New Year's Diets, Testosterone and Safe Sex
The New York Times
Published: Jan 05, 2009
New Year, New Diet, Same Old Results
With the New Year here, millions of people are starting diets. But some nutritionists say that dieting may backfire because, according to one theory, depriving the body of food slows metabolism and reduces the hormone leptin, making people hungrier, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Rethinking Testosterone Use for Prostate Cancer Survivors
Treatment for prostate cancer often involves treating men with drugs that block production of testosterone, a hormone that may fuel the cancer. But a Boston urologist is suggesting that men who have been successfully treated can safely take testosterone to revive energy and libido, The Boston Globe reports. The idea, put forth by Dr. Abraham Morgentaler of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is quite controversial.
Safe Sex Campaign Uses Cell Phones and Soap Operas
A public health campaign is using video clips of soap operas that can be watched on a cell phone to deliver a safe sex message, The Associated Press reports. Rutgers nursing professor Rachel Jones used grant money to develop the campaign, which urges poor and minority women in New Jersey to use condoms to protect themselves from H.I.V. and AIDS.
Chicago Health Fair Screens Teenagers
Over a thousand teenagers were tested for H.I.V. at the second annual Teen Test Day on the South Side of Chicago, The Chicago Tribune reports. The health fair was also checking for silent chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Health Care Reform Push in California
Think tanks and nonprofit organizations in California are getting more involved in pushing health care reform, The Los Angeles Times reports. Though many foundations have traditionally kept a distance from shaping policy because of I.R.S. rules, several have recently established offices in Sacramento and are using them to educate lawmakers about the issues.
Breaking Reproductive Health Taboos in India
India’s National Population Stabilization Fund has opened a free information call-in center to advise people about birth control and reproductive health, the first of its kind in India, The Washington Post reports. The subjects are taboo in much of Indian society, where 24 million babies are born each year, adding to the population of over 1 billion.
© The New York Times. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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