Hello Friends,
It’s been a while since I last wrote, as per my usual busy schedule. But in addition to the October Report I’m about to post, I wanted to share a couple of articles that have captured my attention as of late:
First, as I’m sure you’ve all heard, the Pope has approved condom use in certain cases!! While his original statement only mentioned homosexual men, a recent interview shows that condom use will be approved in some heterosexual cases too! While not enough as far as I’m concerned, this is a huge step forward by the Catholic church and is being met with applause in Burundi and across the continent. Read about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/world/europe/24pope.html?ref=world
A new clinical trial with homosexual men in 6 countries on 4 continents shows that adhering to a daily prophylaxis of Truvada, an antiretroviral therapy, could reduce HIV transmission in as high as 90% of cases! This is amazing…tho has yet to be tested with women, who biologically have higher risk of transmission than men. However, researchers believe the prophylaxis will have similar results among women as the ARV attacks the virus in the blood, rather than through a vaginal microbiocide. Check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/health/research/24aids.html?ref=health
Finally, PTSD is beginning to get greater attention in the medical community. While the truth is that trauma has gone in and out of “fashion” for over 100 years, this article begins to recognize that trauma is much more common…and much more real…than previously believed. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/health/23voices.html?ref=health
Happy reading, friends!
Peace,
alex
