Britons ‘saving money with sex’
Britons ‘saving money with sex’
Snuggling under the duvet could also save on those heating bills
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As the credit crunch bites, Britons may be turning to sex as a cheap way to pass the time, a charity says.
A YouGov survey of 2,000 adults found sex was the most popular free activity, ahead of window shopping and gossiping.
The Scots were most amorous with 43% choosing sex over other past-times, compared with 35% in South England.
Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, which published the survey, also welcomed recent figures showing an increase in condom sales.
Around one in 10 respondents to the survey, carried in November, said their favourite free activity was window shopping and 6% chose going to a museum as the cheapest way to pass the time.
But the sexes differed on their priorities, with women preferring to gossip with friends while men had sex firmly at the top of their list.
Safe sex
Publishing the results to coincide with World Aids Day, the Terrence Higgins Trust reminded people to practise safe sex and pointed out that a packet of condoms costs a fraction of the cost of a night out.
 Rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are on the up so when you snuggle down with a partner, make sure you do it safely  Lisa Power, Terrence Higgins Trust
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Lisa Power, head of policy, said: We’re glad that people are finding ways of relieving some of their credit crunch woes, but if there’s one thing it’s worth forking out for, it’s condoms.
“Alternatively you can get them free from family planning and sexual health clinics.
“Rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are on the up so when you snuggle down with a partner, make sure you do it safely.”
Rebecca Findlay, from the Family Planning Association advised: “If anyone’s having more sex at the moment whatever the reason, do think about your contraception, your condoms and any testing you might need for sexually transmitted infections.
“And you can get all of these for free on the NHS.”
Add a comment December 1, 2008
Tags: Britons, charity, condoms, credit, credit crunch, gossiping, HIV, Lisa, money, saving money, Scots, sex, sexual health, South England, window shopping, women, YouGov
Ladyhawke speaks about Asperger’s
Sometimes it can go undiagnosed. Sometimes it can go ignored. Sometimes it can go unnoticed.
Asperger syndrome – a form of autism characterised by difficulties dealing with people and social situations – affects close on one in every 100 people in Britain.
With 500,000 suffers in the UK alone the condition is a lot more common than the disability’s current profile would suggest.
“People with Asperger syndrome often have a unique way of experiencing the world”, explains Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society (NAS). “Many express this with great success through creativity and the arts.”
“Without the right help and support [it] can have a profound effect on people’s lives.”
‘Private person’
One high profile sufferer is New Zealand songstress Ladyhawke aka Pip Brown – currently enjoying extensive airplay with her latest single My Delirium.
Pip was only diagnosed with Asperger syndrome a couple of years ago. She is, understandably, still a little wary of speaking about the subject.
“I guess in myself it’s not in my nature to open myself up to people and I feel quite exposed.”
“I’m a really private person – I don’t really go out often,” she says. “I sort of regret opening myself up to the public that much.”
“On the other side of things I am glad that I’ve been able to talk to people in a similar situation.”
Indeed, since revealing her diagnosis she has been regularly contacted by other sufferers for advice.
Pip Brown live onstage
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“I hear from a lot of people on MySpace who have Asperger. A lot of people I can relate to write me messages and stories about themselves.”
“I only have a very mild form of it and there are some people who have it so bad that they find it too hard to even write me a message to me – I love that I’ve been able to talk to people and be able to relate like that.”
‘Hidden disability’
The condition itself can often go completely undiagnosed. Termed a ‘hidden disability’ it can instead be attributed as shyness, social awkwardness or depression.
“People shouldn’t be scared of it or anything,” explains Pip.
“Some people don’t even realise that they have it. I went through my whole life not knowing until only a few years ago, when it was just doing my head in and I had to get help. “
Early reviews of Ladyhawke’s live performances noted her meekness and reluctance to interact with her audience.
She is though, still learning how best to cope with her condition. Her commitment to a touring lifestyle means she continues to confront challenges on a daily basis.
 Some people don’t even realise that they have it. I went through my whole life not knowing until only a few years ago  Ladyhawke
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“I have real moments, quite often in sound check, when I just don’t feel like I can perform,” she admits.
“I don’t feel like I can sing. I have these voices in my head telling me that I suck and I can’t do it.”
“There’s one side of me saying suck it up and do it. And there’s another side that says everybody’s looking at you and they’re judging you.”
