October 28, 2009
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Scientists have identified two genetic mutations that help account for the presence of recurring yeast infections in certain women.
Although the researchers focused their work on small and very specific populations with extreme conditions, the findings provide new insights into one of the most common and annoying maladies to afflict women. Read More
July 30, 2009
THURSDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — Women who are prone to the common vaginal infection, bacterial vaginosis, are less likely to have a recurrence if they take hormonal contraception, whether it be birth control pills or Depo-Provera injections, new research suggests.
In the study, researchers examined medical records for 330 women with a mean age of nearly 25 who visited two sexually transmitted disease clinics in Baltimore between April 2005 and October 2006. About 133, or 40.3 percent, were diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. Read More
July 27, 2009
FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) — A drug used to help prevent recurring breast cancer appears to hold promise as a treatment for deadly fungal infections, new research has found.
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers found that tamoxifen kills yeast in mice with Candida infections, which can be fatal to people with compromised immune systems, including people with cancer or HIV and those taking immunosuppressants for chronic conditions. Read More
June 25, 2009
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) — A new survey finds that 70 percent of American women have experienced a sexual health issue, and 22 percent felt very or extremely concerned about it.
The survey defined a sexual health issue as any one of the following conditions: lack of desire for sexual activity, inability to become sexually aroused, inability to have an orgasm, pain during intercourse, vaginal dryness, or excessive desire for sexual activity.
Women who reported a sexual health issue said it had an effect on their romantic relationships (44 percent), self-esteem (43 percent) and mental health (42 percent). Sexual health issues also caused stress and anxiety in 66 percent of those surveyed, and affected sleeping habits in 28 percent and weight in 25 percent, the researchers found. Read More
March 26, 2009
WEDNESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) — Imagine how much nicer it would be to get vaccinated by drinking a yogurt smoothie instead of being poked by a needle.
That might someday be the case, thanks to Northwestern University researchers who developed a new oral vaccine using probiotics, which are healthy bacteria found in dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. Read More
November 17, 2008
Wikimedia.org
By Anne Harding
MONDAY, Nov. 17, 2008 (Health.com) — Most of the bacteria that live in a healthy person’s intestines will bounce right back after they’re killed during an antibiotic attack, according to a new study.
But several types are wiped out by a course of Cipro, or they survive only in much smaller numbers, reports Stanford University’s Les Dethlefsen, PhD, and his colleagues in this month’s issue of the journal PLoS Biology.
Overall, about 30% of the bacterial types found in the intestine showed dramatic population changes after a course of ciprofloxacin. The majority of bacteria rebounded four weeks later. Read More
November 14, 2008
THURSDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — Teenage girls treated for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) become highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes just weeks or months after treatment, researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center report.
The findings, according to the researchers, suggest that treating PID “with a prescription and a brochure” isn’t enough to change behavior and prevent future repeat infections, which can increase the risk of chronic pelvic pain, ectopic (outside the uterus) pregnancies and infertility. Read More