Sexually Transmitted Infections Epidemic: Is Sex Education the Answer?

A community based sexual health group has raised the alarm about the level of risky sexual behaviour among young people, saying ignorance on the subject could make young Australians vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Alischa Ross, the founder of Youth Empowerment Against HIV AIDS – YEAH - says her group sends volunteers into schools and public events such as music festivals to educate young people about safe sex. There has been a 20 per cent increase in the rate of infection among young people in the last three years, with chlamydia and gonorrhoea among the biggest culprits. Ms Ross says the trend points to more risky behaviour and widespread complacency. Ross says although HIV is not a huge problem in Australia, it will become more of an issue in the near future, looking at the trends of HIV and what we’ve seen happen worldwide for the last 30 years, is that where there are high incidents of Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV follows D★D  READ MORE

HPV: Throat Cancer Linked to Cunnilingus and Fellatio

Human Papillomavirus - HPV – has been all over the medical journals and alerts of late. In the U.S. theres an epidemic going on right now, raising concerns about, well, oral sex and throat cancer. First hypothesized in 2005, a research study at the College of Malmö in Sweden suggested that performing unprotected oral sex on a person infected with HPV might increase the risk of oral cancer. The study found that 36 percent of the cancer patients had HPV compared to only 1 percent of the healthy control group :: Read the full article »»»»

Coffee Consumption Associated With Decreased Risk of Depression in Women

We’ve been waiting for this discovery for years, patiently sipping away at our cuppa with the hopeful thought that it might one day be of benefit, we’re halfway there. Women who drink four cups of coffee a day are 20 per cent less likely to become depressed than women who rarely drink coffee.

Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world, and approximately 80 percent of consumption is in the form of coffee, according to background information in the article. Previous research, including one prospective study among men, has suggested an association between coffee consumption and depression risk. Because depression is a chronic and recurrent condition that affects twice as many women as men, including approximately one of every five U.S. women during their lifetime, “identification of risk factors for depression among women and the development of new preventive strategies are, therefore, a public health priority,” write the authors. They sought to examine whether, in women, consumption of caffeine or certain caffeinated beverages is associated with the risk of depression. Read the full article »»»»

Music Soothing Cancer Patients

In the most comprehensive international review yet, a team of scientists has found listening to music can reduce pain, lower blood pressure and heart rates in cancer patients. A team led by Associate Professor Dr Joke Bradt from Philadelphia’s Drexel University Creative Arts Therapies Department studied the effects of music on almost 2,000 cancer patients. What the review showed is that music listening and engagement in active music experiences can help reduce anxiety in patients and also can help lower their pain and improve their mood.

“It had a beneficial effect on some of their physiological responses such as heart rate and their respiratory rate, and their blood pressure, we can only assume that if a patient has much less anxiety and suffers from less pain that that’s going to aid them in their recovery but also in their dealing with the cancer treatments.”

It is the biggest review to tackle musical treatment for cancer sufferers, examining 30 trials in seven different countries from Iran to Taiwan to the United States. Dr Bradt says it covered a wide range of patients from those just diagnosed, to those in remission. Read the full article »»»»

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Chemosignal Tears: Cry Her a River

I’m NOT a baller, can’t take blubbering, dislike what it does to my eyes – eew puffiness – and definitely avoid – at all cost – falling into that wallowing sob of emotional over-out-pouring. I do however have a buddy who cries at most anything. Sat in front of the television, she’ll burst into leakiness over insurance advertisements, heaven forbid your sat next to her at the cinema. In a new study by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have revealed some nail biting new results. Turns out tears are an absolute cold shower to mens sexual arrousal –  that explains Leksy’s disastrous relationship history – Girl Tears it turns out are chemosignal’s that turn OFF a mans major sexual hormone, testosterone, tears it’s seems Smell – and I thought it was her halitosis!?

It seems Darwin was also a denier of the emotion tearing up, in his The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin listed three reasons for the secretion of tears: 1. “The primary function of the secretion of tears, with some mucus, is to lubricate the surface of the eye” 2. “to keep the nostrils damp, so that the inhaled air may be moist, and likewise to favour the power of smelling“ 3. “But another, and at least equally important function of tears is to wash out particles of dust or other minute objects which may get into the eyes” (Darwin, 1872: 169). In Darwin’s view, the excretion of emotional tears was related to the first function and had little to do with emotion – sigh – if I could love a man! Read the full article »»»»