Mother-to-child transmission is the most common source of HIV infection among children below fifteen years of age. About one million children are estimated to be living with HIV infection all over the world. Majority of these children are from the developing countries, especially Africa. Since HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly in India, the number of pregnant women with HIV infection is also increasing. As a result, the number of children who get HIV infection through their mothers is also increasing.Until recently, two main strategies were adopted to prevent mother-to-child-162transmission of HIV infection. These included (a) to protect women in the childbearing age from becoming infected and (b) to promote family planning services in order to prevent unwanted births. Although these two strategies continue to remain the most important strategies for preventing mother-to-child transmission, a third option is being explored for reducing this mode of transmission. This is to give medicines that slow down the multiplication of HIV to pregnant women and sometimes to the infant too. In developed countries, breast-feeding is normally not recommended for babies born to mothers with HIV infection. However, the risk of ill health and death for a baby in countries such as India due to poor nutrition and diseases such as diarrhoea is much greater than the risk of getting HIV infection through breast-feeding. This is why all women in India, irrespective of whether they have HIV infection or not, are advised to breast-feed their babies.One study in Thailand has indicated that taking a short-term treatment of zidovudine greatly reduces the risk of mother-to-child transmission. The risk is reduced to below ten per cent if breastfeeding is strictly avoided. However, in countries such as India where breastfeeding is important for prevention of infections such as diarrhoea for the infants, breast-feeding is recommended for all women, even if they have HIV infection. Some studies are underway to test whether a group of medicines are more effective than zidovudine. Initial reports of a study using zidovudine and lamivudine have shown promising results. More studies are underway to determine alternative medicines or groups of medicine that may further reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission.Some factors may increase the risk of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV Infection. The risk of transmission is estimated to be two times higher in a mother who has been recently infected with HIV as compared with a woman who has had earlier infection. This may be because of higher number of HIV in the blood after a recent infection. Vitamin A deficiency is also associated with increased risk of mother-to-child transmission. It is also suspected that fissures in the nipples of the mothers and oral thrush or wounds in the mouth of the babies increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission. This is because they allow the virus to enter the blood more easily.*33\288\2*

Sometimes, even a sophisticated organ like the skin needs a bit of assistance in performing what should come naturally. Exfoliation, the act of loosening the dead skin cells from the upper layer of the skin, has risen in prominence and with good reason. That accumulated debris dulls the complexion, particularly as we age and our cell turnover process slows down. Regular use of an exfoliant, either in a scrub or via an exfoliating agent like glycolic and salicylic acid, helps the skin along. It also allows better penetration of the moisturiser that follows it, and is a must prior to self-tanning.It is easy to become over zealous with exfoliating. If a granular scrub is your preferred tool, then choose one with perfectly spherical particles that don’t scratch the skin. Also, don’t rub too vigorously. When it comes to exfoliating, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.*34\82\8*

Bach Flower Remedies can be used as a useful adjunct to other systems of medicines — allopathic, homeopathic or Ayurvedic. They do not interfere with the working of other medicines and they do not have any side effects or reaction by themselves.
Failure of Bach Remedies
They say that Bach Flower Remedies never fail provided the doctor and the patient fully cooperate.
But, what could Bach Flower Remedies do if the doctor or the patient loses faith midway and stops treatment ? There are also some patients who do not want to get well, lest they lose the privilege of special attention they receive because of their ailment.
There are also some patients who have been goaded to try Bach Flower Remedies against their expressed will. They deliberately reject the beneficial effects of the Flower Remedies.
There are some patients who lack patience. They want instant relief even if their malady has developed over a number of years. They do not allow enough time to the Flower Remedies to act.
Then there are some patients who do not visit the doctor themselves, but send some body to collect the medicine after briefly telling the symptom, and the emissary tells the doctor a translated version of the symptom leading to wrong prescription. Thus for example, if the patient has said, that he cannot leave the bed in the morning and lies awake for a considerable time, and the message conveyed to the doctor is ‘He feels too weak to get up in the morning’. The medicine prescribed would be OLIVE, which would be wrong. It should be HORN BEAM.
Similarly, if the patient complained that he has such an excruciating pain in the leg that he would like to cut it away, and the message conveyed to the doctor is in such words “The patient is suffering from terrible pain” the prescription would be CHERRY PLUM which would be again wrong. The correct remedy would be CRAB APPLE.
So when the Bach Flower Remedies fail to act, it should not be construed that the Flower Remedies have failed and the doctor should not get discouraged.
*5\308\8*

