Do you think there is a chance to be at risk? Perhaps you just had a steamy night but you didn’t take safety precautions as you should have done. Well, it’s true to believe you might have put yourself at risk of contracting HIV. Luckily, there’s a chance to keep you safe. The answer is Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), an anti-HIV medication that you have to take in a course of 4 weeks. These can potentially lower the chances of HIV infection after exposure. Keep in mind that you have to start this medication 72 hours after exposure. Consider these 5 tips for effective use of PEP.

Proper timing

The most important step in the effective use of PEP is to begin the medication as soon as possible after exposure. The recommended period to seek PEP is not to exceed 72 hours after exposure.

The situations when to seek PEP include:

• When a condom breaks during sex
• Sex without a condom with a partner you are not sure of
• Use of shared syringes for injecting
• A partner ejaculating on you

Understand when not to use PEP

This anti-HIV medication is not for oral sex or other low-risk sexual activities. If you are unsure of the risk involved, ensure to talk to a professional who will tell you more about the possible risk. You might not be at risk of HIV but you cannot rule out picking up of other STDs. Therefore, take time to visit a professional clinic where to get professional advice or a blood test. This is highly recommended if you have sexual encounters with more than one partner.

Give the medication chance to work

For more effectiveness, ensure to visit a nearby reputable clinic to start HIV PEP  a few hours after exposure. The medication is less likely to work if you visit the health center after 72 hours. Starting the medication earlier after exposure comes with the greater chance of working. When on the medication, ensure not to miss your medication to get the best odds against the infection. Ensure to take your medication regularly for a month without missing.

Understand potential side effects

Just like other antiretroviral medications, PEP has a risk of side effects. These might include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea

These side effects are mild and last for only a few days. Therefore, ensure to talk to your doctor  if you still have concerns about the likely side effects of PEP.

Be prepare for whatever comes

There is no guarantee that PEP will save you from HIV infection. You are highly recommended to stay safe . Below are 5 ideas that can help you stay safe from contracting HIV:

• Sticking to condoms for casual encounters
• Regular pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) when negative
• Going for regular testing
• Use of serosorting between positive partners

Bottom line

Dealing with HIV is not an experience everyone would wish to undergo. When you think there’s a chance of getting exposed, never hesitate to visit a reliable clinic for PEP. Taking PEP within 72 hours after exposure might save you from contracting HIV.

It is a lot worse to not know whether-or not you might have syphilis rather than know for certain. Syphilis is a common STD that can take a damper on various systems inside your body if it isn’t treated and diagnosed. Even though it poses a serious threat to a person, it can easily be contained in the early stages of development with antibiotics.

If you fear that you might have STDs such as syphilis, or you might be curious about how syphilis is spread, continue reading to learn more about this STD that Singapore can do without.

Syphilis is known as the “great imitator” among medical experts. The one thing that separates it from the other STDs like gonorrhea is chancres. Chancres are identified by their small, round appearance, acting as sores in the skin or body. Syphilis can spread from one person to another through these sores. Like almost any other STD Singapore identifies, you can’t get syphilis or give someone else syphilis from casual contact, such as hugging or sharing food. Syphilis is instead shared through sex from the mouth, vagina, and/or anus. Occasionally, it can also be developed via prolonged periods of kissing or deep bodily contact.

Additionally, syphilis can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child. If you are pregnant, it is recommended to be tested for STDs as soon as possible.

The development cycle of syphilis is documented by three phases. The first phase commences with the appearance of the first chancre. This phase normally starts within the first 30 days of its infection. This phase can last for a duration of three to six weeks in total. It is very hard for most people to tell if they have syphilis or not, because the symptoms are rather concealed, and its carriers continue to live life as normal. Either the chancres are so small they are extremely hard to notice or are in places on the body that are difficult to spot, such as within the anus or vagina.

The second phase of syphilis allows the development of lesions or rashes, and these inflammations are definitely-noticed by their carriers. In addition to rashes, the carrier can also experience swollen glands, headaches, loss of hair, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. Whether or not you see a doctor or get additional treatment, this second phase will pass. If these symptoms eventually go away, that doesn’t mean that your symptoms are completely gone, getting tested is the only way for you to be completely sure.

The third phase is known as the “latent phase”. This phase can last for decades after contraction, and people who have lived with syphilis may continue to do so without experiencing any further pain. Even so, there is always a chance that syphilis can negatively affect the brain, eyes, liver, heart, and/or nerves. Syphilis is also able to enter the nervous system or eyes, which can lead to conditions from mild headaches to paralysis or even blindness.

If left untreated, syphilis is known to give its carrier some menacing effects. Thankfully, breakthroughs in today’s medicine that treats syphilis rarely guarantee similar issues. Syphilis is often treated with an injection of penicillin, but those who are allergic to penicillin can choose another antibiotic for treatment. If you are sexually active, your partner should also receive treatment.

Getting tested for STDs is something that many people are afraid of doing. While it may seem frightening just to go through testing, learning about your own sexual being and well-being is important.

Sexually transmitted diseases are also called or more popularly known as the STD. These are infections that can pass from one person to another through sexual contact. Almost 25 of these infections exist, and some are quite deadly. One can get STD when they have sexual contact via the anal as well as vaginal or oral sex.

