Junior and seniors in the Ector County Independent School District learned the raw facts and information on Thursday about sexually transmitted diseases and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services, in coordination with the Ector County Health Department, informed students about STD/HIV during an hour-long presentation at both Permian and Odessa high schools. Students learned through the slideshow and discussion about the symptoms associated with some of the diseases, how they could get an STD and what to do if they ever become infected. There was also a panel of three doctors to provide students with medically accurate answers to any questions they might have had at the end.

Gino Solla, director of the Ector County Health Department, said the information the students received in the presentation is what they need to know, but an issue that has not been fully addressed in the past.

“It’s one of the health disparities that’s not being addressed,” Solla said. “It’s time to put the information forward.”

Solla said it’s the first time the health department has given a presentation to the students. In 2008, Solla said he served on the district’s School Health Advisory Committee and at that time, the district was teaching students an abstinence-only program. Solla said once the district moved toward abstinence plus, he thought it was a good time to offer a presentation through the department.

“I thought it was a good time to augment the program,” Solla said. “We’d like to do it on a yearly basis if the district allows it.”

But before the students could get any information at all, they had to turn in forms signed by their parents allowing them to participate.

Solla said the forms were necessary because the presentation included a lot of graphic images. He said at previous SHAC meeting, members had expressed an interest for showing and informing students exactly what happens if they become infected as opposed to diagrams or just telling students.

“this is the full deal,” Solla said.

And students at the Permian High presentation did not hold back on their reactions as the images of infected genitalia appeared in the slideshow. Students laughed and made gagging sounds as presenters displayed the images.

Tate Owen, an 18-year-old senior, said she was speechless after the presentation. she said some of the images were a little too graphic.

“The pictures – it’s to an extreme,” Owen said.

Owen said she didn’t really learn anything in the presentation that she didn’t already know from previous presentations, but thought it was a good excuse to be out of class.

However, Emilio Diaz, an 18-year-old senior, said he thought the information was good and that it taught him about the importance of always using protection. He said he thought the pictures were fine.

“it shows you what’s up and what really happens,” Diaz said.

Victoria Rodriguez, an 18-year-old senior, said she also thought the information was valuable. she said the presentation was useful and that it taught her to not plan on having sex for awhile.

“I hope a lot of people learn from it,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the pictures were “pretty scary,” but it was good to show everyone now before it’s too late.

Oscar Hernandez, program specialist III for the regional Texas Department of State Health Services, said the department has always wanted to give a presentation to students in ECISD. He said the presentation was meant to get the students’ attention and provide medically accurate information about STD/HIV.

“We’re always looking for opportunities like this,” Hernandez said.

The same presentation was given at Odessa High in the afternoon on Thursday to about 600 students, and Hernandez said the program went well.

