WEDNESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- The teen pregnancy rate in the United States dipped to its lowest recorded level since 1976, a new government report shows.
Teen pregnancy rates fell 40 percent from 1990 to 2008, the latest year for which complete data are available, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.
The report, which details pregnancy rates for 2006 to 2008 for U.S. women aged 15 to 44, also found pregnancy rates were declining among women in their 20s and increasing among women in their 30s and 40s.
Overall, there was a total of 4,248,000 live births, 1,212,000 induced abortions and 1,118,000 fetal losses in 2008. The estimated pregnancy rate for 2008 was 105.5 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, which is about 9 percent below the 1990 peak, the new report showed.
The U.S. teen pregnancy rate declined continuously during this time period, except for a brief upturn from 2005 to 2006. This decline was more pronounced in younger teens. The pregnancy rate for teens aged 15 to 17 declined by almost one-half from 1990 to 2008, while the rate for older teenagers declined by about one-third over this time period.
Some racial and ethnic gaps in teen pregnancy rates exist. In 2008, pregnancy rates for black and Hispanic teenagers aged 15 to 19 were two to three times higher than the rates for white teenagers.
The overall decline in teen pregnancy seems to be continuing. The researchers report that more recent birth data for teenagers show that the birth rate has continued to fall from 2008 through 2010.
So what is driving these trends? 'The overall fertility has dropped a good bit in this country, and pregnancy rates are also going down, presumably because people are more careful about contraception,' said Dr. John Santelli, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist who is the chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City.
'Women are increasingly delaying childbearing into their late 20s, 30s and sometime even their 40s, which will lower the rates right there,' he said. The reasons are twofold: Some women are pursuing careers and the contraceptive use has also improved.
There have been pretty consistent declines in the teen birth rate and teen pregnancy rates since 1990. 'This is good news,' Santelli said.
Media coverage of pregnant teens such as Bristol Palin and the advent of reality shows focusing on teen moms had left many public health experts concerned about the glamorization of teen pregnancy and its potential implications. But these events have had little bearing on the trends so far, he said.
'Bristol Palin standing up for abstinence is not what is going on here,' Santelli said. Instead, 'this is probably related to better contraceptive use, including some of these newer methods such as long-acting reversible contraceptive methods and access to care.'
While 2008 data might already seem outdated in 2012, Santelli explained that it takes a while for states to accrue the information needed to analyze these trends. 'Birth rates are pretty fast these days, but abortion reporting can be sluggish, which is why this 2008 data just became available.'
The decline in teen pregnancy rates overall is impressive, but gaps by race remain, said Dr. Jill Maura Rabin, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center-North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y.
'We know that support is what works best for teens -- especially when they are pregnant,' she said. A support network made up of a nurse or other health care provider and a social worker is the best way to prevent a second pregnancy among teens. 'It may be that certain teens need more support. We still have a lot of work to do.'
Rabin said that pregnancy and birth rates are declining among women in their 20s because of access to emergency contraception and more contraceptive choices including long-acting reversible contraception. 'We have better education about these options,' she said. 'Women are postponing starting a family because of the economy, they want to get their degrees and life expectancy is increasing.'
These same women may be more likely to consider getting pregnant in their 30s and 40s due to advances in reproductive endocrinology. 'Our toolbox and skills have increased, and we are helping them get pregnant into their 40s,' she said. While some older women may have a difficult time getting pregnant, unplanned pregnancy can, and does, occur in this age group, she said.
'Women in the 40s think they can't get pregnant anymore and have unprotected intercourse, but they can,' Rabin said. 'If you are having intercourse and don't want to be pregnant, use contraception.'
There are risks associated with pregnancy at older ages, she added. 'Genetic issues increase as eggs age, but we have better testing for genetic disorders today,' Rabin said. 'Older women are also more likely to develop pregnancy-related complications, but good prenatal care can help identify these conditions early and monitor women so that they have a healthy pregnancy.'
More information
Learn about teen pregnancy, contraception and sexual health at the Guttmacher Institute.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012
CDC recommends expanded use of Pfizer vaccine
(Reuters) - An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted on Wednesday to recommended expanded use of Pfizer Inc's Prevnar 13 vaccine to include adults 19 and older with compromised immune systems due to conditions such as HIV infection, cancer and advanced kidney disease.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)favored the expanded use by a vote of 14-0 with one abstention, the CDC said.
Prevnar 13, one of Pfizer's most important products, prevents pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive disease. Wall Street analysts, on average, have forecast Prevnar 13 sales will reach $6.75 billion by 2016. The company reported sales of $941 million in the first quarter.
'While we view this (recommendation) as an incremental positive, we think the Street expected a positive outcome,' ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum said in a research note.
Pfizer shares were off 9 cents at $22.62 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Prevnar 13 was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010 for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the 13 serotypes included in the vaccine in infants and children from 6 weeks through 5 years old.
The FDA in December approved Prevnar 13 for adults age 50 and older. ACIP has not yet recommended the vaccine for that patient population.
'We are committed to continuing discussions with the ACIP with the aim of expanding the recommendations to include all adults 50 years of age and older - a population rapidly increasing in the United States and at risk for developing vaccine-type pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease,' Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer is expecting data next year from a Prevnar 13 trial of more than 84,000 subjects 65 and older to determine if the vaccine is effective in preventing the first episode of community-acquired pneumonia caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes in the vaccine.
ACIP is likely awaiting results from that trial, called CAPITA, before making a recommendation for the vaccine's use in older adults.
'The key event for Prevnar 13 remains the data readout in 2013 from the CAPITA adult outcomes study,' Schoenebaum said.
The vaccine is not approved for those between the ages of 6 and 49.
(Reporting By Bill Berkrot; editing by Maureen Bavdek and Andre Grenon)
This news article is brought to you by IS ASTROLOGY MISLEADING YOU ? - where latest news are our top priority.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)favored the expanded use by a vote of 14-0 with one abstention, the CDC said.
Prevnar 13, one of Pfizer's most important products, prevents pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive disease. Wall Street analysts, on average, have forecast Prevnar 13 sales will reach $6.75 billion by 2016. The company reported sales of $941 million in the first quarter.
'While we view this (recommendation) as an incremental positive, we think the Street expected a positive outcome,' ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum said in a research note.
Pfizer shares were off 9 cents at $22.62 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Prevnar 13 was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010 for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the 13 serotypes included in the vaccine in infants and children from 6 weeks through 5 years old.
The FDA in December approved Prevnar 13 for adults age 50 and older. ACIP has not yet recommended the vaccine for that patient population.
'We are committed to continuing discussions with the ACIP with the aim of expanding the recommendations to include all adults 50 years of age and older - a population rapidly increasing in the United States and at risk for developing vaccine-type pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease,' Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer is expecting data next year from a Prevnar 13 trial of more than 84,000 subjects 65 and older to determine if the vaccine is effective in preventing the first episode of community-acquired pneumonia caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes in the vaccine.
ACIP is likely awaiting results from that trial, called CAPITA, before making a recommendation for the vaccine's use in older adults.
'The key event for Prevnar 13 remains the data readout in 2013 from the CAPITA adult outcomes study,' Schoenebaum said.
The vaccine is not approved for those between the ages of 6 and 49.
(Reporting By Bill Berkrot; editing by Maureen Bavdek and Andre Grenon)
This news article is brought to you by IS ASTROLOGY MISLEADING YOU ? - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
U.S. women in 20s less likely to get pregnant or have abortion
The findings for women in their prime child bearing years mirror similar studies showing declines in pregnancies and abortions among teenagers.
The report from the National Center for Health Statistics stated that in 2008, the pregnancy rate for the 20 to 24 age group was 163 per 1,000 women. By comparison, in 1990 that demographic had a pregnancy rate of 198.5 per 1,000, which was nearly 18 percent higher than in 2008.
Pregnancy rates for women between the ages of 25 and 29 fell a more modest 6 percent during the same time period, to 167.9 per 1,000, according to statistics in the report.
The abortion rate also declined among women in their early 20s, to 38.4 per 1,000 women in 2008 from 56.7 per 1,000 in 1990, the report said. That represented a drop of 32 percent.
Again, the drop was more modest for women in their late 20s, as their abortion rate fell to 28.6 per 1,000 in 2008, from 33.9 per 1,000 in 1990, the report said.
A report by the Guttmacher Institute released in February, based on government statistics, showed the teen abortion rate was down 59 percent in 2008 compared with 1988, and that in 2008 the teen pregnancy rate had fallen 42 percent compared to 1990.
The new report extends some of those trends to women who are beyond their teenage years.
'It's not just the teens. Abortion rates are down across the board,' said Stephanie Ventura, an author of the National Center for Health Statistics report, which is titled 'Estimated Pregnancy Rates and Rates of Pregnancy Outcomes for the United States, 1990-2008.'
While the pregnancy rates are down for teens and women in their 20s, they are up for women in their 30s and 40s, the report found. That is consistent with previous research.
Women between 40 and 44 had a dramatic increase in pregnancy rates of nearly 65 percent from 1990 to 2008, the report said. There were 18.8 pregnancies per 1,000 women in that age group in 2008, compared with 11.4 per 1,000 in 1990.
Women in their 20s are 'postponing pregnancy,' Ventura said.
Another reason for the decrease in pregnancies among younger women is more effective birth control methods, including the combined use of condoms and other methods such as contraceptive patches that release hormones, she said.
'If the pregnancy rates are down, including both births and abortion rates, that would show more efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies,' Ventura said.
The report said that overall for all age groups in 2008, 65 percent of pregnancies ended in a live birth in 2008, 18 percent in an abortion and 17 percent in fetal loss. In 1990, 61 percent of pregnancies ended in a live birth and 24 percent were aborted, with 15 percent resulting in fetal loss.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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Monday, June 18, 2012
Gum Disease, HPV May Play Role in Head & Neck Cancers
MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Persistent gum disease, along with the human papillomavirus (HPV) might work together to raise the odds for head and neck cancer, new research suggests.
