by Sue Johanson

February 20, 2005 The Male 'Pill' - Race is On! The search for an effective male oral contraceptive continues. In January, 2005, University of Massachusetts researchers announced they had discovered a strategy for immobilizing sperm and have reached an agreement with a Norwegian company to develop a male contraceptive pill. The approach by the UMass Medical School scientists involves turning off the tiny tails that allow sperm to swim to the female egg. If their theory is correct, the method could result in a male contraceptive that is easy to take, free of side effects and reversible. Montreal biotech firm Immucon had hoped to produce a male reversible contraceptive vaccine technology by 2006 or 2007. It uses a fragment of protein P34h to neutralize the sperm's fertilizing capacity acquired at the level of the edpididymis. The treatment worked in rodents, but more research is required before trials in men can begin. The Institute of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Muenster in Germany is focusing on interfering, not with sperm production, but with the sperm themselves. The sperm would be non-functional, so that they either don't complete their journey or they are ineffective once they are there. Meanwhile, Organon and Schering are conducting a European trial of a so-called male pill, which is actually a combination of an implant and an injection.

February 13, 2005 Playing Footsie Men's Health reports that a foot massage can be linked to sexual sensation. That's because the foot-sensation area of the brain is beside the clitoral (and penile) region. “There are 36,000 nerve endings in the foot,” says Kathleen Miler-Read, a massage therapist and spokeswoman for the American Massage Therapy Association. “By exploring these you can find sore spots all over the body.” Explore the connection by gently pulling the toes, massaging the heel with your knuckles and rubbing below the toes.

February 6, 2005 Not All Condoms are Created Equal! In a recent test of 23 brands of latex condoms, The Consumers Union found that all met minimum industry standards. The top performer was the Durex Extra Sensitive Lubricated Latex, closely followed by the Durex Performax Lubricated and LifeStyles Classic Collection Ultra Sensitive models. Planned Parenthood Assorted Colours and its Honeydew product were ranked last. Testers found no correlation between price and performance, thickness or the country of manufacture. They found that some brands exceeded the maximum recommended width and should be used only by men who require them. Fewer brands of condoms have spermicide. Consumers Union points out that spermicidal condoms have no additional benefit in preventing pregnancy, plus they have a shorter shelf-life and may cause urinary-tract infections in young women.

January 30, 2005 Osteoporosis and Men Osteoporosis is affecting men who receive hormone therapy as part of their prostate cancer treatment. And many of these men are not getting therapies that could prevent the brittle-bone disease, such as calcium and vitamin D supplements. Prostate-cancer hormone treatment (called androgen-deprivation therapy) elevates the changes of getting osteoporosis. Dr. Tawee Tanvetyanon of Loyola University Chicago Medical Center found that the majority of patients undergoing hormone therapy did not get osteoporosis prevention or treatment. The findings were published in the journal Cancer. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine also points out the risks of osteoporosis among these men. Prevention measures include calcium and vitamin D supplements, regular exercise and certain medications.

January 23, 2005 Japanese Lifestyle Helps Menopausal Women A Queensland University of Technology study has found that Western women can dramatically reduce menopausal symptoms and risk factors for heart disease by living more like their Japanese counterparts. A drug-free lifestyle trial has been run by the University, in conjunction with its school of nursing, the Royal Women's Hospital. Investigator Dr. Debra Anderson said that this is the first study to show that there are advantages to Australian women adopting Japanese diet and lifestyle habits. These include exercises such as walking, strength exercises that don't involve going to a gym and pelvic floor exercises. In terms of diet, the Japanese lifestyle involves drinking plenty of water, increasing calcium intake and, in particular, eating foods high in phytoestrogens – soy-based products, fresh fruit and vegetables, tofu and grains such as linseeds. According to Dr. Anderson, women in the trial reported a reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and palpitations. They also reported feeling less depression, fatigue and lack of motivation, plus improved bladder tone and reduced symptoms of incontinence. The program also had an impact on weight loss and blood pressure reduction.

