Two Australian researchers have stated in a Lancet article that nuns should take the contraceptive pill. What they are really saying is that women who do not have children, nuns being the most obvious example, should be taking the contraceptive pill and their reasoning for this is down to the observed phenomenon that women who do not have children or breastfeed are at a higher risk of cancer of the breast, womb and ovaries due to the fact that they have more periods throughout their lifetime. In accordance with the rules of the Catholic Church, nuns are not allowed to use any form of contraception, another reason that the researchers are focusing their research on this community.

Supporting the article is previous research and theory, including an Australian gynaecologist from the University of Adelaide, who has not contributed to the article, but explains that the female body is designed to, at some point, become pregnant and to lactate. He highlights that women having hundreds of menstruations in their lifetime is a relatively new trend that has been recognised over the years as a potential cause of tumours. Women now have up to 400 cycles in their lifetime whereas women living a century ago experienced on average 40 cycles because of the higher pregnancy rate back then.

The authors of the Lancet article claim that the general rate of mortality is decreased by 12% among those who take the pill compared with those who do not. Furthermore, the risk of breast, womb and ovarian cancer specifically is reduced by more than 50% among those who take the pill. The reason the pill is said to protect against cancers of the uterus is attributed to the dose of oestrogen and progesterone that causes a withdrawal period rather than a real period where the endometrial layer becomes much thicker.

There is not sufficient evidence available to absolutely prove these observations and there are even studies in existence claiming to show that the pill actually increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer and other complications. These claims have been contradicted by a 1996 meta-analysis of previous studies in which 9,200 women were questioned; the analysis totally refuted claim of any link between breast cancer and taking an oral contraceptive.

A 39 year study carried out in the University of Aberdeen in 1969 does however, according to New Scientist, show that the benefits of taking the pill outweigh the risks. 46,000 women were observed for this period of time and it was found that those who had developed cancer of the ovaries or uterus and died were more inclined not to have taken the contraceptive pill.

The hormone DHEA, taken in low doses, has been shown to work as well as hormone replacement therapy, commonly abbreviated as HRT, in order to relieve the symptoms associated with menopause and improving the sex life of those who suffer from low libido. The study, carried out at the University of Pisa, is published in Climacteric. Larger studies will decide whether or not DHEA is a proven alternative but this pilot study has achieved important ground work in the future of HRT alternatives.

DHEA is widely available and most commonly used as a synthetic nutritional supplement. The natural hormone is made in the adrenal glands, liver and testes and affects the production of the sex hormones in men and women. The difference between this hormone and HRT is down to the fact that DHEA increases the amount of androgenic hormones (effecting male characteristics) and HRT increases oestrogens.

48 women took part in a recent study and showed that DHEA could help menopausal women with their symptoms. According to the study’s authors, the synthetic hormone will be especially beneficial for women who have not found success or have experienced complications with HRT. Women who had requested HRT to relieve their symptoms were put on an alternative treatment. One group were given DHEA, a second group were given combination hormone therapy, and the third group received tibolone (a synthetic version of HRT) and a fourth group received vitamin D and calcium. Ease of symptoms was noted across the board other than for those who took vitamin D and calcium.

Although no women reported low libido at the study’s outset, one year on, the women who received DHEA and HRT reported an improvement in their sexual function.

Clearly this study is extremely small but it does provide proof of concept, paving the way for larger studies to take place.

In the run up to Christmas, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is advising women to plan ahead and obtain their emergency contraception before it is more difficult to obtain over the Christmas period: a time when STI infection rates and the number of unplanned pregnancies increase and the pharmacies and surgeries close.

BPAS has announced today that the morning after pill is being offered free of charge and is available online after a consultation with a nurse and it will arrive in the post with a supply of condoms.

A spokesperson for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service refutes criticisms which suggests the organisation is promoting risky behaviour and explains that planning ahead does not suggest one is planning on taking risks but rather one is making sure that nothing is left to chance. The health charity, Life, says that if emergency contraception is available in the home, then the female is more inclined to engage in a risky event than she would without this sort of back-up.

Is this sort of promotion in fact going to increase the rates of sexually transmitted infections over the festive period? And how will the nurses know that they are not supplying under-age girls? Surely this quick fix solution to risky, unnecessary behaviour is not the sort message a health charity should be sending out to the public.

Surely such efforts in the name of public health should focus on safe sex. At the very least, when a woman comes in to see a doctor in a face to face environment seeking emergency contraception, a doctor can then discuss issues such as STIs with her. Encouraging women to stock up on emergency contraceptives online or over the phone does nothing to help such causes and in fact puts them in greater danger of contracting bacterial infections or worse, an virus they could have for life.

