I could feel my blood pumping through my jugular.

I received a call from BioLife Plasma Services regarding discrepancies in my blood tests from a recent donation session in March, 2018. I was to meet with a nurse at the location at my soonest convenience. My friend consoled me, reminding me that simple, nonlife-threatening conditions, like iron deficiency, are common reasons people receive such a phone call.

As a junior in college, I lost my job and needed easy cash. Plasma services like BioLife frequently bombard college students with “$500 a month” flyers for their time while providing their plasma. By no surprise, donors undergo invasive screening and testing to qualify, ensuring donations are of healthy quality.

Donors are required to answer 20 questions each time they go to BioLife. Questions like: “Are you feeling healthy and well today?” Most would answer, “Yes!” Or, “Have you taken any medications on the medication list in the time frames indicated?” Typically, donors would answer, “No.”

Alongside questions about tattoos and piercings, the PPTA (Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association) requires to always ask: “In the past 12 months, have you had sexual contact with another male [for males]? Have you ever had sexual contact with another male [for males]? In the past 12 months, have you had sexual contact with a male who had sexual contact with another male, in the past 12 months [for females]?”

After a November, 2014 review of studies, the FDA relaxed its lifetime deferral for donations from MSM (men who have sex with men) to allow MSM a 12-month no-sexual contact grace period. However, this question is easily dismissed with a simple checkmark in the ‘no’ column of the questionnaire screen. At the time, $50 per donation was worth a lie through my fingertips.

After receiving the phone call about my labs, only three letters could sprint across my mind before meeting with the nurse at BioLife – HIV.

The questionnaire from the Source Plasma Industry is in place to prevent HIV transmissions through services like BioLife. Frustration inside me grew. Though I was forced to conceal my identity as a gay man, the questionnaire posed redundancy. My blood was being tested anyway.

My lab results returned from BioLife positive for syphilis. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is easy to treat, but is capable of creating very serious complications in its later stages. I could feel my shoulders drop in relief – I was not given a life sentence.

Subsequently, I earned a phone call from the Black Hawk County Health Department for treatment. I was introduced to the quarters of the health department in Waterloo, IA, located on Independence Ave. on Waterloo’s east side. The Pinecrest Building, home to the local Department of Human Services and Veteran’s Affairs offices, is by no means ‘state of the art.’

Testing was performed for all STI’s with blood being drawn, a prick to my finger, and cotton swabs everywhere. I was told my HIV/syphilis result would take a mere 20 minutes.

Twenty minutes to wait for an HIV test – in what seemed like an attic, with the room’s sloped, low ceiling and obnoxiously dripping pipe. I counted every second the clock in the room ticked.

They confirmed the diagnosis - just syphilis. The treatment was simple, but painful; two simultaneously injected doses of penicillin to the waist. During and afterwards, it felt like I had been struck by trucks on both my left and right sides. I was handed a bottle of water from the nurse, Claudia, and asked to sit-down. She asked me follow-up questions about the symptoms I may had experienced.

I was able to recall a full-body rash I had three months prior to my diagnosis. At the time, I assumed my roommate’s cat was the culprit – that I was allergic to Jazmin, the feline in my home. I had made a visit to convenient care in December, four months before my diagnosis, suggesting to the physician that I was allergic to the cat. The doctor had given me steroids, assuming it was a reaction from my immune system.

The rash had cleared after consuming the medication, but for obvious reasons. My immune system was reacting, but no STI test was performed to discover the cause. In its second stage, the CDC describes syphilis as a skin rash, as well as swollen lymph nodes and possibly a fever.

Primary syphilis consists of a sore, or a chancre, or a sore located on the genitals. According to the CDC, syphilis is transmitted from partner to partner from this sore. What was troubling for me – I was unable to recall any chancre or sore, on my own body or the body of one of my partners. What was more troubling was discovering the source of my syphilis – I was unable to.

Claudia asked me to contact partners or hand over contact information of partners I’ve had since my last STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) test or when I first recalled symptoms. I contacted my partners whom I felt morally obligated to notify myself and gave her the information of the few partners I was uncomfortable with contacting.

