STDs are the poor consequences of bad protection during intercourse. People often avoid or forget about protection because they are under the belief that it is only needed to avoid unwanted pregnancies and even then, they use the excuse that contraception fails sometimes. While that is true, they do not give a 100% guarantee of safeguarding you, 95% or 97% are better odds than zero. These contraceptives will not only keep you safe from conceiving a child but also keep you safe from contracting STDs/ STIs. These are some important lessons that you must learn in schools and should be an open dialogue to safeguard curious teens and young adults from making any mistakes.

While you may have heard of these diseases, you may not know how significantly it can affect your life if you contract it. Herpes is one of the most contagious and costly STD you can contract. According to Microbial Cell study, Herpes Simplex Virus-2 is the leading cause of sexually transmitted infections that can come back again and again, throughout your lifetime!

What Are STDs?

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are highly infectious diseases or conditions that can be transferred from sexual contact with a person who may have it. These could be oral or sexual acts, and these infections are highly contagious. One of the most common symptoms of burning itching or some type of discharge from your genital area. According to Cleveland clinic more than 25 million STIs occur each year in the US and around the world the number is 374 million! With 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 according to Center of Disease Control and the age is even more shocking as the common occurring cases happen during the age of 15 to 24. Here are some common ones you should know about.

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

Almost everyone sexually active gets HPV. It's spread through sex or skin contact. Most types are harmless and go away, but some cause warts or cancer. A vaccine (Gardasil-9) protects against nine high-risk types. It's recommended for ages 11-26, and available for some up to 45. Pap smears detect HPV-related cervical changes. Some signs of it are genital warts, common, planter and flat warts that have a distinctive look to them and can be painful.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common bacterial STI spread through sex. Many have no symptoms, but some experience discharge or painful urination. It's treated with antibiotics, and retesting is important. Some signs of it are white, yellow or gray discharge, bleeding apart from your periods, increased need to pee and burning sensation when you do etc.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is another bacterial STI with similar symptoms to chlamydia: discharge and painful urination. Most men have symptoms, but most women don't. It's easily treated with antibiotics. Some signs of it are painful urination, pus-like discharge from penis, swelling in one testicle for men and for women, it could be increased vaginal discharge, painful urination abdominal or pelvic pain.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a staged infection. It starts with a sore, then a rash, and can later cause serious organ and nerve damage if untreated. It's treated with antibiotics, and early treatment is key. Signs include hair loss, muscle ache, fever, sore throat, weight loss, etc.

Herpes

Herpes is spread through skin contact and causes painful blisters, though some have no symptoms. It's very contagious, even without visible blisters. There's no cure, but medication manages outbreaks. Signs of it are sores and irritation in some areas that the infected organ had touched, whether buttocks, thighs and

Trichomoniasis ("Trich")

Trich is caused by a parasite and is more common in women. Many have no symptoms, but some experience itching, burning, or unusual discharge. It's treated with antibiotics, and retesting is important. Signs include a lot vaginal discharge, often foul-smelling, genital redness, pain with urination and discomfort over stomach area.

HIV/AIDS

HIV attacks the immune system and is spread through specific body fluids, usually during unprotected sex or sharing needles. Early symptoms can be flu-like. Testing is essential for diagnosis. While there's no cure, medication helps people with HIV live long lives. Signs include fever and muscle pain, headache, sore throat, night sweats, mouth sores etc.

“Health is Wealth” is something we all teach our kids so that they learn to put themselves first, however many times they fail to learn it as we ourselves do not follow it.

While we are constantly urged to take care of our health above anything else, it is a message not many of us take seriously. Many people in the UK are putting their health on the back burner, claiming they're simply too busy.

A recent study reveals that one in five Brits are neglecting their own well-being, often skipping important appointments like eye exams, dental visits, and doctor's check-ups. In fact, three-quarters of people have either missed or postponed a health appointment because their schedules were too packed.

Why Are We So Busy?

The main culprits for these missed appointments seem to be work demands and childcare responsibilities. On top of that, the sheer stress of arranging the appointments themselves is another big reason adults avoid necessary blood tests or eye exams. This research, commissioned by Specsavers for Glaucoma Awareness Week, aims to shed light on glaucoma, often called the "silent thief of sight."

