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Zoonoses is the term applied to a grouping of diseases that are transferable from canine/feline to human. Basically, these diseases fall into three groupings based on their means of transmission. This also groups these, ideally, in the means of treatment and control. The three groupings of diseases are as follows -diseases spread through :1) urine or feces, 2) hair and skin contact, or 3) bites and scratches. Zoonoses - Spread through Urine or Feces Hookworms Hookworms enter the German Shepherd's body in the area that directly comes in contact with the feces-contanimated soil. Seen more commonly in the South, these parasites are unsuited to ideally live in human beings. Traditionally they die after crawling several inches underneath the surface layer of the skin. Inflammation usually occurs as a result of these parasites in humans and causes a condition called “creeping eruption” which may last several weeks or months depending on its severity. Leptospirosis German Shepherd's may come in contact with this disease through swimming, drinking, licking their fur, or by eating food contaminated with animal urine. Many animals may carry this, though rats are most often the culprit. This zoonoses symptom in humans include flu-like including chills, body aches, vomiting, fever and headache. Sometimes kidney damage may occur or the membranes covering the spinal cord or brain may become inflamed. This disease is not usually fatal though it does make its host miserable for weeks at a time. Roundworms If these parasites are swallowed by humans they migrate into the body tissues and may cause damage, including symptoms of fever and liver enlargement which can last up to a year in length including symptoms of fever and liver enlargement which can last up to a year in length. These parasites are most commonly found in small children (2-4 yrs. of age) who mistakenly swallow the eggs and become infected. Children playing in an area in which an animal has defecated in the past, who do not wash their hands after coming in contact with the eggs and inadvertently sticks their hands into their mouth are the most common receptors of roundworm. Only rarely fatal, the disease is traditionally mild though it may be long lasting. Tapeworms Tapeworms can easily be ingested by any German Shepherd who swallows a flea carrying the infected form when biting at or chewing their coat. Children may get it virtually the same way- minus the coat chewing. Tapeworm infestation in humans this way is actually quite rare when compared to infestation from eating undercooked pork or beef. Toxoplasmosis Rarely this may cause death in humans since most people develop a resistance to it during normal exposure. It can cause many types of birth deformities in children born to mothers who have been infected for the first time without having developed an immunity before becoming pregnant. Most commonly this is “picked up” through contact with infected cat feces or in contact with contaminated soil. Zoonoses - Prevention of Waste Transmitted Diseases There are a few basic precautions everyone should take to prevent transmission of any of the above mentioned diseases - zoonoses. First, clean up all pet droppings and wash your hands each time you any come in contact with contaminated soil. It is extremely important to teach children these steps. Also, if your German Shepherd has gone wading or swimming in any water which may have become contaminated with animal urine, bathe it at once when you return home. Zoonoses - Spread through Skin/Hair Contact Fleas Fleas prefer feeding on your German Shepherd though they will not turn up the chance of of making an occasional meal on humans as well. Ringworm Most commonly found in children (though anyone may be infected), this disease is caused by a skin/hair eating fungus which first appears on people as a round, red, scaly area. It grows outward in a circular formation and is the most common fungal disease currently reported. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick borne, this disease or Zoonose can cause symptoms such as fever, chills and headache though it is not usually fatal. Symptoms may last many weeks and it can be treated with antibiotics. Most commonly this disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. Also, you may become infected while pulling a tick off your German Shepherd. It is best to wear gloves when removing ticks. Scabies The less commonly found version of mange (as opposed to the demodetic version), this may still cause intense itching, irritation and thickening of the skin. Animal mange may live in human skin though it cannot reproduce there. Humans have their own version of the scabies mite. Zoonoses - Prevention of Skin/Hair Contact Diseases Overall, proper nutritional care and health of your German Shepherd is the best defense against the chance of your dog harboring any of these diseases. Frequent grooming and herbal repellents are good choices in combating most of these diseases or Zoonoses before they become major. Stress, roaming and contact with other dogs are the three most common points of transmission among the previous diseases. Wash your hands after dog contact and minimize contact with any infected pet until the problem is cured. Zoonoses - Diseases Caused by Bites and Scratches Cat Scratch Fever Some people will develop a fever, enlarged lymph nodes and malaise near the area of a bite or scratch from a cat a few weeks after the occurrence. Though not fatal it can be very uncomfortable and can be followed by