I use condoms frequently and keep track of who I am sleeping with, but no one was able to tell me that they had also contracted the infection. Three letters, again, dashed through my mind - what if this was HIV?

In the U.S., possibly 1.1 million people are living with HIV, according to HIV.gov by the NIH (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases). Nearly 15% of that figure includes those who are unaware of their status. Young people, ages 13-24, are most likely to be unaware of their HIV status. According to the report, approximately 51% of the group infected remains undiagnosed.

The NIH has on record that over 15,000 died in 2016 with an HIV diagnosis. “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” was announced by President Donald Trump in his February, 2019 State of the Union address, noting the $20 billion annual health expenditures the U.S. allocates for HIV prevention and treatment.

In the media, HIV has casted a crucial role in critically-acclaimed TV shows like Michael Crichton’s “ER” which aired on NBC for 15 seasons, or Shonda Rhymes’ “How to Get Away With Murder” which is running its 6th season on ABC. Jonathan Van Ness, starring in reality TV’s “Queer Eye,” revealed in his New York Times book preview his saddening past facing drugs and sexual abuse, and his life now living HIV positive.

As the HIV epidemic continually lifts from the ashes of stigma, several federal campaigns preach prevention. One resource by the CDC is the “#DoingIt” campaign, which claims that HIV testing should be part of an adult’s regular health routine. Its website provides a search option for HIV testing, HIV treatment, prevention medication, and other transformational information for prevention.

The Black Hawk County Health department shared with me Iowa’s statewide initiative for HIV prevention: TelePrEP. Like several other states, Iowa has created a specialty clinic to engage with populations most at risk for HIV infection.

The CDC has provided funding to the University of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Public Health to increase technology and infrastructure for HIV prevention with a $2 million grant in 2018. TelePrEP describes itself as “an in-home (or wherever you want to be) telemedical delivery model for PrEP.”

TelePrEP connected me with Dr. Kim Spalding, a pharmacist from Coralville, IA with the University of Iowa.

“PrEP is a once a day pill. People using PrEP aim for a level of Truvada in their blood that grants 95%-98% protection from the HIV virus,” she explained.

The CDC clarifies that Truvada is a combination of two medicines, tenofovir and emtricitabine, drugs also used as antiretrovirals for HIV treatment. It is imperative patients seek testing prior to taking PrEP.

“We need to be sure that there is no [HIV] viral load before you get on PrEP, because there’s possibility that the virus could build an immunity to the same drugs in PrEP that are used for treatment,” Dr. Spalding said.

Dr. Spalding recorded my health information including my lifestyle, sexual history, drug/alcohol use, etc. PrEP has a history of causing bone and kidney complications, and Spalding explained how a creatinine test would examine the functionality of kidneys. It was like a routine check up with a doctor, except I was sitting in my living room, talking to Dr. Spalding via a live-video streaming app, VidyoMobile.

Months prior to my check-up with Dr. Spalding, a PrEP Navigator with TelePrEP, Seth Owens, was answering my questions over the phone. Together, we decided HIV prevention through PrEP was right for me.

Seth informed me that TelePrEP tries to make PrEP as accessible as possible to rural Iowa. The advancement of telemedicine has brought relief to patients who, otherwise, would have to commute to see a pharmacist like Dr. Spalding.

“We try to be as creative as we can, but every case is different,” he said.

“The big thing [is] the labs. You have to have your blood drawn regularly on PrEP and the time window to interpret the results is pretty tight,” he continued, “For people who live somewhere that doesn’t have a lab in it, that can be a huge obstacle.”

Patients on PrEP are scheduled for annual STI/HIV testing every three months, with new creatinine tests every six. Public health departments across the state provide these tests for TelePrEP and its patients.

“Stigma, too,” Owens said, “And then it’s like, if you already have fewer resources, if any of the human beings at that resource suck, then what do you do, you know?”

Campaigns like “RU Clean? Dealing With HIV Stigma” by EndingHIV 2020 target stereotyping on dating and hook-up apps – indicating that HIV is not “dirty.” The campaign claims that stigma surrounding the virus cripples prevention.

