Compared to girls, boys are born with stronger vertebrae, the series of small bones that make up the spine, new research has found.The researchers found that vertebral cross-sectional dimensions, a key structural determinant of the vertebra's strength, were 10.6 percent smaller on average in newborn females than in males.

Research shows that in 1966, 73% of the population trusted the leaders of the medical profession; by 2012 this has fallen to 34%, and less than one-quarter (23%) of the population has confidence in the US health care system as a whole. This lack of trust puts the US near the bottom among industrialized nations - in terms of trust in doctors, the US ranks 24 out of 29 countries surveyed.

Raw Story, July 24, 2015

 CDC: Teens waiting longer to have sex, many use morning after pill

Far fewer American teenagers are having sex than teens a generation ago, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2011 to 2013, only 44 percent of girls and 47 percent of boys between the ages of 15 and 19 had sexual intercourse at least once, the researchers found. That's a decline of 14 among girls and 22 for boys over the past 25 years.

CBS, July 22, 2015

Today only half of people living with HIV are aware of their status. This testing gap, coupled with the importance of early treatment for HIV, is driving interest in of the role of self-testing for HIV. Concerns about confidentiality and privacy are one of the key barriers to HIV testing services for adolescents (aged 10-19); however, recent studies on the use of HIV self-tests suggest that the availability of a simple and discreet way to know their status themselves may be one of the keys to dramatically increasing the number of adolescents who take a test and go on to access support and further HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care.

Infection Control Today, July 22, 2015

The Telegraph, July 22, 2015

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation has worked to increase the region's vaccination rates for human papillomavirus or HPV - one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the country - for the past 1½ years, but rates are still woefully low. Last Wednesday evening, those efforts hurtled into the social media age, complete with catchy Twitter hashtags, to improve the message.

Post Gazette, July 21, 2015

From a young age, says Engel, males are taught to be "islands unto themselves," without a need for social connection. Telling a boy who has just fallen off his bike not to cry and just keep going teaches him that he shouldn't need anyone's help if he's going to properly "man up," he says. This disconnection leads to poor relationships.

Gazette Net, July 20, 2015

UK: Health workers urged to increase help for anabolic steroid users

Public Health England advises councils and health practitioners to engage more effectively with young men abusing image-enhancing drugs

Government health advisers have urged local councils and organisations to increase the help available to anabolic steroid users, after warnings that the country faces an epidemic of abuse of the drug, especially among image-conscious young men.

The Guardian, July 19, 2015