The school district recently modified its policy on distributing contraceptives on school grounds, KOAT reports. Many APS schools have on-site health clinics run by physicians who are not employed by the district. APS Superintendent Winston Brooks said the revised policy "clarifies that APS employees cannot distribute condoms but that we're not going to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship." He added that although state law does not allow schools to interfere with the relationship under any circumstance, some parents were concerned (KOAT, 9/17).
Last week, while the board was discussing the policy change, APS Board Member David Robbins criticized the effectiveness of condoms to prevent transmission of HIV and other STIs. Robbins said he found references to studies on an abstinence website that suggest some pores in latex condoms are large enough to allow viruses to pass through, although he did not cite any specific studies. He said, "The public has been misled to believe by too many public health officials that condoms equal safe sex," adding, "They do not."
Bruce Trigg, medical director of the New Mexico Department of Health's STI program, said Robbins' comments are of "great concern," adding, "Every major medical and public health organization in the world supports condom use as the main protection against HIV" (Albuquerque Journal, 9/17). Barry Ramo, a physician and medical consultant to KOAT, said viruses cannot pass through condoms, adding that Robbins' remarks are "irresponsible and they are wrong" (KOAT, 9/17).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website, "studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier" to STIs, including HIV. CDC's website also says that condoms, "when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV" (Albuquerque Journal, 9/17).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
New Mexico School Board Member Draws Criticism Over Condom Comments
An Albuquerque, N.M., Public School board member's recent comments that condoms can increase users' risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections are drawing criticism from local physicians and advocates, the Albuquerque Journal reports. The issue arose during a school board discussion about changes to the district's policy on school-based health clinics (Uyttebrouck, Albuquerque Journal, 9/17).
Better Marker For Breast Cancer May Reduce Need For Second Surgeries
A new material could help surgeons more accurately locate breast cancers, reduce the need for second surgeries and minimize pre-surgical discomfort for patients. Microscopic gas-filled spheres of silica, a porous glass, can mark the location of early-stage tumors to show their position using ultrasound imaging in the operating room.
A team of chemists, radiologists and surgeons at the University of California, San Diego, created the new material, which they describe in a forthcoming issue of the journal MedChemComm.
The X-rays used to make mammograms reveal calcium deposits associated with breast cancer even in tumors too small to be felt. But surgeons can't use X-rays while operating. Instead, radiologists place guide wires into tumors hours or even the day before surgery. The wires don't mark depth well and can shift. Patients find them both uncomfortable and unsettling.
As an alternative, the researchers created spheres of silica and filled them with perfluoropentane, a gas that has been used before in short-lived contrast materials for medical imaging. The rigid silica shells help the new material last longer.
"These little gas-filled microbubbles stick to human breast tissue for days and can be seen with ultrasound," said William Trogler, professor chemistry. "If doctors placed them in early stage breast cancer, which is difficult to see during surgery, they could help surgeons remove all of it in the first operation."
In the past few years, radiologists have tried implanting radioactive "seeds" instead of wires to mark tumors, but the seeds last only a few hours and must be inserted with a large-bore needle, which is painful. In addition, only one abnormal region can be marked, but patients with a form of breast cancer called ductal in situ carcinoma often have several. The seeds also expose both patient and staff to radiation, can't been imaged in three dimensions and create radioactive medical waste.
At just two micrometers in diameter - half the width of a strand of spider silk - small silica microbubbles can be precisely injected into clusters of abnormal cells using a thin needle. Radiologists would be able to inject the durable material days before surgery. And ultrasound scans reveal the position of the bubble in three dimensions on the operating table.
"Instead of just using a Geiger-counterlike device to say you're getting closer to the radioactive seed, you could actually see where to carve," said Andrew Kummel, professor of chemistry. The increased precision should help surgeons avoid the need for second surgeries.
"By outlining the tumor more completely in multiple directions, the particles could potentially help surgeons remove non-palpable tumors in a single operation," said Sarah Blair, a surgeon at Moores UCSD Cancer Center. "They will definitely make the operation more comfortable for patients."
The researchers think the ultrasound pressure waves burst the microbubbles. "They're thin, fragile balls of porous glass, like Christmas tree ornaments," Kummel said. "The shell is just one two-hundredth of the diameter of the ball. When it breaks, the gas squirts out. Doppler ultrasound detects that movement."
Nano-scale silica microbubbles, which the team reports in this paper as well, are too small to remain in place, but might drain from a cancerous site to help identify which lymph nodes are most likely to contain stray cells that could help the cancer spread.
The current study demonstrates the feasibility of the technology in tissue samples. Tests in animal models are underway, and toxicology studies must also be completed before clinical trials in humans could begin.
Chemists Bill Trogler, and Andy Kummel, of UCSD's Division of Physical Sciences, and radiologist Robert Mattrey and surgeon Sarah Blair of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center led the project. Additional co-authors include radiologist Yuko Kono, and Sergio Sandoval, Moores UCSD Cancer Center; Paul Martinez of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Jessica Wang-Rodriguez of the Department of Pathology.
The National Cancer Institute provided financial support for this study.
A team of chemists, radiologists and surgeons at the University of California, San Diego, created the new material, which they describe in a forthcoming issue of the journal MedChemComm.
The X-rays used to make mammograms reveal calcium deposits associated with breast cancer even in tumors too small to be felt. But surgeons can't use X-rays while operating. Instead, radiologists place guide wires into tumors hours or even the day before surgery. The wires don't mark depth well and can shift. Patients find them both uncomfortable and unsettling.
As an alternative, the researchers created spheres of silica and filled them with perfluoropentane, a gas that has been used before in short-lived contrast materials for medical imaging. The rigid silica shells help the new material last longer.
"These little gas-filled microbubbles stick to human breast tissue for days and can be seen with ultrasound," said William Trogler, professor chemistry. "If doctors placed them in early stage breast cancer, which is difficult to see during surgery, they could help surgeons remove all of it in the first operation."
In the past few years, radiologists have tried implanting radioactive "seeds" instead of wires to mark tumors, but the seeds last only a few hours and must be inserted with a large-bore needle, which is painful. In addition, only one abnormal region can be marked, but patients with a form of breast cancer called ductal in situ carcinoma often have several. The seeds also expose both patient and staff to radiation, can't been imaged in three dimensions and create radioactive medical waste.
At just two micrometers in diameter - half the width of a strand of spider silk - small silica microbubbles can be precisely injected into clusters of abnormal cells using a thin needle. Radiologists would be able to inject the durable material days before surgery. And ultrasound scans reveal the position of the bubble in three dimensions on the operating table.
"Instead of just using a Geiger-counterlike device to say you're getting closer to the radioactive seed, you could actually see where to carve," said Andrew Kummel, professor of chemistry. The increased precision should help surgeons avoid the need for second surgeries.
"By outlining the tumor more completely in multiple directions, the particles could potentially help surgeons remove non-palpable tumors in a single operation," said Sarah Blair, a surgeon at Moores UCSD Cancer Center. "They will definitely make the operation more comfortable for patients."
The researchers think the ultrasound pressure waves burst the microbubbles. "They're thin, fragile balls of porous glass, like Christmas tree ornaments," Kummel said. "The shell is just one two-hundredth of the diameter of the ball. When it breaks, the gas squirts out. Doppler ultrasound detects that movement."
Nano-scale silica microbubbles, which the team reports in this paper as well, are too small to remain in place, but might drain from a cancerous site to help identify which lymph nodes are most likely to contain stray cells that could help the cancer spread.
The current study demonstrates the feasibility of the technology in tissue samples. Tests in animal models are underway, and toxicology studies must also be completed before clinical trials in humans could begin.
Chemists Bill Trogler, and Andy Kummel, of UCSD's Division of Physical Sciences, and radiologist Robert Mattrey and surgeon Sarah Blair of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center led the project. Additional co-authors include radiologist Yuko Kono, and Sergio Sandoval, Moores UCSD Cancer Center; Paul Martinez of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Jessica Wang-Rodriguez of the Department of Pathology.
The National Cancer Institute provided financial support for this study.
New Study Shows Promise For Identifying, Reducing Reproductive Coercion
The latest research on reproductive coercion -- a type of intimate partner abuse in which the man threatens the woman to become pregnant -- shows that a simple intervention at a family planning clinic can empower women to protect themselves from future abuse, Time reports. Reproductive coercion, which usually coincides with other types of abuse within a relationship, is marked by physical or verbal threats against a woman for seeking birth control or an abortion. The male partner also might damage the woman's birth control pills or remove condoms during sex.
"It's another way a male partner tries to control a female partner," according to Elizabeth Miller, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine who has led much of the research in the field. She added, "Women say their partner tells them he wants to leave a legacy or have them in his life forever."
In one of Miller's studies, out of 1,300 family planning clinic patients ages 16 through 29, one-third who said they were in a violent relationship also said they experienced reproductive coercion. Another study found that as many as 75% of women ages 18 through 49 who had histories of abusive relationships reported experiencing reproductive coercion.
For Miller's most recent study, co-written by Jay Silverman of the Harvard School of Public Health, counselors and clinicians at two family planning clinics were trained to ask women questions about reproductive coercion, such as "Has your partner tried to force you to become pregnant when you didn't want to be?" and "Does your partner mess with your birth control?"
Women who responded "yes" to any question were given emergency contraception and offered advice on tamper-proof contraception methods, such as intrauterine devices and Depo-Provera shots. The researchers also monitored two other clinics where women were offered standard domestic violence and sexual assault screenings. The study found that subsequent reproductive coercion declined by 70% at the intervention clinics, but there was no change at the control clinics. In addition, women at the intervention clinics were 60% more likely to leave a relationship because they felt it was unsafe, Miller said. The study was published online in Contraception (Luscombe, Time, 8/31).
