Hepatitis C is a common infection and although there is currently no vaccine for protection against infection, there are effective treatments available. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that almost 3% of the world’s population is infected with chronic hepatitis C, with four million new cases reported each year. Because it can take years or even decades for symptoms to present themselves, many people are actually unaware that they have the condition. For this reason, by the time these people do become ill, considerable damage would have already been done to the liver – damage that could be prevented with early diagnosis.

Possible symptoms of hepatitis C (when they do appear), include fatigue; weight loss; joint pain; loss of appetite; anxiety; nausea; flu-like symptoms; and, alcohol intolerance along with pain in the liver area. Fatigue is the most common symptom reported and unlike hepatitis A and B, the hepatitis C virus doesn’t cause jaundice.

The virus is normally transmitted via blood-to-blood contact, with the sharing of needles and unsterilized equipment used in tattooing, etc, all to blame for the spread. Sharing toothbrushes and razors can also transmit the disease, as can blood transfusions in countries where blood screening is not up to standard.

Chronic hepatitis C sufferers should be seen be a liver specialist in a medical institution, and they may recommend drug treatments and therapies to treat the condition.

A female condom is a thin pouch or sheath that is worn by a woman during sex. It lines the vagina in its entirety and assists in preventing unwanted pregnancy and STD’s.

To use a female condom, you must first open up the package very carefully. This is to make sure you don’t rip or tear it by mistake. Make sure the condom is sufficiently lubricated and then find a comfortable position to insert it. Ensure the inner ring is located at the closed part of the sheath and then hold it with the open side hanging down. You then have to give the inner ring a squeeze with the forefinger and thumb so that it becomes elongated and narrow, after which you place the inner ring along with the sheath into the vagina’s opening. Push the inner ring gently up into the vagina so you can sense it go up. You then place an index finger into the condom and then prod the inner ring to as far as you can get it. Ensure the condom is straight and hasn’t twisted up inside the vagina and then when this is done, make sure the outer ring is outside the vagina, where it should stay.

How to Place a Female Condom

The woman has to then guide the penis into the opening of the condom to ensure that it doesn’t slip passed it and go straight into the vagina. Make sure enough lubricant has been used so that the condom remains in place, and be sure that a male condom is not used at the same time as the friction between the two will cause them to break.

Doctors use the term dementia to describe the process that occurs when the brain of an individual ceases to work properly. When the condition does occur, the individuals affected start becoming confused and forgetful. Although many people tend to get confused and become forgetful as they grow older, this is exacerbated many times over in those who have dementia. These people may forget how to do simple everyday things such as brushing their teeth or getting dressed.

Dementia

There are other symptoms which indicate the condition in people, such as changes in the personality or not being able to think properly, and as the condition gets worse their behavior can start to change as well. They could start getting upset for no reason or they may start to become aggressive, this is why looking after someone with dementia can be a very hard job.

There are a few types of dementia known today, with the most common ones being Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Lewy bodies. Although there are no cures for the various types of dementia at the moment, they can be treated to alleviate problems with the memory and other types of symptoms.

The condition can also be very distressing for the close family and friends of the sufferer as they see them gradually deteriorate and for all intents and purposes become a stranger. It is also exhausting work trying to care for them, despite all the good intentions.