There are so many qualified professionals out there that can make the experience of sport one that could build character, strength, and resiliency. Relying on what worked in the past is not always the way to advance yourself. Sometimes you need to look to the future and have faith in yourself.

Listen to the story of Mary Cain and be inspired to make a difference. Click here it read:

Coming Soon...New i-Tunes App

Pennington and tech partner launch website, app targeting body image issues

A new Web-based platform and smartphone app designed to promote healthy body image, as well as address eating disorders and obesity prevention, was unveiled today at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The new platform, called Emer.ge, and the app, called The Body Image Voice, were launched today by Body Evolution Technologies in collaboration with Pennington. "The vision of Emer.ge is to empower individuals to shift focus from unrealistic appearance ideals and move toward health, balance, and optimal performance," says Dr. Tiffany Stewart, director of the Behavior Technology Laboratory at Pennington and co-founder/chief scientific officer of Body Evolution Technologies. "It seems basic, but science supports the idea that until we regard our bodies better, we won't treat them better," she says. The Body Image Voice app focuses on a single component of body image: the role media and advertising play in shaping our ideals of health and beauty. App users rate the impact of images and ads they see to assess which messages they think are helpful or harmful. The app will soon be available as a free download in the iTunes store. Check out the website here for more information and demos on how the website and app work.

Baton Rouge Business Report Story
May 2, 2012

When Less Is Not More

It is not an uncommon pattern of thinking... to assume that if one's training improves with weight loss, then more weight loss would mean a greater improvement in one's performance. However, this is not usually the case...especially with elite athletes. Many factors go into what makes performance improve. In some cases, an increase in calories is needed to sustain the training regimens. In others, maybe the diet needs to be modifyied to included better quality food. There are so many ways to improve one's performance through proper nutrition and talking with someone who is qualified to help you achieve your training goals is the best approach. This article is about one of those cases that wrong. The thinking was that the less this cross country athlete weighed, the better she thought she would perform. Read more about her story by clicking here.

HPV: An Unexpected Rise in Throat Cancer

New studies are beginning to show a concerning rise in the incidence of throat and other oropharyngeal cancers as a result of the changing sexual practices of young adults. An interesting article on WebMD discusses this disturbing trend in sexually transmitted disease:

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20090729/oral-sex-cause-throat-cancer-rise?src=RSS_PUBLIC

HIV & AIDS: Q & A

Q: Can you get HIV from sweat?
A: HIV has been found at low concentrations in the saliva, tears and urine of infected individuals, but there are no recorded cases of infection by these secretions and the potential risk of transmission is negligible.

Q: Is it safe to donate or receive blood products?
A: The U.S. blood supply is among the safest in the world. Nearly all people infected with HIV through blood transfusions received those transfusions before 1985, the year HIV testing began for all donated blood. The Public Health Service has recommended an approach to blood safety in the United States that includes stringent donor selection practices and the use of screening tests. U.S. blood donations have been screened for antibodies to HIV-1 since March 1985 and HIV-2 since June 1992. The p24 Antigen test was added in 1996. Blood and blood products that test positive for HIV are safely discarded and are not used for transfusions.

Q: How quickly would you test positive for HIV?
A: HIV antibodies generally do not reach noticeable levels in the blood for 1 to 3 months following infection. It may take the antibodies as long as 6 months to be produced in quantities large enough to show up in standard blood tests. Hence, to determine whether you have been recently infected (acute infection), your health care provider can screen you for the presence of HIV genetic material.

Q: Need more information?
A: You can find out more about HIV & AIDS by contacting the CDC at 1-800-232-4636 or on the internet at http://www.cdc.gov/.

(http://www.cdc.gov/)

HIV & AIDS:

The surest way to avoid the transmission of HIV and AIDS is to abstain from sexual contact or to be in a long term monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected. Other ways to prevent the contraction of HIV or AIDS are:

• Do not have sex, including oral and anal sex, with anyone who is infected with HIV or AIDS,
• Reduce your number of sex partners to one,
• Know you partners sexual history and find out whether your partner has engaged in high-risk behaviors,
• Avoid alcohol and drugs which can impair both your judgment and your immune system, and
• Do not share or use needles that have used by anyone.

TESTING

HIV-1 testing consists of initial screening with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies to HIV-1. Specimens with a nonreactive result from the initial ELISA are considered HIV-negative unless new exposure to an infected partner or partner of unknown HIV status has occurred.

