According to a CNN report, there are two young men who live with male pseudohermaphroditism and they are cousins. There are other family members with the same problem because, as in many cultures like this one, families prefer to blend together rather than marry outside, to people from elsewhere. This encourages the development of genetic problems over time.

The two young men lived as girls until they were 16 years old, when they discovered that they were not girls and were not longer able to pass themselves off as girls.

In the more developed countries, it’s possible that the condition is diagnosed early on in life so parents and doctors may work together to help the child, but in poorer areas, where medical care isn’t as accessible, this isn’t always possible. So now, these two young men, who have the physical body characteristics of girls, but the facial hair and other characteristics of men, are caught in the middle.

They have been raised as girls in a very segregated culture and must learn to live as men. But, according to the news report, until they have sex reassignment surgery, their government will not recognize them as men, so they can’t continue on with school, just as girls may not.

It must be frightfully difficult to live this way in the most accepting of societies, but to do so in one that has such defined lines drawn between men and women, the difficulties must be even more so.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

The funny thing is that now, such rebuilding is possible in some ways. We have great technology that is being applied to artificial limbs, cochlear implants that can help some people hear – there is a lot of research going on to help people live their lives as they did before they were injured. And now, we may have a regrowing penis. Seriously.

Ok, it’s a while away yet. Research is still on rabbits. Imagine choosing rabbits to help treat fertility problems. Have you ever heard of an infertile rabbit?

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina used tissue engineering techniques to construct a penis for rabbits. This penis was so functional that the rabbits were then able to mate, producing offspring.

So now, the question is, will they be able to reproduce (sorry for the pun) this in humans?

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Images: ZumaPress.com, PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

Sperm killers – fact or fiction….

Urban myths and old wives tales are plentiful, especially when it comes to infertility and pregnancy. To help you out on what’s fact or fiction when it comes to the quantity and quality of sperm, ABC has put together this list of 11 Sperm Killing Suspects, covering everything from boxers or briefs to laptops and cellphones.

Food or Sex?

This interesting study from Australia indicates that the majority of men prefer the hamburger over a roll in the sack. Yes, really. Turns out that the old saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’ really is true.

Birth Control Pills and Blood Clots

New research from Europe focusing on oral contraceptives and  blood clots has discovered that some pills are much safer than others. WebMD’s article Which Birth Control Pill Is Safest? provides all the details on this study and their findings.

Want to share?

Men’s Health magazine wants to know How Good Is Your Sex Life? Anyone wanting  to spill the beans on what thrills you (and what disappoints you) – anonymously of course -  just click here to begin answer the survey questions

Take it outdoors!

Forget the old cliché ‘behind closed doors‘. Be a little adventurous this summer and consider these prime outdoor spots for getting busy, plus advice on the best positions in each.

Why have sex: 237 reasons and counting

Two years ago, Texas researchers wanted to go deep inside people’s heads and find out the ‘real’ reasons people have sex. So they asked 2,000 people and ended up with 237 reasons ranging from ‘I was drunk’ to  “I wanted to get closer to God’. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other reasons included ‘to help fall asleep’ and  ‘to get rid of a headache’ to ‘it seemed like good exercise’ to ‘someone dared me to’. Interesting answers, but I’m pleased to see that the number one reason, for both men and women was: “I was attracted to the person.”

(image source)

Post from: Healthbolt

They could ignore it or they could find a custom jeweler to work on the project with them. 

X4 Labs, the company faced with this dilemma,  choose to find a jeweler and start working on this somewhat unique request.

Apparently the client, a Saudi businessman living in Jeddah,  had a legitimate practical reason for requesting a sold gold version – he claimed to have severe skin allergy to stainless steel.

But by also rrequesting 40 diamonds and several rubies be encrusted in the design, he  obviously also wanted his penis stretcher to sparkle,

According to the X4 Labs spokesperson, the 18 carat gold penis stretcher, which  could easily be the most expensive traction device ever produced, will be delivered to by armoured car in October. 

Could this be the start of a new trend in male novelty devices? X4 Labs is probably hoping so…

Of course, the real question is will this golden manhood stretcher do the job?

Or will it just end up being pretty expensive bling?

(article source / image source)

Post from: Healthbolt

For the study,  a 1000 healthy and fertile men between 20 and 45 were given monthly injections of  500mg of testosterone undecanoate in tea seed oil for 30 months. This testosterone-based product caused the disruption of sperm production and hence prevented reproduction.