A European study shows that women who have been taking the contraceptive pill have been 10 years or more are significantly reducing their risk of developing ovarian cancer. This massive study involving more than half a million people reveals that a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer decreases by 45% having taken the pill for such a length of time. The study is published in the British Journal of Cancer and was carried out at the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC).

In addition, taking the pill at any stage seems to have an effect on a woman’s likelihood of developing this type of cancer. Women who took the pill for over one year or even a few months had a risk of approximately 28 in every 100,000. These women were compared to women who had never take the pill and whose risk of developing the cancer was approximately 38 in every 100,000.

Women who had become pregnant at some stage in their lives also had a lower incidence of ovarian cancer. There was a 29% disparity in the number of instances of the disease between those who had never become pregnant and those who had at least one full term pregnancy. Furthermore, the more pregnancies one had, the less likely they were to develop ovarian cancer.

EPIC remind us that there is also evidence to suggest that taking the contraceptive pill will increase  risk of developing breast cancer but the incidence is low (50 per 100,000 higher than it would have been otherwise).

A recent study carried out by Bayer Healthcare has highlighted the growing number of women who take risks when having sexual intercourse by not thinking about contraception. In fact, over half of sexually active women are throwing caution to the wind in this way. 58% of women are putting themselves at risk including one third who have had unprotected sex on at least five occasions and with almost 50% of women forgetting to take their birth control pills.

Of the 3,000 women surveyed, one in ten of them said that on occasion they did not use contraception so as not to kill the passion but only 16% of these women are using longer lasting contraceptives such as the coil in order to protect them from pregnancy. These forms of contraception do not need to be ‘remembered’ each time.

Despite the fact that these women could be protecting themselves from pregnancy with longer lasting forms of contraception, they should also be protecting themselves against sexually transmitted infections. This is the more worrying observation of the study.

Cystitis is the name given to the condition that includes urinary tract infection and infection of the bladder. Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a form of chronic cystitis where the wall of the bladder becomes inflamed. Doctors often misdiagnose IC as recurring bouts of urinary infections and women are prescribed antibiotics with no effect time and time again. With IC Awareness month upon us, current treatments and diagnosis are once again under scrutiny.

This year, the pelvic floor muscle is inspiring much discussion. According to one consultant urogynecologist at Imperial College London, it is the tightening of the pelvic floor muscles that leads to pain when urinating and pain during sexual intercourse. When the muscle tightens, it goes into spasm. This also means that the bladder often does not empty properly allowing it to become infected more easily. Pelvic floor exercises have notoriously been recommended by physiotherapists and doctors especially when women complain that they are leaking urine. This is thought now to be detrimental to recovery and may even be the cause of interstitial cystitis according to a physiotherapist at the White Hart Clinic.

The future in IC treatment will hopefully involve a multi-disciplinary approach that the White Hart Clinic advocate and will include an ultrasound in order to see the bladder and pelvic floor muscle in action as one stands up straight, lies down and exercises. Treatments will be a combination of muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory treatment and antibiotics. Physiotherapy will be employed in order to relax the pelvic floor muscles. This form of treatment is popular in the United States and is very new here but has been proven to work in previous studies.

Now that medicine and physiotherapy are finally being combined, we might finally see a breakthrough for Interstitial Cystitis treatment.

Two reports recently published in the British Medical Journal explain that women who were taking birth control pills containing drospirenone, for example, Yasmin and Yaz, were 2 to 3 times more likely to develop blood clots that were considered life threatening than those on alternative oral contraceptives. The Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia has issued a warning.

The administration states that all oral contraceptives carry risk and that they will not remove Yasmin from the market but state that they are taking all new information seriously. Although there are rumoured connections between the drug and the death of a woman in Melbourne, the evidence suggests that the risk of this happening is so small. A British study revealed that out of 100,000 British women who took Yasmin, only 23 developed a blood clot. The study in the British Medical Journal has been described as flawed by Bayer (the pharmaceutical company behind Yasmin) and also the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The latest research on the economics of free provision of the morning after pill reveals that free availability over the counter has not prevented teenage pregnancies and may have actually contributed to an increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections. The retrospective contraception is also available in certain pilot study areas to those under 16 years, does not require a prescription and is free of charge.

The business school at Nottingham University has demonstrated that making this drug more accessible is doing more harm than good. The results of their study revealed that there were as many teen pregnancies among the under 16s who had this free contraception available to them as there were pregnancies among those under 16 who did not have such access to the drug. They also discovered that sexually transmitted infections increased by 12% among this age group when the over the counter emergency contraception was made available and free from local pharmacies. The study will be published shortly in the Journal of Health Economics.

Although teenage pregnancies have fallen over the last 10 years, the UK still has the highest rate in western Europe.

The number of cases of breast cancer in Western countries is five times higher than the number of cases in other developed countries. The Kimmel Cancer Centre, Jefferson, carried out a study revealing that high fat and cholesterol levels that are characteristic of the average American diet play a huge role in the developing and the spreading of breast cancer. The study was published in The American Journal of Pathology.

