Abstinence News and Research

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Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

CAS-Carrera awarded $3.5M SIF grant from EMCF

The New York based Children's Aid Society Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program has been awarded a $3.5 million Social Innovation Fund grant from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation to deepen the program's impact in New York City and replicate it nationally.

2 Apr 2011

Smoking cessation prior surgery not linked to increased risk of postoperative complications

A meta-analysis of nine previous studies found that quitting smoking shortly before surgery was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications, according to a report published online today that will appear in the July 11 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Mar 2011

Study finds passive smoking increases risk of still birth by 23%

Pregnant non-smokers who breathe in the second-hand smoke of other people are at an increased risk of delivering stillborn babies or babies with defects, a study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has found.

9 Mar 2011

Prolonged exposure to antidepressants can induce tardive dysphoria

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a new important side effect of antidepressant drugs is described: tardive dysphoria.

9 Mar 2011

Study: Residential treatment greatly improves smoking abstinence

In the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers report that residential treatment for tobacco dependence among heavy smokers greatly improves the odds of abstinence at six months compared with standard outpatient treatment.

8 Mar 2011

Study: Moderate drinking can reduce risk of dementia even among older adults

3202 German individuals attending general practitioners , who were free of dementia were studied at baseline, were followed up 1.5 years and 3 years later by means of structured clinical interviews including detailed assessment of current alcohol consumption and DSM-IV dementia diagnoses.

8 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: Obama's 'flexibility' offer; Virginia's abortion law 'mischief'; primary care cuts

President Obama had a splendid idea this week. He challenged governors who oppose his health care reforms, most of whom are Republicans, to come up with a better alternative.

3 Mar 2011

Psychologists develop cognitive-bias modification to help alcoholics stay sober

Alcoholism is a tough addiction to kick. Eventually, most people return to drinking. But some Dutch and German psychological scientists have tested a short-term regime that promises to help alcoholics stay sober. Their study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association of Psychological Science.

2 Mar 2011

Omeros announces license agreement with Daiichi Sankyo for PDE7 inhibitors

Omeros Corporation today announced that its exclusive license to phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitors from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. has been amended to include addiction and compulsive disorders in the field of use.

23 Feb 2011

E-cigarettes produce abstinence rates nearly double that of traditional method

Two new studies available online and being published in the April edition of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine find that electronic cigarettes produces abstinence rates nearly double that of traditional nicotine replacement methods and that consumer interest in e-cigarettes is currently much higher than interest in traditional nicotine replacement products.

10 Feb 2011

BUSPH: Electronic cigarettes are promising tool to help smokers quit

A study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates nearly double those for traditional nicotine replacement products.

9 Feb 2011

UT Southwestern leads national effort to find effective treatments for drug addiction

UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatry researchers are leading the Texas arm of a national network that conducts clinical trials aimed at finding effective treatments for drug addiction.

3 Feb 2011

Study establishes direct link between morphine abstinence and depressive-like symptoms

Opiate abuse is a chronic disorder and maintaining abstinence represents a major challenge for addicts.

1 Feb 2011

Major breakthrough: Genome-based medicine for treatment of alcoholism

For the first time in alcohol addiction research, UVA investigators have successfully treated alcohol-dependent individuals with medication that is tailored specifically to match their genetic profile.

21 Jan 2011

USDTL launches two new tests for monitoring long-term alcohol exposure using fingernail, hair specimens

United States Drug Testing Laboratories launched two new tests for monitoring long-term alcohol exposure on Friday. Using fingernail and hair specimens, the new assay is the first and only test to report a donor's alcohol exposure for the past 90 days reliably.

10 Jan 2011

Majority of U.S. adults strongly support innovative programs to discourage teen pregnancy

Every hour in the United States, about 40 children are born to teenage mothers. Americans consistently rate teen pregnancy as one of the top 10 biggest health problems for young people and the U.S. still has the highest teen birth rate among all industrialized countries -- despite decreases in the birth rate during the past 20 years.

7 Jan 2011

Vatican issues communique to clarify Pope's statement on condoms

"The Vatican on Tuesday issued its most authoritative clarification on Pope Benedict XVI's recent remarks that condoms could sometimes be used for disease prevention, saying that the pope in no way justified their use to prevent pregnancy," the New York Times reports (Donadio, 12/21).

23 Dec 2010

Parents most influence teens' decisions about sex

The teen birth rate in the United States declined 6% in 2009 and is now at a record low, according to new data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Rates declined among older and younger teens and among all racial and ethnic groups. For example, the birth rate among Hispanic teens declined 10% in 2009 and is now at a record low.

22 Dec 2010

Electronic cigarettes much safer than real cigarettes, says BUSPH researcher

In a new report that bucks the concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration, a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) (sph.bu.edu) researcher concludes that electronic cigarettes are much safer than real cigarettes and show promise in the fight against tobacco-related diseases and death.

17 Dec 2010