While we often first associate orgasm with pleasure, it has numerous health benefits. Physical and sexual health are associated.

For example, many who have cramping associated with menstrual cycles find that the orgasm-related release of endorphins and corticosteroids can help relieve pain.

Did you know that women who have regular sex have a diminished chance of suffering from heart disease or type 2 diabetes? Moreover, you can get an immune system boost.

Orgasm and the G spot

Today is not about the somewhat elusive G spot, but let’s take a moment to talk about it. Dr. Beverly Whipple introduced the Gräfenberg spot after discovering that using a “come here” motion along the inside of the vagina produced a physical response in women.

Dr. Whipple believed that this region could be essential to women achieving orgasm. In reality, the G spot is not a distinct anatomical spot.

Instead, the G spot a is part of the clitoral network. When researchers tried to find the G spot, they could not; they entitled their research study “The “G-Spot” Is Not a Structure Evident on Macroscopic Anatomic Dissection of the Vaginal Wall.”

Stimulate the so-called G spot, and you are affecting a part of the clitoris. The pea-sized part that most are aware of is only the tip of the clitoris; the latter divides into two roots that can be approximately four inches long. There is significant variability among women, however.

When stimulated, the G spot can cause female ejaculation and help women reach vaginal orgasm.

Orgasm and the brain: Introducing the C spot

Let’s move on from the G spot to a newer area of interest: The C spot. There is a brain region known as the somatosensory cortex. It is a region related to sensations such as pain, pressure, or warmth.

It has historically been challenging to pinpoint the exact location for sensory stimulation of the clitoris. One reason for the failure? The site in the brain caries among women.

The new study offers insights into the brain area and the variability among women. Interestingly, the size of the brain area differed by how frequently a woman reported having sex in the last year.

The research included 20 healthy women. None were menstruating during the study.

The women underwent magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging while wearing disposable underwear with a device placed over their clitoral region. The device vibrated to stimulate the area.

The researchers compared the brain images from this sensory experience to ones from women stimulating the back of their right hands with the same device.

My Take

By identifying the brain area (and variation) associated with clitoral-related orgasms, the study may help us develop management approaches for those with sexual dysfunction or dissatisfaction.

In addition, this is the first time that researchers associated sex frequency with the size of the brain structure related to clitoral touch.

The post Forget the G Spot — Here’s the C Spot appeared first on Medika Life.

There are many conditions that can cause vaginal pain during intercourse; one is vaginal atrophy. This condition often stops women from taking part in lovemaking, let alone enjoying it. The worry is that penetration will hurt them, and with that worry, their sex drive falls flat on the floor. Although the condition can affect women of any age, it is mainly after menopause sets in it is experienced.

Vaginal atrophy can seriously affect relationships, and yet very few women talk about their experiences. Some are embarrassed, while others don’t know where to go for help, accepting that it is a part of life and that nothing can be done about it¹. But atrophy is a serious condition as if it goes untreated; it can cause the vaginal walls to close up. Regular intercourse is necessary for healthy vaginal walls, though it isn’t a guarantee that regular lovemaking will stop vaginal atrophy.

What is vaginal atrophy?

Vaginal atrophy is when estrogen levels decrease, and the vaginal tissue becomes thinner, drier, not as elastic, and more fragile. The symptoms of vaginal atrophy includes²:

• Vaginal dryness
• Vaginal burning
• Vaginal discharge
• Vaginal inflammation
• Genital itching
• Light bleeding after intercourse
• Discomfort with intercourse
• Shortening and tightening of the vaginal canal

Vaginal atrophy is not only uncomfortable and painful, but it can cause urinary issues too, such as:

• Burning with urination
• Urgency with urination
• Frequent urination

One woman’s experience

Today, a client told me she had experienced penetration, feeling like sandpaper being rubbed on the inside of her vagina with some bleeding following intercourse. I asked what had made her carry on making love rather than stopping; after all, there are many other ways to be intimate. Her response saddened me greatly. She said:

“I love my partner, and I love making love with him. I want to hold on to our love life; I don’t want him to think I’m broken.”

She had experienced this pain increased over the past few months and hadn’t known what to do or where to go for help. I’m glad she came to see me.

Take action, don’t suffer

This is a condition that no woman needs to suffer with. However, there are a few things that can be done to help ease vaginal atrophy, returning the enjoyment of lovemaking to the relationship:

• A menopause specialist will help with all the specific symptoms you have. They are usually able to prescribe vaginal lubricants with estrogen and advice you on how to use them. I have only heard positive feedback from women who have sought their advice.
• Over the counter, vaginal lubricants can help. They are available at a chemist or online; I noticed vaginal lubricants being available even on Amazon. The ones I recommend to my clients are either YES or Sylk. If you contact either via their online chat facility, they might offer you some free samples so you can try them before you buy.
• Your doctor will also be able to help, and some general practitioners have a menopause-trained nurse attached to the clinic. It’s worth asking.

It is worth taking a look at the menopause NICE Guidelines to gain insight into what you should expect from the care you are seeking. The NICE Guidelines were developed in 2015 while menopause training became available for nurses in the UK.

If you or your partner is suffering from vaginal atrophy, seek the available help. Your relationship need not be without intimacy, and you should be able to enjoy it as much as you ever have.