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases that can lead to vision loss and even blindness. It does this by harming your optic nerve, which is like a cable at the back of your eye that sends images to your brain.

The tricky part about glaucoma is that its symptoms often begin so slowly you might not even notice them. This is why it's often called the "silent thief of sight." The only way to truly find out if you have it is by getting a thorough eye exam where your pupils are dilated.

While there's no cure for glaucoma, catching it early and starting treatment can often stop the damage and help protect your vision from getting worse.

Don't Wait for Symptoms

A spokesperson highlighted that it's easy to push check-ups aside when you feel fine and life is hectic. However, conditions like glaucoma can develop slowly without any noticeable symptoms. By the time you notice an issue, "irreversible damage" might have already occurred. That's why it's crucial not to wait for symptoms to appear; regular check-ups can help protect your long-term health.

Initially, glaucoma usually has no noticeable symptoms. This is a big reason why about half of the people who have it don't even know it.

Over time, you might slowly start to lose your vision. This often begins with your side (peripheral) vision, especially the part closest to your nose. Because this happens so gradually, many people don't realize their vision is changing at first. As the disease worsens without treatment, you may begin to notice significant blind spots and, eventually, it can lead to complete blindness.

Simple Tasks Often Overlooked

The study also found that busy adults often neglect other simple health tasks due to lack of time. These include getting a full night's sleep or drinking enough water. A significant number of people (one-fifth) admitted they've been so focused on work that they haven't taken proper screen breaks or even moved from their seats for long periods.

Among those who don't prioritize their own health, 28% put their children's needs first, while 19% prioritize housework. Sadly, over a third confessed that only a health scare or a clear symptom would finally push them to book a delayed check-up. Many understand the need for appointments but find them easy to forget.

Making Health a Priority

Many Brits believe that easier booking systems (four in ten) or simply more time in their day (a third) would help them focus more on their health. Specsavers emphasized that even though schedules are busy, ignoring eye care isn't an option. A quick eye check every couple of years can protect you from serious long-term problems. Your vision is incredibly valuable and deserves your attention.

Sleep is one of the most important pillars of health. How much you sleep, what times as well as how well you sleep are things that heavily affect your body and lifestyle. Many people think sleep is something they can always recover from. Stayed up too late but still going to work early in the morning? Or you slept on time but woke up due to some issue, making you unable to sleep the rest of the night. These are issues we have all faced, and we figure that we’ll sleep when our day ends.

However, this is not an issue to be taken lightly, as researchers found that lack of sleep can essentially shorten your lifespan.

A 2025 study published in Springer Nature Link have found a clear link between how long you sleep and your risk of dying. They say there's a "golden window" of two hours that most people should aim for to stay healthy and avoid bad consequences. To figure this out, scientists looked at almost 80 past studies, which included information from over two million people, giving them a lot of data to understand sleep patterns better.

Dangers of Too Much (or Too Little) Sleep

The research shows risks for both sleeping too little and sleeping too much. If you regularly sleep for more than nine hours each night, you could face a 34% higher risk of death. On the other hand, those who sleep for less than seven hours faced a 14% increased risk of dying. This ideal sleep range matches what health groups like the NHS suggest for most healthy adults, though it's noted that everyone's needs can be a bit different based on things like age.

Why Long Sleep Might Be a Warning Sign

The study's authors, from a university in Hungary, think that sleeping too much might actually be a sign of hidden health problems. For example, if someone has a heart issue that hasn't been found yet, it could make them feel extra tired, causing them to sleep more. This means the higher risk isn't just from the sleep itself, but possibly from an underlying sickness. Interestingly, women who slept over nine hours had an even higher risk – 41% greater – compared to women who got a normal amount of sleep.

Perfect Amount: 7 to 8 Hours

After looking at all that information from millions of people, the research strongly points to sleeping between seven and eight hours as the best amount for staying healthy. This time seems to be just right for your body and mind to rest and work well. However, the researchers did notice that different studies on long sleep times sometimes showed slightly different results. This means we might need more research to fully understand all the ways sleeping too much can affect our health and specific causes of death.

