Best Cyber Monday Deal, Guaranteed

I have the absolute best deal for you or your loved one:

Check out this ECP carousel I put together to make it easier for you to buy the ECP in advance and have it handy:



I added the condoms because the carousel had to have 6 items minimum, and, for some reason, Nextime (out-of-stock) and Next Choice came up as not found.

Also notice we're now back to the i-Pill on Amazon, with Nextime unavailable, but let's not get sidetracked by that. The i-Pill and Nextime are different brand names for the same drug, a one-pill progestin (levonorgestrel) ECP. Whichever brand is available, it's easy to order at a good price.

The important thing to remember, if you are sexually active and do not plan a pregnancy, is to buy the ECP now, in advance, when you don't need it and keep it handy and use it in case of an emergency.

Have I mentioned it's important to buy ECP in advance and keep it handy?

If you think I'm belaboring the point, think again. Every single day, mostly via this post, I get comments and emails with questions about ECPs. Common questions, nothing out of the ordinary, from an obviously self-selected sample. And on an encouraging note, a good number of these questions come from men. Still, even I managed to be surprised by one common characteristic, one that stands out and not in a good way.

Not once have I seen it mentioned that the person in need of ECP had it handy. It's always 1) unprotected intercourse, 2) mad dash to find and buy ECP, 3) problem.

Combine the anecdotal findings from my blog with the fact that [o]nly 3% of respondents to the 2006–2008 NSFG [National Survey of Family Growth] indicated that they had received any counseling about EC in the past year, a number relatively unchanged from the 2002 survey, and you have a recipe for disaster.

It's enough that you have to deal with an unprotected intercourse emergency. Don't add to the stress of the situation by being unprepared.

Two more brief points related to the trends I noticed in my readers' ECP questions before I give you, once more, my Carousel o' ECPs:

I) One dose (one pill for Plan B One-Step, iPill, Nextime; two pills for Next Choice, Postinor) only covers one act of unprotected intercourse.

II) Doubling down on the dose (two pills for Plan B One-Step, iPill, Nextime; four pills for Next Choice, Postinor) will not, repeat, will not be more effective than a regular dose.

Bottom line: This holiday season do yourself, or a loved one, a favor and buy ECP in advance and keep it handy in case of an emergency.

Acupuncture for Kids – How safe is it?

Picture a child under several needle punctures without any form of sedation.  Would you consider it, if your child were ill and not responding to conventional medical treatment?  A surprising number of parents have.

Although the action of taking your child to see a trained acupuncturist may seem unnatural for some parents, for others it seemed the only course of remedy. Their willingness to have their children undergo this traditional Chinese practice have enabled  research  studies to  be conducted, which  has since provided evidence for its  acceptance into Western culture.

Acupuncture is an alternative treatment modality that reportedly offers curative benefits to patients for specific types of ailments through insertion and manipulation of thin needles in the body.

After careful review of studies spanning 60 years, Dr. Sunita Vohra, professor in the Department of Paediatrics and her colleagues of the University of Alberta in Edmonton assert “acupuncture is safe for children.”  The study was recently published in the Medical Journal, which now joins other peer reviewed evidence-based standards.

The recurring theme throughout the study, however, is one that strongly touts the treatment safe, only when administered by trained practitioners. Based on review of 37 studies in over half a century Dr. Vohra decisively concludes the procedure safe for children.

In the findings, 1,422 children were successfully treated with few exceptions of mild adverse effects dominating the reports. These adverse effects included pain, bruising, bleeding and worsening of symptoms occurring in 168 of the 1,422 children in the studies.

Severe effects were also reported. Twenty-five (25) serious events occurred in children with needle acupuncture; the majority of cases resulted in thumb deformity, usually after 1 year of treatment. 

Also, “five serious infections consisted of one case of HIV, one sacroiliitis, one septic arthritis of a lumbar facet joint, a pyogenic spondylitis, and a case of sub-periosteal abscess and osteomyelitis of the frontal bone.”  These reports reflected sub-standard sterile technique in performance of the procedure.

In one serious event a boy died having received a cardiac rupture. The autopsy report revealed needle holes in the diaphragm, the pericardium, and right ventricular wall, for which the cause of death was deemed puncture of the heart.

“Current acupuncture regulations precisely detail protocols intended to maximize the safety of acupuncture practice, including procedures for sterilization and needling in the areas of organs,” researchers said.  They however, added that “it is unknown what regulations were in place at the times and places of these adverse events.”

For parents to take their children to an acupuncturist for treatment imply that: either they believe in the health promotional benefits of homeopathic medicine or have resorted to its technique, having exhausted all options in the medical system. Despair and lack of satisfactory answers for their children’s ailments are compelling reasons why parents will seek alternative forms of therapy.

But can this review convince a wider cross-section of families that acupuncture is safe for their children?  Based on what researchers have said “the small number of participants included in the reviewed studies has limited the ability to draw conclusions about the overall safety of pediatric acupuncture,” they acknowledged.

