Xprezz Mycelf, Inc., a non-profit organization, was created to educate the public on sexually transmitted infections and to help eradicate the spread of the infections via presentations, condom distribution, and providing resources for testing and treatment. We understand that STIs are on the rise across all states, which could have been
Xprezz Mycelf, Inc., a non-profit organization, was created to educate the public on sexually transmitted infections and to help eradicate the spread of the infections via presentations, condom distribution, and providing resources for testing and treatment. We understand that STIs are on the rise across all states, which could have been prevented if preventive measures and regular testing were practiced. We strive to create a learning environment that is inclusive, collaborative, and supportive. In addition to promoting sex education, Xprezz Mycelf saw a need for innovative programs in a growing area. We recognize that every individual has unique talents and strengths, and we aim to help our community discover and develop their full potential by volunteering their time and skills to teach. We hope to soon open programs in STEM, gardening, carpentry and sewing. Each One Teach One is our motto. We believe our programs will enhance self-care, self- enrichment and possible financial gain. Xprezz Mycelf feels that each generation can colloborate and create new inventions and businesses within the community.
Xprezz Mycelf currently offers STI education,condom distribution and resources for testing and treatment. Presentation will be conducted in churches, schools, barber shops, tattoo shops, community-based organizations, store lots and homes. In the future we will offer a wide range of programs that cater to the diverse needs and interests o
Xprezz Mycelf currently offers STI education,condom distribution and resources for testing and treatment. Presentation will be conducted in churches, schools, barber shops, tattoo shops, community-based organizations, store lots and homes. In the future we will offer a wide range of programs that cater to the diverse needs and interests of our community. Our programs are designed to equip the community with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their chosen field. We also offer personalized coaching and mentoring services to help achieve desired goals. Programs that will be provided when funding is achieved will consist of STEM activities for intellectual growth and efficiency, programs to learn to play a musical instrument, programs for skilled labor, housing programs for women of domestic violence and children 18 years of age leaving the foster care system. The vision is to eventually own a center that will provide all services in one place that are free to low-cost for the community.
Xprezz Mycelf, Inc. will use volunteers and students who are experts in their subject matter to teach the community. The goal is to offer innovative programs to a growing area using our greatest resource, our community. If you have the time/expertise and want to teach a skill, please reach out. If you have musical instruments, sewing mac
Xprezz Mycelf, Inc. will use volunteers and students who are experts in their subject matter to teach the community. The goal is to offer innovative programs to a growing area using our greatest resource, our community. If you have the time/expertise and want to teach a skill, please reach out. If you have musical instruments, sewing machines, or computers that you are no longer using, please donate. If you have the time and want to teach STEM activities, gardening, sewing and skilled labor to the youth, please email me at sws@xprezzmycelf.com
Awareness and condom usage are the keys to staying negative when it comes to reproductive health. Know your status before involvement and ask the important questions. Sexually transmitted infections are preventable. Sexually transmitted infections are caused by bacteria or viruses. Infections caused by bacteria such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia can be cured. Infections caused by a virus such as herpes, HIV can be treated. These infections are preventable through condom usage and regular testing. It is important when testing to view your partner's test result. If you test positive for an infection, please notify your partner to ensure treatment is rendered simultaneously to prevent re-exposure. Most health departments will offer free to low-cost testing and treatment. Preventive measures consist of male/female condoms and dental dams. The information listed below about each infection is from cdc.gov.
Chlamydia is a common STI that can cause infection among men and women. It can cause permanent damage to a woman's reproductive system. This can make it difficult or impossible to get pregnant later. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).
Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but it can cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may not appear until several weeks after having sex with a partner who has chlamydia.
Even when chlamydia has no symptoms, it can damage a woman's reproductive system. Women with symptoms may notice:
Men with symptoms may notice:
Men and women can also get chlamydia in their rectum. This happens either by having receptive anal sex, or by spread from another infected site (such as the vagina). While these infections often cause no symptoms, they can cause:
See your healthcare provider if you notice any of these symptoms. You should also see a provider if your partner has an STI or symptoms of one. Symptoms can include an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when peeing, and bleeding between periods.
