Symptoms, Causes of Hepatitis:

Hepatitis is a condition that involves an inflammation of the liver. There are several different types of hepatitis, which are in turn, caused by several different reasons. The viral form of hepatitis is the most common form and also the most infectious. These include hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Each one of these five viruses can bring about the disease, along with symptoms that could last for several weeks. An individual may at times take months to even a year to feel healthy and fit again. The symptoms of hepatitis will vary depending on what the cause of the illness are, and to what extent the liver has been damaged. In some mild cases, a lot of people may not display any particular symptoms at all or they may develop basic flu like symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness and muscles aches. In severe cases however, the symptoms can be far graver. This is because the chemicals that are present in the liver begin to build up in the blood.

Some of these symptoms include: a bitter acrid taste in the mouth, bad breath, a yellowish hue to the skin as well as the eyes, tenderness or pain in the area around the liver, light or gray color to the stool and dark colored urine. Of the 5 types, hepatitis A and E are caused by the ingestion of either contaminated water or food. The other three types (B, C and D), are caused due to a parenteral contact with the infected body fluids. Examples of this would be blood transfusions, sharing of needles or certain medical procedures that are performed using equipment that is contaminated.

However, hepatitis B can also be transmitted through sexual contact. In fact this is the most common manner in which Hepatitis B is contracted. When a person suffers from Hepatitis B or HBV, the virus is present not only in the blood, but also in the semen, menstrual blood and vaginal fluids. Thus any form of sex i.e. vaginal, anal or oral can transmit the disease easily. Infected fluids entering the eyes, nose and mouth, during sexual activity, can also lead to an infection. The most effective way to protect oneself from this virus (HBV) is to get vaccinated. Other methods of prevention could include the use of condoms; however they are not always 100 percent effective in preventing the spread of this virus.

Birth Control Techniques

Birth control is basically a term used to describe measures that stop a woman from getting pregnant. This is where contraceptives come into play. A contraceptive works by preventing the male sperm from fertilizing the female egg. Contraceptives fall into 2 broad categories, namely; the barrier method- this involves physically preventing the sperm from entering the uterus and fertilizing the female egg, and the second being the hormonal method- this alters the hormonal cycle in a woman in order to prevent fertilization.
Barrier contraceptive methods include the male condom. This method of contraception is the only one that men can use and is basically just a simple rubber tube worn over the penis. The female condom, in appearance, is very similar to the male condom, only slightly bigger and is to be inserted the vagina. Spermicides too come under the barrier method as they contain a chemical agent which kills the sperm and also prevents it from entering the cervix. These come in various forms such as gels, foam and foaming tablets. This option however is not very effective in preventing pregnancy when used on its own. The spermicide and male condom when used together can prove be an excellent combination, to prevent pregnancy as well as reduce the possibility of contracting STD’s.

The hormonal methods of contraception can also be categorized into 2 slots, one being the injectable hormonal contraceptive and the other being the very commonly used contraceptive pill. The pill is an oral contraceptive that contains chemicals known as hormones. The combined pill is one type of pill that contains 2 hormones, estrogen and Progestogen. This pill stops the egg from being released every month, without stopping the periods. The other type of pill contains only 1 hormone, Progestogen. When this pill is taken the mucous lining in the vagina is altered to make it thicker. When this is done, the sperm is unable to get through and thus cannot fertilize the egg. Another type of pill, known as the emergency contraceptive pill can be taken up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex. However, this pill is meant for single use emergency situations and is not recommended on a regular basis. Again, oral contraceptives can prevent a woman from getting pregnant, but cannot provide protection from contracting STD’s. With the injectable hormonal contraceptive, the woman has to take an injection once in 12 weeks. This injection consists of the Progestogen hormone and thus works in the same way as the second pill (Progestogen only pill) discussed above.

Male Impotency Causes

Male infertility is responsible for approximately half of all cases in which a couple is unable to conceive a child. The exact nature of the infertility varies greatly – it may involve a low sperm count or complete absence of sperm in semen, hydrocele, physical trauma to the testicles, obstructions to the flow of sperm, and excessive consumption of drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. “Infertility” is thus a rather vague and all encompassing term, and is really only a symptom of some underlying health problem. To properly treat infertility, a thorough medical investigation is necessary, as without it, it is practically impossible to find out what is wrong and how can one treat it. It is generally advisable to consult an urologist who specializes in male infertility. Apart from a physical examination and investigation of your medical history, some tests will also be conducted, which will require blood and semen samples.

This kind of thorough medical investigation will often yield results, although there are a large number of cases in which nothing abnormal can be detected. Hopefully, in your case, it will be easy to detect the cause.

One of the most common causes of male infertility is variocele – it is thought that over 10 per cent of male infertility cases are traced to this condition. Considering the number of possible causes, this is quite a high percentage. Variocele is essentially the enlargement of the pampiniform plexus, a bunch of veins in the scrotum. These veins connect to larger testicular veins that drain blood from the scrotum. Sometimes, due to various reasons, the blood may not flow out of the scrotum properly, leading to enlargement of these veins and damage to the testes. It is not clear exactly how this causes male infertility, but it is thought that the resulting increase in temperature affects sperm production.

Of course, this is not the only possible cause – in many cases, male infertility may be the result of a low sperm count or abnormal sperm. The sperm count may sometimes be so low that no sperm can be detected in the semen at all. It may be that sperm are not being produced at all, or that they are being produced but are unable to mix with the semen due to some obstruction, such as a tumor, or scar tissue following an injury. Sometimes, sperm may be present, but they may be shaped abnormally, and are therefore unable to reach or penetrate eggs.

Contraception - Birth Control

Birth control is basically a term used to describe measures that stop a woman from getting pregnant. This is where contraceptives come into play. A contraceptive works by preventing the male sperm from fertilizing the female egg. Contraceptives fall into 2 broad categories, namely; the barrier method- this involves physically preventing the sperm from entering the uterus and fertilizing the female egg, and the second being the hormonal method- this alters the hormonal cycle in a woman in order to prevent fertilization.

Barrier contraceptive methods include the male condom. This method of contraception is the only one that men can use and is basically just a simple rubber tube worn over the penis. The female condom, in appearance, is very similar to the male condom, only slightly bigger and is to be inserted in the vagina. Spermicides too come under the barrier method as they contain a chemical agent which kills the sperm and also prevents it from entering the cervix. These come in various forms such as gels, foam and foaming tablets. This option however is not very effective in preventing a pregnancy when used on its own. The spermicide and male condom when used together can prove be an excellent combination, to prevent pregnancy as well as reduce the possibility of contracting STD’s

Contraception Hormonal

The hormonal methods of contraception can also be categorized into 2 slots, one being the injectable hormonal contraceptive and the other being the very commonly used contraceptive pill. The pill is an oral contraceptive that contains chemicals known as hormones. The combined pill is one type of pill that contains 2 hormones, estrogen and Progestogen. This pill stops the egg from being released every month, without stopping the periods. The other type of pill contains only 1 hormone, Progestogen. When this pill is taken the mucous lining in the vagina is altered to make it thicker. When this is done, the sperm is unable to get through and thus cannot fertilize the egg. Another type of pill, known as the emergency contraceptive pill can be taken up to 72 hours after having unprotected sex. However, this pill is meant for single use emergency situations and is not recommended on a regular basis. Again, oral contraceptives can prevent a woman from getting pregnant, but cannot provide protection from contracting STD’s. With the injectable hormonal contraceptive, the woman has to take an injection once in 12 weeks. This injection consists of the Progestogen hormone and thus works in the same way as the second pill (Progestogen only pill) discussed above.