Many people are scared of contracting HIV through something as simple as a hug. HIV and AIDS are transmitted by blood. Knowing the ways you cannot get AIDS can help you more confidently and sympathetically provide care to a person who has the disease at home. A well-timed hug can go a long way to helping the person feel better. HIV/ AIDS is not spread:  By food or water By sharing food, dishes, or cooking utensils including cups, plates, forks and knives By touching another person, hugging, shaking hands, or holding people Get a grasp on the basics of the disease as well as any new research or information about care. Learning about AIDS can help you provide better care for the person who has the disease. Consult the websites and/ or publications from government and international organizations, AIDS support groups, and research centers. You can even sign up to receive newsletters from many of these places, which may help you stay informed on the latest and best care for the person with AIDS. In some cases, such as medical care or life support decisions, you may need to be legally named as the care coordinator. This may also be important if you are going to file insurance claims, apply for government aid, pay bills, or handle other business for the person with AIDS. Meet with a lawyer or an AIDS support organization to see what options are available to you and the person for whom you are caring.  Let the person for whom you are caring know about any concerns about providing sufficient care without legal acknowledgement. The person can decide how much or how little to involve you in important decisions. Tell him or her you will respect any wishes he or she has. Contact local lawyers or health advocates about what options are open to both of you. Attend any meetings with the person, or, if he or she can’t go, give them a selection of options from which to choose. Find AIDS support organizations in your local area using online search tools. Consult organizations, such as your local health and human services department. This can help the person with AIDS get whatever benefits to which he or she is entitled. If you are able and new to providing care, consider taking a course on home care for someone with AIDS. The class can help you learn the skills you need to provide care as well as how to effectively handle special situations.  Inquire with your local public health department, Red Cross/ Red Crescent chapter, a visiting nurses association, or an HIV/AIDS service organization about home care courses. Ask any questions you have about how to best care for the person during your course. You can never know too much or be prepared enough. Providing care for a person with AIDS can be physically and emotionally draining. You can't take care of someone else effectively if you are sick or upset. Taking good care of yourself through things like rest and exercise can help you keep going and give the best care possible to the person with AIDS.  Watch your own health. Eat a balanced diet, exercise as often as you can, and give yourself sufficient time to rest, which can help you relax. Consider joining a support group or talking to a counselor. Either of these can help you deal with your feelings about your role as caregiver. A support group or counselor can help bolster you and give you an outlet to tackle any hurdles you may encounter.

Summary: Know how you can and can’t get AIDS. Inform yourself about AIDS. Consult with a lawyer or AIDS support organization. Enroll in a home care course. Take care of yourself.


Henna paste is moist when applied. After application, you need to keep that body part away from any obstructions—clothing, hair, environmental factors—so that it doesn't smear the design. The paste usually dries within 5-10 minutes, but err on the side of caution. It will take approximately half an hour before the henna paste is dry enough that you don't have to worry about smudging it. The longer the paste stays on the skin, the darker the stain will be. Let the paste dry on your skin for at least 6 hours, and consider leaving it on overnight. Don't wash it off; don't rub it off; don't accidentally brush it against anything. Once the henna paste starts to dry, coat it with a mixture of sugar and lemon juice. Leave it to soak in for a few hours, or even overnight. This will keep the paste moist for longer, making the resulting stain even darker. Fill a small bowl with lemon juice, then mix with sugar until the solution is sticky and syrupy. Use a cotton ball to blot the sugar-lemon-juice onto the dry henna.  The lemon sugar helps moisturize the henna. It also serves to seal the henna and protect the design. The acidity of the lemon can also help highlight the color of the henna. Be careful not to oversaturate the henna; you just want it very slightly damp. If you use too much moisture, the dye may smear and drip – especially at first. If you leave the sugar-and-lemon-juice solution on your skin overnight, it's important to wrap or otherwise protect your skin from rubbing and smearing. The warmer the body temperature, the faster the henna will stain. If you are cold, try drinking something hot before you start. Gently steaming the paste-coated area also helps impart warmth and moisture. The henna paste will flake and crumble as it dries, so consider covering up the inked area to keep the crumbs from spilling everywhere. Wrapping also helps make the stain darker by conserving heat and moisture. You can wrap the area with an elastic bandage, paper medical tape or toilet paper. Try covering the wrap with a sock to make it more secure.  Try laying a piece of toilet paper over the design, then wrapping the area with an elastic bandage. If you want to use plastic wrap, be sure to wrap with toilet paper first to soak up any perspiration and to prevent smudges. Know that henna stains textiles like clothing, sheets, and towels. If you leave the paste on overnight, wrapping may protect your sheets. Some claim that wrapping is the only way to care for a henna design, but others say that you only need to wrap your ink if you've gotten extensive work done. Use room-temperature water and mild soap. Dab the stain with a gentle cloth. If you rub the design at this early stage, it might begin to fade more quickly.

Summary: Don't touch the design directly after it's applied. Leave the henna paste on your skin for as long as possible. Use sugar and lemon juice. Try to keep your skin warm and moist. Wrap up the design. Wash off any dry henna flakes.


After you’ve kept your headache diary for several weeks or months, you should read through it and look for patterns. When reviewing it, you’ll likely notice that there are some common factors that precede the onset of your headaches. Pay special attention to things you eat or activities you engage in before you experience a headache. For example, you may notice that you get headaches after you’ve had a glass of wine or have been outside in the sun for several hours. Once you’ve reviewed your diary and identified patterns, try to avoid some of the factors that you think might be associated with your headache. Ultimately, avoiding triggers you’ve identified with your diary is the best way to prevent headaches. For example, if you’ve noticed that headaches follow your consumption of caffeine, stop drinking caffeine. Then continue using your diary for a few weeks and see if you have less headaches. When you have several weeks or months of diary entries, you should talk to your doctor about what you’ve found. Your doctor may be able to spot patterns or identify headache triggers that you’ve missed or dismissed.  Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to reduce the severity of headaches. You should also have your vision checked to rule out vision problems as a cause of your headaches.
Summary: Look for patterns. Avoid items you suspect cause your headaches. Talk to your doctor.