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News Front Page Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales UK Politics Education Magazine Business Health Science & Environment Technology Entertainment Also in the news —————– Video and Audio —————– Have Your Say In Pictures Country Profiles Special Reports Related BBC sites Sport Weather On This Day Editors’ Blog BBC World Service Site Version UK Version International Version About the versions WHO, WHAT, WHY? The Magazine answers… Karolina Kurkova and, inset, her belly indentation Underwear model Karolina Kurkova has no belly button. Is a barely-there navel for cosmetic or medical reasons? The newspapers call it the “riddle of the 2.5m beauty”. The beauty in question is Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova. The riddle is her non-existent belly button. Its absence was noticed this week when the 24-year-old graced a US catwalk for lingerie giant Victoria Secret. While most of us have an “outie” or an “innie”, Ms Kurkova has a smooth indentation (although sometimes a tummy button is airbrushed onto her photos in post-production). Otherwise known as a navel, the belly button is the rounded, knotty depression in the centre of the stomach caused by the detachment of the umbilical cord that fed you while in the womb. We all have umbilical cords, so why don’t we all have a belly button? Ms Kurkova has not spoken publicly about how she came to have a smooth navel, and all her agent will say is “she’s not an alien”. THE ANSWER May be result of abdominal operation in infancy Or umbilical cord left to detach naturally Adults may have artificial navel after stomach surgery, or cosmetic reshaping But Karolina Kurkova is not saying Some have no belly button as a result of abdominal problems at birth, often either an umbilical hernia, or a condition known as gastroschisis - born with the stomach and intestines poking through a hole in the abdominal wall. This is what happened to Rob Swainson, 26, of Bournemouth, who spent his very first hours in surgery to rectify this unfortunate mistake of anatomy. As a result, he has a cross-shaped scar in the middle of his tummy instead of a belly button. “I thought about having one constructed when I was getting interested in girls, but not for long,” he says, adding that people are more surprised by his scar than his lack of a navel. “You only have to look at Michael Jackson to realise it’s probably best to live with what you’ve got.” And while it is standard practice to clamp, cut, then seal a newborn’s umbilical cord to prevent infection, in lotus births the cord and placenta are left to drop off naturally. “But that’s not at all common in this country, and there’s always still something there to show where the cord was attached,” says a Royal College of Midwives spokesman. Cosmetic surgery Adults, too, may lose their navel after stomach surgery or having skin grafts taken from their tummy. Some may have an artificial belly button made. WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular feature in the BBC News Magazine - aiming to answer some of the questions behind the headlines And thanks to the trend for midriff-baring tops, cosmetic surgeons have developed an operation called an umbilicoplasty for those who want a more aesthetically pleasing navel. Most procedures involve transforming an outie to an innie, or resizing a large or lop-sided innie to be less obvious. Ms Kurkova’s lack of belly button doesn’t seem to be hindering her career. Forbes magazine ranked her as the eighth highest paid model in the world last year, with estimated annual earnings of over 2m. What she’s got is far more eye-catching than what she hasn’t. Add your comments on this story, using the form below. Name Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Alcohol misuse is a major problem for the NHS

Almost two in five people who drink to excess are lying to their doctors about how much alcohol they really consume, suggests a survey.

Men and women drinking double the daily limit also admitted concealing it from partners, friends and colleagues.

The government poll of nearly 2,000 people found men more likely to lie than women.

Experts recommend the equivalent of two pints of beer for men or one large glass of wine for women per day.

I know people find it difficult to be honest about their consumption of alcohol, but as GPs we are here to help Professor Steve Field Royal College of General Practitioners

The majority of people who stick to this limit did not underplay their consumption to their doctors, but 39% of the “high risk” drinkers gave a lower figure.

The poll suggested that 19% of heavy drinkers were even fooling themselves about how much they actually drank each day.

Exceeding daily limits can increase the risk of alcohol-related diseases such as liver disease, and other forms of cancer, high blood pressure and stroke.

A spokesman for the Know Your Limits campaign said that it was understandable that some people felt a “little embarrassed” and might want to “put a gloss” on their drinking habits when talking to their doctor.