Horrifyingly, as per one of the reports that WHO has released, more than one million people get STD every day. Most of them do not experience any of the STD symptoms and thus are unaware that they can transfer the infection to others.

If you do not take care of STD, it can lead to cervical cancer, liver diseases, and pelvic inflammatory diseases.If you have some STIs, it increases your chances of getting HIV which can lead to AIDS. It is, therefore, necessary for you to identify the symptoms and take care of your health. These are some of the symptoms that you will suffer if you are a male.

Symptoms of Chlamydia: It is one of the bacterial STD that you can get when you have sexual contact. It is one of the widely spread STD among the men. People who suffer from this infection do not show any symptoms. Only a few people get the symptoms that too after many weeks.

Some of the common symptoms that you will get is an acute pain while urinating. You may also have a penile discharge, or in the worst case, it causes swelling of the testicles. Some less common symptoms that you will also get is a rectal pain as well as discharge or bleeding.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea: Now this is one more bacterial infection that can adversely affect your anus, throat or urethra. This infection transmits when you have anal, vaginal or the oral sex with the person who already has the infection. It is one infection wherein you will not find any symptoms.

The typical symptom that sufferers can feel is pain during urinating. It is not uncommon for you to observe a green, white or a yellow discharge that comes out of the penis. You might also know if you have this infection if you see testicles swollen or if it is painful. You might also note rashes all around the testicles.

Symptoms of Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B virus can cause this infection and one can note a lot of symptoms all around the genitals. The worst part about this infection is that it can cause severe inflammation in the liver. It is possible for you to get the infection when you come in contact with the blood or its fluids of a person who already this condition.

This particular infection can damage the liver even though you do not see any symptoms. Those who get symptoms can also get a cold or flu. Some of the common symptoms that one can get are a loss of appetite as well as feeling lethargic.

These are some of the STD symptoms one will face if they have got infected with one of the three infections.

Pomegranate is known to be an amazing super food with many different benefits, one of them being that you can eat pomegranate or drink pomegranate juice to get a stronger erection. The chemical properties of this fruit from the Mediterranean’s will do a lot to enhance your sexual health as well as making you perform adequately in bed.

Here are five ways how pomegranate can increase your sex drive and reduce erectile dysfunction.

Pomegranates Increases Testosterone

Testosterone as you may know is considered to be the sexual “hormone” for males. Testosterone is responsible for the majority of a man’s health both personally and socially. This hormone is what tells your body to act sensually and what it should do. If you have talked to your doctor about erectile dysfunction, or other problems with getting an erection, he or she might tell you that a lack of testosterone might be the cause of this malaise. Pomegranate is not only known to boost testosterone levels, but you are sure to notice higher levels even in your saliva. You are sure to gain higher testosterone by 25 percent in just 2 weeks.

Pomegranates Boost Nitric Oxide

An erection is caused from a combination of muscles and blood flow inside the spongy tissue of your genitals. Nitric oxide is the chemical inside your body that is responsible for part of the muscles inside your genitals that make them flex. If your body does not produce enough nitric oxide, your genitals will have a hard time becoming stiff and strong.

Eating pomegranate or drinking pomegranate juice will increase the amount of nitric oxide in one mean’s bloodstream. Every blood vessel will get an increase in nitric oxide; not just inside your genitals. Compared to pomegranate, other fruits such as grapes, oranges, and blueberries provide no change in a person’s bloodstream.

Pomegranates Reduce Arterial Plaque

While pomegranates increase nitric oxide levels in the bloodstream, it also was revealed to play a role in reducing arterial plaque in the body. Arterial plaque is buildup inside your arteries that prevents oxygen from entering your heart. This plaque is made up of cholesterol, calcium, and fat, among other substances found in the blood. If the artery is completely clogged, the person is at risk of a heart attack.

Pomegranates boost nitric oxide levels, especially in those people with high contents of arterial plaque. The more pomegranate juice you consume, the more arterial plaque in your arteries that is reduced. Pomegranates maintain a healthy blood circulation, which is necessary for a strong sex drive and erectile function.

Pomegranates Reduce Estrogen

According to scientific research, pomegranate has high levels of ellagitannins. Ellagitannins become compounds that reduce the likelihood of androgens becoming estrogens. This means that the more pomegranates you consume, the lower the estrogen that your body is capable of producing.

Men and women both need to produce testosterone as well as estrogen, but creating too much estrogen is bad for either gender. For men, it can tamper with your libido as well as your sexual health. As for women, it can increase the risk for breast cancer.

Pomegranates Enhance Sperm Cells

Studies have discovered that pomegranate juice can encourage reproductive health. Whether you have documented healthy sperm or unhealthy sperm, the quality of it is known to have taken a slight increase. While this doesn’t prove how pomegranate treats erectile dysfunction, it does show that some if its properties are good for your sexual health.

Pomegranate is a wonderful fruit that has been clinically proven to fortify your erections and promote sexual health. Consider having pomegranates regularly if you are having difficulty with getting an erection or want help in increasing your libido.