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According to Psychiatric Times, a medical publication seen by 50,000 psychiatrists each month, some life-threatening illnesses present themselves as anxiety or depression at first.

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What is PrEP? Read more about PrEP and HIV/AIDS treatment and care by clicking the link below.

http://bit.ly/2t5ZAw9 

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What Is PrEP?

PrEP, or Truvada, was approved by the FDA in 2012 for high-risk HIV-negative people to use as a prophylaxis. The FDA has also approved the use of this drug for people that are HIV-positive to use as an antiretroviral (ARV). The pill contains two HIV medicines (both traditionally used as ARV’s) sold under the brand name Truvada. One half of the compound, Tenofovir, is a medication used to treat chronic hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS. In some cases, people use it as an HIV prophylaxis in very high doses. It is can be consumed by mouth as a tablet or powder. Emtricitabine, (on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines), is also used as HIV treatment. However, Medical providers do not traditionally use this drug as an ARV. Researchers have administered the drug in trials for HBV treatment, but the FDA has not approved it for this use.

PrEP or Truvada is not a cure for HIV, unfortunately. It can be a tool to eradicate HIV. The drug makes great strides reducing the infection rate in populations of people that are subject to this public health crisis. An iPrEX trial determined the drug is 90% effective in terms of safety and results. This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study is the “golden standard” of trials in the medical and pharmaceutical world. The results depend on how much you take it respecting the proper dosage. Researchers have recorded a 99% reduction in a person who is HIV-positive when strictly following the prescribed amount (one pill, once a day, seven days a week). Researchers have also seen a 96% reduction when an HIV-positive person takes the drug once a day four times a week. These studies prove the effectiveness of the drug compound.

Resources Medical Clinic, a non-profit primary care clinic located at 2001 21st Street, Kenner, Louisiana, can determine through our diagnostic lab testing and combined social and medical services if PrEP is right for you. We also offer the tools and resources you need to help pay for this life-saving drug if our team determines you need to take it. Schedule an appointment (504-507-9300) at Resources Medical Clinic today to discuss your health and wellness!

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Honored to be a pat of this sit-in and to advocate for persons with disabilities. #IndependenceforAll

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Disabled Americans’ Freedom and TrumpCare

The Senate will vote on their proposed bill of repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act after the 4th of July. Advocates for the disabled find this heart-breaking. It is also incredibly ironic—as we approach Independence Day, law-makers might take away independence in the form of services and resources for persons with disabilities by rolling back Medicaid and Medicare. 

The time to really examine if the United States is the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave is now.

The Healthcare Bill

Critics of the bill think it is pretty obvious why supporters of the bill want to take away resources for the disabled. 77 million baby-boomers are getting older and a portion of them will develop an age-related disability that could require government assistance. Medicaid was created for the vulnerable. Medicare was created for people to buy into the system through payroll taxes and supports them at age 65. It also supports younger people with disabilities.

Advocacy organizations and agencies that help individuals affected by a disability typically do not separate those who have an age-related disability (physical and/or mental) and those who are disabled young(er) persons. These two categories need the same support and resources in most cases. Forbes magazine states in their article Proposed Federal Medicaid Caps Will Hurt Seniors. Here’s Why that the new healthcare model, “would result in deep cuts in the federal contribution to Medicaid and Medicare and ultimately reduce long-term care services and benefits”, for older persons with age-related disabilities and younger persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. In 2015, Medicaid spent approximately $150 billion on people with disabilities. Much of that money paid for assistance of activities of daily living and other forms of support. A supported life has tremendous impact on a disabled person. Medicaid/Medicare traditionally pays for disabled persons to have personal care attendance within their homes. People with disabilities are already isolated. Medicaid/Medicare-supported personal care attendance programs helps disabled persons who fall in the gray areas live independently and not become socially disenfranchised.

What if Stephen Hawkings, one of the most brilliant minds, was not given the resources he needs to live an independent life? The lack of support and assistance would certainly affect his entire being. Consequently, the world would certainly be disadvantaged. The burden will fall on family members to help a disabled person if disability services are not covered by Medicaid/Medicare. If a family is already in a suffering financial state, asking someone to give up their day job without government subsidized professional support to attend a disabled loved one is pretty unreasonable. Medicaid/Medicare supported personal care attendance services tremendously help friends and family who cannot afford to hire an attendant. These services also fill the gap for disabled persons who do not have friends or families to support them. Medicaid also helps cover wheelchairs, walking aids and other mobility equipment, which is usually quite expensive.

What Happened to American Innovation?

Regardless of your opinion whether or not the proposed healthcare legislation lacks compassion, it certainly is not that innovative. The bill designates a set amount of money for each state and a number of people a state can “help”. This is their best shot, and it’s a rather fast one. As soon as Republicans took over the presidency, House and Senate their goal was to repeal the democratic legislation, the ACA, as quickly as possible. Lindsay Graham tweeted on May 4, 2017 , “A bill—finalized yesterday, has not been scored, amendments not allowed, and 3 hours final debate—should be viewed with caution.” There has been absolutely no time to sit and think about what is best for Americans and their diverse needs. This bill is a one-size-fits-all approach that lacks creativity, inventiveness and bravery. Countries with limited resources are not able to tackle the complexities of their citizens. The problems they cannot address are distressingly overlooked. People are hurt as a result. The United States is not a country that lacks resources, originality or bravery. We have the means to meet an array of people’s issues. We are a country of solutions.

