[sunnykerr]

Girl crying tears instead of a stone
Abortion bill passes in ND
Vaccines didn't cause autism, court rules
Third-Hand Smoke Kills, Too
International healthcare systems
Listeriosis Outbreak Causes Massive Meat Recall

Banned by 4N6 DNA

HIV Rates 'Surprisingly High' in Those Over 50 Rates of HIV infection among people over 50 appear to be on the rise - perhaps in part to the increased use of erectile-dysfunction drugs, global experts are warning. In an article published in the World Health Organization's Bulletin on Tuesday, WHO experts warn that HIV is still rarely considered a risk for older individuals, even though seniors are considered more likely than younger people to risk unprotected sex. "HIV prevalence and incidence in the over-50-year-olds seem surprisingly high and the risk factors are totally unexplored," the authors from the WHO and Minnesota's St. Olaf College write. Patients over the age of 50 make up roughly eight per cent of new HIV diagnoses in Europe and 11 per cent in the United States, the report finds. And in Brazil, HIV infection among those aged over 50 years doubled between 1996 and 2006, jumping from 7.5 to 15.7 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. The numbers in Canada are unclear, since Public Health Agency of Canada did not separate data about HIV infection rates for people older than 49 in its 2007 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. But in 2004, it said about 10 per cent of positive HIV test reports in Canada each year since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic have been among those aged 50 years or older. PHAC says very little research has been conducted on risky sexual behaviour in seniors. "HIV/AIDS is generally believed to be a young person's disease and, therefore, little focus has been given to the issue of HIV/AIDS among older Canadians," the agency has said. The WHO report notes that doctors are not screening for HIV among older adults, because they are mistakenly assumed not to be at risk. The Ninth United Nation World Assembly on Aging in 2002 noted that health professionals tend not to question their elderly patients about their sexual behaviour, nor give them the same information on prevention that they give to young people. This means that many cases of HIV among those over 50 go undiagnosed -- which means those patients don't receive life-saving antiviral therapy. "These individuals have a shorter time from diagnosis to the onset of AIDS, reflecting both age-related faster progression to AIDS and doctors' failure to consider HIV as a diagnosis," the report said. As baby boomers age and divorce or are widowed, many are remaining sexually active, often with multiple partners. The WHO report suggests that part of the reason is the increasing use of erectile dysfunction drugs. "Because of erectile dysfunction drugs, men, who would normally decrease or cease sexual activity as they age, have extended their sex lives," said Dr. George Schmid, a medical officer at the World Health Organization. Schmid notes that anti-impotence drugs may lead to sexual activity in unsafe conditions, adding: "(Erectile dysfunction) drugs can also be used for partying." What's more, older people may not be as aware as their younger counterparts of the risks involved in having unprotected sex. "Older people became sexually active in a world where there was no AIDS," noted Ivo Brito of Brazil's Ministry of Health. "They were not accustomed to using condoms." The danger may be compounded by older men seeking out younger, sexually active women, which increases their chances of exposure to HIV. The authors concluded: "Understanding the epidemiology of HIV infection in older individuals can lead to interventions to make these years safer and more enjoyable."

CTV.ca | HIV rates 'surprisingly high' in those over 50

Well, not that this isn't serious and important news, but you could have knocked me over with a feather... Older folk are more likely than younger ones to risk unprotected sex? Reliable contraception isn't that new a development, is it?

[fetch]

I heard about that... the highest risks are for the very young and the very old. Often, because there's no risk for pregnancy, they just don't use condoms.

When In Texas: Just Say I Don't Know | RHRealityCheck.org

[sunnykerr]