complications. Infected cat bites may become infected with an entirely different bacteria though the symptoms are similar. Probably best, is to thoroughly wash an area bitten or scratched by a cat and to clean it liberally on a frequent basis to prevent, hopefully, infection. Rabies Virtually 100% fatal once the clinical symptoms appear, this disease is carried by a virus transmitted through the saliva of an infected biting animal. Symptoms include frothing at the mouth, extreme behavioral/personality changes and convulsions which usually ends in the aggressive, staggering and bleary- eyed condition. If you happen upon an animal showing any of these disease symptoms, get away from it as quickly as possible and call your nearest animal control unit. If by chance you are bitten, try to follow it to where it lives (if it is a stray) so that the proper officials may capture it for testing. If you do kill it, do not injure the head as this will be needed for verification. Also, if you are bitten by an animal exhibiting any of the symptoms above, thoroughly wash out the wound as quickly as possible and contact your personal physician immediately. Overall, your chances of getting rabies are rare though you can never be over cautious. Zoonoses - Prevention of Bite and Scratch Transmitted Diseases Best advice, keep your dog in tip-top physical condition through exercise and proper nutrition to reduce its chances of picking up any diseases or parasites from less healthy animals. Also, try to minimize your pets contact with wild animals or sick pets. guide to penis enlargement free penis enlagement exercise top pennis enlargement pills penis elargement excersizes vimax extender buy penile enlargment pills natural pnis enlargement technique herbal penis enlagement

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Flax is a plant that has been recognized since people first started to cultivate plants and flax has lent its unique properties to humankind for a great chunk of our history. The uses of flax are numerous and included cooking oils, seed and strong durable cloth. Medically, it was initially used to help cure coughs although recent research suggests that flax may have more application in treating and preventing prostate and breast cancer, and keeping arteries clear Flax seed is rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that has anti inflammatory properties. Specifically it is the flax lignans, these are fibers found in flax that are thought to contain the therapeutic agents. Other plants contain lignans such as these but none are as rich a provider as flax. Hormones and Cancer Sex hormones including estrogen and testosterone, important in libido and reproduction can go out of balance and stimulate the overgrowth of breast or prostate tissue, which can have important consequences for cancers of this type. Lignans act as phytoestrogens, naturally occurring compounds that have a similar action to estrogen in the body. When phytoestrogens are ingested, the body transforms them into a form that keeps hormones from over stimulating cells, thereby helping to support normal cell growth. Lignans are also thought to interfere with the enzymes that promote development of cancer. Epidemological studies of populations that eat a lot of lignan suggest that this aspect of their diet produces lower breast cancer rates, and preliminary research suggests that increased lignan intake may act to protect breast tissue against cancerous growths. In a study published in 20001 women that were newly diagnosed with breast cancer and ate a significant amount of flaxseed every day showed reduction in the growth of cancer tumors. Numerous animal studies have shown similar findings. Lignans are important compounds in the body’s fight against free radicals, the highly reactive substances that are created in many of the processes in the body and are implicated in cancers, heart disease and many other disorders. Lignans essentially mop up these free radicals, restricting their negative effect on our bodies. Flax also has a positive effect on hormones and the substance appears to counter the effects of stress. One study2 of post-menopausal women showed that the participants who are the most lignans in their diet experienced the biggest fall in stress hormone levels and blood pressure Flax, Men and Prostate Cancer Studies have also shown huge health benefits of lignans for men. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers known and prostate cells can be influences by hormonal changes in very negative ways. An early study has suggested that flax lignans, in combination with a low-fat diet, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In the Duke University study, 25 men with prostate cancer were fed large doses of flax. All subjects experienced reduced hormone and cholesterol levels, and the tumor progression was slower3. The benefits of flax for men do not end here. The plants ability to moderate the male hormone testosterone has many positive indications. Animal studies have suggested that flax can reduce prostate enlargement, although not related to prostate cancer, it is an uncomfortable condition that affects many aging men. Additionally flax lignans interfere with DHT, a form of testosterone that can attack hair follicles and cause unwanted oil production in the skin, thus helping to prevent acne and hair loss, conditions dear to any teenagers heart. Flax has been a mainstay in the background of human development for a long time and with mounting evidence that of the medicinal benefits of flax, it looks like it will be around for a lot longer. vigrx penis enlargement pills blood erection vimax penis pills vigrx enhancement free penile enlargement video penis enlargment tip plastic surgery penis enlarement penile enlargment program penis enhancement information penis enargement stretcher