Article first published as Acupuncture for Kids – How Safe is it? on Technorati.

How to create a detox diet

If you are genuinely interested in freeing your body from the damaging effects of toxins, following a detox diet once a month can help.

Proven to eliminate free radicals which can damage cells and reduce the efficiency of your metabolism, following a detox plan for a few days a month can help to improve your health and ultimately your weight loss over the long term.

Where do I start?

Before you jump on the band wagon and sign up for the latest celebrity diet, stop. Celebrity diets are notorious for cutting out major food groups in their quest to trigger weight loss and can often leave you feeling fatigued, dizzy and deprived of essential nutrients.

To detox properly, you need to incorporate the following kind of dietary plan:

Breakfast

• Swap milk for water and make some porridge topped with banana, raisins and sweetened honey
• Mix a healthy fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of oats
• Create a fruit smoothie using fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey (if you like it sweet)
• Cover muesli with some oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit before finishing with some natural yoghurt

Lunch

• Combine some vegetables or lentil soup with 2 oatcakes
• Top a freshly baked jacket potato with tuna mixed with sweetcorn and natural yoghurt. Serve with a side of salad
• Serve rice cakes with rocket, avocado, tomatoes, basil and black pepper before finishing with a handful of unsalted nuts
• Create your own homemade guacamole from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomato and garlic and serve with vegetable crudités and oatcakes
• Try fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice
• Serve a grilled cod fillet on a jacket potato and finish with steamed vegetables

Dinner

• Create your own Chinese stir-fry using bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and beansprouts in a little olive oil, garlic and ginger. Finish with brown rice
• Combine a baked jacket potato with a salmon fillet and steamed vegetables
• Combine a selection of vegetables (onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek) with prawns and fry before finishing with tomatoes, black pepper and tuna and a side of noodles
• Stir fry onions, peppers, baby sweetcorn and mushrooms before combining with tomatoes, white wine vinegar and honey. Serve with brown rice
• Create your own potato and bean casserole using onions, carrot, parsnip, potatoes, beans and garlic

These are just a handful of meal choices you can make whilst detoxing. However it is important to remember that this is not a long term dietary choice as you need to eat a balanced diet which includes lean meats, fibre and dairy products to ensure your body gets plenty of protein and calcium to build strong bones and muscles.

For this reason, only incorporate this dietary plan into your routine for a few days each month – though there is no harm including some of these meal options in your day to day diet – and make sure to eat a balanced diet of all your major food groups.

Alternatively, why not add a detox product into your dietary plan? Detox drinks and supplements can help to cleanse your system without having to cut dairy, meat and the occasional treat from your diet.

Instead you can healthily eat in moderation and continue enjoying food without feeling guilty.
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Acne – Why Do You Get It? How Do You Get Rid of It?

Few of us escape without some experience with acne. Whether it’s just a passing meeting or a full-blown relationship, acne is not a pleasant encounter for anyone.

The term “acne” actually covers a variety of skin conditions from red scaly skin to blackheads to pinheads to pimples.

The skin structures of hair follicles and their accompanying sebaceous glands are what are involved, and that’s why most acne breakouts are seen on the face, chest and back, places where these structures are the most dense. However, cystic acne will also show up in the armpits, groin, and on the buttocks – places where sweat commonly collects in the hair follicles.

Many of you are probably most familiar with acne as a condition of adolescence. This is because during puberty the increase of testosterone (yes, for both boys and girls) exacerbates the situation. However, many adults also suffer from acne well into their 30’s and 40’s. And due to hormonal changes pregnancy can also cause an acne flair-up.

Unfortunately, if you experience a severe bout of acne, scarring can result – both physically and emotionally.

So whether you’re a teen, a pregnant woman, or a 40-something businessman, the following information on acne treatments might just be what you’ve been looking for. As a dermatologist I’m happy to let you know that today there are some truly remarkable acne treatments available from your medical specialist.

1. ELOS Blue Light Acne Laser. This laser treatment specifically targets and destroys acne bacteria, in addition to shrinking oil glands and thus decreasing oil production. The best results are seen when the treatment is performed once every 2 weeks for 10 weeks total. Treatment is comfortable and you're able to resume normal activity immediately after treatment.

2. PDT for Acne.  Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a unique and highly effective treatment for moderate to severe acne. There are 3 steps to this treatment: 1) Gentle microdermabrasion  2) Application of the light-absorbing agent Levulan. 3) ELOS blue light acne laser. The best results of PDT are seen with 2 or 3 treatments performed once every 4-6 weeks.

3. Chemical Peels. The best peel for a mild acne treatment is the gentle glycolic acid Vivite "peel with no peel.” This brightens and exfoliates your skin plus gives it a beautiful glow with no downtime. Chemical peels are great to give your skin a quick fix before special events.

