Doctor HealthHealth Tips

The Art of Intimacy
By Dr. Laura Berman
This month, gossip blogs and celebrity magazines were rocked with the news that Californication star David Duchovny checked into rehab for sex addition.

Previous reports suggested that Duchovny was struggling with an addiction to Internet pornography and cybersex, but more recent rumors maintain that actual physical infidelity occurred. (However, just because Duchovny created a television series in which his fantasized writings turned into actual dalliances, we can’t assume this infidelity manifested in his real life as well. Until we receive proof to the contrary, let’s assume that he kept his pants on, unlike the main character he dreamt up and plays everyday.)

That being said, most couples would agree (rightfully so) that cybersex addiction can be just as devastating and hurtful as an actual affair, and it is becoming a growing concern in our tech-savvy society. According to a study released by Stanford University, 25 million Americans visit cybersex sites 1-10 hours per week, while 4.7 million Americans visit cybersex sites more than 11 hours per week.

What does the growing presence of available Internet pornography and cybersex mean for modern relationships?

Communication is required. Couples need to discuss what they consider infidelity within the confines of their relationship. For instance, is it okay for your partner to look at online pornography? Does it matter if you are present, or can he/she be free to surf solo without fear of you taking offense? Is it permissible for your partner to contact other people via the web for cybersex? Whatever you and your partner decide, agree to keep the honesty intact when accessing the web.

Consider the amount of time the cyber world takes away from your relationship. Even if you and your partner decide that cyber play is permissible, be aware of how much time you are spending on the Internet. If you are devoting more time to online erotica and virtual strangers than you are to your partner, then something is amiss. This can also be a sign of a cybersex addiction, particularly if you feel helpless to control your time online.

Secrets are a warning sign. When secrecy creeps into your “innocent” Internet play, it means that there is a problem. Whether you are hiding from your partner how much time you spend on the Internet, the sites you visit, or the people you talk to online, you are creating an environment for infidelity and relationship breakdown.

If you think that cybersex activity has become more than just a passing hobby, don’t despair. Cybersex addiction can be treated, and your partner can help you through this difficult time. Click on this link for resources and treatment options. Cybersex addiction (and all sex addiction) can be just as devastating as drug/alcohol addictions, and most people need a system of support to stop their destructive behavior. Ask for help — you will be so happy you did.

It appears that stroke patients who receive both intravenous thrombolysis - a minimally invasive treatment that dissolves abnormal blood clots - and endovascular interventions - such as drugs and implanting medical devices - are much more likely to recover and have lower chances of dying, according to new research by the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Read the rest of this entry »

Postmenopausal women who have lost interest in sex may be able to bring their libidos back to life with a testosterone patch, according to new research published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine.
However, the use of the male hormone to boost sex drive in women may not be risk-free. Out of the 814 women in the study, four women who were taking testosterone developed breast cancer, but none of the women on placebo did. It’s not clear whether this was a statistical blip or a warning sign that excess testosterone could cause or spur the growth of a malignancy. Some women also reported excess hair growth, although none stopped using the hormone for this reason.
Read the rest of this entry »

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association Tuesday found Viagra is effective at combating sexual dysfunction in depressed women, Agence France-Presse reported.

Viagra’s effect in women has been disappointing, but a new small study finds those on antidepressants may benefit from taking the little blue pills.

The research involving 98 premenopausal women found Viagra helped with orgasm. But the benefits did not extend to other aspects of sex such as desire, researchers report in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

“For women on antidepressants with orgasm problems, this may provide some wonderful relief,” said psychologist Stanley Althof, director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health of South Florida in West Palm Beach, who was not involved in the study. “But it will not improve their desire or arousal.”

Antidepressants can interfere with sex drive and performance even as the drugs help lift crippling depression. Switching drugs or reducing the dose can help. But many people, men and women, stop taking them because of their sexual side effects.

Read the rest of this entry »

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Rising food prices around the world are likely to drive poor women to trade sex for basic goods like fish and cooking oil, raising the risk of new AIDS infections, U.N officials said on Monday.

Delegates at a major AIDS conference in Mexico cited the cases of fisherwomen in the Pacific and women in Kenya desperate for food being forced to sell their bodies, adding to concerns of a new twist in the spread of the deadly pandemic.

"Food is such a basic need that you can see people really going to great lengths," said Fadzai Mukonoweshuro of the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization in southern Africa.

Climbing food prices — due to increased use of biofuels, the growing demand for grains to feed a booming Asia, droughts and market speculation — caused 50 million more people to go hungry last year compared to the year before, the United Nations said.

"That might lead to various distress responses, one of which on the part of women is having transactional sex to feed their kids," Stuart Gillespie of the International Food Policy Research Institute said.

"Recent studies in Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania have shown associations between acute food insecurity and unprotected transactional sex among poor women," he said.

Overfishing of tuna in the Pacific has forced Papua New Guinea fisherwomen to abandon their smaller craft and join the crew of larger boats, where they trade sex for food scraps, the officials and delegates said.

