According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show that the offspring of men older than 40 might face an increased risk of autism and schizophrenia as well as birth defects, such as the bone growth disorder achondroplasia. One explanation is that as sperm age, they develop more genetic mutations. Researchers in Iceland looking at 78 families found that 20-year-old fathers passed on an average of 25 mutations, but 40-year-old fathers passed on 65 mutations, an increase of two new mutations per year. The Mayo Clinic also points out that older men have a slightly more difficult time conceiving a child. That finding is not surprising given that semen volume, sperm motility -- how well the sperm swim -- and morphology -- the percentage of sperm that are normal -- decrease with age, according to researchers at the Institute of Reproductive Medicine in Germany at the University of Münster.

CNN, August 12, 2016

Moonlight  is a film based on the classic play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.The plot follows a young boy named Chiron in 1980's Miami, chronicling him through three major stages in his life. This movie is half coming of age and half love story, as he explores his sexuality. The first Moonlight trailer, which you can check out above,  tells a compelling story about black masculinity.

Blavity, August 11, 2016

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students are much more likely to be victims of physical and sexual violence and bullying, and more needs to be done to protect them, a new U.S. government study says. "These tragic disparities call for accelerated action by public health and education agencies, communities, and families to protect the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin. He is director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A federal report released in July showed HPV-associated head and neck cancers are on the rise among men in the United States.An average of 15,738 cases of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were diagnosed in the country each year between 2008 and 2012. Of these, approximately 80% were diagnosed in men, according to CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. "The cause is unclear, but it is believed to be related to sexual activity - more oral sex and partners with increased prevalence of HPV. According to the data, approximately 5% to 10% of adults have HPV detectable in their saliva at any one time. In addition, close to 80% of people are exposed to HPV at some point in their lives, and between 20% and 30% of young people have HPV at any one time", Lois Ramondetta, MD, professor of gynecologic oncology in the department of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told HemOnc Today

Helio, August 11, 2016

Vaccination confidence   was closely associated with early childhood vaccination behavior across multiple vaccine types, according to study findings published in   PloS One. "We originally created our [Vaccination Confidence Scale] to assess   parental beliefs related to adolescent vaccination , and in a prior validation study, we found that parents' mean Vaccination Confidence Scale scores were consistently associated with vaccine refusal and vaccination status for vaccines in the adolescent platform, including meningococcal and HPV vaccines,"Melissa B. Gilkey, PhD,   assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, and colleagues wrote. "This success raises the possibility that a modified version of our scale could be useful for assessing vaccination beliefs related to early childhood vaccines, including measles-mumps-rubella vaccine."

Helio, August 10, 2016

Two-Dose HPV Vaccine Looks Likely

This evidence is currently being reviewed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation according to Associate Professor Julia Brotherton, who is medical director of the National HPV Vaccination Program Register.Around 65% of countries are already shifting their HPV vaccine schedule from three- to two-dose regimens based on the evidence, A/Prof Brotherton told   MJA InSight   this week. For example,   new research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases  this month found a two-dose regimen of the HPV 16/18 AS04-adjuvanted (bivalent) vaccine in girls aged 9-14 years was non-inferior to a three-dose regimen in women aged 15-25 years.

Australian Journal of Pediatrics, August 10, 2016

The recent inclusion of premium-priced meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines into the routine immunization schedules of the US, Italy, and the UK is set to drive strong market growth, which will be further boosted by the anticipated launch of GlaxoSmithKline's pentavalent MenABCW-135Y vaccine from 2021.

Business Wire, August 10, 2016

This fall, Canadian women may be able to self-administer tests for sexually transmitted infections from the comfort of their own homes, for less than $100. Produced by Toronto company Eve Medical, the kit will be available for order online. It will arrive in a unmarked envelope for privacy, and include a self-testing kit and a pre-addressed envelope destined for a Toronto-area lab that is partnering in the initiative. The self-testing kit is designed to test for gonorrhea, chlamydia and human papillomavirus (HPV), the latter of which is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Eve Medical promises its results via mobile app within a few days.Currently, Ontario women have to attend a clinic and pay for HPV tests, which cost around $90 according to Cancer Care Ontario. 

CBC News, August 9,2016

Merck ad for HPV vaccine aimed at parents (video)

A new commercial for the HPV vaccine by Merck has child actors asking parents why they didn't get their children vaccinated.  

Washington Post, August 9, 2016

Over 2000 young people took part in the study, both male and females between the ages of 16-21. They were asked about their sexual experiences, what they thought about their sex education and about any problems or concerns that they had about sex. The study featured a variety of participants from many different backgrounds, with around 500 of those having not yet taken part in sexual activity. When the results came back from this study, it showed concerning patterns in what young people think about sex. The difference in opinions about sex were obvious between males and females, with 9.8% of females showing a lack of interest in sex in comparison to 5.4% of males. One of the main concerns to come from the results surrounded how lots of participants showed fears about their own sexual performance. Many said that they didn't feel that they had been equipped well enough with the right information from sex education lessons at school. Lots also said that they were too embarrassed to seek help about problems, with only 4% of males and 8% of females having visited a doctor about their worries.

St. Augustine Record, August 8, 2016

Eating disorders, dieting and extreme exercising are as much of a problem for UK secondary school boys as for girls, suggests a survey.

Most of the boys polled saw eating disorders (56%) as an issue for both boys and girls. And almost as many felt dieting (55%) and extreme exercising (48%) were gender neutral issues. But despite this pressure, the boys polled found it hard to discuss their concerns:

"The relatively low awareness of boys' body image issues amongst parents and teachers, coupled with a culture of boys not discussing their worries, makes it a tough environment for boys to seek support," said Credos director Ms Fraser.

BBC, August 8, 2016

The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday. 

For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].