Making love as we get older

As we get older, we need to take it easy, slow lovemaking down and enjoy more touching, stroking, kissing of bodies, and holding³. Many couples of a certain age coming to psychosexual therapy have spent years rushing through the act of lovemaking resulting in one or both losing interest. That might be all we have time for when our children are young, and we are working at succeeding in our careers, but with age, our bodies tend to respond differently. We are no longer able to get the rush of excitement we used to.

Taking our time to be intimate together will give our bodies a chance to catch up with what we are doing. The added extra is that it becomes much more enjoyable too. Towards the end of psychosexual therapy, couples in this age group often report that they enjoy touching so much the intercourse is simply a plus rather than the aim.

Having an enjoyable sex life into very old age is the spice of life and will keep us truly alive for longer. Don’t let vaginal atrophy stop you from getting close, seek the help available, and magic can become a reality.

References and further reading

¹Vaginal Atrophy

²Vulvovaginal Atrophy

³Better Sex as You Age

The post Here is a Solution to Painful Sex appeared first on Medika Life.

What can I do before getting pregnant to lower my risk of passing HIV to my baby?

If you plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor right away. Your doctor can talk with you about how HIV can affect your health during pregnancy and your unborn baby’s health. Your doctor can work with you to prepare for a healthy pregnancy before you start trying to become pregnant.

Everyone living with HIV should take HIV medicines to stay healthy. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant and are not taking HIV treatment, it is important that you begin, because this will lower your chances of passing the virus to your baby when you become pregnant.

There are ways for you to get pregnant that will limit your partner’s risk of HIV infection. You can ask your doctor about ways to get pregnant and still protect your partner.

I do not have HIV, but my partner does. Can I get pregnant without getting HIV?

Women have a higher risk of HIV infection during vaginal sex than men. If you do not have HIV but your male partner does, the risk of getting HIV while trying to get pregnant can be reduced but not totally eliminated.

Talk to your doctor about HIV medicine you can take (called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP) to help protect you and your baby from HIV.

You may also want to consider donor sperm or assisted reproductive technology, such as semen washing or in vitro fertilization, to get pregnant. These options can be expensive and may not be covered by your health insurance.

I’m pregnant. Will my baby have HIV?

If you just found out you are pregnant, see your doctor right away. Find out what you can do to take care of yourself and to give your baby a healthy start to life.

With your doctor’s help, you can decide on the best treatment for you and your baby before, during, and after the pregnancy. You should also take these steps below before and during your pregnancy to help you and your baby stay healthy.

Just because you have HIV doesn’t mean your child will get HIV. In the United States, before effective treatment was available, about 25% of pregnant mothers with HIV passed the virus to their babies. Today, if you take HIV treatment and have an undetectable viral load, your risk of passing HIV to your baby is less than 1%.¹

What can I do to lower my risk of passing HIV to my baby?

Thanks to more HIV testing and new medicines, the number of children infected with HIV during pregnancy, labor and childbirth, and breastfeeding has decreased by 90% since the mid-1990s. The steps below can lower the risk of giving HIV to your baby:

Step 1

Tell your doctor you want to get pregnant. Your doctor can help you decide if you need to change your treatments to lower your viral load, to help you get pregnant without passing HIV to your partner, and to prevent you from passing the virus to your baby. He or she will also help you get as healthy as possible before you get pregnant to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby. Don’t stop using condoms for STI prevention and another method of birth control for pregnancy prevention until your doctor says you are healthy enough to start trying.

Step 2

Get prenatal care. Prenatal care is the care you receive from your doctor while you are pregnant. You need to work closely with your doctor throughout your pregnancy to monitor your treatment, your health, and your baby’s health.

Step 3

Start HIV treatment. You can start treatment before pregnancy to lower the risk of passing HIV to your baby. If you are already on treatment, do not stop, but do see your doctor right away. Some HIV drugs should not be used while you’re pregnant. For other drugs, you may need a different dosage.

Step 4

Manage side effects. Side effects from HIV medicines can be especially challenging during pregnancy, but it is still important that you take your medicine as directed by your doctor. Talk to your doctor about any side effects you have and about ways to manage them.

Step 5

Do not breastfeed. You can pass the virus to your baby through your breastmilk even if you are taking medicine. The best way to avoid passing HIV to your baby is to feed your infant formula instead of breastfeeding.

Step 6

Make sure your baby is tested for HIV right after birth. You should choose a doctor or clinic experienced in caring for babies exposed to HIV. They will tell you what follow-up tests your baby will need and when. Talk to your doctor about whether your baby may benefit from starting treatment right away.

Step 7

Ask your pediatric HIV specialist if your baby might benefit from anti-HIV medicines before you know if your baby is HIV-positive or HIV-negative. Research has shown that giving combination HIV drugs to newborns is better at preventing HIV than taking AZT (azidothymidine, an antiretroviral medicine) alone.

Can I take HIV medicine during pregnancy?

HIV-infected pregnant women should take HIV medicines. These medicines can lower the risk of passing HIV to a baby and improve the mother’s health.

If you haven’t used any HIV drugs before pregnancy and are in your first trimester, your doctor will help you decide if you should start treatment. Here are some things to consider:

• Nausea and vomiting may make it hard to take the HIV medicine early during pregnancy.
• It is possible the medicine may affect your baby. Your doctor will prescribe medicine that is safe to use during pregnancy.
• HIV is more commonly passed to a baby late in pregnancy or during delivery. HIV can be passed early in pregnancy if your viral load is detectable.
• Studies show treatment works best at preventing HIV in a baby if it is started before pregnancy or as early as possible during pregnancy.