Such "fish for sex" deals are also common in Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria, where women fish traders meet incoming boats and sleep with fishermen for a favorable price.

Experts at the conference, a biennial gathering of global medical experts and government officials, also said malnutrition increased the risks for people already infected with AIDS, experts added.

HIV drugs can upset the stomach if taken without food and AIDS patients, many also infected with tuberculosis, need more nutrients and calories. Without enough food they are more likely to die, said Martin Bloem, chief nutritionist at the World Food Program.

Soaring food and other commodity prices might hinder the fight against AIDS.

"We really need to watch this very carefully. We are in a situation of rising oil prices, rising food prices and at the same time the cost of AIDS is going up along with new infections," said Kevin De Cock, director of the anti-AIDS program at the World Health Organization.

Attacking both hunger and the disease at the same time can bring special challenges. In Zimbabwe, some villages will reject food aid if they think it is destined for AIDS patients, claiming it is contaminated, Mukonoweshuro said.

The human immunodeficiency virus infects 33 million people globally, half of them women, and kills 2 million annually.

by Alistair Bell and David Storey

In a significant shift in strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Centers for Disease Control recently recommended that tests for HIV be extended to all patients entering hospitals and clinics in the U.S. The CDC also recommended that doctors begin offering routine voluntary HIV tests to patients between 13 and 64.

It is estimated that of the more than 1 million people in the U.S. with HIV and AIDS, about 25% are unaware they have HIV. The new strategy is aimed at discovering these cases before HIV develops into AIDS. It is also hoped these measures will curb the spread of the disease since these 250,000 people are carriers who unknowingly infect others.

This marks a departure from the previously followed strategy of testing only people in high risk categories.

This policy change will also involve a shift away from the promotion of abstinence and condom use to prevent the spread of the disease, towards more emphasis being placed on testing for HIV status and early treatment.

According to a spokesperson for the CDC, what explains this change in policy is that drugs now exist that can prevent the development of AIDS from HIV. Early detection can therefore result in early treatment. In the past early detection did not necessarily mean much since there was very little that could be done for someone infected with HIV.

It is also hoped that early detection will result in less transmission of the disease. A recent CDC survey found that sexually-active adults altered their sexual behavior patterns after they were diagnosed with HIV. They were less likely to engage in unprotected sexual activity, in many cases opting for a condom or for not engaging in sex at all.

Drug companies and makers of oral tests stand to benefit significantly from this change of emphasis. It is expected that tests which are now administered at hospitals and clinics will soon be available over the counter. People interested in testing themselves will be able to do it at home. This should result in a significant increase in sales of HIV testing kits.

There should also be a rise in HIV treatment drugs as hundreds of thousands of people learn they have HIV and begin treatment with anti-HIV drugs. Currently anti-HIV drugs account for about $6-billion in sales in the U.S. That number should increase dramatically if the new testing procedures prove to be effective.

Some argue that as in so many areas within the health industry, efforts aimed at prevention will be replaced by promises of a quick cure brought to us compliments of the incredibly influential and increasingly invasive drug companies.

By Rick Hendershot

In one of the most promising developments in more than 20 years, scientists claim that drugs used to control HIV/AIDS in patients may also be effective in preventing the disease in the first place.
The drugs in question are tenofovir (Viread) and emtricitabine, or FTC (Emtriva), sold in combination as Truvada by Gilead Sciences Inc. Gilead is the California company best known for inventing Tamiflu.
Previous research has been aimed at finding a vaccine against HIV/AIDS, with the intention of conditioning the immune system against the disease. But these drugs work differently. They simply keep the virus from reproducing, and have already been used successfuly by health care workers to prevent them from being infected by the virus carried by patients.
This approach to fighting HIV/AIDS has been tempting researchers for many years, but has only recently become feasible as preventative drugs have been developed that are safe for non-infected persons to take. Previous drugs had unreasonable effects for uninfected persons.
That situation changed when Tenofovir came on the market in 2001. Tenofovir is powerful and safe, and it only has to be taken once a day. It also does not interact with other medicines or birth control pills, and manifests less drug resistance than other AIDS medications.
Monkey studies show exciting results
A major study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Atlanta, Georgia involved six macaques. The monkeys were given a combination of Tenofovir and FTC and then administered a deadly combination of monkey and human AIDS viruses. They were given the viruses in rectal doses to simulate contact between gay men.
Each was given 14 weekly exposures of the virus, and none of the monkeys became infected. In a control group which did not receive the drugs, all but one got the disease, normally after just two exposures.
The scientists then stopped giving the drugs to the test group to see if the prevention was only temporary. The results were equally impressive. None of the monkeys contracted the disease. “We’re now four months following the animals with no drug, no virus. They’re uninfected and healthy,” reported a CDC researcher.
Now other research teams are pushing to have this drug combination tested on humans. A $29 million CDC study of drug users in Botswana will now be switched to this new drug combination.
Another study of 400 heterosexual women in Ghana by the Family Health Initiative, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is studying the effects of tenofovir alone.
But several other studies have failed to materialize because studies of this nature immediately raise suspicions that scientists are using local people as guinea pigs. The fear is that they will intentionally expose the test subjects to the virus.
The cost of tenofovir and Truvada also make testing difficult. In African countries condoms are now liberally donated by companies, aid groups, UN agencies, and western governments. While the drugs are relatively cheap, the cost remains an impediment.
Nevertheless researchers have been reinvigorated by the stunning results out of Atlanta, and new tests are going ahead in pockets of interest around the world.
Article Source: Health Guidance

