Physical Medicine

This World AIDS Day New Jersey really has something to celebrate—on November 27, Atlantic City began operation of the first legal syringe exchange program in the state.  The program was made possible because you helped pass the Blood Borne Disease Harm Reduction Act last year.  The Act allowed for the establishment of syringe access programs in six cities.  Atlantic City is the first of those cities to get a program up and running.

But we cannot afford half measures in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Legislation to allow non-prescription pharmacy sale of syringes is still languishing in the Senate, and time is running out! Take action now.

Last year, this lifesaving legislation passed the Assembly by a wide margin (50-28) but stalled in the Senate Health Committee and never came to the floor of the Senate for a vote. The legislature is now finishing end-of-year unfinished business, so now is the time to pass the bill in the Senate!
 
A2839/S823 would allow for the sale of limited numbers of syringes in pharmacies without prescriptions.  Allowing the sale of limited numbers of syringes in pharmacies is a critical component of a successful HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C prevention program.  New Jersey is one of only three states that require a prescription to purchase a syringe in a pharmacy. 

Please urge Governor Jon Corzine and Senate leaders to work for the passage of S823 during the last days of this legislative session, which ends in January. 

New Jersey has the fifth highest number of adult HIV cases, the third highest number of pediatric HIV cases, and the highest proportion of women infected in the nation.  New Jersey’s rate of infection related to the sharing of contaminated syringes is almost twice the national average.  More than 15,000 New Jerseyans have died from HIV/AIDS contracted from contaminated syringes.  More than 15,000 other New Jerseyans are living with HIV/AIDS caused by the sharing of contaminated syringes. 

Please take a moment to send a fax to legislators urging them to work for passage of this life-saving legislation.  

Thank you for working for meaningful change for this World AIDS Day!

Many pregnant women have asked me if it’s safe to work your abdominals.  With healthy pregnancies it is typically safe to do traditional ab work (i.e. lying on your back) up till week 12.  After week 12 it is no longer recommend to lay on your back.  However, you can still work your abdominals without laying on your back. 

Try this simple exercise to strengthen your abdominals:

On all your knees on all fours, head in line with the spine bring one knee in towards your chest.  Hold for 2-3 counts.  Release and repeat 10-15 times.  Then repeat on the other side.  Work up to 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

Many new moms want to lose the baby weight, but just don’t have the motivation to do it.  One thing I often remind my clients is to think about how good they feel after they work out.  After each workout I talk about how much stronger and toned their muscles are becoming, and how much better they feel about themselves in body and mind.  The more you equate working out to feeling and looking good the more motivated you’ll be to exercise.

For personal or group coaching info visit: http://fitbysara.com/coaching.php

There is so much emphasis on weight gain when you’re pregnant, it can be quite consuming.  My suggestion is to listen to your body and “fuel” yourself and your baby with nutritous foods when you feel hungry.  It’s normal to have cravings.  Listen to them, just chose wisely!  Cravings for sweet foods can be satisfied by eating fruit, a glass of juice (orange juice is a great choice since it’s high in folate, which is good for baby’s development), or a fruit smoothy.  Salty cravings can be satisfied with nuts, whole grain crackers with cheese, or a bagel with peanut butter. 

Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of DPA, and Daniel Wolfe, deputy director of the International Harm Reduction Development Project, discuss international drug policy and the impact of Nadelmann's cover article in Foreign Policy magazine.