Warning Signs
Recognizing the signs of depression and possible suicide risks is an important aspect of prevention. Although predicting suicide is difficult, it is not impossible. Common signs include the following:
- Recent loss and a seeming inability to let go of grief
- Change in personality – sadness, withdrawal, irritability, anxiety, tiredness, indecisiveness, apathy
- Change in behavior – inability to concentrate, loss of interest in classes
- Diminished sexual interest – impotence, menstrual abnormalities
- Expressions of self-hatred
- Change in sleep patterns
- Change in eating habits
- A direct statement about committing suicide, such as “I might as well end it all”
- An indirect statement about committing suicide, such as “You won’t have to worry about me anymore”
- “Final preparations,” such as writing a will, repairing poor relationships with family or friends, giving away prized possessions, or writing revealing letters
- A preoccupation with themes of death
- A sudden and unexplained demonstration of happiness following a period of depression
- Marked changes in personal appearance
- Excessive risk taking and an “I don’t care what happens to me” attitude

Taking Action to Prevent Suicide
Most people who attempt suicide really want to live, but see suicide as the only way out of an intolerable situation. Crisis counselors and suicide hotlines may be helpful temporarily, but the best way to prevent suicide is to get rid of conditions that may precipitate attempts, including alcoholism, drug abuse, loneliness, isolation, and access to guns
If someone you know threatens suicide or displays any of the typical warning signs, take the following actions:
- Monitor the warning signals. Try to keep an eye on the p son involved, or see that there is someone around the person as much as possible.
- Take any threats seriously. Don’t just brush them off.
- Let the person know how much you care about him or her. State that you are there if he or she needs help.
- Listen. Try not to be shocked by or to discredit what the person says to you. Empathize, sympathize, and keep the person talking. Talk about stressors and listen to the responses.
- Ask the person directly, “Are you thinking of hurting or killing yourself?”
- Do not belittle the person’s feelings or say that he or she doesn’t really mean it or couldn’t succeed at suicide. To some people, these comments offer the challenge of proving you wrong. – - Help the person think about other alternatives. Be ready to offer choices. Offer to go for help with the person. Call your local suicide hotline and use all available community and campus resources. Recommend a counselor or other person to talk to.
- Remember that your relationships with others involve responsibilities. If you need to stay with the person, take the person to a health care facility, or provide support, give of yourself and your time.
- Tell your friend’s spouse, partner, parents, brothers and sisters, or counselor. Do not keep your suspicions to yourself. Don’t let a suicidal friend talk you into keeping your discussions confidential. If your friend is successful in a suicide attempt, you will have to live with the consequences of your inaction.
*2/177/5*

The range of human sexual expression is virtually infinite. What you find personally satisfying and enjoyable may not be an option for someone else. The ways you choose to meet your sexual needs today may have been very different two weeks ago or will be two years from now. Knowing and accepting yourself as a sexual person with individual desires and preferences is the first step in achieving sexual satisfaction.

Celibacy
Celibacy is avoidance of or abstention from sexual activities with others. A completely celibate person also does not engage in masturbation (self-stimulation), whereas a partially celibate person avoids sexual activities with others but may enjoy autoerotic behaviors such as masturbation. Some individuals choose to be celibate for religious or moral reasons. Others may be celibate for a period of time due to illness, the breakup of a long-term relationship, or lack of an acceptable partner. For some, celibacy is a lonely, agonizing state, but others find that it can be a time for introspection, values assessment, and personal growth.

Autoerotic Behaviors
The goal of autoerotic behaviors is sexual self-stimulation. Sexual fantasy and masturbation are the two most common autoerotic behaviors. Sexual fantasies are sexually arousing thoughts and dreams. Fantasies may reflect real-life experiences or forbidden desires or may provide the opportunity for practice of new or anticipated sexual experiences. The fact that you may fantasize about a particular sexual experience does not mean that you want to, or have to, act that experience out. Sexual fantasies are just that – fantasy. Another common autoerotic behavior is masturbation. Masturbation is self-stimulation of the genitals. Although many people feel uncomfortable discussing masturbation, it is a common sexual practice across the lifespan. Masturbation is a natural, pleasure-seeking behavior in infants and children. It is a valuable and important means for adolescent males and females, as well as adults, to explore sexual feelings and responsiveness. In addition, masturbation is an important means of sexual expression for older adults who have lost a lifelong companion or whose companion has a prolonged illness.