“It happens to me every single show without fail, so I’m getting used to it.”
In many senses the condition itself is invisible. Symptoms are often subtle, if noticeable at all. For example those it affects might find comfort in routine or possess a unique focus on special interests.
“I’ll hone in on something like a game and I’ll end up being obsessed with it for a long time,” Pip concludes.
“So at the moment I’m just playing Lego Batman on the Wii. I play it so much that I fall asleep and end up dreaming that I’m destroying things and turning things into Lego money.”
Add a comment November 25, 2008
Tags: Asperger, Asperger syndrome, Britain, diagnosis, Ladyhawke, Lego, nature, New Zealand, private, syndrome, UK
Fake penis drug test pair guilty
Fake penis drug test pair guilty
Tests rely on testing urine samples to check for drugs
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The makers of a prosthetic penis to help men cheat on drugs tests have pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy in a US federal court.
The two men, George Wills and Robert Catalano, had been selling the device – known as the Whizzinator – over the internet for three years.
The device was sold with a heating element and fake urine to help people test negative for illegal substances.
They could face up to eight years in prison and a $500,000 (£334,000) fine.
The men ran an internet company known as Puck Technology, which between 2005 and 2008 sold the Whizzinator and a similar device, known as Number One.
“The Whizzinator is the ultimate solution for a drug testing device,” says a statement on the website of the California-based company, which calls itself the “undisputed leader in synthetic urine.”
“The prosthetic penis is very realistic and concealing is simple, while our quality production and materials assures you that the Whizzinator will let it flow again and again, anytime, anywhere you need it!”
Mr Wills and Mr Catalano appeared before a federal court in Pittsburgh, and are scheduled to be sentenced in February.
Add a comment November 25, 2008
Tags: £, company, drug, drug test, drugs, Fake penis, internet, penis, Pittsburgh, Puck Technology, US, US federal court, Whizzinator
‘I can’t imagine her any other way’
‘I can’t imagine her any other way’
‘Erin is developing her own personality’
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When the sonographer carrying out my 12-week scan turned to me and my husband Paul and said “there’s a problem with your baby”, I felt totally numb.
It was only later, when we were sitting in the car in the hospital car park, that I cried.
Up until that point in my life I’d never even heard of a nuchal fold, and certainly had no idea that a thickened one could indicate that a baby was at increased risk of having Down’s syndrome.
We were both very much of the opinion that we didn’t want any further tests.
We’d wanted this baby for a long time. We didn’t want to do anything that might risk a miscarriage, however small that risk might be.
We said “what will be will be” and tried to enjoy the pregnancy, although I suppose the possibility that our baby might have Down’s syndrome was always at the back of our minds.
‘Our fears came true’
A few weeks after the first scan we discovered that we were having a little girl, and decided to call her Erin.
 The knowledge that Erin had Down’s didn’t change the way I felt about her one tiny bit |
As I got closer to my due date, the possibility that Erin might have Down’s began to occupy my thoughts more and more.
I didn’t really know anything about Down’s, but the prospect of having a baby with a disability, a “syndrome”, was a scary one.
Since Erin’s arrival, Paul and I have had many conversations about her birth and the time immediately afterwards.
Paul has told me that as soon as he had the opportunity to have a close look at Erin he did so, and looking down at her little face, he knew that she had Down’s.
He handed her to me and said: “What are you seeing?”. I replied: “Has she got Down’s?”. Our fears had come true – our baby daughter had Down’s syndrome.
I can honestly say that the knowledge that Erin had Down’s didn’t change the way I felt about her one tiny bit.
From the moment I held her in my arms I loved her more than I can possibly describe, and those feelings have never changed.
An exclusive ‘club’
The day after Erin was born a very nice doctor came to have a chat with us.
He brought us some booklets and leaflets about Down’s, but tried to impress upon us that there was no urgency to read them. The most important thing Erin needed, he said, was the same thing every other baby needed – lots of love and kisses and cuddles.
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I sometimes worry about Erin’s future, but I try very hard not to let those worries spoil my enjoyment of the present |
I’ve often thought about his words since and feel certain that Erin will never want for those things with me and Paul as her parents because we love her so much.
I’ve been very impressed with the amount of professional support we’ve received since Erin was born.
From doctors, nurses and therapists at St James’s Hospital to the wonderful staff at the Mencap nursery that Erin and I attend once a week, there are a lot of people looking after my little girl.