But he added: “But it’s important people talk honestly if they think they may be drinking too much or even if they’re not sure.

“If they are drinking at higher-risk levels, their GP or practice nurse will be able to advise on the health risks, and may be able to help reduce their consumption to a lower-risk level.”

The survey suggested that 12% of heavy drinkers were hiding it from their partners, with similar percentages concealing their intake from friends and work colleagues.

Honesty call

The safer drinking campaign is being supported by the Royal College of GPs.

Its chairman, Professor Steve Field, urged people to be as frank as possible.

“I know people find it difficult to be honest about their consumption of alcohol, but as GPs we are here to help,” he said.

“We are able to support and help people to keep to safe levels.”

The Department of Health has now commissioned a research programme into the best ways of identifying heavy drinkers who have come before the courts, or who are receiving NHS treatment.

The aim is to give drinkers on-the-spot advice about the potential dangers of alcohol abuse.

The department has already announced a 7m project to put “regional alcohol managers” in place across England in a bid to tackle the problem.

Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said that the survey findings suggested that nationally-gathered statistics about alcohol use could be misleading.

“As GP codes for patients’ alcohol consumption are used to research drinking levels, this survey shows that the problem is far bigger than existing evidence suggests,” he said.

“Recent claims about decreasing levels of consumption are dubious.”

Harry Walker of Turning Point, which works with people with addiction problems, said: “Doctors need support to identify dependent drinkers, and to identify them early.

“All too often, people are ending up in A&E, hospital departments and GP surgeries because of their undiagnosed problematic alcohol use. ”

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Source: news.bbc.co.uk

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CIMIT, ENGINEERING COMPETITION, UNDERGRAD AND GRADUATE STUDENTS ELIGIBLE, PRIMARY HEALTHCARE, NATIONWIDE APPLICANTS

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CIMIT, a consortium of Boston-area universities, medical centers and engineering schools, is hosting an engineering competition to encourage innovation in an oft-overlooked field: primary care. The contest is open to graduate and undergraduate students of accredited engineering programs. Top prize is $150,000; up to 10 finalists will receive $10,000 each.

Newswise — CIMIT is announcing a dynamic new engineering prize competition: the CIMIT Prize for Primary Healthcare. The top three entrants will receive $150,000, $100,000 and $50,000, respectively, to help advance their winning clinically-relevant, primary care solutions.

This national competition is open to graduate and undergraduate engineering students from accredited engineering programs, and is designed to encourage development of technological innovations in the frontlines of care. Contest participants will begin with a letter of intent, putting forward the basic goal of the planned effort. Up to 10 finalists will then be chosen by CIMIT to continue. Each of those 10 will be provided with $10,000 to fund expenses for developing their idea into a full entry. Letters of intent will be accepted after Dec. 1, and will be due Jan. 15, 2009. Finalist will be named Feb. 9. The 10 final proposals will be due May 31, and announcement of the three winners will be made June 30.

CIMIT’s goal in offering these major awards is to encourage engineering students to develop technological innovations that have great potential to enhance delivery of primary healthcare. Technologies of particular interest are those which promise improved access to medical care, leveraging the skill of caregivers, automating routine tasks, increasing efficiency of workflow, supporting patients with chronic disease and their family caregivers, increasing compliance with care-protocols, reducing medical error, or augmenting the physician-patient relationship.

Innovations are sought for use in any setting, not just that of the medical-practice office. The full range of venues of daily living, from home to work to shopping and beyond, present attractive opportunities for innovation, which can enhance the quality and continuity of primary care.

This CIMIT Prize is made possible because of a generous gift from the Gelfand Family Charitable Trust, which will support the competition annually over the next five years.

CIMIT is the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology. A non-profit consortium of Boston-area teaching hospitals and engineering schools, CIMIT provides innovators with resources to explore, develop and implement novel technological solutions for today’s most urgent healthcare problems. Participants in the consortium are Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Boston University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Partners HealthCare and VA Boston Healthcare System. More information about the CIMIT Prize and entry procedures can be found at http://www.cimit.org.

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Source: www.newswise.com

Men can be embarrassed about asking their doctor for Viagra

The makers of the anti-impotence drug Viagra have withdrawn an application for the medicine to be available without a prescription.