Sexually active people can get chlamydia through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with a partner who has chlamydia.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for chlamydia or other STIs.
You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with someone who has the infection. A pregnant woman with chlamydia can give the infection to her baby during childbirth.
The only way to completely avoid STIs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, the following things can lower your chances of getting chlamydia:
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause serious health problems for your baby. If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about getting the correct examination, testing, and treatment. Treating chlamydia as soon as possible will make health problems for your baby less likely.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for chlamydia or other STIs.
If you are a sexually active gay or bisexual man, you should get tested for chlamydia every year. If you are a sexually active woman, you should get tested for chlamydia every year if you are:
Testing is also recommended during pregnancy in some cases.
Laboratory tests can diagnose chlamydia. Your healthcare provider may ask you to provide a urine sample for testing, or they might use (or ask you to use) a cotton swab to get a vaginal sample.
Yes, the right treatment can cure chlamydia. It is important that you take all of the medicine your healthcare provider gives you to cure your infection. Do not share medicine for chlamydia with anyone. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having problems later. Although medicine will stop the infection, it will not undo any permanent damage caused by the disease.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should receive testing again about three months after your treatment, even if your sex partner(s) receives treatment.
You should not have sex again until you and your sex partner(s) complete treatment. If given a single dose of medicine, you should wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex. If given medicine to take for seven days, wait until you finish all the doses before having sex.
If you've had chlamydia and took medicine in the past, you can still get it again. This can happen if you have sex without a condom with a person who has chlamydia.
The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.
In women, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Some of the complications of PID are:
Men rarely have health problems from chlamydia. The infection can cause a fever and pain in the tubes attached to the testicles. This can, in rare cases, lead to infertility.
Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV.
Gonorrhea is an STI that can cause infection in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is very common, especially among young people ages 15-24 years.
Most women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Symptoms in women can include:
Men who do have symptoms may have:
Rectal infections may either cause no symptoms or cause symptoms in both men and women that may include:
See your healthcare provider if you notice any of these symptoms. You should also see a provider if your partner has an STI or symptoms of one. Symptoms can include an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when peeing, or bleeding between periods.
Sexually active people can get gonorrhea through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with a partner who has gonorrhea.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for gonorrhea or other STIs.
You can get gonorrhea by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with someone who has the infection. A pregnant woman with gonorrhea can give the infection to her baby during childbirth.
The only way to completely avoid STIs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, the following things can lower your chances of getting gonorrhea:
If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause serious health problems for your baby. If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about getting the correct examination, testing, and treatment. Treating gonorrhea as soon as possible will make health problems for your baby less likely.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for gonorrhea or other STIs.
If you are a sexually active gay or bisexual man, you should get tested for gonorrhea every year. If you are a sexually active woman, you should get tested for gonorrhea every year if you are:
Testing is also recommended during pregnancy in some cases.
Most of the time, a healthcare provider will use a a urine sample to diagnose gonorrhea. However, if you have had oral and/or anal sex, your healthcare provider may use swabs to collect samples from your throat and/or rectum. In some cases, a healthcare provider may also use a swab to collect a sample from a man's urethra (urine canal) or a woman's cervix (opening to the womb).
Yes, the right treatment can cure gonorrhea. It is important that you take all of the medicine your healthcare provider gives you to cure your infection. Do not share medicine for gonorrhea with anyone. Although medicine will stop the infection, it will not undo any permanent damage caused by the disease.
It is becoming harder to treat some gonorrhea, as drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing. Return to a healthcare provider if your symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment.
Wait seven days after finishing all medicine before having sex. You and your sex partner(s) should avoid having sex until you have each completed treatment and your symptoms are gone. This will help prevent you and your partner(s) from giving or getting gonorrhea again. Those with gonorrhea should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, even if their partners received successful treatment.
