Tanning Beds Pose Serious Health Risks

As the weather turns colder and the sunlight hours dwindle, more and more Americans flock to indoor tanning salons to get that much desired straight-from-the-beach bronze glow. In fact, nearly 30 million people in the United States tan in salons every year, most of them women between the ages of 16 and 49. But before you start baking under the lights, you might want to consider the numerous health risks associated with tanning bed use. Let’s begin with infections. If the surface of the tanning bed isn’t cleaned properly or if the towels you use aren’t washed in hot water, you can get infections like pubic lice (crabs) and warts caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Tanning beds and exposure to UV rays can have a detrimental effect on your immune system as well because it reduces the activity level of natural killer cells and T cells. Share and Enjoy:

New testosterone injections work as male contraceptive

Pregnancy is a big step in life for any couple. Until now, there have only been a few ways to prevent pregnancy and most of them are centered around the female. Now, there is a new monthly injection of testosterone that works as a contraceptive in men, allowing the responsibility of birth control to be shared among the sexes. For years, scientists have been looking for a contraceptive to be the male equivalent to the Pill. The trials that were conducted in the 1990s found that weekly injections of testosterone reduced the sperm counts for 98 percent of the men, and the effects disappeared when the injections were stopped. However, the researchers thought that the weekly injections would be considered too unpopular and troublesome with men to be a very useful method of contraception. Share and Enjoy:

FDA approves “Morning After” pill for 17-year-old girls

The FDA has complied with a federal court order issued on March 23, 2009, by allowing Plan B drug maker, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc, now part of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, ... Share and Enjoy:

Minors may soon have easy access to “Morning After Pill”

Plan B is a form of emergency contraception (EC) that is commonly called the “morning after pill.” The drug contains a high dose of a hormone called levonorgestrel, a form ... Share and Enjoy:

Pregnancies & sexually transmitted diseases on the rise among teens

More teenagers and young adults are having sex, sparking an increase in teen births in both 2006 and 2007, and putting an end to more than a decade of significant ... Share and Enjoy: