Mental Health Zeitgeist

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of serious allergic reactions to the cervical cancer vaccine is considerably higher than that for other vaccines given to children, but the total number of these reactions remains miniscule, Australian researchers report

Reuters - Sexual activity other than intercourse carries some risk of sexually transmitted disease, and doctors should make sure their patients understand that, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Reuters - Young women in Australia who got a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer were five to 20 times more likely to have a rare but severe allergic reaction than girls who got other vaccines in comparable school-based vaccination programs, researchers said on Monday.

Reuters - Teenagers arrested for juvenile offenses have a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases, so screening these teens soon after arrest may help catch many cases, a new study suggests.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccinating all 12-year-old girls against the virus that causes cervical cancer, along with "catch-up" immunizations of women under the age of 21 and revised screening guidelines, would be cost-effective ways to combat the disease, a new study by Harvard researchers suggests.

AP - An expensive vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer makes sense for young teens when it comes to cost-effectiveness, but not for women in their 20s, contends a new report.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A satisfying sex life is possible as you age into your 70s and 80s, new research suggests.

Reuters - Long-term treatment of genital herpes with the drug acyclovir does not reduce the rate of new HIV infections, researchers reported at the International AIDS Conference here last week.

AFP - The standard method for assessing the risk of HIV infection through heterosexual intercourse could be badly wrong, according to a study to be presented at the International AIDS Conference here on Tuesday.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- The drug that turned around the sex lives of many older men has proven in a small trial to also help women on antidepressants who experience sexual dysfunction.

AP - Viagra's effect in women has been disappointing, but a new small study finds those on antidepressants may benefit from taking the little blue pills. The research involving 98 premenopausal women found Viagra helped with orgasm. But the benefits did not extend to other aspects of sex such as desire, researchers report in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Reuters - Treatment to suppress outbreaks of genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is typically begun once a recurrence pattern is established, but new research suggests that treatment started shortly after diagnosis can better suppress recurrent outbreaks.

Reuters - Young sexually active people should get themselves tested annually for the infection chlamydia and again every time they change partner, the Health Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16), which has been linked to cervical cancer, can be detected in human breast milk collected during the early period after a woman delivers her baby, doctors from Finland report.

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans are afflicted by breakouts of unsightly cold sores, caused by the herpes simplex 1 virus, but new research is finally offering them the possibility of a cure.

Reuters - U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday they may have found a way to flush out herpes viruses from hiding -- offering a potential way to cure pesky and painful conditions from cold sores to shingles.

AFP - Cold sores, the painful blemishes of the mouth caused by the herpes simplex virus, may become a thing of the past, US researchers reported on Wednesday in the British weekly journal Nature.

Reuters - An international partnership that funds vaccines for children in poor countries agreed on Wednesday to expand its scope and start investing in vaccinations aimed at adult women.

AP - Doctors have long suspected that people with herpes are more likely to catch HIV. So they thought that by treating herpes, they could also cut a person's HIV risk. But a new study that tested this strategy found the assumption may have been wrong.