Pfizer took the decision after concerns were raised by European regulators about supply.

A European Medicines Agency committee said there would be too little medical oversight - meaning related problems like heart disease could be missed.

Around 35 million men have taken Viagra globally since its launch a decade ago.

If the drug is available without prescription, there is no medical supervision which could delay diagnosis of underlying disease European Medicines Agency spokeswoman

Pfizer had wanted to make 50mg tablets available over-the-counter.

It said the move would help those men too embarrassed to seek help from their doctor.

A spokesman said: “A lot of men don’t go to the doctor or talk about their condition.

“By offering it via a pharmacy, it would offer them another option.”

He said it could also help prevent men buying over the internet and potentially taking fake, and even dangerous, pills.

Potential ‘misuse’

But the EMEA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), had major concerns over making Viagra available over-the-counter.

A spokeswoman said: “If the drug is available without prescription, there is no medical supervision which could delay diagnosis of underlying disease.

“The CHMP was particularly worried about the diagnosis of overt and silent cardiovascular disease, of which ED can be an early marker.”

She said there had also been concerns over complicated product information, which could lead men to “unintentional misuse”.

“In addition, a switch to being an over-the-counter medicine could lead to an increase in people who are not intended users taking Viagra recreationally.”

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

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ADOLESCENT HEALTH, OBESITY, HEALTH BEHAVIORS

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Overweight teens who weigh themselves at least once a week are more likely to engage in other healthy weight control measures than teens who step on the scale less frequently, according to a new small study. The results might allay concerns that recommending the behavior could backfire with teens who struggle with obesity.

Newswise — Overweight teens who weigh themselves at least once a week are more likely to engage in other healthy weight control measures than teens who step on the scale less frequently, according to a new small study.

Self-weighing can be a successful tool for adults, but some concern exists that recommending the behavior could backfire with teens who struggle with obesity.

“The fear is that an excessive focus on weight from frequent self-weighing may place teens at greater risk for engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors and for developing an eating disorder,” said Mary Alm, Ph.D., lead study author, with the University of Minnesota.

However, that was not the case for study participants.

The study, published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, followed the behavior of 130 teens who were in the 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI) during the past two years. Of the teens, 43 percent weighed themselves frequently and 57 percent were infrequent self-weighers.

Frequent self-weighers had a lower average weight, 180.3 pounds, whereas the infrequent weighers averaged 187.6 pounds. Frequent weighers were more likely to have lost 10 pounds in the past two years. The study also suggests that frequent self-weighers tend to eat fewer calories, consume less fatty food and junk food, and are more likely to stick to a structured diet.

The study could not determine whether self-monitoring specifically caused weight loss behaviors or was simply part of an overall weight loss strategy.

“Our results suggest that self-weighing may be a beneficial tool, but more research is needed before recommending self-weighing to teens for weight control,” Alm said.

Jack Hollis, Ph.D., senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, said, “Self-monitoring of weight — as well as caloric intake, exercise and other behaviors — is a powerful tool for change, so there is good reason to expect that those who self-monitor will benefit, and that would include teens.”

Journal of Adolescent Health: Contact Tor Berg at (415) 502-1373 or tor.berg@ucsf.edu or visit http://www.jahonline.org

Alm ME, et al. Self-weighing and weight control behaviors among adolescents with a history of overweight. J Adolesc Health online, 2008.

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Source: www.newswise.com

  Published: Wednesday, 19-Nov-2008 KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announced preclinical results demonstrating the effectiveness of KAI-1678 in reversing pain (hyperalgesia and allodynia) in multiple preclinical models.

KAI-1678 also was shown to reverse pain more effectively than gabapentin, an industry-standard comparison in pain research. The preclinical results were presented in two posters at Neuroscience 2008, the 38th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience , taking place in Washington, DC from November 15 - 19. KAI-1678, a first-in-class, isozyme-selective, small peptide inhibitor of the epsilon protein kinase C pathway (epsilon PKC), is expected to enter Phase 2a clinical testing by the end of 2008.