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
THT Launches Course To Teach Gay Men How To Get The Most Out Of Anal Sex, UK
This autumn, HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will launch a new evening class to teach gay and bisexual men how they can enjoy the best - and safest - anal sex. 'Mind Your Backs, Guys' is a free, confidential, three-hour session at a central London location. The first session will run on Wednesday 22 September from 6.00pm - 9.00pm.
As well as looking at the biology of anal sex and how men can get pleasure from it, the session will also look at potential health risks, how men can stop HIV getting into the body, and how to achieve better orgasms.
Gordon Mundie, Groupwork Co-ordinator at THT, said: "As sex education in schools is still very much geared around procreation, with little attention paid to sex as recreation, we know many gay men leave the education system with big gaps in their knowledge. Our new course has been designed to increase guys' confidence about anal sex, which should help them make good, informed decisions about the type of sex they have."
"Guys don't often get the chance to talk openly and frankly about the sex that they are having or would like to have. This group offers that opportunity, and a safe space to ask questions"
The session will be repeated on Wednesday 20th October, and again on Wednesday 16th February.
As well as looking at the biology of anal sex and how men can get pleasure from it, the session will also look at potential health risks, how men can stop HIV getting into the body, and how to achieve better orgasms.
Gordon Mundie, Groupwork Co-ordinator at THT, said: "As sex education in schools is still very much geared around procreation, with little attention paid to sex as recreation, we know many gay men leave the education system with big gaps in their knowledge. Our new course has been designed to increase guys' confidence about anal sex, which should help them make good, informed decisions about the type of sex they have."
"Guys don't often get the chance to talk openly and frankly about the sex that they are having or would like to have. This group offers that opportunity, and a safe space to ask questions"
The session will be repeated on Wednesday 20th October, and again on Wednesday 16th February.
Alcohol Consumption After Breast Cancer Diagnosis May Increase Recurrence Risk
In the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) study, 1,897 participants diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000 and recruited on average 2 years post-breast cancer diagnosis were evaluated for the association between alcohol intake and breast cancer recurrence and death. The women, who were generally light drinkers, were followed for an average of 7.4 years. The study reported an increase in risk of breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer death, but no effect on total mortality, to be associated with consumption of 3 to 4 or more drinks per week when compared with women not drinking following their cancer diagnosis.
Previous research has been mixed on this topic. Almost all large studies have shown no increase in all-cause mortality for women who drink moderately following a diagnosis of breast cancer (as does this study). As for recurrence of breast cancer, most have shown no increase in risk, although one previous study of women with estrogen-receptor
Previous research has been mixed on this topic. Almost all large studies have shown no increase in all-cause mortality for women who drink moderately following a diagnosis of breast cancer (as does this study). As for recurrence of breast cancer, most have shown no increase in risk, although one previous study of women with estrogen-receptor
Immutep Announces Final Results In Phase I/II Chemoimmunotherapy Trial In Metastatic Breast Cancer
Immutep S.A. announced the publication of a clinical research paper showing that its lead product, IMP321, given with first-line paclitaxel achieved clinical benefit in 90 per cent of metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) patients. Correlations were observed with both the patients' monocyte (i.e. the primary target cell for IMP321) count before treatment and the degree of activation of monocytes during treatment.
The study was an open-label fixed-dose-escalation trial carried out in three cancer centers in the Paris region. The lead center was the René Huguenin Cancer Centre in Saint Cloud. The other centers were Tenon Hospital and the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris. The immuno-monitoring was done by Immutep at its laboratories near Paris.
MBC patients were administered one dose of IMP321 s.c. every two weeks for a total of 24 weeks (12 injections). The repeated single doses were administered the day after chemotherapy at day 2 and day 16 of the 28-day cycles of paclitaxel (6 cycles). Blood samples were taken 13 days after the sixth and the twelfth IMP321 injections to determine sustained APC, NK and memory CD8 T cell responses. Thirty patients received IMP321 in three cohorts (doses: 0.25, 1.25 and 6.25 mg).
IMP321 induced both a sustained increase in the number and activation of APC (monocytes and dendritic cells) and an increase in the percentage of NK and long-lived cytotoxic effector-memory CD8 T cells. Clinical benefit was observed for 90 per cent of patients with only 3 progressors at 6 months. Also, the objective tumor response rate of 50 per cent compared favorably to the 25 per cent rate reported in the historical control group.
IMP321 is a recombinant soluble LAG-3Ig fusion protein that binds to MHC class II with high avidity and mediates APC and then antigen-experienced memory CD8
The study was an open-label fixed-dose-escalation trial carried out in three cancer centers in the Paris region. The lead center was the René Huguenin Cancer Centre in Saint Cloud. The other centers were Tenon Hospital and the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris. The immuno-monitoring was done by Immutep at its laboratories near Paris.
MBC patients were administered one dose of IMP321 s.c. every two weeks for a total of 24 weeks (12 injections). The repeated single doses were administered the day after chemotherapy at day 2 and day 16 of the 28-day cycles of paclitaxel (6 cycles). Blood samples were taken 13 days after the sixth and the twelfth IMP321 injections to determine sustained APC, NK and memory CD8 T cell responses. Thirty patients received IMP321 in three cohorts (doses: 0.25, 1.25 and 6.25 mg).
IMP321 induced both a sustained increase in the number and activation of APC (monocytes and dendritic cells) and an increase in the percentage of NK and long-lived cytotoxic effector-memory CD8 T cells. Clinical benefit was observed for 90 per cent of patients with only 3 progressors at 6 months. Also, the objective tumor response rate of 50 per cent compared favorably to the 25 per cent rate reported in the historical control group.
IMP321 is a recombinant soluble LAG-3Ig fusion protein that binds to MHC class II with high avidity and mediates APC and then antigen-experienced memory CD8
Monday, September 20, 2010
Breast Cancer Signal May Be 'Turned Off' By Watercress
New scientific research from the University of Southampton has revealed that a plant compound in watercress may have the ability to suppress breast cancer cell development by 'turning off' a signal in the body and thereby starving the growing tumour of essential blood and oxygen.
The research, unveiled at a press conference, shows that the watercress compound is able to interfere with the function of a protein which plays a critical role in cancer development.
As tumours develop they rapidly outgrow their existing blood supply so they send out signals which make surrounding normal tissues grow new blood vessels into the tumour which feed them oxygen and nutrients.
The research, led by Professor Graham Packham of the University of Southampton, shows that the plant compound (called phenylethyl isothiocyanate) found in watercress can block this process, by interfering with and 'turning off' in the function of a protein called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF).
Professor Packham, a molecular oncologist at the University of Southampton, comments: "The research takes an important step towards understanding the potential health benefits of this crop since it shows that eating watercress may interfere with a pathway that has already been tightly linked to cancer development.
"Knowing the risk factors for cancer is a key goal and studies on diet are an important part of this. However, relatively little work is being performed in the UK on the links between the foods we eat and cancer development."
Working with Barbara Parry, Senior Research Dietician at the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit, Professor Packham performed a pilot study in which a small group of breast cancer survivors, underwent a period of fasting before eating 80g of watercress (a cereal bowl full) and then providing a series of blood samples over the next 24 hours.
The research team was able to detect significant levels of the plant compound PEITC in the blood of the participants following the watercress meal, and most importantly, could show that the function of the protein HIF was also measurably affected in the blood cells of the women.
The two studies, which have been published in the British Journal of Nutrition and Biochemical Pharmacology, provide new insight into the potential anti-cancer effects of watercress, although more work still needs to be done to determine the direct impact watercress has on decreasing cancer risk.
Watercress Alliance member Dr Steve Rothwell says: "We are very excited by the outcome of Professor Packham's work, which builds on the body of research which supports the idea that watercress may have an important role to play in limiting cancer development."
A summary of the research has been accepted for inclusion in the Breast Cancer Research Conference which is taking place in Nottingham from 15 to 17 September.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the western world and currently affects approximately 1 in 9 women during their lifetime.
Notes:
The study published in the British Journal of Nutrition was called 'In vivo modulation of 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) phosphorylation by watercress: a pilot study.' Researchers were Syed Alwi SS, Cavell BE, Telang U, Morris ME, Parry BM, Packham G.
The second study, 'Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor by phenethyl isothiocyanate' was published in Biochemical Pharmacology. Researchers were Wang X-h, Cavell BE, Alwi SSS, Packham G.
The research, unveiled at a press conference, shows that the watercress compound is able to interfere with the function of a protein which plays a critical role in cancer development.
As tumours develop they rapidly outgrow their existing blood supply so they send out signals which make surrounding normal tissues grow new blood vessels into the tumour which feed them oxygen and nutrients.
The research, led by Professor Graham Packham of the University of Southampton, shows that the plant compound (called phenylethyl isothiocyanate) found in watercress can block this process, by interfering with and 'turning off' in the function of a protein called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF).
Professor Packham, a molecular oncologist at the University of Southampton, comments: "The research takes an important step towards understanding the potential health benefits of this crop since it shows that eating watercress may interfere with a pathway that has already been tightly linked to cancer development.
"Knowing the risk factors for cancer is a key goal and studies on diet are an important part of this. However, relatively little work is being performed in the UK on the links between the foods we eat and cancer development."
Working with Barbara Parry, Senior Research Dietician at the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit, Professor Packham performed a pilot study in which a small group of breast cancer survivors, underwent a period of fasting before eating 80g of watercress (a cereal bowl full) and then providing a series of blood samples over the next 24 hours.
The research team was able to detect significant levels of the plant compound PEITC in the blood of the participants following the watercress meal, and most importantly, could show that the function of the protein HIF was also measurably affected in the blood cells of the women.