If you've had gonorrhea and took medicine in the past, you can still get it again. This happens if you have sex without a condom with a person who has gonorrhea.
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems.
In women, untreated gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Some of the complications of PID are:
In men, gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles, which can, in rare cases, lead to infertility.
Rarely, untreated gonorrhea can also spread to your blood or joints. This condition can be life-threatening.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious health problems without treatment. Infection develops in stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). Each stage can have different signs and symptoms.
Babies can also get syphilis. Congenital syphilis is the disease that happens when women pass syphilis to their babies during pregnancy.
There are four stages of syphilis (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). Each stage has different signs and symptoms.
During the first (primary) stage of syphilis, you may notice a single sore or multiple sores. The sore is the location where syphilis entered your body. These sores usually occur in, on, or around the
Sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, you may not notice it. The sore usually lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether you receive treatment. Even after the sore goes away, you must still receive treatment. This will stop your infection from moving to the secondary stage.
During the secondary stage, you may have skin rashes and/or sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of your body. The rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash can be on the palms of your hands and/or the bottoms of your feet and look
The rash usually won't itch, and it is sometimes so faint that you won't notice it. Other symptoms may include
The symptoms from this stage will go away whether you receive treatment. Without the right treatment, your infection will move to the latent and possibly tertiary stages of syphilis.
The latent stage of syphilis is a period when there are no visible signs or symptoms. Without treatment, you can continue to have syphilis in your body for years.
Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen, it can affect many different organ systems. These include the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 10–30 years after your infection began. In tertiary syphilis, the disease damages your internal organs and can result in death. A healthcare provider can usually diagnose tertiary syphilis with the help of multiple tests.
Without treatment, syphilis can spread to the brain and nervous system (neurosyphilis), the eye (ocular syphilis), or the ear (otosyphilis). This can happen during any of the stages described above.
Signs and symptoms of neurosyphilis can include
Signs and symptoms of ocular syphilis can include
Signs and symptoms of otosyphilis may include
Sexually active people can get syphilis through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with a partner who has syphilis.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for syphilis or other STIs.
Syphilis may be more common in some racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups. For instance, gay and bisexual men are disproportionately impacted by syphilis. In addition, people from racial and ethnic minority groups are experiencing the brunt of the congenital syphilis epidemic. These disparities are due to social, cultural, and economic conditions that make it difficult for sexually active people to stay healthy.
Having a sore or break in the skin from an STI such as syphilis may allow HIV to more easily enter your body. You may also be more likely to get HIV because the same behaviors and circumstances that put you at risk for getting other STIs can also put you at greater risk for getting HIV.
You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Women can also pass syphilis to their baby during pregnancy.
You cannot get syphilis through casual contact with objects, such as
The only way to completely avoid STIs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting syphilis:
Condoms prevent the spread of syphilis by preventing contact with a sore. Sometimes sores occur in areas not covered by a condom. Contact with these sores can still transmit syphilis.
If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you can give the infection to your baby. Having syphilis can lead to a low-birth-weight-baby. It can make it more likely you will deliver your baby too early or stillborn (a baby born dead). To protect your baby, you should receive syphilis testing at least once during your pregnancy. Receive treatment right away if you test positive.
At birth, a baby with a syphilis infection may not have signs or symptoms of disease. However, if the baby does not receive treatment right away, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. These babies can have health problems, such as cataracts, deafness, or seizures, and can die.
You should get tested regularly for syphilis if you are sexually active and
All pregnant women should receive syphilis testing at their first prenatal visit. Some pregnant women need to receive syphilis testing again during the third trimester at 28 weeks and at delivery.
Most of the time, healthcare providers will use a blood test to test for syphilis. Some will diagnose syphilis by testing fluid from a syphilis sore.
