Younger People With HIV May Face More Stress, Isolation: Study

Younger people with HIV may experience more isolation and stress than older people with the disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that people younger than age 50 with HIV feel more disconnected from their support group of family and friends, largely because of stigma they felt because of their disease, researchers found.

Meanwhile, people age 50 and older with HIV had a stronger support group they could rely on.

"The younger, newly diagnosed individual may not know anyone in their peer group with a chronic illness, much less HIV," study researcher Allison Webel, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor at the university's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that people with HIV generally experienced higher levels of stress than those without. Specifically, HIV-positive people were 30 to 40 percent more stressed than people without the disease. Women were especially likely to experience stress from HIV.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS Care, are based on data from 102 people with HIV between ages 18 and 64 who were surveyed on their feelings of stress and isolation. They also had their heart rate variability measured. The average participant in the study was African-American, had been managing HIV for almost 14 years, was of low-income, and was age 48.

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Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/younger-hiv-stress-isolation_n_4339721.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

HIV-Positive Gay Men Who Know Their HIV Status Are Less Likely To Engage In Risky Sex: Study

Here's a good reason to know your status.

HIV-positive gay and bisexual men who are aware of their HIV status are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who aren't aware of their status, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thirty-three percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men but who are unaware of their HIV status engaged in unprotected anal sex in 2011 with someone who did not have HIV.

Comparatively, 13 percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men who did know their status engaged in unprotected anal sex with someone who did not have HIV.

"While we remain concerned about potentially increasing levels of sexual risk, it is encouraging to see that risk is substantially lower in those who know they have HIV," Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "HIV testing remains one of our most powerful tools to reverse the epidemic. Everyone should know their HIV status."

The findings are especially relevant as a report published last year from the CDC showed that the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among young gay and bisexual men.

According to the CDC, men who have sex with men make up almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. About half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are men who have sex with men.

The new report also shows that more men who have sex with men are engaging in unprotected anal sex, with 57 percent engaging in this type of sex in 2011 compared with 48 percent in 2005.

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Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/hiv-gay-men-risky-sex_n_4351118.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Giving Thanks

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion.  Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception.  Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.  Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road."  -- John Henry Jowett

As a child, I was taught the importance of manners.  My parents often said, "There are essential words that one must learn to use in an appropriate format."  These terms -- please, thank you, and you are welcome -- are the niceties that should be practiced by young and old alike.  

Although these expressions were routinely used in my childhood home, I never fully comprehended their significance until now.  At this point in my life, expressing my appreciation holds greater meaning than just a response for a kind gesture or a gift bestowed.  These social graces have become more of a spiritual passage than a pleasantry expressed.  This important aspect helps promote a more positive mindset.  These words now contain a greater meaning about living a life filled with gratitude and taking the time to convey the heartfelt sentiment of thankfulness to one and all. 

In the past, when I have allowed bitterness to take hold, I seemed to forget the blessings bestowed.  Instead of focusing on that which is good, I delved into a place of negativity.  This switch in perspective blocked me from radiating positive thoughts that enhanced my understanding of giving thanks for all things great and small.  Instead this acrimony permeated the best parts of me -- those of my heart and soul.  Over time, it took great effort to move past this phase of rancor and find a healing approach to uplift my self-imposed state of limbo.  As time has marched on, an attitude of gratitude has become my new mantra.  

As the holiday season continues, it provides me with the opportunity to call to mind all that I am thankful for.  When I acknowledge all the blessings, I have to stop and smile in recognition.  Not only from the standpoint of owning a lovely home, a beautiful garden, a vehicle, or fine clothes, but of all that encompasses an amazing lifespan.  It is now easier for me to recognize the significance of basking in the sun or admiring a moonlit night.  Or of delighting in flowers that embroider the earth with their brilliant colors while birds chirp their melodious refrains.  I no longer take for granted the laughter of a child at play.  For in it, I have found my own joy rekindled.  

As I gather around the table with those I hold most dear, I recollect the humble origins and purpose of the first Thanksgiving.  A gathering to give thanks for the bounty of family, friends, and the offering of fellowship.  So in this season of thanksgiving, I give thanks for all the marvelous wonders that have graced my life.  In recognizing all that is good, I have been able to once again embrace an improved outlook on life.

Follow Lillie Leonardi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GaulfromLebanon

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lillie-leonardi/thanksgiving_b_4365182.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

China to question movie director's agent on family planning allegations

Chinese director Zhang Yimou answers a question during a news conference for his new movie ''the 13 Women of Nanjing'' (the city also known as Jinling), in Beijing, December 22, 2010 file photo.

Credit: Reuters/Barry Huang

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Christmas charity appeal: Giving Chloe the break she richly deserves

The teenager's cheerful and confident demeanour hides the fact that she willingly shoulders burdens that most of her peers won't face until they leave home. But for one blissful week in June, she was able to shed her responsibilities on a respite break in Devon with 17 other young carers, courtesy of the charity Chicks.

Chloe's face lights up as she describes how she went rock climbing, swimming, played football and sat around a campfire in the countryside. "It was great – I got a bag of photos and messages when I left," she says. "They all sent me a card for my birthday in October."

Chicks allows young carers, children who live in poverty and victims of abuse to enjoy a carefree week of just being children at its retreats in Devon and Cornwall. Every meal is home-cooked and the children eat together at a table, something that many of them have never done at home. There is no television, no internet and no mobile phones are allowed.

Now in its 21st year, the charity hopes to raise £1.4 million to continue helping around 1,200 disadvantaged children between the ages of eight and 15 throughout 2014, as it receives no government funding.

"I felt a bit lost when she went, I just wanted her home," says Chloe's mother. "I was nervous about her going, but when I rang she just sounded so happy."

The family have had a tough few years since Stuart was posted to Afghanistan when Chloe was just nine years old. While he was away Jo's back went into spasm three times, which meant she had to stay in hospital for treatment. "Chloe wasn't able to be with me or her dad, and one of the weeks she had to be taken out of school because there was nobody to care for her," Jo says. "When I eventually came home, the only time she left the house for two months was to go to school."

Fearing her daughter would become isolated, Jo searched online for methods of support and came across the Southampton Young Carers Project, which referred Chloe to Chicks. Jo grows emotional as she reflects on how the project and charity have changed Chloe's life.

