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

Half of urban teenage girls may acquire at least one of three common sexually transmitted infections (STI) within two years of becoming sexually active.

Ok, some might say. STIs can be treated. The rebuttal to that is: yes and no.

Sure, some STIs can be successfully treated. But, there’s a big “but.”

1. The STI has to be identified.
2. The girl has to be willing to have it treated.
3. The girl has to seek treatment.
4. The girl has to be sure that she completes the treatment properly.
5. The girl has to be sure that it has worked.

Oh, and one more step: She has to prevent getting another infection.

Unfortunately, not all girls know they are infected so they don’t get treated. This can, and often does, lead to health problems down the road. Also, we can’t lose sight of the fact that some STIs are *not* curable – like HIV.

According to the study that was published in the most recent issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 381 teen-age girls who were studied had repeated infections with chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

“Depending on the organism, within four to six months after treatment of the previous infection, a quarter of the women were re-infected with the same organism,” said Wanzhu Tu, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and a Regenstrief Institute investigator.

Second infections, sometimes the same one but sometimes different ones, occurred frequently (75%) within two years of the first STI. The number reaches 92% getting a second infection within four years of the first STI.

So, parents, what is happening? How can this be stopped? While the seriousness of STIs may not be obvious to the girls when they get them, we do know how serious they are. If almost all the girls who get one STI as a teen are pretty well sure to get at least a second, then there is something wrong and more has to be done to prevent this from happening again – and again – again.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

The women were asked if they were pre or post menopausal and then whether they felt sexually satisfied or not.

“We found that women who were sexually dissatisfied had lower well-being and lower vitality. This finding highlights the importance of addressing these areas as an essential part of women’s healthcare, because women may be uncomfortable discussing these issues with their doctor.”

said lead author Dr Sonia Davison, of the Women’s Health Program at Monash University, Australia. The study was published earlier this year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Why do you think this may be? Sexual activity is a normal, healthy human function. A woman who has sexual needs and is having them fulfilled is bound to feel better about things than a woman who isn’t, isn’t she?

While studies like this may seem trivial to some people, it’s actually quite important. If a doctor facing a woman with issues that can’t be identified, it could be that there is something deeper and more personal than most doctors ask about.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

But now, the target is women. Women do experience sexual dysfunction. Many women would love to have satisfying sex lives but don’t because of various issues. While some researchers are actively working on medications to help women with their sexual desire, some discover a treatment by accident, as did researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

The researchers were looking at a medication called flibanserin, an antidepressant. But what the researchers found by pooling information from three separate trials, was that flibanserin also helped boost sexual libido in women who were living with acquired hypoactive sexual desire disorder. In fact, the medication turned out to be a lousy antidepressant, but an effective libido-enhancing one.

Women who have difficulty with sex drive often live in silence. Their inability to enjoy sex isn’t quite as obvious as a man who can’t develop or maintain an erection. But the inability or the lack of desire to have sex in women can be just as devastating as erectile dysfunction is in many men.

According to this article, Viagra for women? Drug developed as antidepressant effective in treating low libido, between 9% to 26% of women, depending on age and menopausal status, have hypoactive sexual disorder (low sex drive).  The article says, “The researchers concluded that treatment with 100 milligrams of flibanserin once a day was associated with significant improvements versus placebo in the number of satisfying sexual events.”

What do you think? Would you take a medication to increase your sex drive?

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Image: iStock.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

Of course, who can forget failed vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her teen daughter, Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. Here was a very in-your-face conservative who doesn’t want sex education in the schools, who believed that raising your child “right” and with God would keep her from getting pregnant – and her daughter became pregnant. Sure, she’s one teen among millions, but she’s not the only one whose parents believed that by preaching abstinence, their daughter wouldn’t get pregnant.

To find out if religion did help reduce teen-age pregnancies, researchers looked into the teen pregnancy rates according to the religiosity of their home state. To do this, the researchers searched through the U.S. census data for pregnancy and abortion information, and the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which had been carried out by the Pew Forum  on Religion and Public Life. The results of their study were published in the medical journal Reproductive Health.

What the researchers found was that the more religious states in the U.S. also had the highest teen pregnancy rates. They had lower abortion rates than other states, however.

Many parents believe that the best way to keep their daughters from getting pregnant is by preaching abstinence, believing that they will remain virgins. And, in a perfect world, this would likely be true. But this isn’t a perfect world and even in the Victorian days when sex wasn’t as in your face as it is now, women had sex when unmarried.

Sex education teaches young people about being responsible and preventing not only pregnancy, but sexually transmitted infections that could kill them. One would think that knowledge that would keep you from catching a potentially fatal illness would be more helpful than denying that sexual behavior will (and does) happen.

Does this finding surprise you?

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Images: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

Both men and women know how important condoms are. Being on the Pill will prevent pregnancy, but it won’t prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia or HIV. The only thing that will prevent that – other than abstention – is a condom. So, what do you do if he doesn’t want to discuss it or is arguing against it? Then it’s time for a Condom Negotiation.

Personally, I think there shouldn’t be a negotiation. It’s use one or no sex. Period. but, if you feel you want to take the time to do some persuading, The American Social Health Association has put this Condom Negotiation page for you. Have a look and see if there’s something that may help you.

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Image: StockXchng.com

Post from: Healthbolt

Environmentally friendly ‘adult toys’ are being taken out of the bedroom and into the living room by a Northwest-based retailer who has launched Earth Erotic Parties.

Aimed at putting a sustainable twist on the more traditional sex toy parties, the Earth Erotic parties will showcase green vibrators, phthalate-free dildos, natural lubricants, recycled whips and all sorts of other ecologically and non toxic adult paraphernalia.

Sounds like a company that’s taking ‘doing it green’ to a whole new level. 

Interested?  Then sneak in and check out this ‘earth erotic party’ video over at Planet Green to  find out more…

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

Loveland, China’s first sex theme park, was scheduled to open in October but has instead come to a premature end.

It appears that while the developers thought it was a great way of opening up a topic that is seldom discussed in China, the idea of a park that featured naked human sculptures and giant replicas of genitals was just too much to cope with.

Based on the Jeju Loveland theme park in South Korea, China’s Loveland’s main entrance was to feature a signboard bearing the park’s name being straddled by a giant pair of women’s legs topped by a red thong.

Definitely not a child-friendly theme park….

(image from sxc.hu)

Post from: Healthbolt