Keep abreast of what your patients are currently seeing in the media with our round-up of popular news stories, available from WHF as abstracts with links to the full-text articles.

Behavioral Approaches Overlooked in AIDS Fight

Reports of potential vaccines to protect people against contracting AIDS and trials involving giving healthy people doses of the antiretroviral drugs that HIV patients take to manage their disease to prevent contraction have dominated news headlines this past week. Meanwhile, people all over the world are contracting HIV at an alarmingly fast rate. New reports show that the number of cases diagnosed in the US in recent years is much higher than previously believed. While vaccines and other forms of preventive medicine are exciting possibilities for the future, they do nothing to protect the population today against the threat of AIDS. Experts say that one of the most effective approaches to slowing the spread the HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is through behavior modification. Promoting safer sex through delayed intercourse and the use of condoms, decreasing drug abuse, offering clean needle exchange programs, and promoting male circumcision can all greatly reduce the number of new HIV cases. Although antiretroviral drugs have proved to be highly effective in treating patients infected with HIV, the global HIV epidemic is making it harder to simply treat patients. More emphasis needs to be put on prevention. Because the effectiveness of prevention efforts is hard to measure, many AIDS workers have given up hope on continuing to focus on preventing the spread of AIDS. However, the lack of tracking methods should not deter prevention efforts. While the world waits for a successful vaccine or drug regiment to prevent HIV infection, behavior modification approaches must be emphasized to curb the current AIDS epidemic.

Read the full story on nytimes.com

Weighing the Health Benefits of Birth Control

Women in America who are sexually active but have no immediate plans for children have a wide variety of birth control methods available to them: birth control pills, including the no-bleed variety that can suppress a woman’s period altogether; intrauterine devices (IUDs) which, despite an almost perfect rate of effectiveness, have not caught on well with women; cervical caps and diaphragms, which prevent sperm from entering the uterus, hormones delivered by shots, skin patches, or vaginal rings, male condoms, Plan B, and tubal ligation. Each method has its own set of pros and cons. IUDs have a near perfect efficacy rate, but must be fitted and inserted by a healthcare professional, and carry a risk of ectopic pregnancy and puncturing of the uterus. Condoms are inexpensive and can provide protection against many common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but have a lower rate of efficacy, and can inhibit intercourse. Other barrier methods, such as diaphragms and cervical caps, must be fitted by a healthcare professional, and can be expensive. Birth control pills are often marketed more for their non-contraceptive side effects (shorter and lighter periods, less cramping, clearer skin) than for their ability to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Newer forms of the pill offer fewer menstruation periods per year, but many users experience breakthrough bleeding with these pills. Although users must remember to take a pill every day at the same time, the pill is still the preferred method of birth control in the US, with 31% of women choosing this method. The second most popular form of birth control is sterilization. Women can be sterilized by tubal ligation, a procedure in which the fallopian tubes are sealed to prevent transport of the egg to the uterus. Male partners can also opt to undergo a vasectomy, a painless procedure that is more easily reversible than female sterilization. Plan B has been one of the more controversial birth control methods in recent years. Originally available only by prescription, Plan B is now available to women 18 years and older over the counter. This pill delivers a potent dose of hormones, and is designed to act as an emergency contraception method taken within 3 days of unprotected intercourse. Plan B should not be relied on as a continual birth control method. When choosing a birth control method, women should consider several factors: ease of use, cost, adherence, effectiveness at preventing pregnancy, and effectiveness at preventing transmission of STDs. Each woman’s unique set of circumstances, including their financial situation, daily schedule, number of partners, and other factors should be considered by the patient and her health care provider together in order to choose the most effective method for each woman.

Read the full story on nytimes.com

Many Women Struggle With Challenge of a Newborn

New mothers are finding that the pressures they face after giving birth are taking serious emotional and physical tolls on them. The pressure to care for their newborn child is often coupled with a pressure to return to work, all while dealing with the emotions associated with giving birth. Motherhood can also be very isolating, and new fathers are often not providing the support their partners need. In a survey of over 900 new mothers, it was reported that 6 months after giving birth 43% of women still felt an increased amount of stress, 40% continued to have trouble controlling their weight, 34% had difficulty sleeping, 26% lacked sexual desire, and 24% suffered chronic back pain. 73% also reported that they lacked the necessary support from their husband or partner. Many of the new mothers surveyed reported that they returned to work more quickly after giving birth than they had hoped to, with 80% of them back in the office by 12 weeks postpartum. This quick return to work interfered with many mothers’ breastfeeding plans. Women returned to work either because their employer would not grant a longer maternity leave, or because they could not afford to stay home on a reduced pay-rate maternity leave. To reduce stress after giving birth, women should inquire at work about a more flexible return-to-work policy, as well as asking friend and family for more support. By taking care of their own emotional and physical well-being, women can have a more rewarding relationship with their new baby.

Read the full story on healthday.com

Many Cancer Patients Turn to Complementary Medicine

After collecting data from more than 4000 cancer survivors, the American Cancer Society has published a study that reports up to 61% of cancer patients rely on complementary therapies in their battle against cancer. Prayer, relaxation techniques, faith/spiritual healing, nutritional supplements (including vitamins), meditation, religious counseling, massage, and participation in support groups were among the most popular therapies cancer patients turned to. Hypnosis, biofeedback therapy, and acupuncture were used by only a small percentage of the patients interviewed. Complementary therapies are more popular amongst female patients, 59% of whom reported turning to at least one form of complementary medicine. Breast and ovarian cancer patients reported the highest percentage of use of complementary medicine. Patients turn to such therapies both out of a belief that complementary therapies might help them medically, such as by shrinking their tumor, and as a way to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Few experts believe that complementary medicine has actually help to shrink tumors, but, especially for patients with advanced-stage cancers, quality of life is an important part of battling cancer. Complementary therapies’ ability to relax patients and improve their quality of life may make them an important part of cancer treatment in the future.

Read the full story on healthday.com