If you are taking HIV drugs and find out you’re pregnant in the first trimester, talk to your doctor about sticking with your current treatment plan. Some things you can talk about with your doctor include:

• Whether to continue or stop HIV treatment in the first trimester. Stopping HIV medicine could cause your viral load to go up. If your viral load goes up, the risk of infection also goes up. Your disease also could get worse and cause problems for your baby. So this is a serious decision to make with your doctor.
• What effects your HIV medicines may have on the baby
• Whether you are at risk for drug resistance. This means the HIV medicine you take no longer works against HIV. Never stop taking your HIV medicine without first talking to your doctor.

Can I get help paying for care during pregnancy?

If you are pregnant, Medicaid may pay for your prenatal care. If you are pregnant and living with HIV, Medicaid might pay for counseling, medicine to lower the risk of passing HIV to your baby, and treatment for HIV. Each state makes its own rules regarding Medicaid. Contact your local or county medical assistance, welfare, or social services office to learn more. If you are unable to find that number, search your state’s department of health.

If you don’t think you qualify for assistance, check again. Sometimes states change their Medicaid rules. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid eligibility expanded to cover many more people. Also, you may be newly eligible for Medicaid because of increased income limits for prenatal care and HIV treatment for pregnant women.

You may also access care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program medical care provider near you. 

Offsite Resources

For more information about HIV and pregnancy, check out the following resources from other organizations:

• HIV Among Pregnant Women, Infants, and Children — Fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• HIV and Pregnancy — Information from AIDSinfo.
• Infant feeding and HIV — Publication from UNICEF.
• Elimination of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (EMCT) in the United States — Fact sheet from CDC.
• One Test. Two Lives. — Campaign information from the CDC.

The post Pregnancy and HIV; Here is What We Need to Know appeared first on Medika Life.

Fact: HIV and AIDS are problems in the United States.

HIV and AIDS are not problems that exist only in Africa or in other parts of the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1.2 million Americans 13 years and older are living with HIV.

One in four people living with AIDS in the United States in 2014 was a woman. An estimated 128,778 women have died of AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic in 1981.

Fact: HIV is not the same as AIDS.

HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. You have AIDS if your CD4 count drops below 200 or when you have certain infections or cancers. You can have HIV for years without having AIDS. Being infected with HIV does not mean you have developed AIDS.

Also, people with HIV who start treatment early in their infection, stay on treatment, and have an undetectable viral load can stay healthy and prevent the disease from progressing to AIDS.

Fact: HIV tests are reliable.

Newer HIV tests identify the virus itself and a marker on the virus called p24 antigen. These tests can detect HIV infection much earlier than previous tests. A follow-up test to confirm the results also can determine the strain of HIV infection you may have. 

Fact: HIV cannot be cured.

There is no cure for HIV at this time. But with today’s medicine, women can reduce their viral load (amount of HIV in the blood) to the point that it is undetectable. This means that your viral load is fewer than 40 to 75 copies in a sample of your blood.

An undetectable viral load does not mean that you no longer have HIV. It is still possible to pass HIV to others, although the risk is much lower. Having an undetectable viral load also helps prevent the progression to AIDS or getting other infections.

Research is being done that may lead to new treatments and new ways of preventing HIV infection. In the meantime, women with HIV are living full lives, including working, having children, and participating fully in their communities.

Fact: There is no vaccine to prevent HIV.

Right now we do not have a vaccine to prevent HIV. Vaccines are the best way to prevent diseases you can get from other people, like the measles, mumps, or polio. Researchers have been working for more than 20 years to develop a safe and effective vaccine against HIV.

HIV is a complicated virus that changes over time. This makes vaccine research difficult, and it takes a long time to do the research. Researchers are closer to developing a vaccine to prevent HIV and a vaccine to treat HIV and AIDS.

Fact: People with HIV should start HIV medicine right away.

Even if you’re feeling great and have no symptoms, HIV is hurting your immune system. To protect your immune system, most experts recommend starting HIV medicines (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) as soon as you are diagnosed with HIV. Because these drugs reduce your “viral load,” or the amount of HIV in your blood, they also reduce your chances of passing HIV to others.

Fact: You cannot know if your partner has HIV unless he or she is tested.

It can take years for you to see symptoms of HIV. This is called the latency period. The only way to fully protect yourself from sexually transmitted HIV is to not have sex of any kind. Using a condom correctly every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex can reduce the risk of passing HIV by 80%. Male latex condoms offer the best protection against HIV, but female condoms are also approved by the Food and Drug Administration to help lower your risk for HIV infection.

Use a condom every time you have sex for two reasons. First, your partner might be infected but not know it. Second, you cannot control your partner’s risky behavior. You can know only your HIV status and control only your own risk-taking.

Fact: You (or your partner) need to wear a condom during sex, even if you are both HIV-positive.

If you and your partner have HIV, you still need to practice safer sex. Use a condom every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Condoms can protect you from other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Also, since there are different strains (types) of HIV, you can be infected a second time with a different type than what you already have. Some forms of HIV are also more virulent, meaning they progress to AIDS faster. You could become infected with a drug-resistant strain of HIV. This can make it very hard for treatment to work.

Fact: Women can give HIV to men.