Mice were tested and fed a Western diet, typically higher in fat and cholesterol than the diet associated with other developed regions. The results convey that mice on the Western diet grew tumours that were 50% larger and that grew at a much faster rate than the tumours in mice that were fed a controlled diet.

We already know that immigrant populations, who have come from areas recording lower rates of the disease, experience an increased number of breast cancer cases than in their region of origin. The effect of diet on breast cancer development and spread is palpable. Fat and cholesterol levels should be monitored consistently as a preventative measure.

It is Interstitial Cystitis (IC) awareness month across the USA, and now IC patients and the rest of us have the opportunity to inform ourselves of the plight of the sufferers and of the best ways of coping with and tolerating this condition. This year the focus is on discrimination. Most of us have probably never spared a thought for those who might suffer from bladder pain syndrome or IC if we have not experienced it ourselves. For many of us, if denied bathroom access, it is no big deal however some sufferers’ lives revolve around the possibility of bathroom access wherever they go.

Many patients need to urinate up to 60 times per day. Pain is felt as the bladder fills and so constant relief is sought. Others feel an urgency to pass urine all the time or pain is continually experienced and sexual intercourse becomes impossible. While dealing with all of the symptoms and obstacles associated with IC, those who have it are often discriminated against. 63% are unable to work but those who do are constantly battling with having to frequent the bathroom.

Thankfully, there are ways to improve the condition. Diagnosing the condition early enough means that symptoms can improve with time. There are many treatments and physical therapies that may be employed to ease symptoms and improve quality of life. Diet is a huge factor when IC has been diagnosed. If changes are not made to diet, then IC can get worse and serious health problems will follow.

This month patients are exchanging their stories and experiences of living with IC on the IC Network website and Facebook. Patients are getting quite involved and along with striping their hair blue, they are asking their city councils for more research funding for IC. In addition, they are approaching state representatives in the hope that proclamations in support of IC patients will be passed.

Interstitial Cystitis should not be confused with common cystitis, which is caused by an infection that is easily treatable with antibiotics.

Research has been carried out at Swansea University on how the womb detects and responds to bacteria. The results may lead to a breakthrough in cures and treatments for infections like chlamydia and pelvic inflammatory disease, infections that can lead to infertility.

The womb reacts to infection in a completely different way to the rest of the body.

The research team reports that the womb uses cells that are not normally used in immunity to find and interact with bacteria. The scientists discovered cells in the lining of the womb that were responsible for responding to infection.

This discovery marks the beginning of more research into possible preventative methods and treatments for some of the most damaging infections, such as chlamydia.

Health experts have warned that British women have dangerous diets, with teenagers relying on faddy food plans and pensioners not getting the necessary nutrients.

Scientists reviewed 110 different sets of research into how British women eat and discovered that women in the prime of life are routinely not getting the right nutrition. Girls of school age are also very likely to be missing out on crucial vitamins, with over half of girls aged between 11-18 not getting the recommended intake of minerals.

30% of teenage girls are not getting enough potassium, 16% are lacking iodine and nearly 50% are not getting enough iron.

In older women, zinc deficiency and a lack of vitamin D was a particular problem. Pregnant women need vitamin D to strengthen their unborn child’s bones and ensure that they are not born underweight.

Even as women approach retirement, their diets do not improve. As women get older, they need more vitamin D to prevent brittle bones but the collective research seems to suggest that only a third of women over 65 are getting their recommended daily allowance.

The team behind the review are from the Manchester Metropolitan University and began the study after being commissioned by the Health Supplements Information Service, a independent body.

They concluded that women need to make better food choices to ensure that they are taking in their daily recommended vitamins and suggested that those not following sensible diet plans should round out their diet with daily multivitamins.

Tragic news for the legions of women who have been squeezing themselves into the corset-like anti-cellulite pants which have become so popular – they don’t work.

Nicknamed ‘magic pants’ they promised to help women look thinner, with no extra exercise. Packaging claims that the pants, stocked by M and S, “smooths, slims and shapes’. The company saw customers flock to buy them and sell three times as many as regular pants. John Lewis and Debenhams also stock versions of the knickers.

Which? magazine however say that women are being misled by the packaging. They consulted two plastic surgeons and a dermatologist to see whether the pants, with their special ingredients of aloe vera and caffeine embedded in the fabric, could actually banish cellulite as promised.

They concluded that it was doubtful that the knickers were actually effective and said that any underwear as tight as them would in any case smooth skin. They also questioned whether the magic ingredients were present in sufficient qualities to have any effect.

A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer pointed out that the packaging did not claim to get rid of the cellulite itself, but rather diminish its appearance. She added that the ingredients are widely used in anti-cellulite creams.