"She has so much more confidence now, whereas before she hated speaking to strangers," she says. "It's so reassuring that she gets to do things I can't do with her and that her dad can't either when he's not here. It's really important that she gets to do those fun things, and it helps me because I get upset at the thought she's missing out.

"She's got a lot on her shoulders, but although it's been tough, we've got through it. She takes it all in her stride, but if I fall she does worry," she says.

"We're very close, and it was a massive thing for her to go away for the week as she only knew one of the boys beforehand. It's so crucial for her to have a break where she's well looked after, and she absolutely loved it."

Chloe's contact from the young carers project, also called Jo, says that a lot of young children in her position don't actually realise they're carers. "If your mum or dad has always been ill, or if your brother was born how he was, you're not going to necessarily think you're a carer, because they're your family and it's something you've always done," she says.

"The emotional impact of going on a residential trip with Chicks is huge, and a massive deal for a young carer because they're leaving the person they care for for a week, when leaving them for a school day is hard enough."

The confidence and well-being the break instilled in Chloe is unbelievable, her mother says, as she watches her daughter play with her cat, Za Zu. "If something was wrong, Chloe might not want to worry me about it. That's why Chicks is so important; she gets the chance to talk through any worries she might have with others and have fun."

In the meantime, Chloe harbours ambitions of becoming a marine biologist, entering nanoscience or working with computers. She loves the rock group Evanescence and singer Bruno Mars, can't stand One Direction, and just about tolerated taking Jo to see Westlife's farewell tour – "Mum cried as they sang You Raise Me Up".

I leave thinking that, for Jo, it is the love and support of her remarkable young daughter that does that.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Music-based program may boost seniors' brain function, mood

By C. E. Huggins

NEW YORK Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:53pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A music-based training program that challenges both the body and the mind may improve brain function and mood among seniors, suggests a new study from Switzerland.

"The take-home message is that 6-months of music-based multitask training (i.e., Jaques-Dalcroze eurhythmics) - a specific training regimen which was previously shown to be effective in improving gait and reducing falls - has beneficial effects on cognition and mood in older adults," Dr. Mélany Hars, of Geneva University Hospitals, told Reuters Health in an email.

Jacques-Dalcroze eurhythmics was developed in the early part of the 20th century by the Swiss composer Emile Jaques-Dalcroze as a way to better understand music through movement. It is practiced worldwide, particularly in the fields of music, theater, dance and therapy, according to Hars.

A typical Jacques-Dalcroze session involves participants adapting their movements to the rhythmic changes of improvised piano music. In Hars' study, the participants were challenged to perform specific multitasking skills, such as walking to the rhythm of a piano while handling a percussion instrument and responding to changes in the piano's rhythm.

The study participants were also asked to perform quick reaction exercises, such as starting or stopping to walk or changing their walking speed on command, as well as matching their steps to the long or short music notes that were played.

The study included 134 men and women aged 75 years, on average, who were all at increased risk for falls but who did not live in a nursing home or other facility. These seniors were randomly divided into a study group that attended hour-long music-based multitasking sessions once a week for 25 weeks or a comparison group that just kept up their normal lifestyles and did not attend training sessions.

At the beginning of the study, both groups underwent a battery of tests for mental function and mood.

After six months, the 66 adults who participated in the music training sessions showed improved cognitive function, particularly on a test of their degree of sensitivity to interference, and decreased anxiety, compared to the group that had not done the training.

"This may have implications for everyday life function," since many situations require individuals to pay selective attention to one thing while blocking out something else, such as distracting surroundings, Hars and her coauthors write in the journal Age and Ageing.

How the training might be responsible for the improvements is unknown, Hars acknowledges.

However, she noted, "some studies suggest that music can mitigate effects of the aging brain… (and) some studies have revealed that specific physical exercise regimens may enhance (not only) cognitive performance but also brain function or brain structure of older adults."

Jacques-Dalcroze eurhythmics puts it all together in a program that combines gait, balance, movement coordination and flexibility training while also engaging attention and memory skills, Hars said.

This "is likely to engage multiple brain regions through a combination of music, rhythm, and exercise," Hars said.

Whether the training is also linked with fewer falls or improved walking ability in these seniors remains to be studied, the researchers point out in their report.

Source: bit.ly/1jSfqxt Age and Ageing, online November 7, 2013.

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Alan Titchmarsh: board games bring us together

But board games need to be chosen with care; some are quite deadly and can be regarded as recipes for a winter of discontent. As a rule of thumb, the more complex the rules, the more tedious is the game, and if you have folk in the house who have not played before – as many of us do at Christmas – it is much more fun all round if the rules are picked up on one dummy run.

I feel no need to extol the virtues of Scrabble, and anyway it has been replaced in our house by Bananagrams which is altogether faster and much more fun. The banana-shaped pouch contains Scrabble-like tiles bearing a single letter. Each player takes the required number and on a cry of "Split" has to arrange them in crossword fashion so that they all fit together. When the first player has completed their acrostic they must shout "Peel" and each player must then pick up another three letters, regardless of the number of tiles they have managed to arrange up to that point. The game continues until one player finishes and there are no longer enough tiles left to allow all players to pick up three, at which point the victor will loudly proclaim "Banana!" This is the cue for everyone else to groan and say, "But I had 'ACCOMMODATE' and 'TOXOPHILITE' and you won with 'SPOT' and 'TREE'!"

Sounds simple? It is, and great fun, too, so much so that it is played, Penelope Wilton informs me, by the cast of Downton Abbey in their idle moments while filming. Well, if it's good enough for Dame Maggie…

Game number two on the Titchmarsh popularity register is Rummikub. Here the tiles have numbers and must be laid down in sequences or else in collections of the same number but different colours (it's rummy by another name and with tiles rather than cards). Any dyslexic members of the family are likely to be the very devil with Rummikub. You will lose your shirt to them.

The other great thing about board games is that whereas television programmes divide the generations, board games bring them together. They can go on for as long as you like. Our latest passion is Sequence, played on a board that is covered with rows of pictures of playing cards. Two packs of real cards are involved and the object is to cover with counters the cards on the board that correspond with the cards in your hand until you have a row of five of them.

You are only dealt six cards to start with and you must pick up when you put down each card – and counter – in order to proceed.

You can keep Cluedo (I've never really got to grips with a lump of lead pipe in the library) and I am much happier when Monopoly stays in its box. I did manage to buy Park Lane and Mayfair once, and I even put hotels on them. The trouble was the feeling of guilt and remorse at fleecing my fellow players.

So this Christmas, go buy the board. You'll not regret it. Pass the chocolate, someone.

Language, Timothy!

We do turn into our parents after a time; not least when it comes to questioning the vernacular of those younger than we are. "Selfies" (self-portraits taken on camera-phones) have been much written about recently. I particularly liked the comment from a Telegraph reader who suggested that photos taken of someone else should be called "Elsies".

My own bêtes noires include the request so often heard in restaurants by those ordering food: "Can I get the steak and fries?" To this request I have the urge to respond, "I think it will probably be better to let the waiter bring them." Then, when I ask someone how they are, the reply will invariably be, "I'm good." Do they mean well-behaved? And can someone tell me when "the secrets of success" became "the secrets to success"? I don't suppose it really matters, but it does irritate me.

Alas the mirror I spotted in a novelty shop while on holiday last year could only apply to my wife and not to myself. I resisted buying it, fearing that it might lead to frosty relations. I do not wholeheartedly agree with the legend it bore, but I know that many female readers will find it strikes a chord. There, beneath the looking glass, in attractive pokerwork, were picked out the words: "MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, I AM MY MOTHER AFTER ALL."

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Christmas comes to Holkham Hall in Norfolk

The theme was 'traditional Victorian Christmas' and the team was dressing 18 rooms. 'It has to be traditional to fit in with the house,' Coke said. 'The house is Georgian but everyone loves a Victorian Christmas, there are so many amazing ideas to use.'

The house was built in the 18th century by Thomas Coke, the first Earl of Leicester, who wanted an Italian villa on the northern tip of Norfolk's coast. Since the 1750s the Coke family has lived in the house continuously. Viscount Tom Coke, his wife, Polly ('Don't call me Viscountess in the piece,' she begged), and their four children, Hermione, 14, Juno, 13, Edward, 10, and Elizabeth, seven, moved in six years ago. 'Taking over from Tom's parents was quite daunting,' Coke admitted. 'It felt very grown up. They had lived here for so long and did it so beautifully. It takes a while to feel as though you have ownership and that it's your ship.'

Holkham Hall is open three days a week from April to October, but in August 2011 Coke decided that Holkham should also have a Christmas event, like other stately homes around the country. The team spent five months planning, and decorated 11 rooms. An actress dressed as Queen Victoria arrived in a horse-drawn carriage to open the house. 'All the guests loved it and curtsied to her as she got out – even my mother-in-law curtsied to the Queen, it was so funny,' Coke said. Hermione, who attends a local boarding school, was on a school trip to Holkham. 'Queen Victoria was asking all the children on the trip questions. When she got to Minna, she asked her where she lived. Minna said, "Actually, I live here."'

_{Polly Coke in the south drawing room. Photo: Ben Murphy}

The children were very much included. Their four stockings hung over a fireplace, along with letters to Father Christmas (Juno wanted a new puppy). 'That's the biggest difference between us and a National Trust home,' Coke said. 'People love to ask about the family, they love seeing pictures of the children on the side and seeing them playing outside. They love that it's a lived-in home that's not roped off.' In 2011 Hermione was a Christmas elf; her job was to organise the queue to meet Santa. Last year Elizabeth was desperate to help out too. 'It was very funny,' Coke told me afterwards. 'Bessie, who was only six at the time, was asking this queue of children if they had been good boys and girls. She took it desperately seriously.'

The Coke family's ancestors were included in the decorations. One of the bedrooms was themed as that of a Victorian travelling gentleman – old suitcases (fabulous genuine artefacts with lord leicester printed on the outside) were stacked next to vintage maps, ancient leather waders and a stuffed alligator, brought down from the attic. 'This room is based on Henry Coke, who was a great explorer in his day and went to America and travelled from coast to coast on horseback.'

In the south dining room, set up as a Victorian games parlour, a 20ft Christmas tree with presents underneath (wrapped by the nanny) was surrounded by an old pram, an antique rocking horse and old board games, taken from the on-site Bygones Museum (housed in the stables), heirlooms from the house (also in the collection is an original 1965 American Airstream silver caravan, bought by Coke for her husband – the enthusiastic patron of the caravanning club – for his 40th birthday). 'The huge advantage is that we have all this stuff as part of our history, so it really feels authentic and a world away from some of the more commercial offerings you see,' she said.

_{The south dining room, with a tree surrounded by antiques and heirlooms. Photo: Ben Murphy}

Along with the heirlooms, it was the creative flourishes that made the house look and feel so special – something Coke is expert at. A milliner by trade, she studied at the London College of Fashion and still works under her maiden name, Polly Whately. She has a studio in the attic. 'It's my little bit of me that's non-Holkham.' Creativity runs in her family. Her mother is the dress designer Belinda Bellville, one half of the company Bellville Sassoon, whose clients included the Royal family, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. (Bellville also designed Coke's wedding dress in 1996.) Coke's cousin is Cath Kidston, whose shop Coke helped set up. 'For me the fun part of Christmas is seeing what we can make ourselves,' Coke said, smiling. One such item is Father Christmas's outfit, made from old red brocade curtains Coke found in the fabric room and trimmed with fur from a charity-shop coat. 'That outfit is completely unique and totally special,' she said.

Coke had decorated the 'forest' in the north corridor almost entirely from things she found around the estate (it does help having 250,000 acres at your disposal). The 65 potted trees were brought in by the forestry team and sprayed by Coke and a family friend, Ella Du Cane. The floor was covered with leaves that Coke had gathered from the grounds and dried on her Aga, and the ceiling was dripping with paper snowflakes. At the end of the forest, in the statue gallery, Coke said there would be a 'living statue' hidden among the house's real marble statues. 'It will all look very magical,' she said confidently, surveying the work still to be done.

_{The statue gallery, found at the end of the 'forest' in the north corridor, as a work in progress. Photo: Ben Murphy}

One of first rooms to be finished was the gingerbread room. 'This is my favourite,' Coke said as we walked in. Hundreds of gingerbread men hung from the ceiling and on the table in the centre was a giant four-storey gingerbread house. Coke commissioned a local cake designer, Emma Thorburn, in September to make it. It took Thorburn 120 hours, pain-stakingly placing 870 mini gingerbread men on the brickwork, 256 handmade fondant flowers in the garden and 785 hand-cut fondant tiles. 'She got her father, who is an architect, to help design it,' Coke said. 'She would email me a photo each week showing me the progress; it was so exciting.'

The preparations all paid off. On December 1 there was a queue of cars down the long drive. Everything had been finished beautifully, candles were burning and filled the house with Christmassy smells, and choirs of local schoolchildren were singing carols and ringing bells. Coke wandered around, largely unrecognised, with a smile on her face as the public asked room stewards questions such as whether her family would eat their lunch on the grand dining room table or when the children would open the presents under the tree.

The two weekends the house was open to the public for Christmas were a great success. There were nearly 5,000 visitors, an increase of 63 per cent on 2011's numbers. 'You have to bear in mind that two thirds of our border is sea, so that number of people is fantastic,' Coke said. 'The only hiccups we had were that the living statue kept getting too cold as he was on the north side, so I had to keep taking him down to the kitchen to give him a hot chocolate; and our Father Christmas was diabetic, so we had to keep topping him up with Lucozade,' Coke said, laughing. 'It was like a madhouse.'

_{The manuscript library. Photo: Ben Murphy}

All of the greenery had to come down as soon as the final guests left Holkham. The 35 fir trees were distributed to staff to take home, and most of the decorations had to be cleared so the house would be ready when the staff came back in January. 'But we kept a few of our favourite rooms with the decorations intact, and the big tree in the saloon with the presents underneath,' she said.

'I was so relieved when it was all over,' Coke confessed when we spoke last month. 'I was Christmassed out. But then of course two weeks later I had a house full of children for our family Christmas and I was excited again.'

Now she is busy finalising the preparations for this year's Christmas opening. 'We're changing lots of things and developing ideas from last year,' she said. The gingerbread house will be used again in another room. 'The most common question last year was when the children would eat the gingerbread house, but they're not going to because we need it.' The centrepiece this year is the Victorian animal tea party. 'I saw a picture in The Telegraph of a bizarre Victorian collection of stuffed animals having a tea party and I thought it was so funny, so we're going to do that. We'll have people dressed up in animal masks and hundreds of teacups that we'll hang from the ceiling, and a cake decorated as the head of Queen Victoria in the middle.'

As well as the house being open for two weekends there will be school trips in the week and candlelit tours on weekday evenings. 'It felt it was rather a waste to be open only at the weekends,' Coke said. She expects a further 2,000 visitors to attend. 'But part of what makes the Holkham Christmas so special is that visitor numbers will never be huge; it keeps it feeling very personal.'

Christmas celebrations are on December 7-8 and 14-15, with candlelit tours from 4-8pm on December 11-13 and 18-20, bookable in advance at holkham.co.uk

Source : http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/564649/s/34443bd4/sc/10/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Clifestyle0C10A480A70A70CChristmas0Ecomes0Eto0EHolkham0EHall0Ein0ENorfolk0Bhtml/story01.htm

French parliament backs reform of law on prostitution

1 of 3. A prostitute from Eastern Europe waits for customers along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, November 29, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Eric Gaillard

Source : http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/lifestyle/~3/sZZnsgQ5SIs/story01.htm

Risk factors may point to less-safe senior drivers

By Allison Bond

NEW YORK Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:09pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tests of physical abilities, such as balance and strength, may reveal how well an elderly driver will perform on the road, according to a new study.

Trouble with balance, weak lower limbs and poor neck flexibility were among the attributes Australian researchers linked to a higher risk of less-safe driving in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

"Although there has been a lot of research on the cognitive and visual predictors of driving performance and safety, very little work has so far looked at physical function and its relation to driving," said Philippe Lacherez, a post-doctoral fellow at Queensland University of Technology who led the study.

Lacherez and his colleagues gave 270 people between the ages of 70 and 88 a battery of physical tests to gauge their strength, flexibility, balance, reaction times and sensory perception. Next, the participants' driving performance was evaluated for safety.

About 17 percent of the participants made critical errors while driving in a test that was scored by a professional driving instructor and involved a range of traffic densities and complex or simple intersections.

In the physical abilities tests, the unsafe drivers tended to have a decreased ability to move the neck, slower reaction times, poor perception of vibration and lack of strength in the legs and feet. Factors that were not linked with driving safety included the ability to sense where the body or limbs are in space.

The results are preliminary but may open a new avenue to ways of ensuring that older drivers are safe to be on the road, researchers said.

"The study addresses an issue that is a big concern," said Sharon Brangman, chief of geriatrics at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. She was not involved in the study.

"We have so many (older) patients who are driving, and we don't have objective ways to determine who should stay on the road," Brangman said.

Some U.S. states, such as New Jersey, already have review programs in place that evaluate older adults and determine whether they should continue to drive. However, there is no standardized, nationwide approach used to evaluate driving safety.

"It would be good to have an objective way for physicians or others to quantify whether someone really is safe behind the wheel," said Brangman, who also noted the need for a change in national policy to better screen and guide older drivers.

As always, older patients and their families should talk to their doctors if they feel they or a loved one may be an unsafe driver. This study can serve as a way to initiate that discussion, Brangman told Reuters Health.

"It's a good way to start the conversation," she said. And in the future, results of studies such as this one "may provide some hard evidence that can be given to the patient or family that could justify stopping driving."

SOURCE: bit.ly/1jvEk5R bit.ly/1jvEk5R Journals of Gerontology: Series A, online October 29, 2013.

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Woman has child taken from her womb by social services

They claim that even if the council had been acting in the woman's best interests, officials should have consulted her family beforehand and also involved Italian social services, who would be better-placed to look after the child.

Brendan Fleming, the woman's British lawyer, told The Sunday Telegraph: "I have never heard of anything like this in all my 40 years in the job.