It is much harder for men to get HIV from women, but it does happen. HIV can enter a man’s body at the opening of the tip of the penis and through cuts or sores on the shaft that may not be visible.

Plus, if a partner has an untreated sexually transmitted infection (STI) like genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia, the risk is even higher. These infections can bring more CD4 cells to the area of infection or cause breaks in the skin. These STIs also raise your risk for passing HIV to others.

Fact: A pregnant woman with HIV can lower the chance of passing HIV to her unborn baby to less than 1%.

A woman who knows about her HIV infection early in pregnancy and gets antiretroviral (ARV) medicine can lower the risk of passing HIV to her baby to less than 1%. Without treatment, the risk of a mother with HIV passing it to her baby is about 25% (in the United States).

If you are pregnant, get tested for HIV. Also, do not breastfeed your baby until you and your doctor are certain you don’t have HIV.

Fact: Lesbians can get HIV.

It is rare for women who have only ever had sex with women to get or pass HIV. But HIV can be passed through vaginal fluids and menstrual blood.

Avoid sex if you (or your partner) have HIV and either a yeast infection or your period. Also, do not share sex toys, because microscopic particles in the fluids on sex toys can pass HIV. You can also get HIV from drugs and shared needles or syringes.

Fact: Women of all ages, races and ethnicities, and sexual orientations can get HIV.

Any woman who has unprotected sex or shares needles or syringes with someone who is HIV-positive or whose HIV status is unknown is at risk for HIV.

HIV is not just a disease of gay men. In fact, worldwide, most people living with HIV are straight (heterosexual), and more than half of people living with HIV are women. In the United States, women make up about one in four people living with HIV.

Most women who are HIV-positive got HIV from unprotected sex with an HIV-positive male. 

Fact: You can get HIV from sharing needles or getting tattoos or body piercings.

Sharing needles is the second most common way that HIV is spread to women in the United States (sex is the most common way). Any woman who shares needles with someone who is HIV-positive or whose HIV status is unknown is at risk for HIV. 

It is also possible to get HIV from tattoo and piercing tools that are not sterilized correctly between clients. Tools that cut the skin should be used once and then thrown away or sterilized between uses.

Before you get a tattoo or have your body pierced, ask the right questions. Find out what steps the staff takes to prevent HIV and other infections, like hepatitis B and hepatitis C. You also can call your local health department to ask how tattoo shops should sterilize their tools. A new, sterilized needle should be used for each person.

Many, but not all, states regulate and issue permits for tattoo parlors. Before getting a tattoo, learn what regulations your tattoo parlor must follow and whether it has passed a health inspection.

Fact: HIV is not spread by mosquitoes, sweat, tears, pools, or casual contact.

Even if mosquitoes could carry the HIV virus, they do not inject blood into your skin. No transmission of this type has ever been reported around the world. Also, you cannot get HIV from shaking hands, using the toilet, or coming into contact with someone’s sweat or tears from their eyes. The only bodily fluids that are known to transmit HIV are semen, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, breastmilk, and blood (including menstrual blood).

The post Facts about HIV and AIDS for Women appeared first on Medika Life.

Ball culture describes a young African-American and Latin American underground LGBTQ+ subculture that originated in New York City, in which people “walk” (i.e., compete) for trophies, prizes, and glory at events known as balls. Ball culture consists of events that mix performance, dance, lip-syncing, and modeling — Wikipedia

I had the recent pleasure to witness a mini creative adaption of Ball culture, an exercise inspiring people to walk against a musical soundtrack in different genders and express unique emotions and scenarios. The joy, experimentation, and personal realizations were surprising and, in some instances, profound.

For coaches and therapists who wish to integrate ball culture into their practice, let’s explore the unique multi-dimensional exercise to unearth new truths and spark personal curiosity while ensuring the activity is built inside a psychologically safe container.

The Toronto Gestalt Psychotherapy center hosted the virtual embodiment exploration of gender exercise. Here, everyone is encouraged to participate while recognizing the spectrum; for some people, gender is top of mind, whereas, for others, it is an afterthought. Within the Gestalt therapy context, each individual is welcome to explore Ball culture in their own experience of personal embodiment.

Facilitator Instructions

In a safe space, encourage participants to explore their sexuality through movement and sound. The mini Ball culture exercise provides room to perform deep personal work, especially from the lens of childhood, upbringing, and culture.

Given our bodies hold onto memories, for some people, the topic of gender identity is more present than others. Before the activity, remind individuals to stay aware of the shifts, transitions, and sensations occurring within their body in the here and now. And to pay close attention to what happens when in contact with self, out of contact, and everything in between.

Finally, encourage people to use their face, hands, spine, pelvis, feet placement, shoulders, arms — as much of their bodies as they can form a complete experience.

Facilitators, prepare the following either in person or online:

• Ensure everyone has a safe, clutter-free space to walk.
• People can perform the walk any way they chose.
• Adjust video camera to point to the walking space.
• Allow individuals to keep their camera on or off; individual choice.
• Ask participants to feel the polarities of the categories.
• Do not force emotions or sensations; see what comes up.
• There is a performative aspect to the exercise; have fun.
• Facilitators must play inspiring music to accompany the role play. And to remain authentic to Ball, consider selections similar to the proposed list below.
• As the music plays, the Facilitator will call out each category in the below list for attendees to embody and role play/perform the walk: a sensual female.

