Acne treatment and the grim reality of AIDS

Drug treatment

Even if you already have acne, and your acne is particularly stubborn and difficult to clear up, don't panic. Modern high-tech products can largely help you resolve this problem. The first treatment is to use topical ointments containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which are available at most pharmacies and can be applied to the face. These medications are suitable for dry and oily skin and can unclog pores. If these topical medications are ineffective, you should see a dermatologist.

John Romano, professor of dermatology at Cornell Medical Center, a New York hospital, points out that the most professional treatment for acne may be oral antibiotics combined with topical retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is a prescription drug, and this topical cream differs from most topical medications in that it can penetrate the hair follicle and prevent acne from forming at the root of the follicle.

If oral antibiotics and topical retinoic acid fail to cure acne, your doctor may recommend oral retinoic acid. This is a potent medication that has proven particularly effective in eliminating severe acne-thanks to its availability, we no longer see people with acne-covered faces as commonly seen 20 years ago.

However, it should be noted that taking retinoic acid during pregnancy can cause birth defects in the fetus. Additionally, for men, side effects of this medication may include dry skin, eyes, and lips; sometimes a burning or inflamed nose; and red, itchy eyes. Retinoic acid can also increase cholesterol levels, so it is recommended to have a check-up at the hospital monthly to monitor its effectiveness.

AIDS

Prevention is the greatest hope

To date, many of us have witnessed someone close to us tragically die from AIDS. As you helplessly watch it consume the precious lives of your father, brother, drinking buddy, or simply an acquaintance, you can't help but wonder: Will I be the next one to contract AIDS?

Actually, it largely depends on your own answer.

Unlike many life-threatening genetic diseases that leave you helpless, HIV/AIDS can be effectively prevented through effortless methods, and prevention is the only way to fight off this rampant killer.

Unfortunately, many men still needlessly take risks, easily contracting HIV and ultimately losing their lives. This often stems from their doubts, ignorance, or even foolishness. David Herrell, director of the National AIDS Hotline, a free information and counseling service, points out: "Men often underestimate the risks of casual sex, blindly assuming that the person they're having sex with is not infected with HIV. Even if they are aware of the potential danger, the flames of desire make them forget all safety precautions."

The brutal rise in numbers

In the United States, 8 out of 10 HIV/AIDS cases are in men. In 1992, HIV/AIDS surpassed accidents, heart disease, cancer, suicide, and homicide to become the leading cause of death for men aged 25-44.

Latest Information

Commonality: As of 1994, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, approximately one million Americans were living with HIV, and 401,749 cases of AIDS had been diagnosed, of which 347,767 were men. The CDC estimated that by 2000, 110 million people worldwide would be living with HIV.

Risk factors: casual sexual intercourse, intravenous drug use, and the use of blood or blood products contaminated with viruses.

Affected age groups: All age groups. However, men aged 25 to 44 are most susceptible to infection.

Gender differences: In many African and some Caribbean and South American countries, HIV infection is largely transmitted through heterosexual intercourse-therefore, men and women have an equal chance of infection. However, in the United States, HIV affects men far more than women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 1994, the number of infected men was more than six times that of women.

Seeking help from infectious disease specialists or by calling the national AIDS hotline 1-800-342 to find a specialist in your area to provide assistance.

Since AIDS became an endemic infectious disease in 1981, 61% of those infected have died. It has claimed a total of 243,423 lives in the United States and continues to spread at an alarming rate. According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the number of new AIDS cases increased by 124% between 1992 and 1993, reaching 347,767 Americans by 1994. The CDC estimates that as many as one million people may already be infected with HIV, the direct cause of AIDS, but have not yet shown symptoms.

Intravenous drug use, homosexual behavior, and the combination of these two risk factors accounted for 80% of AIDS cases in the United States in 1994. However, AIDS is not just a disease caused by "drugs" and "homosexuality." Currently, a large number of men and women who engage in heterosexual sex in the United States are also becoming infected. Moreover, worldwide, the vast majority of AIDS cases are transmitted through heterosexual intercourse.

Fun Facts

How does AIDS develop?

The only way to contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is through the exchange of bodily fluids caused by certain risky behaviors.

Director Herrell pointed out, "If these risky behaviors can be avoided, the chances of people contracting HIV will be extremely low."