Why Good Sleep Matters for Everything

A good night's sleep is absolutely essential and does much more than just make you feel rested. It helps your mental health, gives you enough physical energy for your day, and keeps your brain sharp so you can think and focus clearly. Health experts also warn that ongoing sleep problems can negatively affect your relationships, social life, and even simple daily tasks. These continuous issues can make you feel constantly tired, lead to eating more, and make you less productive at work or school.

Can You Recover Lost Sleep?

Recovering lost sleep is not as simple as you may think it is. The more hours you lose, the more you accumulate sleep debt. Sleep debt, according to the Sleep Foundation, is the difference between the amount of sleep you need and how much you are actually getting.

While short naps (10-20 minutes) can refresh you, and sleeping in on weekends might feel good, they often aren't enough for true recovery. Research shows it can take four days to bounce back from just one hour of lost sleep, and even longer to fully erase "sleep debt" and restore your body's normal function. Your brain needs more than a weekend to recover fully from ongoing sleep restriction.

Celebrities go through extreme amounts of scrutiny, constantly living under pressure and having to stomach all their personal feelings in order to continue their work. Olivia Munn is no stranger to this feeling. The American actress recently opened up about struggling with an uncommon condition that was triggered due to a paparazzi shot.

She revealed she lives with trichotillomania, a lesser-known mental health condition. This news comes after her public battle with breast cancer, highlighting her continued openness about her health journey.

“I did the horrible thing, which was to read the comments... And they were like ‘I think she set this up!’” In a recent episode of ‘Armchair expert’ podcast, Munn shared that her trichotillomania began after an incident with paparazzi between 2009 and 2010 when she was dating Chris Pine. The insensitive comments turned out to be a trigger for her, and she explained it was the beginning of her condition.

What is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania, also called trich or TTM, is a condition where people have strong, repeated, and uncontrollable urges to pull out their hair. This hair can come from their scalp, eyebrows, or other body parts. Munn explained that the urge to pull can be quite intense and it is a sensation that feels like “oh this eyelash feels like its going to come out, even though it is not”. Once you pull it, she details, there is a small second of pain, then satisfaction followed up with immediate regret.

The National Health Services UK explains that people with trichotillomania often feel a certain sensation. They feel a lot of tension building up until they pull, and once they do, they often feel a sense of relief. Sometimes, hair pulling happens when someone is stressed, but it can also happen without them even thinking about it. While most people pull hair from their head, some also pull from their:

• Eyebrows
• Eyelashes
• Genital area
• Beard or mustache

Bald patches may appear unusually shaped and affect one side of the head more than the other. Trich can lead to feelings of shame and low self-esteem, often causing individuals to try and conceal their condition.

What Causes Trichotillomania?

The exact causes of trichotillomania are not entirely clear, but potential factors include:

Coping mechanism

For some, pulling hair might be a way to deal with strong emotions like stress or anxiety. It could be a kind of self-soothing behavior.

Chemical imbalance

There might be differences in the brain's chemicals that affect how a person controls urges or handles rewards, making it harder to stop pulling hair.

Hormonal changes

Changes in hormone levels, especially during puberty when the condition often starts, could also be a factor.

Genetics

If someone in your family has trichotillomania, you might be more likely to develop it too, suggesting that genes could play a part.

Can Trichotillomania Be Treated?

The main way to treat trichotillomania is through a therapy called habit reversal training, which is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy focuses on helping you replace the urge to pull your hair with something harmless. It typically involves keeping a diary to track when and where you pull your hair, which helps you identify and understand your triggers – the specific situations or feelings that make you want to pull.

Once you know your triggers, you can work on replacing the hair-pulling action with a different, less harmful behavior, like squeezing a stress ball or making a fist. Support from loved ones is also a key part of this process, providing encouragement as you work to change the habit. Other self help tips according to NHS are,

• Squeeze a stress ball or similar object.
• Form a fist and tighten arm muscles.
• Use a fidget toy.
• Wear a bandana or a tight-fitting hat like a beanie.
• Take a soothing bath to reduce stress or anxiety.
• Practice deep breathing until the urge subsides.
• Exercise regularly.
• Apply plasters to fingertips.
• Cut hair short.