Stephen D. Harrison, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research commented, “The findings being presented at this year’s Society for Neuroscience meeting provide additional validation for our program advancing the first isozyme-selective, epsilon PKC inhibitor in the clinic. The localization of epsilon PKC in pain receptor neurons made this a particularly interesting therapeutic target for the modulation of acute pain. Applying our expertise in PKC and in the delivery of peptides into the cell, we were able to create a promising clinical candidate against this target, which will soon progress into mid-stage trials in patients.”

An estimated 50 million people in the United States suffer from some form of persistent pain, while another 25 million suffer acute pain each year as a result of injury or surgery. According to a survey by the American Pain Society, four out of ten people suffering moderate to severe pain were unable to find adequate pain relief.

About KAI-1678

KAI-1678 is an isozyme-selective, small peptide inhibitor of the epsilon protein kinase C pathway. Epsilon PKC is a well-validated target for both inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the preclinical, peer-reviewed literature. KAI’s approach is the first to enable the specificity of action required to make epsilon PKC inhibition a viable clinical approach.

KAI-1678 has been shown to be highly effective at reducing pain responses in preclinical models of both neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

http://www.kaipharma.com/

Source: www.news-medical.net

  Published: Wednesday, 19-Nov-2008 Celator Pharmaceuticals today announced that the first patient has been treated in a randomized Phase 2 clinical study of CPX-351 (Cytarabine:Daunorubicin) Liposome Injection in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The first patient was enrolled by Eric Feldman, MD at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Feldman was an investigator involved in the Phase 1 study with CPX-351 in patients with advanced leukemias. “We are pleased to be involved in this Phase 2 study based on the encouraging results seen in the Phase 1 study,” said Dr. Feldman. “It’s important to develop new treatment options for patients and CPX-351 incorporates two of the most active agents used in the treatment of AML.”

CPX-351 is a liposomal formulation of cytarabine and daunorubicin delivered in a 5:1 molar ratio shown in preclinical studies to represent a synergistic ratio for use in combination chemotherapy. CPX-351 represents a new approach to developing drug combinations in which drug ratios are pre-selected based on synergistic anti-tumor activity observed preclinically and where the ratios are maintained in patients through Celator’s proprietary CombiPlex(R) technology platform.

The Phase 2 study will be conducted in patients with newly diagnosed AML, greater than or equal to 60 but <76 years of age, who are able to tolerate intensive chemotherapy. This randomized (2:1) study is designed to compare CPX-351 to the conventional method of administering cytarabine and daunorubicin, commonly referred to as “7+3.” The reference “7+3″ refers to the administration days of the drugs (cytarabine is administered as a 7 day continuous infusion and daunorubicin is administered on days 1, 2 and 3). CPX-351 is administered on days 1, 3 and 5. The target enrollment is 120 patients. The primary endpoint of the study is complete remission rate. Secondary endpoints are duration of complete remission, time to treatment failure, survival at 12 months, 30, 60, and 90 day mortality and safety and tolerability.

Interim Phase 1 data with CPX-351, where complete remissions were obtained in patients with advanced leukemia, were reported in December 2007. Additional Phase 1 and preclinical data were accepted for presentation at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in San Francisco in December.

Phase 1 Study of a Liposomal Carrier (CPX-351) Containing a Synergistic, Fixed Molar Ratio of Cytarabine (Ara-C) and Daunorubicin (DNR) in Advanced Leukemias will be presented on Monday, December 8, 2008, 5:30PM to 7:30PM in the Moscone Center, Hall A.   — Synergistic Cytarabine:Daunorubicin Ratios Delivered by CPX-351 to Human Leukemia Xenografts is Associated with Liposome-Mediated Bone Marrow Drug Accumulation, Intracellular Delivery of Encapsulated Agents to Leukemia Cells, and Increased Efficacy will be presented on Saturday, December 6, 2008, 5:30PM to 7:30PM in the Moscone Center, Hall A.    

“This is an important milestone for Celator and we are excited about the benefit CPX-351 may offer patients,” said Scott Jackson, chief executive officer of Celator Pharmaceuticals. “We continue to open new clinical trial sites for participation in this study and we are moving forward with a second randomized Phase 2 study in patients with AML in first relapse.”