A social marketing campaign urging gay and bisexual men in San Francisco to get checked for syphilis has been linked to an increase in syphilis tests.

Cartoons advocating the tests were placed in a gay newspaper, and poster-sized reproductions were posted on the streets, on bus shelters, on Webs sites and in gay bars.

The researchers, led by Katherine Ahrens of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, conducted two surveys — one at six months and one at 2.5 years after the campaign had begun. Gay and bisexual men were asked whether they were aware of the cartoons and about their sexual health.

Ahrens and colleagues found the men who were aware of the cartoons were more likely than those unaware to have been tested recently for syphilis and to have greater knowledge about it. This effect was sustained for almost three years, according to evaluations published in PLoS Medicine.

“The social marketing campaign was effective in augmenting syphilis testing and increasing syphilis awareness and knowledge in the San Francisco gay and bisexual community,” say the authors. “This effect might have contributed to decreased syphilis incidence in 2005.”

Two unpublicized meetings happened about the proposed initiative to bring condoms to the residence halls about three weeks ago, Residence Hall Association President Justin Ginter said.

Ginter was not able to attend the meetings, but he said the Interim Chief Diversity Officer Roger Worthington moderated both.

Ginter said the meetings were held to get a “cross-section” of people, especially because the people at the first public meeting were overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal.

Worthington was unavailable for comment.

The initiative, originally sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, proposed providing free condoms and sexual health information in restrooms and common areas of residence halls.

Deaton halted the plan in mid-October, with the reasoning that he wanted more discussion about the plan.

Deaton has declined to state what the next step will be after holding one public forum.

In addition, a forum to discus the plan was held for student staff members of the residence halls at 5 p.m. on Monday.

“(Residential Life Director Frankie Minor) wanted to make sure their voices were heard,” Ginter said.

RHA is compiling letters from several organizations in support of the proposal.

Ginter said RHA would present Deaton with the letters in late January or early February, unless he has rescinded his decision.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs conducted the first meeting, but was unavailable for comment.

Representatives from RHA, the Missouri Students Association, the Legion of Black Collegians and Sexual Health Advocacy Peer Education also spoke at the first meeting, which was held in early November.

By Roseann Moring,

Justin Timberlake may think he brought “Sexyback,” but sexy never left the college campus.

Whether you’re in the classic make-grandma-happy relationship or had a casual romp after a night at the Street, it is not hard to believe that many Princetonians are sexually active. So how effectively is University Health Services (UHS) aiding those students in making critical decisions, dealing with unplanned consequences and properly maintaining their sexual health?

According to a survey done by Trojan, at least, the University is doing a pretty good job. In 2005, out of 100 different private and public schools, Princeton ranked sixth with a 3.4 GPA on its “Sexual Health” report card. Yale topped the list, while Stanford ranked fourth and Duke eighth.

Trojan gave a letter grade to every school in the following categories: condom advice and availability, HIV and STI testing, sexual assault counseling and services, contraception advice and availability, advice column or Q-and-A feature for sexual issues or relationships; counseling service, peer counseling, campus events, and other outreach. Princeton received an “A” in every category except two “C”s in HIV and STI testing and the advice column section.

The most common STIs on college campuses are genital warts, chlamydia and herpes. UHS treats genital warts most often, according to the website of women’s and men’s health services. This STI is spread through skin-to-skin contact, but 80 percent of women and men show no traceable signs, according to UHS. The infection is caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The warts can be removed by topical creams or gels prescribed by a doctor, freezing them with cryotherapy or using an acidic chemical.

When the vaccine for a different HPV, the one that causes cervical cancer, hit the market for consumer use in June 2006 after gaining approval from the FDA, UHS embraced the medical marvel, and the vaccination is currently available to students. While some insurance companies are considering covering the vaccination, the Student Health Plan currently does not cover the $402 treatment, which is administered in three shots over the course of six months.

Despite the cost, students are generally supportive of UHS offering the new HPV vaccine. “If you are sexually active, then I think you should get it,” said Paige Floyd ‘10. The vaccine has been recommended for girls between the ages of 11 and 26. “It’s a good thing for people to be aware of, even if they aren’t sexually active,” added Karen Jeng ‘08.

By: Naomi Nix