With the FDA’s deferral of MSM from donating blood, the stain HIV marks on the LGBTQ community only shrinks the 37% of the U.S. population eligible to donate, according to GivingBlood.org.

With infrastructure like telemedicine in place, HIV prevention has never been easier. TelePrEP delivers medicine to its patients’ doorsteps. Though tens of millions globally have died from the HIV/AIDS infection, advocates for awareness and prevention are determined to end the epidemic.

#story

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duckbeater · 7 years

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The Sea of Faith, pt. 1

M showed me his penis a week or so after Carl slept over at his condo. He hoped I would weigh in on a red spot that was neither a pimple from razor burn nor—M had done a frenzied hour or so of Google image comparisons—a herpes rash or an HPV wart or a syphilitic chancre. I didn’t make the obvious connection. In fact, most of my records from that night (including my previous, loosely written one), indicate Carl had made quite the nuisance of himself—too much so to fuck around. He tracked mud onto the carpets and sullied a sea green sofa; he tried smoking inside, first a cigarette and then, after Ben had wrested those away, and M and Ben had believed him pacified, a careful handful of childishly rolled up leaves from a beloved silk pothos. It did not ignite but smoldered sourly. His appetite piqued by all the crawling and tottering, he asked for an egg, two eggs, over-medium, and wheat toast—and ate standing. After a dry dog yowl—huge gloppy vomit—then strings of yolk dripping out his nose. Somehow he managed to pass out on the futon. M removed his wet shoes and pants, and Ben turned his head. They had cleaned his face and dried his eyes (a detail that reminds me of the times I’ve yarked so hard, my eyes streamed tears without sadness); now he was blanketed, pillowed, sound asleep.

But until he collapsed, Carl talked more or less nonstop. He mumbled questions about the decoration, about their “arrangement”—“How long have you two been ‘exclusive’?”—deploying air quotes, saying too that he was just waiting for John to text, just a little howdy-doody, “My ‘John’ …”—but probably, so late, John was asleep… then moved to a discussion of the neighborhood. All this in a soft loop, this blather. He apologized in an offhand way, also repeatedly, for “crowding their scene.” When M explained this to me, I said, “Oh, he was waiting for the invitation to join you in bed. It’s not at all weird that even very drunk he kept priorities around sex. What a lizard. You were his little rock to lie on.”

“I don’t have a little rock,” said M.

“Why did you make that dumb fuck an egg sandwich?” I replied.

“It was very late and all our other attempts at drunk person diplomacy had failed.”

This summary took place before the penis picture. We were walking together down Clark, he tall and I short, two limp lightning bolts in sweat-soaked gym clothes. M was supposed to be taking a bus back after our Fro-Yo, but we were letting them glide north while we continued to stroll south. The evening air smelled of lavender from Andersonville’s many decorative beds (the flowers pressed a little from a light summery thundershower), with the usual notes of misty wet road and car exhaust. Also, from no discernible source, garlic bread.

“What was the morning like?” I asked.

M said, “Not awesome. He was not waking up in time for my work, so I left him with Ben, and he did not wake up in time for Ben’s drive back to Michigan, so then Ben left him with a note.”

“Did he pee the bed?”

“No.”

“Did he smell bad?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Man,” I said, “how unpleasant. Carl didn’t talk anymore about Trump?”

“No.”

“Did you see him again?”

“Nope,” said M, “he slipped away I guess in the afternoon.”

“How are him and John?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Do you have any greater sense of who this creature was, who you brought into your home, fed, stripped, tucked safely to sleep? He has used you in every way short of writing your address a shitty Airbnb review, and you can’t give me—”

“Evan,” M cut in, “what you really want are details to put into your stories, and for now, I’m fine, I’m quite fine with the…” He searched for a word.

“Paucity?” I supplied. “The paucity of detail?”

“Carl’s amazing vanishing act.” Then M remembered something: “He did end up smoking in the house! He did! I came home and the whole fucking place smelled like an ashtray!”

“What a horrible dumb fuck!” I said, relishing this detail, luxuriating in it as amorously as a cat who’s found sun-warmed wood to lie on. I actually began to kneed M’s back, purring like an idiot, fingers meeting tensed muscles through his shirt.

