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Italy is a breathtakingly beautiful country that will always be one of the highlights for anyone’s travel to Europe. It has everything from the impossibly blue Mediterranean Sea to the spectacular Alps, with fabulous food at every stop along the way. And while you are there, you can’t help but trip over history with every step you take. Here are few things you cannot miss when you travel to Italy: --Venice. Think about it. How many movies have you seen that were set in this romantic city? Well there is a reason. If there is a city with more charm and magic than Venice, someone is keeping it a very tight secret. (Oh sure, I can just hear those Parisians objecting that their’s is the most romantic city, but those folks are hardly objective. Besides, this is an article about Italy.) The “streets” are waterways and the city is gradually sinking into the Adriatic Sea. But don’t worry, it will still be there by the time you get there to see it all. --The Roman Colosseum.Talk about the original home for extreme games. You can almost hear the ghosts of gladiators clashing their swords and signing multi-drachma contracts with their agents. The Colosseum is both a spectacular and grim place, considering the many senseless acts of violence that occurred here. Kind of like the beauty pageants are today. --Florence. If you aren’t already an art lover, you will be after visiting Florence. Walk in the footsteps of Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael and your life will be forever changed. One word of warning however, if you are already prone to feelings of penis envy or inadequacy, Michelangelo’s 18-foot statue of David, may not be your cup of tea. --The Vatican. The art, architecture, history and sheer aura of this place will leave you speechless. --Wine country. The folks in France won’t admit this either, but Italian wines are often every bit as good (sometimes even better) than their French counterparts. Take a tour and you will enjoy the tastings all the more after having seen the sheer craftsmanship and patience that goes into making fine wines. And need I remind you to purchase a few of your favorites so you can bring them home to impress your friends with your refinement and worldly sophistication. --The Italian Alps. OK, I will admit that I kept thinking, “these mountains cannot be real. I bet some Hollywood film company put together the ultimate background to impress the tourists.” But in actual fact, they are real. And they are beautiful beyond anything you have ever imagined before in your life. What has always amazed me was that Hannibal surprised the Romans by bringing elephants through the Alps. Elephants were the ancient warfare equivalent of our modern tanks, so you can bet Hannibal had the Romans running for their adult Pampers as soon as they saw his army coming over those mountains. I read somewhere that Italy is the home of more American ex patriots than any other country. So you should be warned in advance that if you stay too long in Italy, you might never want to come back. With that in mind, proceed with caution. COPYRIGHT © 2005, Charles Brown. All rights reserved. best enlargement exercise penile pnis enlargement pic before and after penile enlargement before and after pnis enlargement secret magnarx herbal natural penis elargement compare penis enhancement pills best penis enhancement surgery

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The vagina, similar to our mouth, is normally inhabited by a multitude of microscopic organisms. The vagina’s acidic environment prevents one species overpowering another, and inhibits infection. A healthy vagina actually smells quite sweet and pleasant. Yet the change that occurs with any vaginal infection changes the smell immediately, and thus one can partially judge a vagina’s state of health by its smell. It should be noted that both the smell of a vagina and its being infected are directly related to a woman’s lifestyle, her weight, and diet. Some basic rules on Feminine Hygiene can both prevent infections and insure a sweet smelling vagina as well. Hygiene • Because infectious agents such as bacteria and yeasts are found in the intestine, after defecation a woman must wipe herself from front to back vaginal area first, rectum after. A bidet or immediate wash of the anus is also advised, with a rinse of the vulva with warm water. • Washing also the genital area often with a special ph balanced soap is also essential, and especially after each urination • Vaginal irrigation is not necessary as it usually disturbs the acid environment, and can allow yeast, for example, to flourish. • Women should discourage vaginal and anal intercourse alternation during the same session. Once a man’s penis or any object has entered the anus, it must not be allowed back in the vagina without disinfection. Life-Style • Tight jeans and clothing look great, but they prevent the normal breathing function of the skin and especially an area like the vulva. This closed in effect will produce an unpleasant smell • For the same reason, woman is recommended not to wear panties during sleep. • Use of synthetic materials in clothing will also react with the bacteria on the skin, and the bacteria’s waste product leaves a particularly unpleasant smell, so wear only 100% pure cotton or silk panties a majority of the time. • If you use tampons, change them very often. Left too long in a vagina, the tampon itself will be a major cause of order and even infection. Diet It has been shown that diet can affect directly the smell of the vagina. Eating less meat and meat products, and more fruit and vegetables have a very good effect on vaginal odor. Also, you must drink at least 2 liters of water daily. Sexual Conduct • The use of prophylactics (condoms) is highly recommended for all couples except those that are very familiar. Also if you allow a man to insert either his fingers or toys into your vagina, try to insure both are clean. Vaginal Infections This subject is covered in other articles dedicated to this subject, but any of the below can (and does) cause unpleasant vagina odor. In each and every incidence, you must see your gynecologist. • Bacterial Vaginosis. This gives the characteristic fishy smell. • Yeast Infections. Most women do not see their doctor with yeast infection, and resort to over-the-counter medicines. Symptoms include vulvar itching, redness and irritation. Painful intercourse. We recommend seeing a gynecologist. • Trichomoniasis. This is a sexually transmitted illness with symptoms including vaginal itching, burning, and discharge. See your gynologist. A bit of care goes a long way. Your vagina was meant to smell sweetly and as it normally cleans itself (both monthly and daily) your caution will be rewarded. penis enlargement surgery picture plastic surgery penis enhancement enlargement erection penis pill vimax penis enlagement surgeon cheapest penis enlargement pills free natural penis enhancement do penis elargement pills work vimax penis pill penis enlargment technique

Breast growth occurs in teenage women as a normal part of puberty. This is caused by hormonal changes in the body, mainly associated with the adrenal gland, and the female sex hormone estrogen. So what happens when the breasts do not fully develop? There are options out there for young women to pursue who have not had their full breast growth potential realized. An alarming rate of young teenage women are actually going under the knife to achieve larger, fuller breasts as a means of defeating self esteem issues associated with the stigma of underdeveloped breasts in our society. The new wave of natural breast enhancement products, pills, and systems now offers young women and older women alike the chance to complete their natural breast growth cycle, and maximize new breast growth by stimulating and reactivating these glands into action, and promoting natural, healthy teenage breast growth or adult female breast growth. Female teenage breast development sometimes does not fully cycle, or is "stunted" by certain circumstances that may be hormonal or diet-related, and the breast tissue never reaches it's full growth potential into adulthood. The reasons for this are widespread and laced with speculation. We do know that now young women who have been self conscious about their breast size can take matters into their own hands, and actually grow healthy breast tissue safely by either taking safe supplements or using other breast enlargement methods such as a suction device, hynosis, and even certain exercises that promise to sculpt and curve a more generous bustline. The best part is, since the breast growth is all natural tissue, you won’t have to worry about breast implant hardening, and the many other medical complications and expenses that can come along with cosmetic surgery (not to mention undesirable results!) So, if you’re one of the many young women who want larger, fuller, more sexy breasts, but you don’t want to go under the knife there are alternatives available to you that don't involve a plastic surgeon, or any foreign objects in your body! penis enlarement procedure penile enlargement penis enlagement program penile enlargment medical penis enlagement medical penis enlagement vimax penis enlargment vimax truth about penis enlargement pills penis enlargment technique

Do you want bigger breasts? Do you think exercise might give them to you? If so, here's a true story that might interest you. (Of course, we asked permission to print this story for you, and the names are changed to protect privacy). A young lady asked me this, regarding exercise and fitness personal training. Her question was "If I train with you, will my breasts get bigger? Will they lift themselves up, become firmer and fuller like they used to be when I was younger? Truthfully, I hesitated momentarily, before answering this one. Yes, I really wanted to motivate her, as well as gain her service as a new fitness client. And, I also wanted to stimulate her existing desire to re-kindle her fire and passion for exercise. My greatest personal satisfaction comes from seeing other people improve themselves, especially when their benefits come from advice, education, suggestions, and/or training techniques that I have brought to them. However, my ethics are much stronger than my desire for profit. Ethics in the diet, exercise, and