Specimens with a reactive ELISA result are retested. If the result of either duplicate test is reactive, the specimen is reported as repeatedly reactive and undergoes confirmatory testing with a more specific supplemental test (e.g., Western blot) or, less commonly, an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Only specimens that are repeatedly reactive by ELISA and positive by IFA or reactive by Western blot are considered HIV-positive and indicative of HIV infection.

(http://www.wikipedia.com/)

HIV & AIDS: What Are They?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells.

The four major routes of transmission are:

• Unprotected Sexual Intercourse,
• Contaminated Needles (included but not limited to health care workers, drug users and those who give and receive tattoos and piercing),
• Transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth, or
• Through breast milk
  

If untreated, eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS (Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) and die; however about one in ten remains healthy for many years, with no noticeable symptoms.

SYMPTOMS

80-90% of individuals develop an influenza or mononucleosis-like illness called acute HIV infection, the most common symptoms of which may include:

• Fever,
• Lymphadenopathy,
• Pharyngitis,
• Rash,
• Myalgia,
• Maiaise,
• Mouth and Esophagal Sores, and may also include, but less commonly,
• Headache,
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Enlarged Liver/Spleen,
• Weight Loss
• Thrush, and
• Neurological Symptoms.
  

Infected individuals may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms. Symptoms have an average duration of 28 days and usually last at least a week although duration of symptoms may vary. Because of the nonspecific nature of these illnesses, it is often not recognized as a sign of HIV infection.

(www.cdc.gov)

Abstinence: Can You Handle The Pressure?

How Do You Do It?

Not having sex may seem easy because it's not doing anything. But peer pressure and things you see on TV and in the movies can make the decision to practice abstinence more difficult.

If it seems like everybody else is having sex, some people may feel they have to do it, too, just to be accepted. Don't let kidding or pressure from friends, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, or even the media push you into something that's not right for you. The truth is that most teens are not having sex.

A couple can still have a relationship without having sex. If you've made a decision not to have sex, it's an important personal choice and the people who care about you should respect that.

You may have questions about making this choice or about other methods of birth control. Your doctor or nurse — or an adult you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or counselor — can help provide some answers.

(www.kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/abstinence.html)

Abstinence: Q & A

Q: What Is It?
A: Abstinence is not having sex. A person who decides to practice abstinence has decided not to have sex.

Q: How Does It Work?
A: If two people don't have sex, then sperm can't fertilize an egg and there's no possibility of a pregnancy. Some forms of birth control depend on barriers that prevent the sperm from reaching the egg (such as condoms or diaphragms). Others interfere with the menstrual cycle (as birth control pills do). With abstinence, no barriers or pills are necessary because the person is not having sex.

Q: Do you have to be a virgin to practice abstinence?
A: Sometimes people who have been having sex decide not to continue having sex. Even if a person has been having sex, he or she can still choose abstinence to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Q: How Well Does It Work?
A: Abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. Although many birth control methods can have high rates of success if used properly, they can fail occasionally. Practicing abstinence ensures that a girl will not become pregnant because there is no opportunity for sperm to fertilize an egg.

Q: What is one reason to practice abstinence?
A: Abstinence protects people against STDs. Some STDs spread through oral-genital sex, anal sex, or even intimate skin-to-skin contact without actual penetration (genital warts and herpes can be spread this way). So only avoiding all types of intimate genital contact can prevent STDs. Avoiding all types of intimate genital contact — including anal and oral sex — is complete abstinence. Only complete and consistent abstinence can totally prevent pregnancy and protect against STDs. Because a person does not have any type of intimate sexual contact when he or she practices complete abstinence, there is no risk of passing on a sexually transmitted infection.

Q: What does consistent abstinence mean?
A: This means that someone practices abstinence all the time. Having sex even once means that the person risks getting an infection.

Q: Does abstinence prevent AIDS and hepatitis B infections?
A: One can still contract AIDS and hepatitis B infections that come from nonsexual activities like using contaminated needles for doing drugs, tattooing, or taking steroids.

(www.kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/abstinence.html)

Genital Herpes: An Emotional Adjustment

Herpes may raise strong emotional issues, especially in the first few weeks or months after a diagnosis. Some people initially feel embarrassment, shame, anger, or depression. The good news is that these emotions tend to fade away over time. Some studies have shown that even six months can make a difference in adjusting to herpes.