“That fucking tickles!” he screamed, then pivoted, and held both my hands in his. “This is my bus,” he said. “Tell Daniel I said, ‘Make more money!’”

“Okay, tell Ben I said, ‘Pull more teeth!’”

He rolled his eyes and then, as is M’s custom, kissed me much too deeply, much too wetly on the mouth, and before I’d opened my eyes (for I have made it my custom to close my eyes, and to imagine, with all attendant melancholy, what my life with M would have been like), ah, he was gone.

—

Whenever I’ve wrecked myself on booze in front of strangers, I assumed there was no saving it. I reasoned I’d never see those victims again, and that over the course of months, in a city full of strangers drinking themselves to tatters in front of other strangers, those victims would forget my face. My holding this belief accounts for some of my surprise (and some of my admiration) on finding Carl’s friend request when I got home. In fact his tactic mystified me. He had appended the notice, I was not myself.

Not discounting M’s very recent account, Carl’s presumption of grace deeply impressed me. Substituting one identity for another, as in the transforming embrace of a forgiving god, is a powerful leap into the charity of those you’ve trespassed. It is excellent gamesmanship. I can’t complete this analogy (because it’s not a very good one), but I recalled the plot of Borges’ “The Theologians,” a story that ends in heaven, with the orthodox Aurelian and his nemesis, the heretic John of Pannonia, forming a single, unimportant person in the mind of their inscrutable divinity. I felt that I could be this inscrutable divinity, disinterestedly absolving the two Carls. I drank some wine, I tapped my lower lip.

“It is not one pyre you are lighting, it is a labyrinth of fire,” hissed Euphorbus, wearing his clothes of flames. I’d never considered the gay subtext of “The Theologians,” but suddenly it was crystalline. I tapped my lower lip. I was not myself. The demands of the city—its psychic boring, its loneliness and drudgery—have fairly atrophied my sense of destiny. I’ve never been a great detective; the little red flags that practically fall from the mouths of wastrels, I use those for napkins, believing them to be napkins. That isn’t a metaphor for using the messes of other people to wipe away my own (or not only). Some hazards reflect back at you and blind you. With slits for eyes I accepted his friend request.

I accepted his friendship, and went ahead and built it, technically, on a lie. He thanked me for helping him to bed in M’s condo and I didn’t correct him. Embellishing some, I wrote: It was like disposing of a corpse! You were so heavy. It felt like a gangster movie. The pronoun was speculative, meaning hypothetical. (Furnishing him upstairs probably did feel like managing a corpse up two flights, to M and Ben. Carl probably was heavy: he’s six-foot-two.) He wrote back, I’m glad you found it entertaining, and I interjected—because I’m a fast typer—No, it was cinematic, I wasn’t entertained!

He didn’t reply back to that thread, but a few days later he sent me a book review I’d already read and I thanked him for it.

Days after that he inquired if I’d read the book under review or the review itself, and I said,Yes, of course, and he said, I thought so. Would you recommend? I was beginning to feel important. I said Nah and asked about John. Several hours later he replied: All’s well that ends well. Because the last I’d seen of Carl was his crying on a stoop, I wondered how stable was their relationship? No new pictures together—fairly few together to begin with, no mutual replies or likes.

I texted M. Carl and John break-up?

Hours later, M ignored the question and proposed we see a movie later in the week. I didn’t text back at all, thinking, Game recognize game. I didn’t obsess, and I didn’t encourage.

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auskultu · 7 years

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POPS GROOVE, CRY FOR MORE!

Robert & Joanalee Hurwitt, Berkeley Barb, 23 June 1967

“Life didn't get in but the Berkeley BARB did,” Derek Taylor, publicity director for the Monterey International Pop Festival, told a press conference on the Monterey fairgrounds Saturday afternoon.

The audience cheered.

Taylor was commenting on complaints from the press that their press passes were useless for getting in to watch the concerts.

BARB, knowing that most of the press deserves to be hassled, found it easy to scam front row seats for every concert. The “big" press, we were pleased to note, were the only people hassled.

TREMENDOUS The first (annual?) International Pop Festival was a tremendous success.

