Weak link discovered between male birth defect and pesticide exposure during pregnancy

A study of several hundred chemicals used in commercial pesticides has found only weak evidence that any of them are associated with a common birth defect in male infants...

Weak link discovered between male birth defect and pesticide exposure during pregnancy

A study of several hundred chemicals used in commercial pesticides has found only weak evidence that any of them are associated with a common birth defect in male infants...

Recurrence of precancerous colorectal tumors a greater risk for sedentary men

Men who spend the most time engaged in sedentary behaviors are at greatest risk for recurrence of colorectal adenomas, benign tumors that are known precursors of colorectal cancers, according to results presented at the 12th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research...

Zebrafish may predict therapy response to prostate cancer

Researchers have investigated the use of zebrafish to identify self-renewing tumor stem cells in prostate cancer, and they say the model could be more beneficial for predicting therapy response, compared with traditional experimental models. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer - cancer of the prostate gland - is the second most common cancer in American men...

Improved understanding of sperm capacitation may one day improve IVF success, lead to a male contraceptive

Two new papers from reproductive biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with international partners, report advances in understanding the basic processes of sperm capacitation that may one day improve success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by providing a shortcut to bypass problems, and may eventually lead to a male contraceptive...

'Sex drive slows' after stem cell transplantation

New research suggests that complications and preparative procedures linked to stem cell transplantation may lead to sexual dysfunction in both men and women. This is according to a study published in the journal Blood...

Testosterone therapy for men may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) suggests that testosterone treatment in hypogonadal (testosterone deficient) men restores normal lipid profiles and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. These finding currently appear online in the International Journal of Clinical Practice...

Rapid-results AIDs tests render pre-test counseling redundant

AIDs testing and treatments have progressed to such an extent that researchers from Miami question whether the resources devoted to pre-test counseling would be better spent linking newly diagnosed people with the treatments they need...

Variant gene form reduced antidepressant's ability to weaken emotional memories

Having a different form of a gene that regulates the brain chemical noradrenaline influences how well men remember negative memories after taking the antidepressant drug reboxetine, according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings demonstrate how genes can influence antidepressant response...

Universal approach could eradicate HIV in South Africa

The elimination of HIV in South Africa could be possible 10 years earlier than under current antiretroviral treatment policy, as a result of an expanded universal test and treat approach. This is according to new research published in the journal PLOS Medicine. According to the Human Sciences Research Council, there were approximately 6.4 million South Africans with HIV or AIDS in 2012...

Contraception needed 3 weeks after giving birth, new mums warned

Fertility can return much more rapidly than many women assume after giving birth, and myths still abound about what contraception can and can't be used while breastfeeding...

Excessive alcohol consumption increases the progression of atherosclerosis and the risk of stroke

A Finnish population-based study showed that binge drinking was associated with increased atherosclerotic progression in an 11-year follow-up of middle-aged men. The progression of atherosclerosis was increased among men who consumed 6 drinks or more on one occasion. In addition, the risk of stroke increased among men who had at least one hangover per year...

Increasing number of U.S. adolescents lack antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1

A new study suggests a growing number of U.S. adolescents lack antibodies that may help protect them later in life against an increasingly important cause of genital herpes...

Higher rates of liver cancer in men explained by Men-only hepatitis B mutation

A team of researchers has identified a novel mutation in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Korea that appears only in men and could help explain why HBV-infected men are roughly five times more likely than HBV-infected women to develop liver cancer. Although some women do progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, the mutation is absent in HBV in women...

Phase 3 trial of 1-year contraceptive vaginal ring shows positive results

Tthe Population Council has presented findings from a Phase 3 clinical trial that was designed to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR). The results were presented during an oral session at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine...

HIV protective drugs 'do not increase sexual risk-taking'

A new study suggests that people who are HIV negative in a heterosexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner do not demonstrate a significant increase in sexual risk-taking, even when they are protected against HIV transmission with prophylactic drugs. A team of international researchers, led by Dr...

Older sisters could aid prevention efforts aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors among teen girls

Adolescence can be an impressionable time for girls as they begin forming ideas about dating and sexuality. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found that sisters often take on key roles of confidants, sources of support and mentors during conversations about romantic relationships...

Study finds high variability among primary care physicians in rate of PSA screening of older men

"No organization recommends prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in men older than 75 years. Nevertheless, testing rates remain high," write Elizabeth Jaramillo, M.D., of the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, and colleagues in a Research Letter appearing in the October 16 issue of JAMA...

Kissing plays a role in assessing a potential partner

What's in a kiss? A study by Oxford University researchers suggests kissing helps us size up potential partners and, once in a relationship, may be a way of getting a partner to stick around...

Gene variation that offers skin protection from sun damage may increase risk for testicular cancer

A Ludwig Cancer Research study published in Cell identifies a common mutation that dramatically increases the risk for testicular cancer - and describes a likely molecular mechanism by which it exerts that effect. The researchers also suggest why, despite its potential lethality, the genetic variation has been favored by natural selection to become common in light-skinned people...

Fitness trumps weight when it comes to the good cholesterol

There's no question that high levels of good cholesterol - also known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - seem to be protective against heart disease. Rather than depositing fat into the blood vessels the way the "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) does, HDL appears to carry cholesterol away from blood vessels to the liver...

Study shows 1 in 10 young people commit sexual violence

Not much has been known about how many young people are using sexual violence, but a new study has revealed surprising details about this issue in youths under the age of 21. As the criminal justice system is not often involved, very little information has been collected. But this public health issue is affecting over 1 million victims and costing $127 billion a year...

Changing bacterial mix could lead to painful sex after menopause

The mix of bacteria in the vagina changes as women go through menopause. And a certain mix is typical after menopause in women who have vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), a common cause of vaginal dryness and sexual pain, finds a team at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland...

For some ancestral societies, transgendered males were considered an asset

Transgendered androphilic males were accepted in traditional hunter-gatherer cultures because they were an extra set of hands to support their families. Conversely, by investing in and supporting their kin, these males ensured that their familial line - and therefore also their own genetic make-up - passed on to future generations despite their not having children of their own...

The effects of divorce on men's health

Divorced men have higher rates of mortality, substance abuse, depression, and lack of social support, according to a new article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article provides assessment and treatment recommendations for care providers and is available on the Journal of Men's Health website.* Authors Daniel S...

Compound developed that may treat erectile dysfunction priapism

It's not the little blue pill famous for helping men get big results, but for those who need it, the outcome might be even more significant. A new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, offers hope to men who experience priapism. This condition, which is often seen in men with sickle cell disease, causes erections lasting so long that they cause permanent damage to the penis...