January 16, 2005 Kegels Revisited Kegel exercises can strengthen the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles – and there are many benefits for males and females. Among the Kegel exercises – which include the Elevator and the Wave – the Faucet is no longer recommended. The Faucet involved starting and stopping the stream of urine. It has been shown to have no effect on the pelvic floor muscles. Norwegian researchers found that training the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy facilitates labour. Kegels can also help women reduce incontinence. Improved genital muscle tone produces a happy sexual side effect. During intercourse, women with strong PC muscles can grip their partner's penis, increasing sexual pleasure for both. Men who are experiencing sexual dysfunction are recommended to practice Kegel exercises. While the penis is not a muscle, the increased muscle tone will improve blood supply to his genital area, and may result in firmer erections. Some males are able to contract their PC muscles just prior to ejaculation so they are able to have a dry orgasm without losing their erection.

January 9, 2005 Abstinence-Only Programs Skimpy with the Truth Federal support for “abstinence-only” education programs has grown significantly under the Bush Administration. A report entitled “The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs”, prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, evaluated the content of the most popular abstinence-only curricula used by grantees of the largest federal abstinence initiative, SPRANS (Special Programs of Regional and National Significance Community-Based Abstinence Education). The report found that over 80% of the abstinence-only curricula contain “false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health.” Children participating in these programs are told, for instance, that “the popular claim that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs, 'is not supported by the data'”. The risks of abortion are misrepresented, with abstinence-only programs claiming that 5% to 10% of women who have legal abortions will become sterile. Gender stereotypes are treated as scientific fact, with one curriculum teaching that women need “financial support”, while men need “admiration.” Scientific errors abound. According to the report, “One curriculum incorrectly lists exposure to sweat and tears as risk factors for HIV transmission.” The Report suggests that such serious and pervasive problems with accuracy “may help explain why these programs have not been shown to protect adolescents from sexually transmitted diseases and why youth who pledge abstinence are significantly less likely to make informed choices about precautions when they do have sex.” Read the official Report

December 12, 2004 T-Shirt a Tool Against Breast Cancer Discovered early, breast cancer has a very high survival rate. 70% of all lumps are found through breast self-exams. The Mark for Life kit was developed to make those examinations easier. Each kit features a form-fitting T-shirt with printed diagrams that guide the wearer's hand motions. It comes with instructions, reminder stickers and a pen to mark the location of any lumps right on the shirt, enabling women to make month-to-month comparisons. Lumps, bumps and knots are normal, but a doctor should be alerted about any changes. Kits also include facts about breast cancer and early detection. Women can order kits and sign up for free monthly e-mail reminders at www.markforlife.com.

December 5, 2004 Viagra and Meth Creating HIV Risk The San Francisco Health Department has noted a rising trend in the consumption of crystal meth by young and middle-aged gay or bisexual men. The drug is sometimes used with Viagra. The combination comes under the category of “party and play”, because it allows permit to dance or have sex for hours. Doctors have noted that there is a higher prevalence of HIV among gay or bisexual men who use crystal meth with sex than in a heterosexual IV drug user. People living with HIV sometimes use crystal meth to help deal with their social isolation or lack of energy. The stimulant may interact with their HIV medication and boost the level of meth in their system. Consuming a lot of crystal meth can lead to impotenence, known as “crystal dick”, prompting users to take part in unprotected receptive anal sex. Crystal meth also leads to rougher sex, delayed ejaculation and lack of attention to safer sex practices, contributing to a rise in HIV transmission.

November 28, 2004 Sex, Pregnancy & 14-Year-Olds A report by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has found that 20% of adolescents have had sex before the age of 15. And one in seven of the sexually experienced 14-year-old girls has been pregnant. The National Campaign also found that the younger a teenaged girl is when she has sex for the first time, the more likely she is to have had unwanted or non-voluntary sex. Nearly four in ten girls who had first intercourse at 13 or 14 report it was either non-voluntary or unwanted. Many teens wish they had waited to have sex. And many wanted to communicate with their parents. Seven of ten teens interviewed said they were ready to listen to things parents thought they were not ready to hear. Some 78% of white and 70% of African-American teenagers reported that lack of communication between a girl and her parents is often a reason teenage girls have babies.