"My girlfriend dumped me because she says I 'wasn't there' when we made love. She's not the first to say this. I know something's wrong. Can hypnotherapy help me?" Your sexual dysfunction means you engage in sex more as an observer than as a participant. You hold yourself back from entering a trance state; you have difficulty "letting go." There are several ways in which a qualified hypnotherapist can help you to conquer this problem. Before using hypnosis it is essential that you receive competent medical advice. Hypnotherapy will have a particular focus depending on whether the problem is organic or psychological. Organic sexual problems require medical intervention. Hypnotherapy may be used as an adjunct, for instance, in helping you to heal faster after an operation. More frequently, sexual difficulties treated by a hypnotherapist concern psychological issues. Since the process deals with your mind all sexual activity during hypnotherapy takes place only in your imagination. What you learn through hypnotherapy is practiced privately elsewhere. Hypnotherapy may be used to heighten your sensual involvement and to help you to be fully present while engaging in sex. A common, effective use of hypnotherapy is to lower your anxiety. The anticipation of failure (particularly for men anxious about their ability to have or to maintain an erection) brings on anxious feelings. These in turn bring about the failure. Hypnotherapy ends this vicious circle and replaces the anticipation of failure with the certainty of success and confidence. Traditional sex therapy methods are more readily accepted by you when in hypnosis because the conscious, judgmental, analytical part of your mind is temporarily set aside. Your subconscious then absorbs the new, positive messages you've asked the hypnotherapist to create. Precisely because hypnosis taps into the autonomic nervous system, a person can use it to improve or alter functions that normally happen without conscious control, e.g., a man's erection. Charles, a 27-years-old former sailor and currently an electrician, consulted a hypnotherapist because he was too fearful to have sex with his wife. They'd been married three years and had had sexual difficulties since the birth of their daughter eight months previously. Charles was afraid he'd been embarrassed once again if he tried to make love. "Kim laughed at me the first time and now she just gives me a look of disgust." Why? Because he couldn't maintain an erection. Charles felt humiliated and frustrated; he worried that he'd never again have satisfactory sex with his wife. His dream of fathering a son seemed unattainable. He told the hypnotherapist that he had no problem masturbating when alone. This was a likely indicator that Charles' problem was psychological, not organic. As was Charles' report that he always had a firm erection when having sex with the occasional housewife in whose home he was doing electrical work. To be on the safe side, the hypnotherapist advised Charles to be examined by a medical specialist to be absolutely sure there was no organic cause for his ED. The doctor confirmed that Charles' trouble was "100 per cent psychogenic," meaning that for some emotional or psychological reason, he could not maintain an erection. Of course, the more Charles tried, and the more he worried, the more flaccid was his penis. The hypnotherapist explained to Charles that hypnosis could be used to uncover the cause of his trouble, or to tackle the symptom, or both. Charles, being the impatient type, and of course eager to end his humiliating experiences, opted for the "quick fix." Over the course of three sessions of hypnotherapy, Charles relived successful love-making episodes from his younger years as a Navy "stud." Then the therapist used a melding technique to encourage Charles to see himself (in his imagination, while hypnotized) from now on once again enjoying a full, firm erection well beyond the time needed to satisfy his partner. Positive suggestions were also made by the hypnotherapist to Charles about his prowess, his confidence and his desirability to his wife. For three months Charles and Kim had a wonderful sex life. Then he lost an erection just as foreplay had become hot and heavy. Kim, hurt and disappointed, reacted with sarcasm. All Charles' fears and anxieties rushed back. He returned to the hypnotherapist. This time Charles agreed to investigate the cause of his impotence. The hypnotherapist used various approaches -- age regression, age progression (in which the "future" Charles was to explain how he'd conquered the problem) analogue symbolic imagery -- but nothing worked. In a subsequent session, with Charles relaxed in hypnosis, the therapist told Charles he'd have a dream. His subconscious would provide this dream as a way, either directly or symbolically, to explain the origin of his impotence. Three nights later Charles dreamed he was outside a factory. It was night time and the factory loomed dark and mysterious. Charles felt a strong urge to scale the steel fence that surrounded the factory. Then he tried to find away in. All the doors were shut and padlocked. A security guard ("very scary, because he had my face," said Charles) told him to go away. But Charles persisted in his eagerness to enter the factory. He ran from the guard, to the back of the building. Here was the loading dock. Charles saw a bulldozer there. He jumped into its cab and began to operate the controls. The guard reappeared, feebly told Charles to get off the property, to go to his own place. In the distance, Charles could see a stately castle which he somehow knew belonged to him. But his only interest was in the dark factory. The guard shrugged. Charles started up the bulldozer and charged the heavy machine toward the small back door of the factory. As the bulldozer began to rumble forward, Charles awoke -- with a massive erection. The dream puzzled Charles. But it enlightened the therapist. To him it revealed that Charles was in the grip of the Madonna/Whore complex. This is the attitude that divides women into "good" and "bad." Thus, a man's wife and especially mother, are "good." Prostitutes, other men's wives and and women of ethnic groups other than the man's own, are "bad." "Bad" women are exciting; "good" women are boring. Sex is forbidden with "good" women but possible with the "bad." A man with this complex may have sex with his wife occasionally, or until she becomes a mother, or while a post-hypnotic suggestion lasts. But his heart is not in it. Neither is his penis. However, with a "bad" woman he has no commitment, no respect. She is there to be used. His conscience (the security guard) barely bothers him about penetrating the stranger (the dark factory) but, perversely, does prevent him enjoying "his" woman (the castle). When Charles heard this explanation, he nodded in agreement. This was indeed his view. And that of his father, uncle and most of his friends. He had no serious interest in changing this outlook, especially since Kim had announced she was pregnant. The hypnotherapist's suggestion that Charles and Kim seek marriage counselling fell on deaf ears. A lawyer we shall call Mathilde did seek help from a psychotherapist. She had told the referring doctor that she rarely had an orgasm. The truth was that Mathilde never had an orgasm -- with her husband. She'd been faking it for years. But she had climaxed with previous boyfriends. Also during a two-night stand a few months ago. Mathilde had been a speaker at a lawyers' convention a thousand miles from home. There she met Roger, a brooding electrical engineer who had been trouble-shooting the hotel's elevators. "He was not particularly good-looking but he had these soft grey eyes," Mathilde confided to the therapist. She smiled. "He was brutal in bed." Mathilde was mildly surprised to find herself telling the male therapist details she had not felt comfortable confiding to her female doctor. There was no question of her wanting to leave the marriage. She loved her husband, had a marvellous life. All that was missing ws the joy of orgasm. It was something she yearned for. Until she met Roger the lack of orgasms with her husband had not bothered her much. Mathilde had become used to pretending -- and to satisfying herself in secret. The therapist faced two dilemmas: i) perhaps, despite Mathilde's conscious denials, there was some problem between her and her husband ii) the therapist usually worked with couples, not individuals, on such sexual challenges. He decided that, given the husband was not present and would be unlikely to come to future sessions, he would work with Mathilde, and he would use hypnotherapy. If the outcome was successful, there would be no need to explore possible conflicts between husband and wife. First the therapist explained a little about hypnosis and how it could help Mathilde. Her first session was devoted to her simply relaxing into hypnosis, and becoming familiar with how safe and peaceful it felt. In Mathilde's second and third sessions of hypnosis the therapist suggested Mathilde silently relive an earlier experience of orgasm. In her mind she was to take particular note of the physical and emotional feelings which allowed her to climax. When the orgasm in her imagination was over she would open her eyes, though remain in hypnosis. Then the therapist pointed out, and Mathilde confirmed, that she had been internally very relaxed just prior to making love. And that during foreplay and intercourse, she became "lost" in the pleasure. The therapist asked Mathilde to again close her eyes and this time to imagine herself in bed with her husband. Again she could relive the details silently, no need to tell the therapist anything, except when the imagined lovemaking was over. When Mathilde compared the earlier experience with how she felt when making love with her husband she immediately noticed her tension. "I am not relaxed and I don't get lost in the act." Sometimes she thought about cases she was working on and at other times she focused on making sure her husband was satisfied. In the next part of the session the therapist first gave Mathilde suggestions that she could allow herself to relax with her husband, that she could allow herself to climax with him. The therapist again waited silently while Mathilde played the scene through in her mind. When she signalled (with a broad smile) that the scene had reached a successful end, the therapist closed the session with positive suggestions about Mathilde allowing herself to be relaxed, focused on pleasure and allowed to climax when making love with her husband. And so it was. * * * Hypnotherapy has also been used successfully to overcome other sexual problems such as overlubrication, exhibitionism, and to uncover the reason a client became a transvestite. Before seeking help with a sexual difficulty it is important to be sure it really is a