"I can understand if someone is very ill that they may not be able to consent to a medical procedure, but a forced caesarean is unprecedented.

"If there were concerns about the care of this child by an Italian mother, then the better plan would have been for the authorities here to have notified social services in Italy and for the child to have been taken back there."

The case, reported by Christopher Booker in his column in The Sunday Telegraph today, raises fresh questions about the extent of social workers' powers.

It will be raised in Parliament this week by John Hemming, a Liberal Democrat MP. He chairs the Public Family Law Reform Coordinating Campaign, which wants reform and greater openness in court proceedings involving family matters.

He said: "I have seen a number of cases of abuses of people's rights in the family courts, but this has to be one of the more extreme.

"It involves the Court of Protection authorising a caesarean section without the person concerned being made aware of what was proposed. I worry about the way these decisions about a person's mental capacity are being taken without any apparent concern as to the effect on the individual being affected."

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is an Italian national who come to Britain in July last year to attend a training course with an airline at Stansted Airport in Essex.

She suffered a panic attack, which her relations believe was due to her failure to take regular medication for an existing bipolar condition.

She called the police, who became concerned for her well-being and took her to a hospital, which she then realised was a psychiatric facility.

She has told her lawyers that when she said she wanted to return to her hotel, she was restrained and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Meanwhile, Essex social services obtained a High Court order in August 2012 for the birth "to be enforced by way of caesarean section", according to legal documents seen by this newspaper.

The woman, who says she was kept in the dark about the proceedings, says that after five weeks in the ward she was forcibly sedated. When she woke up she was told that the child had been delivered by C-section and taken into care.

In February, the mother, who had gone back to Italy, returned to Britain to request the return of her daughter at a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Her lawyers say that she had since resumed taking her medication, and that the judge formed a favourable opinion of her. But he ruled that the child should be placed for adoption because of the risk that she might suffer a relapse.

The cause has also been raised before a judge in the High Court in Rome, which has questioned why British care proceedings had been applied to the child of an Italian citizen "habitually resident" in Italy. The Italian judge accepted, though, that the British courts had jurisdiction over the woman, who was deemed to have had no "capacity" to instruct lawyers.

Lawyers for the woman are demanding to know why Essex social services appear not have contacted next of kin in Italy to consult them on the case.

They are also upset that social workers insisted on placing the child in care in Britain, when there had been an offer from a family friend in America to look after her.

Last night an expert on social care proceedings, who asked not to be named because she was not fully acquainted with the details of the case, described it as "highly unusual".

She said the council would first have to find "that she was basically unfit to make any decision herself" and then shown there was an acute risk to the mother if a natural birth was attempted.

An Essex county council spokesman said the local authority would not comment on ongoing cases involving vulnerable people and children.

Source : http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568612/s/34472cf8/sc/8/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cuknews0C10A4864520CWoman0Ehas0Echild0Etaken0Efrom0Eher0Ewomb0Eby0Esocial0Eservices0Bhtml/story01.htm

Younger People With HIV May Face More Stress, Isolation: Study

Younger people with HIV may experience more isolation and stress than older people with the disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that people younger than age 50 with HIV feel more disconnected from their support group of family and friends, largely because of stigma they felt because of their disease, researchers found.

Meanwhile, people age 50 and older with HIV had a stronger support group they could rely on.

"The younger, newly diagnosed individual may not know anyone in their peer group with a chronic illness, much less HIV," study researcher Allison Webel, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor at the university's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that people with HIV generally experienced higher levels of stress than those without. Specifically, HIV-positive people were 30 to 40 percent more stressed than people without the disease. Women were especially likely to experience stress from HIV.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS Care, are based on data from 102 people with HIV between ages 18 and 64 who were surveyed on their feelings of stress and isolation. They also had their heart rate variability measured. The average participant in the study was African-American, had been managing HIV for almost 14 years, was of low-income, and was age 48.

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Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/younger-hiv-stress-isolation_n_4339721.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

HIV-Positive Gay Men Who Know Their HIV Status Are Less Likely To Engage In Risky Sex: Study

Here's a good reason to know your status.

HIV-positive gay and bisexual men who are aware of their HIV status are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who aren't aware of their status, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thirty-three percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men but who are unaware of their HIV status engaged in unprotected anal sex in 2011 with someone who did not have HIV.

Comparatively, 13 percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men who did know their status engaged in unprotected anal sex with someone who did not have HIV.

"While we remain concerned about potentially increasing levels of sexual risk, it is encouraging to see that risk is substantially lower in those who know they have HIV," Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "HIV testing remains one of our most powerful tools to reverse the epidemic. Everyone should know their HIV status."

The findings are especially relevant as a report published last year from the CDC showed that the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among young gay and bisexual men.

According to the CDC, men who have sex with men make up almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. About half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are men who have sex with men.

The new report also shows that more men who have sex with men are engaging in unprotected anal sex, with 57 percent engaging in this type of sex in 2011 compared with 48 percent in 2005.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/hiv-gay-men-risky-sex_n_4351118.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Can't Bear the Holidays Alone? Plan a Singles Vacation

Holidays really should be like commercials; they abound with happy people. From loving couples holding hands while walking in the snow to smiling families all gathered around a dinner table or seated in front of a beautifully decorated tree, commercials make holidays perfect. There is not one solitary person in any commercials, only couples and crowds.

But what if you're going to be a "single" this holiday season? What if you've recently broken up with someone? This is especially hard to handle especially around friends and relatives who may either offer pitiful looks, which you don't want, or be overly cheerful and try too hard to hook you up with "this great guy we know!"

Breaking up is difficult at any time of the year, but it is especially painful during the holiday season. How do you handle the party season where you might just run into your ex, possibly with his new date?

My advice is to do what is comfortable for you. If you truly don't want to make the rounds of holiday gatherings because you just don't feel festive enough to be around people who know your situation or you don't want to run into you-know-who, don't. You're in control of what you do. A cautionary tip here: Don't stay home and wallow in misery either. Do something else that will give you pleasure and a sense of holiday joy. You may need to get away from everything that reminds you of your past relationship.