As America Approaches Its Celebration of Independence

The United States is about to celebrate its 241st Independence Day. The legislation will take away independence in the form of services and resources for the disabled. The question then becomes for all Americans:are we really the land of the free? It certainly does not seem that we are the home of the brave anymore. We shall determine after the 4th of July.

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PrEP and Compassion

The possible responses surrounding the newly introduced HIV prophylaxes could vary from ambivalence to disapproval to relief. Obviously those who are sexually active in communities that are highly affected by HIV are most likely overjoyed there is a pill you can take on a daily basis to prevent you from getting this terminal illness. And, obviously those who disapprove of the distribution of this drug…well…don’t really know that much about public health.

Sure, individual behaviors put people at risk. The premise of community health, however, is identifying external factors that have devastating effects on community members’ health at a given or prolonged time. What causes these health disparities particularly regarding the HIV-infected communities can range from racism to homelessness. The common denominator is prejudice and a lack of compassion.

It would be an interesting exercise to apply the aforementioned logic of condemning common behaviors within a population to a recent public health crisis such as Ebola. Yes, people in Ebola-ridden areas should not handle infected or potentially infected remains (especially if they died of a sudden fever, hemorrhaging, etc…). One can logically empathize why a person would want to be near the dead body of a loved one. The question then becomes: why do we not logically empathize with a person of a community suffering from an HIV outbreak who wants to have sex with a person they love…or (gasp) finds attractive…and (gasp) takes a pill to prevent a deadly sexually transmitted illness?

The Compound 

Let us begin with a discussion concerning the history of this drug. PrEP was approved by the FDA in 2012 for HIV-negative people that are of high-risk to use as a prophylaxis. The FDA has also approved the use of this drug for people that are HIV-positive as an antiretroviral (ARV). It is a pill containing two HIV medicines (both traditionally used as ARV’s) sold under the brand name Truvada. Tenofovir, half of the compound, is a medication used to treat chronic hepatitis B and treat HIV/AIDS. In some cases, people use it as an HIV prophylaxis in very high doses. It is available by mouth as a tablet or powder. Emtricitabine, (on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines), is also as drug used as HIV treatment. Medical providers do not traditionally use this drug as an ARV. Researchers have administered the drug in trials for HBV treatment, but the FDA has not approved it for this use.

The Effectiveness as a Prophylaxes and ARV 

PrEP or Truvada is not a cure for HIV, unfortunately. It can be a tool to eradicate HIV. The drug makes great strides reducing the infection rate in populations of people that are subject to this public health crisis. An iPrEX trial determined the drug is 90% effective in terms of safety and results. This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study is the “golden standard” of trials in the medical and pharmaceutical world. The results depend on how much you take it respecting the proper dosage. Researchers have recorded a 99% reduction in a person who is HIV-positive when strictly following the prescribed amount (one pill, once a day, seven days a week). Researchers have also seen a 96% reduction when an HIV-positive person takes the drug once a day four times a week. It really works! 

Is Truvada Right for Me

Although Truvada is heavily promoted to homosexual or bisexual men, the CDC states additionally that 1 in 5 injectable drug users, and 1 in 200 heterosexual adults should be counseled about PrEP. A straight man or woman who does not regularly use condoms during sex with people whose HIV statuses are unknown should talk to their provider about PrEP. They should also order the full scope of STI tests. A person who shared needles while using injection drugs or has been in drug treatment should also have this conversation with their doctor in addition to other necessary diagnostic labs.

Diagnostic labs are essential to understanding if Truvada is right for you. There is the rare case a person could be unaware of their HIV-positive status and take this expensive drug over a long period as a prophylaxis without proper medical professional supervision. That individual could do much more harm than good to their health. People with acute HIV-infections need to be taking multiple drugs (usually 4) prescribed by professionals as an ARV treatment approach. The HIV infection is so strong there is a risk of resistance to the two drug compounds of Truvada. That cancels out two of the four drugs usually prescribed to treat HIV.Before a medical provider determines Truvada is right for you as a prophylaxis or ARV (possibly in combination with other drugs), your healthcare team still needs to determine a few things. Your provider will want to check you for other STIs, check your kidneys to make sure you’re healthy enough for the drug and make sure you have no conflicting medications with PrEP. Also, they will ask for documentation of your hepatitis B and vaccination status.

How Do I Get PrEP

They CDC released a report that 1 in 4 gay men should be taking Truvada in some capacity or another in the United States. That equals 1.2 million men, yet the astonishing reality is 21,000 are only taking it. Price is a barrier because most communities or groups that face a high HIV rate are impoverished. Community clinics such as Resources Medical Clinic located in Kenner, Louisiana, offer tools and resources for receiving this lifesaving drug. The dedicated staff at Resources constantly advocates for the disenfranchised by researching and connecting them with tools they need for a better life.

