Sexual Health News

Minn. Legislature Considers 'Abstinence-Plus' Sex Education Bill

A bill (SF 2645) in the Minnesota Legislature would require each school district to create an "abstinence-first" sex education curriculum with "age-appropriate" lessons on human sexuality and information about condoms and other contraceptives, the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Also In Global Health News: HIV In Philippines; Birth Control, Child Health In Afghanistan; Guatemala's Progress On MDGs

Philippines' Health Secretary Seeks To Boost Condom Distribution After Increase In HIV Diagnoses The Philippines' Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral on Thursday announced she would seek additional public funds to support the distribution of condoms among high-risk groups, after the country recorded 143 new cases of HIV in January - its highest number of diagnoses

Editorial Criticizes Idaho Bill To Increase 'Conscience' Protections For Health Care Workers

"Last week, 21 Idaho senators injected themselves into private, painful decisions about conception, abortion and euthanasia" by advancing a bill (SB 1353) that would shield health care professionals from liability if they "decline to provide services that violate their conscience," an Idaho Statesman editorial

Individual Counseling, Religious Support Increase Contraceptive Use In Afghanistan, WHO Study Finds

Birth control use in three rural areas of Afghanistan increased over an eight-month period after health workers explained the benefits of contraception in individual counseling sessions, according to a report published Monday in the World Health Organization's journal Bulletin, the AP/Yahoo! News

Uzbek Groups Renew Allegations Of Government-Ordered Sterilizations

The Uzbek human rights group Najot and the Expert Working Group, an independent Uzbek think tank, alleged this week that Uzbekistan's Health Ministry has instructed government doctors to perform hysterectomies on women to help control the nation's population, the AP/Google

Prestigious Thomas Parran Award Won By Dr. Hunter Handsfield For 'Long And Distinguished' Contributions To STD Prevention

University of Washington's Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, a long-time trailblazer in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) research, will receive the nation's highest honor in the STD field during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2010 National STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta, March 8-11. Handsfield is the 2010 recipient of the Thomas Parran Award, named for Dr. Thomas Parran,

No Consensus In Definitions Of 'Had Sex' - IU Study

When people say they "had sex," what transpired is anyone's guess. A new study from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University found that no uniform consensus existed when a representative sample of 18- to 96-year-olds was asked what the term meant to them. Is oral sex considered sex? It wasn't to around 30 percent of the study

Also In Global Health News: U.S. Ambassador To U.N.; Male Circumcision; River Blindness In Ecuador; Nursing Shortage In Caribbean; Maternal Health

U.S. Ambassador To U.N. In Geneva Assumes Position, Ending 13 Month Vacancy Betty King reported to her new position as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. "Washington's Geneva mission had been without an ambassador since Warren W. Tichenor left his post on

Drop In Calif. Teen Births Shows Effectiveness Of State's 'Enlightened Approach' To Pregnancy Prevention, Editorial Says

California governors of the past two decades "deserve praise for funding a wide array of programs aimed at combating teen births," a Sacramento Bee editorial states. The editorial notes that California is "bucking a national trend" of rising teen births. The number of births to California teens ages 15 through 19 dropped to 35.2 per 1,000 teens in 2008, down from

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Individuals Risk Psychiatric Disorders From Discriminatory Policies

A Mailman School of Public Health study examining the effects of institutional discrimination on the psychiatric health of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals found an increase in psychiatric disorders among the LGB population living in states that instituted bans on same-sex marriage. The study, published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health, is available

N.J. Education Dept. Nominee Says Religious Beliefs Will Not Affect Policy

Former Jersey City, N.J., Mayor Bret Schundler -- Gov. Chris Christie's (R) nominee to lead the New Jersey Department of Education -- told the state Senate Judiciary Committee this week that he would let local districts decide how to teach sex education, the AP/Asbury Park Press

School STD Programs Have Limited Influence On Teens' Sexual Behaviors

Teaching teens about sexually transmitted infections at school boosts factual knowledge, but does not necessarily translate to increased condom use, according to a new review from the United