Kissing and Erotic Touching
Kissing and erotic touching are two very common forms of nonverbal sexual communication or expression. Both males and females have erogenous zones, or areas of the body that when touched lead to sexual arousal. Erogenous zones may include genital as well as non-genital areas, such as the earlobes, mouth, breasts, and inner thighs. Almost any area of the body can be conditioned to respond erotically to touch. Spending time with your partner to explore and learn about his or her erogenous areas is another pleasurable, safe, and satisfying means of sexual expression.

Oral-Genital Stimulation
Cunnilingus is the term used for oral stimulation of a female’s genitals, and fellatio is the term used for oral stimulation of a male’s genitals. Many partners find oral-genital stimulation an intensely pleasurable means of sexual expression. Seventy percent of college-age men and women have had oral sex. For some people, oral sex is not an option because of moral or religious beliefs. It is necessary to remember that HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be transmitted via unprotected oral-genital sex. Use of an appropriate barrier device is strongly recommended if either partner’s health status is in question or unknown.

Vaginal Intercourse
The term intercourse is generally used to refer to vaginal intercourse, or insertion of the penis into the vagina. Coitus is another term for vaginal intercourse, which is the most often practiced form of sexual expression for most couples. A great variety of positions can be used during coitus. Examples include the missionary position (man on top facing the woman), woman on top, side by side, or man behind (rear entry). Many partners enjoy changing and experimenting with different positions. Sexual intercourse can take on different meanings under different circumstances. It can be a hurried, unplanned event involving little communication in the back seat of a car or an erotic, sensual experience including the exchange of love and mutual emotions in a private setting. Knowledge of yourself and your body, along with your ability to communicate effectively, will play a large part in determining the enjoyment or meaning of intercourse for you and your partner. Whatever your circumstance, you should practice safer sex to avoid disease transmission or unwanted pregnancy. The Reality Check points out the high frequency of sexual intercourse among college students as well as the lack of safer-sex practices.

Anal Intercourse
The anal area is highly sensitive to touch, and some couples find pleasure in the stimulation of this area. Anal intercourse is insertion of the penis into the anus. Sixteen percent of college-age men and women have had anal sex. Stimulation of the anus by mouth or with the fingers is also practiced. As with all forms of sexual expression, anal stimulation or intercourse is not for everyone. If you do enjoy this form of sexual expression, remember to use condoms to prevent disease transmission. Also, anything inserted into the anus should not be directly inserted into the vagina, as bacteria commonly found in the anus can cause infections when introduced into the vagina.
*6/277/5*

All the blood of the body goes through the heart twice a minute and a red blood corpuscle travels miles in its lifetime of a few weeks. Figuring on my pad, I found that it is not unusual for an elderly heart to have pumped half a billion quarts in its busy career, and the miles traveled by the succeeding families of corpuscles would total thousands.
That is a tough assignment for a heart, but it is difficult to exaggerate the wonders of this fairly simple piece of apparatus which is essentially a pump with four chambers and some valves. Fortunately for us, its muscle is very tough indeed; then like all our tissue, it is continually being repaired. You know that the better you keep your auto tuned up, the better it performs, and the longer it lasts. Finally, the heart’s rest periods are frequent, even by modern standards. The average man’s pulse is seventy to the minute and on each beat the heart gets four-tenths of a second’s rest. So it gets ten hours’ rest every day. It lies in a sac called the pericardium which contains a lubricating fluid so that there is little friction. Also it is well protected from injury by the tough and springy chest wall. Many a would-be assassin has found that the heart is a difficult thing to reach with a knife.
Although you all know that the heart is on the left, actually about one-third of it is to the right of the mid line. And all of you, having received Valentines, know its beautiful shape, but never have I seen anything in the chest resembling a Valentine. I have before me Cunningham’s Manual of Anatomy and its pictures suggest that the heart is nearly rectangular, although there is a hint of a point at the lower left called the apex. The great blood vessels coming off from the heart obscure its actual shape.
Its dimensions are roughly five by three and a half by two and a half inches, although there are variations according to the size and age of the owner, and after childhood, according to sex. The heart is estimated as being the size of a clenched fist. A young girl’s fist is just as big as a boy’s. At the same age many a girl can lick a boy.
When one looks at the live, beating heart, it seems to be all of a flutter. As a matter of fact, the movements of a healthy heart are pretty definite. They begin up at the top and ripple down in the direction in which the blood is flowing. Every physician knows about the Bundle of His, although few see it often. It is a long winding strip of muscle which starts at the auricles of the heart and runs down to the ventricles. It is along this that the beat of the heart travels. When this routine movement is interfered with in any way, the efficiency of the heart is affected. This activity seems to be controlled by several agents.
The two vagus nerves start from the brain and run down as far as the stomach, doing numerous chores as they go along. One of these chores is to vary the heart rate. Stimulation of the vagus will slow the heart. Then there are sympathetic nerves which hurry it up. And also there seem to be other influences in the heart muscle beside the nerves. A heart can work most efficiently, thereby sparing itself, if it may beat at a moderate rate. Unfortunately many hearts react to difficult tasks by increasing their speed. One of the most brilliant of medical annals tells how this was remedied by a great triumph of botany in medicine.
*7/276/5*

