Some Experts Remain Skeptical Of Withdrawal Method, Despite Recent Study On Effectiveness
Reproductive health experts were "taken aback" by a recent study that found that the withdrawal method is nearly as effective as male condoms in preventing pregnancy, the New York Times reports. The paper -- published in the June issue of the journal Contraception -- found that 4% of couples will become pregnant over a one-year period if they consistently use the withdrawal method, compared with about 2% of couples that consistently use condoms. According to the study"s authors, a more significant finding was that the rate of "typical use" for withdrawal leads to pregnancy 18% of the time, compared with 17% of the time for typical use of condoms. They wrote in the study that "it is unfortunate that some couples do not realize they are substantially reducing their risk of pregnancy when using withdrawal, as these misperceptions may cause unnecessary levels of anxiety. More speculatively, if more people realized that correct and consistent use of withdrawal substantially reduced the risk of pregnancy, they might use it more effectively." Although the authors said the goal of the paper was to encourage discussion, some experts are concerned that spreading a message that withdrawal is effective could lead young people to have unprotected sex, potentially exposing themselves to sexually transmitted infections that can be prevented through condom use, the Times reports. Melissa Gilliam, chief of family planning and contraceptive research at the University of Chicago"s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a board member of the Guttmacher Institute, said the study"s data "don"t necessarily translate to youth today." She added, "In terms of a reliable method used over and over again, the risk of failure is quite high."Rachel Jones, the lead author of the study and a senior research associate at Guttmacher, said that dismissing the withdrawal method as a "legitimate" form of contraception is "counterproductive for the prevention of pregnancy and also discourages academic inquiry into this frequently used and reasonably effective method." She also said that health educators and providers "should discuss withdrawal as a legitimate, if slightly less effective, contraceptive method in the same way they do condoms and diaphragms." She noted that "most women have used withdrawal at some point in their lives."The study"s authors decided to examine the issue after noticing that many researchers and providers "just kind of dismiss withdrawal and don"t seem to realize that it can prevent pregnancy," according to Jones. She added, "Most people seem to be under the impression that you might as well do nothing." Martha Kempner, vice president for information and communications at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, said the results of the study have "made some classroom teachers nervous to give out the truth in this instance, but we do have to tell the truth." She added, "People, kids in particular, they"re using it. It is better than nothing, and it is always available" (Belluck, New York Times, 7/21).
Sexual Health
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What Is Crohn's Disease? What Causes Crohn's Disease?
with clinically active (OR symptomatic) Crohn"s disease who cannot tolerate or are refractory to immunosuppressants and/or anti-TNF agents, a study found. Nutritional supplementation Children with Crohn"s disease may need high-calorie liquid formulas, especially if their growth is being affected. Sometimes patients may be fed intravenously for a short period (rarely). Feeding a patient intravenously, through a drip, may help those whose intestines need to rest, or patients whose intestines are not absorbing enough nutrition from the food they eat. Most patients with Crohn"s disease say that the following foods may increase diarrhea and cramping: bulky grains, dairy products, spicy foods, and alcohol. Stem cell therapy Replacing the cells of damaged tissue with other new cells from the same patient is already a reality. Surgery The majority of Crohn"s disease patients will need surgery at some time. When medications no longer control symptoms the only solution sometimes is to operate. Surgery can relieve symptoms that did not respond to medication, or to correct complications, such as abscess, perforation, bleeding, and blockage. Removing part of the intestine can help, but it does not cure Crohn"s disease. Inflammation often returns to the area next to where the affected part of the gut was removed. Some Crohn"s disease patients may require more than one operation during their lives. In some cases a colectomy is needed - the whole colon is removed. During the procedure the surgeon will make a small opening in front of the abdominal wall, and the tip of the ileum is brought to the skin"s surface - this opening is called a stoma. Feces exit the body through the stoma. The stoma is generally located near the beltline, on the right side of the body. A pouch collects the feces. Doctors say that a patient who has a stoma can carry on leading a normal and active life. If the surgeon can remove the diseased section of the intestine and then connect the intestine again, no stoma is needed. The patient and his/her doctor need to consider surgery very carefully. It is not appropriate for everybody. The patient has to bear in mind that after the operation the disease will recur. "Side-to-side isoperistaltic stricturoplasty" procedure can alleviate the pain of Crohn"s disease while sparing the intestine and safeguarding patients from developing malnutrition. Post-operative Crohn"s disease recurrence may be prevented by Infliximab. The majority of Crohn"s disease patients are able to live normal and active lives, hold jobs, raise families, and function successfully. Complications If symptoms are severe and frequent the likelihood of complications is higher. The following complications may require surgery: *Internal bleeding *Stricture - a part of the gut narrows, causing build up of scar tissue, and partial or complete blockage of the intestine *Perforation - a small hole develops in the wall of the gut. Contents leak out of this hole and cause infections or abscesses to develop. *Fistulas - a channel forms between two parts of the gut. (Recommended treatments for fistulas in Crohn"s disease) *Iron deficiency *Food absorption problems *Slightly higher risk of developing bowel cancer *People with Crohn"s disease are at a greater risk of suffering from asthma, a study found Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News TodayPages: 1 [2]