At the last minute most of the anticipated problems were resolved and resolved well. The Grateful Dead and Chet Helms managed to get Monterey Peninsula College to open up its football field for camping. Such groups as Country Joe and the Fish and Eric Burdon and the Animals performed free into the early morning hours. The Festival opened up its parking lots and the fairground itself for camping.

Everywhere you looked beautiful people were in the majority, from the arcade (representing every craft necessary to manufacture instant hippies) to the streets outside.

The cops seemed to decrease in number and increase in politeness from day to day.

FANTASTIC And the concerts were fantastic—to the point of being difficult to describe accurately. It is even difficult to talk about the highlights, there were so many outstanding performances crowded into such a short space of time.

Friday evening started with The Association, lively although a bit sloppy. They were followed by a young group from Canada, The Paupers. There are four Paupers, three play drums and three play guitars and they produce a wild sound. How did they get that turned on in Canada? Their last number ended with a terrific bass guitar solo by Denny Gerrard, completely unplanned, he told BARB later.

The Paupers were followed by Lou Rawls, sho sang some great blues but turned us off with a medley of less inspired works (eg: “When I Was Seventeen”). He was followed by Beverly, a British folksinger with a good voice and stage fright, and the gray soul of Johnny Rivers. The bill was topped with Eric Burdon and the Animals and Simon and Garfunkel.

The Animals have developed a frighteningly intense and complex electronic style. Their “Gin House Blues” (“dedicated to Bacchus—a song of the past”) was enough to make one swear off state-sanctioned narcotics forever, and they followed it with a version of “Paint it Black” (with an electric violin intro that made the Rolling Stones sound tame.)

Simon and Garfunkel topped off the evening in a beautiful relaxed manner—two choirboy manner—two choirboy voices and one (nonelectric) guitar and they completely captivated the audience. Their performance can only be described as magic.

BAY BANDS Saturday was fairly dominated by Bay Area Bands, with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Country Joe and the Fish, The Quicksilver Messenger Service, and The Steve Miller Blues Band performing in the afternoon and Moby Grape and The Jefferson Airplane in the evening. Janice Joplin, of Big Brother, brought the house down belting out blues with her magnificent voce.

Country Joe, too, gave an excellent performance which included an LSD commercial and ended with “The Vietnam Rag”. Mama Cass, seated behind us, exclaimed, “Who else has guts like that?"

But it’s not just guts that makes Joe so exciting. His music, as Al Kooper pointed out to BARB, is extremely complex.

Kooper, Canned Heat (a sloppy L.A. blues group), Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield filled out the Saturday afternoon bill.

Tall thin Al Kooper, formerly with The Blues Project (he left because of a nervous breakdown, he told BARB, and because he couldn’t keep up with their pace, “I’m just a skinny sort of guy.”) played two of his arrangements beautifully, but “Wake Me, Shake Me” simply needs more than one voice.

Butterfield’s performances were, both that afternoon and again in the evening, were magnificent, far surpassing even his recordings.

Mike Bloomfield’s new group The Electric Flag, climaxed the afternoon’s performance (the program seemed a little heavy on blues groups) and got a reception that seems to insure them of continued success.

NUMB By evening we were almost numbed to anything except outstanding performances. Aside from Butterfield, the only really outstanding performance was Otis Redding’s. Otis was king. He came on in bright red with a driving rhythm and tore the place apart. Kids were dancing all over the arena, making muddy air out of the dust and fog.

The rest of that evening’s program included Hugh Masadela (who wasn’t up to his small club performances), Laura Nyro (whom we could have done without), Booker T. and the M.C.’s. (almost unnoticeable, but they provided Otis with his background), and the Byrds.

POLITICS The Byrds must be a studio group. Their live performances just don’t come up to their recordings. But David Crosby, leader of the group, felt he had some social commitments to fulfill after Country Joe, and spoke out more politically than did any other performer.

After concurring with Paul McCartney’s recent statement that LSD could end war if ingested by the proper authorities, he went on to say, “The TV will edit this out, like they’ll cut all the groovy things Country Joe said, but Pm gonna say it anyway. John F. Kennedy was shot from a number of different directions by a number of different guns. The facts have been suppressed, witnesses killed—and this is your country, ladies and gentlemen.”