The two studies, which have been published in the British Journal of Nutrition and Biochemical Pharmacology, provide new insight into the potential anti-cancer effects of watercress, although more work still needs to be done to determine the direct impact watercress has on decreasing cancer risk.
Watercress Alliance member Dr Steve Rothwell says: "We are very excited by the outcome of Professor Packham's work, which builds on the body of research which supports the idea that watercress may have an important role to play in limiting cancer development."
A summary of the research has been accepted for inclusion in the Breast Cancer Research Conference which is taking place in Nottingham from 15 to 17 September.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the western world and currently affects approximately 1 in 9 women during their lifetime.
Notes:
The study published in the British Journal of Nutrition was called 'In vivo modulation of 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) phosphorylation by watercress: a pilot study.' Researchers were Syed Alwi SS, Cavell BE, Telang U, Morris ME, Parry BM, Packham G.
The second study, 'Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor by phenethyl isothiocyanate' was published in Biochemical Pharmacology. Researchers were Wang X-h, Cavell BE, Alwi SSS, Packham G.
Urgent Steps Needed To Tackle Inadequate Support For Women With Secondary Breast Cancer
57% of breast care nurses who took part in a UK survey for the charity Breast Cancer Care feel that there is inadequate provision for women with secondary breast cancer, a progressive incurable disease that kills half a million women worldwide every year after the cancer spreads to other organs. Many said that they felt ill equipped to care for women with secondary breast cancer and that their time was dominated by meeting the needs of women with primary breast cancer. Only 14% said their organisation had a secondary breast cancer nurse specialist and only 13% of the nurses providing specialist care worked full-time.
The support provided for women with secondary breast cancer is inadequate and urgent steps are needed to provide better services for patients with this progressive incurable disease, which kills half a million women worldwide every year. Those are the key recommendations to emerge from a trio of papers in the September issue of the European Journal of Cancer Care.
Fifty-seven per cent of breast care nurses who took part in a UK survey for Breast Cancer Care told researchers that they felt there was inadequate provision for women whose cancer has spread to other organs, most commonly the bones, lungs, liver and brain. Many also said that they felt ill equipped to care for them.
Forty per cent of the 276 nurses who responded said that they saw caring for women with secondary breast cancer as part of their role, but the majority said that their time was dominated by meeting the needs of patients with primary breast cancer.
Fourteen per cent said that their organisation had a secondary breast care nurse specialist in post and 19 per cent said there was a nurse responsible for secondary breast cancer care. However, eight per cent said that their organisation had no nurses providing care for women with secondary breast cancer and less than 13 per cent of the nurses providing specialist care worked full-time.
A strong theme to emerge from the survey was the fact that breast care nurses felt that their time was dominated by meeting the needs of patients with primary breast cancer.
Many stated that they would like to offer a better support to women with secondary breast cancer, but felt they lacked knowledge and experience of the physical and emotional effects of this progressive disease and didn't have the staff numbers or time available to provide an effective service.
"It is clear that nursing support for UK women with secondary breast cancer is currently inadequate, although many health professionals are aware of the problem and are beginning to address it" says lead author Elizabeth Reed, a nurse and Research Officer for the charity.
"Breast Cancer Care wants to see well structured, co-ordinated services, dedicated resources and better training and support for those nurses who are already providing this specialist care and those looking to develop services for women with secondary breast cancer.
"Any patient with secondary breast cancer should have the assurance that they can access a specialist nurse who is equipped to give them the support they need."
The paper, which is being published ahead of the UK's first ever secondary breast cancer awareness day, held by Breast Cancer Care on October 13, is accompanied by an international literature review and editorial.
Uncertainty, lack of control and poor emotional functioning are some of the main issues facing women with secondary breast cancer, according to the literature review, which was carried out by a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Secondary Breast Cancer. It indicates that living with secondary breast cancer is a complex experience that is influenced by a large number of factors. However many of these factors are under-researched, compared to those affecting women diagnosed with primary breast cancer, and women with secondary breast cancer need a great deal more support than they currently receive.
The editorial, by a Professor of Breast Cancer Medicine, states that the true impact of coping with an incurable condition and uncertain future is something that often goes unrecognised by healthcare professionals. It stresses that training specialist nurses for patients diagnosed with secondary breast cancer must be an urgent priority. This will enable these women to receive the same level of support as women with primary breast cancer and benefit from a longer and better quality of life.
Moores UCSD Cancer Center Designated An ACR Breast Imaging Center Of Excellence
Moores UCSD Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
"We are committed to providing care above the standard and this prestigious certificate recognizes our extraordinary effort," said Haydee Ojeda-Fournier, MD, assistant professor of clinical radiology at Moores UCSD Cancer Center. "ACR leads the way toward the latest developments in science and patient care. To be a member of this elite group of Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence is quite an honor."
By awarding facilities the status of a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in all of the College's voluntary breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program.
UCSD breast imaging services are fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy. Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, determined that Moores UCSD Cancer Center has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs.
"Fewer than six percent of the imaging centers in California received this designation," said Anne Wallace, MD, professor of clinical surgery and director of the UCSD Breast Care Team. "Being recognized by ACR as a breast imaging center of excellence confirms what I experience every day as the surgeon leading the breast team at Moores UCSD Cancer Center. Our colleagues in breast imaging are not only kind, caring and efficient, but their amazing ability to catch and re-diagnose findings makes UCSD's breast imaging team world-class."
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Stress Significantly Acclerates Breast Cancer Metastasis In Mice, UCLA Cancer Researchers Show For The First Time
Chronic stress acts as a sort of fertilizer that feeds breast cancer progression, significantly accelerating the spread of disease in animal models, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.
Researchers discovered that stress is biologically reprogramming the immune cells that are trying to fight the cancer, transforming them instead from soldiers protecting the body against disease into aiders and abettors. The study found a 30-fold increase in cancer spread throughout the bodies of stressed mice compared to those that were not stressed.
It's long been thought that stress fuels cancer growth in humans. This study provides a model that not only demonstrates that stress can speed up cancer progression, but also details the pathway used to change the biology of immune cells that inadvertently promote the spread of cancer to distant organs, where it is much harder to treat.
The study appears in the Sept. 15, 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Research.
"What we showed for the first time is that chronic stress causes cancer cells to escape from the primary tumor and colonize distant organs," said Erica Sloan, a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist, first author of the study and a researcher with the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology. "We not only showed that this happens, but we showed how stress talks to the tumor and helps it to spread."
In addition to documenting the effects of stress on cancer metastasis, the researchers were also able to block those effects by treating stressed animals with drugs that block the nervous system's reprogramming of the metastasis-promoting immune cells, called macrophages.
Beta blockers, used in this study to shut down the stress pathways in the mice, are currently being examined in several large breast cancer databases for their role in potential prevention of recurrence and cancer spread, said Dr. Patricia Ganz, director of cancer prevention and control research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. If preliminary findings indicate benefit, early phase clinical trials are being considered at the Jonsson Cancer Center testing beta blockers as a means of preventing breast cancer recurrence. Other healthy lifestyle behaviors may also influence the biological pathways described in the study, such as exercise and stress reduction techniques.
"We're going to be focusing on younger women, because they may have a multitude of things weighing on them when they're diagnosed with breast cancer. Younger women have more significant life demands and typically are under more stress," Ganz said.
Ganz said her proposed research will focus on "host factors," or things affecting the patient, that may be aiding the cancer progression and could help explain why a group of patients with the same type and stage of disease have varying rates of recurrence and cancer spread.
"This study provides evidence for a biological relationship between stress and cancer progression and identifies targets for intervention in the host environment," Ganz said. "Because of this study, we may be able to say to a patient in the future that if you follow this exercise regimen, meditative practice or take this pill every day it will help prevent recurrence of your cancer. We can now test these potential interventions in the animal model and move those that are effective into the clinic."
In Sloan's study, mice with breast cancer were divided into two groups. One group of mice was confined in a small area for a short period of time every day for two weeks, while the other group was not. The breast cancer cells were genetically engineered to include the luciferase gene, which is the molecule that makes a firefly glow. The growth and spread of the cancer in the mice was monitored using sensitive cameras that can pick up the luciferase signal and allowed Sloan and her team to observe both the development of primary tumors and the spread of metastases throughout the body, said Steven Cole, an associate professor of hematology/oncology, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and senior author of the study.
What was interesting, Cole said, was that the primary tumors did not seem to be affected by stress and grew similarly in both groups of mice. However, the stressed animals showed significantly more metastases throughout the body than did the control group. The cancer, in effect, acted differently in the stressed mice.
"This study is not saying that stress causes cancer, but it does show that stress can help support cancer once it has developed," Cole said. "Stress helps the cancer climb over the fence and get out into the big, wide world of the rest of the body."
Cole said Sloan detailed the biology of the stress-induced changes in the cancer cells along every step of the pathway, providing a road map by which stress promotes cancer metastasis. Additionally, she proved that using beta blockers in stressed mice prevented the same cancer progression seen in the stressed mice that did not receive medication.
When cancer occurs, the immune system sends out macrophages to try to repair the tissue damage caused by uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. The macrophages, in an attempt to help, turn on inflammation genes that are part of the normal immune response to injury. However, the cancer cells feed on the growth factors involved in a normal immune response. Blood vessels that are grown to aid healing instead feed the cancer the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow and spread, and the extra cellular matrix, which provides structural support for normal cells, is attacked during the immune response, In Sloan's study, mice with breast cancer were divided into two groups. One group of mice was confined in a small area for a short period of time every day for two weeks, while the other group was not. helping the cancer cells escape from the primary tumor and spread to distant parts of the body.
"Many of the genes that promote cancer metastasis get turned on during the immune response by macrophages," Cole said. "This study shows that stress signaling from the sympathetic nervous system enhances the recruitment of macrophages into the primary tumor, and increases their expression of immune response genes that inadvertently facilitate the escape of cancer cells into other parts of the body."
Sloan showed that the beta blockers prevented the macrophages from hearing the signals sent by the sympathetic nervous system, and stopped them from infiltrating the tumor and encouraging cancer spread.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Jonsson Cancer Center.
Researchers discovered that stress is biologically reprogramming the immune cells that are trying to fight the cancer, transforming them instead from soldiers protecting the body against disease into aiders and abettors. The study found a 30-fold increase in cancer spread throughout the bodies of stressed mice compared to those that were not stressed.
It's long been thought that stress fuels cancer growth in humans. This study provides a model that not only demonstrates that stress can speed up cancer progression, but also details the pathway used to change the biology of immune cells that inadvertently promote the spread of cancer to distant organs, where it is much harder to treat.
The study appears in the Sept. 15, 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Research.
"What we showed for the first time is that chronic stress causes cancer cells to escape from the primary tumor and colonize distant organs," said Erica Sloan, a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist, first author of the study and a researcher with the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology. "We not only showed that this happens, but we showed how stress talks to the tumor and helps it to spread."
In addition to documenting the effects of stress on cancer metastasis, the researchers were also able to block those effects by treating stressed animals with drugs that block the nervous system's reprogramming of the metastasis-promoting immune cells, called macrophages.
Beta blockers, used in this study to shut down the stress pathways in the mice, are currently being examined in several large breast cancer databases for their role in potential prevention of recurrence and cancer spread, said Dr. Patricia Ganz, director of cancer prevention and control research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. If preliminary findings indicate benefit, early phase clinical trials are being considered at the Jonsson Cancer Center testing beta blockers as a means of preventing breast cancer recurrence. Other healthy lifestyle behaviors may also influence the biological pathways described in the study, such as exercise and stress reduction techniques.
"We're going to be focusing on younger women, because they may have a multitude of things weighing on them when they're diagnosed with breast cancer. Younger women have more significant life demands and typically are under more stress," Ganz said.
Ganz said her proposed research will focus on "host factors," or things affecting the patient, that may be aiding the cancer progression and could help explain why a group of patients with the same type and stage of disease have varying rates of recurrence and cancer spread.
"This study provides evidence for a biological relationship between stress and cancer progression and identifies targets for intervention in the host environment," Ganz said. "Because of this study, we may be able to say to a patient in the future that if you follow this exercise regimen, meditative practice or take this pill every day it will help prevent recurrence of your cancer. We can now test these potential interventions in the animal model and move those that are effective into the clinic."
In Sloan's study, mice with breast cancer were divided into two groups. One group of mice was confined in a small area for a short period of time every day for two weeks, while the other group was not. The breast cancer cells were genetically engineered to include the luciferase gene, which is the molecule that makes a firefly glow. The growth and spread of the cancer in the mice was monitored using sensitive cameras that can pick up the luciferase signal and allowed Sloan and her team to observe both the development of primary tumors and the spread of metastases throughout the body, said Steven Cole, an associate professor of hematology/oncology, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and senior author of the study.
What was interesting, Cole said, was that the primary tumors did not seem to be affected by stress and grew similarly in both groups of mice. However, the stressed animals showed significantly more metastases throughout the body than did the control group. The cancer, in effect, acted differently in the stressed mice.
"This study is not saying that stress causes cancer, but it does show that stress can help support cancer once it has developed," Cole said. "Stress helps the cancer climb over the fence and get out into the big, wide world of the rest of the body."
Cole said Sloan detailed the biology of the stress-induced changes in the cancer cells along every step of the pathway, providing a road map by which stress promotes cancer metastasis. Additionally, she proved that using beta blockers in stressed mice prevented the same cancer progression seen in the stressed mice that did not receive medication.
When cancer occurs, the immune system sends out macrophages to try to repair the tissue damage caused by uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. The macrophages, in an attempt to help, turn on inflammation genes that are part of the normal immune response to injury. However, the cancer cells feed on the growth factors involved in a normal immune response. Blood vessels that are grown to aid healing instead feed the cancer the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow and spread, and the extra cellular matrix, which provides structural support for normal cells, is attacked during the immune response, In Sloan's study, mice with breast cancer were divided into two groups. One group of mice was confined in a small area for a short period of time every day for two weeks, while the other group was not. helping the cancer cells escape from the primary tumor and spread to distant parts of the body.
"Many of the genes that promote cancer metastasis get turned on during the immune response by macrophages," Cole said. "This study shows that stress signaling from the sympathetic nervous system enhances the recruitment of macrophages into the primary tumor, and increases their expression of immune response genes that inadvertently facilitate the escape of cancer cells into other parts of the body."
Sloan showed that the beta blockers prevented the macrophages from hearing the signals sent by the sympathetic nervous system, and stopped them from infiltrating the tumor and encouraging cancer spread.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Jonsson Cancer Center.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The ASCO Post Publishes Multiple Perspectives On Outcome Of ODAC Meeting Regarding Bevacizumab In Advanced Breast Cancer
The ASCO Post captured initial reactions to the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommendation that the breast cancer indication for bevacizumab (Avastin) be revoked in interviews with ODAC voting members, breast cancer specialists, oncologists in private practice, third-party payers, and a patient advocate..
"It is important that the breast cancer community rest assured that ODAC is an independent, unbiased panel of experts in oncology whose mission is to provide their best objective scientific and clinical recommendations to the FDA for drug approval," said ODAC Chair, Wyndham Wilson, MD, PhD. Dr. Wilson is Chief of the Lymphoid Therapeutics Section of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute.
Bevacizumab is currently approved in combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of advanced HER2-negative breast cancer, based on encouraging results of the E2100 trial (N Engl J Med 357:2666-2676, 2007). The FDA provisionally granted accelerated approval but requested confirmatory data from the manufacturer, Genentech. In November 2009, Genentech supplied the results of the AVADO (J Clin Oncol 28:3239-3247, 2010) and RIBBON-1 trials (J Clin Oncol 27(abstract 1005), 2009). On July 20, 2010, ODAC recommended against conversion to full approval.
Joanne Mortimer, MD, a member of ODAC, who voted to approve bevacizumab in advanced breast cancer in December 2007 based on the E2100 study, said, "The additional data from AVADO and RIBBON-1 supported an increased response rate, but also confirmed the increased toxicity and lack of survival advantage with bevacizumab. Like the majority of panel
"It is important that the breast cancer community rest assured that ODAC is an independent, unbiased panel of experts in oncology whose mission is to provide their best objective scientific and clinical recommendations to the FDA for drug approval," said ODAC Chair, Wyndham Wilson, MD, PhD. Dr. Wilson is Chief of the Lymphoid Therapeutics Section of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute.
Bevacizumab is currently approved in combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of advanced HER2-negative breast cancer, based on encouraging results of the E2100 trial (N Engl J Med 357:2666-2676, 2007). The FDA provisionally granted accelerated approval but requested confirmatory data from the manufacturer, Genentech. In November 2009, Genentech supplied the results of the AVADO (J Clin Oncol 28:3239-3247, 2010) and RIBBON-1 trials (J Clin Oncol 27(abstract 1005), 2009). On July 20, 2010, ODAC recommended against conversion to full approval.
Joanne Mortimer, MD, a member of ODAC, who voted to approve bevacizumab in advanced breast cancer in December 2007 based on the E2100 study, said, "The additional data from AVADO and RIBBON-1 supported an increased response rate, but also confirmed the increased toxicity and lack of survival advantage with bevacizumab. Like the majority of panel
Sexual Health Specialists Support FPA Campaign On STIs In The Over 50s, UK
Specialists who run the UK's sexual health clinics strongly support the FPA's campaign to raise awareness of increasing STI risk in the over 50s.
Peter Greenhouse, Sexual Health Consultant at Bristol, and spokesperson for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), commented:
"The post-pill, pre-AIDS generation - who are now well into "Middle Youth" - were less likely to use condoms than any generation before or since, and will have carried a higher risk of STIs from their teenage years onwards: from here to infirmity, so to speak.
"We're especially concerned about the risks of undiagnosed HIV for this generation, which are increased in postmenopausal women because of vaginal fragility, particularly if they're not using hormone replacement therapy.
"Most doctors don't think to ask older people about their sexual activity, let alone their HIV risk: About a third of all cases of HIV are undiagnosed, so we want older people to get themselves checked if they think they may be at risk.
"Sexual Health clinics aren't just for youngsters: Older people shouldn't feel embarrassed to attend, because most of us who run the clinics are from the same generation, and we've 'been there'."
Notes
1. BASHH is the lead professional representative body for those managing STIs and HIV in the UK. It seeks to innovate and deliver excellent tailored education and training to healthcare professionals, trainers and trainees in the UK and to determine, monitor and maintain standards of governance in the provision of sexual health and HIV care.
Peter Greenhouse, Sexual Health Consultant at Bristol, and spokesperson for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), commented:
"The post-pill, pre-AIDS generation - who are now well into "Middle Youth" - were less likely to use condoms than any generation before or since, and will have carried a higher risk of STIs from their teenage years onwards: from here to infirmity, so to speak.
"We're especially concerned about the risks of undiagnosed HIV for this generation, which are increased in postmenopausal women because of vaginal fragility, particularly if they're not using hormone replacement therapy.
"Most doctors don't think to ask older people about their sexual activity, let alone their HIV risk: About a third of all cases of HIV are undiagnosed, so we want older people to get themselves checked if they think they may be at risk.
"Sexual Health clinics aren't just for youngsters: Older people shouldn't feel embarrassed to attend, because most of us who run the clinics are from the same generation, and we've 'been there'."
Notes
1. BASHH is the lead professional representative body for those managing STIs and HIV in the UK. It seeks to innovate and deliver excellent tailored education and training to healthcare professionals, trainers and trainees in the UK and to determine, monitor and maintain standards of governance in the provision of sexual health and HIV care.
Sexual Health Week, UK
The HPA fully supports the FPA's sexual health campaign - The Middle Age Spread - which reminds older adults they are also risk of STIs and should wear condoms with all new or casual partners.
The HPA recently launched its annual STI figures which showed that the two groups most at risk of an STI remains young adults and men who sex with men. However, there was an increase in diagnoses among all age groups. The agency also published findings early this year showing that HIV diagnoses have doubled in the over 50's in the past decade. The HPA supports any campaign or initiatives which will encourage the practice of safe sex.
Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STIs at the Health Protection Agency said:
"The Health Protection Agency collects and publishes annual data on sexually transmitted infections in England and the UK. Although rates of infection are highest in young adults, we have seen an increase in diagnoses in all age groups, including those aged over 45. We are doing more testing and using more sensitive tests, which means we are picking up more infections, however, we think the rise may also by due to more people having unsafe sex. Anybody who has a new sexual partner is at risk of an STI, whatever their age.
"It is important to continually reinforce the safe sex message: If you have a new or casual sexual partner, using a condom is the surest way to avoid a sexually transmitted infection."
In a recent study conducted by scientists at the HPA, it was found that numbers of HIV were also increasing in the over 50s.
Dr Valerie Delpech, Head of HIV surveillance at the Health Protection Agency said:
"Although adults aged 50 and over account for just eight percent of all new HIV diagnoses, the fact that cases have more than doubled in recent years serves as a timely reminder that anybody is at risk of HIV infection if they do not use protection and practice safe sex.
"HIV remains a serious infection particularly when diagnosed late. The fact that we've seen an increase in the number of older adults getting diagnosed, and in particular getting diagnosed late, highlights the need for raised awareness in that age group.
"Medical guidelines issued in 2008 encouraged widespread testing in areas where there is a high prevalence of HIV and the HPA fully supports any NHS or charity organisation initiative which will encourage increased testing and increased offering of testing across the UK."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Art of Foreplay
by Kevin Davies
You probably know that most women find foreplay a very important part of sex. What you may not know is that a study in 1976 found that when it came to foreplay most women liked the same thing. What I'm about to tell you is based on that study and my own experience. It is what the study found most women liked and when during foreplay they liked it.
Hugging
Start by just holding your lover close and pressing her body against yours. As an aside a lot of women get turned on by their lover smelling their neck and shoulders.
Stroking
While still holding her close start stroking her back. If she's not already, lie her down on a bed or sofa. Move your hand up and down the side of her body, exploring the curve of her hip. At this stage you may like to let your hand "slip" down to her buttocks, just to tease her.
Kissing
Now kiss her. It's important when kissing to start slowly, so no tongue, just a soft pressing of lips. Gently suck her lower lip and push your tongue out just a bit, subtly coaching her to open her mouth. Then as her mouth opens push your tongue in further and press your lips harder against hers.
Of course not every woman likes to be kissed in the same way, but the above is what I've found works best.
From her mouth move to her neck and other parts of her body.
If you haven't already now is the time to take off her top.
Breast fondling
By now your lover should be quite turned on. Place a hand on her breast and softly caress it. At the same time use your thumb to feel how hard her nipple is. Usually at this stage she'll want her bra to be taken off so that she can really feel your hand. So reach around her back and undo her bra clip (that is if she hasn't already).
Take a moment to just admire her body. Tell her how beautiful she looks and how much she's turning you on. Then take her nipple into your mouth and caress her other breast with your hand.
Genital touching
Time to start paying her vulva some attention. Move your mouth from her breast and softly kiss down her tummy to her waist. If she's wearing jeans undo and unzip them, and either let her take them off or take them off for her. Same thing if she's wearing a skirt. Move back up her body and kiss her again, deeply, and at the same time place your hand between her legs, over her panties, and gently rub her. While still kissing her move her panties to the side and very lightly touch her vulva with your fingers.
Next
What happens next just depends. If you like you could go down on her. By the way, some women find it more of a turn on to give oral sex than receive.
At this stage she may want to take control. She may start grinding her hips against you as a signal she wants you, or she may start touching your crotch.
One important thing to remember is that sexual excitement follows a pattern of gradual increase in physical and emotional sensitivity - in other words, start slow and increase the stimulation as arousal mounts.
Here are some other ideas you may like to incorporate into your foreplay routine:
Massages.
Dry sex.
Erotic literature.
Talking sexy.
Using whipped cream.
Fantasies.
Teasing - make out that you're going to do something but stop just before you do it. Done right, this can drive some women crazy with lust.
This article courtesy of http://www.zoomarticles.com.
You probably know that most women find foreplay a very important part of sex. What you may not know is that a study in 1976 found that when it came to foreplay most women liked the same thing. What I'm about to tell you is based on that study and my own experience. It is what the study found most women liked and when during foreplay they liked it.
Hugging
Start by just holding your lover close and pressing her body against yours. As an aside a lot of women get turned on by their lover smelling their neck and shoulders.
Stroking
While still holding her close start stroking her back. If she's not already, lie her down on a bed or sofa. Move your hand up and down the side of her body, exploring the curve of her hip. At this stage you may like to let your hand "slip" down to her buttocks, just to tease her.
Kissing
Now kiss her. It's important when kissing to start slowly, so no tongue, just a soft pressing of lips. Gently suck her lower lip and push your tongue out just a bit, subtly coaching her to open her mouth. Then as her mouth opens push your tongue in further and press your lips harder against hers.
Of course not every woman likes to be kissed in the same way, but the above is what I've found works best.
From her mouth move to her neck and other parts of her body.
If you haven't already now is the time to take off her top.
Breast fondling
By now your lover should be quite turned on. Place a hand on her breast and softly caress it. At the same time use your thumb to feel how hard her nipple is. Usually at this stage she'll want her bra to be taken off so that she can really feel your hand. So reach around her back and undo her bra clip (that is if she hasn't already).
Take a moment to just admire her body. Tell her how beautiful she looks and how much she's turning you on. Then take her nipple into your mouth and caress her other breast with your hand.
Genital touching
Time to start paying her vulva some attention. Move your mouth from her breast and softly kiss down her tummy to her waist. If she's wearing jeans undo and unzip them, and either let her take them off or take them off for her. Same thing if she's wearing a skirt. Move back up her body and kiss her again, deeply, and at the same time place your hand between her legs, over her panties, and gently rub her. While still kissing her move her panties to the side and very lightly touch her vulva with your fingers.
Next
What happens next just depends. If you like you could go down on her. By the way, some women find it more of a turn on to give oral sex than receive.
At this stage she may want to take control. She may start grinding her hips against you as a signal she wants you, or she may start touching your crotch.
One important thing to remember is that sexual excitement follows a pattern of gradual increase in physical and emotional sensitivity - in other words, start slow and increase the stimulation as arousal mounts.
Here are some other ideas you may like to incorporate into your foreplay routine:
Massages.
Dry sex.
Erotic literature.
Talking sexy.
Using whipped cream.
Fantasies.
Teasing - make out that you're going to do something but stop just before you do it. Done right, this can drive some women crazy with lust.
This article courtesy of http://www.zoomarticles.com.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Finding the G-Spot and all its Glory
by Jon Gammon
So finding the g-spot is on your to do list. Well you should, the G-Spot is the most powerful and mysterious of all the erogenous zones. While some say that it doesn't exist, while others say it is a region of the anterior wall of the vagina that is sensitive to the touch. The G-Spot was named after Ernst Grafenberg, who was a German gynecologist who discovered it in the 1940's, which was found while researching birth control. The G-Spot is defined as a group of nerve endings, blood vessels and glands around a women's urethra on the inside, front wall of her vagina. When the women is aroused the G-spots swells up and protrudes, until it feels like a fleshy knob.
Finding the G-spot shouldn't be all that hard right, check it out, but remember that it may not exist in your partner. So don't think there is anything wrong when you can't find it. But if you are still interested in finding the allusive G-spot there are two ways to attempt to locate it. The first way to locate it is to have your partner lay down on a bed with her hips under some pillows. Stimulate her clitoris, and when she becomes really aroused slip in two fingers into her vagina, while keeping your palm up so that your fingers can brush the front, upper wall of the vagina. If the G-spot can be located it will feel like a small bean shaped piece of flesh. When stimulated, the orgasms are a lot more intense than a regular orgasm. Certain sex positions allow a better stimulation of the G-Spot, especially the ones where your partners on top or rear entry, so that the penis is able to contact the inner walls of the vagina stimulating the G-Spot better.
So what is the G-Spot, some say it is a bunch of pipes that help drain the urethra, some even say that it is an undeveloped female prostate gland, but since the prostate is a male gland, hormones never helped the prostate to mature in women. Like men, the prostate is very sensitive to erotic touch, and when furthered examined, the females too had a gland very similar to the male prostate. Blood test where used to detect the two substances of the male prostate gland, and the results found that in 2/3 of the women examined the same substances were found in them as well. So, can it be said that the G-Spot is nothing more than an undeveloped female prostate gland that never matured due to the fact that it needs a male hormone to fully mature. So if it is nothing more than an undeveloped prostate gland, why do women have it? I believe it helps bridge the gap that the male and female bodies are more in tune with one another than previously thought.
