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    Is It True That Men Can’t Get HIV From Women?

    Factors That Can Increase HIV Transmission

    Research on heterosexual transmission has shed some light on the factors that can increase transmission:

    • Years ago, studies from Africa demonstrated that the amount of virus in a person’s blood is a major determinant of whether a person’s partner gets infected, whether they are male or female. In general, women need more virus in the blood to infect a man than a man needs to infect a woman. However, if we reduce the amount of virus in the blood to undetectable levels (through treatment with medications), almost no transmission occurs!

    • Uncircumcised men are at increased risk of being infected by women. This has resulted in massive campaigns in many African countries to get men circumcised in communities where it is not commonly practiced.

    • In addition to this, the presence of an STD (e.g. gonorrhea, herpes, Chlamydia, syphilis) can increase infection by a couple of ways. First, the infection increases the production of HIV in semen or vaginal fluid, so the partner is exposed to more virus.  Second, the infection damages the mucous membranes making it easier for HIV cross. Women may often have no symptoms of an STD and may not seek care in a timely manner.

    What’s one factor that can help decrease HIV transmission? Sharing knowledge and helping to dispel these dangerous myths. Tell your coworkers the facts – it may help save lives!

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    The Top Healthiest Foods…EVER [PHOTOS]
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    A bunch of spinach leaves One whole and one sliced sweet potato A bowl of broccoli A banana Oranges Apricots A bowl filled with red kidney beans A piece of cooked salmon on a plate Two pieces of raw turkey breast Half of an avocado A green plastic spoon filled with brown rice Three tomatoes in water A bowl of oatmeal with three blueberries A raw steak on a white plate A glass container of yogurt sitting on a blue-green cotton napkin beside a white spoon Pieces of dark chocolate dusted with cocoa powder A bowl of fresh eggs A bowl of vegetable soup Watermelon slices Red Bell Pepper Garlic A bowl of cherries Half of a red onion sitting on a cutting board beside a knife A spoonful of carrots Almonds A green olive sitting in a glass dish of olive oil A close-up image of fresh blueberries A spoonful of peanut butter A sliced mango splashing into water A glass mug of green tea sitting on a glass saucer A pear wrapped with a yellow tape measure Pistachios A glass of water A bowl of strawberries A skillet filled with kale A container of black beans A glass of red wine against a black background Three tuna slices A piece of catfish with potatoes Green beans on a cutting board A grilled chicken breast and asparagus on a plate A bowl of blackberries Cracked walnuts Raw wheatgrass, a glass of wheatgrass juice and a pitcher of water A wooden basket of cranberries A clear dish of flax seed oil beside a pile of flax seeds Cabbage Mushroom Pomegranate seeds
    By By Dr. Keith Crawford, BDO HIV/AIDS Expert