Anal HPV more prevalent than Cervical HPV.
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Romance and Relationships

Research in human papilloma virus (HPV) in women has mostly focused on cervical HPV; not much is known about anal HPV infection in women.  A team of American researchers therefore investigated the prevalence (frequency of occurrence) and diversity (number of different viral strains) HPV in HIV-positive women, finding that the virus is actually more prevalent and more diverse anally than cervically.

HPV is known to cause genital warts and anal warts.  It is also related to cervical cancer in women or anal cancer in people of either gender. 

As part of the study, 122 women provided information about sexual risk factors, and had cervical and anal swabs analysed for human papilloma virus.  The women ranged between 21 and 64 years of age (average 40) and were racially diverse.

In all, 112 (92%) of the women were found to have HPV.  All strains of HPV were more commonly found by anal than by cervical swab (92% vs. 86%; high-risk types for cancer 84% vs. 64%; low-risk types 74% vs. 59%). The researchers said "there is a need to further investigate the clinical significance of anal HPV infection in women." 

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Santorum & the "Eye of Mordor."
Current mood: giddy
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

Taken from Salon.com: 

Rick Santorum and the "Eye of Mordor"

In an interview with the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier Times, embattled Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has equated the war in Iraq with J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." According to the paper, Santorum said that the United States has avoided terrorist attacks at home over the past five years because the "Eye of Mordor" has been focused on Iraq instead.

"As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else," Santorum said. "It's being drawn to Iraq and it's not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don't want the Eye to come back here to the United States."

We're sure that we wouldn't either, if only we had the slightest idea of what Santorum was saying. The Courier Times translates for those of us who are not so conversant in spooky Tolkienese: The "Eye of Mordor," it seems, was "the tool the evil Lord Sauron used in search of the magical ring that would consolidate his power over Middle-earth."

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New HIV testing recommendations...
Current mood: curious
Category: Romance and Relationships

New Recommendations Designed to Increase Early Diagnosis of HIV Infection as a Pathway to Improved Treatment and Prevention

September 21, 2006

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today published new recommendations for health care providers that are designed to make voluntary HIV screening a routine part of medical care for all patients aged 13 to 64.

Highlights of the New Recommendations for Health Care Settings

CDC's recommendations were developed over a three-year period with extensive input from health care providers, public health experts, community-based organizations, and advocates nationwide. Major components of the new recommendations include:

·            HIV screening for all patients, regardless of risk: To normalize HIV screening as a routine part of medical care, the revised recommendations advise that all patients aged 13-64 be screened.

·            Voluntary, "opt-out" approach: CDC's recommendations strongly emphasize that HIV testing must be voluntary and undertaken only with the patient's knowledge.

·            Simplified testing procedures: To overcome the most significant barriers to testing in health care settings, the recommendations advise that pre-test counseling and separate, written consent for HIV testing should no longer be required.

·            Enhanced screening for pregnant women: They also specify that a rapid HIV test should be used during labor for all women whose HIV status remains unknown at the time of delivery.

Oh Boy...Check This Out:

Initial results from a Washington, D.C., campaign to have all residents tested for HIV show that HIV prevalence in the city is more than twice the nation's average, according to results released Tuesday during a meeting of the Mayor's Task Force on HIV and AIDS, the Washington Post reports. According to the initial results, released three months into the HIV testing drive, nearly 3% of the more than 7,000 district residents who have been tested are HIV-positive (Levine, Washington Post, 9/20).

The results -- which offer "the first definitive look at the prevalence of HIV infection in the city" -- support what local officials have "long suspected: that the city has one of the highest [HIV] infection rates in the country," the Post reports.

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News: Bedroom Blessed by Vicars
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Romance and Relationships

Kitchen and bedroom blessings offered by vicars

British homeowners wanting to liven up their sex lives, ward off bathroom germs or calm kitchen rows can now call on God -- or at least his ministers -- for help.

A new service is being offered by vicars in the north of England who give blessings to people moving to a new home.

They will say prayers for each room, calling on divine assistance to protect the home and the health of those in it.

Rev Chris Painter, a vicar in the diocese of Manchester, told Reuters the initiative was designed tempt new people into the church.

"For a large part of the church's history, people have come into the church building," he said. "Nowadays people tend not to come into church so we need to find new ways to meet people."

"This is exactly what Jesus did in his ministry -- he went out to where the people were and he met them there."

Painter said invitation cards would be left in the offices of real-estate agents around the diocese to inform new residents of the free home blessing service.