Why does such a common virus have the power to affect us? The major reason seems to be the fact that genital herpes is sexually transmitted. Growing up in our society, most of us come to view a sexually transmitted disease as a fate that befalls only those who have done something wrong. In addition, many people lose perspective about the medical implications of herpes. Too often, we see health as an all-or-nothing proposition: someone with a chronic infection is deemed unhealthy and somehow “imperfect.”

The first step in dealing with a herpes diagnosis, then, is recognizing it as a common, manageable virus, not a punishment or judgment. The next step is realizing that health is never “perfect.” In reality, everyone faces a host of physical challenges as inevitable as life itself. The task is to meet them and get past them. Fortunately, most people with herpes find that, with time, they are able to adjust to the medical and emotional impact of herpes and move on.

If you are experiencing a strong emotional response to a diagnosis, it might be helpful to explore why those feelings may be happening. Closely connected to the issue of self-image is the matter of how we believe others see us. This is where the social stigma about genital herpes – whether perceived or real – can be pinpointed.

One reason that genital herpes raises issues of social stigma is the fact that, as a society, we're just beginning to feel comfortable talking about sex and sexuality in general. Today, we are surrounded by images of sex in art, entertainment, and advertisements. There are signs as well that on a personal level we are becoming somewhat more open about topics such as sexual orientation and sexual function. With herpes there's a similar trend to more awareness and openness. Surveys show that the public is more educated on the subject than ever before. Perhaps the day will come when even the idea of social stigma will be a distant memory.

In the meantime, of course, it's very difficult to separate how one feels about having herpes from worries about how others might feel. Should you tell a friend? Will you be able to remain sexually active? How can you tell a sexual partner or romantic interest? When is the best time to tell? Concerns about any or all of these questions are not unusual for someone newly diagnosed. Rejection and misunderstandings about the nature of a herpes infection can and do happen. But a myriad of personal accounts suggests that in the great majority of cases, herpes does not stand in the way of successful, enduring relationships.

What can you do to speed the process of adjusting to herpes? Keep in mind the following:

• Realize that it's normal to be stressed emotionally by herpes, especially at first. Give yourself time to adjust, and remember that the emotional issues will get easier.
• Try to keep in mind that genital herpes is somewhat like other infections you may have had in the past. You are capable of managing it.
• If you're feeling isolated, you may need to find someone to talk to. Perhaps you might pick one close friend and tell her or him about it. You can ask that the conversation be kept in absolute confidence. You can also call our National Herpes Hotline and speak to a counselor about your feelings or visit one of our local HELP groups.
• Try not to make the assumption that having herpes will prevent you from being romantically involved or having successful long-term relationships. There are millions of couples in which one or both partners have this virus. For the vast majority, the relationships stand or fall on far more important issues.

(www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_emotional.cfm)

Genital Herpes: Q & A

Q: What is the difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2?
A: HSV type 1 causes cold sores (also called fever blisters) on the lips. HSV-1 is generally spread by kissing or by sharing eating utensils (such as spoons or forks) when sores are present. HSV-1 can also cause sores around the genitals. HSV type 2 causes sores in the genital area (genital herpes), such as on or around the vagina or penis. HSV-2 can sometimes cause mouth sores. In rare cases, HSV can infect other parts of the body, such as the eyes and the brain.

Q: Can you cure Herpes?
A: There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication. In addition, daily suppressive therapy for symptomatic herpes can reduce transmission to partners.

Q: Need more information?
A: It can be found on http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_overview.cfm

(http://www.cdc.gov/)

Genital Herpes: Can It Be Prevented?

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital herpes, is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Genital ulcer diseases can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of genital herpes only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. Since a condom may not cover all infected areas, even correct and consistent use of latex condoms cannot guarantee protection from genital herpes.

Persons with herpes should abstain from sexual activity with uninfected partners when lesions or other symptoms of herpes are present. It is important to know that even if a person does not have any symptoms he or she can still infect sex partners. Sex partners of infected persons should be advised that they may become infected.

Sex partners can seek testing to determine if they are infected with HSV. A positive HSV-2 blood test most likely indicates a genital herpes infection.

(www.cdc.gov)

Genital Herpes: What Is It?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.

HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.

HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Genital HSV-1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks.

SYMPTOMS:

Most people infected with HSV-2 are not aware of their infection. However, if signs and symptoms occur during the first outbreak, they can be quite pronounced.