HPV is an important risk factor for head and neck cancers, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 124 people who were diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and found that more than 40 percent of the 124 tumor samples taken from the patients were positive for HPV.
Patients with HPV-positive tumors were also much more likely to have a history of gum disease than those with HPV-negative tumors, according to a team led by Dr. Mine Tezal, a dentist and assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, in New York.
They noted that gum disease is easy to detect and may help doctors identify patients at high risk for HPV infection in the mouth.
The inflammation caused by gum disease (periodontitis) may be key to the illness' effect on HPV infection and cancer risk, the authors added.
'Prevention or treatment of sources of inflammation in the oral cavity may be a simple yet effective way to reduce the acquisition and persistence of oral HPV infection,' they wrote.
The study was published online June 18 in the journal Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about head and neck cancers.
This news article is brought to you by CAR-RENTALS - where latest news are our top priority.
HPV is an important risk factor for head and neck cancers, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 124 people who were diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and found that more than 40 percent of the 124 tumor samples taken from the patients were positive for HPV.
Patients with HPV-positive tumors were also much more likely to have a history of gum disease than those with HPV-negative tumors, according to a team led by Dr. Mine Tezal, a dentist and assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, in New York.
They noted that gum disease is easy to detect and may help doctors identify patients at high risk for HPV infection in the mouth.
The inflammation caused by gum disease (periodontitis) may be key to the illness' effect on HPV infection and cancer risk, the authors added.
'Prevention or treatment of sources of inflammation in the oral cavity may be a simple yet effective way to reduce the acquisition and persistence of oral HPV infection,' they wrote.
The study was published online June 18 in the journal Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about head and neck cancers.
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Friday, June 15, 2012
Unsafe Sex Common When Partner Cheats: Study
FRIDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- People who have sexual affairs without their partner's knowledge are less likely to practice safe sex than those who have their partner's consent to have sex with others, a new study says.
These secret cheaters also were more likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their sexual encounters, the researchers found.
The University of Michigan study included more than 1,600 people who responded to an online ad. About 800 said they'd had sex with someone other than their primary partner. Of those, nearly 500 said the sex happened as part of a negotiated non-monogamous relationship, and about 300 said they were sexually unfaithful while in a monogamous relationship.
Those who were sexually unfaithful were 27 percent and 35 percent less likely to have used condoms for vaginal and anal sex, respectively, and 64 percent more likely to have used drugs and alcohol when they had their secret sexual encounters.
The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
'Our research suggests that people who are unfaithful to their monogamous romantic partners pose a greater risk for STIs [sexually transmitted infections] than those who actively negotiate non-monogamy in their relationship,' study author Dr. Terri Conley, of the university's psychology department, said in a journal news release.
'Monogamy can be an effective method for preventing the spread of STIs, but only if couples test negative for STIs at the start of the relationship and remain faithful while they are together. If people do not find monogamy appealing or feasible, they clearly need to think about the risk this poses to their partner and consider whether an open relationship would suit their needs better, and better protect their relationship partners,' Conley noted.
More information
The Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto offers safe sex tips.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
These secret cheaters also were more likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their sexual encounters, the researchers found.
The University of Michigan study included more than 1,600 people who responded to an online ad. About 800 said they'd had sex with someone other than their primary partner. Of those, nearly 500 said the sex happened as part of a negotiated non-monogamous relationship, and about 300 said they were sexually unfaithful while in a monogamous relationship.
Those who were sexually unfaithful were 27 percent and 35 percent less likely to have used condoms for vaginal and anal sex, respectively, and 64 percent more likely to have used drugs and alcohol when they had their secret sexual encounters.
The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
'Our research suggests that people who are unfaithful to their monogamous romantic partners pose a greater risk for STIs [sexually transmitted infections] than those who actively negotiate non-monogamy in their relationship,' study author Dr. Terri Conley, of the university's psychology department, said in a journal news release.
'Monogamy can be an effective method for preventing the spread of STIs, but only if couples test negative for STIs at the start of the relationship and remain faithful while they are together. If people do not find monogamy appealing or feasible, they clearly need to think about the risk this poses to their partner and consider whether an open relationship would suit their needs better, and better protect their relationship partners,' Conley noted.
More information
The Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto offers safe sex tips.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Human Breast Milk May Block HIV, Mouse Study Finds
THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Human breast milk seems to kill HIV and block its oral (through the mouth) transmission, according to a new study conducted in mice.
The findings suggest that it may be possible to isolate the compounds in breast milk that destroy HIV and use these to combat the virus that causes AIDS, the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine researchers said.
More than 15 percent of new HIV infections occur among children. Left untreated, only 65 percent of infected babies survive until their first birthday, and less than 50 percent reach the age of 2, the study authors pointed out in a news release from the University of North Carolina Health Care.
While breast-feeding by HIV-infected mothers is believed to cause a large number of HIV infections in infants, most breast-fed infants do not become infected, despite prolonged and repeated exposure to the virus, researchers have found.
In order to investigate this contradiction, the UNC researchers used humanized mice, which have a fully functioning human immune system and can be infected with HIV in the same manner as humans.
The mice did not become infected when given HIV in whole breast milk from women without HIV, according to the report published June 14 in the online journal PLoS Pathogens.
'This study provides significant insight into the amazing ability of breast milk to destroy HIV and prevent its transmission,' senior author J. Victor Garcia, a professor of medicine in the UNC Center for Infectious Diseases and the UNC Center for AIDS Research, said in the news release.
The research could lead to new ways to prevent HIV transmission, the study authors suggested.
'No child should ever be infected with HIV because it is breast-fed. Breast-feeding provides critical nutrition and protection from other infections, especially where clean water for infant formula is scarce,' Garcia said. 'Understanding how HIV is transmitted to infants and children despite the protective effects of milk will help us close this important door to the spread of AIDS.'
It is important to note that research conducted on animals does not necessarily produce the same results in humans.
More information
The New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center has more about pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
The findings suggest that it may be possible to isolate the compounds in breast milk that destroy HIV and use these to combat the virus that causes AIDS, the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine researchers said.
More than 15 percent of new HIV infections occur among children. Left untreated, only 65 percent of infected babies survive until their first birthday, and less than 50 percent reach the age of 2, the study authors pointed out in a news release from the University of North Carolina Health Care.
While breast-feeding by HIV-infected mothers is believed to cause a large number of HIV infections in infants, most breast-fed infants do not become infected, despite prolonged and repeated exposure to the virus, researchers have found.
In order to investigate this contradiction, the UNC researchers used humanized mice, which have a fully functioning human immune system and can be infected with HIV in the same manner as humans.
The mice did not become infected when given HIV in whole breast milk from women without HIV, according to the report published June 14 in the online journal PLoS Pathogens.
'This study provides significant insight into the amazing ability of breast milk to destroy HIV and prevent its transmission,' senior author J. Victor Garcia, a professor of medicine in the UNC Center for Infectious Diseases and the UNC Center for AIDS Research, said in the news release.
The research could lead to new ways to prevent HIV transmission, the study authors suggested.
'No child should ever be infected with HIV because it is breast-fed. Breast-feeding provides critical nutrition and protection from other infections, especially where clean water for infant formula is scarce,' Garcia said. 'Understanding how HIV is transmitted to infants and children despite the protective effects of milk will help us close this important door to the spread of AIDS.'
It is important to note that research conducted on animals does not necessarily produce the same results in humans.
More information
The New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center has more about pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Birth Control That Uses Combined Hormones Raises Heart Risk: Study
WEDNESDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- Sweeping new research comparing various forms of hormonal contraception -- including birth control pills, vaginal rings and skin patches -- suggests that the risk for heart attacks and strokes is twice as high among users of combined estrogen-progestin versions.
These include brands such as Yasmin and Yaz pills, the NuvaRing vaginal ring and Ortho Evra patches. The overall odds of suffering such debilitating effects, however, are still quite low.
Analyzing 15 years of observational data from more than 1.6 million women aged 15 to 49, Danish scientists found that those taking low-dose estrogen birth control pills combined with various progestins suffered heart attacks and strokes between 1.5 and 2 times more often than women not using hormonal contraception. The risks were between 2.5 and 3 times higher among users of vaginal rings and transdermal patches compared to non-users.
'The first point to take home is that [clotting] complications increase dramatically with increasing age,' said lead author Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Rigshospitalet, a state-run hospital in Copenhagen. 'A doubled risk for thrombotic stroke is not very serious when you are 20 years old, because your risk at baseline is very low. On the other hand, when you are 35 years old or older, the risk is no longer that low, and you should be more careful with choosing those products with the lowest risk of thrombotic complications.'
The study is scheduled to be published June 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The link between combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives and blood clots occurring in either veins or arteries has been studied continually since the formulations were marketed in the 1960s, with estrogen doses lowered in many products in response to research showing increased vascular risks.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in April that birth control pills containing drospirenone -- a man-made version of the hormone progesterone included in products such as Bayer's Yaz or Yasmin -- would require updated labels since these contraceptives may be linked to a higher risk of blood clots. That change pinpointed risks associated with blood clots in veins, however, while the new Danish study focuses on clot risks in arteries.
'Pills are still very beneficial. I wouldn't want a study like this ... to tell us these are dangerous drugs,' said Dr. Kathleen Hoeger, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and director of the Strong Fertility Center at the University of Rochester, in New York. 'The drugs have risks, and those risks are really well-defined. This data gives doctors a lot of confidence to be able to offer advice.'
The study encompasses data from the entire population of Danish women of childbearing age, and was 10 times as large as a similar study in the United States that also assessed the comparative risks of arterial clots among hormonal contraceptive users, said Hoeger, who served on the FDA advisory panel that reviewed Yaz and Yasmin.