This article courtesy of http://www.zoomarticles.com
So finding the g-spot is on your to do list. Well you should, the G-Spot is the most powerful and mysterious of all the erogenous zones. While some say that it doesn't exist, while others say it is a region of the anterior wall of the vagina that is sensitive to the touch. The G-Spot was named after Ernst Grafenberg, who was a German gynecologist who discovered it in the 1940's, which was found while researching birth control. The G-Spot is defined as a group of nerve endings, blood vessels and glands around a women's urethra on the inside, front wall of her vagina. When the women is aroused the G-spots swells up and protrudes, until it feels like a fleshy knob.
Finding the G-spot shouldn't be all that hard right, check it out, but remember that it may not exist in your partner. So don't think there is anything wrong when you can't find it. But if you are still interested in finding the allusive G-spot there are two ways to attempt to locate it. The first way to locate it is to have your partner lay down on a bed with her hips under some pillows. Stimulate her clitoris, and when she becomes really aroused slip in two fingers into her vagina, while keeping your palm up so that your fingers can brush the front, upper wall of the vagina. If the G-spot can be located it will feel like a small bean shaped piece of flesh. When stimulated, the orgasms are a lot more intense than a regular orgasm. Certain sex positions allow a better stimulation of the G-Spot, especially the ones where your partners on top or rear entry, so that the penis is able to contact the inner walls of the vagina stimulating the G-Spot better.
So what is the G-Spot, some say it is a bunch of pipes that help drain the urethra, some even say that it is an undeveloped female prostate gland, but since the prostate is a male gland, hormones never helped the prostate to mature in women. Like men, the prostate is very sensitive to erotic touch, and when furthered examined, the females too had a gland very similar to the male prostate. Blood test where used to detect the two substances of the male prostate gland, and the results found that in 2/3 of the women examined the same substances were found in them as well. So, can it be said that the G-Spot is nothing more than an undeveloped female prostate gland that never matured due to the fact that it needs a male hormone to fully mature. So if it is nothing more than an undeveloped prostate gland, why do women have it? I believe it helps bridge the gap that the male and female bodies are more in tune with one another than previously thought.
This article courtesy of http://www.zoomarticles.com
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Best Sexual Positions ~ Spicy Up the Woman on Her Back Position
by E.J. Davis
Are you tired of having your lover fall asleep on top of you after sex? Then it’s time to introduce the best sexual positions into your love making and possibly even fire-up the intimacy between the sheets. Adding variety in sexual positions with the woman on her back can potentially lead to the most amazing sex and bring you the most incredible orgasm, if you know how.
First, spice up the woman on her back position by participating in the pumping, the gyrating and all that coital hip movement that comes with this sexual position. Lift your hips and meet him thrust for thrust. Experiment with different angles in this sexual position. This will allow for variance in depth of penetration, intensifying the sex. To get the best out of this sexual position, raise your knees up, bracing your feet on the bed or ground or wherever you are lying down, gyrate your hips as you bring your lover towards the pinnacles of sexual pleasure.
One of the best sexual positions to try during love making is to open your legs wide lifting them up. Open your legs as wide as you can in a letter V-shape and you’ll see that this simple leg movement allows for even deeper penetration. The higher you can lift your legs up, the deeper your lover can penetrate you. For best results, embrace your lover with your legs or brace your feet on his butt and increasing the depth of his thrust.
The key to the best sexual position for the woman on her back is to prolong your orgasm by relaxing your vaginal muscles. Put your legs down alongside or underneath your lovers’. The shallower thrust with this position enables him to maintain a rock-hard erection and make the loving last for hours.
Most important of all, is to practice these sexual positions, it is essential to unlocking the secrets to sexual pleasure. By making your lovemaking technique supercharged, steamy and earth-shattering the last thing he’ll do is fall sleep!
This article courtesy of www.zoomarticles.com
Are you tired of having your lover fall asleep on top of you after sex? Then it’s time to introduce the best sexual positions into your love making and possibly even fire-up the intimacy between the sheets. Adding variety in sexual positions with the woman on her back can potentially lead to the most amazing sex and bring you the most incredible orgasm, if you know how.
First, spice up the woman on her back position by participating in the pumping, the gyrating and all that coital hip movement that comes with this sexual position. Lift your hips and meet him thrust for thrust. Experiment with different angles in this sexual position. This will allow for variance in depth of penetration, intensifying the sex. To get the best out of this sexual position, raise your knees up, bracing your feet on the bed or ground or wherever you are lying down, gyrate your hips as you bring your lover towards the pinnacles of sexual pleasure.
One of the best sexual positions to try during love making is to open your legs wide lifting them up. Open your legs as wide as you can in a letter V-shape and you’ll see that this simple leg movement allows for even deeper penetration. The higher you can lift your legs up, the deeper your lover can penetrate you. For best results, embrace your lover with your legs or brace your feet on his butt and increasing the depth of his thrust.
The key to the best sexual position for the woman on her back is to prolong your orgasm by relaxing your vaginal muscles. Put your legs down alongside or underneath your lovers’. The shallower thrust with this position enables him to maintain a rock-hard erection and make the loving last for hours.
Most important of all, is to practice these sexual positions, it is essential to unlocking the secrets to sexual pleasure. By making your lovemaking technique supercharged, steamy and earth-shattering the last thing he’ll do is fall sleep!
This article courtesy of www.zoomarticles.com
Monday, May 18, 2009
Green Tea and Its Relation to Promoting Periodontal Health
by: Zyra Robinson
Since ancient times, green tea has been popular in Asian cultures like China and Japan. It is their beverage of choice because of its medicinal benefits. Its popularity has surged in the western hemisphere largely because of its proven ability to treat ailments such as headaches and depression. Dentist Burbank supports the scientific research regarding green tea and its health benefits. It has proven effective in fighting cancer, lowering high cholesterol levels, dealing with cardiovascular problems, ensuring immune infection, and preventing arthritis, among others. What makes green tea special is that it is rich in catechin polyphenols (epigallocathechin gallate or EGCG), which is an effective antioxidant. Green tea is known to prevent cancer and weight loss. It also inhibits abnormal formation of blood clots.
Dental Burbank believes that the study published by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) about green tea consumption should be taken seriously. Given the close links between dental health and overall health, it has been found that green tea also helps promote healthy teeth and gums by fighting periodontal diseases. According to Dentists Burbank, there are lots of information regarding the study done before by Japanese researchers when they analyzed 940 men focusing on their periodontal health. They found out that people who drank green tea regularly obtain good periodontal health.
There were three indicators examined regarding periodontal diseases. When green tea was consumed during the study, it was discovered that the periodontal pocket depth, attachment loss of gum tissue and bleeding on probing of the gum tissues (three indicators) decreased its potential on having periodontal disease. According to Cosmetic Irvine, the research has shown that the catechin, which is an antioxidant in green tea, helps promote good periodontal health. Catechin interferes in the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria. Because of this type of antioxidant, there is less chance of getting chronic inflammatory disease (periodontal disease) that affects gums and bones that support the teeth. DDS Irvine agreed with what Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, President of the AAP and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, when he said: "That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea - something already known to possess certain health-related benefits."
Green tea helps promote periodontal health and prevents diseases closely associated with in periodontal diseases. This is because green tea interferes with our body's response to periodontal bacteria. There are, however, concerns regarding the harmful effects of drinking green tea because it also has caffeine. Although it contains caffeine, which sometimes lead to insomnia (the only negative side effect reported), the caffeine content in tea is relatively small. Coffee, on the other hand, has more caffeine in its content compared to tea. Tea, therefore, is safe to drink. This is a beverage that is easy to find. It gives a lot of health benefits not only to our overall health but also to our dental health.
Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_7874.shtml
Since ancient times, green tea has been popular in Asian cultures like China and Japan. It is their beverage of choice because of its medicinal benefits. Its popularity has surged in the western hemisphere largely because of its proven ability to treat ailments such as headaches and depression. Dentist Burbank supports the scientific research regarding green tea and its health benefits. It has proven effective in fighting cancer, lowering high cholesterol levels, dealing with cardiovascular problems, ensuring immune infection, and preventing arthritis, among others. What makes green tea special is that it is rich in catechin polyphenols (epigallocathechin gallate or EGCG), which is an effective antioxidant. Green tea is known to prevent cancer and weight loss. It also inhibits abnormal formation of blood clots.
Dental Burbank believes that the study published by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) about green tea consumption should be taken seriously. Given the close links between dental health and overall health, it has been found that green tea also helps promote healthy teeth and gums by fighting periodontal diseases. According to Dentists Burbank, there are lots of information regarding the study done before by Japanese researchers when they analyzed 940 men focusing on their periodontal health. They found out that people who drank green tea regularly obtain good periodontal health.
There were three indicators examined regarding periodontal diseases. When green tea was consumed during the study, it was discovered that the periodontal pocket depth, attachment loss of gum tissue and bleeding on probing of the gum tissues (three indicators) decreased its potential on having periodontal disease. According to Cosmetic Irvine, the research has shown that the catechin, which is an antioxidant in green tea, helps promote good periodontal health. Catechin interferes in the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria. Because of this type of antioxidant, there is less chance of getting chronic inflammatory disease (periodontal disease) that affects gums and bones that support the teeth. DDS Irvine agreed with what Dr. David Cochran, DDS, PhD, President of the AAP and Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, when he said: "That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea - something already known to possess certain health-related benefits."
Green tea helps promote periodontal health and prevents diseases closely associated with in periodontal diseases. This is because green tea interferes with our body's response to periodontal bacteria. There are, however, concerns regarding the harmful effects of drinking green tea because it also has caffeine. Although it contains caffeine, which sometimes lead to insomnia (the only negative side effect reported), the caffeine content in tea is relatively small. Coffee, on the other hand, has more caffeine in its content compared to tea. Tea, therefore, is safe to drink. This is a beverage that is easy to find. It gives a lot of health benefits not only to our overall health but also to our dental health.
Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_7874.shtml
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Women's Thoughts on Penis Size
Admit it or not, we've always been bothered or bombarded with questions on penis size for a long time. Who or what else is there to blame? Films and TV series like "The Sweetest Thing" and Sex and the City" all show women characters who leave their men because of one obvious reason-- a small penis. Even pharmaceutical companies and health and medical retail outlets are incessantly introducing sexual enhancers and penis enlargement tools to help men with their penis size problems. But of course, men who avail or are still thinking of getting these products also wonder: does the size of the penis really matter to women?
Let's look at two points regarding the penis size issue from the female perspective. One side, in particular, includes those who hate size queens, people who care or "pretend" to care about penis size, and those who don't believe that penis size matters. For these women, size queens only "pretend" to care about the penis size issue to feel dominant; since women feel secondary to men, some feminists take advantage of this penis issue to feel a sort of power over men. Moreover, some women view the penis size issue as that of a male obsession because of the scientific fact that the women's most sensitive sexual nerves are located around the vagina's opening so there is really no need for a longer penis when the pleasure nerves are just around the opening area. Others, meanwhile, simply say that penis size isn't a factor that affects men's personalities.
Logically speaking, a longer penis is more able to have an erection than a shorter one. If the penis is not able to erect during intercourse, then dissatisfaction would definitely arise, which can lead to further complications in the sexual relationship. Another related notion is that having a longer penis usually means having a desirable girth, which means more friction and pleasure for the women during sex.
But aside from the demands of women for their partners to have larger penises, some women really have their own opinions based on the behavior and view of men. Most also feel the necessity to consider a penis enlargement process. Even today, men consider long and large penises as trophies worth boasting of and adulating over. In such case, inevitably, someone who's not as well-endowed as the others often feels insecure and inferior. Arguably, the large penis ideal has become part of male culture because it adds up to their masculinity. There are many men, both young and old, who often think that they lose sense of masculinity if their penises don't measure above the average or as expected by their peers and sexual partners.
Because of the increasing number of people who think that having a larger penis is worth all the effort, several companies have been coming up with different ways on how to help those who are not so gifted down there. For instance, penis enlargement tools are rampant in the market today, including penis pumps. Some men even undergo surgical procedures such as phalloplasty, a male organ enlargement surgery, just so that the size of their penis get the approval of many, including their women.
But for those who are not yet convinced to go all out and take drastic procedures for the penis enlargement desires, supplements that are made of natural ingredients are also available. For many men and women, going for the alternative option of supplements is deemed safer and less risky, and thus, is much more appealing.
Most women recommend those with safe and herbal contents such as VigRX Plusâ„¢, which is a supplement that improves the sexual performance of men. According to Dr. Michael Carter, male enhancement products like VigRX Plusâ„¢ often contain natural ingredients such as herbs from China, South America, and Europe. These herbs usually include the Hawthorn Berry, a strong antioxidant that smoothes blood circulation, the Catuaba Bark Extract, which helps relieve stress and stimulates the nervous system, and the Asian Red Ginseng, which helps cure erectile dysfunction.
Aside from the fact that they reinforce the notion that bigger is better and that they are safe, supplements like VigRX Plusâ„¢ are medically proven for their natural methods of enhancing penis size, increasing libido, and improving erection. Once a patient encounters any problem such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, he may take these supplements, aside from consulting with the doctor, so that he does not have to deal with further complications in his reproductive system. Even medical professionals and doctors take these supplements for their own penis size problems. Luke Adams, for one, noticed the positive effects of VigRX after using it for two weeks; according to him, his penis has become larger and firmer every time it erects since he took the supplements.
Much have been said about women's thoughts about size, but what ultimately matters most is what the method can do for the body and how it can change the individual's sex life. So, whether men believe that women care about penis size or not, they still have to take care of their body and at the same time, make themselves happy and satisfied.
About the Author
Tomas M. is owner of www.male-enhancement-pills.us with resource on male enhancement products, articles and male sexual health issues. For more information on male enhancement visit VigRX
Plus Pills
Let's look at two points regarding the penis size issue from the female perspective. One side, in particular, includes those who hate size queens, people who care or "pretend" to care about penis size, and those who don't believe that penis size matters. For these women, size queens only "pretend" to care about the penis size issue to feel dominant; since women feel secondary to men, some feminists take advantage of this penis issue to feel a sort of power over men. Moreover, some women view the penis size issue as that of a male obsession because of the scientific fact that the women's most sensitive sexual nerves are located around the vagina's opening so there is really no need for a longer penis when the pleasure nerves are just around the opening area. Others, meanwhile, simply say that penis size isn't a factor that affects men's personalities.
Logically speaking, a longer penis is more able to have an erection than a shorter one. If the penis is not able to erect during intercourse, then dissatisfaction would definitely arise, which can lead to further complications in the sexual relationship. Another related notion is that having a longer penis usually means having a desirable girth, which means more friction and pleasure for the women during sex.
But aside from the demands of women for their partners to have larger penises, some women really have their own opinions based on the behavior and view of men. Most also feel the necessity to consider a penis enlargement process. Even today, men consider long and large penises as trophies worth boasting of and adulating over. In such case, inevitably, someone who's not as well-endowed as the others often feels insecure and inferior. Arguably, the large penis ideal has become part of male culture because it adds up to their masculinity. There are many men, both young and old, who often think that they lose sense of masculinity if their penises don't measure above the average or as expected by their peers and sexual partners.
Because of the increasing number of people who think that having a larger penis is worth all the effort, several companies have been coming up with different ways on how to help those who are not so gifted down there. For instance, penis enlargement tools are rampant in the market today, including penis pumps. Some men even undergo surgical procedures such as phalloplasty, a male organ enlargement surgery, just so that the size of their penis get the approval of many, including their women.
But for those who are not yet convinced to go all out and take drastic procedures for the penis enlargement desires, supplements that are made of natural ingredients are also available. For many men and women, going for the alternative option of supplements is deemed safer and less risky, and thus, is much more appealing.
Most women recommend those with safe and herbal contents such as VigRX Plusâ„¢, which is a supplement that improves the sexual performance of men. According to Dr. Michael Carter, male enhancement products like VigRX Plusâ„¢ often contain natural ingredients such as herbs from China, South America, and Europe. These herbs usually include the Hawthorn Berry, a strong antioxidant that smoothes blood circulation, the Catuaba Bark Extract, which helps relieve stress and stimulates the nervous system, and the Asian Red Ginseng, which helps cure erectile dysfunction.
Aside from the fact that they reinforce the notion that bigger is better and that they are safe, supplements like VigRX Plusâ„¢ are medically proven for their natural methods of enhancing penis size, increasing libido, and improving erection. Once a patient encounters any problem such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, he may take these supplements, aside from consulting with the doctor, so that he does not have to deal with further complications in his reproductive system. Even medical professionals and doctors take these supplements for their own penis size problems. Luke Adams, for one, noticed the positive effects of VigRX after using it for two weeks; according to him, his penis has become larger and firmer every time it erects since he took the supplements.
Much have been said about women's thoughts about size, but what ultimately matters most is what the method can do for the body and how it can change the individual's sex life. So, whether men believe that women care about penis size or not, they still have to take care of their body and at the same time, make themselves happy and satisfied.
About the Author
Tomas M. is owner of www.male-enhancement-pills.us with resource on male enhancement products, articles and male sexual health issues. For more information on male enhancement visit VigRX
Plus Pills
Treatment for Phobias
by: Kevin Hutchinson
This article discusses some of the techniques that hypnotherapists use to treat phobias. It is not intended to be a substitute for attending a well-recognized hypnotherapy courses.
Therapy sessions, regardless of the techniques chosen, should always begin by helping the client to understand that all phobias can be reduced to a learned and (subsequently) habitual fear response to a set of stimuli – the object of their fear. The client will recognise that it is often the anticipation or thought of the object or circumstances that trigger the fear. This is especially true for clients with a fear of flying where the anticipation of the event may last for several weeks.
In treating clients it is important to use the language of ‘correcting habits’ rather than applying a medical label. In this way a ‘habitually fearful’ client is more likely to see their phobia as a habit that needs to be broken rather than having a more complex illness.
While there are many approaches to phobia therapy, three are outlined below. Each should begin with an induction and deepening of the trance state.
A regression approach to phobia therapy is based on the premise that uncovering the root cause of the fear (the point from which the learned behaviour stems) allows the client to reflect on and ultimately overcome their habitual response. This could be used successfully with parts integration between the rational and fearful parts of the client’s mind to acknowledge the reason for the fear and suggest alternative behaviours.
Systematic desensitisation (in the context of hypnotherapy) is an alternative approach to phobia therapy that uses visualisation to gradually expose the client to the fear-inducing stimuli. When the client experiences catharsis, the process of gradual exposure is repeated until the fear response dissipates or is reduced to manageable levels. A client with a fear of flying would be asked to visualise themselves (with as much sensory experience as they are able) planning a holiday, then looking at the calendar as the flight-date approaches, driving to the airport, waiting in the lounge as the watch the aircraft land and take-off, being called to the departure gate, boarding the aircraft, anticipating take-off etc. When there is a strong cathartic response the client will be placed visually back in the holiday planning to repeat the process as many times as becomes necessary. The session would usually end with future pacing and ego-strengthening to reinforce the client’s success.