If you're not part of a happy, smiling, jewelry giving and receiving couple (oh that awful Jane Seymour open heart pendant commercial!) or if your family is a group of people you'd rather not spend the holidays with, take heart. And take care of yourself by planning to go on a vacation.

There are many resorts that offer mini-vacations catering to singles at this time of year. The resort is decorated for the holidays, there's good food and activities, you feel pampered, and you're not alone. That may be just what you need. Be good to yourself and remember: You got "separated" from one person, not from life. With a little self-nurturing, you can, and will, get through it.

You're not alone in "being alone" because there are many others in the same situation at holiday time. Vacations have become a major venue for those who might otherwise be spending the holidays on their own, either by circumstances or choice.

The great news is that resorts, hotels, and vacation spots do especially cater to singles; they have many festivities that you can attend on your own and still be part of a holiday crowd. From sitting and relaxing in a hot tub surrounded by snow in Reno, Nevada to watching live entertainment under the stars at a Caribbean resort, your choices of where to go are limited only by your imagination.

Cruise ships have entire cruises dedicated to singles only and ski resorts abound with special package deals. Mini-vacations or a full seven-day trip are available. All you have to do is make plans and the earlier the better.

If you know that you're going solo on a holiday, give yourself an early gift and make reservations at a place you want to be. Saving towards this special gift gives you the fun of anticipation. Treat yourself well. This is your holiday as well as everyone else. Planning ahead a few months will enable you to get the best for your money.

Don't be shy about asking if there are special rates for singles or requesting favors. The staff is there to make sure you're comfortable and happy. If you dread eating alone, ask if there are restaurants where you can eat with others. A good example of this is Teppanyaki, a Japanese style of dining where food is prepared at your table on a grill that sits in the center. Each square-shaped table seats about 10 people. Seating is arranged on three sides of the table with the chef standing on the fourth side. The fun of watching the chef's expertise as he slices and dices your food leads to interesting conversation with others.

Understand that this is a festive time of year and people are going to be friendly and in high spirits at your destination. You won't feel so alone because the holiday spirit seems to prevail more strongly when people are being catered to and do not have the hassle of decorating and entertaining. You're a guest and so is everyone else at the hotel or resort.

Holidays should be about being happy and taking some time off from everyday life. This year give a personal gift to yourself that will make the holiday a special time for you. Make your holiday a happy one or you!

---

Read the just released Welcome to Hell by Kristen Houghton. An Amazon Kindle Best.

And Then I'll Be Happy! Stop Sabotaging Your Happiness and Put Your Own Life First ranked in the top 100 books by Tower Books

Kristen Houghton is the author of the hilarious book, No Woman Diets Alone -- There's Always a Man Behind Her Eating a Doughnut in the top 10 hot new releases at Amazon available now on Kindle, Nook and all e-book venues.

You may email her at kch@kristenhoughton.com.

Follow Kristen Houghton on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kristenhoughton

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-houghton/holidays-single_b_4361489.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Giving Thanks

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion.  Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception.  Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.  Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road."  -- John Henry Jowett

As a child, I was taught the importance of manners.  My parents often said, "There are essential words that one must learn to use in an appropriate format."  These terms -- please, thank you, and you are welcome -- are the niceties that should be practiced by young and old alike.  

Although these expressions were routinely used in my childhood home, I never fully comprehended their significance until now.  At this point in my life, expressing my appreciation holds greater meaning than just a response for a kind gesture or a gift bestowed.  These social graces have become more of a spiritual passage than a pleasantry expressed.  This important aspect helps promote a more positive mindset.  These words now contain a greater meaning about living a life filled with gratitude and taking the time to convey the heartfelt sentiment of thankfulness to one and all. 

In the past, when I have allowed bitterness to take hold, I seemed to forget the blessings bestowed.  Instead of focusing on that which is good, I delved into a place of negativity.  This switch in perspective blocked me from radiating positive thoughts that enhanced my understanding of giving thanks for all things great and small.  Instead this acrimony permeated the best parts of me -- those of my heart and soul.  Over time, it took great effort to move past this phase of rancor and find a healing approach to uplift my self-imposed state of limbo.  As time has marched on, an attitude of gratitude has become my new mantra.  

As the holiday season continues, it provides me with the opportunity to call to mind all that I am thankful for.  When I acknowledge all the blessings, I have to stop and smile in recognition.  Not only from the standpoint of owning a lovely home, a beautiful garden, a vehicle, or fine clothes, but of all that encompasses an amazing lifespan.  It is now easier for me to recognize the significance of basking in the sun or admiring a moonlit night.  Or of delighting in flowers that embroider the earth with their brilliant colors while birds chirp their melodious refrains.  I no longer take for granted the laughter of a child at play.  For in it, I have found my own joy rekindled.  

As I gather around the table with those I hold most dear, I recollect the humble origins and purpose of the first Thanksgiving.  A gathering to give thanks for the bounty of family, friends, and the offering of fellowship.  So in this season of thanksgiving, I give thanks for all the marvelous wonders that have graced my life.  In recognizing all that is good, I have been able to once again embrace an improved outlook on life.

Follow Lillie Leonardi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GaulfromLebanon

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lillie-leonardi/thanksgiving_b_4365182.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Younger People With HIV May Face More Stress, Isolation: Study

Younger people with HIV may experience more isolation and stress than older people with the disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that people younger than age 50 with HIV feel more disconnected from their support group of family and friends, largely because of stigma they felt because of their disease, researchers found.

Meanwhile, people age 50 and older with HIV had a stronger support group they could rely on.

"The younger, newly diagnosed individual may not know anyone in their peer group with a chronic illness, much less HIV," study researcher Allison Webel, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor at the university's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that people with HIV generally experienced higher levels of stress than those without. Specifically, HIV-positive people were 30 to 40 percent more stressed than people without the disease. Women were especially likely to experience stress from HIV.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS Care, are based on data from 102 people with HIV between ages 18 and 64 who were surveyed on their feelings of stress and isolation. They also had their heart rate variability measured. The average participant in the study was African-American, had been managing HIV for almost 14 years, was of low-income, and was age 48.

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Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/younger-hiv-stress-isolation_n_4339721.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

HIV-Positive Gay Men Who Know Their HIV Status Are Less Likely To Engage In Risky Sex: Study

Here's a good reason to know your status.