4. Cortisone Shots. This is ideal for the cystic acne that rears its ugly head during menstrual periods and times of stress. One quick and easy injection to the pimple and within hours it is smaller and flatter and by the next day the pimple can be completely gone. No downtime and no hassle.

5. Extraction. This is performed to unclog pores and smooth bumpy skin caused by whiteheads and blackheads. Regular extractions are important in breaking the cycle of acne and improving the appearance of your skin.

As you can see there are many choices available for treating acne.  Acne no longer has to cause physical discomfort or emotional pain. Talk with your dermatologist today to find out what treatment is best for you.

Dr. Tess Mauricio, “America's Favorite Dermatologist,” is an author, renowned international speaker, physician educator and nationally known media personality. This San Diego dermatologist is the Founder of Scripps Ranch Dermatology & Cosmetic center in San Diego and Dr. Tess Dermatology in La Jolla, California.  

ACOG Statement on Mississippi's "Personhood Amendment" Proposition 26

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly believes that the autonomy of women to make personal health care decisions must be respected. As the nation's leading organization of women's health physicians, dedicated to all aspects of women's health, ACOG supports quality health care appropriate to every woman's needs throughout her life, including the full spectrum of clinical and reproductive services. Mississippi's "Personhood Amendment," Proposition 26, does not respect the autonomy of women and jeopardizes women's health. We urge the citizens of the State of Mississippi to reject this Proposition on November 8th. Proposition 26 substitutes ideology for science and represents a grave threat to women's health and reproductive rights that will have long-term negative outcomes for our patients and society.

Proposition 26 defines the term person to "include every human being from the moment of fertilization", which has wide-reaching implications that will impact access to women's health, including treatment for cancer, infertility treatment, birth control options, and pregnancy termination. This proposal unnecessarily exposes women to serious health risks and significantly undermines the relationship between physicians and our patients. The vague and overly broad terms in Proposition 26 will prevent physicians from providing the care vital to women's health.

Proposition 26 must be defeated in the best interest of women's health.

(link mine)

Skin Rejuvenation: A Review Of Botox

Usually by age 30 expression lines begin to set in. Over time, what becomes most noticeable in the mirror are frown lines around the forehead,  crow's feet of the eyes,  and laugh lines around the mouth.

Although natural anti-aging remedies continue to produce glowing skin results, many persons feel nature could use a little more help. Such persons have questions they want answered on Botox.  If this is your thinking, then this review is for you.

Botox is clinically renowned to rejuvenate skin and is the primary agent behind many satisfied clients.  Here are a few commonly asked questions and useful information on the product:

How long does Botox treatment last?

If you are considering having Botox then one of the most likely questions you will ask is: "how long does Botox last?" It is best to first understand exactly what Botox is to give you a greater understanding of the  Botox procedure. Botox is effectively a neuro toxin which is produced naturally by a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum. The way Botox works is by blocking the electric signal that is passed along our nerves to various muscles within our body and face. By carefully injecting Botox into certain nerves within the face, you can prevent the contraction of the target muscles. For example, one of the most common uses of Botox is to treat the frown lines that appear in the forehead. The reason these frown lines appear is because of the contraction of muscles within the forehead. If these muscles are relaxed by using Botox, then the frown lines will disappear. Although 99% of Botox injections are carried out for cosmetic purposes, Botox does have some medical benefits too. Botox for sweating and Botox for migraines are both examples of conditions that can be treated using Botox.

How effective is Botox and how long does it last?

Botox is extremely effective at treating certain imperfections of the face including frown lines and crow’s feet, although the results are not permanent. The effects of Botox will typically last for around 4 months although there is some variation between individuals. The following lists the factors that are most likely to affect how long Botox will last:

Genetics: Some people will find that the effects of Botox last longer for them and this is just due to how quickly their body metabolises the toxin. There is no way of knowing this before you have your first Botox injection.

Age: The results of Botox will normally last for longer if you are younger.

Repeat treatments: Botox typically lasts longer if you are having it done for the second or third time. The reason for this is that there is some underlying weakening of the muscles following Botox so if the procedure is repeated the results will last even longer. Although this is the case, the maximum length of time Botox will last is 6 months.

The extent of the wrinkles etc.: Botox has its limits and cannot treat deep frown lines or excessive wrinkles. Botox is not a miracle cure and if you have extensive wrinkles that need treating you will have to consider a surgical procedure such as a face lift.

In summary you can expect the effects of Botox to last for around 4 months with an absolute maximum of 6 months. The results are generally extremely impressive and most people choose to have the procedure repeated a second or third time to maintain the same results. It is rare to experience any Botox side effects and the downtime is practically zero meaning it is an extremely convenient treatment. Just make sure you take into account the fact that you need to repeat the procedure when you are calculating the cost of Botox. This is the main disadvantage of Botox as it is not actually treating the underlying wrinkles; rather it is temporarily disguising them! Once you stop using Botox the wrinkles will return!