problem. For example, a man may go to a therapist because he believes he suffers from premature ejaculation. But if the man is married to a woman who dislikes sex, indeed "wants it over with as soon as possible," that's exactly what is happening, so where's the problem? Twenty-five years old Eugene's problem was real enough: he could not become erect. A handsome, single, bus driver, Eugene had had several medical examinations; all the doctors had concluded there was no medical cause for his impotence. At first, hypnotherapy did not help Eugene. He became more and more despondent about his failure, scared to date and unable to sleep at night. The hypnotherapist had used approaches one or more of which usually resolve psychogenic impotence: > positive suggestions > aversive therapy > satisfying imagery > arm rigidity But nothing worked. The hypnotherapist finally decided to enlist the guidance of Eugene's subsconscious through finger signalling and direct relay of images in response to questions. (With finger signalling -- also known as an ideodynamic technique -- a hypnotized person allows the subconscious to answer questions with predesignated fingers that represent "Yes," "No," "Don't Know," and "Not yet ready to answer"). This approach proved fruitful, although at first puzzling. Hypnotherapist: "I'm going to ask your subconscious some questions. There's no need for you to think about the questions or the answers. Simply allow your subconscious to respond through the fingers it has selected. You will probably feel a tingling begin in the finger that the subsconscious selects. Then it will lift as though of its own accord. Now, I'd like to ask your subconscious if there is a purpose served by Eugene's impotence?" [This question is often answered "yes" and subsequently leads to an explanation such as a desire to punish self or partner for some reason]. [Fimger responses are indicated with ( )]. Eugene: (No). H: "Does the cause of the problem lie in Eugene's past?" E: (Yes). [This response steered the hypnotherapist along the wrong path. He took no account of the literalness with which the subconscious absorbs information. Consequently, the hypnotherapist understood the "Yes" response to mean that there was a specific event, a trauma or a message, that began Eugene's impotence. As was later revealed, the "cause in the past" referred, not to a particular event, but to an ongoing process.] H: "Did the cause happen before Eugene was 20?" E: (Yes). H: "Did the cause happen before Eugene was 15?" E: (Yes). H: "Before 10?" E: (No). [Now the hypnotherapist, who erroneously assumes some single event happened, switches from finger responses to image responses]. H: "Okay. I'm going to ask the subconscious to present to your mind an image that is somehow connected to the problem we're dealing with." E: "I'm in a shop. I don't know how old I am but a man picks me up. I'm very scared. He holds me to him. Someone else comes in and tells the man to put me down." [The hypnotherapist thinks that it is possible something happened in the shop to subsequently cause Eugene to become impotent. However, further questioning reveals that Eugene sees little more than he has already reported. There appears to be no abuse, no negative messages (such as "You'll never be a man.") The session is drawing to a close so the therapist reverts to ideomatic questioning. He decided to check the medical verdicts]. H: "Does the problem have any medical basis to it?" E: [Long pause]. (No). H: "Is there something physical that would help?" E: (No). H: "Is there something missing in Eugene's diet, or something he should not be eating or drinking?" E: (Don't know/don't want to answer yet). [Eugene snaps out of hypnosis, much to his own surprise. In previous sessions for other problems Eugene had enjoyed hypnosis so much he had been reluctant to emerge. He puts himself back into hypnosis]. H: "Okay. Our time is nearly up. I want to thank your subconscious for its help. I'm now asking it to provide you with a dream that will give you a strong indication on how to solve the problem that brought you here." [Eugene once again snaps out of hypnosis]. H: "Wow. We're clearly close to something significant, otherwise you wouldn't come out so suddenly." E: "I don't understand why. But while you were talking about me having a dream something floated into my mind: smoking." H: [Incredulous]. "You smoke!" E: "Yes, a lot." H: "There you are. That's what your subconscious was telling us: the cause of your impotence is smoking! Have you stopped before?" E: "Yes. For a while." H: "And did you have erections okay then?" E: [Thinks back]. "Yes, I did. I did." [And the shop? Why did the subconscious throw that memory into Eugene's mind? Perhaps because the shop sold cigarettes.] Copyright (c) 2005 Bryan M. 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The resent passing of another HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) testing awareness day this summer made me think about some of my old clients. I was a state certified HIV test counselor for the state of Michigan at the agency where I worked. This meant that I administered HIV tests for those people who believed that they may have been put at risk for contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This was a stressful job, and some days, down right awful. The awful days, as you can imagine, were the ones when I had to tell a client that they had tested positive for the HIV antibodies. Thankfully, I only had to tell a few people, but those few individuals are forever carved into my mind. I will never forget them or the day that I had to tell them that they most likely were infected with a life altering infection. These people were young, old, and middle aged. They were people not unlike me. Hard working, dedicated to family, goal oriented, future driven. They were beautiful people that are going through life with an ugly, incurable illness. Unfortunately for me, since these individuals tested anonymously, I will never know their true identities and will probably never know how they are and if they are living healthy productive lives, or suffering and alone. Guess what? You could be infected. You could be at risk. You should be one of those clients that walks into an office and asks to be tested. HIV doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. If you are male or female. Gay or straight. It doesn’t care how old you are. We have babies in this country still being born with the virus because moms don’t know they are infected. Parents and grandparents are increasingly being diagnosed with HIV. Yes, you need to know that your mom and dad or grandmom and grandpa still have sex. They still can potentially be infected if they are involved with someone sexually that has the virus. HIV is still out there. It is still killing people. We do not know yet how to stop it. Doctors and researchers are developing new ways all the time to slow it down, limit its effects on people’s lives, but we are no where near eliminating it from our world. I have been working with educating about HIV for around 20 years. I am sad and horrified to look at the statistics and see that we are no better off now than we were 20 years ago. The numbers keep rising. There is much in the news about HIV/AIDS rates in Africa and other countries, but I want to remind people that in your own backyard, HIV is still raging. We need to remind people that there are safer ways to behave, to reduce the risk of the infection spreading. The best way to reduce the risk of spreading HIV is to know your own status. There are testing sites available in your state. Get a test. They only take a short time to administer, and usually you can do it without giving blood. You can, in many cases, do it anonymously. Testing is the only way that you will know if you are infected. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. Don’t assume you only associate with non-risky people. You can’t possibly know. Ask anyone who has HIV. As a society, we need to become more comfortable with talking about uncomfortable topics. We need to talk to potential partners. We need to talk to our doctors. We need to talk to our friends. I remember thinking when I was a teenager that I wanted to be just like Dr. Ruth Westheimer when I grew up. She was so great about telling it like it was. She called a penis a penis and was proud to do so. I admired that in a time when people didn’t talk to teens about sex, she was willing to. Today, we seem to only talk to teens. We stop talking once that teen grows up. They has become very apparent due to the increasing number of adults over the age of 50 who are becoming infected. So now I am talking. The lessons are fairly simple. Know your HIV status. Know the infectious disease status of your sex partner, or don’t have sex. Use a condom. Don’t share needles if you are using drugs. If it isn’t possible to refuse every time, do it some of the time. Every time you think about your health and act positively for it, you reduce your risk and add another day to the fight against this illness. Find support. There are many wonderful agencies in communities across this country that offer education, help, and the things you need to live a safer life. Everyone has their own story and their own reason not to live safely. These agencies have been trained to help each individual create their own specific plan of action. There are some people who feel that the drugs are available, so it is worth the risk. Certainly we risk getting the flu or infections by going out into the general public with the understanding that there are medications available to make us better if we get sick. So why is HIV different? One reason is that the drugs are expensive. Many people don’t have the insurance coverage to help pay for them, and even if they do, some drugs are hard to come by in certain areas. Secondly, the side effects for many of these drugs are brutal. I know people living with the virus who have chosen to deal with the disease rather than be restricted by the drugs. Another reason is that when you get Strep throat, you take an antibiotic for 10 days and you are done with that medication and that infection. If you get infected with HIV, you take medication for the rest of your life, with the added stress that if you forget to take it to often, it may become ineffective for you, all the while knowing that you never are going to be free of HIV. It is as simple and straightforward as all that. Dr. Ruth couldn’t say it plainer. HIV can’t just be thought about on testing days or awareness days. It needs to be thought about, talked about, and dealt with daily. It needs to have people like you and me to continue to fight the fight for comprehensive sexuality education. To continue to educate everyone about what HIV is about and who it affects. We need to talk equally to young and old alike about the risks that they take with their lives. And mostly we need to not forget those that have died and continue to be infected and affected by a disease that is so easy to prevent. I know that I will always think about my clients and will pray that they are living happy healthy lives.