Individual prayers can be said for every room in the house: For the bedroom, clergy will lay hands on the bed and pray its occupants have a healthy sex life. In the bathroom, they will pray for good health and "give thanks for sanitation."

In the kitchen, the prayer will ask: "O Lord, to all who shall work in this room that, in serving others, they may serve you and share in your perfect service and that in the noise and the clutter of the kitchen they may possess you in tranquility, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

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News: Youth Disregarding Virginity Pledges
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Romance and Relationships

Many Youths Disregard Their Virginity Pledges

According to interviews, more than half have sex within a year. But one pro-abstinence group disputes the findings.

By Elizabeth Mehren
Times Staff Writer

May 7, 2006

BOSTON Virginity pledges, in which young people vow to abstain from sex until marriage, have little staying power among those who take them, a Harvard study has found.

More than half of the adolescents who make the signed public promises give up on their pledges within a year, according to the study released last week.

The findings have raised the ire of Concerned Women for America, a prominent conservative organization that advocates adolescent sexual abstinence.

"The Harvard report is wrong," said Janice Crouse, a fellow at a Concerned Women for America think tank.

"This study is in direct contradiction with trends we have been seeing in recent years," Crouse said. "Those who make virginity pledges have shown greater resolve to save sex for marriage."

Virginity pledges were introduced in the early 1990s as part of the Christian Sex Education Project. Their adult champions hail the promises, which rest solely on the individual's word, as being a major step toward reducing teen pregnancy and raising moral values.

By some estimates, at least 2.5 million adolescents around the world have publicly vowed to postpone sex until marriage. They include virgins, as well as those who have had sexual experiences but who swear to refrain from further activity.

Many wear rings or other jewelry to symbolize their pledge.

For the Harvard report, researcher Janet Rosenbaum analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a survey conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It is the only government-sponsored study that asks about virginity pledges.

The 14,000 survey subjects were interviewed in 1995 and reinterviewed in 1996 and 2001. They ranged in age from 12 to 18 and came from across the country.

Rosenbaum found that 52% of those who said they had signed virginity pledges had had sex within a year. And of those who had sex after telling the first interviewers they had taken the pledge, 73% denied in the second interview having made the pledge.

"This may indicate that they are not that closely affiliated with the pledge," Rosenbaum said.

The adolescents also were unreliable in reporting their sexual experiences, Rosenbaum said. More than a quarter of non-virgins in the first interview who later took a virginity pledge said in the next interview that they had never had sex.

"That puts a lot of error in these studies," Rosenbaum said. Virginity pledgers, she concluded, "are more likely to give bad information unreliable data about their sexual history."

Medical testing is a more reliable gauge of adolescent sexual activity than their own reporting, Rosenbaum said.

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Sex cuts public speaking "stress"
Current mood: contemplative

Sex 'cuts public speaking stress'

Forget learning lines or polishing jokes - having sex may be the best way to prepare for giving a speech.

New Scientist magazine reports that Stuart Brody, a psychologist at the University of Paisley, found having sex can help keep stress at bay.

However, only penetrative intercourse did the trick - other forms of sex had no impact on stress levels at all.

Professor Brody monitored how various forms of sex affected blood pressure levels in a stressful situation.

For a fortnight, 24 women and 22 men kept diaries of how often they engaged in various forms of sex.

Then they underwent a stress test involving public speaking and performing mental arithmetic out loud.

Volunteers who had had penetrative intercourse were found to be the least stressed, and their blood pressure returned to normal faster than those who had engaged in other forms of sexual activity such as masturbation.

Those who abstained from any form of sexual activity at all had the highest blood pressure response to stress.

Dr Brody found that the effect remained even after taking differences in personality and other health-related factors into account.

Nerves stimulated

He told the BBC News website it was possible the calming effect was linked to the stimulation of a wide variety of nerves which takes place during heterosexual intercourse, but not other forms of sex.

In particular, the vagal nerve plays a role in controlling some psychological processes.

In addition, the release of the hormone oxytocin during sex might have a calming effect.

Professor Brody said it made sense in evolutionary terms for standard heterosexual sexual intercourse to be associated with a wide range of positive effects on behaviour.

He said: "A growing body of research shows that it is specifically intercourse, and not other sexual behaviours, whether alone or with a partner, that is associated with a broad range of psychological and physiological benefits.

"And greater frequency of intercourse is associated with greater benefits."

But Dr Peter Bull, a social and political psychologist at the University of York, said there were other ways to prepare for a speech that were more likely to reduce stress.