personal fitness training industry are an extremely valuable commodity. They denote character and intent to provide quality service. Therefore, I smartly hesitated before answering the young lady's question. I could see the look in her eyes. She may have wanted me, as a trainer, to say, "Yes, of course your breasts will become larger, firmer, and fuller, just like they used to be. All you have to do is exercise." The truth, however, is quite surprising and perhaps contrary to your probable expectations. As I began to research the subject, "natural breast enhancement," many truths became obvious, almost instantly. Of course, you find your most immediate replies from Internet sources. Members of the general public, many of whom have no accreditation, formal education, or long-term training expertise, are free to create such highly opinionated responses. Although these individuals (and some small businesses, too) may mean well, they simply lack accuracy, especially in the art and science of conducting skilled research. Now, let me tell you what I noticed right away. Upon my first query on natural breast enhancement, several web sites displayed conflicting information. For example, one site said that herbs, minerals, and vitamins would cause a woman's breasts to enlarge. The next site said that "exercise" would boost breast size by at least one "letter." A third said that "nothing" would help because genetics alone determined breast sizes. A fourth claimed that wearing pressure clamps all day long would increase breasts by at least two cup-sizes. As you might already see, the offerings, replies, and suggestions included various alternatives, methods, and techniques. There were suction and pressure devices, creams, encapsulated hormone products, immune system "enhancers," nutrient supplements, etc. A few sites even boasted about "special secret exercises." (Of course, you had to pay first before they told you what these unique, new "special secret exercises" were, if any.) The exercise science industry says nothing about "special breast enhancement exercises." This type of information is only hype. Don't buy into it. Stick with science. Stick with accredited information sources. Maintain your knowledge through licensed, formally trained professionals. Especially, deal only with specialists who maintain high "ethical" standards. You may be interested to know this. Here is the basic outcome of a comparison between the various natural ingredients associated with "breast health." These ingredients were different from those that claimed to increase "breast size." If you are a candidate for such products, you must be meticulous about the phrasing of such descriptions. There's a saying on the Internet that, "You have to already know what you want, before you can find it." In other words, asking for "breast health" gives you different results than "breast enhancement" or "breast enlargement," or even "natural breasts." For example, properties of nutrients claimed to exert "anti-cancer" functions. Still, others were reportedly claiming to make the breast expand (or, at least "appear" to) swell in size. Certainly, you could rationalize the following. Some nutrients do indeed tend to protect your cells from deterioration. At least, there are some that may offset the formation of cancerous cells. This, however, does not automatically mean that the tissue will appear larger and/or grow bigger. When you refine your "purpose," you are more likely to find something that can provide you with a satisfactory solution. Do You Want the Bottom Line on "Natural" Breast Enlargement? There really is "nothing" available and practical that will give you such results. The only thing that possibly comes close to achieving this for you is the "pressure clamp" concept. That is, you wear pressure clamps all day long for about 20 to 30 days non-stop. Surely, you can see how many people cannot arrange the time for such an activity. Convenience is certainly a factor that affects you. And, can you withstand the discomfort of this type of breast enlargement technique? At least, this idea has some merit, but it's still not your most practical and achievable solution. Now, consider the following. In a "natural" way, nothing exists that will actually make your breasts firmer, fuller, or larger. You can, however, protect the "natural health" of your breasts. Additionally, with exercise, you can naturally increase the size and strength of the MUSCLE layers BENEATH your breasts. These muscle layers (called "pectorals") can give you a slightly more firm appearance. This is true only because the muscles themselves become more firm, NOT your mammary glands. In reality, breasts consist of fat tissue, not muscle. Fat can seldom be "firm" to the touch, and fat is hardly likely to give you a firm, solid appearance. Now, "think outside of the box" for just a moment. Returning to our original story line, the ironic thing is that the woman you read about already possessed very large breasts. Thousands of "decent-sized" ladies would "kill" to have what she already has. However, the feeling that your breasts may not be nice enough also comes from other facts. Your surrounding body parts can also lack THEIR