If anyone saw the ravaging hoards of women buying up the pants when they were first released, there is no doubt that this will be a huge blow to women eager to look slimmer. Personally, the horror of trying to cram myself into them only to see something in the mirror strongly resembling an over-stuffed sausage skin will live with me for a very long time. I’d take cellulite and giant granny pants over revisiting that particular trauma anytime.

They say abstinence is the best way to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections and for 1 in 4 women over 35, they are certainly playing their part to keep the STI rates down. A survey has revealed that over 25% of UK women over 35 ‘never’ have sex.

Scotland had the highest proportion of women who don’t ever make love (38%) while in the Midlands 32% of women say they have sex once a week.

The high proportion of women who don’t engage in sex was partly explained when most women said that working every day impacted on their sex lives. It was discovered that the less women work, the more they enjoy their sex lives, with 2/3s of those working part time reporting regular orgasms, compared to just over half who work full time.

Childless women were more likely to have a greater number of orgasms than mothers. 41% of women with no children said that they orgasmed most of the time, falling to 12% for those with one child and 14% for those with two.

26% of women said they were concerned that the menopause would cause them to lose their sex drives, as well as affecting their memory.

The survey was commissioned by Sky Real Lives as part of the launch of their new TV show, The Secret Guide To Women’s Health. Fronted by Colleen Nolan, of the exquisitely annoying Iceland adverts,  the show hopes to provide a platform for women to discuss the health problems they can’t talk about with friends (there seems to be a bit of flawed logic going on there – oh, no, of course most people would rather talk to Colleen Nolan on national TV if they are too embarrassed to speak to their best friends.)

As January came around, many people’s thoughts turned with vim and determination to sales shopping. Off half the nation trotted, sharp elbows out, to battle their way through the department stores to get that discounted magimix or the perfect pair of boots.

Whether or not you managed to find the perfect buy or came home with a top three sizes too small you’re planning on ‘dieting into’, just the act of shopping could be good for your health. It has been worked out that walking between shops and lifting heavy shopping bags is like doing a workout, burning 385 calories a week for the average British woman.

The figures come from Debenhams, who tested 10 shoppers, half of whom were women and half who were men, and then carried out a further survey of 2,000 shoppers. They discovered that women browsing the shops cover an average of nearly 3 miles during a standard 2.5 hour shopping session.

Men however are less determined when they shop, spending just 50 minutes in the stores and covering only 1.5 miles.

The NHS recommends that people should take 10,000 steps everyday and a vigorous buying session comes close to meeting this target, with women taking an average of 7,300 steps per trip. The large number of steps is explained in the results of the shopper questionaire, where nearly half of the women who took part said that they ‘shop till they drop’, not stopping for a rest until they have found that they are looking for.

Debenhams said that the survey shows that not only that Britons ‘love to shop’ but that the health benefits mean that exercise and weight loss are easily achievable through everyday activities. Admittedly the statement is slightly flawed as unless you are a millionaire with no job, a 2.5 hour shopping session is not exactly an ‘everyday’ (or even ‘every week’) activity, but it’s still nice to know that searching for the perfect outfit is making you healthier!

All together now: “I like big butts and I cannot lie…” The catchy masterwork of a slightly pervy rap artist, or the prophetic advice of a health guru 20 years before his time?

Okay, probably the great Sir Mix-A-Lot was just a dirty sod, but he has been proved right about one thing – we should like big butts, because according to scientists, fat around the bottom and thighs could protect women against conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Last week we heard that fat around the waist was especially dangerous, an early warning sign of dangerously high cholesterol, but is seems that just as there are good and bad cholesterols, there are also good and bad fats which are generally found in specific areas of the body.

Dr Konstantinos Manopoulos, from the team at Oxford who carried out a review of research into lower-body fat, said that the cells in lower body fat work differently to upper body fat.

Cells in fats deposits around the bottom, known as gluteofemoral fat, reduce the effect of a dangerous protein, which can cause inflammation and disease. The Oxford scientists called for more research to be done into body fat distribution, calling it a ‘major determinant of metabolic health.’

As most women have at some point screeched the age-old cry of ‘Does my bum look big in this?’, they also suggested that their research meant that stars like the generously-padded Beyonce and curvaceous J-Lo were good role models for women, as they make large bottoms seem desirable.

Look at any of the slew of adverts for perfume, make-up or clothes and the message coming across is very clear – thin equals sexy, erotic and desirable. However, good news has been announced for everyone packing a few extra pounds – bigger men and women are apparently better in bed.

The newspapers have been using this as a fantastic excuse to compare skinny and curvier celebrities, with the Mirror running the headline, “Kelly Brooke is better in bed than Cheryl Cole!” (conjuring up images of a staff writer desperately trying to kid himself his knowledge is based on personal experience rather than lustful conjecture).