How can you encourage an authentic mini-ball experience? Wikipedia further explains:

Attendees dance, vogue, walk, pose, and support one another in numerous drag and performance competition categories. Categories are designed to simultaneously epitomize and satirize various genders and social classes, while also offering an escape from reality.

Here is an example from the Latex Ball, 2019; keep in mind the following video is part of an actual competition. Our exercise is a micro-scaled-down version to introduce people to Ball culture.

Now let’s look at potential music tracks to consider for the role-play exercise.

Sound Track Examples

1. It’s Just (House of Dupree), Leon Vynehall

I chose this track for two reasons. First, the beat has the perfect rhythm for participants to walk and express themselves. And second, the introduction provides a brief historical context into Ball culture, discussing the emergence of “Houses.”

The culture extends beyond the extravagant events as many participants in ball culture also belong to groups known as “houses,” a longstanding tradition in LGBT communities, and racial minorities, where chosen families of friends live in households together, forming relationships and community to replace families of origin from which they may be estranged.

Wikipedia

Paris Dupree, whom the song is named after, was the founding member and mother of the House of Dupree, which mobilized young, urban gays to express themselves in ways that mainstream America could not quite understand in the 1970s. He is also credited to be an originator to the vogue dance movement, vogueing being the imitation of models in magazines and runways.

Here is an excellent video explaining the concepts to learn more about Houses and a House Mother or Father.

2. Vogue, Madonna

Not only is the song an instant, timeless classic, but it also holds an immediate association with Ball culture, the music designed for the catwalk.

3. The Girl Is Mine (featuring Destiny’s Child & Brandy), 99 Souls

A one-hit wonder and throwback, people will recognize the remixed voices of Destiny’s Child and Brandy. Beyonce, once part of Destiny’s Child, holds particular relevance to Ball culture.

Now that we have a potential music selection, let’s move to the possible categories.

Role-Playing Categories

The following list is non-exhaustive and here for suggestion only. As a Facilitator, you are welcome to design your selection to suit what character, emotions, and body parts you want participants to focus on. In the session I attended this week, the following categories were experienced:

• Man — exaggerate masculine traits.
• Woman — exaggerate female traits.
• Sex siren.
• An important business person — who owns the space.
• VIP feminine.
• VIP masculine.
• Anger masculine.
• Anger feminine.
• Afraid in current gender.
• Afraid masculine.
• Sensual as current self.
• Sensual feminine.
• Sensual masculine.
• Super attractive.

At the end of the playlist and catwalk performance, the Facilitator asks participants to walk it off, shake off their character,s and return to their chair or screens.

Debrief

To conclude the exercise, ensure a debrief, engaging in discussion to understand the impact on participants. Facilitators, here are some powerful questions to use as a guide.

• How did you feel entering into the exercise? Did you experience any resistance?
• What constricts and what opens up in your body?
• What felt at ease for you?
• What stirred up for you?
• What are your reflections?
• Please think of the following areas that affect how we view our gender: parents/upbringing, culture, age, and stage of life. Did any memories or considerations emerge for you?
• What different body parts did you notice the most when you switched personas? An example is how we use our hips or shoulders when we moved from feminine to masculine or use the chest popping in and out.
• For people who are a mixed-race culture (for example: Canadian or Amerian with a Latin background), did you notice an emergence or expression from your country of origin or subtleties on how you responded to the music between the two?
• What is this like to try and be androgynous— possessing both masculine and feminine characteristics.

Take The Exercise One Step Further

If time permits, either in person or online, Facilitators can pair people into groups of two and request participants performative walks for one another, followed by a more intimate, collaborative discussion. The intent is to go deeper in the small grouper, unearthing personal realizations about the self.

To Conclude

Ball culture is fascinating and exhilarating to watch. And the intent of the mini-scaled-down version of the exercise is from a psychotherapeutic perspective of encouraging people to explore the multi-dimensions of their gender by feeling the body’s response in a safe environment. I hope the exercise enlightens and delights you — as much as it did me.

Resources

• Wikipedia — Ball Culture
• The Atlantic — In the Kiki Ballroom Scene, Queer Kids of Color Can, Be Themselves
• Esquire — 24 Photos that Spotlight t, and rise of Ballroom and Drag Culture

The post Try This Exercise For An Embodied Exploration of Gender appeared first on Medika Life.

One hundred fifty-eight million Americans are now under some type of quarantine, and cabin fever is kicking in. Staying home and being alone is harder than we thought.

Endless hours of Facebook passes the time, but we are growing tired of cat pictures on Instagram. Alerts from Snapchat grow tiresome. We have worn out Netflix and Candy crush is getting old.

People may be tempted to check out a favorite dating app like Tinder, Bumble, or Grinder seeking some companionship.

Now is not the time to swipe right.

Covid-19 Basics

Coronavirus is a new virus. This means the human race has never been exposed. We have no baseline immunity or protective antibodies. We do not have a vaccine or effective medication to treat it. We are all susceptible to becoming sick with Covid-19.

Covid-19 is spread through person-to-person contact via respiratory droplets. Droplets first spread through coughing, sneezing, and respiratory particles. These particles get on our clothes and hands. We then pass the virus through handshakes, hugging, kissing, and other close human contacts.

Each one of us and every item we touch is a potential transmission source. Evidence now reveals people are highly infectious before they begin to show symptoms. To protect ourselves and each other, we must limit close contact with others.

As much as we don’t want to hear it, sex counts as close human contact.

Can we have sex?