proper shape and symmetry. Your overall fitness (including body fat ratio, flexibility, strength and endurance) may be poor or below average. So, here's a breast enlargement/enhancement/health solution that you can count on, virtually, forever. BECOME TOTALLY FIT. For example, with the woman you read about above, reducing waist size would conversely increase breast size appearance. Do you understand how this works? In exercise science, there is something called a "waist-to-hip" ratio. It measures your cardiovascular risk as well. However, with an excellent waist-to-hip ratio, your body "looks" good, too. In other words, reduce your waistline to enhance your upper body stature, appearance, and appeal. Next, there is your "body composition." This is an approximated measurement of the amount of fat you carry in your subcutaneous tissue layers (immediately below your skin's outer surface). This is a ratio of the fat to muscle your body carries. Via practically any combination of aerobic, bodybuilding, endurance, toning, or strength workout activities, you can remarkably enhance your body composition. This, in turn, enhances the size of your waist, plus the shape of your torso, and consequently, the appearance of your breasts. Therein lies your "breast enlargement," the "natural way." It's time to train your way into a more pleasing appearance, and a higher level of stamina comes with it. It's a win-win situation for you, without medical complications, and with no negative side effects. Help "nature" take its course by helping your body do what it is supposed to do – that is, to PERFORM. Call your trainer or weight management specialist and get more information. Then, step into higher gear with enjoyable and effective diet, exercise, and fitness physical activities. Your breasts will say, "Thank You." penis enlagement without pills vimax penis enlargement operation safe pennis enlargement penis enlarement pills product vigrx penis enlargment pill truth about penile enlargement pills permanent penis enhancement penile enlargement traction device penis enlargment technique

Dial 1-800/AIDSNYC Every Monday and Wednesday morning, promptly at 10 a.m., I leave behind my daily life and turn to volunteering as an AIDS Hotline counselor at New York City’s GMHC [Gay Men’s Health Crisis], the nation’s largest social service agency for AIDS. For the next four hours, my co-volunteers and I sit in front of a bank of constantly-ringing telephones, talking to men, women, and teens who call in from across the nation with urgent questions about AIDS, the ravaging disease that has left 13.9 million people dead worldwide. After almost 20 years, a whole generation, families are still facing the heartache of tending the sick, while scientists continue to be confounded by this stubborn, ravaging virus. Although the federal government currently spends$4 billion per year on AIDS research, and $15 billion worldwide, there is no cure in sight for the viral infection and no vaccine available. Small wonder that the GMHC AIDS Hotline, the nation’s first, is flooded with more than 40,000 calls each year. Listening to callers 8 hours each week, I often think the Hotline is actually a direct link to the soul of callers--an anonymous forum that allows each to reveal secrets and fears that they might otherwise never discuss with anyone. A Morning in May This is the way it began: “Good morning, GMHC AIDS Hotline, can I help you?” “Yes...I have a question...[hesitantly] My son...he’s 21...and he just found out...he’s HIV-positive [voice breaking] I’m.....alone, divorced. And I need some help...someone to talk to...” “Of course....happy to talk to you...it sounds like this has been devastating for you....” “It’s terrible. He told me two nights ago....he’s...he’s so young....I don’t want him to die. He’s my only child....why did this have to happen?” [crying] Her son, she explains, had sometimes neglected using condoms, convinced he wouldn’t contract HIV infection from his female partners. “How could he be so stupid?” she now asks angrily. “Why didn’t he know how to protect himself? I don’t understand. What am I going to do?” We talk for 35 minutes, and by the end of the conversation, I notice I’m barely breathing. The distraught woman’s anguish is palpable. Her situation is every mother’s worst nightmare.The life of her child is in jeopardy and she feels helpless and afraid. I can’t imagine anything worse. During the call, I do my best to employ the GMHC Hotline protocol of “active listening,” which involves using silence, empathy and gentle probing with open-ended questions. I’m also having my own emotional reaction to the panic in her voice, and I’m worried about whether I’m doing enough. Toward the end of the clal, when she exclaims: “I don’t want my baby to die,” my heart plummets: “I know....I understand that, but there is hope,” I tell her. I find myself on the verge of tears. The Bad News This mother’s story is too common. According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga., 40,000 Americans (half of them under 25) are newly infected with the AIDS virus each year. Unprotected sex and intravenous drug use remain the principal modes of transmission. “Teenagers,” notes AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor, “are being very hard hit.” She refers to the three million adolescents who contract a sexually-transmitted disease annually. “Heterosexual teenage football players who are healthy and drink milk can get it too!” says the 71-year-old actress, who has singlehandedly raised $150 million for AIDS research. “But teens are very ignorant and feel invincible. They believe there’s an invisible shield protecting them from the virus, when it’s actually aimed right at them.” Taylor believes in addressing the problem head-on: “Tell your teenage son: ‘Maybe a condom doesn’t feel as good, but if it saves your life, it’s better than being six feet under.’ Intelligence must replace random sex.” Although a new generation of AIDS-fighting medications is prolonging the lives of thousands, nearly half of the 900,000 people infected with HIV in the U.S. cannot afford these drugs. Since the virus was discovered in l981, 410,800 Americans have died from AIDS-related complications, and the disease has left 13.9 million dead worldwide. Who Calls a Hotline? Not long ago I took a call from a 15-year-old boy living in a small town who said he feels guilty about his sexual attraction to other boys and is scared to discuss this with his parents. I ask him if there’s a school counselor or relative he might talk to, but he says he’s too afraid to confide in anyone. Being a teenager is hard enough, I thought, without the pressure of keeping this kind of secret. I felt angry and saddened that this child can’t comfortably discuss his feelings with his own parents. I encourage him to call the Gay Community Center Youth Program in a nearby city. In the meantime, I assured him that he could call our Hotline anytime, that we’d be there for him. This call was typical of the many we get from teenagers,whispering from their parents’ homes, confiding their blossoming sexual feelings and concerns. Our Hotline also receives calls from married men who phone from their offices, worried about extramarital sexual encounters; gay men suffering side effects from medications; mothers caring for a sick child or grieving for one lost to AIDS; even health care professionals themselves confused and requiring burnout support. One particular morning, I’m struck by the number of single women who turn to our hotline for help. At 10:15 a.m. a distraught young woman calls, explaining that she had been dating someone “very charismatic,” after a two- year period of sexual abstinence. “At first we used condoms and I was taking the pill to avoid pregnancy,” she says. But after her partner assured her he was HIV-negative, the couple began having unprotected sex. A few months into the relationship, she recounts, his behavior became “unpredictable,” until he finally admitted he was sleeping with other women and was addicted to heroin. Now she has to withstand the “terror” of waiting 3 months before getting an HIV antibody test. To help her cope, I give her the names of three terapists in her area. The call lasts 43 minutes. At 11:15 a.m. I take a call from a woman who is breathing heavily. She says that four months earlier she’d had a brief affair with a limousine driver, “not out of passion, but because I felt lonely. This was so totally unlike me,” she continues. “I come from a traditional Orthodox Jewish family...” Although they used condoms, and she has since tested negative for HIV, she feels deeply ashamed, and has stopped seeing him. And because she has both a persistent vaginal yeast infection and a rash on her neck, she’s convinced she must be infected by HIV. Although rashes, high fever, swollen lymph glands, heavy night sweats, sore throat, or other flu-like symptoms may indicate HIV, they can just as easily accompany the common cold or flu, or other type of infection. I encourage her to seek medical help and counseling, but the calls ends on a down note. “I must have it [AIDS],” she moans. I’m exasperated because it doesn’t sound that way to me, yet I can’t get through to her. The call lasts 22 minutes. It’s 11.38 a.m. when a well-spoken woman, who says she’s an attorney, calls from her office, asking for the names of anonymous testing sites. At first very businesslike, she calmly takes down all the information. I ask her why she’s considering a test. Total silence. Then she begins to cry: “I....I can’t talk....I’m sorry...you see, I have swollen lymph glands....[crying]....And my doctor wants to rule out HIV...I feel overwhelmed...” Then, abruptly: “Where can I send a donation?” She thanks me and hurries off the phone after just 3 minutes. These were one-time callers, but, as in any epidemic, an element of panic prevails, and our hotline also attracts an army of “chronic” or repeat callers who are intensely fearful no matter how benign their risk, many revealing continued misconceptions and paranoia about a disease that can be effectively prevented. We do our best to help them, but often they’re impervious to counseling. Most poignant are calls we get from AIDS patients, phoning from their hospital beds, attempting to navigate the exhausting labyrinth of insurance and health care matters. One man, in hospice care, said he craved companionship and missed