CHANCRE Sunday afternoon’s Ravi Shanker concert (pronounced chancre over the PA) was probably the outstanding event of the festival. It was more than his music. He got a reception that exceeded anything given any of the other performers and the love and respect seemed mutual.

Sunday evening brought the festival to a close with the audience still crying for more. The Blues Project led off, dedicating “Flute Thing” “as always to peace and an end to this dirty and dishonorable war.” Their new group doesn’t seem quite to have gotten together yet, though they have great potential. Right now they sound like they’re doing somebody else’s songs.

They were followed by the low point of the festival, The Group with No Name, a group of middle-aged teenyboppers. A list of suggested names immediately went the rounds of the press area: The Bummer, The Mistake, The Shits.

Big Brother did another fine set, and The Buffalo Springfield (with David Crosby) and The Grateful Dead both performed well, but the The Who and The Jimmy Hendrix Experience were outstanding.

The Who are more than great musicians they put on one hell of a show which climaxes with the group destroying drums, guitars, mikes, lights and the stage in general and brought perplexed and angry stagehands running from the wings to salvage what equipment they could.

But even this was topped by Jimmy Hendrix. Hendrix, too, is a fine musician, working with a beautiful blues voice and exotically complex-electronics. He plays absolutely every part of the guitar with every part of his body, and to the extent that he resorts to gimmickry (playing with his teeth and behind his back) it only seems to further demonstrate his complete control over his instrument.

He closed the “the English and American anthems combined," a wild electronic version of “Wild Thing," during which he humped his guitar into the amps and tore everything apart all over again, burning his guitar and throwing the pieces into an audience which was climbing all over itself just to get a look.

Then the evening and the festival closed with the vocal magic of the Mamas and the Papas and the fairgrounds were still.

After all this I still find it difficult to sum the festival up. It was excellent, the best that could be done within its form.

Perhaps the program could have been more inclusive—there were no Motown groups and it would have been good to include some of the older practitioners like Chuck Berry. But this was just the first such festival and others may broaden the scope.

Most of the participants couldn’t have had a better time. Acid was passed out freely, making it relatively easy to get past the ushers for most of the performances. The quality of the music was overwhelming. The light show was excellent (Head Lights).

And throughout the festival people were dancing all over the fairgrounds. The music could be heard as far away as Pacific Grove, and, as Tommy Smothers said, introducing Big Brother, “The hills are always greener on the other side of the grass.”

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atlaspacificmedical · 3 years

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Know Everything about STD

The term sexually transmitted disease (STD) is utilized to allude to a condition passed starting with one individual then onto the next through sexual contact. An individual can get an STD if he/she has had unprotected sex with another person having STD. It can be unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with somebody who has an STD. That doesn't mean sex is the lone way STDs are transmitted. Contingent upon the particular STD, diseases may likewise be transmitted through sharing needles and breastfeeding. Symptoms of STD:- Symptoms in men: It's feasible to get an STD without any kind of symptoms. In any case, a few STDs cause clear symptoms. In men, normal manifestations include: • Feeling discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. • Feeling pain or discomfort while urinating. • Developing bumps, sores, rashes on and around penis, testicles, mouth, anus, thighs. • Abnormal bleeding from the penis. • Developing pain and swelling of testicles. Symptoms in women: It's feasible to get an STD without any kind of symptoms. In any case, a few STDs cause clear symptoms. In women, normal manifestations include: • Feeling discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. • Feeling pain or discomfort while urinating. • Developing bumps, sores, rashes on and around vagina, mouth, anus, thighs. • Abnormal bleeding from the vagina. • Continuous feeling of itchiness around the vagina. Types of Sexually transmitted diseases:- Various sorts of diseases can be transmitted physically. We are discussing the most widely recognized STDs below: • Syphilis- Syphilis is another bacterial contamination. It regularly goes undetected in its beginning phases. The main symptom to be seen is soreness that is little and round; it is known as a chance in medical terms. Chancres can appear on the genitals, anus, or mouth. Chances are painless, but they are very infectious. As syphilis spreads, in later stages, the following symptoms can develop: • Fever with fatigue • Rash • Headaches • Pain in joints • Loss of hair and weight • HIV- HIV can harm the immune system and raise the danger of contracting other infections, viruses and fostering certain diseases. Whenever left untreated, it can prompt stage 3 HIV, known as AIDS. In any case, with the present treatment, numerous individuals living with HIV never foster AIDS. In the early or intense stages, it's not challenging to botch the side effects of HIV with those of influenza. For instance, the early side effects can include fever with chills, body ache, sore throat, nausea, rashes, etc. • Pubic Lice- Pubic lice are also known as "crabs." They're small bugs that can take up home on your pubic hair. They feed on human blood, similar to head lice. The symptoms include continuous itching around the genitals, irritation, low fever, lethargy.