Clear cut guidance on sexual contact is unclear. Much is unknown regarding Covid-19 transmission. Sexual contact involves close contact. Respiratory droplets are transmitted through saliva, mucous and physical touch.

If you and your sexual partner are following social distancing guidelines and sheltering in place together, then there is no evidence you should avoid sex. If your partner is showing symptoms such as cough, sneezing, sore throat, fever, or any other viral symptoms then sexual contact should be avoided.

Early in the pandemic, the CDC stated that Covid-19 has not been found in semen, vaginal or cervical secretions. It has been found in feces. Analingus should be avoided. Recent studies show Covid-19 has been detected in semen. The question of sexual transmission of Sars-Cov-2 is back on the table.

Healthcare workers must make adjustments. Healthcare workers may be exposed at work making us potential asymptomatic carriers. Social distancing from the health-care worker is likely warranted. This means changes in sexual practices are necessary.

Some healthcare workers choose to shower, wear a mask, and avoid kissing during sex. These steps seem reasonable, but there is no clear cut scientific guidance to indicate if this is safe or not.

You are your safest sexual partner

New York City public health has released a public service guide to sex during the pandemic. The message is,“You are your safest sexual partner.” There are no restrictions on masturbation. You can not give yourself Covid-19.

Mashable reports a sudden spike in sales for sex toys and aids. Given the unknowns regarding Covid-19, self-stimulation is likely the safest option.

For those who choose to ignore guidelines

We all must take the proper precautions to keep each other safe. For those who decide to disregard the guidelines, please use condoms, birth control, and consider PrEP therapy.

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. PrEp therapy is a prescription antiviral medication to prevent HIV infection for those at risk. When taken daily, PrEP is highly effective at preventing the acquisition of the HIV Virus. It can reduce the risk by 99%.

Sheltering in place

We all must do our part to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Sheltering in place will not work if only some of us follow the guidelines.

We will succeed if we all do our part. We are in this together.

Do I still need condoms?

Safe sex practices with latex or polyurethane condoms are recommended unless you are in a monogamous relationship with a trusted partner. Condoms should still be used even if you are on PrEP as it does not prevent gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HPV or any other STD.

What to do if you feel sick?

As testing availability increases across the country, we will see an increase in the number of cases. Many more will experience symptoms. It is tempting to go to a hospital or urgent care facility for testing. For the vast majority of patients, an ER visit is a wrong move with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Only those experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, need in-person medical evaluation.

Each patient who presents to an ER exposes other patients and medical providers to the infection. Once exposed, the medical provider is quarantined and removed from duty. We are seeing doctors and nurses getting sick all over the country. We need as many doctors, nurses, and hospital staff to care for those in need as possible.

The post Is Sex Safe During the Covid-19 pandemic? appeared first on Medika Life.

What unique challenges do women face in preventing HIV?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some prevention challenges are unique to women:

• Women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy and birth and through breastfeeding.
• A woman’s anatomy makes it easier to get HIV through sex compared with a man’s anatomy.
• Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) raises a woman’s risk for HIV more than a man’s.
• Women are more likely to lack control in relationships and fear violence, stigma, or abandonment when trying to prevent HIV exposure.
• Women are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse. People with a history of sexual abuse are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors like exchanging sex for drugs, having multiple partners, or having sex with a partner who is physically abusive when asked to use a condom.

How can I prevent HIV?

The best way to prevent HIV is to not have vaginal, oral, or anal sex or share needles at any time. Sharing needles for any reason is very risky.

If you do have sex, lower your risk of getting an STI with the following steps:

• Use condoms. Male latex condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and other STIs when you have sex. Because a man does not need to ejaculate (come) to give or get some STIs, make sure to put the condom on before the penis touches the vagina, mouth, or anus. Female condoms can also help to prevent HIV infection. Other methods of birth control, like birth control pills, shots, implants, or diaphragms, will not protect you from STIs.
• Get tested. Be sure you and your partner are tested for HIV and other STIs. Talk to each other about the test results before you have sex. Having an STI increases your chances of becoming infected with HIV during sex. If your partner has an STI in addition to HIV, that also increases your risk of HIV infection. If you have an STI, you should also get tested for HIV.
• Be monogamous. Having sex with just one partner can lower your risk for HIV and other STIs. After being tested for STIs, be faithful to each other. That means that you have sex only with each other and no one else.
• Limit your number of sexual partners. Your risk of getting HIV and other STIs goes up with the number of partners you have.
• Get vaccinated. You can get a vaccine to protect against HPV and hepatitis B, which are STI’s. There is no vaccine to prevent or treat HIV.
• Don’t douche. Douching removes some of the normal bacteria in the vagina that protects you from infection. This may increase your risk of getting HIV and other STIs.
• Do not abuse alcohol or drugs. Alcohol or drug abuse may lead to risky behaviors such as sharing needles to inject drugs or not using a condom when you have sex.

The steps work best when used together. No single step can protect you from every single type of STI.

Male latex condoms are a highly effective way to prevent HIV and other STIs, but almost one in every five women who uses only condoms for birth control gets pregnant. The best way to prevent both STIs and pregnancy is to use a latex condom along with another highly effective method of birth control such as an intrauterine device (IUD), an implant, or the shot.

Can I take medicine to prevent getting or passing HIV?

Yes. Several medicines are available to help lower your risk of getting or passing HIV:

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

PrEP is an HIV prevention method for people who do not have HIV infection but who may be at high risk. PrEP is a pill you take by mouth every day.