The National Cancer Institute defines AML as a quickly progressing disease in which too many immature white blood cells (not lymphocytes) are found in the blood and bone marrow. In 2008, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures estimates 13,290 new cases of AML and 8,820 deaths.

http://www.celatorpharma.com/

Source: www.news-medical.net

  Published: Wednesday, 19-Nov-2008 Computational neuroscientists at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a computational model that provides insight into the function of the brain’s visual cortex and the information processing that enables people to perceive contours and surfaces, and understand what they see in the world around them.

A type of visual neuron known as simple cells can detect lines, or edges, but the computation they perform is insufficient to make sense of natural scenes, said Michael S. Lewicki, associate professor in Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science Department and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. Edges often are obscured by variations in the foreground and background surfaces within the scene, he said, so more sophisticated processing is necessary to understand the complete picture. But little is known about how the visual system accomplishes this feat.

In a paper published online by the journal Nature , Lewicki and his graduate student, Yan Karklin, outline their computational model of this visual processing. The model employs an algorithm that analyzes the myriad patterns that compose natural scenes and statistically characterizes those patterns to determine which patterns are most likely associated with each other.

The bark of a tree, for instance, is composed of a multitude of different local image patterns, but the computational model can determine that all these local images represent bark and are all part of the same tree, as well as determining that those same patches are not part of a bush in the foreground or the hill behind it.

“Our model takes a statistical approach to making these generalizations about each patch in the image,” said Lewicki, who currently is on sabbatical at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. “We don’t know if the visual system computes exactly in this way, but it is behaving as if it is.”

Lewicki and Karklin report that the response of their model neurons to images used in physiological experiments matches well with the response of neurons in higher visual stages. These “complex cells,” so-called for their more complex response properties, have been extensively studied, but the role they play in visual processing has been elusive. “We were astonished that the model reproduced so many of the properties of these cells just as a result of solving this computational problem,” Lewicki said.

The human brain makes these interpretations of visual stimuli effortlessly, but computer scientists have long struggled to program computers to do the same. “We don’t have computer vision algorithms that function as well as the brain,” Lewicki said, so computers often have trouble recognizing objects, understanding their three-dimensional nature and appreciating how the objects they see are juxtaposed across a landscape. A deeper understanding of how the brain perceives the world could translate into improved computer vision systems.

In the meantime, the functional explanation of complex cells suggested by the computer model will enable scientists to develop new ways of investigating the visual system and other brain areas. “It’s still a theory, after all, so naturally you want to test it further,” Lewicki noted. But if the model is confirmed, it could establish a new paradigm for how we derive the general from the specific.

http://www.cmu.edu/

Source: www.news-medical.net

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VENOUS DISEASE COALITION, VDC, EISAI, DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS, DVT, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, PE

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The Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) is proud to announce that Eisai Inc. has joined them as a national Platinum/Founding Sponsor supporting efforts to fight deadly blood clots known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its complication, pulmonary embolism (PE). As a national sponsor, Eisai will continue to support the VDC in its efforts to educate the general public and health care professionals about DVT and PE as well as help to create a national educational awareness campaign for the general public.

Newswise — The Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) announced today that Eisai Inc. has joined the VDC as a national Platinum/Founding Sponsor supporting efforts to fight deadly blood clots known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its complication, pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT and PE affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.

Eisai supported the VDC at its recent second annual meeting where Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson issued “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action for the Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism,” which urged all Americans to learn about these preventable and treatable conditions. As a national sponsor, Eisai will continue to support the VDC in its efforts to educate the general public and health care professionals about DVT and PE as well as help to create a national educational awareness campaign for the general public.

"Hundreds of thousands of Americans develop deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism each year, underscoring the need for greater awareness of VTE," said Cynthia Schwalm, President, Eisai Inc. "We are pleased to support the Venous Disease Coalition’s efforts to educate both patients and healthcare professionals about this potentially life-threatening condition.”

DVT is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg, that can be fatal when the clot breaks free and travels through the heart and into the lungs, causing a complication called PE. Major risk factors for DVT include recent major surgery, cancer and its treatment, major trauma or injuries to the leg, previous DVT or PE, hospitalization with an acute illness, pregnancy, use of birth control or hormone replacement therapy, family history of DVT or PE, and obesity.