Significantly higher rates of heart attack and stroke, which result from clots in arteries, were recorded among women with diabetes and high blood pressure and among those over age 35. The relative odds of suffering a heart attack doubled among those aged 40 to 44 compared to those aged 35 to 39, and increased by an additional one-third thereafter.
Dr. Diana Petitti, a professor of biomedical informatics at Arizona State University in Tempe, said she was struck by the finding that different formulations of progestin didn't dramatically affect the safety profiles of the various hormonal contraceptives studied.
'From the standpoint of arterial vascular disease, the combined [formulations] are essentially equivalent,' said Petitti, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. 'Decision-making should focus more on effectiveness and adherence and not on miniscule differences in the potential for vascular disease. All of the current products on the market are safe enough.'
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about oral contraceptives.
This news article is brought to you by EXOTIC PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
These include brands such as Yasmin and Yaz pills, the NuvaRing vaginal ring and Ortho Evra patches. The overall odds of suffering such debilitating effects, however, are still quite low.
Analyzing 15 years of observational data from more than 1.6 million women aged 15 to 49, Danish scientists found that those taking low-dose estrogen birth control pills combined with various progestins suffered heart attacks and strokes between 1.5 and 2 times more often than women not using hormonal contraception. The risks were between 2.5 and 3 times higher among users of vaginal rings and transdermal patches compared to non-users.
'The first point to take home is that [clotting] complications increase dramatically with increasing age,' said lead author Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Rigshospitalet, a state-run hospital in Copenhagen. 'A doubled risk for thrombotic stroke is not very serious when you are 20 years old, because your risk at baseline is very low. On the other hand, when you are 35 years old or older, the risk is no longer that low, and you should be more careful with choosing those products with the lowest risk of thrombotic complications.'
The study is scheduled to be published June 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The link between combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives and blood clots occurring in either veins or arteries has been studied continually since the formulations were marketed in the 1960s, with estrogen doses lowered in many products in response to research showing increased vascular risks.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in April that birth control pills containing drospirenone -- a man-made version of the hormone progesterone included in products such as Bayer's Yaz or Yasmin -- would require updated labels since these contraceptives may be linked to a higher risk of blood clots. That change pinpointed risks associated with blood clots in veins, however, while the new Danish study focuses on clot risks in arteries.
'Pills are still very beneficial. I wouldn't want a study like this ... to tell us these are dangerous drugs,' said Dr. Kathleen Hoeger, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and director of the Strong Fertility Center at the University of Rochester, in New York. 'The drugs have risks, and those risks are really well-defined. This data gives doctors a lot of confidence to be able to offer advice.'
The study encompasses data from the entire population of Danish women of childbearing age, and was 10 times as large as a similar study in the United States that also assessed the comparative risks of arterial clots among hormonal contraceptive users, said Hoeger, who served on the FDA advisory panel that reviewed Yaz and Yasmin.
Significantly higher rates of heart attack and stroke, which result from clots in arteries, were recorded among women with diabetes and high blood pressure and among those over age 35. The relative odds of suffering a heart attack doubled among those aged 40 to 44 compared to those aged 35 to 39, and increased by an additional one-third thereafter.
Dr. Diana Petitti, a professor of biomedical informatics at Arizona State University in Tempe, said she was struck by the finding that different formulations of progestin didn't dramatically affect the safety profiles of the various hormonal contraceptives studied.
'From the standpoint of arterial vascular disease, the combined [formulations] are essentially equivalent,' said Petitti, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. 'Decision-making should focus more on effectiveness and adherence and not on miniscule differences in the potential for vascular disease. All of the current products on the market are safe enough.'
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about oral contraceptives.
This news article is brought to you by EXOTIC PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Might Boost Men's Sex Lives
WEDNESDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- In younger men, sleep apnea and impotence often go hand in hand. But a small study finds that treating the sleep disorder with a mechanical device can jump-start a guy's sex life.
Erectile dysfunction resolved in 17 of 42 men who used machines that maintain air flow throughout the night. And even those without sexual dysfunction who used the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices reported a boost in sexual performance, the study found.
While earlier studies have produced similar results, this one is especially strong, said Dr. Steven Park, an ear, nose and throat physician and sleep medicine specialist familiar with the new findings.
The study 'has huge implications,' said Park, of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. 'If you snore or you're tired and you're having intimacy issues, consider getting tested for obstructive sleep apnea,' he said.
Sleep apnea treatments have revitalized his male patients, Park noted. 'In my practice, one of the most common comments is that they're having erections again upon wakening in the morning,' he said.
'Bed partners report improved relations,' Park added.
The National Sleep Foundation estimates that 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, but 90 percent may not know it.
People with sleep apnea subconsciously awaken many times a night -- even dozens of times an hour -- because their airways close, disrupting their breathing. Sleep apnea sufferers often snore heavily and are tired during the day.
Erectile dysfunction is common among men with sleep apnea, said Park, author of the book Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired.
'Having multiple breathing pauses at night causes a massive stress response, increasing your fight-or-flight response, and reproductive function is your last priority when you're being chased by a tiger or in even fighting off an attack,' Park said.
'Also, arousal and erection are activated by the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls digestion and reproduction, so too much stress will lessen these functions,' he explained.
In the new study, researchers at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., followed 92 men, average age 46, who began using CPAP machines after being diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. While sleeping, patients wear masks connected to machines that send pressurized air into the throat to keep the airway open throughout the night.
The average participant was overweight. Forty-six percent reported erectile dysfunction, and 27 percent said they had diminished libido.
After six months, the researchers found that sexual function and satisfaction improved in the CPAP device users, and erectile dysfunction vanished in 41 percent of those who'd had erection issues.
Joyce Walsleben, a sleep medicine specialist and associate professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, said the devices probably boost energy by improving sleep.
'It may well have to do with increased oxygen and the production of hormones and other neurotransmitters being reset,' Walsleben said.
CPAP machines aren't for everyone. They're expensive -- prices range from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000 -- and some sleep apnea patients can't tolerate them. However, other treatments, such as surgery, exist for sleep apnea.
As for whether wearing a mask-and-hose getup ruins the mood in bed, Walsleben had this to say: 'I can tell you that from people I know with the device, happy bed partners are much more interested in sex -- before or after sleep -- than those who are fighting over snoring or sleeping in separate rooms.'
The study -- scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston -- doesn't prove that CPAP will boost a man's performance, or resolve sexual dysfunction. It merely shows an association between apnea treatment and a happier sex life.
Treating sleep apnea often improves other risks associated with the sleep disorder, including high blood pressure.
Data and conclusions of research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on sleep apnea.
This news article is brought to you by AUTOMOTIVE - where latest news are our top priority.
Erectile dysfunction resolved in 17 of 42 men who used machines that maintain air flow throughout the night. And even those without sexual dysfunction who used the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices reported a boost in sexual performance, the study found.
While earlier studies have produced similar results, this one is especially strong, said Dr. Steven Park, an ear, nose and throat physician and sleep medicine specialist familiar with the new findings.
The study 'has huge implications,' said Park, of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. 'If you snore or you're tired and you're having intimacy issues, consider getting tested for obstructive sleep apnea,' he said.
Sleep apnea treatments have revitalized his male patients, Park noted. 'In my practice, one of the most common comments is that they're having erections again upon wakening in the morning,' he said.
'Bed partners report improved relations,' Park added.
The National Sleep Foundation estimates that 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, but 90 percent may not know it.
People with sleep apnea subconsciously awaken many times a night -- even dozens of times an hour -- because their airways close, disrupting their breathing. Sleep apnea sufferers often snore heavily and are tired during the day.
Erectile dysfunction is common among men with sleep apnea, said Park, author of the book Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired.
'Having multiple breathing pauses at night causes a massive stress response, increasing your fight-or-flight response, and reproductive function is your last priority when you're being chased by a tiger or in even fighting off an attack,' Park said.
'Also, arousal and erection are activated by the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls digestion and reproduction, so too much stress will lessen these functions,' he explained.
In the new study, researchers at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., followed 92 men, average age 46, who began using CPAP machines after being diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. While sleeping, patients wear masks connected to machines that send pressurized air into the throat to keep the airway open throughout the night.
The average participant was overweight. Forty-six percent reported erectile dysfunction, and 27 percent said they had diminished libido.
After six months, the researchers found that sexual function and satisfaction improved in the CPAP device users, and erectile dysfunction vanished in 41 percent of those who'd had erection issues.
Joyce Walsleben, a sleep medicine specialist and associate professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, said the devices probably boost energy by improving sleep.
'It may well have to do with increased oxygen and the production of hormones and other neurotransmitters being reset,' Walsleben said.
CPAP machines aren't for everyone. They're expensive -- prices range from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000 -- and some sleep apnea patients can't tolerate them. However, other treatments, such as surgery, exist for sleep apnea.
As for whether wearing a mask-and-hose getup ruins the mood in bed, Walsleben had this to say: 'I can tell you that from people I know with the device, happy bed partners are much more interested in sex -- before or after sleep -- than those who are fighting over snoring or sleeping in separate rooms.'
The study -- scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston -- doesn't prove that CPAP will boost a man's performance, or resolve sexual dysfunction. It merely shows an association between apnea treatment and a happier sex life.
Treating sleep apnea often improves other risks associated with the sleep disorder, including high blood pressure.
Data and conclusions of research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on sleep apnea.
This news article is brought to you by AUTOMOTIVE - where latest news are our top priority.
HIV may have returned in 'cured' patient: scientists
An American man whose HIV seemed to disappear after a blood marrow transplant for leukemia may be showing new hints of the disease, sparking debate over whether a cure was really achieved.