Better yet, no serious adverse side effects occurred and once the monthly injects were stopped, the sperm count returns to healthy levels by six months.

Of course, further testing will be needed to ensure the injection’s safety, but it’s looking good. Maybe soon, women will be able to say goodbye to the pill.

(source and image)

Post from: Healthbolt

Well, ScientificAmerican.com has a couple of articles that might just do the trick. Focusing on a specific part of the human anatomy, they will either entertain, inform, or possibly simply irritate you.

The first, The Secret of the Phallus, starts out with a great hook  “…If you’ve ever had a good, long look at the human phallus, whether yours or someone else’s, you’ve probably scratched your head over such a peculiarly shaped device.”  and then continues on to discuss the research of evolutionary psychologists such as Gordon Gallup who studies the design and evolution of the human penis.

The second article, The Misunderstood Penis, was written in response to some of the comments the author received to his first article. Apparently some of his readers had quite diverse reactions to the ‘Secrets of the Phallus’ ranging from “…the incredulous (are you seriously suggesting that chimpanzees aren’t promiscuous?—“tomrees”), to the imaginative (penises! they’re so cute, you just want to pinch their cheeks and give them cookies—“montavilla”), to the rather irritable (stupid, biased thinking again from an ‘evolutionary psychologist’—“hcollins2009”)” So, to set the record straight, the author expanded on Gallup’s research, particularly his semen replacement therapy.

Check them out. They are definitely worth a read.

(image from sxc.hu)

Post from: Healthbolt

According to researcher Professor Cirino, of the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, this discovery should make it possible “…in future to develop drugs that either deliver hydrogen sulphide or that control the hydrogen sulphide production.” In other words, create a new Viagra.

Given that this gas is emitted by hot springs and spas around the world, will this mean that places with hot springs will become a drawcard for those with sexual dysfunction? I know one of at least one New Zealand city that hopes it might.

Post from: Healthbolt

Scary numbers.

But most people will look at those numbers and say, ‘yeah, but that won’t happen to me. I’m safe. My behavior is not risky.”

Unfortunately, it could easily happen to you. All it really takes to get a sexually transmitted disease is one instance of unprotected sex.

Which is why I suggest that anyone who is sexually active or intending to become sexually active read Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STD’s by Jill Grimes MD.

It’s an easy to read book that focuses on real life stories of young adults as a way of educating and instructing everyone on how to recognize, treat, and prevent STD’s from infecting their lives. Dr. Grimes has chosen to write about the various STD’s in a narrative style that takes us into the examination room with the patient and doctor. As a result, you quickly start to realize that you cannot stereotype those who are suspectible and likely to get infected. It could just as easily be a family member or friend in that room with the doctor.

The ten chapters of Seductive Delusions cover the most prevalent STD’s, among them Herpes Simplex Virus, human papilloma virus, chlamydia, gonnorrhea, and HIV. Each chapter consists of two stories – one from a female point of view and one from a male – and also a factsheet that spells out all the facts about that particular STD.

Read the book from cover to cover and you will discover…

• Which STDs are asymptomatic or hard to diagnose in either women or men
• Why, if you are diagnosed with one STD, you should get tested for others
• Why it’s crucial to tell your past and current sexual partners about your diagnosis
• How to make decisions about the best course of treatment
• Why certain STDs are misdiagnosed and why it’s important to follow up when symptoms persist

STD’s are all around but talking about them is not something that people often do, especially within families. Hopefully, books like Seductive Delusions might just change that. After all, knowledge is power.

Find out how much you already know with this STD quiz.

Post from: Healthbolt

But according to a new study, all guys need to do to reduce the risk of them suffering from this infliction is to get out of the house and into the garden.

Sounds pretty simple. According to the researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, who studied 674 guys aged 45 to 60, half an hour of gardening five days of week can make all the difference, reducing the risk of impotence by around 38%.

Put a bit more sweat into it, burn even more calories, and the risk reduction will be even greater.

Granted, it doesn’t have to be just gardening. Other forms of moderate exercise – dancing, cycling, and jogging – can also have the same effect.

But what a great argument to use to convince your guy to get into the garden…

Post from: Healthbolt

nurse: have you shaved your scrotum?
uh, nope, no one told me to

Now there is kevsnip, a live twitter account of having a Vasectomy…

the very first pre-op stage of Operation Chop is complete at 18 hours before Snip time. Hair today, gone tomorrow.

Let’s just hope that no one plans on video blogging their vasectomy experience.

(hat tip to KevinMD.com)

Post from: Healthbolt