The Importance of Herpes Testing: NYC is Ground Zero for Infections

NYC—home of the Mets, the Yankees, the Rangers, and the Ice Capades. Okay, maybe not the Ice Capades (we should be so lucky!). NYC is also home to a ridiculous amount of herpes infections. In fact, NYC leads the entire country—these great United States of America—in herpes infections. There’s something to be proud of, huh? Not. If you are sexually active it is time to receive STD testing so that you can know your status and receive the treatment you may need.

Herpes testing is a great way to begin a sexual health care regimen. After all, with so many people in NYC positive—and so many people oblivious to the fact—knowing puts you ahead of the curve. Herpes is not an STD that can be cured. It can only be treated, monitored, and kept in check. Yet with knowledge comes power and knowledge is always a good thing.

Herpes would seem an obvious STD. Meaning, that if positive, you would think you would know. Most people assume herpes carriers are walking around at all times with ugly sores riddling their lips and nether regions. This is not true. It is possible to be a carrier of herpes and never show a single symptom to the world. For these people, testing is the only way on Earth they can know if they are positive or not.

Let’s take a look at the herpes statistics. They are daunting, to be sure. In NYC, one out of four sexually active people are infected with the herpes virus. For the rest of the country, this number is one in five people infected. These numbers break down to another disturbing statistic, with over forty percent of sexually active people in North America positive for herpes.

Herpes is not one thing. There are two types of this disease that most people think of when referring to herpes. Testing can pin point both of these strains.

First there is HSV-1

HSV-1 is what typically is referred to as oral herpes. This can include the regular- and traditional-type of breakouts known as a simple cold sore.

Second there is HSV-2

This is what is generally referred to as genital herpes and creates sores on the penis, vulva, vagina, and even inside of a man’s and woman’s urinary tract and beyond.

Over the years, both these strains of herpes have sort of morphed into each other. It is not safe to say, at this time, that HSV-1 will stay on the lips and mouth area and HSV-2 will remain below the belt. There is a lot of back and forth with these herpes strains. Again, testing is the only sure-fire way to establish if you are infected. It is also the only way to let the doctor recommend treatment options for you.

Symptoms

As previously mentioned, it is possible that you will see no outward signs of sores and other symptoms, but still be a carrier. When this is the case, it does not mean you are immune to suffering the negative effects of the disease. If you happen to have symptoms they will be as follows:

·         Painful blisters

·         Swollen lymph glands

·         Aching muscles

·         Fever

·         Headache

The first breakouts are usually the worse, with subsequent breakouts being less severe. This is not the case for everyone, but commonly the recurring breakouts tend to be less painful and to heal faster.

If in NYC and in need of a certified STD testing clinic to administer testing for herpes—or for any other reason—please log onto Herpes testing NYC. This facility is a highly respected member of the medical establishment in midtown Manhattan, and is as professional and as discreet as can possibly be. Call 1-212-696-5900 for a convenient appointment today.

HIV in NYC: Start Testing Now!

What is it about NYC that makes people so excited? Is it because it’s the capital of the world? Is it because it’s chock full of fun things to do at anytime of the day or night? Or is it because it’s easy to go to a club and find a friend for the evening? No, no, no—definitely not the later. NYC is no different than any big city. If you have your mind set on finding a friend for the evening (and you don’t look like the Elephant Man), there’s a decent chance that you can find someone to go home with. Of course this person may not be the cream of the crop, and this behavior is definitely not safe behavior. This is why HIV testing comes into play.

Look, the facts are the facts: Sometimes we do stupid things in the name of lust. I have. We have. Have you? Let’s say—for argument’s sake—you have (once or twice…). This is precisely why it is a great idea to incorporate a certified STD clinic—and STD test—into your personal health care regimen. Sometimes, there’s no way of telling if you’ve been infected with an STD of any sort without good old fashion “testing”. HIV still lurks out there ready, willing, and able to sneak up on one of us and devastate our lives.

About 15 years ago you couldn’t lob a stone without hitting someone sporting a red ribbon worn ad a reminder of HIV awareness. These days, you could use a slingshot and still not hit anyone. Yet does this mean that HIV has become less of a threat? Of course not. Education is key in curtailing infection rates, but do not think for an instant that HIV has disappeared from the social scene. It hasn’t.

Statistics say that over one hundred and ten thousand New Yorkers are currently infected with the HIV virus. Out of this staggering number, thousands are completely unaware that they are even infected. So they go about sleeping with others and making matters much, much worse. This is the main reason why HIV testing is so important in this day and AIDS… er, age. The fact is that NYC has always been—and still is—the epicenter of HIV infection.

