Let's Talk Health (Page 5)

New research is linking dating violence among urban youths with the misuse of prescription drugs, a risk often overlooked by young people. Among both those abusing sedatives and opioids, incidents of dating violence were found to occur more regularly following the misuse of prescriptions, according to the findings. The study, which was conducted by the University of Michigan Injury Center, says many young people do...

Despite widespread improvements in the awareness of sexual health over the past two decades, many people still find it difficult or awkward to communicate with partners about STDs, a new study finds. STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, still present a stumbling block of conversation for many couples, and the report recommends public health organizations find better ways to encourage such discussion. Researchers...

The sex lives of most women on kidney dialysis is satisfying, despite many being essentially sexually inactive, a new study finds. The research also suggests fewer women on dialysis actually suffer from sexual issues related to the treatment. For the research, 125 women undergoing dialysis were surveyed over a two-year period. Monthly assessments were taken for the first six months, followed by quarterly...

A lowered libido is a common side effect for many women taking antidepressants. Yet new research is finding exercise can provide some relief. Exercise was found to moderately help with problems of low sex drive among females taking certain antidepressants. For the research, 52 women who experienced a decreased libido after taking antidepressants participated. The women each had intercourse three times weekly...

How healthy a person is can certainly play a role in the overall quality of their sex life. A decrease in sexual activity has long been overly associated with simple aging. However, new research has found a surprising number of Americans, including younger people, see their sex lives reduced due to issues of health beyond simply growing older. Among both men and women in the U.S., one in six reported their sex life...

Does having a healthier body image make it easier for a woman to maintain a happy relationship with her partner? That’s one of the findings from a new survey of 256 women between the ages of 20 and 45. Each was asked about her level of satisfaction with her weight, her overall body image and the quality of her current relationship. Women who were satisfied with their body image were found to be better at...

In a good news, bad news situation for many parents, new research is finding while most young women in college are practicing sex, they appear to be doing so in much safer ways. About 500 first-year female students from various U.S. universities were surveyed for the study, which appeared in the Journal of Sex Research. In monthly interviews across a single school year, each was asked about issues ranging from...

While it’s not the most comfortable subject for many young people to face, the number of senior citizens who are remaining sexually active is on the rise. So, apparently, is their willingness to talk about it. Recently, the findings from the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on seniors’ sex lives was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. More than 3,000 men and women between the ages of 57 and 85...

After the death of a spouse, it’s natural for the family and friends of the surviving partner to treat them somewhat delicately. Widows and widowers are often seen as more emotionally fragile due to their circumstances, perhaps even more prone to depression or anxiety. Yet new research has found just the opposite, that surviving spouses might have less susceptibility to emotional issues as a result of their...

Defining precisely what qualifies as violent behavior can be a tricky endeavor, especially in the realm of fiction. In the real word, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use a specific set of parameters for their official definition of intimate partner violence: “physical, sexual or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse.” However, new research from Ohio State University and Michigan...

The ubiquitous nature of Internet porn has mad it easily accessible to most users, no matter their age. But how young is too young? New research into how Internet porn is used suggests younger children are turning to it as a means of learning about sex. Researchers interviewed nearly 150 young people, educators and even porn workers for their report. According to the findings, the average age at which kids begin...

Losing a substantial amount of weight certainly helps your overall health, but does that include your sex life? New research says it does for women, and not just in terms of opportunity and an improved body image. The study, which appeared in the Journal of The American Medical Association, involved 106 women, all of whom had either bariatric surgery or a gastric bypass procedure. Each had a personal body mass...

Being single has never been easy, but is it inherently more dangerous? New research has found single, divorced or uneducated Americans are at a greater overall risk of accidental death. In fact, the unattached were found to be more than twice as likely to succumb to an accidental death compared to married people. Accidental death, for the purposes of the study, was classified in accordance with the World Health...

The effectiveness of having sex as a means of exercise has long been debated among health experts. One barrier in achieving truly accurate data has been the clinical environments in which testing has previously been conducted. This has typically meant the participating couples would have to replicate their normal intimacy in a lab setting, usually while wired up to heavy equipment. However, a new study from the...

Reader Question: I'm 47. I contracted psoriasis when I was 37. It really mentally and psychically messed with me. I've never had problems with dating or sex until then. Now I feel like a hermit - afraid to be seen. What should I do? -Rob (Missouri) April Braswell's Answer: Hi Rob, I am not a licensed physician and don't know which of the kinds of psoriasis you have. However, it is a condition which as...