November 21, 2004 Depo-Provera Warning Pfizer Inc, makers of Depo-Provera, is issuing warnings to health care professionals about the contraceptive's potential for increased risk of osteoporosis. Women using Depo can lose significant bone mineral density. Research shows that the loss of bone density may be irreversible. Women taking Depo for 5 years had a 5- to 6-percent decrease in bone density. A smaller, continuing study involving adolescents appears to show a similar rate of bone loss. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Depo-Provera will now feature a “black box” warning - its strongest. The warning says women should use the contraceptive only over the short term and consider long-term use only if other birth control methods are inadequate.

November 14, 2004 Male At-Home Fertility Tests New fertility-testing kits are opening up options beyond the fertility clinic for men concerned about their sperm count. The FertilMARQ Home Diagnostic Screening Test measures sperm concentration and determines whether an individual registers above or below 20 million sperm cells per milliliter, the concentration value recommended by the World Health Organization. The test works by staining the cells in the sperm sample to produce a colour. The intensity of the colour tells whether you're above or below the WHO's cutoff point for male fertility. SpermConfirm provides customers with a kit for gathering and mailing their sperm sample. A computer-assisted sperm analyzer reads the semen sample by time-exposure photomicrography and the results are returned by mail. Customers are told the volume, sperm concentration per milliliter and motility. Sperm concentration is an important factor, but it doesn't always tell a man's whole fertility story. Manufacturers of these tests point out that a positive test is no guarantee of fertility. But, they can provide a relatively simple way to see if there is a problem, at which point a visit to a fertility specialist is recommended.

November 7, 2004 Depo Provera Increases Risk of Common STD's The contraceptive Depo Provera, which is injected into the arms or buttocks every 3 months, appears to triple women's risk of infection with chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to a study reported in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases. By the end of the 12-month study, which involved 819 women aged 15 to 45, 45 women had contracted chlamydia or gonorrhea. Women using Depo Provera were about three and a half times more likely to develop one of the infections than women using non-hormonal contraceptives. Researchers can't be sure whether Depo itself raises the risk of injection. But the study highlights the fact that hormonal contraceptives like the Pill and Depo Provera do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Safer sex requires the use of a condom, every time.

October 31, 2004 Study Finds Higher Future Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Researchers at the American Social Health Association calculate that up to half of adults under the age of 25 years will become infected with a sexually transmitted disease at some point in their life. The survey of 1,200 men and women found that 82% had never used protection while practising oral sex. Close to 50% said they did not use protection during vaginal sex. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Government continues its refusal to fund schools teaching anything but abstinence. Can we connect the dots here? Studies of abstinence programs have shown that 9 out of 10 students who pledged abstinence broke their pledge within 2 years. And they were less likely to practise safer sex or use contraception. Knowledge is power. And in this case, knowledge gives young people the power to stay alive.

October 24, 2004 'Morning-After' Pill and Teenagers - No Increase of Unprotected Sex A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh school of medicine found that providing sexually active girls with emergency oral contraceptives in advance did not increase their likelihood of having unprotected sex. The randomized trial took place between June 1997 to June 2002 and involved 301 predominantly minority, low-income, sexually active women aged 15 to 19, who were not using long-acting contraception. Some (the advance group) were given a package of emergency contraceptives (also called the “morning after pill”). Others received education only, as well as instructions on how to get the pills. Researchers said there were no differences reported between the two groups in unprotected sex. But having the pills made it more likely that the participants would use them within 12 hours of having unprotected sex, when the hormone pills are most effective at preventing pregnancies. Dr Melanie Gold, associate professor of pediatrics and lead author of the study, also reported that, “interestingly, at the six-month interviews, more of the study participants who had received emergency contraceptive pills reported using condoms during that month.”

October 17, 2004 CDC Concerned about Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea in Gay Males The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta say doctors should switch from using fluoroquinolones as first-line treatment for gonorrhea in men who have sex with men. The new CDC-recommended options include two injectable antibiotics: ceftriaxone 125 mg IM (for anorectal, pharyngeal and urogenital cases) and spectinomycin 2g IM (for anorectal and urogenital cases only). The recommendation came about, the CDC said, “after preliminary data showed that drug-resistant gonorrhea cases increased significantly in the United States in 2003, particularly among gay and bisexual men.”

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