Let’s go back to the beginning and state clearly for the uninitiated what exactly HIV is: HIV is a short for the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. This virus attacks the body’s defenses, namely its immune system, making it much easier for an infected individual to acquire life threatening illnesses. Without the body’s natural built-in defenses, any number of diseases can prove fatal to the infected.

In NYC the HIV infection rate is three times the national average. These are huge numbers and should not be taken lightly by any New Yorker engaging in sexual relations. Testing is the best first step for anyone currently having sex who has not visited an STD testing center.

Let’s be honest about the past stigma. Years ago, it was thought that HIV and AIDS was a gay-man’s disease. This has been disproven so thoroughly, that anyone who still holds this belief can be labeled a misinformed clown. HIV testing is for everyone engaging in sex, because HIV does not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.

For those residing in NYC who feels that testing is for them, log onto STD testing NYC, and get the lowdown on how quick, easy and affordable an HIV test really is. This certified HIV testing NYC is located mere blocks from Grand Central Station, making it extremely accessible by subway and bus.Call 1-212-696-5900 to arrange an appointment today. Testing is so very important to your health. Please, begin soon.

Pubic Enemy #1 Testing For Gonorrhea in NYC

Gonorrhea is one of those old school STDs that just won’t go away. These days much can be done to combat this sexually transmitted disease. The first step, of course, is testing for it. Once you know your status—then you can take your medicine. In big cities like NYC gonorrhea still wreaks havoc, cutting a large swath of destruction through differing segments of society. As previously mentioned, it is not a new phenomenon. In fact, John Dillinger—America’s most wanted gangster at one time (he was nicknamed Public Enemy #1 and made John Gotti look like a run-of-the-mill burglar—suffered from this potentially deadly disease. Had he lived longer and returned home from the movie theater that infamous evening, he may have died of it just as his brethren in bad-boy status, Henry VIII, did.

Gonorrhea. We’ve all heard of it at some time, but what exactly is it? Well, gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. It is caused by a particularly nasty little bacterium that reproduces easily in warm, moist areas of the human body. This includes the urethra in men, and the entire reproductive tract in women. Being the nasty bugger that it is, gonorrhea can also easily reproduce in the eyes, mouth, throat…and anus. Have you heard the joke about the guy with gonorrhea of the eyeballs? Neither have we. It’s just not funny.

Gonorrhea and other STD testing is a great first step in combating these diseases and attempting to get them under control. NYC is giant, packed city where—believe it or not—people have sex with each other without knowing each others’ medical history. We know…it’s hard to comprehend, but let’s take a look at the facts.

More than 700,000 Americans will come down with new cases of gonorrhea this year alone. Many of these new cases will be concentrated in big cities such as NYC. It is spread from person to person through unprotected vaginal, anal, and oral sex. And since the disease may also be present in the eyes, this is a viable mode of transmission as well. (Eye-on-eye action?)

Although it is possible to be infected with gonorrhea and not show symptoms (especially in women), make sure that testing is done immediately if you are suffering from any of the following:

·         Any discharge from the penis or vagina (this commonly takes on the consistency of pus and has a green, yellow or white color. Ahhh!)

• ·         Pain while urinating
• ·         Bleeding between periods
• ·         Vomiting
• ·         Abdominal pain

Unlike some other STDs, testing for gonorrhea is a simple urine test. There is no swabbing inside of the penis or vagina necessary to diagnose patients with this disease. The test is easily affordable, quick and completely painless. A certified STD clinic will be happy to administer the test for you. STD center are notoriously discreet, so there is no need to fear that your family, friends, or workplace will get wind of your potential condition.

For those of us in NYC, why not receive your gonorrhea testing NYC at STD Center of NYC? Located just two blocks from Grand Central Station— and with weekend hours available—this is the most convenient clinic in midtown. Simply log onto STD testing NYC or call 1-212-696-5900for more information. Testing is an essential part of your over-all health regimen. Begin today.

NYC Infection Rates are the Highest The Importance of Herpes Testing

As we citizens of Metropolis go about our merry way, whether it’s dancing into the night or visiting a library, whether you are the type of person to cheat on your taxes or the type of person to snitch on the other guy that cheats on his taxes, we folks from NYC have one thing in common. Yep—it seems that way too many of us are infected with the herpes virus! It may be time for testing procedures. What’ya think? 

The latest data from completely reliable sources approximate that one in four people from NYC are infected with the herpes virus. I don’t know about you, but we find this truly disturbing. In fact, the health department reports that a quarter of us are infected with the herpes virus, while a large majority of the infected go about their lives completely unaware that they are even sick! This is frightening. It’s sort of like being a sexual zombie…but not knowing it. So you just lumber about searching for brains (or in this case sex) and continue to advance the march of this awful disease. 