Scientists disagree over the latest findings on Timothy Brown, also known as the 'Berlin patient,' presented at a conference in Spain last week, according to a report in the journal Science's ScienceInsider blog.
Brown was given bone marrow transplants in 2006 that appeared to eradicate the human immunodeficiency virus from his body, leading his doctors to declare a 'cure of HIV has been achieved' in the peer-reviewed journal Blood in 2010.
The transplants came from a donor with an unusual genetic mutation that is naturally resistant to HIV. About one in 100 Caucasian people have this mutation which prevents the molecule CCR5 from appearing on the cell surface.
The latest debate arose after virologist Steven Yukl of the University of California, San Francisco, gave a talk on June 8 at the International Workshop on HIV & Hepatitis Virus.
Yukl 'highlighted the difficulties that they and several labs they collaborated with have had determining if Brown truly had eradicated the virus from his body,' said the ScienceInsider report.
'There are some signals of the virus and we don't know if they are real or contamination, and, at this point, we can't say for sure whether there's been complete eradication of HIV,' Yukl was quoted as saying by ScienceInsider.
'The point of the presentation was to raise the question of how do we define a cure and, at this level of detection, how do we know the signal is real?'
However, some scientists interpreted the presentation to mean that a cure was not actually achieved, and that Brown may even have been re-infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Alain Lafeuillade of the General Hospital in Toulon, France, issued a press release that described how Yukl and colleagues 'challenged these results as they showed persistence of low levels of HIV viremia in this patient, and HIV DNA in his rectal cells.'
He noted that 'these HIV strains were found to be different from those initially present in this patient back in 2006, and different from each other.'
While that could mean the HIV has 'evolved and persist(ed) over the last 5 years, these data also raise the possibility that the patient has been re-infected,' Lafeuillade wrote.
'More studies are in progress to know if this seronegative HIV individual can infect other subjects if he has unsafe sex,' he concluded.
Yukl, quoted by ScienceInsider, said Lafeuillade misinterpreted the presentation.
''We weren't trying to say HIV was still there or he hadn't been cured,' he said, noting the talk centered on how to interpret very sensitive test results on Brown's blood cells, plasma and rectal tissue.
One of his collaborators, Douglas Richman of the University of California, San Diego, said he believes researchers have picked up contaminants.
'If you do enough cycles of PCR (polymerase chain reaction), you can get a signal in water for pink elephants,' Richman was quoted as saying.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
Scientists disagree over the latest findings on Timothy Brown, also known as the 'Berlin patient,' presented at a conference in Spain last week, according to a report in the journal Science's ScienceInsider blog.
Brown was given bone marrow transplants in 2006 that appeared to eradicate the human immunodeficiency virus from his body, leading his doctors to declare a 'cure of HIV has been achieved' in the peer-reviewed journal Blood in 2010.
The transplants came from a donor with an unusual genetic mutation that is naturally resistant to HIV. About one in 100 Caucasian people have this mutation which prevents the molecule CCR5 from appearing on the cell surface.
The latest debate arose after virologist Steven Yukl of the University of California, San Francisco, gave a talk on June 8 at the International Workshop on HIV & Hepatitis Virus.
Yukl 'highlighted the difficulties that they and several labs they collaborated with have had determining if Brown truly had eradicated the virus from his body,' said the ScienceInsider report.
'There are some signals of the virus and we don't know if they are real or contamination, and, at this point, we can't say for sure whether there's been complete eradication of HIV,' Yukl was quoted as saying by ScienceInsider.
'The point of the presentation was to raise the question of how do we define a cure and, at this level of detection, how do we know the signal is real?'
However, some scientists interpreted the presentation to mean that a cure was not actually achieved, and that Brown may even have been re-infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Alain Lafeuillade of the General Hospital in Toulon, France, issued a press release that described how Yukl and colleagues 'challenged these results as they showed persistence of low levels of HIV viremia in this patient, and HIV DNA in his rectal cells.'
He noted that 'these HIV strains were found to be different from those initially present in this patient back in 2006, and different from each other.'
While that could mean the HIV has 'evolved and persist(ed) over the last 5 years, these data also raise the possibility that the patient has been re-infected,' Lafeuillade wrote.
'More studies are in progress to know if this seronegative HIV individual can infect other subjects if he has unsafe sex,' he concluded.
Yukl, quoted by ScienceInsider, said Lafeuillade misinterpreted the presentation.
''We weren't trying to say HIV was still there or he hadn't been cured,' he said, noting the talk centered on how to interpret very sensitive test results on Brown's blood cells, plasma and rectal tissue.
One of his collaborators, Douglas Richman of the University of California, San Diego, said he believes researchers have picked up contaminants.
'If you do enough cycles of PCR (polymerase chain reaction), you can get a signal in water for pink elephants,' Richman was quoted as saying.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Superbug gonorrhea spreading across Europe
LONDON (Reuters) - 'Superbug' strains of gonorrhea which are becoming untreatable accounted for almost one in 10 cases of the sexually transmitted disease in Europe in 2010, more than double the rate of the year before, health officials said on Monday.
The drug-resistant strains are also spreading fast across the continent, officials warned. They were found in 17 European countries in 2010, seven more than in the previous year.
Gonorrhea was the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Europe in 2010, with more than 32,000 infections, data from the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) showed.
Even though chlamydia was the most frequently reported STI, with more than 345,000 cases, the ECDC's director singled out gonorrhea as presenting a 'critical situation'.
Marc Sprenger said the increase in cases of superbug strains meant there was a risk gonorrhea may become an untreatable disease in the near future.
The proportion of gonorrhea cases with resistance to the antibiotic recommended to treat the disease, cefixime, rose from 4 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2010.
The ECDC report follows a warning from the World Health Organisation that virtually untreatable forms of drug-resistant gonorrhea were spreading around the world.
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection which, if left untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, severe eye infections in babies, and infertility in men and women.
VIGILANT
It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and is most prevalent in South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
In the United States alone, the number of cases is estimated at about 700,000 a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The emergence of drug-resistant gonorrhea is caused by unregulated access to and overuse of antibiotics, which help fuel genetic mutations within the bacteria.
'Public health experts and clinicians need to be aware of the current critical situation and should be vigilant for treatment failures,' Sprenger said in a statement.
Experts say the best way to reduce the risk of even greater resistance developing - beyond the urgent need to develop new drugs - is to rapidly and accurately diagnose the disease and then treat it with combinations of two or more types of antibiotics at the same time.
This technique is used in the treatment of some other infections like tuberculosis in an attempt to make it more difficult for the bacteria to learn how to overcome the drugs.
The ECDC's sexually transmitted infections report covered data and trends on five STIs - syphilis, congenital syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) - in the EU and European Economic Area from 1990 to 2010.
It found diverging trends in sexually transmitted diseases across Europe, with a rapidly increasing trend for chlamydia and slightly decreasing trends for gonorrhea and syphilis.
Genital chlamydia infections are caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria which can irreversibly damage a woman's reproductive organs.
Although the disease is easily treated with antibiotics, infections can remain undiagnosed because many patients - 70 percent of women and 50 percent of men - have no symptoms and so are unaware they are carrying and passing on the infection.
(Editing by Pravin Char)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
The drug-resistant strains are also spreading fast across the continent, officials warned. They were found in 17 European countries in 2010, seven more than in the previous year.
Gonorrhea was the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Europe in 2010, with more than 32,000 infections, data from the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) showed.
Even though chlamydia was the most frequently reported STI, with more than 345,000 cases, the ECDC's director singled out gonorrhea as presenting a 'critical situation'.
Marc Sprenger said the increase in cases of superbug strains meant there was a risk gonorrhea may become an untreatable disease in the near future.
The proportion of gonorrhea cases with resistance to the antibiotic recommended to treat the disease, cefixime, rose from 4 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2010.
The ECDC report follows a warning from the World Health Organisation that virtually untreatable forms of drug-resistant gonorrhea were spreading around the world.
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection which, if left untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, severe eye infections in babies, and infertility in men and women.
VIGILANT
It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and is most prevalent in South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
In the United States alone, the number of cases is estimated at about 700,000 a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The emergence of drug-resistant gonorrhea is caused by unregulated access to and overuse of antibiotics, which help fuel genetic mutations within the bacteria.
'Public health experts and clinicians need to be aware of the current critical situation and should be vigilant for treatment failures,' Sprenger said in a statement.
Experts say the best way to reduce the risk of even greater resistance developing - beyond the urgent need to develop new drugs - is to rapidly and accurately diagnose the disease and then treat it with combinations of two or more types of antibiotics at the same time.
This technique is used in the treatment of some other infections like tuberculosis in an attempt to make it more difficult for the bacteria to learn how to overcome the drugs.
The ECDC's sexually transmitted infections report covered data and trends on five STIs - syphilis, congenital syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) - in the EU and European Economic Area from 1990 to 2010.
It found diverging trends in sexually transmitted diseases across Europe, with a rapidly increasing trend for chlamydia and slightly decreasing trends for gonorrhea and syphilis.
Genital chlamydia infections are caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria which can irreversibly damage a woman's reproductive organs.
Although the disease is easily treated with antibiotics, infections can remain undiagnosed because many patients - 70 percent of women and 50 percent of men - have no symptoms and so are unaware they are carrying and passing on the infection.
(Editing by Pravin Char)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Study Digs Into Secrets of Keeping HIV in Check
SUNDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- A small number of HIV-infected patients have immune systems that are able to keep AIDS at bay by preventing the virus from reproducing for years, and researchers are reporting that they've gained new insight into how that works.
These fortunate patients, known as 'elite controllers' or 'long-term non-progressors,' are quite rare. They've long fascinated scientists who want to understand the secrets lurking inside their immune cells. Researchers trying to develop an AIDS vaccine are especially interested in these special patients.