If you are worried about where you should go for your STD Screening Singapore, you can visit us at Atlas Pacific Medical and get your screening done. We have the top specialists who will be performing your STD Testing in Singapore. After your STD testing, the doctors will start the initial treatment.

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meetpositivesblog · 5 years

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Syphilis Risks & Complications

How syphilis is transmitted

Syphilis is transmitted sexually, through direct contact with a syphilis sore, rash, or mucous membrane, usually during unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex. Sores, or chancres (pronounced SHANG-ker), occur on the lips and mouth, vagina, penis, anus, and/or rectum. Pregnant women with syphilis can also pass the infection along to their unborn children. Syphilis cannot be contracted from doorknobs, toilet seats, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing or eating utensils.

How can I prevent getting or spreading syphilis?

The only way to prevent contracting syphilis 100% is abstinence. Otherwise, practicing safer sex by consistently using latex or polyurethane condoms or dental dams can help avoid contracting syphilis. Condoms lower the risk for spreading syphilis, which is particularly high among men who have sex with men, but do not eliminate the risk of contracting the infection from sores on areas of the body that a condom doesn’t cover. Being in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone who is not infected with syphilis will also prevent infection. Discussing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and testing with your new partner before engaging in sexual relationship is another way to help prevent getting syphilis.

Getting tested for STDs regularly for syphilis and other STDs can potentially save your life. Syphilis is easiest to cure in the earlier stages and it is important to cure this disease before it causes internal organ damage.

What you need to know about the stages of syphilis

The primary stage is the first stage of syphilis and usually includes small painless sores known as chancres. These sores occur from about 2 weeks to 3 months after exposure. This makes it possible to have syphilis without being aware of the infection. If a patient has been infected for a year or less, the disease is referred to as an “early case.” Early case syphilis infections are more infectious and easier to spread. That being said, any stage of a syphilis infection makes it easier to transmit or contract HIV. Syphilis-related vision loss and irreversible damage to the brain and other organs can occur in as little as one year.

The secondary stage of syphilis lasts between one and three months and usually begins between six weeks and six months after exposure to the bacteria. Secondary syphilis is characterized by a flat rosy-colored, non- itchy rash that usually covers the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. In some cases, the rashes may occur on other parts of the body or resemble rashes caused by other ailments. Additional signs of secondary syphilis include hair loss, white patches inside the mouth, genital warts, and flu-like symptoms such as fever and swollen lymph glands that last for weeks or even months. Secondary stage symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, sore throat, weight loss, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands and patchy hair loss. Although symptoms disappear after the primary and secondary stages, the latent (hidden) and late stages are more severe.

Without treatment during the primary or secondary stages, syphilis progresses to the latent stage, at which time the infection becomes dormant and does not cause symptoms for an extended period of time, up to 20 years. During the latent stage, the infection is still detectable by blood testing, despite the lack of symptoms. A syphilis infection can be treated and cured at this stage, but any damage done to internal organs is irreversible. If the syphilis infection progresses through the latent stage without treatment, it enters the terminal tertiary stage.

The tertiary stage of syphilis typically occurs between 10 and 30 years after the initial infection. At this time, entirely new and life-threatening symptoms occur. Debilitating side-effects include, but are not limited to blindness, loss of motor skills, dementia, and damage to the central nervous system and internal organs, such as the heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, and bones. In most cases, tertiary stage syphilis is distinguished by a descent into mental illness, followed by death.