• The first outbreak usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted, and the sores typically heal within two to four weeks.
• Other signs and symptoms during the primary episode may include a second crop of sores, and flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands.
• Most individuals with HSV-2 infection may never have sores, or they may have very mild signs that they do not even notice or that they mistake for insect bites or another skin condition.
• Most people diagnosed with a first episode of genital herpes can expect to have several (typically four or five) outbreaks (symptomatic recurrences) within a year. Over time these recurrences usually decrease in frequency.

COMPLICATIONS:

Genital herpes can cause recurrent painful genital sores in many adults, and herpes infection can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. Regardless of severity of symptoms, genital herpes frequently causes psychological distress in people who know they are infected.

Herpes may play a role in the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious.

(www.cdc.gov)

Chlamydia: Can It Be Prevented?

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected. Latex male condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of chlamydia.

Chlamydia screening is recommended annually for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger. An annual screening test also is recommended for older women with risk factors for chlamydia (a new sex partner or multiple sex partners). All pregnant women should have a screening test for chlamydia.

Any genital symptoms such as discharge or burning during urination or unusual sore or rash should be a signal to stop having sex and to consult a health care provider immediately. If a person has been treated for chlamydia (or any other STD), he or she should notify all recent sex partners so they can see a health care provider and be treated. This will reduce the risk that the sex partners will develop serious complications from chlamydia and will also reduce the person's risk of becoming re-infected. The person and all of his or her sex partners must avoid sex until they have completed their treatment for chlamydia.

(www.cdc.gov)

Chlamydia: Q & A

Q: How common is chlamydia?
A: Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. In 2004, 929,462 chlamydial infections were reported to the CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often done if patients are treated for their symptoms. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year.

Q: Does your partner need to be treated too?
A: Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated.

Q: How do you get infected with chlamydia?
A: Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of infection. Because the cervix (opening to the uterus) of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, they are at particularly high risk for infection if sexually active. Since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex, men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection.

Q: Need more information?
A: You can find out more about chlamydia by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (800-994-9662) or on the internet at www.cdc.gov.

(www.cdc.gov)

Chlamydia: What Is It?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which can damage a woman's reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem.

An untreated infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus). Women infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed.

SYMPTOMS:
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

WOMEN:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating.
• When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), some women still have no signs or symptoms;
• Others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever,
• Pain during intercourse, or bleeding.

MEN:

• Men might have a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when urinating.
• Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis.
• Pain and swelling in the testicles are uncommon.

Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner.

(http://www.cdc.gov/)

HPV and Cervical Cancer: Is There a Link?

All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which do not have serious consequences. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.

A Pap test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular Pap testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The Pap test used in U.S. cervical cancer screening programs is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer. For 2004, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 10,520 women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.

(www.cdc.gov)

HPV: Q & A

Q: Is there a vaccine?
A: Yes. There are two HPV vaccines currently on the market- Gardasil and Cervarix.

Q: How common is HPV?
A: Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.

Q: How do you get infected with HPV?
A: The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact. Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner. Rarely, a pregnant woman can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery. A baby that is exposed to HPV very rarely develops warts in the throat or voice box.

Q: How is HPV diagnosed?
A: Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV. Also, a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women. The test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities, or in women >30 years of age at the time of Pap testing. The results of HPV DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary.

Q: Is there a cure for HPV?
A: There is no "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own. The treatments provided are directed to the changes in the skin or mucous membrane caused by HPV infection, such as warts and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix.

Q: Need more information?
A: You can find out more about HPV by contacting the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or on the internet at http://www.cdc.gov./

(http://www.cdc.gov/)

HPV: Can It Be Prevented?

The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from any genital contact with another individual. For those who choose to be sexually active, a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the strategy most likely to prevent future genital HPV infections. However, it is difficult to determine whether a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected.

For those choosing to be sexually active and who are not in long-term mutually monogamous relationships, reducing the number of sexual partners and choosing a partner less likely to be infected may reduce the risk of genital HPV infection. Partners less likely to be infected include those who have had no or few prior sex partners.

HPV infection can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. While the effect of condoms in preventing HPV infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease.

HPV infection can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. While the effect of condoms in preventing HPV infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease.

(www.cdc.gov)

HPV: What Is It?

Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Another common name for HPV is genital warts. Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.

Symptoms:
Genital warts usually appear as soft, moist, pink, or flesh-colored swellings, usually in the genital area. They can be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large, and sometimes cauliflower shaped. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. After sexual contact with an infected person, warts may appear within weeks or months, or not at all.

(www.cdc.gov)