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African AIDS drug trial stopped prematurely

One of the studies in three African countries where women were given an AIDS drug to prevent HIV infection is being stopped because the project is not working, researchers said Monday. These women on the trial were taking a daily dose of the drug Truvada or a look-alike placebo pill and had an equal chance of becoming infected. The ones taking Truvada were expected to have had a much lower infection rate.

19 Apr 2011

Probiotic may reduce rate of recurrent urinary tract infections in women

Urinary tract infections are common in women, costing an estimated $2.5 billion per year to treat in 2000 in the United States alone. These infections frequently recur, affecting 2 to 3 percent of all women.

16 Apr 2011

Varian Medical Systems launches new brachytherapy applicator

Varian Medical Systems is introducing a new brachytherapy applicator for treating endometrial cancer patients after a hysterectomy. The Capri applicator, aimed at increasing patient comfort and allowing clinicians to better sculpt the radiotherapy dose, is being exhibited this week at the annual American Brachytherapy Society meeting in San Diego.

15 Apr 2011

NEJM: Perspectives from Aaron, Reinhardt, Iglehart, Annas, Chambers and others

This week's New England Journal of Medicine features perspectives from prominent authors on Medicare and Medicaid. NEJM granted KHN permission to excerpt substantial portions of these columns.

8 Apr 2011

Positive data from PROCHIEVE vaginal progesterone Phase III study published in peer-reviewed journal

Columbia Laboratories, Inc., and Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced the publication of Phase III PROCHIEVE® (progesterone gel) data in today's online version of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the leading peer-reviewed journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

7 Apr 2011

Progesterone gel can reduce preterm birth in women with short cervix

A groundbreaking clinical study of a new method for preventing premature birth in millions of women each year, published in the medical journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, shows that the rate of early preterm delivery in women can be reduced by 45 percent - simply by treating pregnant women at risk with a low-cost gel of natural progesterone during the midtrimester of pregnancy until term.

7 Apr 2011

Progesterone benefits women with short cervix, finds NIH study

A National Institutes of Health study has found that progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone, reduced the rate of preterm birth before the 33rd week of pregnancy by 45 percent among one category of at risk women.

7 Apr 2011

Scientists receive AACR Team Science Award for HPV research

The Fifth Annual AACR Team Science Award will be given to a team of internationally renowned molecular biologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians and clinicians from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington who have worked together on human papillomavirus for more than 20 years.

28 Mar 2011

JHUSON adds Harvey the Cardiopulmonary Simulator to simulation education

It's official: Harvey the Cardiopulmonary Simulator checked in for an extended stay at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) last month. Harvey is the latest addition to the School's upgraded simulation laboratories and the newest member of the "Sim Fam." These life-like practice manikins, including Sim Man, Vital Sim Man,Noelle with newborn, and Sim Baby give nursing students the hands-on experience without the anxiety of working with actual human beings.

18 Mar 2011

Nationwide observance raises awareness about HIV/AIDS spread in women

National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide observance that raises awareness and promotes action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, took place on March 10.

17 Mar 2011

Experimental vaccine against human norovirus generates strong, safe immune response in mice

Scientists have shown that an experimental vaccine against the human norovirus - the bug behind about 90 percent of highly contagious nonbacterial illnesses that cause diarrhea and vomiting - can generate a strong immune response in mice without appearing to cause the animals any harm.

16 Mar 2011

NAFC honors Florida's Cleveland Clinic physician with Continence Care Champion Award

The National Association For Continence awarded Gamal Ghoniem, MD, with the Rodney Appell Continence Care Champion Award at the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology Awards Reception on March 4, held during the 2011 SUFU Winter Meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

16 Mar 2011

Acupuncture for menopausal hot flashes: Study

According to a new study, women who suffer from hot flashes and other uncomfortable symptoms of menopause may be able to find relief through acupuncture. These symptoms plague menopausal women and usual therapy for it is hormone replacement therapy but that has its own problems including an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and breast cancer.

12 Mar 2011

New research: Rectal specific microbicides can protect against HIV

Microbicides can be used to protect against HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases, either on their own or with the added protection of a condom. New research published by BioMed Central's open access journal AIDS Research and Therapy has investigated the use of lubricants, originally designed for vaginal application, and has developed and tested new, rectal specific, formulations.

6 Mar 2011

Scientists at retrovirus conference present findings on microbicide gel, Truvada, male circumcision, ART care by nurses

At the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston on Monday, researchers "suggested the potential" of a gel containing the antiretroviral drug tenofovir to reduce the risk of anal HIV transmission, TIME's "Healthland" blog reports.

2 Mar 2011

Tenofovir gel more effective than oral tablet for HIV treatment: Study

In the first study to make head-to-head comparisons between tenofovir gel and oral tenofovir - two promising approaches for preventing HIV in women - researchers found that daily use of the vaginal gel achieved a more than 100-times higher concentration of active drug in vaginal tissue than did the oral tablet, while, compared to the gel, the tablet used daily was associated with a 20-times higher active drug concentration in blood.

1 Mar 2011

Anti-AIDS gel shows promise

Dr. Ian McGowan, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh who is leading a second-phase study of the gel said, “These are early results, but [they] help set the stage for current and future trials of rectal microbicides and the development of a rectal-specific formulation of tenofovir gel.” Researchers have focused on the use of microbicides such as tenofovir, as a preventive treatment to be used in vaginal sex. However, scientists think unprotected anal sex is much more risky.

1 Mar 2011

Tenofovir gel may help reduce risk of HIV from anal sex

A gel developed to protect against HIV during vaginal sex produced a strong antiviral effect when used in the rectum, according to an early-phase study presented today at the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). The results, based on rectal tissue biopsies sampled from HIV-negative men and women who used the product daily for one week, provide the first-ever evidence that tenofovir gel could help reduce the risk of HIV from anal sex, even though the vaginal gel formulation may not be optimal for rectal use.

28 Feb 2011

Oral sex linked to cancer

Researchers from the United States have said that there is strong evidence linking oral sex to cancer. They have urged more study of how human papillomaviruses may be to blame for a rise in oral cancer among white men.

20 Feb 2011

ITM research provides deep insight into interactions between HIV virus and human cells

Over the years, the AIDS virus has increasingly adapted itself to humans. This is shown by the research of Youssef Gali at the Institute of Tropical Medicine.

15 Feb 2011