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Health News

Abstinence-Only Classes Reduced Sexual Activity, Study Found

Younger teens who took the course were more likely to delay having sex

MONDAY, Feb. 1 Adolescents who took abstinence-only sex education classes were more likely to delay having sex, a new study shows.

In the study, some 662 black 6th- and 7th-grade students, ranging in age from 10 to 15 with an average age of 12, participated in classe... Read the full article

Fake Drugs Bought on the Web Pose Big Health Risks

2.5 million men in Europe alone may have taken counterfeit Viagra, study says

FRIDAY, Jan. 29 People who buy prescription medications over the Internet, especially drugs purporting to treat erectile dysfunction, are playing Russian roulette with their lives, a new study contends.

At best the drugs won't help you and... Read the full article

Green Tea May Help Treat Uterine Fibroids

Human trials will begin soon, researchers say

MONDAY, Jan. 18 Women who want to attract a man's attention shouldn't wear perfume, new research suggests.

Uterine fibroids, which affect 40 percent of women of reproductive age, cause excessive vaginal bleedi... Read the full article

Antidepressants May Complicate Breast-Feeding

SSRIs appear to delay lactation in new moms, researchers find

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27 A widely used class of antidepressants can cause delayed lactation in new mothers, which means they may need additional support in order to breast-feed their babies, a new study says.

The researchers found that antidepre... Read the full article

Male Abusers Often Sabotage Birth Control With Partners

Study found physical violence often accompanied by attempts to get young women pregnant

MONDAY, Jan. 25 A new report says that male partners of teenage girls and young women who engage in physical and sexual violence also often try to sabotage the birth control the women are using.

The study, which appears online in the Janua... Read the full article

Rocking Embryos Might Boost IVF Success

Hoping to improve pregnancy rates, researchers try to simulate motion of the human body

THURSDAY, Jan. 21 Scientists say they boosted the success of in vitro fertilization in mice by gently rocking embryos before implanting them into the womb.

No evidence yet proves that the same technique would work with human embryos, but authors of a new study hope i... Read the full article

Women's Natural Scent Most Attractive to Men

Male hormonal response strongest during female ovulation, study finds

MONDAY, Jan. 18 Women who want to attract a man's attention shouldn't wear perfume, new research suggests.

Florida State University psychological scientists Saul L. Miller and Jon K. Maner found that male testosterone levels are influenced... Read the full article

Health Agencies Express Concern Over BPA

HHS, FDA pledge funds for more research on the common plastics chemical

FRIDAY, Jan. 15 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other U.S. health agencies are pledging $30 million toward short- and long-term research aimed at clarifying the health effects of the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA).

The chemical is ubiquitous in plastic... Read the full article

The Pill May Decrease Bone Density

Long-term use of low-dose versions affect women most, study finds

FRIDAY, Jan. 15 Oral contraception may decrease bone density in young women, a new study suggests.

Those taking birth control pills for more than two years, and those on the low-dose estrogen pills appear to have the greatest risk of decreased bone density in the spi... Read the full article

Restless Legs Linked to Erectile Dysfunction

But it's not clear how the two disorders are connected, researchers say

TUESDAY, Jan. 5 Men with restless leg syndrome are more likely to have erectile dysfunction, new research suggests, but it's not clear how the two conditions are related.

"There is an association, but we don't know which one comes first," said study author Dr. Xiang ... Read the full article

For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best

Experts explore the why and wherefore of method's benefits

SUNDAY, Jan. 3 Reports on the benefits of breast-feeding continue to accumulate as researchers evaluate the breast-over-bottle option.

It's been shown to help a baby's later performance in school, to reduce the odds of problem behavior and to help kids cope with stre... Read the full article

Half of Men Fail to Check if Vasectomy is Working

Doctors routinely ask that men come back to ensure effectiveness, but many don't, study finds

MONDAY, Dec. 28 Nearly half of men who get vasectomies don't return for follow-up tests that make sure the procedure is working, new research suggests.

Those who don't go back, and therefore risk an unwanted pregnancy, are more likely to ... Read the full article

Many Women Quit Breast-Feeding Early

Insufficient maternity leave poses a significant barrier, experts say

SUNDAY, Dec. 27 Though a growing percentage of American moms start their infants on human milk, relatively few continue breast-feeding for the baby's first six months of life, let alone an entire year.

Why not stick it out longer? Numerous obstacles can prove diffic... Read the full article

Health Tip: Breast-feeding With Diabetes

See your doctor if you have them

You'll burn more calories

Following pregnancy, diabetic women need to continue careful monitoring of their blood glucose levels as their bodies adjust to postpartum hormonal changes, disturbed sleep and other changes in the daily routine.

The American Diabetes Association says breast-feeding... Read the full article

Contraceptive Depo-Provera May Weaken Bones

Nearly half of women in study lost bone mass within two years

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 23 In a study of women who received the "birth control shot" -- also known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), nearly half lost at least 5 percent of their bone mineral density in the hip and lower spine within two y... Read the full article

The 'Pill' Offers Benefits Beyond Birth Control

Relief of menstrual pain, migraines and acne may be other reasons to prescribe, experts say

TUESDAY, Dec. 22 Along with preventing pregnancy, hormonal contraceptives also treat menstruation-related disorders such as severe menstrual pain and heavy menstrual bleeding, according to a new Practice Bulletin issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist... Read the full article

Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart

Arteries appear to be less clogged in those who nurse infants, study finds

MONDAY, Dec. 21 Although many women choose to breast-feed because of the numerous health benefits it offers their offspring, new research suggests that breast-feeding may also help the health of the mothers' hearts later in life.

In a study of nearly 300 women, rese... Read the full article