HIV-positive gay and bisexual men who are aware of their HIV status are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who aren't aware of their status, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thirty-three percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men but who are unaware of their HIV status engaged in unprotected anal sex in 2011 with someone who did not have HIV.

Comparatively, 13 percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men who did know their status engaged in unprotected anal sex with someone who did not have HIV.

"While we remain concerned about potentially increasing levels of sexual risk, it is encouraging to see that risk is substantially lower in those who know they have HIV," Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "HIV testing remains one of our most powerful tools to reverse the epidemic. Everyone should know their HIV status."

The findings are especially relevant as a report published last year from the CDC showed that the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among young gay and bisexual men.

According to the CDC, men who have sex with men make up almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. About half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are men who have sex with men.

The new report also shows that more men who have sex with men are engaging in unprotected anal sex, with 57 percent engaging in this type of sex in 2011 compared with 48 percent in 2005.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/hiv-gay-men-risky-sex_n_4351118.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Younger People With HIV May Face More Stress, Isolation: Study

Younger people with HIV may experience more isolation and stress than older people with the disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that people younger than age 50 with HIV feel more disconnected from their support group of family and friends, largely because of stigma they felt because of their disease, researchers found.

Meanwhile, people age 50 and older with HIV had a stronger support group they could rely on.

"The younger, newly diagnosed individual may not know anyone in their peer group with a chronic illness, much less HIV," study researcher Allison Webel, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor at the university's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that people with HIV generally experienced higher levels of stress than those without. Specifically, HIV-positive people were 30 to 40 percent more stressed than people without the disease. Women were especially likely to experience stress from HIV.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS Care, are based on data from 102 people with HIV between ages 18 and 64 who were surveyed on their feelings of stress and isolation. They also had their heart rate variability measured. The average participant in the study was African-American, had been managing HIV for almost 14 years, was of low-income, and was age 48.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/younger-hiv-stress-isolation_n_4339721.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

HIV-Positive Gay Men Who Know Their HIV Status Are Less Likely To Engage In Risky Sex: Study

Here's a good reason to know your status.

HIV-positive gay and bisexual men who are aware of their HIV status are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who aren't aware of their status, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thirty-three percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men but who are unaware of their HIV status engaged in unprotected anal sex in 2011 with someone who did not have HIV.

Comparatively, 13 percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men who did know their status engaged in unprotected anal sex with someone who did not have HIV.

"While we remain concerned about potentially increasing levels of sexual risk, it is encouraging to see that risk is substantially lower in those who know they have HIV," Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "HIV testing remains one of our most powerful tools to reverse the epidemic. Everyone should know their HIV status."

The findings are especially relevant as a report published last year from the CDC showed that the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among young gay and bisexual men.

According to the CDC, men who have sex with men make up almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. About half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are men who have sex with men.

The new report also shows that more men who have sex with men are engaging in unprotected anal sex, with 57 percent engaging in this type of sex in 2011 compared with 48 percent in 2005.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/hiv-gay-men-risky-sex_n_4351118.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Pregnant woman wins payout after unborn baby died from mineral water dropped on stomach

She has now been awarded an undisclosed sum, thought to be around £100,000, after the NHS admitted negligence.

The High Court in London heard the baby could have survived if medical staff had realised the danger the unborn child was in.

Ms Budzikowska's solicitor, Andrew Bowman, said: "Joanna suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her baby boy being stillborn and the horrendous ordeal she had to endure delivering him.

"The settlement agreed at the High Court reflects the pain and suffering she was caused, as well as covering her loss of earnings and funding the psychological treatment she continues to need."

Ms Budzikowska dropped the bottle of water on her abdomen on August 31, 2011, and visited St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, where checks were carried out which were "reassuring".

But she then attended a routine antenatal appointment at Brooklea Health Centre, in Brislington, where midwives are provided by the NHS trust that runs St Michael's.

She was seen by a student midwife who recorded "all well, baby active" - despite measurements suggesting that the baby had not grown since Ms Budzikowska's last visit.

Her lawyer argued that the trust failed to prevent the baby's death due to negligence.

Since the traumatic experience Joanna has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder - including flashbacks, guilt and depression.

Ms Budzikowska has now received an undisclosed payment of between £50,000 and £100,000 damages from the High Court.

A spokesman for University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which employs the midwives who examined Ms Budzikowska following her incident, said they had undertaken a "thorough review" of the event.

He said: "We would like to extend out condolences to Ms Budzikowska.

"As with all incidents of this nature, the trust has undertaken its own thorough review to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event to ensure that any learning for the service and its staff is quickly identified and implemented."

But her husband says Ms Budzikowska remained concerned over the trust's refusal to admit responsibility.

He said: "Despite University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust carrying out a formal investigation which was critical of the midwifery care Joanna was given, she remains concerned given the trust's refusal to admit any responsibility.

"We would like to see reassurance from the trust that steps are taken to improve maternity care and to protect the safety of its patients."

Source : http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568612/s/344048a2/sc/3/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Chealth0Chealthnews0C10A4832740CPregnant0Ewoman0Ewins0Epayout0Eafter0Eunborn0Ebaby0Edied0Efrom0Emineral0Ewater0Edropped0Eon0Estomach0Bhtml/story01.htm

Younger People With HIV May Face More Stress, Isolation: Study

Younger people with HIV may experience more isolation and stress than older people with the disease, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that people younger than age 50 with HIV feel more disconnected from their support group of family and friends, largely because of stigma they felt because of their disease, researchers found.

Meanwhile, people age 50 and older with HIV had a stronger support group they could rely on.

"The younger, newly diagnosed individual may not know anyone in their peer group with a chronic illness, much less HIV," study researcher Allison Webel, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor at the university's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that people with HIV generally experienced higher levels of stress than those without. Specifically, HIV-positive people were 30 to 40 percent more stressed than people without the disease. Women were especially likely to experience stress from HIV.

The findings, published in the journal AIDS Care, are based on data from 102 people with HIV between ages 18 and 64 who were surveyed on their feelings of stress and isolation. They also had their heart rate variability measured. The average participant in the study was African-American, had been managing HIV for almost 14 years, was of low-income, and was age 48.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/younger-hiv-stress-isolation_n_4339721.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

HIV-Positive Gay Men Who Know Their HIV Status Are Less Likely To Engage In Risky Sex: Study

Here's a good reason to know your status.