Here we need to correct some misconceptions: people do not contract HIV through everyday contact such as mosquito bites or sharing toilets, bathtubs, and telephones. People do not even contract the disease through frequent contact with a family member who is already infected with HIV, including sharing utensils.

So how did you contract HIV? It could be through a blood transfusion or the use of HIV-infected blood products. In the case of a fetus, the mother is already infected and the virus is transmitted directly to the fetus through the shared bloodstream. Another, more common, way to contract HIV is through risky sexual behavior.

Once HIV enters the human body, it gradually destroys the immune system. Initially, disease-fighting white blood cells can fight back, producing antibodies to resist the virus (this is what is shown in the blood when someone tests positive for HIV). However, if the virus invades cells, the antibodies lose their ability to attack it. As a result, HIV-infected cells accumulate in large numbers in the lymph nodes, which become factories for replication and the production of new generations of the virus.

People who test positive for HIV can remain healthy for many years because the virus persists within the cell membrane and lies dormant there-sometimes up to 10 years after the initial infection-unexpectedly erupting from the lymph nodes and resuming its attack on the body's immune system. Ultimately, the virus weakens the immune system, causing the patient to die from any disease they could contract, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or even Kasiposi's sarcoma-a rare cancer. These diseases exploit the body's vulnerable defenses, ultimately leading to their demise.

Reduce your danger

Fortunately, as we mentioned earlier, there are currently many ways to protect ourselves from HIV/AIDS. Here are some specific methods.

Dr. Mitchell Sager, director of the HIV Treatment Clinic at the Faithful Alabama College of Medicine, points out that abstinence or maintaining a monogamous sexual relationship with only women who test negative for HIV is the only absolutely effective way to avoid HIV infection through sexual intercourse.

The next time you're about to have your first unprotected sex with a woman, think about the dreaded HIV virus-feel "I'm asking for trouble"-and then quickly grab a condom.

Lubricated latex condoms are the most effective because lubrication prevents breakage, and latex itself acts as an effective barrier against HIV. For an even stronger layer of protection, you can also buy latex condoms coated with a special substance that kills sperm but also the HIV virus.

If you need to use a lubricant on the outer layer of a condom, be sure to choose a water-based product, such as KY jelly or a regular spermicide. Oil-based lubricants, such as baby oil, cold compress, or gasoline slurry, can break down condoms.

We also need to avoid using condoms made of sheepskin, because these condoms have tiny pores that the HIV virus can pass through.

Preventing the exchange of bodily fluids: Since HIV can be transmitted through bodily fluids, which include blood, semen, and vaginal secretions, some experts recommend that people engage in sexual intercourse without the exchange of bodily fluids.

This type of intercourse without the exchange of bodily fluids is sometimes called manual intercourse or mutual masturbation. "Before the AIDS epidemic, people could hardly imagine this, but now we have to learn to adapt to many new things," says Douglas Skachfeld, director of the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University.

In addition, while the chance of contracting HIV through oral sex is very small, it is still best to use a condom or dental dam (a latex liner that protects the tooth sheath) during oral sex. If you cannot be certain that your sexual partner is not infected with HIV, it is best to avoid this form of sexual intercourse.

In theory, a light kiss on the cheek is safe, but a deep, lip-to-lip kiss can be problematic. If your kissing partner is HIV-positive and has bleeding in their mouth, the virus could potentially enter your body through the mucous membranes of your mouth.

Avoid anal sex. Unprotected anal sex is one of the most dangerous forms of sexual intercourse. Especially when you are the receiving partner, because the anus has no protective sheath, intercourse can easily damage the anal mucosa, allowing viruses to enter the bloodstream. Even if you use a condom during anal sex, it cannot provide adequate protection because the condom can easily break through the anal wall.

While HIV testing and sterilization in the United States have largely prevented HIV transmission through blood transfusions, this is not the case in other parts of the world. Therefore, if you must receive a blood transfusion while traveling, make sure to ascertain the safety of the blood source before agreeing. Dr. Skachfeld even advises people to return to the United States for treatment if possible.

Avoid sharing needles because HIV is transmitted through blood, so you can easily get infected by sharing a needle with someone else when getting a shot. Therefore, you must avoid this oversight.