FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  Home Page | YAM History | STIs | Gender Equality | Family Planning | F.A.Q. | New News | Photo Page | Contact Page | Education Tools 1 | Education Tools 2 | Education Tools 3 | Favorite Links Page | Guest Book Page | More Photos  

How many STDs are there and what are they called ?

There are over 20 known STDs, a few of which are:
AIDS, Bacterial, vaginosis, Chancroid, Chlamydial infections, Cytomegalovirus infections, Genital herpes, Genital (venereal) warts, Gonorrhea, Granuloma inguinale (donovanosis), Leukemia-Lymphoma/Myelopathy, Lymphogranuloma venereum, Molluscum contagiosum, Pubic lice, Scabies, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, Vaginal yeast infections

  How do I know if someone has HIV or AIDS ?
HIV is the actual virus. AIDS is the syndrom resulting from the virus. A person must have HIV to have AIDS but does not necessarily have AIDS if they have HIV. It's important to remember that AIDS develops after a period of time, up to 10 years for adults, after HIV infection; That period is called the incubation period. Often, infected persons in that incubation period may not show any signs or symptoms of HIV. However, blood testing can reveal weather a person is infected or not so long as their window period has elasped. A window period is up to 3 months for adults in which HIV antibodies have not yet been developed by the immune system to counteract the virus. It is the anitbodies that are revealed during testing to determine if a person is infected, not the actual virus itself. Persons with AIDS, however, may show visual signs and symptoms of their HIV infection. A few of those signs include, rapid weight loss, unusual scarring on skin, and flu-like symptoms. Testing should be done right away for anyone who has exposed themselves to HIV. See your doctor for a confidential, and sometimes free, test. There currently are tests that show results within minutes and may be available at your local hospital.

  Why should I bother being tested ?
The answer is simple... For quality of life. Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, there are effective treatments to reduce the virus to a minimal level. This can provide people with a prolonged, heatlhy, and near-normal life. The first step is to get tested to confirm the presence of the virus. A doctor will privately do testing and discuss available options including antiretroviral drugs and lifestyle changes to reduce the virus and stop the spread of the disease. AIDS victoms are sitll people and should be treated as such. The disease is only spread through direct fluid transfer and cannot survive outside the body. Those infected can live a near-normal life with no obvious signs of the disease by use of effective treatments.

  Does getting infected end with me ?
Stopping the spread certainly is everyone's responsibility but STDs have much more far reaching consequences than to those that have been infected. The global spread of infections such as HIV has reached such a phenominally high number that entire economies can become devistated. Why is this? People with AIDS are, unfortunatly, not as excepted back into society and therefor cannot contribute to their society's welfare. That causes a " gap " in the society's productivity and, in cases of large infected areas or small island countries, the economical devesation can result in widesread poverty and proliferation of diseases.