Talk to your doctor about PrEP if:

• You are HIV-negative but your partner is HIV-positive (known as serodiscordant or mixed-status couples)
• You are not in a monogamous relationship (you or your partner also have sex with other people) and you do not always use condoms
• You inject illegal drugs or share needles
• You have a partner who is HIV-positive, and you want to get pregnant. PrEP may help protect you and your baby.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that PrEP could prevent transmission in as many as 140,000 serodiscordant heterosexual couples. Learn more about PrEP.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

PEP is an anti-HIV medicine for people who may have been very recently exposed to HIV. If you think you have been exposed (for example, if a condom breaks), or if you were sexually assaulted, talk to your doctor or nurse about taking PEP.

You must take PEP within three days of exposure to help lower your risk for HIV. You then take two to three antiretroviral medicines for 28 days to prevent the virus from copying itself and spreading through your body.

While taking PEP, you still need to take steps to prevent HIV, including using a condom with sex partners. 

Antiretroviral medicines

If you are HIV-positive, taking antiretroviral (ARV) medicine can reduce your viral load (the amount of HIV in your blood) to keep you healthy. Knowing your viral load measurement and how to control it by reducing it to undetectable levels can protect your unborn baby during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It can also help prevent spreading HIV to your sexual partner.

What are some behaviors that can raise a woman’s risk for HIV?

Behaviors that raise a woman’s risk for HIV include:

• Having sex with a male partner who has had sex with another man or who has used intravenous (IV) drugs. Sex with a man is the most common way women are infected with HIV.
• Using injection drugs and sharing needles. This is the second most common way that HIV is spread.
• Abusing drugs and alcohol. This can lead to risky behavior, including having sex without a condom, not knowing a partner’s HIV status, or injecting drugs.

Women who drink alcohol or use drugs may also be at higher risk of sexual assault or rape, which may put you at risk for HIV. If you are assaulted or raped, you need to see a doctor right away. Your doctor may decide that you should get post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). These drugs may lower your chances of getting HIV after you have been exposed to the virus. But these drugs work only if you see a doctor within three days of exposure.

How can I prevent HIV if I inject drugs?

Intravenous (IV) drug users who share needles are at high risk for HIV. Sharing needles can place another person’s blood right into your body, even if the amount is so small that you can’t see it on the needle.

People who inject steroids, insulin, or medicines for other health problems are at risk for HIV if they do not use sterilized needles every time. Whenever you need to use a needle, be sure that it is sterilized. Do not share needles with anyone. You can also get HIV if the equipment used for body piercings and tattoos is not sterilized.

If you inject drugs or medicines, follow these steps to lower your risk of getting HIV:

• Never reuse or “share” needles, syringes, water, or drug preparation equipment.
• Only use needles and syringes that you got from a reliable source (such as drugstores or needle exchange programs).
• Use a new, sterile needle or syringe each time.
• If you must use a needle used by others, clean it with bleach before using it.
• If possible, use sterile water to prepare drugs; otherwise, use clean water from a reliable source (such as fresh tap water).
• Use a new or disinfected container (“cooker”) and a new filter (“cotton”) to prepare drugs.
• Clean the injection site with a new alcohol swab prior to injection.
• Throw away needles and syringes after one use. Do not throw them in the regular trash. You can use an old laundry detergent or milk jug to collect used needles and syringes and then seal the container before disposing of it. Check with your local health department about the correct way to throw away the container.
• Don’t share needles or syringes with friends or family.

How can I prevent HIV if I get tattoos or body piercings?

Follow these steps to lower your risk of getting HIV:

• Ask questions about how the staff sterilizes their equipment. Single-use instruments that cut the skin should be used once and then thrown away. Reusable instruments that cut the skin should be cleaned and sterilized between uses.
• Find out what steps the staff takes to prevent HIV and other infections, like hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• Make sure your tattoo parlor follows state regulations and health inspections.

I’m pregnant and have HIV. Will my baby get HIV?

If you are getting treatment for HIV, the answer is most likely no. When HIV medicine is used consistently and correctly, a pregnant woman living with HIV who is treated for HIV early in her pregnancy can lower the risk of delivering a baby with HIV to less than 1%. Without treatment, this risk is about 25% in the United States.

All women need to be tested for HIV during their first prenatal care visit, early in the pregnancy. High-risk women who get a negative HIV test result should be tested again later in pregnancy.

Treatment, called antiretroviral therapy, works best when it is:

• Started as early as possible in pregnancy
• Also given during labor and delivery
• Given to the infant after birth

If you are HIV-positive and your viral load is greater than 1,000 copies per milliliter, your doctor may recommend delivering your baby by cesarean (C-section).

I have HIV. Can I breastfeed my baby?

No. If you have HIV, do not breastfeed. In the United states and other countries where clean water is available, using a breastmilk substitute like formula is strongly recommended for women with HIV, because you can pass the virus to your baby through breastmilk.

You can also ask your doctor, midwife, or pediatrician about getting human breastmilk from a milk bank. Find a human milk bank through the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Recommendations about breastfeeding with HIV may be different for other countries where clean water is not always available.

How can I help protect my children from HIV?

One way to help protect your children from HIV is to talk to them about HIV, AIDS, and the sexual behaviors that raise their risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The earlier you start talking about it, the better. By the third grade, almost all children have heard about HIV.

