By Blue Rose on Sunday, 30 of August , 2009 at 12:00 pm
The consequences of having sex when you’re in your teens don’t seem to be real. Statistics after statistics have shown us that while the number of teens having experience with sex is not declining, knowledge on STDs and birth control methods (whether natural or artificial) is not on the rise. Proof of this is the fact that one-third of women between the ages of 20 to 24 years old gave birth to their first child before turning 21, and that “of the estimated 1.7 million babies being born every year, around 30 percent comes from young women,” cites Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) in a press conference.
College student Lily, who admits to being sexually active, also ‘fesses up that she and her boyfriend don’t us any kind of protection. “I don’t want to take pills and my boyfriend isn’t too keen on using a condom,” she says. “Sometimes we abstain, but when we do it, I just really hope that I don’t get pregnant. I don’t worry about the other bad stuff because my boyfriend is faithful to me and we’re young. So far we’ve been lucky.”
Relying on luck though when it comes to life-altering choices is never ever that reliable. But the problem is most teens don’t think that those choices they’re making about sex now can alter their lives to begin with. According to many studies on adolescent psychiatry, most teens fail to see how their actions now will affect their future. Have sex now, worry later. Others, without knowledge on what they’re getting into, don’t even know what to worry about.
The risk of early premarital sex
Although unwanted pregnancies and STDs are the more immediate consequences teens might face due to early sexual activity, what’s happening to their body should also be of concern. As adolescents are still in a stage of development, so are their reproductive organs. Because when you engage in early sexual activity, you’re exposing the immature cells (in your developing reproductive organs) to external environmental factors – like the coitus (or intercourse). The cervix is not yet ready to take on the kind of activity. So what happens is through the years the cells grow into dysplastic or abnormal cells. Those developing abnormal cells put one at high risk in developing cervical cancer. Another risk factor is promiscuity, the more partners you have, that’s also a problem. The good thing is cervical cancer doesn’t happen overnight; however, this just makes the risk not all that immediate, hence not a reality for many sexually active teens. But the risk is so real; more than half of women who developed cervical cancer later in life became sexually active at an early age.
How do you stop yourself from being at risk?
- The most sensible (and obvious) way is to wait it out. Postpone having sex until you’re emotionally and biologically ready for the responsibilities and consequences sex entails.
- If you’re already sexually active, be monogamous. Having different sexual partners increases your chances of acquiring different STDs and developing a reproductive tract cancer (the most common of which is cancer of the cervix).
- Be aware of your body. If you’re not sexually active or if you’re monogamous, if you get infection in the cervix – characterized by a lot of vaginal discharge, which can be abnormal in color or with an abnormal smell – consult your family physician or gynecologist. Don’t let such infections go untreated because they can develop more abnormalities in your cervix.
- As soon as you start having sex or at the age of 25, you should get an annual pap smear screening.
By Blue Rose on Tuesday, 18 of August , 2009 at 5:44 pm
Light the way to have cancer – night falls, so you flick on your lights. But a theory has been gaining support in the past few years that artificial light at night may contribute to cancer, perhaps because it slows production of hormone melatonin. Now two studies add weight to the idea.
One, from Israel’s University of Haifa, analyzed satellite measurements of night-time light and cancer rates in 164 countries. The most brightly lit had the highest rates of prostate cancer, more than double those in the dimmest nations. Meanwhile, Harvard researchers who tracked more than 18,000 postmenopausal women reported that those with the lowest night-time levels of melatonin were about 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.
So how can you minimize the possible risk posed by modern lighting? Sleep in as dark a room as possible. Use blinds or shades if you live on a bright street. Keeps a night light in the bathroom for midnight’s visits instead turning on the over-head lamp. Even brief exposure to light can suppress melatonin. A red bulb is best: red-wavelengths cause a less precipitous drop of the hormone.
To reduce your risk of colorectal cancer, try to get most of your nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements.
By Blue Rose on Saturday, 15 of August , 2009 at 8:00 pm
Add these foods into your diet to boost your brain with zen-like concentration…
As you mull over your tax returns your brain greedily chews through calories. But it’s a very picky eater so those croissants won’t help you find the extra deductions. By eating the right nutrients you’ll think quicker, get an elephantine memory and improve your concentration without having to bury your snout in books. Here are the best foods to help you flex your grey matter.
Blueberry hill – don’t revere blueberries solely for their antioxidant levels. The buffs at Tufts University in the US found that snacking on these super foods everyday slowed, even reversed, age-related brain decline, as well as improved short-term memory. Add one to two cups of blueberries to your diet each day or drink unsweetened blueberry juice.
Bean working all day – scoff your way to genius by eating baked beans for brekkie. Research at the University of Ulster discovered that eating toast alone boosted scores on cognitive tests, but when the tests got tougher; toast and beans got the best scores. The beans are also rich in fiber and protein which gives your brain a long lasting energy supply.
