Reflections on HIV Testing and Alcohol Consumption: Boundaries and Harms

Undergo a medical examination

If you are concerned that you may have contracted HIV, you can get tested by a doctor six months after engaging in promiscuous sexual activity (antibodies don't appear in the blood until six months after the initial infection). This HIV antibody test can be done at many health facilities, hospitals, and private clinics; while some places offer free testing, the average cost is only $40.

Additionally, if you are seeking information about local medical checkups, treatment, or assistance groups, you can call the National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342.

liquor

A Guide to Thinking About Drinking

You know that the day your father raises a glass to you with a cool beer is the day he finally acknowledges that you've grown up; and your resounding victory in the drinking contest at the college freshman party will lead you to make many friends in the future; as for the start of your career, it will depend even more on the toasts you exchange with your boss during your first lunch together-ideally, you'll down three martinis in one go.

From celebrating birth to mourning death, drinking has become an essential part of etiquette and social interaction for almost every man throughout his life. However, probably no man wants to go from casual drinking to becoming an alcoholic and ruining his life.

If you think alcoholism is something you can't get on your own, think again. Alcoholism is often an unintentional "disease"-and it develops over a long period-and no one can avoid the enormous harm it causes, as Suncity drug addiction expert Donald Dams explains.

Dr. Peter I. Nahan, former director of the Alcohol Research Center at Rotorge University in New Jersey and current provost of the University of Iowa, points out: "Homeless people in impoverished urban areas are a typical group prone to alcoholism."

However, alcoholism is not limited to a certain type of man. An alcoholic could be your boss, a pastor, your child's Boy Scout leader, or even yourself.

If you are one of the 12 million Americans with serious drinking problems, you should know that the harm of alcoholism goes far beyond vomiting on the toilet. It can cause a wide range of diseases, such as cirrhosis, insomnia, impotence, cancer, high blood pressure, pneumonia, diabetes, gout, heart disease, stroke, brain damage, ulcers, malnutrition, and premature aging of the skin and bones. In addition, alcoholism can lead to depression, nervousness, broken friendships, marital breakdowns, and career failure. Moreover, alcoholism is linked to nearly half of all deaths, including traffic accidents, capsizing, and drownings. One in five deaths caused by illness, accidents, or murder is caused by alcoholism.

Latest Information

• Prevalence: Approximately 12 million Americans have alcohol problems.

• Risk factors: Genetics, sex, religion, ego, or simply stress can all be contributing factors to alcoholism.

• Affected age groups: All ages. The highest frequency of drinking and the greatest risk of alcoholism were found in men aged 35–55, followed by men aged 18–24.

• Gender differences: Traditional statistics suggest that men are twice as likely as women to have alcohol problems. However, some experts believe that women are better able to conceal their drinking problems, so the number of men and women with alcohol problems may be similar or the same.

• Target groups for help: family doctors, registered self-help groups, counseling experts, and psychologists.

Draw a line

At any given time, approximately 10% of American men over the age of 18 have difficulty effectively controlling their alcohol consumption. This number increases when men who are recovering or have stopped drinking are included. Research indicates that about 23% of men have been or will become excessively dependent on alcohol at some point in their lives. This problem typically arises early in a man's drinking journey, such as during college. As a result, they tend to reduce or even stop drinking significantly as they mature. However, this is not the case for some men. In fact, according to the American Medical Association, the most active alcoholics are mostly between the ages of 35 and 55.

Of course, some men have a high alcohol tolerance-they can drink three or more spirits a day but never become dependent on alcohol. In fact, the amount of alcohol consumed each time and the frequency of drinking are not the best ways to define alcoholism. For example, a man who doesn't drink at all during the week but always gets drunk on Saturday nights may have a more serious alcohol problem than a man who drinks a little throughout the year.

Dr. Dams points out that the real line between casual drinking and mandatory drinking is this: if a man knows that drinking is destroying important things in his life-his health, career, relationships, and legal identity-but still continues to drink regardless, then he is an alcoholic and should seek help.

Why do some people become alcoholics while others do not? There remains no fundamental explanation. Some experts suspect a genetic component, as men with a family history of alcoholism are more likely to become alcoholics themselves. However, it's worth noting that men from all backgrounds can eventually develop alcoholism. Dr. Dams points out, "Alcoholism can be related to other factors, such as sheer stress, ego, or unique religious beliefs, all of which can play a significant role in its development."

Fun Facts

Pay attention to the harm of alcohol to the human body

Even if you assure yourself that excessive drinking won't affect your family or career, it can still damage your body. "Alcohol has negative physiological effects on every part of the body," notes Marcos Schneider, associate professor of psychology and human behavior at the University of California, S.A. School of Medicine.

Are you ready for some shocking results? Here are some examples of how excessive drinking can damage your health.

Blood alcohol can inhibit the production of platelets and red and white blood cells, so people who drink excessively are more prone to anemia, bleeding, and infection.

Excessive alcohol consumption slows blood circulation and oxygen delivery to brain cells, leading to brain damage. Furthermore, alcohol disrupts communication between brain nerve cells, causing them to crave more alcohol. Therefore, excessive drinking impairs memory and increases the risk of stroke.

While some evidence suggests that drinking one to two alcoholic beverages a day may reduce the risk of heart disease, drinking more than two can increase cholesterol and raise blood pressure, causing excessive expansion of the heart muscle, a condition that can lead to illness and death.

Alcohol abuse can alter the structure of cells in the small intestine, preventing them from properly absorbing nutrients and trace elements. This is one of the reasons why people who drink excessively suffer from malnutrition.

The liver is one of the most damaging organs in the human body due to alcohol abuse, as it is responsible for detoxifying approximately 95% of alcohol. Excessive drinking can lead to hepatitis or cirrhosis, reducing the liver's ability to kill dead red blood cells and produce bile and other essential chemicals. Both can be fatal if left untreated.

People who drink excessively are 10 times more likely to develop diabetes than those who never drink, because alcohol can gradually damage the pancreas, preventing it from producing insulin.

Excessive alcohol consumption will make you look older because alcohol reduces the elasticity of your skin, causing it to age rapidly. Furthermore, drinking alcohol makes you more susceptible to frostbite and burns.

Stomach alcohol reduces the production of mucin, a chemical that protects the stomach lining. Without sufficient mucin, the strong acid will cause inflammation of the stomach, leading to ulcers.

Dr. Dams points out: "It is very clear that the physiological damage caused by excessive drinking can potentially have a huge destructive effect on the human body."