When is syphilis most contagious?

Syphilis is the most contagious during the early (primary and secondary) stages, but it can be contracted at any stage. A single sore appears during the primary stage (approximately 21 days post exposure) and syphilis is easiest to spread when this sore is present. These sores or chancres look like a mucous patch (lesion) or wart-like patch in or on the vulva, vagina, penis, cervix, anus, rectum, lips, tongue or on the original infected area during sexual contact. If a syphilis infection is detected during the primary or secondary stage, it can be easily and quickly cured with a round of antibiotics.

Can I become infected with syphilis more than once?

Yes, you can get reinfected with syphilis because it is caused by bacteria. Even after successful treatment, it is still possible (and very likely) to get reinfected with syphilis if your partner has not been treated. Since syphilis sores can be out of sight in the vagina, anus, under the foreskin or in the mouth, it may not be apparent that you or your partner has been infected. For this reason, it is advisable that both you and your partner get tested and treated together, and abstain from sexual activity until the syphilis sores have healed and the treatment is complete for both partners.

What complications can result from untreated syphilis?

During the tertiary stage of syphilis, small, rubbery lesions may develop on the bones, skin, nervous system tissue, and/or arteries of the heart or the brain. Due to these lesions and other health complications, these individuals are susceptible to heart attack, paralysis, blindness, stroke, numbness and dementia. Tertiary syphilis is lethal. While antibiotics can cure a syphilis infection even during these late stages, they cannot reverse any permanent damage done to the body by syphilis-related complications.

If you have syphilis, it is important to tell your partner(s)

You should inform your partner about your syphilis infection as soon as possible. Syphilis is not only a highly contagious disease, it is a potentially fatal one as well. If you test positive for syphilis, chances are your sex partner has it as well. For this reason, it is wise for you and your partner to get tested and treated for syphilis together, so that you can minimize your chances of re-acquiring the infection or passing it along to someone else. At STDcheck.com we offer our FDA-cleared Syphilis Test. If you test positive for syphilis, you are eligible for a phone consultation with a doctor who may advise you about available treatments. Our doctors recommend getting retested 3 months after your initial treatment in order to be sure that the Treponema pallidum bacterium has not re-entered your system and was totally cleared of the bacteria in the first place.

If you are pregnant, get tested for syphilis

Syphilis is very harmful to infants and unborn babies. It can cause a mother to miscarry or the baby to be stillborn. Syphilis can easily be transmitted to a fetus from the placenta or transfer to the baby in the birth canal during delivery. It can cause serious or even fatal infections. Infants with congenital syphilis are often born prematurely and if left untreated, syphilitic babies will likely develop serious issues in internal organs like the heart, brain, skin, eyes, ears, bones and teeth. Syphilis can be treated during pregnancy with antibiotics to both decrease the risk of spreading it to the baby and stop the infection’s progression in the mother.

If a chancre is present on the breast or nipple, mothers should not breastfeed.

HIV and syphilis

According to the CDC, a person is 2-5 times more likely to contract HIV if exposed when syphilis sores are present. Oral, anal, vaginal, or penile syphilis sores also make it easier to contract HIV and spread it to others. It is easier to contract or transmit because syphilis sores bleed easily and are more likely to come in contact with mucous openings in the penis, vagina, anus and/or mouth.

Resources

“Prevention – STD Information from CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/default.htm

“Dental Dams.” Center for Young Women’s Health. https://youngwomenshealth.org/2017/08/07/dental-dams/

“Condom Fact Sheet In Brief | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/brief.html

Jacobson, Mark, MD, and Sulggi Lee, MD. “Diagnosis and Treatment of Syphilis.” HIV InSite – a Project of University of California San Francisco. http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite?page=md-ward86-syphilis

“Syphilis.” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/syphilis.html

French, Patrick. “Syphilis.” British Medical Journal 334:143-47. doi:10.1136/bmj.39085.518148.BE. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1779891/

Medically Reviewed by J. Frank Martin JR., MD on Jun 18, 2019

Written by Lauralei Like on Jul 5, 2018

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