The key seems to be that certain cells in the immune systems of these people are better able to detect and kill cells that are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, said study co-author Dr. Bruce Walker, a professor at Harvard School of Public Health.
In essence, he said, they have better 'glasses' than the same cells in patients who can't fight off the virus as well. These cells are better able to 'see' signs of trouble from infected cells that send out a kind of distress signal.
The new research shows that 'there's a way to measure what's good vision and what's bad vision,' Walker said. 'We can immediately start looking at vaccine candidates to see if our techniques of training these killer cells are leading to really good vision or not. We can also try to understand what it is that's impaired the vision in some of these patients and allowed for good vision to develop in others.'
The researchers came to their conclusions after studying the blood of five 'elite controllers' and five normal HIV patients.
Only about one in 200 or 300 HIV patients is able to naturally keep the virus from developing into AIDS without the help of medications, Walker noted. One person has been fending off AIDS since 1978.
'We can't be sure that everybody who achieves this state is actually going to persist in it, but it certainly looks like the vast majority of them will,' he said.
Nitin Saksena, head of the retroviral genetics division at Westmead Millennium Institute's Center for Virus Research in Sydney, Australia, said the study needs to be confirmed by other research, and it has limitations, such as the small number of patients involved. It's important to consider that 'elite controllers' are quite different from each other, Saksena added.
Dr. Mark Connors, chief of the HIV-specific immunity section with the Laboratory of Immunoregulation of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, questioned the study results, saying they don't demonstrate why the killer immune cells work more effectively in the elite controllers. Essentially, Connors doesn't think the study authors discovered why the cells have better 'vision.'
Study co-author Walker, however, said the research is valuable: 'This is another example of HIV revealing its secrets. Having been in this field for 30 years, the remarkable thing is that we just keep learning more.'
The study is published in the June 10 online edition of Nature Immunology.
More information
For more about HIV, try the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This news article is brought to you by GAY-LESBIAN - where latest news are our top priority.
These fortunate patients, known as 'elite controllers' or 'long-term non-progressors,' are quite rare. They've long fascinated scientists who want to understand the secrets lurking inside their immune cells. Researchers trying to develop an AIDS vaccine are especially interested in these special patients.
The key seems to be that certain cells in the immune systems of these people are better able to detect and kill cells that are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, said study co-author Dr. Bruce Walker, a professor at Harvard School of Public Health.
In essence, he said, they have better 'glasses' than the same cells in patients who can't fight off the virus as well. These cells are better able to 'see' signs of trouble from infected cells that send out a kind of distress signal.
The new research shows that 'there's a way to measure what's good vision and what's bad vision,' Walker said. 'We can immediately start looking at vaccine candidates to see if our techniques of training these killer cells are leading to really good vision or not. We can also try to understand what it is that's impaired the vision in some of these patients and allowed for good vision to develop in others.'
The researchers came to their conclusions after studying the blood of five 'elite controllers' and five normal HIV patients.
Only about one in 200 or 300 HIV patients is able to naturally keep the virus from developing into AIDS without the help of medications, Walker noted. One person has been fending off AIDS since 1978.
'We can't be sure that everybody who achieves this state is actually going to persist in it, but it certainly looks like the vast majority of them will,' he said.
Nitin Saksena, head of the retroviral genetics division at Westmead Millennium Institute's Center for Virus Research in Sydney, Australia, said the study needs to be confirmed by other research, and it has limitations, such as the small number of patients involved. It's important to consider that 'elite controllers' are quite different from each other, Saksena added.
Dr. Mark Connors, chief of the HIV-specific immunity section with the Laboratory of Immunoregulation of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, questioned the study results, saying they don't demonstrate why the killer immune cells work more effectively in the elite controllers. Essentially, Connors doesn't think the study authors discovered why the cells have better 'vision.'
Study co-author Walker, however, said the research is valuable: 'This is another example of HIV revealing its secrets. Having been in this field for 30 years, the remarkable thing is that we just keep learning more.'
The study is published in the June 10 online edition of Nature Immunology.
More information
For more about HIV, try the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This news article is brought to you by GAY-LESBIAN - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, June 8, 2012
FDA delays decision on first drug to prevent HIV
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal health regulators have delayed a decision on whether to approve the first pill shown to prevent HIV infection, the drug's manufacturer says.
Gilead Sciences disclosed Friday that the Food and Drug Administration will take three more months to review its application for Truvada, after the company submitted additional materials to the agency earlier this month.
In May, a panel of experts recommended approval of the daily pill for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men. The vote was nonbinding, though the FDA often follows the group's advice.
Gilead said it submitted updated information on its planned safety materials for patients and doctors using the drug. The FDA typically extends its reviews after receiving such information.
The FDA is now expected to rule by Sept. 14, the company said in a statement.
Gilead Sciences Inc., based in Foster City, Calif., has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus. The medication is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread.
Truvada made headlines in 2010, when government researchers showed it could actually prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. Last year another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.
An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which develops into AIDS unless treated with antiviral drugs. AIDS causes the body's immune system to break down, leading to infections which are eventually fatal. Gay and bisexual men account for the majority of cases - nearly two-thirds.
Because Truvada is on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already prescribe it as a preventive measure. FDA approval would allow Gilead Sciences to formally market its drug for that use.
But Truvada's groundbreaking preventive ability has exposed stark disagreements on prevention among those in the HIV community. While Truvada's supporters say the drug is an important new option to stop the spread of AIDS, critics worry that the drug could give users a false sense of security and encourage risky behavior.
Groups including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation have asked the FDA to reject the new indication, saying it could reduce use of condoms, the most consistently reliable prevention against HIV.
The number of new HIV infections in the U.S. has held steady for 15 years at about 50,000 per year. With no vaccine in sight and an estimated 240,000 HIV carriers unaware of their status, most doctors and patients say new methods are needed to fight the spread of the virus.
This news article is brought to you by PET-FRIENDLY-RENTALS - where latest news are our top priority.
Gilead Sciences disclosed Friday that the Food and Drug Administration will take three more months to review its application for Truvada, after the company submitted additional materials to the agency earlier this month.
In May, a panel of experts recommended approval of the daily pill for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men. The vote was nonbinding, though the FDA often follows the group's advice.
Gilead said it submitted updated information on its planned safety materials for patients and doctors using the drug. The FDA typically extends its reviews after receiving such information.
The FDA is now expected to rule by Sept. 14, the company said in a statement.
Gilead Sciences Inc., based in Foster City, Calif., has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus. The medication is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread.
Truvada made headlines in 2010, when government researchers showed it could actually prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. Last year another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.
An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which develops into AIDS unless treated with antiviral drugs. AIDS causes the body's immune system to break down, leading to infections which are eventually fatal. Gay and bisexual men account for the majority of cases - nearly two-thirds.
Because Truvada is on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already prescribe it as a preventive measure. FDA approval would allow Gilead Sciences to formally market its drug for that use.
But Truvada's groundbreaking preventive ability has exposed stark disagreements on prevention among those in the HIV community. While Truvada's supporters say the drug is an important new option to stop the spread of AIDS, critics worry that the drug could give users a false sense of security and encourage risky behavior.
Groups including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation have asked the FDA to reject the new indication, saying it could reduce use of condoms, the most consistently reliable prevention against HIV.
The number of new HIV infections in the U.S. has held steady for 15 years at about 50,000 per year. With no vaccine in sight and an estimated 240,000 HIV carriers unaware of their status, most doctors and patients say new methods are needed to fight the spread of the virus.
This news article is brought to you by PET-FRIENDLY-RENTALS - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ritual in Some Jewish Circumcisions Raises Risk of Herpes Infection: Report
THURSDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- The practice of 'oral-genital suction' performed during some Orthodox Jewish circumcision ceremonies could leave the infant with a potentially fatal herpes virus infection, health officials warn.
New York City and federal health authorities issued a public advisory Thursday cautioning against the sucking practice because it has been linked to 11 infants becoming infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 since 2000. Ten of the infected newborns were hospitalized, two developed brain damage and two died, the health officials said.
A newborn can become infected when the adult performing the circumcision places his mouth on the circumcision wound to siphon blood away from the cut. The ritual is only embraced by a handful of sects within the Orthodox Jewish community, according to New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.
'There is no safe way to perform oral suction on any open wound in a newborn,' Farley said in a news release. 'Parents considering ritual Jewish circumcision need to know that circumcision should only be performed under sterile conditions, like any other procedures that create open cuts, whether by mohelim [the circumciser] or medical professionals.'
A report on the infections also appears in the June 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Almost 80 percent of adults carry the herpes simplex virus type 1, which is usually spread orally through common activities and is different from the sexually transmitted type 2 version of the virus. The common cold sore is a typical sign of infection with the herpes simplex virus type 1, but most people don't know they are infected because they have no history of symptoms, officials said.
In six of the 11 circumcision cases, health care providers confirmed that the suction ritual had taken place, although there was evidence of a connection in the other five cases. The ritual more than tripled the risk of infection among newborns getting circumcised, the CDC report stated.
New York's deputy health commissioner, Dr. Jay Varma, said: 'The [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene] has been concerned about this problem for some time. And so we are taking the approach right now to try and educate parents and the community about the dangers of this very specific procedure.
'The infections we're talking about are not the ones people normally associate with sexual type interaction,' he added. 'Many actually acquire herpes type 1 when they are children, because it can be gotten through very casual contact. This causes what people commonly call cold sores in the mouth.
'We're not implying in any way that these mohel [circumcisers] have done anything untoward in a sexual context,' Varma said. 'The point is that regardless if you're a mohel or someone else, having direct contact with the mouth and an open wound is a hazard.'
To highlight the risks involved, Varma cited an incident in 2004 when twin boys were diagnosed with herpes following oral-genital suction during circumcision. About two weeks later, both babies developed fevers and lesions around their genitals, buttocks and abdomen. One of boys later died.
