Two studies out this week about sexuality and youth underscore a point once made by Dr. Joseph Hagan, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a practicing pediatrician. Talking about when he would recommend that parents broach the uncomfortable, yet inevitable, subject of sex with their kids.
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Between 1991 and 2004, deaths due to opioid overdose more than doubled in Ontario, an alarming trend that corresponds with an increase in prescriptions for oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer derived from extracts of opium. What’s more, the introduction of oxycontin—a long-acting form of oxycodone—in 2000, was associated with a
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As cell phones are growing more prevalent—an estimated 270 million Americans now have one—concerns about the health risks of the mobile devices are increasing as well. As Bryan Walsh reported for TIME earlier this year, the growing trend of cell phone use—or, cast in a different light, of holding tiny emitters of low-level
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As most parents know, as adorable as they are, sometimes kids can also be very frustrating. So, when those trying parenting moments arise, what distinguishes the moms who lose their cool from those who stay in control? According to research published in the journal Psychological Science, it may come down to working memory. In a study of
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For many smokers, that first cigarette of the day is all part of the morning routine. But, new research suggests that smokers who light up first thing in the morning may have a disproportionate risk for developing lung cancer. According to a small study published in the December issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix, produced by GlaxoSmithKline, offers protection against the two major cancer-causing strains of HPV, (HPV-16 and HPV-18) for more than 6 years, according to research published online today in the British medical journal the Lancet. The analysis, led by Dr. Cosette Wheeler from the
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If current obesity trends continue, life expectancy gains due to decreases in smoking could potentially be canceled out in the future, according to research published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. By analyzing data from several national health surveys including tens of thousands of respondents, researchers Susan
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A new study from a team of researchers specializing in psychology and social networks suggests that loneliness can spread through groups of friends and family members. In the analysis of nearly 4,500 polled about how frequently they felt lonely, researchers found that close friends and family members of people who reported persistent
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It’s no secret that mothers are sensitive to their babies’ cries, even while asleep. Yet a recent sleep study commissioned by Lemsip, the manufacturer of over-the-counter flu and cold remedies sold in the U.K., suggests it’s not just mothers, but all women, who are quickly roused from sleep by the sound of a crying infant. For men,
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The health care bill currently being debated in the Senate includes a provision that would levy a 5% tax on elective cosmetic surgeries. The proposed Bo-tax is being presented by supporters as a simple economic tool to help offset health care costs, yet detractors—including some 7,000 doctors in the American Academy of Plastic
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Many new fathers are nothing short of awe-stricken by the birth of their child, and cherish their baby’s first moments shared with the mother in the delivery room. In fact, ever since Dr. Robert Bradley introduced the concept of husband-coached childbirth in the early 1960s, fathers have been routinely encouraged to be present at their
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For many Americans, overindulging at Thanksgiving is all part of the tradition. According to studies on the subject, the average American gains about a pound each holiday season. (That may not seem like much, but researchers say that those holiday pounds have a tendency to stick around: 10 years later, you’re 10 pounds heavier.) For …
Ever wonder how that little plastic pop-up timer knows when the turkey is done? Or why potatoes are the preferred starch of Thanksgiving? In this illuminating video, shot in a lecture hall at Catholic University of America, chemistry professor Diane Bunce sets out to answer those questions. Incorporating a power point presentation and
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