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.

Dim and demented under the influence of cannabis

New research shows what many Cannabis users have suspected or known for a while, continuous use can lead to dimmer brains. Australia ranks among the world's highest cannabis users and this puts the population at a high risk of developing dementia say researchers.

10 Jun 2010

NCHS report: Declines in teen sex, improvements in contraceptive use remain unchanged

Declines in teen sex and improvements in contraceptive use among sexually experienced teens remained essentially unchanged between 2002 and 2006-08, according to data released today by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The new report provides national estimates of sexual activity and contraceptive use among teens aged 15-19 and is based on the latest round of the National Survey of Family Growth.

3 Jun 2010

UCSF studies describe wide reach of tobacco industry and its influence on national health care reform

Three new UCSF studies describe the wide reach of the tobacco industry and its influence on young people, military veterans and national health care reform. The analyses will be published in a special July edition of the American Journal of Public Health titled "Modeling to Advance Tobacco Control Policy."

29 May 2010

CPC seminar to explore new rules shaping pregnancy, pregnancy planning

The transformation of pregnancy into a time of expert-led 'training' for potential parents will be discussed and criticised at the final Changing Parenting Culture seminar at the University of Kent's Canterbury campus 22-23 June.

27 May 2010

New study indicates pregnancy can double HIV risk in men

Young women of reproductive-age are among those at greatest risk of acquiring HIV, and several studies have suggested that during pregnancy women are even more susceptible to infection.

24 May 2010

Public health and HIV/AIDS prevention policies should reflect and work with evolution of sexual behavior

HIV/Aids prevention campaigns which take into account changing sexual trends and social norms are more effective than campaigns which ignore them, according to the results of a series of surveys conducted in France. The findings will be published in the forthcoming issue of AIDS, the leading journal in the field of HIV and AIDS research.

20 May 2010

Long-term smoking cessation success possible with treatment philosophy and individualized information

A recently completed randomized trial compared three ways to deliver a behavioral smoking cessation program using varenicline (Chantix®): by phone, web, or both. Although phone counseling had greater treatment advantage for early cessation and appeared to increase medication adherence, no differences in abstinence outcomes were seen at six months.

19 May 2010

Researchers discover molecular mechanism behind smoking cessation effect

The tobacco addiction epidemic is a major public health problem worldwide. Professor Zhao Baolu and his group from the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences set out to tackle this problem. After 20 years of innovative research, they have developed a novel tea filter to treat cigarette addiction and have discovered the molecular mechanism behind the smoking cessation effect.

12 May 2010

Health overhaul provisions raise moral, religious debates

The new health law has renewed concerns about some moral and religious issues, such as the government's role in providing sex education and health care workers' ability to opt out of providing end-of-life care and abortions.

12 May 2010

First Edition: May 11, 2010

Today's coverage includes more details regarding how the new health law moves forward with efforts to provide health insurance coverage to young adults.

11 May 2010

New multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to opioid drugs

A multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to opioid drugs was unveiled today at the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Blending Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. This eighth meeting in the series brings together researchers and clinicians so their latest findings can be immediately applied to the needs of patients and their families dealing with addictive disorders.

23 Apr 2010

Cognitive behavior therapy works better as couples therapy for alcohol-dependent women

Barbara McCrady and Elizabeth Epstein wanted to know whether cognitive behavior therapy worked better for alcohol-dependent women when delivered as couples therapy than when delivered as individual therapy. They reported recently that both treatment methods worked well, but women treated in couples therapy maintained their gains a bit better than those in individual therapy. Also, women suffering from depression in addition to alcohol-dependence did better in couples therapy. Their paper appeared recently in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

22 Apr 2010

New treatment options for patients with SAH

Results from two French studies presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2010 press conference will help inform clinical practice in the treatment of patients with severe or acute alcoholic hepatitis.

17 Apr 2010

No nicotine in e-cigarettes for Australians yet

According to a recent study undertaken by the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the University of Auckland published in British Journal Tobacco Control on 8th April 2010, electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes containing nicotine have similar effects to real cigarettes such as the desire to smoke, withdrawal, dependence and other effects.

13 Apr 2010

A 2% decline in U.S. birth rate including teenage births

According to Government statistics released this Tuesday, the birthrate in the United States has dropped by 2% from 2007 to 2008 with about 4.2 million babies born during this time. This drop also means that the fertility rate has gone below 2.1 children per woman. This statistic means that Americans are not giving birth to enough children to keep the population from declining.

7 Apr 2010

60 Minutes examines PEPFAR in Uganda

CBS News' 60 Minutes reports from Uganda about how PEPFAR has helped people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the country and the challenges Uganda still faces in fighting the spread of the virus. The show includes interviews with Peter Mugyenyi of the Joint Clinical Research Center in Kampala, Uganda, and other doctors on the ground, who discuss how HIV-positive children and adults are alive today as a result of PEPFAR and how the program has helped to improve the way Africans view the United States.

5 Apr 2010

Health law includes $250 million for abstinence education

The new health care law contains "a renewal of $50 million per year for five years for abstinence-focused education," CNN reports. "Programs that receive this funding must 'teach that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems,' according to the Department of Health and Human Services. To qualify, they must also teach that sex before marriage is "likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects'..."

1 Apr 2010

How the health legislation will affect consumers

The Los Angeles Times explores some key questions: Will insurers continue to raise premiums; when will the Medicare "doughnut hole" close; and, "how do I sign up for my new insurance?" In answer to the last one, the Times writes, "Although there are some provisions that take effect this year, such as bans on lifetime limits and the denial of coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, the part of the bill that provides new insurance options does not take effect until 2014" (Geiger, 3/28).

30 Mar 2010

Diagnostic test for alcohol consumption: Measuring protein changes in blood

Measuring a set of protein changes in the blood linked to alcohol use may potentially lead to a more accurate diagnostic test than those currently available, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

29 Mar 2010

Circumcision can protect from HIV transmission: Reports from Zimbabwe

Nearly 1.1 million people in Zimbabwe are HIV positive with 40% unaware of their status. 160,000 children are infected with counts rising by 17,000 yearly. Total HIV prevalence rate for Zimbabwe is 13.7%. There are 2,000 HIV related deaths in Zimbabwe every week. 25% of children in Zimbabwe are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS related deaths according to UN agency reports.

25 Mar 2010