In a study commissioned by bedmakers Silentnight, 89% of men said that they preferred curvier sexual partners to  thin women. Of those men, 56% of them said that they thought partners with curves were more considerate about pleasing them when in bed.

Furthermore, when the romping is over, you’re more likely to sleep better if your partner is curvy. During the two-year study, it was discovered that thin people toss and turn up to 10 times a night on average, whereas those who are heavier only turn over twice.

It is thought that this is due to thin people suffering more from their pressure points being triggered while they sleep, decreasing their circulation and forcing them to turn more often to relieve the pressure.

The company’s sleep scientist Iftikhar Mirza commented that curvy men and women ought to be ‘feeling pretty happy right now’ as not only were they considered good in bed but were also better to sleep next to.

That hard-to-lose fat around your waist tends to be a bit of a nightmare to shed, as well as being an early indicator for health problems such as diabetes. Now, for those women who’ve always dreamed of boosting their boobs, hate their muffin tops and have a few grand to splash about, the perfect solution seems to have come along.

A new cosmetic procedure has been developed which sees fat taken from around the waist and inject into the breasts.  Described as a “two for one” procedure, the operation has been greeted by cosmetic surgeons as the new breakthrough in surgery.

The president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Nigel Mercer, said that the new procedure was on the agenda for the annual meeting this week in Cardiff of the top plastic surgeons in the world.

Mr. Mercer added that fat grafting techniques have been around for a while but previously were not widely offered due to concerns over safety and whether the body would accept the fat. He added that the Association was not yet sure whether the procedure could be widely offered to the public. There are also concerns that the fat might calcify and be mistaken for a tumour during a routine mammogram.

The Harley Medical Group chain of plastic surgeons is planning to offer the treatment and Mel Braham, their chairman, described trials of the technique as “astonishingly successful”. He said that it offered the opportunity to provide patients with two procedures while other surgeons have said that fat taken from the body would act as a more natural implant.

The medical world has become more and more aware of the difficulties faced by women who lack sexual desire, leading to the condition Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder being accepted as a medical condition.

However a new study has revealed that when it comes to women having sex, desire is often the last thing to cross many women’s minds. A new book entitled, Why Women Have Sex highlighted the 200 top reasons women gave for why they had sex, with sexual feelings coming extremely low down on the list.

Cindy Meston and David Buss, psychology professors at the University of Texas and co-authors of the book, questioned 1,006 as research for the tome and concluded that while men find most women attractive in some way, most women do not find most men sexually attractive at all.

The answers that the women gave for why they went to bed with someone were fairly wide-ranging, from “for a clearer complexion”  (apparently this was Joan Collin’s response) to “because I felt sorry for them.” 1 in 10 women admitted to having sex because someone gave them presents or bought them an expensive meal. Other respondents said they had sex to cure headaches and improve their sexual skills. This last one was a popular response, and one girl said that she saw each encounter with her boyfriend as a chance to ‘heighten’ her skills.

Perhaps the most depressing answer was “I have sex to relieve the boredom. Because its easier than fighting. Plus it gives me something to do.”

The two researchers concluded that women’s sexual attraction was usually triggered by that most Mills and Boon-y character, the tall, deep-voiced man who smelled good, as these qualities indicate high levels of testosterone. However there was hope for short, squeaky-voiced fellows who smell bad, as men with a lower level of testosterone are seen as good long-term prospects, as they are less likely to run off with other women.

The New York Times has run a story claiming that the Republican ex-vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s hair has started thinning with the stress of the past year. They quoted her hairdresser Jessica Steele as saying that Ms. Palin needed emergency help to cover up the loss, after a spate of political setbacks “just broke her heart.”

Hair loss in women is still seen as a rather taboo subject, though it is increasingly common. Like men, women often find that their hair loss can be triggered by stress.

Looking at Sarah Palin, the shock could be any number of stressful events in her life, from an investigation into her taxes, allegations that she abused her position to get her brother-in-law fired and a public feud with the American TV host David Letterman after he make a joke about her daughter. This has all been topped off by her resignation as the Governor of Alaska, a move some say is part of a run-up to a shot at the White House.

The stress-related hair loss syndrome is known as telogen effluvium and describes when hairs in their growing phase are pushed suddenly into their resting phase by a shock to the system. The resting phase then prompts them to fall out.

There are some specific options for women than can halt the hair loss, such as the version of the topical gel Regaine which has been developed especially for females. Unfortunately, the prescription-only medicine Propecia only cures male-pattern baldness, and cannot be taken by women. Some women are opting for the more extreme – and expensive – option of hair transplants.

German health care regulators have warned that the celebrity trend of losing baby fat in the shortest possible amount of time is not only unrealistic but also dangerous. The experts have said that while celebrities are frequently shown in magazines, such as Heat, 6 weeks after the birth of their baby with amazingly flat stomachs, in actuality it takes between 6 months and a year to shed the weight gained during pregnancy.

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care said that women are being put under too much pressure to lose the weight as soon as they have delivered and are being given an unrealistic image of how long it takes by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Heidi Klum, both whom were pictured very shortly after their pregnancies with pre-pregnancy figures.

The director of the Institute, Professor Peter Sawicki, said that women often after giving birth will find that weight naturally “melts away”, due to the calories expended during breastfeeding and while looking after a newborn.

However he warned that women should watch their weight while pregnant, especially if they were already overweight or had a tendency to pile on the pounds.

Lack of female sexual desire is basically impotence’s poor little sister. And by poor we mean starving-tramp-in-the-streets-begging-for-a-cup-of-tea poor, as opposed to erectile dysfunction’s billionaire status. There is even a fair amount of dispute amongst doctors as to whether hypoactive sexual desire disorder is even a medical, potentially treatable disorder.

Any news of research being done into the condition is always cheering, so we were pleased to hear about the findings of a team of researchers based in America, at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. They conducted a series of phone interviews with just over 1,000 post-menopausal women to discover how many of them were experiencing a reduced sex drive. The results indicated that between 9 to 26% of women suffered from this problem and furthermore concluded that a significant number of those women were twice as likely to report other health problems, including back pain, fatigue and concerns about their memory.

The researchers discovered that women experiencing HSDD were significantly more likely to be depressed and battling dissatisfaction with their home lives and partners. The team state that their research proves that HSDD is a serious problem and places a weighty burden on the shoulders of those who are suffering. Andrea K. Biddle, associate professor of health policy and management at Gillings, said : “Our research shows that HSDD is a significant and clinically relevant problem, and not a normal or inevitable part of the aging process...Women with the disorder experience health burdens similar to individuals with serious chronic conditions."

The menopause can be a difficult time, with women experiencing hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and often a great sense of sadness at the perceived loss of youth. The NHS estimates that eight out of ten women experience symptoms when going through the menopause. Of these women, while some take HRT to ease their severity, others have turned to herbal remedies to combat symptoms after a spate of HRT-related health scares. However there has been a recent warning that these remedies may not only be ineffective but even detrimental to health.

A report in the Drugs and Therapeutic Bulletin has said that there is no strong evidence of the efficacy of herbal treatments and has warned that because there is little clinical research done on herbal treatments, not enough is known about their safety or potential interactions. The Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is attempting to better monitor herbal remedies, giving Menoherb (which contains black cohosh, thought to ease hot flushes and sleep problems) a Traditional Herbal Registration. However there are still many treatments, from red clover to ginseng, which have been insufficiently researched. The bulletin identified the lack of extended clinical data on herbal remedies as a big problem; in studies on black cohosh, for example, results were “equivocal” and there are concerns that it may damage the liver. Studies often don’t include a large enough sample of patients and are poorly designed and fail to account for the different chemical makeup of different preparations of the same herb.

A survey in 2007 published by Menopause International found that two fifths of women had tried alternative treatments to combat menopausal symptoms. Herbalists have said that just because there is no reliable data does not mean treatments are not effective, but the authors of the article have expressed concern that doctors may be unaware women are taking herbal supplements and need to routinely ask this when conducting a consultation.

The regulation of herbal medications and food supplements has been coming under increasing scrutiny, with experts in the field of obesity, sexual dysfunction and women’s health warning that consumers are frequently being ripped off or even put at risk by products that are untested and ineffective.

A scheme to give the contraceptive pill out without prescription is being piloted in the London boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark. Prompted by the boroughs’ high teenage pregnancy rate, it is hoped that by improving access to contraception, unplanned pregnancies are more likely to be avoided. Women over 16 will be able to obtain it after consulting with a pharmacist. The pilot has aroused some controversy, for while some believe a new approach to contraception is needed, others argue that it will put patients’ health at risk.

Currently, there is not a huge amount of options available for women suffering from low sex drive. Indeed, it has been fairly hard to get female sexual dysfunction (FSD) acknowledged as a medical issue, rather than one rooted solely in the mind. It is therefore always heartening to hear that new treatments are in the pipeline, and so we at The Online Clinic will be watching medical firm BioSante’s clinical trials of their two new treatments with interest.

For many years there have been tales of how a mother’s eating habits could influence the sex of her unborn child. These claims have often been dismissed as old wives tales but now it seems that there could be an element of truth to be had in these stories.

New research claims that a high-calorie diet and regularly eating breakfast in the run up to conception increases the odds of having a boy. It also suggests that a high glucose diet at this time will increase the chance of having a son. It is not exactly clear why this dietary pattern might have an impact but it has been known for some time in IVF research that high glucose levels inhibit the development of a female embryo whist encouraging the development of the male embryo. Although these two observations are separate, there might be some connection in the influence that environmental factors have on the sex of a foetus.

For years we have been hearing from women who claimed that they put on weight following the menopause but there was no scientific explanation why this might be the case.  Following the publication of some interesting research in the US we now might just have the answer. It appears that oestrogen receptors in the hypothalamus of the brain act as master switches which regulate appetite, fat distribution and energy expenditure.  The research was the result of animal experiments where the oestrogen receptors in this region of the brain were switched off and the animals suddenly began to eat more food, expend less energy and add body weight – particularly around the middle region.

An area of the hypothalamus called the ventromedial nucleus has already been explored using gene silencing techniques to examine the effects of deactivating oestrogen receptors in this region.  The result showed that there was a drop in the metabolic rate and energy levels fell.  The animals gained weight without an increase in calorie consumption.

The research team now proposes to explore the arcuate nucleus region and, based on the earlier research where the entire oestrogen receptor population in the hypothalamus was switch off, they expect that when the receptors are switched off in this region, the animals’ appetites will increase.

The findings of a study into the effects of hormone therapies have finally been published in the British Medical Journal, five years after the trial was stopped. The WISDOM study was set up to examine the effects of HRT in post-menopausal women began in 1999 but was abandoned in 2002 after initial findings that HRT could be linked to wider health problems.

The researchers have completed the study in their own time and maintain that, while older women should not commence a course of HRT many years after the menopause, it is perfectly safe for younger women to use oestrogen therapies to relieve symptoms such as hot flushes and vaginal dryness as they go through the menopause.  This study now confirms earlier findings that women in their sixties who take HRT have a higher incidence of cardiovascular problems.

Back in January we brought you news of an exciting new drug in development which can be used to treat erectile dysfunction in men and hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women.  We now have information that the Phase IIb trials for use in men were a success and a meeting has been arranged with the FDA in August to discuss the results and to run through the requirements for the Phase III trials.  Bremelanotide tackles erectile dysfunction in a completely different way from the current generation of drugs such as Viagra.  Bremelanotide targets the central nervous system and is the first medication in a class known as melanocortin agonists.  Because of the way that this new medicine works, it is unlikely to be contraindicated for patients with heart problems or who use nitrates.  Although it will be a while before this medication is available to prescribe, initial findings do appear positive.

The new prescription treatment for Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder is now available to prescribe.  The Online Clinic is one of the first websites to offer this treatment.  Please follow this link to read about Intrinsa and register - Buy Intrinsa

Intrinsa is not suitable for everyone so please register so that one of our doctors can assess your suitability.  The registration process only takes around 3 minutes.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact The Online Clinic direct.  A member of staff will be glad to help you.

Intrinsa, the much heralded pharmaceutical patch to help women with a low libido is about to be available to prescribe in the UK.  This is the first of a number of pharmaceutical products currently in development to help women with a low sex drive.  Intrinsa has been launched by Proctor and Gamble which received approval for this product from the European Medicines Agency last July.

The patch works by supplying the body with additional testosterone – a hormone that occurs naturally but is often found to be low in women who complain of having a low sex drive.  The testosterone is delivered via a transdermal patch to reduce the potential side effects.  The patch is placed on the lower abdomen and should be changed every 3 to 4 days.  Trials have shown that women who use the patch are inclined to feel like having sex more frequently.

Intrinsa is a prescription only medication and it will not be appropriate for everyone.  We will provide more information when it becomes available.

If you would like to register your interest in this product, please feel free to send an e-mail to consultations@theonlineclinic.co.uk and we will notify you when we have this product available to prescribe.

Acomplia was a ground-breaking new breed of medication which targeted the body’s little understood endocannabinoid system when it was launched in the UK last June but it could soon have one or more rivals. Both Merck and Pfizer have similar drugs in Phase III clinical trials which are said to be producing very promising results. Merck has already announced that it intends to apply for regulatory approval in 2008 and it is believed that Pfizer will be aiming to seek approval at around the same time. There is another drug which works in a similar way to Acomplia under development by Bristol Myers Squibb but it is believed that the development of this product is significantly behind those of Merck and Pfizer.

The drugs in development are all CB1 receptor antagonists. Results from the trials have not yet been published so it is not possible to gauge whether they will have a better success rate than Acomplia. What is known is that the slimming pill under development by Merck is going to be of a much lower dosage than the 20 mg at which Acomplia is licensed in the UK. The Phase II trial focused on 6mg, 4mg and 2 mg strengths but the Phase III trial will focus on 2mg, 1mg and 0.5mg, suggesting that the company has either concluded that a lower dose is better or the side effects were too severe at the higher dosages.