Yes, syphilis is curable with the right antibiotics from your healthcare provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage the infection can cause.
Having syphilis once does not protect you from getting it again. Even after successful treatment, you can get syphilis again. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether you have syphilis. Follow-up testing by your healthcare provider is necessary to make sure your treatment was successful.
It may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. Syphilis sores in the vagina, anus, mouth, or under the foreskin of the penis, can be hard to see. You may get syphilis again if your sex partner(s) does not receive testing and treatment.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But proper medical care can control the virus.
People with HIV who get on and stay on effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.
Most people have flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Symptoms may last for a few days or several weeks.
Having these symptoms alone doesn't mean you have HIV. Other illnesses can cause similar symptoms.
Some people have no symptoms at all. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.
Most people who get HIV get it through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment.
Only certain body fluids can transmit HIV. These fluids include:
These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe) for transmission to occur.
Factors like a person's viral load, other sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol or drug use can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV.
But there are powerful tools that can help prevent HIV transmission.
Today, more tools than ever are available to prevent HIV.
Prevention strategies include:
If you have HIV, there are many ways to prevent transmitting HIV to others, including taking HIV treatment to get and keep an undetectable viral load.
The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested. Knowing your status gives you powerful information to keep you and your partner(s) healthy.
There are many options for quick, free, and painless HIV testing. If your test result is positive, you can take medicine to treat HIV to help you live a long, healthy life and protect others. If your test result is negative, you can take actions to prevent HIV.
Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once. People with certain risk factors should get tested more often.
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HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or ART) involves taking medicine as prescribed by a health care provider. You should start HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis.
HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load). HIV treatment can make the viral load so low that a test can't detect it (undetectable viral load). If you have an undetectable viral load, you will not transmit HIV to others through sex. Having an undetectable viral load also reduces the risk of HIV transmission through sharing drug injection equipment, and during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
When people with HIV don't get treatment, they typically progress through three stages. But HIV treatment can slow or prevent progression of the disease. With advances in HIV treatment, progression to Stage 3 (AIDS) is less common today.
Genital herpes is an STI caused by two types of viruses – herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).
HSV-1 often causes oral herpes, which can result in cold sores or fever blisters on or around the mouth. However, most people with oral herpes do not have any symptoms. Most people with oral herpes get it during childhood or young adulthood from non-sexual contact with saliva.
Genital herpes is common in the United States (U.S.). In 2018, CDC estimates show there were 572,000 new genital herpes infections in the U.S. among people aged 14 to 49.1
Most people with genital herpes have no symptoms or have very mild symptoms. Mild symptoms may go unnoticed or be mistaken for other skin conditions like a pimple or ingrown hair. Because of this, most people do not know they have a herpes infection.
Herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth. This is known as having an "outbreak". The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take a week or more to heal. Flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, body aches, or swollen glands) also may occur during the first outbreak.
People who experience an initial outbreak of herpes can have repeated outbreaks, especially if they have HSV-2. However, repeat outbreaks are usually shorter and less severe than the first outbreak. Although genital herpes is a lifelong infection, the number of outbreaks may decrease over time.
See your healthcare provider if you notice any of these symptoms. You should also see a provider if your partner has an STI or symptoms of one. Symptoms can include an unusual sore, a smelly genital discharge, burning when peeing, or bleeding between periods.
Herpes infection can cause sores or breaks in the skin or lining of the mouth, vagina, and rectum. This provides a way for HIV to enter the body. Even without visible sores, herpes increases the number of immune cells in the lining of the genitals. HIV targets immune cells for entry into the body. Having both HIV and genital herpes increases the chance of spreading HIV to a HIV-negative partner during oral, vagina, or anal sex.
You can get genital herpes by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the infection. You can get herpes if you have contact with:
You also can get genital herpes from a sex partner who does not have a visible sore or is unaware of their infection. It is also possible to get genital herpes if you receive oral sex from a partner with oral herpes.
