There are more people living with HIV in New York City than in any other state in the country. According to the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene we have nearly triple the amount of infections compared to the U.S. average, with over 107,000 New Yorkers currently living with HIV.
Considering New York’s city high population density, with over 8 million people living in a land area of only 302 square miles, as compared to Los Angeles, that holds only 3.7 million people in a land area almost 500 square miles, NYC cannot help but carry and spread diseases better and faster than anywhere else in the country. And these statistics don’t even include the 40 million tourists that come through NYC every year! Between the years 2007-2010, HIV was the seventh leading cause of death for New Yorkers between the ages of 25-34, the fourth leading cause for ages between 35-44, and the third leading cause of death for people between 45-54.
So it is essential that you get an HIV testing at least once a year, more often if you exhibit high risk behaviors for the infection. The two main routes for transmission are:
1. Sexual intercourse – This applies to all types of intercourse, including vaginal, anal and oral sex, with those engaging in anal sex being 20 times more susceptible to the HIV virus when compared with vaginal sex.
If abstinence from sex is clearly out of the question, you can greatly reduce your risk of contracting the virus by being in trustworthy, monogamous relationships. If you do change partners often, you should always use a condom during intercourse to lesson exchange of fluids. Remember, you have the right to insist your partner wears protection.
If abstinence from sex is clearly out of the question, you can greatly reduce your risk of contracting the virus by being in trustworthy, monogamous relationships. If you do change partners often, you should always use a condom during intercourse to lesson exchange of fluids. Remember, you have the right to insist your partner wears protection.
2. Intravenous Drug Use – If you do abuse this kind drug activity, you should never share needles with other drug users. Inject yourself only with clean, sterile syringes to avoid transmission of unwanted viruses. Be “safe” with your drug usage. Drugs and alcohol impair your judgment and can lead to unwanted and unprotected sex.
If you practice any of these high risk behaviors you should get tested at the STD center at least once a year, more often if you practice both of these behaviors. You cannot wait for symptoms of HIV to surface before getting tested. The NY Department of Health notes that its current statistics for HIV positive New Yorkers do not include the nearly thousands of people who do not know they have the infection. This is because it can take up to six weeks for HIV to “activate” in your body, during which time the virus is still able to infect others you sleep with. Even after the virus activates, many people do not suffer symptoms for months, sometimes years. The NY Department of Health states that every year about 1,000 people in New York City do not discover they have HIV until they are already sick with AIDS. At this point, a person’s ability to fight the disease is reduced significantly. The sooner HIV is diagnosed the sooner medications and therapy can be administered to help you live longer.
Visit this STD Clinics located in midtown to get your HIV Testing in NYC if you live in or nearby the city. Always visit a center that specializes in sexually transmitted diseases. Do not risk your health in the hands of inexperienced doctors. You will also feel more comfortable in an environment that works with HIV patients professionally on a daily basis.
Visit this clinic and work with a staff that understands and respects your need to privacy. Log onto STD test in NYC or call 1-212-696-5900 today.
No comments:
Post a Comment