 |
|
Weekly News Roundup
September 14, 2015
|
The HPV vaccine has been heralded as the best preventative tool against some cancers, but its implementation has been an uphill battle. Reasons include its connection to sex and that it's not required by the state.
In Pennsylvania, while coverage rates for most other adolescent vaccines are above 90 percent, just 48 percent of girls have completed the three-shot HPV series, and only 26 percent of boys, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, clinical director of adolescent and young adult medicine at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, those figures are baffling.
Public Source, September 13, 2015
|
Teenage Boys May Be More Vulnerable To Fast Food Ads
A survey, released by the Cancer Council and the National Heart Foundation, found that almost one-third of boys are likely to buy fast food if it is linked with movies or sports personalities they like, compared to just 19 percent of girls. It also revealed that 40 percent of boys will patronize a fast food outlet if they are offering a special product or giveaway, compared to 30 percent of girls,
This may also explain why teenage boys consume more fast food, salty snacks and sugary drinks than girls and were also more likely to be obese or overweight, Cancer Council's Kathy Chapman told the Australian Associated Press.
University Herald, September 12, 2015
|
Rutgers Researchers Seek Physician's Help to Increase HPV Vaccinations in Newark
Rutgers researchers are seeking the help of pediatric physicians to develop a plan to improve the frighteningly low rate of Newark-area adolescents getting vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, a known risk factor for several cancers. "Adolescent patients treated by pediatricians consistently have higher HPV vaccination initiation rates than adolescents treated by other specialists," said Rula Btoush, associate professor at the School of Nursing, who leads a collaborative team that includes researchers from the School of Public Health. The researchers found that older adolescents who visit gynecologists and other non-pediatric physicians have the lowest vaccination rates of all adolescents, approximately 5 percent, while older adolescents who visited pediatricians had a vaccination rate of 40 percent. Their findings were recently published in the
American Journal of Public Health
and the
Journal of Community Health
.
Rutgers Today, September 12, 2015
|
Young male cyclists are the most likely to die after being involved in a traffic accident
A study by researchers at the University of Granada has demonstrated that mortality among cyclists varies widely depending on the age and sex of the population. Male cyclists, above all those aged between 15 and 24 years, are more likely to die than adults (25-34 years), which could be explained by their greater exposure and risk of having an accident.
Eureka Alert, September 11, 2015
|
| I Don't Want My Sons to Develop Body Image Issues
I assumed only little girls struggled with their body image, but I realized boys can too.
When I caught one of my sons standing in a mirror checking out his belly, I became concerned for his own future health too. I hoped he was just being funny and looking at himself with normal childlike curiosity, but when he said something negative about his body, I freaked out. Where had he heard that? Why would he ever think that? Then I realized he thought that because he'd heard his dad and me having those exact conversations. Body image issues and eating disorders in boys aren't discussed as much as those that affect girls, but boys are also at risk. Boys are often bullied for being too scrawny or too fat. The pressure on guys to be ripped and have a six-pack is intense, and for many young men, it's a biological near-impossibility.
Cosmopolitan, September 10, 2015
|
You'll never guess what's killing America's teens
Prescription painkillers are hooking our kids on heroin, with dire consequences. Who's to blame?
There was a time not too long ago when heroin addicts weren't high school students-or suburban moms or middle-aged business executives, for that matter. Those days are over. In July a
report
issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited a major rise in heroin deaths and overdoses in the U.S. over the past decade. More disturbingly, the increases were seen across the board among men and women in most age groups, including teens, and all income levels. What used to be almost exclusively an inner-city problem is now plaguing small towns and suburbs.
CNBC, September 10, 2015
|
It is the single biggest killer of British men under the age of 50.In 2013 there were 6,233 suicides in the UK. Of those, nearly 5,000 were male. The male suicide rate is at its highest since 2001. These startling figures show the need for a greater awareness of male mental health issues, according to mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin. Few people are in a better place to understand the issue. In the middle of January 2008 Jonny found himself on London's Waterloo Bridge, contemplating throwing himself into the freezing River Thames below. Despite hearing voices since he was 10, he had only just been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar, and found himself unable to cope with the diagnosis and desperate to end his suffering.
The Mirror, September 9, 2015
|
Chronic oral squamous cell papillomas, cutaneous warts resolved after HPV vaccination
A recently published case study and literature review found that cases of recurrent oral papillomas and recalcitrant warts showed clinical improvement after the first dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccine, with complete resolution at 6 to 8 months. Researchers studied a healthy immunocompentent man in his 60s who presented with chronic verrucous papules of the lips, tongue and buccal mucosa refractory to multiple excisions. A biopsy performed on a lesion on the left buccal mucosa resulted in a diagnosis of squamous cell papilloma with HPV-32, which was revealed through DNA sequencing. All lesions cleared after 3 months of receiving the quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Marked improvement of papillomas was observed within 4 weeks after receiving the first vaccine dose. The second and third doses were administered at 2 and 6 months, respectively. Complete resolution of all mucocutaneous papillomas was reported at 6 months follow-up. No recurrence of lesions was reported at 18 months.
JAMA Dermatology, September 10, 2015
|
Boys with a low resting heart rate during their teen years may be at increased risk for committing violent crimes as adults, a Swedish study suggests.
A low resting heart doesn't necessarily signal a problem. According to the American Heart Association, lower heart rates are common in people who are very athletic, because their heart muscle is in better condition and doesn't need to work as hard to maintain a steady beat. But previous research has also linked a low resting heart rate to antisocial behavior in children and adolescents, the study authors note in JAMA Psychiatry. A slow heart rate may increase risk-taking, either because the teens seek stimulating experiences or fail to detect danger as much as their peers with normal heart rates, researchers say.
Reuters, September 9, 2015
|
Their approach is unique in focusing specifically on enhancing father-son communication about sexual health. The further development and formal evaluation of the intervention will be conducted in the Bronx, a county with marked adolescent sexual and reproductive health disparities and among the most economically disadvantaged counties in the United States.
New York University, September 9, 2015
|
Circumcision advice updated by Canadian Paediatric Society
No strong medical evidence either way
Some parents with no cultural or religious reasons to have their newborn son's foreskin removed will often question if the procedure is necessary or even advisable. That's why the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) has updated its position statement on circumcision, to clarify the risks and benefits of both lopping off the foreskin or leaving it intact. In its new policy statement released Tuesday, the CPS says it does "not recommend the routine circumcision of every newborn male."
CBC News, September 8, 2015
|
Autism symptoms among girls and boys diagnosed with the developmental disorder tend to differ significantly, a study has revealed.
Based on the study data, researchers have concluded that therapy for autism could be personalized depending on gender. Treatment directed at girls could focus on improving behavioral skills that enhance communication and social interaction, while autistic boys could benefit from motor and sensory-based activities, with a view to reduce their repetitive routines.
Capital Wired, September 8, 2015
|
|
Seventh-graders in Rhode Island started school this year under a new mandate rarely seen in the country: Girls and boys must be vaccinated against HPV - the human papillomavirus - a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cancer. The move sparked protests from parents. Despite the uproar, public health officials in Massachusetts are watching Rhode Island's move. If it succeeds, Massachusetts may want to take the same route to boost the use of the vaccine.
Boston Globe, September 8, 2015
|
|
The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday.
|
Get the Partnership's AYA Male Health Toolkit app!
|
Dennis J. Barbour, Esq.
Executive Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