the “good old days” when he was handsome and healthy. That call was a tough one for me as just the day before a close friend of mine, Joe, who had battled HIV for 16 years, had finally succumbed. Although at the end Joe was a mere skeleton, he was nonetheless at peace. “I’ve done what I wanted to,” he told me on our last visit. An avid gardener, he insisted on a final trip to his country house to see his garden one last time. For a moment the caller’s reality and the memory of my deceased friend blurred in my mind and I was overcome. Time for a break. Face to Face One of the most and unique services GMHC offers is called “A-Team Counseling,” a one-time, in-person session that’s free and anonymous. Recently, I was on an A-Team counselling a 26-year-old HIV-infected mother from the Midwest. She had traveled to Manhattan by bus to find her estranged boyfriend, who, she recounted tearfully, had kidnapped her 7-year- old son. Disheveled, painfully thin, the woman was a disturbing sight. She’s learned that the two had already returned home where the boyfriend was, and the child put in his grandmother’s custory. custody of his grandmother. Meanwhile she’d run out of money for the return trip, been refused a loan by her family, lost her ID, gone hungry and spent two nights on the street. Fortunately, this woman was registered at a local AIDS organization in her town. I telephoned her caseworker and persuaded him to buy her a one-way Greyhound bus ticket for $115.00. I also gave her subway tokens, a basket of food, juice and coffee. Smiling shyly, she thanked me for caring. Shaking hands good-bye with this woman was a bittersweet farewell. What will happen to her? I wondered will her health deteriorate or improve? Will she gain control of her life and be able to provide for her son? I’ll never know. One thing I do know: She’d appeared with the sorrow of a difficult life in her eyes, but when she left, she was elated at the thought of being reunited with her child. It seems that with faith and a helping hand, almost anything is possible. * * * * * 10 BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AIDS AND HIV (This list would probably be most effective when presented in a vertical chart, the misconception on the left, the correct answer on the right.) 1)The AIDS virus can be transmitted through saliva, sweat, tears, urine or feces; also through deep kissing. 1) HIV can ONLY be transmitted through four bodily fluids: blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk--and can also be transmitted from a mother to her child before birth, during birth, or while breast feeding. The exchange of saliva through kissing is no-risk, unless the saliva has blood in it and both you and your partner are bleeding in the mouth simultaneously. 2) HIV may also be transmitted through casual contact with an infected person. 2) You can’t get infected from toilet seats, phones or water fountains. The virus can’t be transmitted in the air through sneezing or coughing. You can’t get HIV from sharing utensils or food or from touching, or hugging. HIV dies after being exposed to the air. Therefore, touching dried blood on a shaving blade, a toothbrush or a bathroom counter top is no risk. In any case, unbroken skin is impermeable, like a rubber raincoat, and cannot absorb the virus whether it’s alive or dead. Blood transfusions and medical procedures in the U.S. are safe. Giving blood is completely risk-free. The chance of getting HIV from dentists or other health care providers is too low even to measure.You can’t get it from mosquitoes or other insect or animal bites. 3) Oral sex is just as risky as vaginal or anal intercourse. 3) Although not 100% risk-free, oral sex is considered a low-risk activity,except if: you have bleeding gums, recent dental work, open sores such as a herpes lesion, any cut, blister, or burn in the mouth, or if you’ve just brushed or flossed your teeth. Also, oral sex with an infected woman is riskier if she is having her period, since menstrual blood can contain HIV. Overall, latex barriers, (such as condoms or dental dams) used during oral sex reduce the transmission of not just HIV, but other sexual transmitted diseases. 4) Animal skin, latex and polyurethane condoms are all equally effective in preventing HIV infection and you can use ANY lubrication on the condom desired. 4)Only latex or polyurethane condoms may be used, as HIV can pass through an animal skin condom. With latex condoms, only water-based lubricants--like K-Y jelly or H-R jelly--may be used. No lubricants with oil, alcohol, or grease are safe.Petroleum jelly,Vaseline, Crisco, mineral oil, baby oil, massage oil, butter and most hand creams can weaken the condom and cause it to split. However, with polyurethane condoms, petroleum-based lubricants can be used. 5) Women have to rely on men using condoms during intercourse to protect themselves against HIV. 5) Women may employ the “female condom,” a plastic sheath that can be inserted in their vaginas and used for protection against HIV. It can be inserted up to 8 hours before sex, has rings at both ends to hold it in place and can be lubricated with oil-based lubricants that stay wet longer. In addition, women can carry conventional condoms for their male partners’ use. 6) If a woman is HIV-positive, her offspring will automatically be born infected with HIV. 6) With no medical treatment taken, about 25% of HIV-positive women will give birth to infants who are also infected. However, the use of anti-HIV medications has resulted in a significant decrease of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in utero and during delivery to less than 5%. (NYT 10/19/ 99]. 