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.

Pope urges Catholics to combat HIV/AIDS

Catholics need to rely on faith, in addition to science, to deal with the problems of the world, including HIV/AIDS, Pope Benedict XVI said on Sunday during an outdoor Mass in Munich, Germany, the Los Angeles Times reports.

11 Sep 2006

Crist, Davis win Florida Gubernatorial primaries

Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist (R) -- who has said he would sign a bill into law that bans abortions with exceptions in cases of rape, incest or if the life of the woman is in danger -- on Tuesday won the Republican gubernatorial primary over state Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, the New York Times reports.

6 Sep 2006

XVI International AIDS conference characterized by 'guarded optimism'

The XVI International AIDS Conference, which was held Aug. 13 through Aug. 18 in Toronto, was characterized by "guarded optimism," the Los Angeles Times reports.

30 Aug 2006

Opponents of abortion rights launch initiatives to increase number of crisis pregnancy centers in Black, Latino inner cities

Heartbeat International and Care Net, both of which oppose abortion rights, have launched initiatives to increase the number of crisis pregnancy centers, which "seek to dissuade women with unplanned pregnancies from having abortions," in inner cities nationwide to help minority women, the AP/Washington Times reports.

24 Aug 2006

AIDS 2006 new studies and developments

As part of its expanded coverage of the XVI International AIDS Conference, held through Aug. 18 in Toronto, the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report will feature studies and initiatives released during the conference.

20 Aug 2006

Global fund director Feachem, Rev. Warren partner to increase funding for faith-based groups

Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Rev. Rick Warren on Wednesday at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto announced that they will be partnering to increase funding for faith-based groups in Warren's global church network, USA Today reports.

17 Aug 2006

Varenicline shown to help 'quit smoking'

A drug recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an aid to smoking cessation appears effective both short- and long-term for smokers trying to quit, according to two reports in the August 14/28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Aug 2006

Bill Gates says protecting against HIV/AIDS can't be left to men

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says all the money in the world will not conquer HIV/AIDS unless more progress is made in preventing new infections. Gates says women and other high-risk groups must be given the ability to protect themselves.

14 Aug 2006

New program tackles HIV prevention among Latino adolescents

An HIV prevention program emphasizing both abstinence and condom use may help decrease risky sexual behavior among Latino adolescents, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

8 Aug 2006

Psychotherapeutic interventions for cannabis abuse

Marijuana dependence and abuse can be moderately improved by various psychotherapy treatments - but reduced use rather than abstinence may be the best clinicians can hope for at this time, a new review finds.

21 Jul 2006

Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programmes for alcohol dependence

Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs, while effective, are not the be-all and end-all in psychosocial treatments for alcohol dependence, according to new review of studies.

19 Jul 2006

Pregnancy resource centers misleading teenagers

According to a U.S. congressman women are being given false and misleading information at some federally funded pregnancy resource centers.

18 Jul 2006

New anti-smoking drug Varenicline (Chantix) promotes longer-lasting abstinence

Scientists have found that a new anti-smoking drug may be more effective than drugs currently in use to help smokers kick the habit and it has the added advantage of promoting longer-lasting abstinence.

5 Jul 2006

Varenicline effective in helping smokers quit

The drug varenicline shows effectiveness in helping smokers quit and abstain from smoking when compared to placebo and the smoking cessation medication bupropion.

4 Jul 2006

HIV prevention in Mexican schools

Current efforts to combat sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy in schools do not change sexual risk behaviour, concludes a study in the British Medical Journal.

7 Jun 2006

Varenicline could increase number who quit smoking

Smokers who try to quit using existing medications, such as nicotine patches or Zyban, are about twice as likely to succeed as those who don't use medication or are prescribed placebos during clinical trials.

3 May 2006

Evidence-based treatments for alcohol dependence

Medical management combined with the drug naltrexone or with a specialized behavioral therapy can be effective treatments for alcohol dependence, according to a study in the May 3 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 May 2006

Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence

While many treatment approaches were found helpful, the authors report that the patients who were most successful in abstaining from alcohol 16 weeks after treatment were those prescribed naltrexone under medical management and those participating in a multi-session program of alcohol counseling delivered by a behavioral specialist.

3 May 2006