TresSugar

Doctors List Who Should Die in a Pandemic

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:00:37 -0700

If a global and deadly pandemic hits, doctors will have to chose who to save, and thus, who to let die. Prominent doctors have now put out a definitive list of who is in and who is out.

They made the list at the behest of prominent universities and military and US governmental agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. The list specifically articulates who should not get medical attention in a widespread emergency.

People older than 85.
Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.
Severely burned patients older than 60.
Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.
Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

Do you make the cut? Are you happy to see governmental agencies and physicians getting organized, since preparation could save more lives? Even so, does this godlike list - of who should live and who should die - make you uncomfortable? Does it amount to unfair discrimination?
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US STD Rate Highest of Developed Countries - and Rising!

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:49 -0800

Let's talk about sex . . . or else! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reluctance to talk about sex is keeping STD infection rates on the rise in the US, especially among teens. After practically being eradicated, syphilis is resurgent, and chlamydia and gonorrhea are also at "unacceptably high levels." Thanks to our prudishness, the US has the highest rate of STDs of any developed country in the world.

It's no secret that abstinence-only sex education is popular in America. Thankfully, after confronting the fact that abstinence-only education does not effectively reduce STD infection rates, some school districts are moving to abstinence-plus education, which reasonably stresses the importance of using protection if a teen is sexually active.

Of course, parents can also do something to reduce STD risks by providing a little sex education at home. When I asked a while back, more than half of TrèsSugar readers said their parents avoided having an awkward conversation about contraception. Maybe these new statistics will remind parents that reducing health risks are worth a few uncomfortable minutes.

Clash of Cultures Puts Latina Teens in Danger of Suicide

TresSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:50:13 -0700

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, one out of seven Latina teenagers attempts suicide.

Psychologist Dr. Luis Zayas of Washington University, who has spent the last 25 years studying Latina teens, believes that this rate is so high because of the teens' troubled relationships with their mothers. Usually the child of poor immigrant parents, the troubled teen is caught between her parents' values and the ones she sees growing up in the US.

American teens, says Dr. Zayas, have "very different models about what girls should do, can do and are permitted to do." For Francisca Abreu, now 15, clashing with her Dominican mother led to depression, a suicide attempt, and pregnancy at 14. Her mother Isabel wanted Francisca to stay home, clean the house, and learn to cook. Not surprisingly, Francisca wanted to go out with her friends.

"Teenagers have certain freedoms; they don't need to consult with their parents to make certain decisions," Dr. Zayas says. "That's the culture that's here, and inserted in that is the Latino family that says the family is much more important than the individual."

After giving birth to her daughter Destiny at 14 and lots of therapy, Francisca says she finally understands what her mother went though. "All she did was be a good mother, sacrifice her life for us," Francisca says. "That's all she did."

Did you grow up in an immigrant family and deal with the clash of cultures as a teen?

Stranger Than Fiction: Preschool Teachers Eat Pot Brownies

TresSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Snack time gets scandalous! Several teachers at a Los Angeles preschool got sick last year after eating a batch of brownies that one of the teachers purchased from "what she thought was a church bake sale." But after munching on one brownie each, the teachers got a serious case of the munchies, not to mention some silliness and confusion.

You can probably guess how this turns out: the supposed "church bake sale" was actually a random sidewalk vendor, and the brownies were actually pot brownies. The truth was reported five months later in the the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Apparently, none of the teachers had smoked or ingested pot before and didn't like it one bit.

Though accidentally eating pot brownies has been played for laughs everywhere from the season one finale of 90210 to the movie Taking Woodstock, it would be pretty horrifying if you thought you were eating regular brownies and suddenly came down with a serious case of stonedness. However, I find it weird that the teacher supposedly thought she was buying the brownies from a church bake sale. Do you buy that story?

Front Page: Murder Suspect Ryan Jenkins Found Dead in Motel

TresSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:00:34 -0700

Fugitive murder suspect and former reality contestant Ryan Jenkins was found dead in a motel in Canada in an apparent suicide. Jenkins was accused of killing his ex-wife. - AP
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are considering promoting routine circumcision for all US-born boys as a method of HIV prevention. - New York Times
Greek firefighters are trying to control fires on two fronts, both approaching Athens. - Bloomberg
The US Justice Department has recommended reopening investigations into prisoner abuse allegations, potentially exposing CIA agents to prosecution. - Reuters

AIDS Cases Underestimated by 40%, World Conference Begins

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:00:05 -0700

The number of new cases of AIDS diagnosed in the US each year is 40 percent higher than the government previously estimated, acknowledging that they've understated the level of the epidemic.

The US actually had about 56,300 new HIV infections in 2006, up from the 40,000 annual estimate publicized for the last dozen years. The new number is because of a better blood test and new statistical methods, not a worsening of the epidemic.

The executive director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors says, "This is the biggest news for public health and HIV/AIDS that we've had in a while." The new estimate and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived at the number were presented yesterday at the opening day of the international AIDS conference in Mexico City. To see how Bill Clinton and the adorable baby fit in, and an amazing breakthrough in a cure for HIV, read more.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton found a new friend while visiting a rural health care clinic this weekend in Rwanda at one of the Clinton Foundation projects. Bill is heading to Mexico City to deliver a keynote address today at the World AIDS Conference.