Red devil – roll out the pizzas because tomatoes harbor the powerful antioxidant, lycopene. In addition to fending off prostate cancer it boosts cognitive ability, according to research in the Journal of Gerontology. It’s also rich in vitamin C, which is used to make the neurotransmitters vital for securing you more answers in the pub quiz. Eat one a day – Bloody Marys don’t count.
Sharp shooter – yoghurt’s rich in vitamin B12 – the mechanic of your nervous system which repairs any damage to your nerves. This vitamin also helps your brain absorb energy from food and a deficiency is linked to depression and poor memory. Lathering your breakfast cereal with two small cups will give you half of your RDA of B12.
Happy fatty – chocolate gets a bad rep by running with a bad crowd, namely sugar and fats. But the cacao bean itself is a powerhouse of cognitive enhancement. It contains serotonin, tryptophan, anandamine and dopamine which all have a positive effect on your brain’s chemistry by promoting an overall sense of well-being and leave your thoughts sharper then a two-edged sword. Cram in a few blocks a day.
Happy to rise – when we say get some cereal down you, we don’t mean Sugar Puffs but anything with whole grains. These are fortified with vitamin E, which a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found helps to prevent goldfish-like memory. They are also a good source of serotonin, the chemical responsible for pleasure – a happy brain is a more efficient brain.
Nut case – they resemble our brains for good reason. Rich in protein, nuts also have high concentrations of omega-3s, vitamin E and serotonin. A recent study found that a diet that included walnuts improved people’s mental abilities and fought off Alzheimer’s disease. Eat one to two handfuls a day to keep your nut in nick.
Hydro-power – water delivers nutrients to your brain while dehydration prevents your brain circuitry from speeding in top gear. A study at Leeds University proved this by discovering that schoolchildren with the best results in class were those who drank up to eight glasses of water a day. Drink at least two liters of water every day to keep your thoughts ‘lubed’ for performance.
Something fishy – it’s no secret that the omega-3s in salmon boost brain power, but munching the wild version could mean the difference between being the dunce or the dux. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that farmed salmon have two to three times fewer fatty acids than their wild counterparts. Your noggin is made of 60% fat and a lack of omega-3s can lead to depression, a Honey Monster-battling low IQ, learning disabilities, dyslexia and ADD. Get plenty of this fat for the skinny on getting smart.
Tea, please – the British Empire was won and lost on cups of tea for a good reason. Researchers from the University of Innsbruck in Austria found that the caffeine in two cups of coffee increased brain activity in the memory-rich frontal lobe and the attention-controlling anterior coagulum. The best decisions really are made with a brew in hand.
Right said egg – eggs are rich in the proteins used to make neurotransmitters – your brain’s messenger boys. They are also rich in chorine who researchers at Boston University found enhances memory and minimizes mental fatigue. Other studies found that low levels of this chemical are linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Crack onto at least two eggs a day to break your brain out of its shell.
Think green – avocados are on par with blueberries at boosting your grey matter. They are extremely rich in all the nutrients needed to be your neighborhood Einstein. They also lower blood pressure which is good because high blood pressure makes your cognitive abilities decline. If you’re after one fruit for a hole-in-one brain injection then have an avocado each day.
Energy boost – Go for beans on toast in the morning. The iron in the beans will help stop that afternoon crash. Gym pain? Eggs are the answer: they contain chorine, a nutrient vital for reducing inflammation.
By Blue Rose on Wednesday, 5 of August , 2009 at 8:14 pm
When this young woman was diagnosed, there was anger, fear, and finally acceptance. With total frankness, this brave young woman tells the fateful tale of the day her life was change forever.
When you’re young, you feel invincible. But, that isn’t always the case. About 45 percent of sexually-active women ages 20 to 24 have human papilloma virus (HPV). And, many not suffer the health consequences. But unfortunately, others like this young woman aren’t that lucky. Here’s her sordid tale.
In the Dark about STD’s – She was 21 and a virgin when she moved out from home to make it on my own and launch a career as an illustrator. In the conservative community where she grew up, sex was never discussed. As for STD’s, she’d heard of herpes, yet she didn’t even know what HPV was. But then she fell for a guy, and soon they started living together, and she began her first sexual relationship.
Painful Symptoms Strike – Two months later, a mysterious genital sores developed. They were red, cent-sized blisters, with clear fluid draining from them. It hurts to touch them and even to walk or pee. She also noticed painless skin tag-liked white bumps on her vulva and vagina. Of course, she was really scared, but hoping that maybe it’s just an allergy to a new laundry detergent.
Shocking Diagnosis – No surprise, she knew that it’s not an allergy from laundry detergent. Her test gives a positive result to herpes and HPV. The blisters were herpes lesions, and the skin tags were warts, a common symptom of some strains of HPV. Sadly the doctor where she went to wasn’t especially sympathetic or helpful. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, but mostly she’s stunned. She’d never dreamed of getting not one but two STD’s, especially one she’d barely heard of.