Additionally, as primary care providers, Resources Medical Clinic is in the small number of family medicine clinics that knows about PrEP. The CDC reports 1 out of 3 primary care providers know about this life-saving HIV drug treatment.

Compassion at Your Health Clinic

White men make up the majority of users for this drug. Black and Latino men are at higher risk of contracting or having HIV. The majority’s ethnicity of actual users compared to the ethnic groups who need the drug the most is disproportionate.Michael Sidibe director of UNAIDS stated, “Whenever AIDS has won, stigma, shame, distrust, discrimination and apathy was on its side. Every time AIDS has been defeated, it has been because of trust, openness, dialogue between individuals and communities, family support, human solidarity, and the human perseverance to find new paths and solutions.”People do not want HIV plain and simple. A person who has contracted HIV has a chance to live a relatively normal life. This can only be possible with trust, honesty and compassion at medical or treatment centers. The world needs to see the HIV/AIDS outbreaks as public health crises. Neglecting to do so only leads to more spreading of this virus and the later terminal disease. According to the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a compassionate healthcare giver, among others, should:

Treat you with respect

Convey information in a way that is understandable

Treat you like a person, not just an illness

Listen attentively to you

Strive to gain your trust

Involve you in treatment decisions if you want to be involved

Communicate test results in a timely and sensitive manner

Feel comfortable in discussing sensitive, emotional, or psychological issues with you

Consider the effect of an illness on you, your family, and those important to you

Express sensitivity, caring, and compassion for your situation

Spend enough time with you

Give you hope, even when the news is bad

At Resources Medical Clinic, we are one of the Greater New Orleans Area’s leading family medicine practices that offer solutions for this life-threatening illness. Before opening the primary care clinic located at 2001 21st Street, Kenner, Louisiana 70062, this organization was a center for independent living providing resources to the physically and cognitively disabled to live more independent lives. Today, the medical clinic is here to give patients from all backgrounds, (not just the disabled) tools they need to live more independent lives. Regardless of financial state,

Resources Medical Clinic wants to establish anyone as a patient and set you on the road to success for a better life.

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3 Exercises to a Happier Self

Have you ever done something good and did not seek praise for that action? It made you feel good…didn’t it? Altruism, the spirit of giving, compassion, loving-kindness, (whatever you want to label it as!), is a definite way to become legitimately happy. It is THE WAY according to many religious scholars. It does not come naturally, though. Happiness needs cultivation and maintenance.

Here are three exercises you can practice frequently to develop and preserve your happiness.

1. Be Compassionate

Karen Armstrong suggests in her Charter for Compassion the first and foremost principle humans need to live by is compassion, and that “everything else is commentary”. Why does she believe this? From her understanding, compassion is the ultimate form of empathy, and empathy leads to tolerance, understanding and peace. More individuals live happier lives when these components are the base of a society. In her book, 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life, she advises readers to “search deep into their hearts, discover what hurts them the most, and commit to never doing that to another living being”. To expand upon that, one should also discover what makes them loved by others and also commit to doing that every day to others.

2. Be Grateful

Remember when your grandmother would tell you to count your blessings? Well, you should! A Network for Grateful Living’s Brother David-Steindl-Rast claims that happy people are not grateful, rather grateful people are happy. So, count your blessings each day to realize how fortunate you are and celebrate that!

3. Respond Constructively

Be a supportive person. That’s it. In a world full of negativity, cynicism and non-constructive criticism, expressing genuine excitement, interest and encouragement improves your relationships. This action creates trust and makes people want to be around you. Overall, it results in positive, meaningful and possibly more relationships. Obviously, that would make anyone happy.

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Vitamin C and Your Health

Not Just about Colds

Vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient that plays many important roles in the proper function and maintenance of your body. Vitamin C prevents disorders such as scurvy, but beyond that it is essential in the building and repair of the body’s connective tissues. Connective tissues, specifically collagen, are proteins that help to form skin, ligaments, cartilage, bones, and teeth, as well as helping to maintain blood vessels and organs. The possible benefits of adequate vitamin C intake range from reduced duration of the common cold to prevention of cardiovascular disease to possible cancer prevention. Many dermatologists also instruct their patients to apply topical vitamin C onto their skin to prevent free radical damage.

A Variety of Forms

To ensure you are getting enough vitamin C, make sure you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and dark green vegetables. If you think you may not be getting enough vitamin C there are supplements available over the counter. Generally speaking, very high doses of vitamin C are easily tolerated, but with any supplement be sure to watch for adverse reactions. Some possible side effects of too much vitamin C are gastrointestinal upset (most common) and headache. For individuals who wish to try this supplement topically, searching for vitamin C serum online, going to a cosmetic specialty store or visiting to your dermatologist is a good way to find the best product for you.

At Resources Medical Clinic, we are committed to providing you with the tools and knowledge to live a healthy life. Our highly trained staff can connect you to the resources you need to reach your optimal wellness. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest health tips and facts. You and your loved deserve healthy lives—access your resources!