In some ways I feel like I’ve become a member of a rather exclusive “club”.
‘Little person’
Before Erin was born I didn’t want to be part of it, but now that I am I can’t imagine life being any other way.
Erin is nearly six months old now, and she’s becoming a little person with her own personality.
Gone is the tiny baby who had to be fed through a tube because she was too sleepy to feed by herself.
These days Erin can drink a bottle in no time, and has just started on solids.
She loves lots of attention, likes to suck her thumbs (sometimes both at the same time), is determined and sometimes a bit stubborn.
I sometimes worry about Erin’s future, but I try very hard not to let those worries spoil my enjoyment of the present. To me she’s just my daughter, and I can’t imagine her any other way.
1 comment November 25, 2008
Tags: baby, born, doctor, Down's syndrome, Erin, hospital, husband, imagine, life, miscarriage, sonographer, syndrome, tests
Safe sex
Topic: Safe sex
Description
Safe sex is about:
- preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- avoiding unintended pregnancy
- staying emotionally healthy.
Do’s
Preventing sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
The most significant STIs in Australia are genital herpes, genital warts, chlamydia, trichomonas, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV. These can be passed from person to person through:
- vaginal sex
- oral sex
- anal sex
- close sexual contact
- some can be passed from a mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth
- some can be passed from person to person through sharing needles or injecting drug equipment.
Use of condoms reduces the person to person spread of many STIs, including HIV. Some STIs can spread from person to person even when condoms are used.
Sometimes STIs cause symptoms but very often a person can have an STI without knowing it. A person with an STI may look perfectly healthy. If you have had unprotected sex, you have been at risk of an STI. Go to your local doctor, family planning clinic or sexual health clinic for a sexual health check.
To avoid unintended pregnancy, get contraception sorted out before you start having sex. Talk with your local doctor, family planning clinic or sexual health clinic about the best form of contraception for you.
To stay emotionally healthy, be in control. It is up to you:
- when to start having sex
- when to have sex
- who to have sex with
- how to have sex
- to have safe sex every time.
Tips
- Always use condoms when you have vaginal or anal sex
- Do not have sex with a person who has a visible sore, ulcer or lump on the genitals or around the anal area. Suggest that person see their local doctor, local family planning clinic or sexual health clinic.
- Some STIs can infect the throat. It is therefore important to use protection when having oral sex. If you are giving a man oral sex (his penis in your mouth), then he will need to wear a condom. It does not matter whether you are male or female, if you put your mouth in contact with your partner’s anus or vulva while having sex you will need to use a dental dam.
- If you are having unprotected sex, talk to your partner about the risks involved. Some STIs can be cured but some cannot, including HIV. From a good discussion with your partner, you may be able to come to a clear agreement about using condoms.
- There are lots of ways to enjoy physical intimacy with your partner. Explore other ways to be intimate which do not put you at risk of STIs or an unintended pregnancy.
- Drinking alcohol and taking other drugs may affect your ability to make safe decisions. If you tend not to use condoms after drinking alcohol or taking other drugs, it may be time to think about this and the risks involved. While for some it may be unrealistic to think of not enjoying a drink, there are many ways of cutting down so that you stay in control and can make more rational choices about your sexual contact. One way of cutting down alcohol intake is to make every second drink a non-alcoholic one or,start drinking light beers.
- Use of condoms is the only method of contraception that also protects against STIs. When using other methods (like the pill, Implanon, Depo, diaphragm or IUCD), use condoms as well.
- If you use sex toys, use condoms and change the condom for each person. Wash the toys carefully after use and wash your hands after removing the condom.
Helpful Hints
- Be in control. Have safe sex every time.
- Get contraception and safe sex sorted out before you have sex.
- If you have had unprotected sex, you may be at risk of an STI. Have a sexual health check-up and consider emergency contraception if required.
Add a comment November 18, 2008
Tags: alcohol, anal sex, anus, childbirth, condoms, dental dam, doctor, drug, family planning, female, HIV, how to have sex, male, man, oral sex, penis, pregnancy, Safe sex, sexual health, sexual health check, sexual health clinic, unprotected sex, vaginal sex, vulva
Hepatitis C
Topic: Hepatitis C
Description
Hepatitis is a disease or inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by alcohol, some drugs and chemicals, and by infection. Hepatitis C is one form of hepatitis caused by the hepatitis c virus.
