Pfizer Drops Application To Switch Viagra 50mg To Non-Prescription Status In Europe

Pfizer announced today that it has withdrawn its application to switch the legal status of the 50 mg tablet strength of Viagra from 'prescription only' to 'non-prescription' in the European Union (EU). Viagra is a well established oral medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and all current doses of Viagra will continue to be available to patients by prescription from their doctor. (read more)

Indian Law Criminalizing Homosexuality Remains 'Major Obstacle' In Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Piot Says

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot on Sunday said that an Indian law criminalizing sex between men is a "major obstacle" to the country's efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, News Track India reports. Piot called the law a "violation of human rights" and said that it should have been abolished a long time ago. (read more)

Adult Male Circumcision Not Linked To Sexual Dysfunction

The World Health Organization recommends male circumcision as an important element in HIV prevention programs, and the procedure is promoted in high-risk heterosexual populations. While the benefits of circumcision are well-documented (they also include reduced rates of urinary tract infection, penile cancer, and cervical cancer and chlamydia in female partners), there remains a concern that adult circumcision may impair sexual function. (read more)

Vitamin E And C Don't Change Cancer Risk, Long Term Study

A large-scale long term study taking up to ten years and involving older American men found that Vitamin E and Vitamin C were no different to placebo in protecting against cancer. The researchers presented their findings at the 7th Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and taking place in National Harbor, Maryland, this week. (read more)

Four-type HPV Vaccine Gardasil(R) Is Also Effective In Men

The four-type (6,11,16,18) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil® is also effective in men according to the primary analysis from a pivotal phase III clinical study. In previously uninfected men aged 16 to 26 years*, Gardasil® prevented 90% (95%CI: 69, 98) of external genital lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 or 18. The data were presented this week at the congress of the European Research Organisation on Genital Infection and Neoplasia (EUROGIN) in Nice, France. (read more)

Absence Of Medicaid Coverage Impacts Neonatal Male Circumcision Rates

Lack of Medicaid coverage for neonatal male circumcision correlated with lower rates of circumcision, a new study found. In light of recent clinical trials in Africa that suggest uncircumcised males may face greater risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, lack of Medicaid coverage for circumcision may translate into future health disparities for children born to poor families covered by Medicaid. (read more)

Men Ignorant About True Risk Of Fake Medicine

New research released today (12 November) highlights the risk men are taking by purchasing counterfeit medicines. The 'Cracking Counterfeit' report commissioned by Pfizer reveals one in ten men interviewed - which would equate to more than 335,931 men living in major cities alone - admit to purchasing prescription only medicines without a prescription. (read more)

Study Finds HPV Vaccine Gardasil Effective At Preventing Male Genital Lesions

Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil is about 90% effective in preventing external lesions -- mostly gential warts -- caused by the four HPV strains it targets and 45% effective in preventing HPV infection, according to a Merck-funded study, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 11/12). (read more)

First At Home Test For Vasectomized Men Proves To Be Safe, Accurate

In a report now available online and scheduled to be the cover story of the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Urology, University of Virginia Health System researcher John C. Herr, PhD and his colleagues have confirmed the accuracy and reliability of SpermCheck Vasectomy, the first FDA approved at-home immunodiagnostic test for detecting low concentrations of sperm. (read more)

Caribbean Laws Criminalizing Homosexuality Hampering Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS, Should Be Repealed, Officials Say

HIV advocates and health officials in the Caribbean recently called for a repeal of laws in the region that criminalize male-to-male sexual contact during the eighth annual Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS, the CMC/Antigua Sun reports. (read more)

Community Pharmacy Could Hold The Key To Saving The Lives Of 40,000 Men Every Year, UK

New research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) could shed light on the reasons behind the poor state of men's health in Britain. The RPSGB commissioned study, designed to discover how men's attitudes might affect their healthcare, revealed that 59% of men are reluctant to ask for help and only seek medical advice if they are 'very ill or in great pain'. (read more)

Vitamins E And C Supplements Do Not Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease In Men

Neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplements reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events in a large, long-term study of male physicians, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA. The article is being released early online November 9 to coincide with the scientific presentation of the study findings at the American Heart Association meeting. (read more)

Health Officials In Scotland Uphold Ban On Blood Donations From MSM

Scottish health officials Tuesday rejected calls to allow men who have sex with men to donate blood, citing concerns about the number of HIV cases in the population, The Scotsman reports. National Director of the (read more)

Botswana To Begin HIV Prevention Campaign That Focuses On Male Circumcision

Male circumcision will be a primary focus of Botswana's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, the Sunday Standard reports. The decision to focus on male circumcision as part of a boost in prevention efforts was announced at the annual planning conference of the (read more)

Women's Hands Home To More Bacteria

Human being have far more different kinds of bacteria on the palms of their hands than previously thought and women's hands are home to a more diverse range than men's, said US researchers this week. (read more)

New HIV/AIDS Cases Among MSM In Thailand Increasing, Officials Say

Although the overall number of HIV/AIDS cases in Thailand is declining, new cases among men who have sex with men have been increasing dramatically during the past few years, the Nation reports. (read more)

Swaziland Increases Male Circumcision Efforts To Curb Spread Of HIV

Swaziland is leading African countries in promoting male circumcision to curb the spread of HIV with the help of Israeli surgeons, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports. The country began to promote male circumcision in response to studies showing that the procedure could reduce a man's risk of contracting HIV by up to 60%, according to the AP/Mercury News. (read more)

Effective HPV Vaccine For Women And Men And A Simple HPV Screening Test Recommended By Researchers

A call to explore a broader use of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines and the validation of a simple oral screening test for HPV-caused oral cancers are reported in two studies by a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigator. Leading HPV expert Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D. (read more)

Discovery Of Effective Way To Deliver Gene Therapy For Muscular Dystrophy

Approximately 250,000 people in the United States have some form of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common type of the disease, predominantly affecting males. Boys with DMD will lose the ability to walk by their teens and typically die before the age of 30. (read more)

Physicians Can Now Predict Mild To Severe Baldness In Younger And Older Men With A Genetic Test

Pharmacogenomics research and development innovator PharmaGenoma, Inc. and its subsidiary HairDX, LLC, today unveiled the next generation of its genetic screening test for male pattern baldness. The HairDX test is available immediately thru qualified physicians' offices. (read more)

Rapid HIV Testing In The ER Boosts Diagnoses, Screening

One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital was found to be infected with HIV using a rapid blood sample screening test. Henry Ford researchers hope their study heightens awareness and directs more focus on implementing future prevention strategies in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (read more)

Repeated Exposure To HIV In Treatment-Suppressed HIV Patients Examined By Study

A new study looking at unprotected intercourse within gay couples when each partner has established HIV-infection found a correlation between anti-HIV immune response and sexual activity. Study results showed that individuals who had regular unprotected receptive anal intercourse with partners with significant levels of HIV in their blood showed a stronger anti-HIV immune response. (read more)

HIV Increasing Among MSM In Hong Kong; Researchers Call For Improved Prevention Efforts

The number of new HIV cases recorded among men who have sex with men in Hong Kong has increased every year since 2003, and up to one-third of the population could be HIV-positive by 2020 if prevention programs are not effective, researchers said recently, Reuters reports. (read more)

Journal Of Clinical Investigation Online Early Table Of Contents: Oct. 16, 2008

FERTILITY: Molecular defect for one form of male factor infertility uncovered The sperm that successfully fertilizes an egg triggers a series of events, known collectively as egg activation, that are considered the first step in the initiation of embryo development. Detection of egg activation is used by clinics to determine whether an in vitro fertilization procedure (a process whereby egg cells are fertilized by sperm in a test tube) has been successful. (read more)

Revealing A Molecular Defect For 1 Form Of Male Factor Infertility

The sperm that successfully fertilizes an egg triggers a series of events, known collectively as egg activation, that are considered the first step in the initiation of embryo development. Detection of egg activation is used by clinics to determine whether an in vitro fertilization procedure (a process whereby egg cells are fertilized by sperm in a test tube) has been successful. (read more)