The Atlantic, News Feature, Aylin Zafar, Posted: Feb 22, 2011

For years, increasingly sophisticated video games came with increasingly daunting controllers. Anyone who grew up with Pong or an NES could be forgiven for fearing today’s byzantine rigs. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the new, more intuitive interfaces of the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have opened up new markets for video games. What is surprising, however, is how psychologically beneficial these new activities are for a key new group: elders.the Wii has been popular for some time among older consumers, and last holiday’s hot item, the Kinect, is just reaching past its earliest adopters. while the Wiimote sent signals from a controller you held to a receiver near your TV, the Kinect detects your body and uses it as the game controller. Both fit under the general category of "motion gaming," which dispenses with the traditional buttons and joysticks of yore.Studies show that video games encouraging physical activity also help with depression, sense of place and relevance.There’s no denying the physical benefits of motion gaming: Studies have shown that even just a few sessions with the Wii have led to improved balance, coordination and strength, and could help prevent falls, a serious concern for many seniors. Wii Bowling has spawned entire leagues and tournaments, taking over nursing homes, retirement communities and community centers as one of the fastest-growing and most popular social activities.Beyond Fun and GamesBut the benefits may extend beyond just fun and games. Studies are also showing that these exergames–video games that encourage physical activity–are also proving to help with depression, sense of place and relevance. they may even help bridge generational divides between grandparents and younger adults or children by offering them an equal playing ground.In a poster presentation at the Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans late last year, Patricia Kahlbaugh, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Southern Connecticut State University, presented a study on the effects of playing Wii on loneliness and mood in the elderly.As some adults get older, they may no longer have the physical strength or agility to engage in their chosen pleasures of life. For some, the sense of loss can deepen into depression. By recreating the experience of previously enjoyed activities, such as tennis, bowling, and golf, Kahlbaugh says the Nintendo Wii may allow elderly individuals to engage in these previously enjoyed activities, allowing them to "regain the psychological benefits such activities once afforded them."To test the game’s impact on greater life satisfaction, loneliness, greater positive mood and increased physical activity, Kahlbaugh created a study of 36 individuals–average age 82.6 years–from residential facilities in Connecticut’s New Haven County. All were in general good health and held at least high school degrees. the participants were split into two groups– 16 were assigned to play the Wii for an hour per week with an undergraduate student, while 12 watched an hour of television per week with an undergraduate student, all over a span of 10 weeks. seven students were then assigned as additional controls.while the quantitative results didn’t yield differences between groups in life satisfaction or weekly physical activity, the Wii participants reported higher positive mood in comparison to the TV group. the Wii group also reported feelings of decreased loneliness and feeling more connected to others, which could be attributed to the social nature of the game and the subculture it created within the residential community of those participating in the Wii study.the feedback from the seniors themselves was more telling, Kahlbaugh says. Participants made comments about feeling "more a part of things" or feeling "more in" with the younger generation, creating a greater sense of self and purpose. "there was an older gentleman who came to play a session with his old bowling trophies," said Kahlbaugh. "For him, playing the Wii was a way to recapture the fun and sense of achievement he had had in the past." the study was so popular among participants, two of her students stayed on after the study to volunteer with the seniors, who wanted to continue their weekly bowling sessions.Exergames Cut Depression in HalfAnother study by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine supports the link between exergames and mental health in seniors. Focusing on seniors with subsyndromal depression (SSD), researchers conducted a study of 19 participants (ages 63-94), who played an exergame on the Wii for 35 minutes, three times a week. "more than one-third of participants reported a 50 percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms," said lead researcher Dilip V. Jeste, MD. "many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation."For Kahlbaugh, the study of interactive gaming’s impact on depression and mood was a personal one. "my motivation for this [study] stemmed from my dad who had his leg amputated due to diabetes several years ago," she said. Kahlbaugh grew up playing tennis with her father, who is now occupied as the sole caretaker of her mother who has Alzheimer’s.given a Nintendo Wii Sports package by his kids, he spent hours at a time playing the games. After one such night, Kahlbaugh asked him what he got out of the Wii experience. What her Dad said struck her: "the trick of getting older successfully is finding out how to stay relevant.""I’ve always had that quote in my mind and [it], in fact, is the reason I set out to do the study in the first place. I really wanted to find out if the Wii would have positive benefits to the elderly in terms of successful aging," Kahlbaugh said. it seems to have, so far.more than just a game or workout, motion gaming is a link between the evolving technological world and the pastimes seniors have long enjoyed–and, really, who wants to feel like they’re being left behind?Aylin Zafar wrote this article for theatlantic.com/technology as part of her MetLife Foundation Journalists on Aging Fellowship in partnership with New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America.Copyright © 2011 by the Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved.

idk i live in arizona n i like cookies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Rabies_S…

It may only take a few days. There are stages to rabies:

The Prodromal Phase

During this initial phase, which lasts just a few days, the disease produces very subtle changes that may be easy to miss, including:

* Loss of appetite
* Lethargy
* Intermittent fever
* Slight changes in behavior such as irritability or the desire to be left alone

The "mad Dog" Phase

This phase, which typically lasts less than a week, is the most frightening one because it is then that the classic horrible symptoms of the disease are most likely to occur, although it should be noted that not every animal stricken with rabies appears to pass through the mad dog phase. some humans and animals skip these rabies symptoms completely and move straight to phase three, the paralytic stage.

Rabies symptoms for the mad dog phase may include:

* Lack of coordination, irregular muscle movements, and/or seizures
* Aggressive behavior toward objects and other creatures
* Restlessness and roaming aimlessly from one location to the next without a discernible purpose
* Disorientation and lack of recognition for familiar people and places
* Lack of fear toward natural predators

The Paralytic Phase

In this final and fatal stage of the disease, affected humans and animals display the following symptoms.

* Foaming at the mouth. this symptom is caused by the growing paralysis of the throat and jaw muscles, which makes it very difficult to swallow saliva. consequently, most animals will also refuse food and water completely at this stage.
* Slack jawed appearance, which can also be attributed to progressing paralysis.
* full bodily paralysis that results in death.

just an IMPORTANT NOTE:!!! Rabies CAN and DOES lie dormant for possibly years, always transferable.