Although attitudes toward sexuality have changed radically since the Victorian era, some people believe that any sexual behavior other than heterosexual intercourse is abnormal, deviant, or perverted. Rather than using these value-laden terms, people who study sexuality prefer to use the term variant sexual behavior to describe sexual behaviors that are not engaged in by most people. The following list of variant sexual behaviors includes behaviors that are illegal in some states and some behaviors that could be harmful to others:
- Group sex. Sexual activity involving more than two people. Participants in group sex run a high risk of exposure to AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Transvestism. The wearing of clothing of the opposite sex. Most transvestites are male, heterosexual, and married.
- Transsexualism. Strong identification with the opposite sex in which men or women feel that they are “trapped in the wrong body.” In some cases, transsexuals undergo sex-change operations. Since the 1960s, 4,000 of these operations have been performed in the United States.
- Fetishism. Sexual arousal achieved by looking at or touching inanimate objects, such as underclothing or shoes.
- Exhibitionism. The exposure of one’s genitals to strangers in public places. Most exhibitionists are seeking a reaction of shock or fear from their victims. Exhibitionism is a minor felony in most states.
- Voyeurism. Observing other people for sexual gratification. Most voyeurs are men who attempt to watch women undressing or bathing. Voyeurism is an invasion of privacy and is illegal in most states.
- Sadomasochism. Sexual activities in which gratification is received by inflicting pain (verbal or physical abuse) on a partner or by being the object of such infliction. A sadist is a person who receives gratification from inflicting pain, and a masochist is a person who receives gratification from experiencing pain.
- Pedophilia. Sexual activity or attraction between an adult and a child. Any sexual activity involving a minor, including possession of child pornography, is illegal.
- Cybersex. Surfing the Internet to access sexually explicit materials or to make contact with other “surfers” for exchange of sexually explicit commentary. Some people have been known to compulsively surf “X-rated” sites for several hours a week.
- Autoerotic asphyxiation. The practice of reducing or eliminating oxygen to the brain, usually by tying a cord around one’s neck while masturbating to orgasm. Such practices are usually discovered when the individual using this method accidentally hangs himself or herself.
*7/277/5*

The drugs used in traditional medicine can be classified into approved and unapproved drugs. An approved drug is a drug that is approved by the FDA and that can be sold to the public. Approved drugs are further divided into nonprescription drugs, prescription drugs, and controlled drugs. Nonprescription drugs, like aspirin and cold remedies, can be bought by anyone. Prescription drugs can be bought only with a prescription or with a licensed physician’s telephone call to a pharmacy. Controlled drugs, like narcotics and sleeping pills, can be physically addictive and are often subject to abuse. Controlled drugs can be bought only with a special prescription signed by a physician with a special license for prescribing controlled drugs.
Most approved drugs have two names: a generic name, which is usually also the medical name (like pentamidine), and a trade name, which is usually selected by the drug’s manufacturer (like Pentam). Drugs that have been patented by a single manufacturer have only one trade name. Once that manufacturer’s patent runs out, many manufacturers can make the drug, and each manufacturer now puts a different trade name on the drug. As a result, there can be several trade names for a single generic drug (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is called both Bactrim and Septra).
Unapproved drugs, often called underground drugs, are drugs that are neither approved by the FDA nor in the process of being approved. They are widely taken without prescription by people with HIV infection. They are discussed further below, under “Alternative Medicine.”
*178\191\2*

