About.com Mens Health

Female to Male HIV Transmission Higher During Pregnancy

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:47:23 +0000

Studies have clearly shown that pregnant women are at an increased risk for HIV infection. Now, a new study shows that men are at a higher risk of HIV infection from a woman if she is pregnant. A study out of the University of Washighton in Seattle and presented at the International Microbicides Conference reveals that because of biological changes of the female body during pregnancy, pregnant women are more infectious than if they were not pregnant. Over a thousand couples in which the male was HIV positive and over 2200 couples in which the female was positive were studied over a two year period. The results showed that both male to female and female to male transmission were increased during pregnancy. This fact is important because in many couples condom use during pregnancy is not seen as necessary because the female is already pregnant. This type of thinking could lead to an increase in new infections over the course of time.

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Hip Pain - Should You Be Concerned?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:20:48 +0000

LT had no idea that the mild pain in his left leg was something to be concerned about. It started innocently enough. Some vague discomfort in the left leg, especially in the groin area. Later, the pain became a bit more severe and started to involve the hip. Soon walking became difficult and the pain became unbearable. That's when LT decided to see his doctor. After a battery of tests LT was told he had a degenerative bone and vascular disease of the hip known as avascular necrosis or AVN. What is AVN and how is it treated? Let's examine this problem a little closer.

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Understanding AIDS Phobia

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:57:04 +0000

There are two diseases that strike fear in most everyone; "cancer," and "AIDS." And that fear is completely rational and understandable. But in the matter of AIDS, what happens if that fear takes control of your life? What if you fear the possibility of being infected with HIV so much you are unable to go on with your day to day life? When you fear the potential of infection or fear that you have already been infected even in the face of a handful of negative HIV tests, you may be suffering from a real condition called AIDS phobia. After 14 years of caring for people living with HIV and counseling those who think they have been infected, I've seen that AIDS phobia is real and have also seen how people can better manage their fears.

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Erectile dysfunction may predict cardiac events

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:05:42 +0000

A recent study published in the journal Circulation found patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) who were treated with telmisartan, ramipril, or both were at greater risk for cardiovascular events than other patients on the same medications.

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Senators Ask FDA to Rethink Ban on Gay Men Blood Donation

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:57:20 +0000

A group of US Senators led by Senator John Kerry, is urging the Food and Drug Administration to lift the ban preventing gay men from donating blood. The ban was put into place at the height of the HIV scare at a time when the disease was not well understood and the technology to detect HIV in donated blood was just not reliable. The thought behind the ban was that even though donated blood and blood donors are tested, those people who are infected but have yet to develop HIV antibodies could get by the screening system allowing HIV contaminated blood to enter the national blood supply. This along with the increased probability that a gay man would have been exposed to HIV led the FDA to ban gay men from donating. People opposed to the ban argue the technology is more advanced and the screening techniques much more accurate. The FDA however argues that even straight people are required ti wait a year after having sex with a prostitute before they can donate. The group of Senators hope that the national donated blood shortage will push the FDA into easing the gay donation ban. Time will tell.

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FDA approves generic version of Flomax

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:31:56 +0000

Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) will soon have a cheaper option for treating the condition.

The FDA has approved the first generic version of Flomax (tamsulosin). The generic drug works the same as the brand name, and has similar potential side effects, such as kidney problems, decreased libido, diarrhea, and more.

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Happiness is good for the heart

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:12:25 +0000

Don't worry, be happy!

According to a recently released study in the European Heart Journal found people with positive personality traits like happiness, contentment and enthusiasm had a ...

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National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:27:31 +0000

December 7, 2010 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. African Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. While making up only 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for more than 49 percent of AIDS cases. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African American women ages 25 to 34, and the second leading cause of death for African American men ages 35 to 44. This year marks the tenth year of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Organizations celebrate the day in hopes of raising awareness of the problem of HIV/AIDS in the African American community.

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The Dangers of Crystal Meth

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:03:35 +0000

Methamphetamine or Crystal Meth has its roots in some unexpected places. Military pilots used amphetamines to stay awake during the long flights to their bombing targets during the wartime. College students used them to stay awake all night to study for exams. In the 1960's people used amphetamines for entertainment. Then, in the 1970's as laws made getting amphetamines more difficult, their use all but disappeared. But now the use of amphetamines has returned in full force, primarily in the form of the supercharged version called methamphetamine. Manufactured in makeshift "meth labs" in apartment complexes. houses, and garages, Crystal Meth use is booming, and in its wake people are dying. What is Crystal Meth? What does it do and what is being done to halt its march across our cities?

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Is Hepatitis C Sexually Transmitted?

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:56:59 +0000

A growing body of evidence suggesting that hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually is prompting some AIDS activists to call for more research and for AIDS groups to talk to clients about the health threat. Recent European studies have documented sexual transmission among groups of gay men who do not inject drugs. Most of the hepatitis C infections found in those studies are among gay men who are also infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but some research suggests that sexual transmission of hepatitis C is happening among gay men who are not HIV-positive. Read more from Gay Together

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