A 12-year-old activist with HIV (she's had it all her life) opened the conference last night with Ban Ki-moon and the president of Mexico. The young activist, Keren Dunaway, edits a children's magazine about the virus. In Latin America, 55,000 of the nearly 2 million people with the virus are under 15 years old, most infected by their mothers. Her story is pretty amazing and worth a read.

There's good news being released at the conference - researchers in several countries are working on a pill that can prevent HIV, and two Houston doctors may have found a way to destroy HIV, that could be used to "control the disease for those who already have it." It's still five years away, and awaiting human trials, but the research is heading in the right, and exciting, direction.

Thanks to hypnoticmix for sending this on!

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Study Finds Alcohol Related Deaths Huge For Native Americans

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:30:25 -0700

A new federal report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim that nearly 12 percent of deaths in the American Indian and Alaskan Native population are alcohol related. This statistic when compared to the national average of 3.3 percent for the US as a whole has been a “call to action."

The study examined all alcohol-related deaths between 2001 and 2005 and found the two leading causes of alcohol-related deaths among the Indian populations were traffic accidents and liver disease. This study however, may still be low as other alcohol-related deaths like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and colon cancer, all of which are usually associated with alcohol abuse, were not included.

The largest number of tribal deaths related to alcohol consumption, nearly a third of the total numbers, occurred in the Northern Plains. The lowest numbers were in Alaska. Although the study did not research regional causes that might cause such a disparity, one researcher offered: “It may be a function of social perceptions of alcohol in that particular region.” Meaning, one assumes, that peer pressure does not always end with adolescence.

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The Facts About Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

DearSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Infection, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is the term that refers to an infection of a female’s reproductive organs. Perhaps what's most worrisome about PID is that it often goes unnoticed by women and undetected by their doctors - if untreated, it can eventually lead to permanent and serious damage, including infertility. To learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment for PID, read more

PID occurs when bacteria moves past the vagina and cervix and into the reproductive organs. While numerous kinds of bacteria can cause PID, two of the most common infections associated with this disease are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
Douching and having an IUD can also increase the risk of developing PID because they can make it easier for bacteria to grow in the uterus.
Unfortunately, symptoms of PID vary greatly, and in fact, in many cases a woman will not be aware that she has anything to worry about. The most common symptom is lower abdominal pain, but if you’ve noticed any strange discharge, painful urination, odor, pain during intercourse, or a noticeably more uncomfortable period talk to your gynecologist.
There is no specific test for diagnosing PID. However, if your doctor suspects PID, she is likely to run blood tests and/or perform a pelvic ultrasound to confirm. Treatment of PID typically requires the use of multiple antibiotics in order to effectively kill all of the potential bacteria that might be the cause.
Like all infections, the sooner PID is treated the better. The longer it goes undetected, the more likely it is that the offending bacteria will invade healthy tissue creating scar tissue, which can lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes and ultimately, an increased possibility of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic discomfort. This damage is irreversible.

PID is the leading cause of preventable infertility in women, so while it may not be an STI, it still needs to be treated just as seriously. Take the necessary precautions during intercourse and make sure to address any physical abnormalities with a trip to the gynecologist.

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Sports: Is hiking a disease? Center For Disease Control and Prevention releases list of most dangerous outdoor sports. - The Lede
Clinton Payback: Who makes the Clinton media payback list? Matt Drudge, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews . . . - Huffington Post
Obama: Political housing crisis? D'OH-bama's mortgage industry mess. - Michelle Malkin
Congress: Are legislators BlackBerry addicts? Addiction might give few well-connected constituents too much power, while exacerbating partisan polarization. - Politico
Polygamy: Will she look good in those dresses? Carolyn Jessop's memoir Escape coming to big screen, with Katherine Heigl attached to star and produce. - BuzzSugar

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One in Four Teenage Girls Has an STI

DearSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I know teens are having sex, but I just heard some disturbing news. One out of every four girls, aged 14 to 19, has an STI. That means more than 3 million teenage girls nationwide are infected, according to a study from the federal Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. The study tested for four STIs and found that 18 percent of the girls had HPV, the virus responsible for causing genital warts and certain types of cervical cancer. Chlamydia affected 4 percent, trichomoniasis (a common parasite) affected 2.5 percent, and 2 percent of the girls were infected with herpes.

This of course is really sad news, but lack of education is mostly to blame. Girls and anyone who's sexually active for that matter, need to know that STIs can be passed through oral sex just as much as they can with vaginal intercourse. They need to know how to protect themselves by using male and female condoms, and dental dams. Men and women also need to get tested for STIs before becoming sexually intimate. It's recommended that anyone who is sexually active and not in a monogamous relationship get the Gardasil vaccine to prevent this virus to reduce the chance of developing certain types of cervical cancer. Hopefully these scary statistics can help protect people from passing STIs.

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