Hepatitis C is one of the most serious types of hepatitis. When a person is first infected with hepatitis C they may have short term symptoms known as an acute infection. After the acute infection, most people do not get rid of the virus from their body. The virus stays in their body and may cause ongoing disease of the liver. This causes long term problems and is called chronic infection. People who have chronic infection can pass the infection on to other people. They are carriers of hepatitis C.
Symptoms
Hepatitis C is usually a long-term (chronic) illness and often there are no symptoms. Only a small number of people experience short-term (acute) illness with hepatitis C.
However, some symptoms that might be experienced with acute hepatitis C include:
- yellow skin and eyeballs (jaundice)
- dark orange or tea colored urine
- nausea
- tiredness and
- swollen and painful liver (right-hand side of abdomen).
Most people with acute hepatitis C go on to have chronic hepatitis C infection. Those who develop chronic infection are at risk of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Those with chronic infection remain infectious to others.
It usually takes one to five months after contact with hepatitis C for symptoms to occur. Hepatitis C is very infectious during this period, as well as when symptoms occur. Having blood tests is the only way to tell if you are infected with the hepatitis C virus. Blood tests can also show if there is any damage to the liver. The first test is for antibodies, the second test looks for the virus itself.
Sometimes people test positive for the antibody, but negative for the virus. This means that the virus has been in their blood but is now gone. This doesn’t mean that they are immune. You can get infected again.
Transmission
Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood to blood contact from an infected person entering the bloodstream of another person.
You can get hepatitis C through:
- re-using or sharing any injecting drug equipment including needles and syringes, spoons and tourniquets
- sharing tattooing or piercing equipment
- sharing personal hygiene equipment, such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person. Hepatitis C is not transmitted by social contact or sharing items such as crockery, cutlery, shower and toilet facilities.
- having received an infected blood transfusion prior to February 1990. Since this time, all donated blood in Australia has been screened and is regarded as safe.
- poorly sterilized equipment and poor infection control used by doctors, nurses, dentists, tattooists, acupuncturists, hairdressers, body piercers, beauty therapists and others.
- occupational risks that may include any procedure which could lead to skin penetration, involving the transfer of blood between two people.
- Women with hepatitis C can pass the virus to their baby before or during birth, however the risk is less than six per cent. This risk is higher if the mother is in the acute phase of infection or is co-infected with HIV. Hepatitis C has been detected in breast milk, but levels of the virus are not thought to be high enough to pose a risk of trasmission.
- Transmission through sexual contact is low and only exists when blood to blood contact occurs during sex. Condoms and lubricant are recommended for anyone with a new sexual partner, in particular during anal sex, if a partner is menstruating or when blood exposure is possible. Condoms and lubrication are also recommended for the use of sex toys, taking care not to share these between partners.
Treatment
Your doctor will monitor your health in relation to your hepatitis C status. They may suggest you undergo treatment. Treatment outcomes for people with hepatitis C are encouraging. Meanwhile, people with hepatitis C are advised to:
- limit or avoid alcohol. People with chronic hepatitis C should seriously think about not drinking alcohol at all. Alcohol can increase the injury to the liver.
- maintain a healthy well-balanced diet
- get adequate rest.
Prevention
Because hepatitis C is a blood borne virus there are certain situations where transmission is more likely to occur. There are a number of precautions which will reduce the risk of transmission.
Injecting drug users
If you have ever injected drugs, you may have been exposed to hepatitis C. If you are currently injecting drugs, no matter how infrequently, you should never share any equipment. If you have shared equipment, you could have hepatitis C. See your doctor and have a test.
If you find out you have hepatitis C, people you have shared injecting equipment with or sexual partners where there was a possible exchange of blood, should be tested if possible. This is to see if they are infected and to prevent further spread of the infection. If you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about telling your friends, partner or partners, the doctor, nurse or health worker can contact them. This is a confidential process and your name will not be mentioned.
People who inject drugs are most at risk and should always practise the following:
- wash hands thoroughly before and after injecting
- always use sterile needles, syringes and equipment
- clear and cover the area to mix and prepare
- never share any injecting equipment, including the mix, water, tourniquets, swabs, syringes, needles, etc.
- dispose of equipment in rigid-walled, puncture-resistant, sealable containers to reduce risk of needle stick injury to others. Use Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) disposal bins instead of household waste bins where possible.
- never recap needles.
If caught unprepared consider the option of waiting to inject until you can obtain sterile equipment. However if this is not possible and as a last resort, there is no alternative to sharing, use the following procedures:
- Rinse the needle and syringe with cold water to remove any blood. Do not use hot water, as this will cause the blood to clot.
- Rinse the needle and syringe with undiluted bleach (use fresh high strength bleach, containing at least 5.25% sodium hypochlorite). The bleach needs to be in contact with the needle and syringe for at least two minutes. Repeat this process twice.
- Rinse with clean cold water repeatedly (at least six times).
Cleaning a used needle and syringe is not guaranteed to kill HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. It is strongly recommended that new sterile equipment is used every time a person injects.
Sexual Intercourse
Transmission of hepatitis C during sex is a very low risk. However safe sex is recommended particularly with casual partners or in circumstances where blood contact is more likely, such as during menstruation or when genital ulcers are present. Using condoms and water based lubricant when you have vaginal or anal sex is recommended.
When dealing with blood
There may be instances where a person comes into contact with blood. In this instance the following steps should be taken:
- Always use gloves when handling blood or body fluids. Supplies of clean gloves should be available in all households, childcare centres, schools and sporting venues
- Cover cuts and wounds with waterproof adhesive dressing
- Dispose of blood stained tissues, tampons, sanitary napkins and other dressings in a sealed plastic bag or an approved collection bin
- Wipe up blood spills using gloves and newly opened hospital strength bleach (one part bleach to nine parts water).
Add a comment November 18, 2008
Tags: alcohol, anal sex, antibody, blood, chemicals, chronic, cirrhosis, genital ulcers, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver, menstruation, Needle, sex, sterilized, symptoms, Syringe, urine, vaginal, virus
HIV and AIDS
Topic: HIV and AIDS
Description
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). People who are infected with the virus are said to be HIV positive. Over time (usually many years), HIV affects a person’s immune system, which means the body is less able to protect itself from disease. When the immune system has been badly damaged by HIV infection, people can get sick from infection or cancers. At this stage of HIV infection, a person is said to have AIDS.
Transmission
HIV may be transmitted when blood, semen or vaginal fluid from an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person. This can happen through:
- unsafe sex – rectal, oral and vaginal
- sharing needles and injecting equipment contaminated with blood.
Mothers who are HIV positive can transmit the virus to their babies:
- during pregnancy
- during (a vaginal) birth
- when breast feeding.
HIV may also be transmitted through donated blood and blood products. However all blood, organs, tissues and semen donated in Australia are screened for HIV. The risk of getting HIV from these products in Australia is very low. Donating blood or body parts does not put you at risk of HIV infection.
A blood test is the only way of detecting HIV. Most people with HIV look and feel well for many years and they may not even know they are infected.
If you find out that you do have HIV, anyone you have practised unsafe behaviors with should also be offered a test. If you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about telling your current or ex-partners, the doctor and nurse will assist by contacting them. Your name is not mentioned to ensure it is a confidential process. Remember, it is very important for your partner’s health and the health of other people they have sex with.
If you think you or your partner has been at risk of infection, you can have a blood test through your local doctor or sexual health clinic. You have the right to a confidential coded test.
Treatment
Medical research has made great progress in reducing the impact of HIV infection on the immune system and managing the illnesses associated with HIV. Currently there is no cure for HIV and AIDS. There is no vaccine to prevent infection. There are antiviral treatments which keep the virus under control for long periods of time. If you are HIV positive, the outlook is constantly improving. HIV positive people should consult an HIV specialist to ensure they have access to the latest treatment and advice.
Health Outcome
Left untreated over time, HIV destroys the body’s immune system. When the damage is severe, people can develop other life-threatening illnesses. At this stage of HIV infection, a person is said to have AIDS.
Prevention
- Practice safe sex. Always using condoms when you have vaginal or anal sex is the best way to reduce your risk of getting or transmitting HIV through sexual contact. Using water-based lubricant with condoms is recommended.
- Oral sex represents only a small risk for the transmission of HIV/AIDS but may still represent a risk for the transmission of other sexually transmissible infections (STIs). To avoid the risk of transmission of HIV or STIs, if you are giving a man oral sex (his penis in your mouth), he should wear a condom. Whether you are male or female, if you put your mouth in contact with your partner’s anus or vulva while having sex, you should use a dental dam.
