It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month! A 2019 CDC study showed that the HPV vaccine that has become widely available is reducing cervical pre-cancer. Women who had received the HPV vaccine had the most drastic decrease in pre-cancers, but unvaccinated women showed a decline as well. Without further study, the cause of decline in unvaccinated women…
Pre-Cancer Cells are present that have grown abnormally It is important to note that pre-cancer DOES NOT mean you will develop cancer. It means a higher risk of cancer developing at some point. It is a sign that closer monitoring is needed to catch any cancer development early, or even to prevent it from developing…
Nutrition and teeth go hand in hand. We often hear about the foods to avoid for healthy teeth: sugary and sticky foods. Avoiding these foods, and practicing oral hygiene help teeth stay functional and pain-free. It is also important to keep in mind that healthy teeth are necessary for proper nutrition. Many of the nutrient…
Co-morbidity: two or more chronic conditions occurring at the same time to a single person.
December 3rd is the International Day for People with Disabilities. 61 million adults in the United States live with disabilities, which is 1 in 4 people. Adults older than 65, non-Hispanic Native Americans/Alaskan Natives, and women are more likely to have at least one disability. Americans with disabilities are more likely to smoke, have heart…
Major life activity: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, and participating in community activities. Impairment in one or more is the ADA definition for disability.
Some exciting developments in HIV prevention were presented this past July at the IAS Conference on HIV Science. Initially, prevention of HIV transmission was only safe sex practices. Then in 2012 the drugs we know as PrEP and PEP were approved to prevent the transmission of HIV. PrEP is a prevention drug that can be…
Relative Contraindication When two medicines or treatments may cause negative outcomes if used together. Caution must be used when two medicines are relatively contraindicated.
The first treatment for HIV, Azidothymidine (AZT) or the generic name zidovudine was introduced in 1987. Though initially developed as a potential cancer therapy, it was included in a screening program to identify drugs that could treat HIV. Though AZT was an exciting medical development, there were serious side effects, so further testing and trials…
HAART Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy became the standard of HIV care in 1997 because it is a customized cocktail of medications that controls viral load and delays or prevents progression to AIDS.
The struggle around HIV/AIDS in the United States is an important part of our history. Reflecting on our past helps to show how far we have come and how far we still have to go. Life expectancy before HIV treatment was incredibly low, just 10-12 years of life after diagnosis. Now, people are living longer…
It’s the first day of National Diabetes Month! If you’re living with diabetes, knowledge and management are key to preventing further problems and living a full life. Eating healthily, staying active, and monitoring your blood sugar and general health are the basics of managing diabetes. Having a team of people, including friends, family, and doctors…
A drug sold by a drug company under a specific brand name with an exclusive formula patent for a period of time,
1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, is the 2nd leading cause of death for Native American women, and in some states is the leading cause of cancer-related death. General factors that increase risk are genetics, family history, breast density, and age. When the tumor is small and most treatable is…
Also called Stage IV Breast Cancer, it is when the cancer has spread from the breast to other areas of the body, like bones, brain, lungs, or liver.
We’re heading into flu season, and October is a great time to get that vaccination. Though the flu is a relatively normal part of human life, it is important to remember that many people are hospitalized and die every year due to the influenza virus. The flu vaccine helps not only to reduce your chance…
A weakened immune system, making it more difficult to fight off infections and other diseases. May be caused by diseases or conditions, genetic disorders, or specific medical treatments.
IPV, or Intimate Partner Violence affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men. Even higher rates of IPV are true for certain populations of people. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Organization for Women report that LGBT people and women of color experience higher rates of intimate partner violence, yet…
Sometimes called domestic violence, IPV includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness celebrates the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Month. About 1 in 4 adults experience mental illness in a year, and 1 in 17 adults lives with a serious mental illness. Some common symptoms to pay attention to for yourself or people you care about are: Excessive…
Stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitor: this is a category of common antidepressant medication that increases the amount of time serotonin is active in your brain.
The Center for Disease Control cites heart disease as the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Men have a greater risk of heart attack, and tend to experience one at an earlier age. Regardless of gender, prevention through primary care, testing, and heart-healthy activities and diets are important. Knowing…
Noun: chest pain that occurs when blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.
The CDC puts the prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, at 1 in 3 adults worldwide. That figure is true in the United States as well, according to the American Heart Association. Hypertension increases risk of strokes and heart attacks. The CDC warns that hypertension does not always have warning signs, so it is…
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