He said: "You are probably better off thinking about what you are going to say, and preparing thoroughly, rather than having sex the previous night."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4646010.stm

Published: 2006/01/26 04:21:30 GMT

© BBC MMVI

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Fertility sparks "male rivalry"
Current mood: contemplative

Fertility sparks 'male rivalry'

Men are more aware of potential love rivals when their partners are at their most fertile, a study suggests.

A Liverpool University study of 64 men suggested those with ovulating partners were more wary of the dominant-looking men who attract women at this time.

Those with partners not at risk of conception are less aware, the Evolution and Human Behaviour study suggested.

Earlier research shows ovulating women are more attracted to dominant men.

Arnie facial type

Researchers in the university's School of Biological Sciences showed their subjects, all of whom were in long-term relationships, a series of 66 pictures of two facial types - dominant and submissive.

They were then asked to rate the pictures for dominance, with a dominant person being defined as someone who "appeared as if they could get what they wanted".

Those with partners in the most fertile stage of their menstrual cycle were more able to spot classic masculine face types - ie men with strong jaw lines, thinner lips and smaller eyes.

But those with partners who were not at risk of getting pregnant at that particular time were not.

Researcher Rob Burriss said many previous studies show that women's preferences for male physical appearance change according to their fertility status.

He said during the fertile stage of their menstrual cycle they are more likely to be attracted to, and have an affair with, a masculine-looking man.

"Earlier research has shown that women are more interested in men who have a high testosterone face type - a jaw line like Arnold Schwarzenegger for example - for a short term relationship.

"They have better genes and are more likely to have strong children.

"This is because high testosterone levels create stronger immune systems which make them more resistant to disease."

He surmised that men with fertile partners were sub-consciously aware of this preference change from their female partner and were reacting to it.

He said: "Groups of animals, such as chimpanzees, can live quite happily together, but when a female is ready to mate the two dominant males within the group become rivals and fight for her attention.

"Similarly in humans, rated dominance increases when the female is most fertile."

'Precluding infidelity'

He said it was interesting that the male behaviour appeared to be determined by that of the females and could not see another reason for it.

"Men become more wary of masculine-looking men only when the female's facial preferences begin to shift prior to ovulation," he added.

Dr George Fieldman, principal lecturer in psychology at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College said the paper was interesting because it suggested men perceived greater dominance when women were fertile.

"The issue is about having a strategy to prevent or preclude infidelity of the female partner.

"Whether they consciously know it or not, women do tend to have affairs with dominant males during their most fertile phase.

"That's independent of whether they want to get pregnant or not."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4941950.stm

Published: 2006/04/25 11:44:26 GMT

© BBC MMVI

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Flirting 101
Current mood: horny
Category: Romance and Relationships

• Ask specific, open-ended questions of the person you're flirting with; these demonstrate that you're interested specifically in THEM as a person, and also provide an opportunity for the discussion to take a romantic turn.
• Look for humor in what the person you're flirting with is saying, and let yourself laugh at his or her jokes if you find them funny.
• Try to look your best, and use good posture and eye contact.
• Don't follow people around or act needy.
• Don't be insincere.

The topic of rejection came up. The key thing to understand about rejection seemed to be that "everybody gets rejected once in a while." One idea was that if you never risk rejection it's likely your social life will end up being very dull. It was also mentioned that the range of tastes in body type and personality type is enormous; something that you think is a liability is for some people almost certainly a turn-on.

The question came up of how to tell if someone is interested in you. The following were mentioned as clues, especially when observed together:

• If he or she is acting more flirtatious toward you than toward other people at the same event.
• If his or her friends are paying attention to you when he or she isn't around (often a clue that this person talked to his or her friends about you).
• If he or she is smiling while listening to you, and seems to be listening especially "actively."

There's a lot of crossover between good listening skills and good flirting skills, but there are also clear differences. For example, if you're in a job interview you're obviously going to be listening "actively," but nobody is going to confuse this with flirting. It's the "romantic spark" aspect of flirting that distinguishes it from standard "good listening."

One attendee shared some interesting ideas on the importance of "validating what the other person wants to be." This means looking for specific ways in which how someone thinks of themself as unique and valuable is consistent with their actual behavior and history.

Body language was brought up several times. Aligning your body towards the person you are interacting with, leaning slightly forwards (which usually happens naturally when someone is interested in what another has to say), using open posture, etc. were all mentioned. When people who like each other are listening especially intently to each other "mirroring" tends to naturally occur; body language, gestures, and breathing tend to synchronize between the two people. It is difficult to do these things consciously without them seeming forced; the discussion along these lines was therefore mainly descriptive.

Eye contact was also mentioned several times. Looking into someone's eyes just a little longer than would ordinarily be considered customary or comfortable tends to be a common element of the flirting process.