“We are very pleased with Eisai’s support and contribution to the VDC,” said Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD, President of the VDC. “Eisai shares the same goal as the VDC, to help educate as many people as possible about these deadly, yet preventable and treatable diseases.”

About Eisai Inc.

Eisai Inc. is a U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: neurology, gastrointestinal disorders and oncology/critical care. Established in 1995 and ranked among the top-20 U.S. pharmaceutical companies (based on retail sales), Eisai Inc. began marketing its first product in the United States in 1997 and has rapidly grown to become an integrated pharmaceutical business with fiscal year 2007 (year ended March 31, 2008) sales of approximately $3 billion, including the results of the acquisition of MGI PHARMA, Inc.

Eisai Inc. employs approximately 1,900 people at its headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, at its state-of-the-art pharmaceutical production and formulation research and development facility in Research Triangle Park, NC, and in the field. For more information about Eisai, please visit http://www.eisai.com.

About the Venous Disease Coalition
The Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) is an alliance of more than 35 leading health professional societies and patient advocacy groups that have united around a common goal: To improve the survival rates and quality of life for individuals with, or at risk for, venous disease. The VDC plans to develop a national campaign to educate public and health care professionals in the U.S. about venous disease. The VDC is supported by unrestricted educational grants from AngioDynamics Inc., BioMedix, BSN Jobst, Cook Medical, Covidien, Eisai Inc., and Juzo. It is a program of the Vascular Disease Foundation (http://www.vdf.org). For more information, visit http://www.VenousDiseaseCoalition.org.

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Source: www.newswise.com

  Published: Wednesday, 19-Nov-2008 A new study by researchers at the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center suggests that the incidence of heterosexual anal sex is increasing among teens and young adults - particularly those who have recently had unprotected vaginal sex.

These findings mirror recent data that show anal sex rates among adults doubled between the years 1995 and 2004.

The study, published online by the American Journal of Public Health , is among the first to report on the little-known factors associated with heterosexual anal intercourse among adolescents and young adults.

“The topic of anal intercourse is often considered taboo - especially when discussed in the context of youth relationships - even though we know that this behavior is a significant risk factor for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. It’s critical that we recognize that more and more young people are engaging in anal sex so we can open the lines of communications and help them protect their sexual health,” says lead author Celia Lescano, PhD, of the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center (BHCRC).

Researchers assessed the sexual behavior of 1,348 adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 21 who had unprotected sex in the previous three months. They found that 16 percent had engaged in heterosexual anal intercourse within the timeframe, with condoms being used just 29 percent of the time.

Females who had heterosexual anal sex were more likely to be living with their partners, to have two or more sexual partners and to have previously experienced coerced intercourse. Males who engaged in heterosexual anal intercourse were more likely to identify themselves as being homosexual, bisexual or undecided.

“These findings suggest that the factors associated with anal intercourse among females in the study relate to the context and power balance of sexual relationships,” says Lescano, who’s also an assistant professor of psychiatry (research) at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. “We must teach teen girls and young women how to be assertive in sexual relationships, such as refusing unwanted sexual acts and negotiating for safer sex, whether it’s anal or vaginal.”

However, there were several factors related to anal intercourse that were consistent in both genders. In general, those who felt that using condoms decreased the pleasure of sex and those who used drugs at the time of intercourse engaged in riskier behaviors, suggesting that interventions should emphasize that sex can be both pleasurable and safe.

“An open dialogue between health care providers and their young patients about anal intercourse is becoming increasingly important, and clinicians should ask about anal sex during discussions about vaginal intercourse and protection - regardless of the patient’s gender or reported sexual orientation,” says Lescano.

Study participants in Atlanta, Miami and Providence completed a self-interview designed to measure sexual risk behaviors, relationships, sexual risk attitudes, substance use and mental health. The majority of the group (92 percent) defined themselves as being heterosexual. Overall, 56 percent were female; approximately half of the participants were African American, 24 percent were Hispanic and 20 percent were white.

http://www.lifespan.org/

Source: www.news-medical.net