This is why receiving regular checkups—including testing for herpes—is so darn important. If you do not know your status, you can go about spreading the virus. Look, many people who know their status choose to not tell their partners—especially when no symptoms are showing. But, as optimists, we’d like to think that a majority of us cool cats and kittens from NYC would hold off on the unprotected sexual relations if they knew they could get someone else sick.

Testing is the first step, after that you can make informed decisions regarding your behavior. For those that decide to be under-handed sexual terrorists—infecting others for mere minutes of self pleasure—so be it (they’ll get their karmic comeuppance later). However, once this article is read, you cannot say you haven’t been told the facts. If your partner refuses to step up and utilize protection, then you demand it or hit the road (and) jack.

Even more disturbing in these recent findings is the fact that persons with the herpes virus are twice as likely to contract HIV. Due to the fact of slowed down bodily defenses and broken skin, the HIV virus can do its dirty work much easier in individuals positive for herpes. 

Here are some other statistics that make testing sound like the thing to do:

·         The rate of herpes infection is higher in NYC than anywhere else in the entire country.

 

·         In NYC the rate of herpes infection is higher in women than in men.

·         In NYC the rate of infection is higher amongst blacks than amongst whites.

·         In NYC the rate of infection is higher in men who have sex with other men, whether they identify as straight, bisexual or gay.

Look, it’s pretty clear that testing is the first line of defense in this ugly war—and it’s not just herpes testing you need to worry about. The facts continue to show that the citizens of NYC are more likely to contract, not only herpes, but gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis at a much higher rate than those Americans living outside our city. Get it together, get tested.

In NYC there is a great certified STDclinic located no more than two blocks from Grand Central Station. Log onto Herpes testing NYC for more information or call 1-212-696-5900 to arrange a quick and convenient appointment. The facts don’t lie. If you are sexually active in NYC you need to get tested and help turn these dire statistics around.

A Brief History of HIV in NYC And Why Testing is so Important

NYC, home of the never-ending party, home of dancing and smooching in uni-sex bathrooms, home of cutting the line cause you’re cool enough (okay, not us.. but…), home of fun times and one-night stands—and home of HIV testing. That’s right, after the party it’s time to get responsible. It’s time to realize that perhaps our behavior has consequences. So, if we are responsible enough and we care about our health—we live our lives—but we also get to a certified STD clinic for HIV testing.

Back in NYC in the 1980s it was an anything goes philosophy. People were hooking up in “singles bars,” in your run-of-the-mill bars and at bath houses. But things got bad. AIDS arrived and scared our collective butts back into some semblance of normalcy. There’s nothing wrong with having a good time when night falls—but it is important to protect ourselves from the plagues that still haunt society.

Way back in 1981 five homosexual guys in Los Angeles came down with a rare form of pneumonia. It was a type that only struck people whose immune systems were severely compromised. This was the first time that HIV and AIDS hit the public consciousness.

Thirty years after this event, the HIV virus has struck a deep swath of destruction across the world. It is believed that over sixty million individuals worldwide have been infected by this terrible disease and over half that amount has fallen victim to it. Dead.

These days AIDS is not a guaranteed death sentence. With HIV testing and all the new medicines available to those infected, lifetimes are lived. People infected are not struck down in the prime of their life any more. This is a very positive thing, yet without AIDS testing and general awareness of the threat things can get worse. In NYC people should be even more aware.

The new drugs on the market affect your T cell count. It is these cells that help your body fight all forms of infection. Basically, your T cell count is the measure of your immune system. The first drug on the market, during the heyday of HIV testing and popular awareness, was AZT. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1987. It was a harbinger of things to come. Finally there was help available for those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

Fortunately AZT has many more counterparts. AZT would stave off the inevitable—death— but didn’t do as much to get an infected person back to health as the newer drugs that are on the market today. This new class of drugs is called protease inhibitors. It is through these drugs and a mixture of the older drugs do we get what is known as the “drug cocktail” and is helping to give infected individuals their life back.

HIV test is the first step in knowing your status. If further help is needed it is only through this testing that you can realize that the time has come. No one should look back on their lives with regret, but there is always the opportunity to take responsibility for what has come before.

If you live in the NYC area—and would like to have STD testing done—log onto HIV testing NYC or call 1-212-696-5900 for more information on the center. It is easily accessible by mass transit, as it is conveniently located just two blocks from Grand Central Station. Get there. Get testing. Begin taking responsibility.