Virus 'Triggers Child Diabetes' A common virus may be the trigger for the development of many cases of diabetes, particularly in children, UK researchers have reported. Signs of enteroviruses were found in pancreatic tissue from 60% of children with type 1 diabetes, but in hardly any children without the disease. They also found that 40% of adults with type 2 diabetes had signs of the infection in insulin-producing cells. The study published in Diabetologia raises the possibility of a vaccine. Although genetics is known to play a fairly substantial role in a person's risk of developing diabetes, environmental factors must also be involved and the idea of a viral cause of diabetes has been considered for decades. The latest study was made possible by a pathologist in Glasgow who for 25 years collected tissue samples from children across the UK who had died less than 12 months after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Dr Alan Foulis believed that enteroviruses - a common family of viruses which cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea - would be present but until recently the technology was not sensitive enough to detect them. Along with colleagues from the south west-based Peninsula Medical School and the University of Brighton, he has now been able to look for evidence of the enteroviruses in tissue samples routinely taken during autopsy in 72 children and compare that with samples from 50 children without the condition. In those with diabetes who had signs of the virus, it was specifically found in the insulin-producing beta cells. Immune trigger The researchers suggest that, in children with a genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes - an autoimmune disease in which beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed - enterovirus infection can trigger the immune reaction that kicks off the disease process. With type 2 diabetes - the type often linked to obesity in adults - the researchers speculate that the infection affects the ability of the cells to make insulin, which in combination with the greater demand for insulin in obese people, is enough to set off the disease. At the same time, a separate study, published in Science, by researchers at Cambridge University, found four rare mutations in a gene which reduce the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. It also backs the viral theory because the gene in question is involved in the immune response to infection with enteroviruses. There are 100 different strains of enterovirus, so although the results open the way for the development of a vaccine, researchers still have to pin down which types are involved. The study's author, Professor Noel Morgan from the Peninsula Medical School, said the results showed the underlying infection with enteroviruses was not a "rare event". "The next stages of research - to identify which enteroviruses are involved, how the beta-cells are changed by infection and the ultimate goal to develop an effective vaccine - will lead to findings which we hope will drastically reduce the number of people around the world who develop type 1 diabetes, and potentially type 2 diabetes as well," he added. Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said the study was "a big step forward" in understanding the potential triggers for the disease. "We've known for some time that type 1 diabetes cannot be explained by genetics alone and that other, environmental triggers may also play a part. "The next steps to identify the viruses and find out what they are doing to the infected beta cells will be hugely exciting and will take us a step closer to preventing Type 1 diabetes." Karen Addington, chief executive of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, who funded the research, said the findings were important as the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing every year and there is currently no way to prevent it. "Type 1 diabetes is a life- threatening condition that requires a life-time of painful finger prick blood testing and insulin injections," she pointed out.

BBC NEWS | Health | Virus 'triggers child diabetes'

If this turns out to be true, I can't begin to imagine how it could revolutionize treatments. Childhood diabetes is such a curse on that child's ability to grow up to lead a healthy life.

The problem, of course, is that their test sample seems tremendously limited at present. They would need much larger cross-sections of test subjects both with and without Type 1 diabetes to be able to reach a conclusive finding.

[Cristofle]

This could really be significant for curing diseases.

Political Punch: President Obama to Sign Executive Order on Stem Cell Research Monday

ABC News has learned that on Monday morning President Obama will hold an event at the White House in which he signs an executive order overturning the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. The announcement will be about "restoring scientific integrity to health care policy," an administration official tells ABC News. In August 2001, President George W. Bush signed an executive order banning federal funding on embryonic stem cell research except for a few dozen lines that were grandfathered in. The White House at the time estimated scientists would have more than 60 cell lines to use, but ultimately fewer than two dozen lines were usable. Twice during his presidency, Mr. Bush vetoed efforts to overturn his ban. On the campaign trail, then-Sen. Obama pledged to overturn the ban, as did Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., making a reversal in policy all but assured. Mr. Obama said the ban "handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations."

[vc318]

I'd like to see an immediate cure for cancer and AIDS. It's so ridiculous that these two diseases have gone on for so long taking so many lives and we can't find a simple cure just because shady drug corporations rather make tons of money instead of there being some immediate end to this deadly thing.

[sunnykerr]

Nano-Treatment to Torpedo Cancer Nanotechnology has been used for the first time to destroy cancer cells with a highly targeted package of "tumour busting" genes. The technique, which leaves healthy cells unaffected, could potentially offer hope to people with hard-to-treat cancers where surgery is not possible. Although it has only been tested in mice so far, the researchers hope for human trials in two years. The UK study is published online by the journal Cancer Research. The genes were wrapped up in microscopic nano-particles, 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, which were taken up by cancer cells, but not their healthy neighbours. Once inside, the genes stimulated production of a protein which destroys the cancer. The researchers say the technology could potentially be particularly relevant for people with cancers that are inoperable because they are close to vital organs. They hope it will eventually also be used to treat cancer that has spread. 'Exciting step' Lead researcher Dr Andreas Schatzlein, from the School of Pharmacy in London, said: "Gene therapy has a great potential to create safe and effective cancer treatments but getting the genes into cancer cells remains one of the big challenges in this area. "This is the first time that nanoparticles have been shown to target tumours in such a selective way, and this is an exciting step forward in the field. "Once inside the cell, the gene enclosed in the particle recognises the cancerous environment and switches on. The result is toxic, but only to the offending cells, leaving healthy tissue unaffected. "We hope this therapy will be used to treat cancer patients in clinical trials in a couple of years." Traditional chemotherapy indiscriminately kills cells in the affected area of the body, which can cause side effects like fatigue, hair loss or nausea. It is hoped that gene therapy will have fewer associated side effects by targeting cancer cells. Dr Lesley Walker, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "These results are encouraging, and we look forward to seeing if this method can be used to treat cancer in people. "Gene therapy is an exciting area of research, but targeting genetic changes to cancer cells has been a major challenge. "This is the first time a solution has been proposed, so it's exciting news."

BBC NEWS | Health | Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer

This is wonderful news, and I really hope human trials are on the way and prove successful.

Caroline I thought of you when I read this story, because I was just coming here to answer you!

Because I SO agree with you. It's ridiculous that cures for cancer and AIDS haven't been found. I don't want to sound paranoid, but I do have my moments where I wonder if pharmaceutical companies haven't been impeding research in this field rather than helping it along.

It's ridiculous, I know. But, there you go. I am woefully ignorant where science goes, so sometimes I do wonder, even if I know full well that it is preposterous.

[sunnykerr]

Long-Term Smog Exposure Deadly, Study Finds Every summer, hospital emergency rooms fill with people developing breathing problems during suddenly hot and smoggy days. Now, scientists are finding that long-term exposure to even low levels of the ozone in smog boosts death risk. The study out of the U.S. found that people who lived in areas with the highest concentrations of ground-level ozone had a 25 to 30 per cent greater annual risk of dying from respiratory diseases compared with people from area with the lowest levels of the pollutant. Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen dioxide from car tailpipes, coal-fired power plants and other industries collides with oxygen in the presence of sunlight. It's different from fine particulate matter, the tiny particles of pollutants emitted by factories, cars, and power plants. That element of air pollution tends to be more concentrated at its source. Ground-level ozone, on the other hand, can be found in higher concentration in suburbs and rural areas downwind of cities, because ozone takes time to form as it travels along the wind. While it's not news that "smog days" - those summer days when hot weather and pollution combine to create extra hazy days - can cause health problems, this study is the first to look at the long-term impact of ozone. "What this study says is that to protect the public's health, we can't just reduce the peaks, we must also reduce long-term, cumulative exposure," says Dr. George Thurston, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, who directed the air pollution exposure assessment part of the study. The study analyzed data on about 450,000 people who were followed from 1982 to 2000 as part of an American Cancer Society study. Over that period 118,777 people in the study died. The researchers looked at how the study subjects died and then compared them to air pollution levels in 96 cities, making sure to control for other risk factors for lung disease, such as age, smoking status and weight. The researchers estimate that the risk of dying from respiratory diseases, such as emphysema, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rises four per cent for every 10 parts-per-billion increase in exposure to ozone. Dr. Ted Boadway, the Canadian Medical Association's technical advisor on health and the environment, says the study is a "a very exciting piece of science." "What it does for the first time is it quantifies the actual effect of increases of ozone levels on death rates," he tells CTV News. One of the study authors, Daniel Krewski, the director of the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment at the University of Ottawa, says the results are probably applicable to Canada, because ozone levels in some areas in Canada, such as southern Ontario, are comparable to those in many of the U.S. cities studied. "Now that we have information that long-term, low-level ozone exposure is of concern for population health, it's important that we take that information into account in the next update of the Canada-wide standards for ozone," he told CTV. With ozone levels set to rise again this summer, when abundant sunshine contributes to the chemical processes that form ozone in the atmosphere, Krewski says the focus should be on controlling the sources of air pollution. "At the individual level, it's difficult to sort of take personal precautionary measures, because once you're outdoors, ozone is ubiquitous in ambient air and you will be exposed," he explained. "I think the solution to the problem really is to focus on the source of ozone exposure, reduce the exposures lower, to reduce the risk."

CTV.ca | Long-term smog exposure deadly, study finds

Well, it isn't exactly news that smog is bad for your respitory system. My ashtma was all but gone before I moved to Montreal, so you don't need to tell me that twice, never mind that it makes perfect sense in and of itself.

It do find it a little worrisome that, apparently, the effects may be long-term. On the other hand, there isn't much that we can do about it. I'm not about to shut myself indoors the whole summer through.

[TheAngel]

I'm excited to hear anything relating to cancer research, whether it involves stem cells or nanotech. My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer several years ago and while she's fine now, it's still scary. I don't understand human priorities. We're constantly developing new ways to fight and kill each other, but we can't cure AIDS, cancer, diabetes, or hundreds of other diseases.

[sunnykerr]

So much agreement on that front. It is ridiculous the gap between the monies spent towards defense and military stuff, essentially areas for aggression, and the monies spent towards helping people, saving lives and making lives better.

[sunnykerr]

An Outbreak of Autism, or a Statistical Fluke? MINNEAPOLIS — Ayub Abdi is a cute 5-year-old with a smile that might be called shy if not for the empty look in his eyes. He does not speak. When he was 2, he could say “Dad,” “Mom,” “give me” and “need water,” but he has lost all that. He does scream and spit, and he moans a loud “Unnnnh! Unnnnh!” when he is unhappy. At night he pounds the walls for hours, which led to his family’s eviction from their last apartment. As he is strapped into his seat in the bus that takes him to special education class, it is hard not to notice that there is only one other child inside, and he too is a son of Somali immigrants. “I know 10 guys whose kids have autism,” said Ayub’s father, Abdirisak Jama, a 39-year-old security guard. “They are all looking for help.” Autism is terrifying the community of Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, and some pediatricians and educators have joined parents in raising the alarm. But public health experts say it is hard to tell whether the apparent surge of cases is an actual outbreak, with a cause that can be addressed, or just a statistical fluke. In an effort to find out, the Minnesota Department of Health is conducting an epidemiological survey in consultation with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This kind of conundrum, experts say, arises whenever there is a cluster of noncontagious illnesses. While there is little research on autism clusters, reports of cancer clusters are so common that health agencies across the country respond to more than 1,000 inquiries about suspected ones each year. A vast majority prove unfounded, and even when one is confirmed, the cause is seldom ascertained, as it was for Kaposi’s sarcoma among gay men and mesothelioma among asbestos workers. It is “extraordinarily difficult” to separate chance clusters from those in which everyone was exposed to the same carcinogen, said Dr. Michael J. Thun, the American Cancer Society’s vice president for epidemiology. Since the cause of autism is unknown, the authorities in Minnesota say it is hard to know even what to investigate. “There are obviously some real concerns here, but we don’t want to make a cursory judgment,” said Buddy Ferguson, a health department spokesman. Even counting autism cases is difficult because the diagnoses are first made by the schools, not doctors, and population estimates for Somalis vary widely. Results are expected late this month. Even if the department confirms that a cluster exists, it will not answer the question why. Still, Dr. Thun said a possible focus in one ethnic group “increases my sense that investigating it is essential.” The next step, he added, would be to look at Somalis in other cities. A small recent study of refugees in schools in Stockholm found that Somalis were in classes for autistic children at three times the normal rate. Calls to representatives of Somali groups in Seattle and San Diego found that they were aware of the fear in Minneapolis but unsure about their own rates. Doctors familiar with the Somali communities in Boston and Lewiston, Me., had heard of no surges there. “It’s a concern here, but we haven’t done anything to look specifically,” said Ahmed Salim of Somali Family Services in San Diego. Shamso Yusuf of the Refugee Women’s Alliance in Seattle said tearfully that her own daughter had been given a diagnosis of autism, “and I see a lot of parents who have 5-year-olds who cannot speak.” But no Seattle study has been done, she said. Somalis began arriving in Minneapolis in 1993, driven out by civil war; now their population in Minnesota is estimated at 30,000 to 60,000. The city is welcoming and social benefits are generous, but many live a life apart as conservative Muslims, the women in head scarves and long dresses. Many Somali men have jobs as taxi drivers or security guards; others are accountants or run shops in the mini-malls catering to Somalis. Antivaccine activists are campaigning among them, which worries public health officials, especially because some families go back and forth to Somalia, where measles is still a significant cause of childhood death, according to Unicef. One of the first to raise the alarm was Anne Harrington, who worked in special education in the Minneapolis schools for 21 years. In the last decade, she said, “we’ve begun seeing a tremendous number of kids born here who have the more severe forms of autism.” Last year, she said, 25 percent of the children in preschool classes offering the most intensive treatment had Somali parents, while only about 6 percent of public school enrollment is Somali. Dr. Daniel S. McLellan, a pediatrician, said that when he began practicing at Children’s Hospital six years ago, he was struck by how many autistic Somali children he saw. “They had classic symptoms,” he said. “Really impaired language, didn’t watch faces, didn’t make eye contact, didn’t communicate with gestures, just lost in their own worlds. Nobody would mistake it for anything else.” Speculation is rampant about possible causes: living conditions in Somalia or in refugee camps in Kenya; traditional medicines; intermarriage; genetic predisposition; vitamin D deficiencies due to a lack of sunlight; and, of course, vaccines. But each theory has weaknesses. Most of the children, said Idil Abdull, one of the first mothers of an autistic child to ask the authorities to investigate, were born here and have had the same medical care and shots as any child on Medicaid. It is not a case of misdiagnosis because of language problems; many have siblings doing well in school. The Hmong, from Southeast Asia, who also immigrated here through refugee camps, do not have high autism rates, Ms. Harrington said. Somali refugees have many illnesses, said Dr. Osman M. Ahmed of the East Africa Health Project in St. Paul, including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, depression from the civil war, and vitamin D deficiencies. But lack of vitamin D is a dubious explanation. Rates of the disorder are similar among black and white Americans, according to the C.D.C., and Somalis, on average, are no darker-skinned than black Americans. In Somalia, cousins do marry cousins. Globally, according to the March of Dimes, birth defect rates are highest in Arab countries with close intermarriage. But Somalia’s birth defect rate is moderate, and autism is not part of such studies. In any case, many Somali parents are baffled and scared. “It’s beyond denial,” said Hassan Samantar, a parent advocate at the Pacer Center for disabled children. “There was no word for this in Somali. We’ve seen Down syndrome and schizophrenia, but loosely termed — our word is more like ‘crazy.’ People are calling it ‘otismo’ or ‘the American disease.’ And some are saying it’s something you did or your parents did, and the curse is catching up with you.” Many Somali parents here do not read English or watch American television, he said, so they first hear of autism only when a pediatrician suggests testing a child. Some send their children back to relatives in Somalia. “They say, ‘There’s more sunshine, there’s less pollution, the food is fresher because the animal was killed that morning,’ ” Ms. Abdull said. “They say: ‘My kid won’t talk? Throw him in the middle of 20 other kids, and he’ll talk. They’ll tease him till he has to.’ You know the way kids run around in Africa? People are so isolated in their apartments here. They think maybe they’ll snap out of it.” Antivaccine groups have noticed. In November, J. B. Handley, a founder of Generation Rescue, which advocates treating autistic children with wheat- and dairy-free diets, vitamins and chelation to remove mercury, wrote an open letter to “Courageous Somali Parents.” He warned them not to trust the state health department and suggested they slow down their children’s shots and get exemptions to school vaccination requirements. He also offered to pay for some to attend an antivaccine conference. The appeal has had an effect. Many parents, including Ayub’s, now say that their children’s autism began after seizures that started after they got shots. “People in the Somali community have gravitated to that theory, and many are resisting immunization,” Dr. McLellan said. But there are also children like 8-year-old Shumsudin Warsame, who does not speak more than one word at a time, runs in circles and hurts himself jabbing pens into his face. He was born in Somalia, grew up in Egypt and arrived here six months ago. He started having seizures before he was a year old, his father, Abdiasis, said, long before he had any vaccinations. To Mr. Warsame, finding something to blame is beside the point. He is a single parent, and he and Shumsudin were at a health center hoping to find a part-time home care aide. “I have a friend from Somalia with three kids with autism, all born in Minnesota,” Mr. Warsame said. “I need help; we all need help. I don’t see a lot of people trying to help us. It’s better than it was in Egypt or Somalia, but it’s not what I expected.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/he...r=2&ref=health