You will not get herpes from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools. You also will not get it from touching objects, such as silverware, soap, or towels.
If you have more questions about herpes, consider discussing your concerns with a healthcare provider.
Yes. Oral herpes caused by HSV-1 can spread from the mouth to the genitals through oral sex. This is why some cases of genital herpes are due to HSV-1.
The only way to completely avoid STIs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting genital herpes:
Be aware that not all herpes sores occur in areas that a condom can cover. Also, the skin can release the virus (shed) from areas that do not have a visible herpes sore. For these reasons, condoms may not fully protect you from getting herpes.
If your sex partner(s) has/have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting it if:
If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, prenatal care visits are very important. Some research suggest that a genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage or make it more likely to deliver your baby too early. You can pass herpes to your unborn child before birth, but it more commonly passes during delivery. This can lead to a deadly infection in your baby (called neonatal herpes). It is important that you avoid getting genital herpes during pregnancy. Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had a genital herpes diagnosis or symptoms. Also tell them about any possible exposure to genital herpes.
If you have genital herpes, you may need to take anti-herpes medicine towards the end of your pregnancy. This medicine may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes when you deliver. At the time of delivery, your healthcare provider should carefully examine you for herpes sores. If you have signs or symptoms of genital herpes at delivery, a 'C-section' is likely to occur.
Your healthcare provider may diagnose genital herpes by simply looking at any sores that are present. Providers can also take a sample from the sore(s) and test it. If sores are not present, a blood test may be used to look for HSV antibodies.
Have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider about herpes testing and other STDs.
Please note: A herpes blood test can help determine if you have herpes infection. It cannot tell you who gave you the infection or when you got the infection.
There is no cure for genital herpes. However, there are medicines that can prevent or shorten outbreaks. A daily anti-herpes medicine can make it less likely to pass the infection on to your sex partner(s).
If you have herpes, you should talk to your sex partner(s) about their risk. Using condoms may help lower this risk but it will not get rid of the risk completely. Having sores or other symptoms of herpes can increase your risk of spreading the disease. Even if you do not have any symptoms, you can still infect your sex partners.
You may have concerns about how genital herpes will impact your health, sex life, and relationships. While herpes is not curable, it is important to know that it is manageable with medicine. Daily suppressive therapy (i.e., daily use of antiviral medication) can lower your risk of spreading the virus to others. Talk to a healthcare provider about your concerns and treatment options.
A genital herpes diagnosis may affect how you will feel about current or future sexual relationships. Knowing how to talk to sexual partners about STIs is important.
Genital herpes can cause painful genital sores and can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems.
If you touch your sores or fluids from the sores, you may transfer herpes to another body part like your eyes. Do not touch the sores or fluids to avoid spreading herpes to another part of your body. If you do touch the sores or fluids, quickly wash your hands thoroughly to help avoid spreading the infection.
If you are pregnant, there can be problems for you and your unborn fetus, or newborn baby.
If you have the time and want to volunteer your knowledge/skills/crafts, please do so. You will be surprised by the life you will change and the products/programs that will be created. If you have musical instruments/sewing machines, computers, gardening supplies, condoms and you want to donate, please consider Xprezz Mycelf. Contact information: email at sws@xprezzmycelf.com or sws@outlook.com
I want to thank everyone who visits Xprezz Mycelf website. I hope you were educated and I hope you stay safe and use condoms or a preventive measure when doubt. I want to thank the volunteers and donations in advance. I also want to thank the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the information obtained from the site, cdc.gov. T
I want to thank everyone who visits Xprezz Mycelf website. I hope you were educated and I hope you stay safe and use condoms or a preventive measure when doubt. I want to thank the volunteers and donations in advance. I also want to thank the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the information obtained from the site, cdc.gov. To all infectious disease specialists, disease investigators, epidemiologists, researchers, nurses and doctors------Thank you!!!!!!