The boys' mother and hospital staffers were ruled out as a possible source of infection.
Dr. Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and pathology at New York University Medical Center, said the sucking practice is a 'bad idea.'
'There are about 500 different microorganisms in the human mouth,' he said. 'So, I think it's insanity. It's not only unhygienic, but it can potentially kill the child. So, for the protection of children this is a practice that should be discontinued.'
More information
For more on herpes, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
New York City and federal health authorities issued a public advisory Thursday cautioning against the sucking practice because it has been linked to 11 infants becoming infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 since 2000. Ten of the infected newborns were hospitalized, two developed brain damage and two died, the health officials said.
A newborn can become infected when the adult performing the circumcision places his mouth on the circumcision wound to siphon blood away from the cut. The ritual is only embraced by a handful of sects within the Orthodox Jewish community, according to New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.
'There is no safe way to perform oral suction on any open wound in a newborn,' Farley said in a news release. 'Parents considering ritual Jewish circumcision need to know that circumcision should only be performed under sterile conditions, like any other procedures that create open cuts, whether by mohelim [the circumciser] or medical professionals.'
A report on the infections also appears in the June 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Almost 80 percent of adults carry the herpes simplex virus type 1, which is usually spread orally through common activities and is different from the sexually transmitted type 2 version of the virus. The common cold sore is a typical sign of infection with the herpes simplex virus type 1, but most people don't know they are infected because they have no history of symptoms, officials said.
In six of the 11 circumcision cases, health care providers confirmed that the suction ritual had taken place, although there was evidence of a connection in the other five cases. The ritual more than tripled the risk of infection among newborns getting circumcised, the CDC report stated.
New York's deputy health commissioner, Dr. Jay Varma, said: 'The [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene] has been concerned about this problem for some time. And so we are taking the approach right now to try and educate parents and the community about the dangers of this very specific procedure.
'The infections we're talking about are not the ones people normally associate with sexual type interaction,' he added. 'Many actually acquire herpes type 1 when they are children, because it can be gotten through very casual contact. This causes what people commonly call cold sores in the mouth.
'We're not implying in any way that these mohel [circumcisers] have done anything untoward in a sexual context,' Varma said. 'The point is that regardless if you're a mohel or someone else, having direct contact with the mouth and an open wound is a hazard.'
To highlight the risks involved, Varma cited an incident in 2004 when twin boys were diagnosed with herpes following oral-genital suction during circumcision. About two weeks later, both babies developed fevers and lesions around their genitals, buttocks and abdomen. One of boys later died.
The boys' mother and hospital staffers were ruled out as a possible source of infection.
Dr. Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and pathology at New York University Medical Center, said the sucking practice is a 'bad idea.'
'There are about 500 different microorganisms in the human mouth,' he said. 'So, I think it's insanity. It's not only unhygienic, but it can potentially kill the child. So, for the protection of children this is a practice that should be discontinued.'
More information
For more on herpes, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Glaxo, Xenoport's drug gets FDA nod for new use
(Reuters) - Drugmaker XenoPort Inc and its partner GlaxoSmithKline Plc said the U.S. health regulator approved their drug to treat shingles related nerve pain that may cause disability in some people.
XenoPort will get a milestone payment of $10 million from Glaxo following first sales of the drug, Horizant, to treat post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.
Post-herpetic neuralgia follows the healing of an outbreak of herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles.
Around a million people in the United States develop shingles each year and about 10 percent of those develop PHN.
Horizant, co-developed by XenoPort and Glaxo, is already approved to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS) in the United States, but is not recommended for RLS patients who sleep during the day and remain awake at night.
In a 12-week, controlled study on patients with PHN, drowsiness and dizziness were the most frequently reported side effects.
Shares in Xenoport, which has a market capitalization of about $217 million, were up 7 percent premarket on Thursday. They closed at $6.07 on Wednesday on the Nasdaq.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler in London and Balaji Sridharan in Bangalore; Editing by Kate Kelland, Roshni Menon)
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XenoPort will get a milestone payment of $10 million from Glaxo following first sales of the drug, Horizant, to treat post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.
Post-herpetic neuralgia follows the healing of an outbreak of herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles.
Around a million people in the United States develop shingles each year and about 10 percent of those develop PHN.
Horizant, co-developed by XenoPort and Glaxo, is already approved to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS) in the United States, but is not recommended for RLS patients who sleep during the day and remain awake at night.
In a 12-week, controlled study on patients with PHN, drowsiness and dizziness were the most frequently reported side effects.
Shares in Xenoport, which has a market capitalization of about $217 million, were up 7 percent premarket on Thursday. They closed at $6.07 on Wednesday on the Nasdaq.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler in London and Balaji Sridharan in Bangalore; Editing by Kate Kelland, Roshni Menon)
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sandoz recalls some Introvale birth control pills
(Reuters) - Novartis AG's unit Sandoz is voluntarily recalling 10 lots of its generic Introvale birth control pills after a consumer recently reported a packaging flaw.
Sandoz said in a post on its website on Tuesday that it decided on the recall after a consumer reported that white placebo tablets were mistakenly placed in the wrong row of a 13-row card.
'While the white placebo tablets can be clearly distinguished from the peach-colored active tablets, the risk of an unintended pregnancy for a patient taking the wrong tablet over several days cannot be excluded,' Sandoz said, noting it is not aware of any adverse events stemming from the flaw.
The lot numbers involved in the recall are: LF00478C, LF00479C, LF00551C, LF00552C, LF00687C, LF00688C, LF00763C, LF00764C, LF00765C and LF01261C. These lots were distributed only in the United States between January 2011 and May 2012, Sandoz said.
If a patient finds a white placebo tablet in any position other than the 13th and final row, for the 13th week, she should immediately start using a non-hormonal form of contraception, according to a notice sent out on Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(Reporting By Phil Wahba; editing by Andre Grenon)
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Sandoz said in a post on its website on Tuesday that it decided on the recall after a consumer reported that white placebo tablets were mistakenly placed in the wrong row of a 13-row card.
'While the white placebo tablets can be clearly distinguished from the peach-colored active tablets, the risk of an unintended pregnancy for a patient taking the wrong tablet over several days cannot be excluded,' Sandoz said, noting it is not aware of any adverse events stemming from the flaw.
The lot numbers involved in the recall are: LF00478C, LF00479C, LF00551C, LF00552C, LF00687C, LF00688C, LF00763C, LF00764C, LF00765C and LF01261C. These lots were distributed only in the United States between January 2011 and May 2012, Sandoz said.
If a patient finds a white placebo tablet in any position other than the 13th and final row, for the 13th week, she should immediately start using a non-hormonal form of contraception, according to a notice sent out on Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(Reporting By Phil Wahba; editing by Andre Grenon)
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Drug-resistant gonorrhoea on the rise, warns WHO
The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday of a spreading resistance to drugs used to treat the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea.
Millions of people with the condition may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations agency said.
Several countries, including Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Norway, and Sweden have reported cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics -- the last treatment option against gonorrhoea, which affects an estimated 106 million people.
The WHO has called for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments.
Resistance can be caused by the overuse and poor quality of antibiotics.
'We are very concerned,' said Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, from the WHO's reproductive health unit, 'as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development.'
'If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.'
Untreated gonorrhoea can cause infertility in both men and women.
This news article is brought to you by BUSINESS AND TRAVEL - where latest news are our top priority.
Millions of people with the condition may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations agency said.
Several countries, including Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Norway, and Sweden have reported cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics -- the last treatment option against gonorrhoea, which affects an estimated 106 million people.
The WHO has called for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments.
Resistance can be caused by the overuse and poor quality of antibiotics.
'We are very concerned,' said Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, from the WHO's reproductive health unit, 'as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development.'
'If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.'
Untreated gonorrhoea can cause infertility in both men and women.
This news article is brought to you by BUSINESS AND TRAVEL - where latest news are our top priority.
Gonorrhea growing resistant to drugs, WHO warns
GENEVA (AP) - A sexually transmitted disease that infects millions of people each year is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse or incorrect use of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment due to a mutation that makes them resistant then quickly spread their genes in an accelerated process of natural selection. This is a general problem affecting all antibiotics, but gonorrhea is particularly quick to adapt because it is good at picking up snippets of DNA from other bacteria, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'If it didn't do so much damage it would actually be a fun organism to study,' she said.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Australia, France, Sweden and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
'I think this is probably only the tip of the iceberg,' said Prof. Catherine Ison, who oversees the national surveillance program for treatment of resistant gonorrhea in England and Wales.
The over-the-counter availability of low potency antibiotics in some Asian countries is one of the reasons why resistance is increasing, she said.
Doctors in Britain are now switching to using a combination of antibiotics over a longer period of time to combat resistant gonorrhea, said Ison, who is based at the UK's Health Protection Agency.
The Geneva-based WHO wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse or incorrect use of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment due to a mutation that makes them resistant then quickly spread their genes in an accelerated process of natural selection. This is a general problem affecting all antibiotics, but gonorrhea is particularly quick to adapt because it is good at picking up snippets of DNA from other bacteria, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'If it didn't do so much damage it would actually be a fun organism to study,' she said.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Australia, France, Sweden and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
'I think this is probably only the tip of the iceberg,' said Prof. Catherine Ison, who oversees the national surveillance program for treatment of resistant gonorrhea in England and Wales.
The over-the-counter availability of low potency antibiotics in some Asian countries is one of the reasons why resistance is increasing, she said.
Doctors in Britain are now switching to using a combination of antibiotics over a longer period of time to combat resistant gonorrhea, said Ison, who is based at the UK's Health Protection Agency.
The Geneva-based WHO wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Spreading: WHO
WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Gonorrhea, the second most common sexually transmitted disease, is rapidly growing resistant to the last class of antibiotics that can effectively treat the infection, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday.