How her guy reacted – When she told the guy about the bad news, he felt horribly guilty – he said he had no idea he had any STD’s. She believed him then and still believes him until now. Although his test results to positive of herpes and HPV, he never had the symptoms of either disease.
Why me? – In the days that followed, her self esteem plunged. Because of her upbringing, she couldn’t help thinking that STD’s were punishment for having sex before marriage. Then, she started doing research on the internet, and she found some comfort in the fact that STD’s are extremely common. That helps ease her guilt slightly.
Getting Treatment – While she was dealing with the emotional effects, she had to take care of the physical symptoms. The herpes sores went away within two weeks, after which her doctor prescribed a lotion for the warts. But the lotion didn’t work, she undergo treatments with an acid-based topical solution. She also had laser surgery to remove the warts from inside the vagina and, as it turns out, in her cervix. Both treatments were painful, but thankfully, the warts soon disappeared. A few weeks later, they could have sex again, no signs of herpes or warts, even though, she still felt dirty, and then life returned to normal.
A Killer Consequence – Since some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer, she had to see her gyne for frequent pap tests. Unfortunately, one came back suspicious; more tests confirmed her worst fear: she had cancer cells in her cervix. She had contracted one HPV type that triggers warts and two others linked to cancer, terrifying. She honestly thought she was going to die, even though the cancer was in an early stage.
Her Mother’s Harsh Words – Even though she didn’t share her STD condition to her family, she couldn’t keep the cancer diagnosis from them. Her mom looked at her with a blank face, then coldly asked, “How did you get it?” when she told her how, she said she wanted to kill her boyfriend. Then, she remarked that cancer was actually the result of her choices. In a sense it’s true, but to triumph over the disease, she needed to keep distance with that thinking. She told her brother and sister too, who’d also moved away from their conservative home and they understood where she was coming from. That helped her.
Cancer and Couple Stress – While she was undergoing treatment with laser surgery, her boyfriend wigged out. They were fighting more. She blamed him for the situation she was in, and felt that he didn’t understand what she was going through. He started seeing therapist, because it was so hard for him to accept that he was the cause of her cancer. She started seeing a counselor too, to work out the anger and all that had happened, it was a tense time for her.
Moving On – Luckily the laser surgery removed all the cancer from her cervix, and didn’t need any more treatment; though always have to be checked because it can come back at any time. She and her boyfriend are getting along again. Two years later, they had a baby boy, they also get married, but it didn’t last – just for three months.
Dating with STD’s – She’d like to start meeting men again, but she’s really not sure how to tell the guys that she has herpes and HPV. But she said, she will definitely inform them early on. She thought, if they appalled on her diagnosis, then she doesn’t need them at all.
No Longer Feeling Guilty – She’s still cancer free, and hasn’t had an outbreak of herpes or warts since the very first one. It sounds crazy, but the main thing she regrets is wasting all the time feeling ashamed and dirty. What happened to her was unlucky, yes, but she’d no longer plagued on the idea that she brought it upon herself.
By Blue Rose on Tuesday, 31 of March , 2009 at 11:36 am
Estrogen against Alzheimer’s – A study in The Lancet found that just 6 percent of postmenopausal women who took estrogen developed Alzheimer’s disease compared with 16 percent of postmenopausal women who didn’t take it. Women who took the hormone for longer than one year had an even greater reduction in risk.
A trick for less painful shots – If your doctor applies pressure with her thumb at the site of an injection for 10 seconds before giving the shot, it hurts a lot less, says a study in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Life saving gifts – The CPR Prompt Home Learning System ($60) uses an in-depth video, training manual, two mannequins and six replaceable practice lungs to teach CPR to people who have never taken a course.
New air pollution scare – Researchers from the Natural Resources Defense Council estimate that up to 64,000 people die prematurely each year from heart and lung diseases related to fine-particle air pollution.
Tea may keep cancer at bay – A recent long-term study of 35,369 postmenopausal women found that those who drank two or more nonherbal tea a day were 60 percent less likely to develop urinary tract cancer and 32 percent less likely to develop cancers of the digestive tract than women who drank less or none at all, according to the findings of the Iowa Women’s Health Study.
A better diabetics diet – A Georgetown University study found that diabetics following a 10-percent-fat vegan diet (no diary, eggs, meat or fish) lost 46 percent more weight and had a 59 percent greater reduction in blood sugar levels than a group of diabetics who ate a 3o percent fat nonvegan diet.
RU-486 should be available by summer – Mifepristone, the abortion-inducing drug now available only in Europe, has been given conditional approval by the Food and drug Administration to be sold in the U.S. Patent rights, RU-486 has been used since mid-1997.
