On Reproductive Health Reality Check (a terrific website I just recently discovered), Jane Fonda writes that Adolescent Pregnancy Must Become a Priority for All Americans. Teen pregnancy and birth are on the rise in this country, which is really sad. Blog your thoughts about it today and spread the word that action and awareness are needed!
Bleach is a caustic chemical you are not advised to get on the outside of your skin, much less pour down your gullet.
If you swallow bleach, you could get chemical burns in your esophagus (the inside of your throat) and your stomach. It could even kill you (though that is more likely with industrial bleach than with household bleach). You are advised to call 911 and or 1-800-222-1222 to get help from a poison control center if you mistakenly ingest bleach. For crying out loud, don’t do it on purpose.
Why am I saying this? An Associated Press article indicated that some teens in Florida believe that drinking a cup of bleach will protect you from HIV. Other rumors have been known to suggest it can help you pass (or foul up) a drug test.
Except insofar as drinking bleach will make you so unhealthy you are unlikely to care about any of the rest, and will therefore not participate in activities that lead to STDs, pregnancy,etc, for a while, bleach is not a prophylactic medicine (prophylactic means something that prevents or protects). Bleach isn’t a medicine at all. It is a cleanser, but it is very harsh and not recommended for use on skin, so don’t wash your genitals or douche with it to protect against HIV either. It will burn you and still not prevent transmission of the disease if you’re otherwise participating in dangerous behavior that exposes you to it.
If you use drugs with needles and syringes that you share, you can and should use bleach to disinfect those implements. Wear gloves while doing so. It can also be used to disinfect clothes and surfaces like counters and floors.
Please don’t try to use it to disinfect the body.
Thank you.