Scientists are hailing a new vaginal gel as a breakthrough in the fight against HIV infection. Use of the gel cut in half a woman’s risk of being infected by a sex partner. The gel contains the drug tenofovir. This drug also is used to treat AIDS, the disease caused by HIV. The study included 889 heterosexual women in South Africa. They did not have HIV infection when the study started. Half of them were given the gel and told how to use it before and after sex. The other women received the same instructions, but a different gel. This gel was a placebo. It had no medicine in it. The researchers did not know which women got which gel. Neither did the women. After one year, the HIV infection rate in those who got the real drug was reduced by 50%, compared with women who got the placebo. After 2½ years, the rate was reduced by 39%. The journal Science published the study online.
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A survey of more than 300,000 Americans finds that after age 50, people feel happier and worry less.
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I’m 79 and had chickenpox as a child. Should I get the shingles vaccine? What are the risks?
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People who need multifocal eyeglasses are at higher risk of falling. Some of this risk may be lowered by being more selective about when to use multifocal lenses.
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Specifying a health care proxy or preparing a living will, or both, can help ensure that your wishes regarding medical treatment are followed in the event you are unable to express them yourself.
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Though the visceral fat that lies behind the abdominal wall makes up only a small percentage of the body's fat, a growing body of research indicates that it is linked to a number of diseases and conditions.
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I was half listening to the television the other night and heard something about kids dying from the choking game. What is that? How can I tell if my child might be playing this game?
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The process of addiction alters the brain’s neural connections and creates environmental cues that can trigger cravings.
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What is the best treatment to relieve the pain of hemorrhoids? I am not interested in surgery.
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An online study determined that attempting to improve cognitive ability through “brain training” programs was not effective.
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