[Callace]

I am surprised that they are treating autism like a decease. I got the impression it was rather a disability? Something people were born with. Can earlier socially well functioning people get it when they grow older?

[4N6 DNA]

Banner and related threads for the OP.

Girl crying tears instead of a stone
Abortion bill passes in ND
Vaccines didn't cause autism, court rules
Third-Hand Smoke Kills, Too
International healthcare systems
Listeriosis Outbreak Causes Massive Meat Recall

[sunnykerr]

A Pace for Fitness: 100 Steps a Minute A journey of a thousand miles may begin with a single step, but even if you take just 2,999 more within half an hour, you may be on the road to fitness. A new study finds that people who walk to keep in shape can achieve the right intensity if they take at least 100 steps a minute. The researchers, led by Simon J. Marshall of San Diego State University, equipped volunteers with pedometers that counted their steps as they worked out on treadmills at different speeds. They also measured the participants’ heart rates. A pace of 100 steps a minute or more, they calculated, was enough for the workout to be considered of moderate intensity. The study appears in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers noted government recommendations that people engage in moderately intensive activity for at least 150 minutes a week, which can be accomplished with five 30-minute sessions. The problem with pedometers is that while they can give a rough measure of the distance traveled, they cannot show how hard someone is working. But they can be helpful if people use them to count their steps and set a goal of walking 3,000 steps or more in half an hour, the researchers said. They cautioned, though, that the method was still an imperfect measure of how hard the workout was.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/he...r=1&ref=health

I thought this was an interesting article. For instance, I walk everywhere, all the time, but apparently not fast enough! Well, actually, I've never counted, but I don't imagine that I make it up to 100 steps a minute.

As for autism, callace, I can see why it is treated like a disease. Because it is a wide spectrum of symptoms, but it's not like there's a blood test for it. So, the diagnosis comes with the child's development and how it is going in comparison to "normal" development and in comparison with known attributes of children with any given form of autism.

It's not like Down syndrome. You can't spot it immediately. So, maybe you're born with it, maybe vaccination is the trigger, maybe it's diet, but the fact is that it takes time to arrive at a diagnosis.

[vc318]

Thanks for the banner, Jessie!

Here's some interesting news:

With the Economy Down Vasectomy Rates Are Up - MSN Health & Fitness - Men's Sexual Health

With the Economy Down, Vasectomy Rates Are Up
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter


FRIDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors around the United States are reporting a sharp increase in the number of vasectomies performed since the economy soured last year, with one noting that many of his clients are from the beleaguered financial industry.

Their best guess is that the trend is due both to a decreased desire to have children because of the expense involved, and an increased desire to get such medical procedures done before their jobs -- and health insurance -- disappear.

Since November, Dr. Marc Goldstein, surgeon-in-chief of male reproductive medicine and surgery at the Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine in New York City, said his practice has seen about 48 percent more vasectomy consultations compared to the same time the previous year.

Nearly 50 percent of the patients in 2008 were employed within the financial industry, and more than 36 percent were seen since September, according to unpublished data from the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Goldstein said his appointment secretary was the first to notice the uptick in the number of men requesting vasectomy consultations.

"I used to do one to two every Friday," he said. "Now I'm doing three on Fridays. There's been a significant increase."

"Nobody came in and said they were having a vasectomy because the [stock] market crashed," Goldstein added. "Most are saying, 'We've been thinking about it for a long time,' and [the crash] influenced their decision. They're saying with the cost of private school for three kids, they can't afford to have another one."

Dr. Harry Fisch, a professor of clinical urology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City, said: "The issue about kids is often a financial one, and, if finances are low, it makes sense that people would be less likely to have more kids. And if they're thinking about it, this is the time."

Dr. Stephen Jones, chairman of the department of regional urology at the Cleveland Clinic, noticed a trend toward more vasectomies in late November, with a 75 percent increase in the past few months.

"We were doing 40 to 45 a week, and then it went to 70 to 75 each week," he said. "Some patients were concerned about losing their insurance, but it seems to me more of it is the idea of 'I can't commit myself to raising another child in uncertain times.' "

Dr. Charles Lynne, professor of urology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, remembers a similar trend back in 1991, when Miami-based Eastern Airlines shut down, and he saw a rise in vasectomies in his practice.

"Eastern was one of the biggest employers, and employees still had insurance," he explained.

Men aren't playing around - they're broke, unemployed, or both and don't want any females claiming that they're knocked up. Kids can be very expensive.

[TheAngel]

Originally Posted by callace (View Post) I am surprised that they are treating autism like a decease. I got the impression it was rather a disability? Something people were born with. Can earlier socially well functioning people get it when they grow older?

Autism is definitely genetic, in my opinion. But that doesn't mean it isn't a disease. I don't think it's like certain disabilities because I believe it has the potential to be treated. There has been improvement made in children with autism when certain treatments are applied to them. There are a number of genetic diseases, things that children are born with that are passed down from parents, that aren't considered disabilities. I think it should be continued to be called a disease. After all, there are potential cures for diseases whereas things like cerebral palsy and mental retardation aren't really treated like diseases and aren't considered to be "curable". Until we find out more about autism, I think it should be considered a disease. Maybe that way more money can be put towards research.