7) AIDS is fundamentally a gay disease contracted by white males. 7) Recent data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that young gay Hispanic and African-American men and heterosexual women are the fastest growing segment of the population being infected with HIV. Women now account for 43% of all HIV infected people over age 15. [NYT 11/24/98] African-American and Hispanic women account for more than 76% of AIDS cases among women in the U.S. 8) Heterosexual men are not really at risk for contracting HIV, even if they don’t use condoms. 8) The inside opening of the penis is composed of highly-absorbent, sponge- like mucous membrane tissues, which can provide a route for HIV-infected vaginal secretions or blood to enter the bloodstream. Proper condom use protects men from infection. 9) The AIDS epidemic is largely over because new AIDS medications like protease inhibitors and others have turned AIDS into a chronic, not a terminal disease. 9) In the U.S., AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death for people 25-44 years old. Roughly half of all those infected with HIV in the U.S. are not receiving any medications or medical care. AIDS now kills more people worldwide than any other infection, including malaria and tuberculosis.[NYT 11/24/98] In 1998 alone, 2.5 million people died of AIDS worldwide. 13.9 million people have died since the virus was discovered in 1981. 10) If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV through unprotected sex, you can take an HIV antibody test 2 weeks later and get an accurate result. 10) The standard “window” or waiting period remains a full 3 months. However, because the widely-used HIV antibody tests (The ELISA and Western Blot) have become so sensitive, about 95% of people will procure an accurate result 4-6 weeks after a possible exposure to the virus. * * * * [Note:The information stated above was reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Todd J. Yancey, an infectious disease specialist practicing in New York City and affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital, NY, Cornell Campus.] THE CHILD LIFE PROGRAM “Mommy takes a lot of medicine and Mommy’s really tired sometimes and she can’t take you to the park as much as she used to. It’s not that I don’t love you...and that I don’t want to...but Uncle Jack’s going to take you to the park today.” --A mother living with AIDS, a client at GMHC, talking to her 6-year- old son. In New York City alone, 28,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS since the epidemic began [NYT 12/13/98] GMHC’s unique Child Life Program serves HIV-infected parents and their children--who may, or may not, be infected with the virus. “We help families strengthen their ability to cope, relieve the pressure of parenting with support services, and teach parents how to talk to their kids,” says Child Life Program Coordinator Alison Ferst. “Unfortunately, should a parent or child be sick enough to be facing death, we also help them walk through it with grace and dignity---as opposed to feeling alone, isolated and frightened. “We also encourage sick parents to make stable legal plans for their children who may be left behind,” adds Ferst, “and to have disclosure conversations with the children in advance, so you don’t have a child standing at her mother’s funeral, not sure where she’s going next.” When an HIV-infected Mom arrives at GMHC to have lunch, attend a support group, consult with a lawyer, or access the acupuncture clinic, she can leave her children in a spacious playroom, decorated with fanciful murals and a giant tree hand-painted by the famed children’s story writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, who donated his art. [see photos] The program provides: child- sitting, nutrition services, a food pantry, art and magic classes, and recreational trips--church picnics, seasonal apple-pumpkin picking, amusement parks, zoos, museums, beaches. Also: homework help sessions, holiday parties, hospital visits, summer sports and weekly support groups for HIV- positive parents and their HIV-negative children. This unique program also features: Cooking classes for kids who sometimes prepare meals for sick parents; Pediatric Buddies, GMHC adult volunteers who play with sick children and also assist with family chores; Fun With Feelings Support Group, Friday Evening Family Time, Birthday parties, and a Holiday Gift Drive. “Children infected or affected by AIDS,” concludes Ferst, “want to be like other kids: They want to play with their friends, want to know that someone will always take care of them, want to know they’re not alone, and often wonder if it’s their fault when Mom or Dad gets sick.” These children need a helping hand and any of us can provide one.