A number of countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, are reporting cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. The infection can lead to a series of serious health problems for both men and women, including infertility, increased risk of HIV infection, and potentially blinding eye infections in newborns, the WHO said.
Every year some 106 million people around the world are infected with gonorrhea, the U.N. health agency said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700,000 people in the United States get new gonorrhea infections each year and less than half of these infections are reported to CDC.
In recommendations released Wednesday, the WHO called for greater oversight on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments for infections. The agency's Global Action Plan also urges increased monitoring and reporting of resistant strains of the disease, as well as better prevention, diagnosis and control of infections.
'Gonorrhea is becoming a major public health challenge, due to the high incidence of infections accompanied by dwindling treatment options,' Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, of WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in a news release.
'The available data only shows the tip of the iceberg. Without adequate surveillance we won't know the extent of resistance to gonorrhea and without research into new antimicrobial agents, there could soon be no effective treatment for patients,' she added.
Gonorrhea accounts for one quarter of the four major, curable sexually transmitted diseases, WHO noted, and it's the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia.
Since the development of antibiotics, gonorrhea has developed resistance to a variety of antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracyclines, and appears to be developing resistance to cephalosporins, the last line of drug defense, the agency said.
'We are very concerned about recent reports of treatment failure from the last effective treatment option -- the class of cephalosporin antibiotics --as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development,' Lusti-Narasimhan said. 'If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.'
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to health problems for men, women and newborns, the WHO said, including: infection of the urethra, cervix and rectum; infertility in both men and women; increased risk of HIV infection and transmission; ectopic pregnancies; miscarriage, stillbirths and premature deliveries; and severe eye infections in up to 50 percent of babies born to women with untreated gonorrhea that can lead to blindness.
Gonorrhea can be prevented through safe sex practices. Early detection and treatment, including of sex partners, is essential to control sexually transmitted diseases, WHO said.
More information
For more on gonorrhea, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
A number of countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, are reporting cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. The infection can lead to a series of serious health problems for both men and women, including infertility, increased risk of HIV infection, and potentially blinding eye infections in newborns, the WHO said.
Every year some 106 million people around the world are infected with gonorrhea, the U.N. health agency said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700,000 people in the United States get new gonorrhea infections each year and less than half of these infections are reported to CDC.
In recommendations released Wednesday, the WHO called for greater oversight on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments for infections. The agency's Global Action Plan also urges increased monitoring and reporting of resistant strains of the disease, as well as better prevention, diagnosis and control of infections.
'Gonorrhea is becoming a major public health challenge, due to the high incidence of infections accompanied by dwindling treatment options,' Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, of WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in a news release.
'The available data only shows the tip of the iceberg. Without adequate surveillance we won't know the extent of resistance to gonorrhea and without research into new antimicrobial agents, there could soon be no effective treatment for patients,' she added.
Gonorrhea accounts for one quarter of the four major, curable sexually transmitted diseases, WHO noted, and it's the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia.
Since the development of antibiotics, gonorrhea has developed resistance to a variety of antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracyclines, and appears to be developing resistance to cephalosporins, the last line of drug defense, the agency said.
'We are very concerned about recent reports of treatment failure from the last effective treatment option -- the class of cephalosporin antibiotics --as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development,' Lusti-Narasimhan said. 'If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.'
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to health problems for men, women and newborns, the WHO said, including: infection of the urethra, cervix and rectum; infertility in both men and women; increased risk of HIV infection and transmission; ectopic pregnancies; miscarriage, stillbirths and premature deliveries; and severe eye infections in up to 50 percent of babies born to women with untreated gonorrhea that can lead to blindness.
Gonorrhea can be prevented through safe sex practices. Early detection and treatment, including of sex partners, is essential to control sexually transmitted diseases, WHO said.
More information
For more on gonorrhea, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE.
Sex bug growing resistant to drugs, WHO warns
GENEVA (AP) - A potentially dangerous sexually transmitted disease that infects millions of people each year is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is again the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that of the 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections worldwide, gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Hong Kong and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
Therefore the Geneva-based agency wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use, but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This news article is brought to you by MOTORCYCLES - where latest news are our top priority.
The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness.
'This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it,' said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment.
'In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now,' she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease.
Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure.
Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea - known colloquially as the clap - became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is again the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that of the 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections worldwide, gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV.
'It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem,' said Lusti-Narasimhan.
Scientists believe overuse of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug.
Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Hong Kong and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere.
Therefore the Geneva-based agency wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use, but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined.
Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan.
'We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely,' she said. 'But we can limit the spread.'
This news article is brought to you by MOTORCYCLES - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Oregon woman wins $900K; says date gave her herpes
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has awarded $900,000 to a woman who claimed a retired dentist infected her with genital herpes, in a rare case in which a dispute over a sexually transmitted disease went to a jury trial.
The 49-year-old woman, who filed the suit under a pseudonym, testified last week that she suffered painful outbreaks and spiraled into depression following a sexual encounter with the 69-year-old man she met through the dating website eHarmony.
'I told the jury he's dangerous, and I believe he is,' said Randall Vogt, the attorney for the woman, who declined to be interviewed.
High-profile lawsuits accusing celebrities of herpes transmission have been in the news for a quarter-century, but such lawsuits remain relatively rare and typically do not go to trial. The award issued Friday is believed to be the largest of its kind in Oregon. A similar 1996 case ended in a $550,000 settlement.
Vogt said the cases are uncommon because they are difficult to prove and typically embarrassing for the claimants. Moreover, it does not make sense to pursue a civil lawsuit unless the defendant has the money to pay a potential judgment.
The retired dentist, whose name was also omitted from the lawsuit, has had herpes since 1991. He testified he did not know he was contagious because he was not experiencing an active outbreak at the time the pair had sex, which was during their fourth date.
Roughly 1 of 6 adults in the United States has genital herpes, and transmission can occur regardless of whether infected persons have visible sores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suit alleged negligence and battery. On the question of negligence, the jury found the man 75 percent responsible and the woman 25 percent. The jurors determined the dentist committed battery because he intentionally engaged in an activity that harmed his date.
'We all felt he should have told her,' juror Noah Brimhall told The Oregonian newspaper. 'He had the responsibility to tell her.'
The dentist's attorney, Shawn Lillegren, argued that the woman was negligent because she did not demand that his client wear a condom. He also portrayed the woman as greedy in his closing argument to jurors.
'Go for a million - that's plaintiff's message,' he said, according to The Oregonian. 'God bless America. Go for it. Got some coffee to spill on me?'
Lillegren did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday; it was unknown whether his client is considering an appeal.
Vogt said his client handed the dentist a condom, but he did not wear it and 'the advance overtook her too quickly.'
Later, while the two were lying in bed, the man told the woman he had herpes, Vogt said. She asked him to leave.
The woman received a clean bill of health a few months before having sex with the man on May 25, 2010, and tested positive for herpes less than two weeks later. Vogt said the quick medical test was crucial in proving the case.
Besides suffering from painful outbreaks, Vogt said his client eventually lost a job because of her depression. The viruses that cause herpes are incurable, though symptoms can be managed with medication.
'It made her feel like she needed to isolate herself from society, and she became a recluse,' he said. 'She was interested in finding a husband but pretty much dropped efforts in that direction because of the herpes.'
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The 49-year-old woman, who filed the suit under a pseudonym, testified last week that she suffered painful outbreaks and spiraled into depression following a sexual encounter with the 69-year-old man she met through the dating website eHarmony.
'I told the jury he's dangerous, and I believe he is,' said Randall Vogt, the attorney for the woman, who declined to be interviewed.
High-profile lawsuits accusing celebrities of herpes transmission have been in the news for a quarter-century, but such lawsuits remain relatively rare and typically do not go to trial. The award issued Friday is believed to be the largest of its kind in Oregon. A similar 1996 case ended in a $550,000 settlement.
Vogt said the cases are uncommon because they are difficult to prove and typically embarrassing for the claimants. Moreover, it does not make sense to pursue a civil lawsuit unless the defendant has the money to pay a potential judgment.
The retired dentist, whose name was also omitted from the lawsuit, has had herpes since 1991. He testified he did not know he was contagious because he was not experiencing an active outbreak at the time the pair had sex, which was during their fourth date.
Roughly 1 of 6 adults in the United States has genital herpes, and transmission can occur regardless of whether infected persons have visible sores, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suit alleged negligence and battery. On the question of negligence, the jury found the man 75 percent responsible and the woman 25 percent. The jurors determined the dentist committed battery because he intentionally engaged in an activity that harmed his date.
'We all felt he should have told her,' juror Noah Brimhall told The Oregonian newspaper. 'He had the responsibility to tell her.'
The dentist's attorney, Shawn Lillegren, argued that the woman was negligent because she did not demand that his client wear a condom. He also portrayed the woman as greedy in his closing argument to jurors.
'Go for a million - that's plaintiff's message,' he said, according to The Oregonian. 'God bless America. Go for it. Got some coffee to spill on me?'
Lillegren did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday; it was unknown whether his client is considering an appeal.
Vogt said his client handed the dentist a condom, but he did not wear it and 'the advance overtook her too quickly.'
Later, while the two were lying in bed, the man told the woman he had herpes, Vogt said. She asked him to leave.
The woman received a clean bill of health a few months before having sex with the man on May 25, 2010, and tested positive for herpes less than two weeks later. Vogt said the quick medical test was crucial in proving the case.
Besides suffering from painful outbreaks, Vogt said his client eventually lost a job because of her depression. The viruses that cause herpes are incurable, though symptoms can be managed with medication.
'It made her feel like she needed to isolate herself from society, and she became a recluse,' he said. 'She was interested in finding a husband but pretty much dropped efforts in that direction because of the herpes.'