Asking questions that are "almost too personal" was also brought up. The idea is that humans progress to greater levels of intimacy by sharing vulnerabilities, and that if someone is interested in you they are unlikely to turn down the chance to make the conversation more personal (unless you REALLY push the envelope, obviously...)

The importance of giving sincere complements was mentioned more than once. Going along with the idea of flirting being a learnable skill, it was mentioned that a good way to practice flirting is to do it a little bit every day, perhaps with friends or perhaps with postal workers :)

Social networks usually expand by cultivating friendships which are serious enough for your new friends to introduce you to their friends. For this reason, activities that allow prolonged contact with other people are valuable. Political action groups or volunteer groups or special interest/hobby groups are especially worthwhile because you get a chance to meet folks in a more prolonged and sincere context, because you already have a shared interest, and because if nothing good flirting-wise comes out of it at least you either learned more about your hobby or did some good for your community.

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Show Summary 04/18/06
Current mood: jubilant
Category: Romance and Relationships

Hey everyone, its Nick, giving you the summary for the 4/18/06 show.  The show seemed to go fairly smoothly.  Even though L. Brooks was not there, the show went over well shes about to graduate with her 2nd Masters degree so, shes pretty busy. 

As usual, we started the show with a summary of our weekend adventures.  I had a show and for a change, people didnt talk to me about shaving their genitals.  A friend of the band named Dawn did say she was going to do her best to listen to the show.  Thanks Dawn.  Tonya went to an exhibit at the Franklin Institute were they showed the human body in various states of dissection and evolution. 

From there, we jumped straight into the news.  At Duke University, they arrested 2 lacrosse players on rape and kidnapping charges.  Also, a study found that abstinent-only sex education in Texas actually caused an increase in teen sexual behaviors how interesting.  Finally - we didnt make this up from msnbc.com - they reported that a man died from having anal sex with a horse.  Tonya thought the man was having sex with the horse but in reality, the horse was having sex with the man.  He reportedly died from a perforated colon!  Hmmmm?

Tonya's main issue involved the age of consent for sexual activity and how it varies across states and countries.  She focused on several cases where people were married to younger people who were being prosecuted for sexual assault even though, parental consent was given for the marriage.  Socially, people are told to wait until marriage for sex and when they do, they are still prosecuted for it. 

Nick's main topic focused around Black sexual history from the 1900s thru 1950.  He discussed the difference in infant death rates between Blacks and whites; controlling the Black population with Birth Control Clinics which were spread across the south and; strategies used by whites in their efforts to keep the races from mixing socially which would/ could lead to interracial relationshipspretty interesting stuff.

To end, I would like to thank John, Bill and Melissa for calling in and adding their 2 cents & humor to the show.  See y'all next weekDa Sexperts.

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Served Hot: 10 Rules of Anal Sex...
Current mood: horny

Ten Rules of Anal Sex
by Jack Morin

Jack Morin, PhD, a San Francisco sex therapist and researcher, is the author of Anal Pleasure and Health: A Guide for Men and Women.

Anal Eroticism is surrounded by a powerful taboo. Yet millions of men and women - straight, gay and bisexual - are experimenting with anal sex. The anus, richly endowed with nerve endings and interconnected with the main pelvic muscles, is the closest erogenous neighbor of the genitals and contracts rhythmically during orgasm. Thirty-five years ago, Kinsey stated that the anal region had erotic significance for about half of the population. In a survey of 100,000 Playboy readers, 47 percent of the men and 61 percent of the women admitted to having tried anal intercourse.

Yet the anal taboo inhibits most people from thinking, talking and learning about the sexual use of the anus. Listed here are the ten things most men and women still do not know about anal sex.

1. Anal intercourse is the least practiced form of anal sex.

There are many ways to enjoy the anus erotically. The most common techniques include touching the anal opening while masturbating or stimulating a partner's anus during intercourse or oral sex.

2. Anal stimulation, including intercourse, is not painful if done properly.

The belief that anal stimulation, especially intercourse, has to hurt is a persistent and dangerous myth. Just as pain anywhere in the body indicates that something is wrong, so is the same true of the anal area. With its high concentration of nerve endings, the anus can produce extreme agony when it is mistreated. Yet it can be a source of great pleasure.

Maximum anal pleasure requires the elimination of all pain or physical trauma from the anal experience. Self-protection on the part of the passive partner involves being ready to say "no" until he or she is ready to proceed. Readiness is a combination of physical relaxation, usually helped along by plenty of leisurely anal touching, and desire.

