Talking about the diseases no-one wants to talk about

For some reason, there's a reluctance to talk about the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In a country where abstinence before marriage is one of the main measures to prevent STDs, actually talking about these problems is perhaps a little difficult. But, for once, we're going to break with convention and talk about one of the these diseases and the standard form of treatment. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial infection, mainly affecting younger people. You are at risk if you have multiple partners. The problem is that, in most people, there are no immediate symptoms and most are completely unaware that they have caught the disease. The bad news is that failure to get treatment once the symptoms do become apparent can lead to serious complications. So let's get the ST element out of the way. You catch this disease by having conventional sexual intercourse, although it can also be transmitted by both oral and anal sexual activity. The symptoms to watch out for are fairly obvious. In men, you will find it painful to pass urine and/or you will find a discharge coming from your penis. In women, you will feel a burning sensation when urinating and/or produce a vaginal discharge. In both men and women, a failure to get treatment can cause infertility. However, if you have been engaging in oral or anal sex, the bacteria responsible can simply sit there without producing any symptoms. This leaves you as a carrier and the next time you have oral or anal sex, you can pass the bacteria on to your next partner. If there are no symptoms, the only sure way to test for the condition is through swabs. In men, a urine test is not unreliable. The presence of the bacteria cannot be diagnosed from a blood sample. The standard form of treatment is the use of an antibiotic such as zithromax. Under normal circumstances, a single dose can be sufficient to clear up the problem. Some people find they experience some nausea and stomach cramps after taking the dose. This usually passes quite quickly. However, you should always wait at least one week before having sexual intercourse again. If your partner is also treated (which is a sensible precaution), you should both wait a week until resuming sexual activity. The final thing to note is that zithromax affects the way in which an oral contraceptive works. There is an increased risk of pregnancy if you resume sexual activity before the zithromax is completely clear from your system. Using a condom is desirable until you are sure pregnancy cannot result.

Read more...

Casino Games: About Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the most interesting casino games with its specific rules and tactics. Learn more about baccarat from the casino games article section of our site. When playing baccarat the main object of the game is to assemble two or three cards with a value as close to nine as possible. The best winning combination is with a count of nine with two cards. Eight along with nine makes part of the two "natural" hands and is the second best hand. That means that the only hand to beat the natural eight is natural nine. When a player or the Bank has either of two natural hands, others don't have the right to draw any more cards. The cards have their face value, while the aces count as one and the picture cards as ten. In case you have a double figure count, the first digit is ignored, For example, if you have a total card value of 17, the count is seven. The player who has the largest amount of money is usually declared as the banker. In Baccarat Banque and rotates in Chemin de Fer this is the casino. Three hands of two cards each are dealt by the banker face down. Two hands are for the players, one to the right and one the left of the banker, and one is own hand. Other players who didn't receive a hand mau place their bets on either hand (cheval) or both to beat the banker. A player can declare "banco", which means he's betting the total value of the bank. In this case all other bets are withdrawn. In case a player has a count less than eight or nine he may get one more card or stand. The rule is that having six or seven the player must stand and draw on four or less.

Read more...

What does the US Government actually say about generics?

It is always pleasing to find a government agency with a specialized website. In this case, the FDA maintains a site devoted to generic drugs at http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd/. There are over two-hundred-thirty staff whose task it is to ensure that the generic drugs approved are safe for consumers to use. Just to give you an idea of the scale of the operation, in 2004, there were 563 applications made to license the production of a generic drug. There were 880 applications made in 2007. In other words, a vast number of generic drugs come on to the market every year. They are in every way as safe and effective as the original branded version they now compete with. So generic viagra is identical to branded viagra except that it is cheaper. As a part of its function, the Office of Generic Drugs in the FDA monitors and researches the way in which the market works when generics enter. The supposed advantage is that any competition from a generic manufacturer will force the holder of the patent to drop its price. The consumer therefore benefits immediately. But its research shows that one generic manufacturer has very little effect on prices within the market. The FDA has a detailed analysis of the market from 1999 to 2004 and price is not significantly affected until a second generic manufacturer starts to sell into the market. The reason is simple. When the first generic competitor enters, even a small price reduction gives it a market edge. But when a second company appears, the two generic manufacturers compete with each other to set the price for a generic version of the original drug. The average result is half the original branded price. In fact, if you now look at the prices for generic viagra you will find it is often less than half the price of the branded version. The greater the quantity you buy, the better the price per tablet (plus the possibility of bonus tablets from some of the online pharmacies). This is a perfect working example of the research in action. It is also a perfect explanation for Big Pharma's dislike of generic manufacturers. Once two generic manufacturers start competing with each other, the original manufacturer's profit margin drops like a stone. It's great for the consumer. Bad news for the stockholders.

Read more...