One of the exciting possibilities for evening primrose oil lies in its use in treating cancer. The aim of using evening primrose oil in the treatment of cancer is to normalize tumours by stopping the cancer cells from proliferating, without affecting healthy cells.
This is very different from the existing orthodox approach that uses chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in which the treatment is toxic to both cancerous and healthy cells, with unpleasant side-effects. Treatment with evening primrose oil has no unpleasant side-effects.
Studies done during the 1980s all confirm that the GLA in evening primrose oil stops cancer cells proliferating, and can normalize them. Most of these studies have been in the laboratory, on animal and human cancer cells. However, there have been a few clinical studies on humans with various types of cancer.
Preliminary studies in a few patients have shown promising results. One man with advanced lung cancer who was expected to live only four weeks survived for three years. Another man with bladder cancer, expected to live less than three months, was still alive and well three years later.
A doctor in South Africa has reported excellent results in four patients with astrocytoma (a kind of blood cancer), and two with mesathelioma.
But perhaps the most interesting results so far have been from a pilot study on six South African patients with liver cancer. In four patients, liver size decreased, and in two of these four patients this decrease was substantial.
Although five patients died, the mean survival time after diagnosis increased from 42 to 67 days. (This figure includes the survival time of two patients who were terminal on admission and died within days after the diagnoses were made.)
In all six cases symptomatic improvement was obvious, and quite striking improvement followed the start of the supplementation in three patients.
Only one patient entered the trial before the stage of severe clinical deterioration. He received Efamol for 172 days, and his clinical condition improved dramatically. This patient, a man aged 28, was admitted-having been treated unsuccessfully for some time by a traditional healer.
After diagnosis of primary liver cancer, his diet was supplemented with six capsules a day of Efamol for the first 30 days. After that it was increased to 18 capsules a day, and 8g of Vitamin С a day were added as well. On day 127 Efamol was increased to 27 capsules a day, and the Vitamin С kept at 8g a day. He received no other treatment.
This patient was discharged from hospital, given a supply of Efamol and Vitamin C, and asked to return six weeks later. Tests showed that the tumour in his liver had gone down considerably.
Apart from any anti-tumour effects, most patients taking evening primrose oil for cancer have reported a substantially increased sense of well-being. The patients volunteered this information spontaneously; it was an unexpected bonus of the evening primrose oil treatment. For patients with cancer, an increase in well-being is a great asset.

*1/60/5*

Recognizing that you are depressed is very important, but often this alone will not get you out of the doldrums. Depression often falls on people like a heavy veil that seems impossible to lift. It is suffocating, leaving people feeling helpless and vulnerable. If you feel as though you are struggling beneath the weight of depression, you’ll need to muster the fortitude that your depression has temporarily concealed. Do whatever it takes to retrieve your personal strengths and rip through the shroud, casting it aside.
Get the facts. Thoughts, not physical states, usually create depression. What you think directs how you feel. What are you thinking that leads you to feel depressed? Is fact-or imagination-directing you? Are you fearful that you will always suffer this much pain? Or that arthritis will progress until you are eventually wheelchair bound? If so, fiction is dictating your feelings and your depression. You need to become objective enough to respond to facts rather than to unfounded fears. If you can’t be objective, consult someone who can, such as your physician.
Get help. There’s no question that everyone can benefit from outside help from time to time: breaking free of depression is a difficult thing to do. For this reason, anyone who is suffering from depression should feel free to use all available resources. For example, therapists-psychologists or psychiatrists-with expertise in chronic conditions can be very helpful to people who are in the process of adjusting to life changes.
Sometimes depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. When this occurs or when the depression is so severe or chronic that the person is having a very hard time coming out of it, a psychiatrist may prescribe medications that help lift it.
Talking openly to a good listener sometimes is all that is needed. Friends and loved ones will help you focus on what is important to you and what is worth looking forward to. Talking to people who are having the same experiences that you are having can make you feel less alone.
It’s understandable if you feel that you’re just not ready to face friends yet. You may need some time to arrange your thoughts and feelings. If being alone becomes a routine, however, you may want to consider seeking professional advice. Remember, this is a new experience for you, and you don’t have to try to be your own expert.
*56/209/5*