Councilor s Report. Clara Boykin,MT, District Councilor 1023 Dayton Avenue St Paul, MN 88104

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1 Issue 1 Volume 11 Spring./Summer 2012 The Badger Beaker Wisconsin State Society Councilor s Report As members of the Great Lakes District of AMT, we are all looking forward to spring and those of you with Spring Meetings are planning those at this time I just returned from a meeting with the AMT Board and Council in San Antonio, Texas. This is the location for our 74 th Educational Program and National Meeting this summer (July 9-14) at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio, 123 Losoya St. The room rates are $119 a night plus tax. Make your plans now to attend! There is a great Educational Program planned with a few changes in the format of the meeting. There is increased continuing education on the AMT website that the Education Manager Camille Murray has made available. Kathy Cilia, Director of Marketing and Member Services, is in the process of redoing the promotional material for AMT. AMT also has a customer service department that is up and running. Remember to continue to use AMTRAX. Keep copies of your information in case it may be needed for verification of your entries. Mark your calendars! April is National Medical Lab Week this year. The 75th Educational Program and National Meeting will be held July 7-12, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA. I continue to stress to all members, please support your State Officers. If at all possible, show your support by attending your State Meetings. GREAT LAKES MEMBERS MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the Great Lakes District Conference October 4-5, Our Theme is Great Lakes - Medical Professionals in action. Clara Boykin,MT, District Councilor 1023 Dayton Avenue St Paul, MN INSIDE THIS ISSUE President s Message 2 Upcoming events 2 Trichomoniasis 3,4

2 WISSAMT OFFICERS 2012 President Julie Lent, MT 610 Fremont St. Algoma, WI (H) Vice President Secretary Treasurer Cindy York, MT 2134 South 15 th St Manitowoc, WI (H) District Councillor Clara Boyken, MT 1023 Dayton Ave Saint Paul, MN Editor Julie Lent, MT Material for publication and Ideas expressed are not necessarily those of WISSAMT or AMT unless so stated. The editor reserves the right to edit articles accepted for publication. The Badger Beaker is published two times yearly. ADVERTISING RATES Business Card - $25/year One Half Page - $50/year One Full Page - $75/year Checks must be written to WISSAMT. The money received for advertising will be used to help publish the Wisconsin publication. VENDORS ARE WELCOME TO ADVERTISE President smessage The Great Lake District is planning an educational conference at the Marriott in Madison on Oct 4-5, I encourage all of you to plan ahead so that you can attend the conference. Sue Miller, MT along with members from the Great Lakes States have put a lot of hard work into organizing this meeting. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the conference in La Crosse. It s a great time to get continuing education and meet with fellow members of the health field. Don t forget to record your CEs on AMTrax. With all the changes to health care it is very important to keep all certificates and continuing education current. We are planning a meeting in September to get the state society back on track. Any one that would like to attend, please contact me at buster@netnet.net. Julie Lent, MT WSSAMT President WEBSITE: The AMT website is both informative and enjoyable. Check it out!!! Upcoming Events The National Meeting for 2012 will be in San Antonio, Texas Great Lakes District Meeting October 4-5, 2013

3 Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by an infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas Vaginalis and is easy to cure. Infection is more common in women than men, and older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected. The parasite is passed from an infected person to an uninfected person during sex. In women, the most commonly infected part of the body is the lower genital tract (vulva, vagina, or urethra) and in men, the most commonly infected body part is the inside of the penis (urethra). It is not common for the parasite to infect other body parts, like the hands, mouth, or anus. Infected people without symptoms can still pass the infection on to others. About 30% of individuals affected develop any symptoms. Women are more likely than men to develop symptoms. Symptoms can range from mild irritation to severe inflammation. Symptoms can come and go. Some people with symptoms get them within 5 to 28 days after being infected, but others do not develop symptoms until much later. Men with trichomoniasis may feel itching or irritation inside the penis, burning after urination or ejaculation, or some discharge from the penis. Women with trichomoniasis may notice itching, burning, redness, or soreness of the genitals, discomfort with urination, or a thin discharge with an unusual smell that can be clear, white, yellowish, or greenish, and rarely lower abdominal pain. To diagnose trichomoniasis, an individual must see a trusted health provider for a check and laboratory test (wet prep). Trichomoniasis can be cured with a single dose of prescription antibiotic medication (either metronidazole or tinidazole) pills. When treating pregnant women, caution should be taken especially in the early stages of pregnancy. People who have been treated for trichomoniasis can get it again. To avoid getting reinfected, individuals must make sure that all sex partners get treated, and wait to have sex again until all sex partners are treated and the symptoms go away (one week). Using condoms correctly every time an individual has sex will help reduce the risk of getting or spreading trichomoniasis. Also individuals should limit the number of sex partners, and do not go back and forth between partners. Practice sexual abstinence, or limit sexual contact to one uninfected partner.

4 Without treatment, trichomoniasis can increase a person s risk to acquiring HIV if exposed to HIV. Pregnant women with trichomonas infection can deliver premature, or low -birth-weight babies. Other complications that can be associated with trichomoniasis is increased chance of cervical cancer and in males potentially raises the risk of prostate cancer. References:

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6 Badger Beaker Wisconsin State Society 610 Fremont St Algoma, WI The Badger Beaker is available on the AMT website. Check it out