Although the endocannabinoid system is not fully understood, it is believed to form part of the body’s system of regulating cravings. Samples taken from obese women have been compared with samples taken from lean women and the level of endocannabinoids found to be much higher in the obese women. This discovery has led scientists to conclude that the endocannabinoid system is likely to be overactive in obese people. The introduction of Acomplia, which prevents the CB1 receptor from working, has helped thousands of obese patients in the UK to lose weight.

A scientific study into the controversial Atkins diet suggests that it can be one of the most effective ways for women to lose weight without the aid of slimming pills.  At the end of a 12 month trial, overweight subjects on the Atkins regime had lost twice as much weight on average as women on three competing diets. Atkins minimises carbohydrates, such as bread and sugar, in favour of meat and other proteins.  However, amid increasing concern that its devotees miss out on vital nutrients, it has recently been supplanted by new dietary regimes such as the GI diet, which consists of foods that release glucose slowly and evenly into the bloodstream.

Last week however, the study has revealed that Atkins produced more weight loss with no signs of undesirable side effects – at least in the short term.  In the study, 311 pre-menopausal women, overweight women were asked to follow four regimes: the Atkins; Zone; LEARN or Ornish diet.  Each diet involves a different level of carbohydrate intake.  The Atkins recommends the lowest level of carbohydrate, the Zone diet a little more.  The LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition) diet follows the American government’s recommendations for a diet low in fat and high in carbohydrates.  The Ornish diet is very high in carbohydrates and extremely low in fat.

After one year, the 77 women on the Atkins group lost an average of 10 pounds – about twice as much as those on the LEARN and Ornish diets. Women on the Zone lost an average of 3.5 pounds.

A spokesman for the Medical Research Council said that the reason for the success of Atkins was that people found a diet that allowed high intakes of meat and fat easier to follow than other more Spartan regimes.

In Britain, the Atkins diet reached its peak in 2003 when a survey indicated that 3 million people were on it. The diet was endorsed by celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston.

The Online Clinic does not support the use of the Atkins diet as the long term effects of having a diet high in fats and proteins is not known but we can make a reasonable guess that it is not going to be good for you.  Some people have even suffered ill effects of being on the diet for a short period of time, with one 16 year old American girl actually dying after being on the diet for two weeks as her body was so low on potassium that the normal electrical function of her heart was interrupted.  Other users of the diet have had lucky escapes, including a doctor from Illinois who was a former enthusiast for the diet but ended up having to call the emergency services after suffering from arrhythmia (irregular heart beat.)  Also, don’t forget that even although Dr Atkins died in a tragic accident, he was overweight at the time of his death and he was suffering from cardiovascular problems.

It is possible to have a diet that is low in refined carbohydrates, thereby stopping the insulin spikes which can cause the retention of sugars as fat, without the diet being dominated by fats and proteins.

A revolution in the way that sexual dysfunction is treated could be just around the corner. Bremelanotide (formerly known as PT-141), which forms part of a new class of drugs called melanocortin agonists, is being developed in the United States by Palatin Technolgies. The drug works through a mechanism of actions involving the central nervous system rather than directly on the vascular system like currently available drugs, such as Viagra and Cialis. Given that Bremelanotide works in a completely different way from existing drugs on the market, it is thought that it may be able to be used by patients for whom the current generation of drugs are either contraindicated or are ineffective.

According to market data, around 40% of men who are prescribed the currently available drugs to treat erectile dysfunction do not refill their prescription as a result of a lack of efficacy or intolerable side effects. Palatin therefore believes that there is significant market demand for an alternative form of drug therapy.

Bremelanotide has been shown in four Phase 2 clinical trials to be effective in treating erectile dysfunction and it is currently undergoing Phase 2A clinical trials to treat pre-menopausal women suffering from sexual dysfunction, early results of which are encouraging according to Palatin. The drug is administered by way of a nasal spray and seems to have few side effects which are not dose related.

We will bring you more news on this exciting drug as soon as we have it.

A drug that was undergoing trials as an anti-depressant has been discovered to possess properties which appear to enhance women’s sexual desire. Flibanserin was being tested on a number of women who reported that their depression was no better but they had a much improved sexual appetite.

As many as one in five women suffer low levels of sexual desire and the aim of the drug is to normalise these levels. Flibanserin stimulates part of the brain associated with emotions and pleasure, including a circuit that appears to control desire and sexual arousal. No excessive sexual effects have been reported in the clinical trial.

Unlike Viagra however, Flibanserin cannot be taken as a one off treatment to improve sexual performance; it takes several weeks for the drug to build up sufficient quantities in the brain to have any effect so it would have to be taken as a daily pill.

The drug, which is owned by the German pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim, is now being tested on 5,000 women in 220 locations to examine its effects on female sexual dysfunction. The company hopes to achieve approval for Flibanserin by the Food and Drug Agency in the US by 2009.