Occasionally the anal muscles are relaxes, but the passive partner is still not in the mood. Stimulation should mount only in proportion to the degree of receptivity.

3. Anal sex can be enjoyed even if it has been consistently uncomfortable in the past.

Sufficient desire alone does not necessarily guarantee pleasurable anal sex. Nor is an uncomfortable previous experience always the reason for a lack of interest in or desire for anal sex.

For many people the turning point in anal sex is when they allow a partner to massage the anus with the understanding that intercourse will not be attempted. Then the recipient of anal caresses can concentrate solely on the pleasure that this erogenous zone is capable of generating.

4. Two muscle rings called sphincters surround the anal opening. Each functions independently.

If you insert a finger about one half-inch into your anus and press your fingertip against the side, you can clearly feel the two sphincter muscles. There is less than a quarter-inch between them. The external sphincter is controlled by the central nervous system - just like the muscles of the hand, for example. You can readily tense and relax this sphincter whenever you want.

The internal sphincter is quite different. This muscle is controlled by the involuntary or autonomic part of the nervous system, which governs such functions as heartbeat and stress response.

The internal sphincter reflects and responds to fear and anxiety during anal sex. It will cause the anus to tense up automatically even if the passive partner is trying to relax. Thus, precautions about safety and comfort are essential here.

5. Anal stimulation provides many kinds of pleasure

The highest concentration of nerve endings is around the anal opening itself. A finger can focus on them especially effectively. When an object or penis is inserted beyond the anal opening into the rectum, other pleasures are involved. The outer portion of the rectum, like the vagina, has several nerve endings. The inner portion responds mostly to pressure.

Some people enjoy the feelings of pressure and fullness once they understand that these sensations do not presage an impending bowel movement. Rectal pressure is especially important to enthusiasts of "fisting," a form of anal sex in which several fingers or even the entire hand and forearm are inserted into the rectum and sometimes into the lower colon.

6. Anal stimulation can lead to orgasm

A minority of men and women can respond orgasmically to anal sex without direct genital stimulation. Women probably do so through pelvic muscle contractions - and a small minority even though the sheer excitement of being anally penetrated. When men experience an orgasm from anal stimulation, they tend to focus on the prostate. No doubt they are also responding to indirect stimulation of the penile bulb.

It must be remembered that most people require direct genital stimulation in order to climax. On the other hand, a few people have orgasms only with anal stimulation.

7. Diet contributes to the enjoyment of anal sex

Regular bowel movements are the major function of the anus and rectum. There must be sufficient fiber in a person's diet to make his or her feces soft, bulky and well formed. This allows a bowel movement to be produced without force or effort. Forced evacuations irritate anal tissues, causing discomfort and adding to muscular tensions. Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains or unprocessed bran are important sources of fiber.

8. Different rules of hygiene apply to the vagina and rectum

The rectum is not straight. After the short anal canal which connects the anal opening to the rectum, the rectum tilts toward the front of the body. A few inches in, it curves back - sometimes as much as 90 degrees. Then, after a few more inches, it swoops toward the front of the body once again. A person can learn about the shape of his or her rectum by gently inserting a soft object, trying different angles and body positions and concentrating on how it feels. Make sure the object has a flared base so that if you loose your grip, it won't slip into the rectum and become irretrievable.

The rectum does not produce lubrication like the vagina but only a small amount of mucus. Therefore, rectal penetration always requires a lubricant. Chemical additives should be avoided. Water-based lubricants are latex-compatible.

9. Anal intercourse is not necessarily an act of dominance and submission.

The top-bottom imagery associated with anal intercourse is widespread. No doubt the belief that anal sex has to hurt contributes to this notion. And in fact some people are intensely excited by top-bottom fantasies about anal sex. The thought that they are submitting to such a degrading act is a terrific thrill. However, actual, not fantasized, anal pain can lead to trouble.

10. Anal sex can be perfectly safe, even beneficial.

Risks center on sexually transmitted diseases. Each of the common STDs - gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes - can affect the anus. Intestinal parasites, bacteria or tiny bugs are usually passed along when fecal matter finds its way into someone's mouth or vagina, most likely through rimming.

AIDS has complicated the matter. The HIV virus can pass from the semen or blood of an infected person to the bloodstream of a partner through a tiny break in the rectal tissue during anal intercourse.

To avoid this risk, anal intercourse and rimming should not be practiced casually. Those who do enjoy anal intercourse should always use a condom. Rimming should always be accomplished by a latex barrier. Of course, in a monogamous relationship with two healthy people, the risk of disease transmitted anally is reduced.

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