Could today’s younger generation be facing a potential outbreak of herpes from an increased lack of antibodies? That’s the warning behind a new study and editorial published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, where scientists compared results from two different groups of young people born five years apart. The data from the first group, which consisted of people who were teens between 1999 and 2004, came from a...

Dating is an important social step among teenagers, one that some are eager to try as soon as possible while others voluntarily arrive late to the party. But can dating too early have a detrimental effect on teens later on? That's the concern behind a new study published in the Journal of Adolescence. Researchers from Toronto's York University looked at data from 698 area students gathered between 1996 and...

Unhappiness in a marriage can cause a lot of personal problems, but did you know it can also affect your health? New research, which was co-authored by Cody Hollist, the director of the marriage and family therapy program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, found when married couples are unhappy in their relationship, their physical health can also take a toll. The initial data analyzed for the research, which...

For years scientists have associated the male libido with testosterone, but a new study suggests estrogen may also play a key role in men’s sex drive. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found among men being treated for low testosterone, a drop in libido and an increase in body fat could actually be linked to low estrogen. Around 400 men aged 20 to 50 were involved in the research, each given a treatment...

Abuse in teen dating is a major issue, and psychologists have long known certain types of people are more likely to be victimized by it than others. New research finds LGBT young people may be such a group. The study, which appeared in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, was conducted by surveying 3,745 youths to examine sexual orientation and gender identification in relation to dating abuse. Gay, lesbian,...

The damaging and lasting effects of alcohol have been heavily studied, but scientists are now looking to better understand the link between drinking and violence in relationships. A new study published in the Journal of the Study of Alcohol and Drugs looks into intimate partner violence, or IPV, and how drinking can be an indicator of violence. Researchers interviewed more than 1,500 married or cohabitating couples...

The effects of an abusive relationship have long been known to potentially last for years, but new research is exploring some non-traditional forms of abuse, such as online interaction and texting. A Michigan State University study found nearly 70 percent of girls and almost 60 percent of boys aged 13 to 19 have experienced some form of dating abuse. Nearly 600 students participated in the research, which appears...

Just as the size of a seed can impact the fruit it generates, researchers are now trying to understand if the size of a man's testicles can be an indicator of how well he'll do as a father. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found men with smaller testes have healthier, more involved relationships with their children. Using an MRI, researchers measured the true size, or...

Despite a variety of birth control options available today, some young women are relying on only the withdrawal method to prevent pregnancy. Academic research finds nearly one-third of young women in the U.S. rely on only this method. The withdrawal method, commonly known as "pulling out," is when a couple ends intercourse before the male ejaculates. It is, to put it mildly, not the most effective birth control...

Contracting an STD can be a life-changing experience, but it doesn't mean you have to stop living your best life. Our 10 Best Dating Blogs for People with STDs can be a shoulder to lean on when the weight of the world feels like it's too much. Herpes Dating Website BEST OF Bragging Rights: a...

In films and television, guys are typically portrayed as the more stoic gender. While this stereotype may have been based on real behaviors in the past, new research suggests men may now be more emotionally susceptible when a relationship ends. The study, which appears in the latest edition the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, found while women typically have a greater support system to help buffer a...

In an age when your grandma knows what twerking is, where f**k me pumps are considered haute couture, and we can't even check our email without something reminding us to be more sexy, it's easy to think everyone on the planet is doing the dirty. Sex scandals turn politicians and their girlfriends into celebrities. We spend our money, time and angst thinking about how we, as women, can be more appealing to have more...

Since online dating has become so widely common, more and more people are now meeting up with total strangers for a first date -- but not without keeping safety in mind. A study found that single women take more safety precautions with men they first meet online as opposed to in person. According to academic research, older women and African-American women are more likely to use these safety strategies. For the...

The aftermath young women face after being victims of dating violence has been known to stretch on for years. Research suggests many of those women will also experience less education and lower earnings compared to women who weren't abused. Conducted at Michigan State University, the first-of-its-kind study appears in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Lead researcher Adrienne Adams, who is an assistant...

How much money do you make? How many times a week do you have sex? Did you know there could be a correlation? According to a new study, people who have sex four or more times a week earn 5 percent more in their employment wages than those who don't have sex as frequently. That means sex is one of the good habits that can make you rich! Authored by Nick Drydakis, an economics lecturer at Angila Ruskin University in...