Month: January 2013

A man pulls off a condom during sex, or threatens a woman so she’ll get an abortion. These are examples of “reproductive coercion,” a major group of doctors for women says. The new statement comes from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Preventing a woman from making choices about birth control and pregnancy is a form of abuse, ACOG says. It says doctors should look out for such abuse and help patients avoid it. The statement cites a study of teens in abusive relationships. About 25% reported “birth control sabotage.” So did 15% of physically abused women. Examples include destroying birth control pills or forcing a woman to have unprotected sex. Some men have even pulled out intrauterine devices (IUDs) and vaginal rings, ACOG says. The group urges doctors to screen patients and refer those who are abused to counseling.

Kidney damage can occur in children taking common drugs for fever and pain relief, a study finds. Researchers looked at records for about 1,000 cases of kidney damage treated at a children’s hospital. In about 3% of cases, the damage was related to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). About two-thirds of these children had been using the common drug ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others). Other NSAIDs include naproxen (Aleve) and ketorolac (Toradol). Most of the children had been taking normal doses for a week or less. Most of them also were dehydrated. They did not have normal amounts of fluid in their bodies. Many had lost fluids through vomiting and diarrhea, as well as not drinking enough. The kidneys have a way to protect themselves from damage when the body becomes dehydrated. But researchers said the NSAIDs interfere with this protection.

Erectile dysfunction could be a sign of early heart disease, says an Australian study. The study found that men with severe erection problems had nearly twice the risk of early death as men who had no erection problems. Men with erection problems also had higher risks of heart attack, heart failure and other heart-related problems. The study included data from 95,000 men. It is the largest study to look at the link between erection problems and heart disease. Erection problems are common. About 1 in 5 men over the age of 40 say they have moderate to severe problems maintaining an erection. The study was published January 29 in the journal PLoS Medicine. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, as well as several other newspapers, wrote about it January 30.