The Fast Phobia Model is often favoured by exponents of NLP and lends itself well to hypnotherapy applications. After explaining the nature of phobia and the client’s ability to learn new responses, the therapist establishes the behavioural scenario or strategy employed by the client during the phobic response. One way to do this is using the TOTE model. The client is then asked to replay a scenario in which the fear has manifested itself, but to do this in a dissociated fashion by (for example) visualising themselves watching the events on a movie screen. To emphasise the dissociation, the client would usually be asked to view the movie in black and white. After the movie has finished and the image faded to black or white, the client is asked to associate themselves into the scenario and to run the movie in reverse and in colour to the beginning. For a client with a phobia of flying, the client would now for example associate themselves into a scenario where they are at some point flying backwards, then find themselves disembarking backward down the aircraft steps before walking backwards to the departure area. The movie is then faded again and the process of association repeated with the movie once again run in reverse and in colour. With each repetition, the client should see a reduction in their physiological fear response. The session would usually end with an assessment of the client’s ecology and future pacing to evaluate the success of the treatment, followed by ego-strengthening to reinforce that success.
For clients that have identified their phobia with a specific event in their life, such as ‘ever since I went on holiday to Spain as a child, I’ve had a fear of flying’, the regression approach could prove effective. Regression to the particular event may prove beneficial in its own right but will at the very least provide a visual scenario as well as evidence of the strategy employed and will hence be of use if other phobia techniques are to be used.
Whilst parts integration will be useful for analytical clients, this may be less effective for clients that are less able to intellectualise or rationalise their fear. For these clients the systematic desensitisation or fast phobia cure are more appropriate.
If you are thinking about becoming a hypnotherapist please take time to research the type of accreditation and quality of tuition you will receive. Attending a well-recognised hypnotherapy training course is essential if you want to ensure you are safe and competent to practice.
Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_7866.shtml
Therapy sessions, regardless of the techniques chosen, should always begin by helping the client to understand that all phobias can be reduced to a learned and (subsequently) habitual fear response to a set of stimuli – the object of their fear. The client will recognise that it is often the anticipation or thought of the object or circumstances that trigger the fear. This is especially true for clients with a fear of flying where the anticipation of the event may last for several weeks.
In treating clients it is important to use the language of ‘correcting habits’ rather than applying a medical label. In this way a ‘habitually fearful’ client is more likely to see their phobia as a habit that needs to be broken rather than having a more complex illness.
While there are many approaches to phobia therapy, three are outlined below. Each should begin with an induction and deepening of the trance state.
A regression approach to phobia therapy is based on the premise that uncovering the root cause of the fear (the point from which the learned behaviour stems) allows the client to reflect on and ultimately overcome their habitual response. This could be used successfully with parts integration between the rational and fearful parts of the client’s mind to acknowledge the reason for the fear and suggest alternative behaviours.
Systematic desensitisation (in the context of hypnotherapy) is an alternative approach to phobia therapy that uses visualisation to gradually expose the client to the fear-inducing stimuli. When the client experiences catharsis, the process of gradual exposure is repeated until the fear response dissipates or is reduced to manageable levels. A client with a fear of flying would be asked to visualise themselves (with as much sensory experience as they are able) planning a holiday, then looking at the calendar as the flight-date approaches, driving to the airport, waiting in the lounge as the watch the aircraft land and take-off, being called to the departure gate, boarding the aircraft, anticipating take-off etc. When there is a strong cathartic response the client will be placed visually back in the holiday planning to repeat the process as many times as becomes necessary. The session would usually end with future pacing and ego-strengthening to reinforce the client’s success.
The Fast Phobia Model is often favoured by exponents of NLP and lends itself well to hypnotherapy applications. After explaining the nature of phobia and the client’s ability to learn new responses, the therapist establishes the behavioural scenario or strategy employed by the client during the phobic response. One way to do this is using the TOTE model. The client is then asked to replay a scenario in which the fear has manifested itself, but to do this in a dissociated fashion by (for example) visualising themselves watching the events on a movie screen. To emphasise the dissociation, the client would usually be asked to view the movie in black and white. After the movie has finished and the image faded to black or white, the client is asked to associate themselves into the scenario and to run the movie in reverse and in colour to the beginning. For a client with a phobia of flying, the client would now for example associate themselves into a scenario where they are at some point flying backwards, then find themselves disembarking backward down the aircraft steps before walking backwards to the departure area. The movie is then faded again and the process of association repeated with the movie once again run in reverse and in colour. With each repetition, the client should see a reduction in their physiological fear response. The session would usually end with an assessment of the client’s ecology and future pacing to evaluate the success of the treatment, followed by ego-strengthening to reinforce that success.
For clients that have identified their phobia with a specific event in their life, such as ‘ever since I went on holiday to Spain as a child, I’ve had a fear of flying’, the regression approach could prove effective. Regression to the particular event may prove beneficial in its own right but will at the very least provide a visual scenario as well as evidence of the strategy employed and will hence be of use if other phobia techniques are to be used.
Whilst parts integration will be useful for analytical clients, this may be less effective for clients that are less able to intellectualise or rationalise their fear. For these clients the systematic desensitisation or fast phobia cure are more appropriate.
If you are thinking about becoming a hypnotherapist please take time to research the type of accreditation and quality of tuition you will receive. Attending a well-recognised hypnotherapy training course is essential if you want to ensure you are safe and competent to practice.
Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_7866.shtml
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Health
by: Mary Watson
The choices you make are important to healthy living. If you are one of the many people who has begun to think about what lies ahead for you, it’s time to begin to look toward doing something about it. The choices you make now and in the future will determine how well you will stand up to the perils of life as you approach your senior years. By taking the time to learn some ways you can improve your life now can help you live longer and healthier.
Eating a Healthier Diet
Most of us are guilty of not eating foods that are good for our health. We develop poor eating habits at an early age, and we tend to put off making changes that will improve our well being. We may make small changes when the need for losing weight is important or during a time when certain foods may take a tool on the way we feel, but it takes something major for us to really make a change in the way we eat. The problem is that quite often by the time we make the decision to make changes, it’s too late for them to make a difference. We must begin early in life to develop healthy eating habits, and we must continue those habits through out our lives.
Develop an Exercise Routine
Exercise is an important part of remaining healthy. If you don’t have an exercise routine already, you should develop one based on your own abilities. Even if you are only able to walk around the block a few times a day, you will be doing something that is good for your body. No matter what the condition of your health may be it’s important to exercise on a regular basis. Aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, skiing, and bicycling are best, and you want to perform your routine long enough to increase your heart rate.
Reduce Stress
Stress is always an important issue, but as we get older, it begins to take a greater toll on our health. It’s important to learn to reduce stress levels before they cause severe health problems, and the best time to do that is when you are still young enough to fight the impulse to allow stress to consume you. Even every day conditions such as asthma, allergies, and even colds and hay fever can be caused by stress. Stress can cause the immune system to break down, and when that happens, it is ripe for many different conditions and illnesses.
Maintain a Proper Weight
In order to stay healthy, you need to keep your weight within normal range. If you are overweight, you will have less energy and thus be unable to exercise or even do household chores. Excess weight also puts a strain on your heart and makes you more likely to have a heart attack. Of course, maintaining a proper weight falls in directly with the other methods of developing a healthy lifestyle since you need to exercise and eat healthy foods in order to maintain a proper weight. Since many people have a tendency to overeat when they are under stress, keeping that in control can also help you keep your weight within normal range. Although some recent evidence suggests that being up to 10% overweight is healthier than being 10% underweight, it is healthier to be as close to a normal range as possible.
Making the choice to change your lifestyle is essential if you want to live a healthy and pain free lifestyle. There is no substitute for healthy living, and healthy living comes from making lifestyle changes that affect your complete body and mind. Only by making those important changes can you expect to live a normal, healthy life into your golden years.
Eating a Healthier Diet
Most of us are guilty of not eating foods that are good for our health. We develop poor eating habits at an early age, and we tend to put off making changes that will improve our well being. We may make small changes when the need for losing weight is important or during a time when certain foods may take a tool on the way we feel, but it takes something major for us to really make a change in the way we eat. The problem is that quite often by the time we make the decision to make changes, it’s too late for them to make a difference. We must begin early in life to develop healthy eating habits, and we must continue those habits through out our lives.
Develop an Exercise Routine
Exercise is an important part of remaining healthy. If you don’t have an exercise routine already, you should develop one based on your own abilities. Even if you are only able to walk around the block a few times a day, you will be doing something that is good for your body. No matter what the condition of your health may be it’s important to exercise on a regular basis. Aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, skiing, and bicycling are best, and you want to perform your routine long enough to increase your heart rate.
Reduce Stress
Stress is always an important issue, but as we get older, it begins to take a greater toll on our health. It’s important to learn to reduce stress levels before they cause severe health problems, and the best time to do that is when you are still young enough to fight the impulse to allow stress to consume you. Even every day conditions such as asthma, allergies, and even colds and hay fever can be caused by stress. Stress can cause the immune system to break down, and when that happens, it is ripe for many different conditions and illnesses.
Maintain a Proper Weight
In order to stay healthy, you need to keep your weight within normal range. If you are overweight, you will have less energy and thus be unable to exercise or even do household chores. Excess weight also puts a strain on your heart and makes you more likely to have a heart attack. Of course, maintaining a proper weight falls in directly with the other methods of developing a healthy lifestyle since you need to exercise and eat healthy foods in order to maintain a proper weight. Since many people have a tendency to overeat when they are under stress, keeping that in control can also help you keep your weight within normal range. Although some recent evidence suggests that being up to 10% overweight is healthier than being 10% underweight, it is healthier to be as close to a normal range as possible.
Making the choice to change your lifestyle is essential if you want to live a healthy and pain free lifestyle. There is no substitute for healthy living, and healthy living comes from making lifestyle changes that affect your complete body and mind. Only by making those important changes can you expect to live a normal, healthy life into your golden years.
About The Author
Mary Watson writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Slim Eazy website at http://www.slimeazy.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)