- If you choose not to use a condom or dam to reduce the risk of the transmission of HIV you should avoid oral sex especially if you have bleeding gums or ulcers and immediately after cleaning your teeth. Do not allow semen, vaginal fluids and menstrual blood to enter the mouth.
It can take up to three months to detect HIV in the blood through a blood test. This is called the window period.
If you have had unsafe sex or may have been exposed to HIV through sharing needles or other injecting equipment you will need to wait three months before you can be sure of a negative test result. During this time, always practice safe sex. Do not donate blood during this time.
If you or your partner have more than one sexual partner and do not use condoms, have regular sexual health checkups.
Do not have sex if you or your sexual partner has a genital sore or ulcer or a sexually transmissible infection. Other STIs enable HIV to spread more easily from person to person.
Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is a treatment that may prevent HIV infection. It is a combination of anti-HIV drugs that must be taken exactly as prescribed at very specific times over a four week period. It is extremely important that a person, who may have been exposed to HIV through contact with blood or body fluids from an HIV positive person, seeks treatment as soon as possible. PEP is most effective when taken immediately after exposure to HIV, preferably within two hours but it may still be effective if taken within 72 hours (three days) of exposure.
Add a comment November 18, 2008
Tags: Add new tag, Aids, condoms, Health, health clinic, HIV, HIV infection, HIV/Aids, immune system, Mothers, oral, people, PEP, Post-exposure Prophylaxi, Practice safe sex, pregnancy, rectal, sex, sexual partner, Treatment, unsafe sex, vaginal, virus
Nobel prize for viral discoveries
Nobel prize for viral discoveries
HIV infects the immune system’s T- lymphocytes
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The scientists who discovered HIV will share the Nobel prize for medicine with the expert who linked human papilloma virus (HPV) to cervical cancer.
French team Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier were recognised for their groundbreaking work in uncovering the virus responsible for Aids.
Harald zur Hausen, from Germany, received the prize for making the link between HPV and cervical cancer.
More than 25 million people have died of HIV/Aids since 1981.
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Never before have science and medicine been so quick to discover, identify the origin and provide treatment for a new disease entity The Nobel Assembly about the discovery of HIV
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Globally, more than 33 million people are living with HIV.
Following medical reports of a new immunodeficiency syndrome in 1981, Professor Barre-Sinoussi, of the Institut Pasteur, and Dr Montagnier, director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, were the first to identify HIV as the culprit.
In its citation, the Nobel Assembly said their discovery was vital in enabling scientists to begin to understand the biology of a virus which continued to pose a huge public health threat throughout the globe.
Major advances
Their work led to the development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood products, which has limited the spread of the pandemic.
It has also led to new treatments.
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The availability of a vaccine against HPV is now a reality thanks to the original discovery of the virus by Harald zur Hausen Dr Adriano Boasso
Imperial College |
There is still no cure for HIV. However, for many the disease is no longer an imminent death sentence thanks to the major advances in research and drug development over recent years.
With treatment, people with HIV can live for decades with the condition.
However, HIV medicines are not widely available in many poor countries around the world.
The citation said: “Never before have science and medicine been so quick to discover, identify the origin and provide treatment for a new disease entity.
“Successful anti-retroviral therapy results in life expectancies for persons with HIV infection now reaching levels similar to those of uninfected people.”
Nick Partridge of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust said: “Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier are very deserving winners of the Noble Prize for Medicine.
“Their work was hugely significant, leading to enormous progress in the understanding and treatment of HIV.”
Both Dr Montagnier and a US researcher Dr Robert Gallo are co-credited with discovering that HIV causes Aids, although for several years they staked rival claims that led to a legal and even diplomatic dispute between France and America.
The Nobel jury made no mention of Dr Gallo in its citation.
Professor Barré-Sinoussi said the award was “a great honour that I wasn’t expecting.”
Vaccines developed
Professor zur Hausen, of the University of Duesseldorf, was praised by the Nobel committee for going “against current dogma” to discover that HPV infection caused cervical cancer.
HPV can be detected in 99.7% of all women with cervical cancer, and persistent infection with the virus is estimated to be responsible for more than 5% of all cancers worldwide.