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Ore. woman wins $900K in lawsuit over herpes claim
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon jury has awarded $900,000 to a 49-year-old woman who claimed that a 69-year-old Portland man intentionally gave her a sexually transmitted disease after they met on an online dating website.
The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/cdR7MI ) that it was the first time that a case of a person suing another for intentionally transmitting genital herpes went to trial in Oregon, according to lawyers. They say similar cases have been settled out of court.
The man testified he didn't know he was contagious. His lawyer argued that she was lying about her sexual history and may have had sex with other men who gave her the disease.
The woman from Beaverton, Ore., sued after she suffered repeated painful outbreaks of the disease. The jury award was for pain and suffering.
___
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
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The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/cdR7MI ) that it was the first time that a case of a person suing another for intentionally transmitting genital herpes went to trial in Oregon, according to lawyers. They say similar cases have been settled out of court.
The man testified he didn't know he was contagious. His lawyer argued that she was lying about her sexual history and may have had sex with other men who gave her the disease.
The woman from Beaverton, Ore., sued after she suffered repeated painful outbreaks of the disease. The jury award was for pain and suffering.
___
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
This news article is brought to you by SUVS - where latest news are our top priority.
India should tax air tickets to pay for AIDS drugs - U.N.
NEW DELHI, June 5 (AlertNet) - Millions of the world's poorest people could have easier access to life-saving drugs if India introduces an air ticket tax to help fund purchases of cheap medicines for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, a senior U.N. official said.
UNITAID, a U.N. agency which negotiates for cheap medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers to treat deadly diseases, is lobbying countries such as India to join its air ticket levy initiative which began in 2006.
Under the program, countries put a nominal amount on the cost of air tickets which funds UNITAID to buy drugs for patients in the developing world. Ten countries have imposed the levy, generating $200 million annually for cheap medicine.
'What we want in India is a similar system by which a very small contribution which is painless to the traveler can be applied to large numbers of travelers,' UNITAID Executive Director Denis Broun told AlertNet in an interview.
'Since air traffic is very high in India, the small amount of levy makes a huge difference to the amount of drugs that we can purchase and the number of poor who can benefit from them.'
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis kill 4.4 million people each year, UNITAID says. Approximately 14.2 million people are in need of anti-retroviral drugs globally, yet more than half cannot afford them.
India's airlines are reeling under a debt load of $20 billion and lost $2 billion last year, as high fuel prices, a weakening rupee and competition kept fares low and costs high.
But the country boasts the fastest growing air passenger market of major economies with 61 million people traveling last year, and still growing.
'People are saying I am coming at the wrongest possible moment. You hear all these arguments, but they are absolutely bogus. It has no impact on government budgets, airline traffic or the economy.'
WIN-WIN FOR INDIA
Broun, who met civil aviation and health officials, said he was proposing a tax of 10 rupees (18 U.S. cents) on domestic tickets and $1 on international flights. He said discussions were at a very early stage.
Chile charges $1 per ticket as their levy, while Brazil charges $2 for international flights, he said. French passengers pay one euro for domestic and four euros for international tickets.
Mali, Mauritius, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Niger and South Korea had also implemented air-ticket levies, said Broun.
He said it was a win-win situation for India as 80 percent of the drugs bought by UNITAID are from Indian pharmaceutical firms and some of which were for Indian patients.
'It would be a good thing for India. First of all, Indian patients benefit - 35,000 Indian children are treated for HIV using drugs paid for by UNITAID,' he said.
'We buy most of our drugs from India so in a sense what would the tax do? It would go back into the Indian economy into the pharmaceutical sector. So it's difficult to find arguments to say it would be bad.'
(AlertNet is a humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation. Visit http://www.trust.org/alertnet)
(Additional reporting by Anurag Kotoky; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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UNITAID, a U.N. agency which negotiates for cheap medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers to treat deadly diseases, is lobbying countries such as India to join its air ticket levy initiative which began in 2006.
Under the program, countries put a nominal amount on the cost of air tickets which funds UNITAID to buy drugs for patients in the developing world. Ten countries have imposed the levy, generating $200 million annually for cheap medicine.
'What we want in India is a similar system by which a very small contribution which is painless to the traveler can be applied to large numbers of travelers,' UNITAID Executive Director Denis Broun told AlertNet in an interview.
'Since air traffic is very high in India, the small amount of levy makes a huge difference to the amount of drugs that we can purchase and the number of poor who can benefit from them.'
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis kill 4.4 million people each year, UNITAID says. Approximately 14.2 million people are in need of anti-retroviral drugs globally, yet more than half cannot afford them.
India's airlines are reeling under a debt load of $20 billion and lost $2 billion last year, as high fuel prices, a weakening rupee and competition kept fares low and costs high.
But the country boasts the fastest growing air passenger market of major economies with 61 million people traveling last year, and still growing.
'People are saying I am coming at the wrongest possible moment. You hear all these arguments, but they are absolutely bogus. It has no impact on government budgets, airline traffic or the economy.'
WIN-WIN FOR INDIA
Broun, who met civil aviation and health officials, said he was proposing a tax of 10 rupees (18 U.S. cents) on domestic tickets and $1 on international flights. He said discussions were at a very early stage.
Chile charges $1 per ticket as their levy, while Brazil charges $2 for international flights, he said. French passengers pay one euro for domestic and four euros for international tickets.
Mali, Mauritius, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Niger and South Korea had also implemented air-ticket levies, said Broun.
He said it was a win-win situation for India as 80 percent of the drugs bought by UNITAID are from Indian pharmaceutical firms and some of which were for Indian patients.
'It would be a good thing for India. First of all, Indian patients benefit - 35,000 Indian children are treated for HIV using drugs paid for by UNITAID,' he said.
'We buy most of our drugs from India so in a sense what would the tax do? It would go back into the Indian economy into the pharmaceutical sector. So it's difficult to find arguments to say it would be bad.'
(AlertNet is a humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation. Visit http://www.trust.org/alertnet)
(Additional reporting by Anurag Kotoky; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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Friday, June 1, 2012
Approved Viagra copies flood drugstores in Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean pharmaceutical firms are rushing out generic Viagra copies with names like 'Nurigra' and 'Happigra' to tap into the erectile dysfunction drug market now that a court has ruled in their favor.
Pfizer's patent on Viagra active ingredient sildenafil expired on May 17, since when six local companies, including CJ Cheiljedang and Hanmi Pharm, have released prescription-only generic versions.
A court this week ruled against Pfizer's claim that a 'use patent' barred generic copies from being sold as erectile dysfunction treatments.
Pfizer Korea said it was 'considering options for appeal' and its use patent remains valid until the result of that appeal in announced.
But more pharmaceutical companies are expected to release their own versions, according to a statement by patent regulator Korean Intellectual Property Office.
'In an aging society, people are looking to improve their quality of life and expansion of the (erectile dysfunction drug) market is part of that trend,' said Shin Seoung-pill, a PR representative for CJ Cheiljedang.
As of Thursday, some 19 pharmaceutical firms had received approval for 37 generic Viagra copies from the Korea Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the released generic versions have put their own spin on the 'little blue pill'. Happigra comes in pill or mint-flavored powder form, says maker Samjin Pharmaceuticals. Daewoong Pharma, maker of Nurigra, made the pill triangular and green in answer to consumer suggestions that blue is too recognizable as an impotence drug.
Other competitors touted affordable prices. Hanmi's generic Viagra called 'Pal Pal' costs 5,000 won ($4.25) per 100 mg tablet, or one-third the local over-the-counter price of Viagra, according to the company.
South Korea's erectile dysfunction drug market was worth 103 billion won ($87.27 million) in 2011, according to data provider IMS Health.
The market has grown nine percent or more every year since 2008 and companies estimate the local black market for counterfeit Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs matches or exceeds the legitimate market, said one product manager of a generic Viagra maker who requested anonymity.
The trend reflects the country's rapidly changing demographics. South Korea is currently the third youngest population in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group of developed economies, but will become the second oldest by 2050, according to OECD estimates.
(Reporting By Jung Yoon Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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Pfizer's patent on Viagra active ingredient sildenafil expired on May 17, since when six local companies, including CJ Cheiljedang and Hanmi Pharm, have released prescription-only generic versions.
A court this week ruled against Pfizer's claim that a 'use patent' barred generic copies from being sold as erectile dysfunction treatments.
Pfizer Korea said it was 'considering options for appeal' and its use patent remains valid until the result of that appeal in announced.
But more pharmaceutical companies are expected to release their own versions, according to a statement by patent regulator Korean Intellectual Property Office.
'In an aging society, people are looking to improve their quality of life and expansion of the (erectile dysfunction drug) market is part of that trend,' said Shin Seoung-pill, a PR representative for CJ Cheiljedang.
As of Thursday, some 19 pharmaceutical firms had received approval for 37 generic Viagra copies from the Korea Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the released generic versions have put their own spin on the 'little blue pill'. Happigra comes in pill or mint-flavored powder form, says maker Samjin Pharmaceuticals. Daewoong Pharma, maker of Nurigra, made the pill triangular and green in answer to consumer suggestions that blue is too recognizable as an impotence drug.
Other competitors touted affordable prices. Hanmi's generic Viagra called 'Pal Pal' costs 5,000 won ($4.25) per 100 mg tablet, or one-third the local over-the-counter price of Viagra, according to the company.
South Korea's erectile dysfunction drug market was worth 103 billion won ($87.27 million) in 2011, according to data provider IMS Health.
The market has grown nine percent or more every year since 2008 and companies estimate the local black market for counterfeit Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs matches or exceeds the legitimate market, said one product manager of a generic Viagra maker who requested anonymity.
The trend reflects the country's rapidly changing demographics. South Korea is currently the third youngest population in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group of developed economies, but will become the second oldest by 2050, according to OECD estimates.
(Reporting By Jung Yoon Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
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