Global Health Ventures To Initiate Human Clinical Trials In Europe For X-Excite, Its Male Sexual Enhancement Drug

Global Health Ventures Inc. (OTCBB:GHLV), or the "Company", is pleased to announce that it has engaged Clinical Investigations Ltd. of United Kingdom to design and carry out the human clinical trials for X-Excite in Europe under the European Regulatory Guidelines

Fla., Idaho, S.C., Utah Legislators Address Measures On Abortion, Sex Education

The following summarizes recent state legislative action related to abortion rights. ~ Florida: State

Sidibe, Goosby Meet With Leaders In Nigeria To Promote Country's Fight Against HIV/AIDS

During a joint visit to Nigeria this week, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe and Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator, encouraged the country to ramp up its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, Pana/Afrique en ligne

Calif. Teen Birth Rate Drops To Record Low; Experts Credit Comprehensive Sex Education, Health Services

California's teenage birth rate reached a record low in 2008, with about 35 births for every 1,000 female teens, according to figures released Monday by the state Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles Times reports. In 2007, the rate was 37.1 births per 1,000 female

NPR Broadcasts First Of Four Reports On College Rape, Sexual Assault

"Morning Edition" on Wednesday aired the first segment in a four-part series examining sexual assault and rape on U.S. college campuses. The series, which was produced in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity, focuses on the "failure" of colleges and the Department of Education "to prevent these assaults and then to resolve these

Blogs Comment On Obama Health Reform Proposal, Reproductive Rights In Kenya

The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Obama Presents A Health Care Plan But Abortion Issue Remains Unsettled," Sarah Kliff, Newsweek's "The Gaggle": President Obama's health reform proposal is "a huge step forward for the Democrats," but abortion coverage "promises to become a linchpin issue in the future negotiations," Kliff

Research Examines Use Of Antiretroviral Pills, Gels For Possible 'Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis' For HIV

Several studies are examining whether periodic use of antiretroviral drugs in various forms -- including pills and vaginal or rectal gels -- can prevent HIV transmission during high-risk sexual encounters, according to researchers at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, the Washington Post

Are Latino Teens Sexual Risk Takers? It's Complicated, Researcher Says

A University of Illinois researcher advises caution when trying to characterize gender roles and sexual behavior among this country's Latino adolescents and young adults. "When a recent documentary about

News Outlets Examine ART, Microbicide Development Research Presented At Conference

News outlets continue to report on the science discussed at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), which ended Friday in San Francisco. "Studies are underway testing whether periodic use of the drugs, either as pills or as vaginal or rectal gels, can prevent transmission of HIV in high-risk sexual

Miss. Lawmakers Consider Sex Education Legislation

Mississippi lawmakers are considering a bill (HB 837) that would mandate that all school boards adopt either an abstinence-only or "abstinence-plus" sex education policy by June 30, 2011, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports. The bill passed the House 83-32 and awaits action in the Senate. Current Mississippi law does not require schools to teach sex

Blogs Comment On College Abstinence Clubs, Abortion Coverage Bans, Other Topics

February 19, 2010 — The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "The Chastity Ring-Around," Lena Chen, The American Prospect: Student-run abstinence groups "have cropped up on college campuses across the country," with pre-marital chastity "marketed to students as the 'true feminist' ideal," Chen

Comprehensive Sex Education Program That Emphasizes Abstinence 'Reasonable Approach, Opinion Piece Says

The U.S. "has long had one of the highest rates of pregnancies, births and abortions among teenagers among Western industrialized countries," which is "a problem with deep social and economic repercussions," Joseph Puccio, chief of Stony Brook University Medical Center's Division of Adolescent Medicine, writes in a Long Island Newsday opinion

Christian Pastors Call On Va. Lawmakers To Cut Funding For Planned Parenthood

The Virginia Christian Alliance on Thursday presented a petition to state Republicans Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli urging them to block funding for Virginia's Planned Parenthood affiliates because the organization offers abortion services, the AP/Shenandoah News Leader reports. The petition was signed by the Rev. Pat Robertson, the

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