Professor zur Hausen’s work helped others to develop vaccines against HPV, which are now routinely given to millions of teenage girls in many countries to prevent cervical cancer.
Dr Adriano Boasso, research fellow at Imperial College and Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow, said: “Isolating the causing agent of an infectious disease is the single most important step toward developing a vaccine.
“The availability of a vaccine against HPV is now a reality thanks to the original discovery of the virus by Harald zur Hausen.
“HIV vaccine research has instead recently suffered the failure of promising clinical trials, but there is no doubt that the discovery of HIV by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier will be the pillar on which an efficient vaccine will eventually be built.”
Professor zur Hausen, 72, received half of the prize with Professor Barré-Sinoussi, 61, and Dr Montagnier, 76, splitting the other half.
Add a comment October 7, 2008
Tags: Aids, business, Celeb, facebook, Film, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, French, Germany, Gmail, Google, Harald zur Hausen, HIV/Aids, Hot, HPV, Institut Pasteur, iPhone, King, Linux, Luc Montagnier, Madonna, medical, Microsoft, Montagnier, Music, Myspace, Nobel prize, Obama, orkut, Oxford, papilloma, sex, Terrence Higgins Trust, virus, Windows, Windows Vista, World Foundation, xxi, Yahoo
Breast awareness
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Breast awarenessCourtesy BBC Understanding the normal development and ageing process of your breasts will help you to notice any changes that are unusual for you |
The breasts (mammary glands) are a pair of glandular organs that produce milk in response to the hormonal changes of childbirth. They’re mainly made up of fatty tissue, which starts high on the front of the chest and extends down and around into the armpit. They are supported by ligaments and large muscles.
Each breast has 15 to 20 lobes with a number of lobules and ducts surrounded by fatty and supportive tissue. Each lobule has about 30 major ducts that open onto the nipple. The darker area of skin around the nipple is called the areola. At the edge of the areola there are large glands that produce fluid to lubricate the nipple.
In each armpit there are about 20 to 30 lymph nodes (glands), which drain fluid from the breast. These form part of the lymphatic system that helps the body to fight infection.
It’s common and perfectly normal for one breast to be larger than the other
It’s common and perfectly normal for one breast to be larger than the other. The nipples usually point forward, although they may look different on each breast. It’s not unusual for one or both nipples to be turned inwards (inverted). This can be present from birth or can happen when the breasts are developing. The nipples themselves are hairless, but some women have a few hairs around the areola.
A small number of women have an extra breast or pair of breasts. These are usually in the lower armpit and are known as accessory breasts. Some women have an extra nipple or nipples. These are usually below the breast or above the belly button. Accessory breasts and extra nipples aren’t usually a problem and don’t need to be removed.
Breast development
The breasts are constantly changing from puberty, through adolescence and the childbearing years and into the menopause, affected by changing levels in the female hormone oestrogen.
For most girls, breasts start to develop around the age of nine to 11, but it can be earlier or later. It’s not unusual for the breasts to grow at different rates. Breast lumps can occur while the breasts are developing. These are always benign and don’t usually need any treatment once they’ve been diagnosed.
Just before a period, your breasts may become larger, tender or feel a bit lumpy
Once the breasts have developed, changes linked to the monthly menstrual cycle (cyclical breast changes) are common. Just before a period, your breasts may become larger, tender or feel a bit lumpy. After a period, this lumpiness becomes less obvious or may disappear altogether (although some women may have tender, lumpy breasts all the time). Many women also experience breast pain linked to their menstrual cycle (cyclical breast pain).
During pregnancy, the breasts get much larger as the number of milk-producing cells increases. The nipples become darker and may remain that way after you’ve given birth.
Around the menopause lumps are common. These often turn out to be breast cysts (benign fluid-filled sacs).
Breast tissue also changes with age. It begins to lose its firmness and the milk-producing tissue is replaced by fat, making the breasts sag. This is more noticeable after the menopause, when oestrogen levels fall. As you grow older, your breasts may change size too. If you take HRT (hormone replacement therapy) your breasts may feel firmer and sometimes quite tender.
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Add a comment October 7, 2008
Tags: areola, armpit, birth, Breast, cyclical breast pain, fat, glands, glandular organs, infection, lubricate, mammary glands, menopause, menstrual cycle, milk-producing cells, nipple, nipples, organs, pregnancy, women