According to a 2013 national survey of high school students:

• About half of all students have had sex at least once
• One-third are sexually active (have had sex in the past three months)
• Nearly half of the students who are sexually active did not use a condom the last time they had sex

Offsite Resources

For more information about HIV prevention check out the following resources from other organizations:

• Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents — Clinical guidelines from AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• HIV Risk and Prevention — Information from the CDC.
• The Basics of HIV Prevention — Fact sheet from AIDS.
• Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States — 2014 — Clinical practice guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Public Health Service.

The post HIV Prevention for Women appeared first on Medika Life.

Should I get tested for HIV?

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, get tested for HIV if you are:

• Older than 15. All women and girls older than 15 need to be tested at least once.
• Pregnant. Every pregnant woman should have an HIV test as early as possible in the pregnancy. You need to get tested even if you have been tested before. Also, consider getting tested for HIV if you plan to get pregnant.

Some women with HIV don’t know they have it, because HIV may not cause symptoms for several years. 
Even if HIV causes no symptoms, it is still causing problems with your body’s immune system that need to be treated as soon as possible.

Some women who test negative assume their partners must be HIV-negative too. But your HIV test reveals only your status, not your partner’s.

When should I get tested for HIV?

If you think you might have been exposed to HIV, get tested. But testing right away may not pick up early HIV infection. The first HIV test taken soon after infection may say that you do not have HIV even if you do. That is because some HIV tests look for antibodies (the body’s natural immune response to a foreign invader) that your body may not have developed yet.

If you get HIV, your body will usually begin to develop antibodies within three to 12 weeks (21 to 84 days). The time between being exposed and developing antibodies is called the “window period.”

There are newer HIV tests available that can tell whether you are HIV-positive early after exposure to the virus. One of the newer tests looks for the virus itself, by testing for viral load (the amount of HIV in your blood) and a marker on the virus called p24 antigen. This test is much more sensitive. It can detect HIV within nine to 11 days after exposure. This type of test may be more expensive. Ask your doctor if this test is available when you get tested for HIV.

How can I get free HIV testing?

Many clinics and doctors’ offices have free or low-cost HIV testing. If you have health insurance, you may be able to get free HIV testing under the Affordable Care Act (the health care law). HIV screening and counseling for women are covered without cost sharing in most private health insurance plans. Medicaid also covers certain recommended preventive services, including HIV screening for women at higher risk for HIV, without cost sharing or deductibles.

HIV testing for people with Medicare is usually covered once every 12 months. Pregnant women with Medicare can get up to three HIV tests for free during pregnancy.

Ask if the newer HIV test, which picks up infection earlier, is available when you get tested for HIV.

The Three HIV Tests explained

There are three types of tests available: nucleic acid tests (NAT), antigen/antibody tests, and antibody tests. HIV tests are typically performed on blood or oral fluid. They may also be performed on urine.

• A NAT looks for the actual virus in the blood and involves drawing blood from a vein. The test can either tell if a person has HIV or tell how much virus is present in the blood (known as an HIV viral load test). While a NAT can detect HIV sooner than other types of tests, this test is very expensive and not routinely used for screening individuals unless they recently had a high-risk exposure or a possible exposure and have early symptoms of HIV infection.
• An antigen/antibody test looks for both HIV antibodies and antigens. Antibodies are produced by your immune system when you’re exposed to viruses like HIV. Antigens are foreign substances that cause your immune system to activate. If you have HIV, an antigen called p24 is produced even before antibodies develop. Antigen/antibody tests are recommended for testing done in labs and are now common in the United States. This lab test involves drawing blood from a vein. There is also a rapid antigen/antibody test available that is done with a finger prick.
• HIV antibody tests only look for antibodies to HIV in your blood or oral fluid. In general, antibody tests that use blood from a vein can detect HIV sooner after infection than tests done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid. Most rapid tests and the only currently approved HIV self-test are antibody tests.

Talk to your health care provider about what type of HIV test is right for you.

How long does it take to get results?

• Laboratory tests (NATand antigen/antibody) require blood to be drawn from your vein into a tube and then that blood is sent to a laboratory for testing. The results may take several days to be available.
• With a rapid antibody screening test, usually done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid, results are ready in 30 minutes or less.
• The rapid antigen/antibody test is done with a finger prick and takes 30 minutes or less.
• The oral fluid antibody self-test provides results within 20 minutes.

How soon after an exposure to HIV can a test detect if I have the virus?

No HIV test can detect HIV immediately after infection. If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, talk to your health care provider about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), right away.

The time between when a person may have been exposed to HIV and when a test can tell for sure whether they have the virus is called the window period. The window period varies from person to person and depends on the type of test used to detect HIV. Ask your health care provider or test counselor about the window period for the test you’re taking.

• A nucleic acid test (NAT)can usually tell you if you have HIV infection 10 to 33 days after an exposure.
• An antigen/antibody test performed by a laboratory on blood from a vein can usually detect HIV infection 18 to 45 days after an exposure. Antigen/ antibody tests done with blood from a finger prick can take longer to detect HIV (18 to 90 days after an exposure).
• Antibody tests can take 23 to 90 days to detect HIV infection after an exposure. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests. In general, antibody tests that use blood from a vein can detect HIV sooner after infection than tests done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid.

The post Getting Tested for HIV. What Women Need to Know. appeared first on Medika Life.