Health News

Foams, Suppositories, Jellies, and Creams

Like condoms, jellies, creams, suppositories, and foam do not require a prescription. Chemically, they are referred to as spermicides – substances designed to kill sperm. Foams, suppositories, jellies, and creams usually contain nonoxynol-9, a detergent believed to be effective in also killing viruses, bacteria, and other organisms. Although they are not recommended as the primary form of contraception, spermicides are often recommended for use with other forms of contraception. Though they help prevent the spread of certain STIs, they are most effective when used in conjunction with a condom.

Jellies and creams are packaged in tubes, and foams are available in aerosol cans. All have tubes designed for insertion into the vagina. They must be inserted far enough to cover the cervix, providing both a chemical barrier that kills sperm and a physical barrier that stops sperm from continuing toward an egg.

Suppositories are waxy capsules that are placed deep in the vagina and melt once they are inside. They must be inserted 10 to 20 minutes before intercourse to have time to melt but no longer than one hour prior to intercourse or they lose their effectiveness.

Female Condom

This contraceptive device for internal use by women was approved by the FDA in 1993. The female condom is a single-use, soft, loose-fitting polyurethane sheath. It is designed as one unit with two diaphragm-like rings. One ring, which lies inside the sheath, serves as an insertion mechanism and internal anchor. The other ring, which remains outside the vagina once the device is inserted, protects the labia and the base of the penis from infection. Many women like the female condom because it gives them more control over reproduction than does the male condom. They believe that women must take full responsibility for birth control since they are the ones who become pregnant. When used correctly, the female condom provides protection against HIV and STIs comparable to that of a latex male condom.

*8/277/5*

For many, being overweight in our society clearly becomes a paramount concern and a significant source of worry. Some find that this fear makes the task of losing weight too overwhelming even to begin, while for others it creates a willingness to take extreme measures. Stearns and others concerned with the issue wonder if whether a change in the way doctors, insurance companies, and the media approach weight loss might be helpful.

Says Stearns: “I think there are at least two obvious suggestions. One would be to encourage doctors and insurance experts to get their act together and push more realistic models of body types. Some doctors will come out saying that adherence to the most rigorous weight standards does not demonstrably improve health, that oscillation in weight is possibly more dangerous than a certain degree of overweight. I think most people hear diversity of opinion from medical and insurance sources, and the easiest voices to spot are the ones that say ‘Just get the weight off. If you’re ten pounds under your desired weight you’ll be healthier.’ I don’t deny the possibility that that’s scientifically true, but I think in terms of human impact it’s proving counterproductive. It makes the

“The second source would be the media. A larger array of body types in the media should be seen as effective and desirable. Unfortunately television and the movies compound the problem by the fact that these media add ten pounds to the frame, so that even to look normal actual stars have to be pretty damn skinny. Again, if we eased up here, if we simply applied the message that we like to apply in other respects—that is, a welcoming of diversity—we might see a certain relaxation of the pressure. Whether we would choose to do this, given our fascination with these types and our insistence that our role models be particularly thin … I really don’t know.”

*58\233\8*

Brown Marks

Large, brown marks on the face and on the back of the hands are caused by long-term sun exposure. They are not due to age nor have anything to do with the liver, as the term ‘liver spots’ suggests. These marks can be readily treated with either liquid nitrogen (dry ice) or with a peeling solution of Trichlorecetic acid, which is done as an outpatient procedure and can be safely performed at any age. Fading and bleaching creams, however, are ineffective.

Cellulite

Cellulite refers to the lumpy fat and skin dimpling that is commonly seen on the thighs. In many women these fatty deposits are genetically determined, and weight loss and exercise do little to help. Many of these women also have a band of fibrous tissue connecting the fat to the skin, which produces the dimpling.

Although there are many creams advertised for eliminating cellulite, none have any proven benefit. There is also a vogue for massage and exercise treatments, which are not effective. The fatty deposits can be successively removed by liposuction, which is generally done under local anesthetic in day procedure centers. Liposuction, however, is not suitable for people who are generally overweight.

*40/150/5*