HIV-positive gay and bisexual men who are aware of their HIV status are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than those who aren't aware of their status, according to a new government report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thirty-three percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men but who are unaware of their HIV status engaged in unprotected anal sex in 2011 with someone who did not have HIV.

Comparatively, 13 percent of HIV-positive men who have sex with men who did know their status engaged in unprotected anal sex with someone who did not have HIV.

"While we remain concerned about potentially increasing levels of sexual risk, it is encouraging to see that risk is substantially lower in those who know they have HIV," Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "HIV testing remains one of our most powerful tools to reverse the epidemic. Everyone should know their HIV status."

The findings are especially relevant as a report published last year from the CDC showed that the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among young gay and bisexual men.

According to the CDC, men who have sex with men make up almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. About half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are men who have sex with men.

The new report also shows that more men who have sex with men are engaging in unprotected anal sex, with 57 percent engaging in this type of sex in 2011 compared with 48 percent in 2005.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/hiv-gay-men-risky-sex_n_4351118.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

My perfect weekend: Vicky Pryce, 60, economist

I never thought I'd get married and have children. I was a real feminist. But then I married my first boyfriend from university and had Georgia, whilst working for a bank. I was mad to start a family so young but I didn't think about it. If you have children early you just carry on. The subject of childcare is constantly debated in my family as three of my daughters now have children. They read all the books and get the special buggies and don't have a live in nanny like I did. There's still so much discrimination against working mothers that young women are almost more willing to stay at home than work, it's simpler.

I was only able to continue my career, which often involved working at weekends, by having someone living in. I'm not talking about anyone expensive, just a foreign student who was grateful to have a roof over their head. There were some disasters, of course – one girl moved her boyfriend in, and another was a call girl – but they were always there to collect the children from school and entertain them at weekends. Often the children became much more attached to them than me as I was stricter. On Saturdays my older daughters were allowed one hour of black and white television. When someone brought a colour television into the house I went bonkers. I feared they'd spend their whole life watching television, which of course they did.

When Peter was 11 I decided I could cope without a nanny. My older children would drive him to school and go to his parents meetings on my behalf. But I was always so late home to feed him that he decided to go to boarding school.

My family and friends were very surprised that I was sent to prison for two months but I was mentally prepared for it. Luckily I was in an open prison for most of my stay and at weekends I could be out of my room until midnight. Many of us would be working during the day, either in the house or out in the farm or garden. I'd be on dining room duty, making sure it was hygienic and tidy and there was enough cereal for everyone. We got paid some huge amount of money: £1.25 for a three hour shift; £2.50 a day.

Two important things happened on Saturday afternoons. First visitors would arrive, which was the highlight of the week. The girls did themselves up for the occasion. My children ran a queuing system because all my friends and colleagues wanted to come along. There would be huge depression when everyone left but at 6pm it was bingo, another source of huge excitement. Even those who were out for the day would rush back for it.

On Sunday, whether it rained or snowed, I'd go for a walk with the gym instructor around the estate to see the cows and sheep and the lake. It was a magical feeling to be out and I'd persuade others to come with me rather than staying in their rooms feeling blue.

I made loads of friends in prison. Of course there was a bit of bitching and bullying so I had to watch it at first but on the whole most people were looking outwards, trying to get jobs or money for business projects.

There were tears when I left but it didn't take me a moment to switch back into my old life. I did have to wear a tag for a while though, and be home by 7pm every day. I perfected a way of getting to parties in Westminster slightly early and then jumping on the Tube to get back by curfew. If I arrived home 15 minutes early, I'd be furious with myself.

I sound upbeat about the whole experience but in fact it was truly miserable. The only way I survived was by stepping back from it. I knew I was lucky; I was going home to people who love me whereas others had no one to greet them, nowhere to live and no job. I strongly object to the amount of discrimination there is towards women leaving prison.

On a Sunday evening I like to have a leisurely meal at home with family and friends, cooked by somebody else. I tend to start early on Mondays so I always mean to go to bed early but usually I'll be up late with a cup of coffee, finishing off a piece of work, wondering why I've left it until the last possible moment.

IN SHORT

Champagne or Cava?

Neither. I hate bubbles

Your proudest moment?

My daughters' weddings.

Favourite tv show?

Match of the Day

Perfect weekend away?

Our beach house near Athens

Which song gets you dancing?

Ride on Time by Blackbox

Best Christmas present ever?

My first born Georgia, who arrived on December 18

What irritates you?

Warm white wine

Who do you most admire?

Didier Drogba

Death row meal?

Saturday brunch in prison wasn't too bad. A full fry-up followed by a bowl of porridge, washed down with water.

FIVE FAVOURITE THINGS

Good coffee

Swimming in the Greek sea

Watching my children perform

Shopping with my daughter

Watching Chelsea win the Champions league in Munich last year

Vicky Pryce will be speaking at the Hay Winter Festival, which runs from November 30 to December 2

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Dr Le Fanu's online health clinic, Friday 29th November 2013

He is being treated in a specialist unit in a teaching hospital but is in incipient liver failure and liver transplantation is planned if his general condition improves A major problem is his inability to gain weight in spite of parental feeding. He has developed a sensitivity to the taste of salt making all normally prepared foods inedible even when presented with absolute minimum of salt

I am a doctor with 40 years of clinical experience but have never encountered this symptom .A medical literature and internet search has produced no solution which I suspect must be due somehow to an error in iron metabolism. Can you or you widely read column help?

Yours sincerely

Dear Anon,

Thanks for your query and my great sympathies that your son's haemochromatosis was not diagnosed earlier before its progression to cause cirrhosis. I note that alteration in taste sensation is a recognised if rare feature of iron overload being reported in less than 1% of those affected. The further possibility might be that this is a drug side effect were he taking, for example, ACE inhibitors that block the action of angiotensin that modulates salt sensitivity. There is, to my knowledge, no specific treatment though hopefully it will resolve following a liver transplant.

Dear Dr James,

I sent you this query about a year ago but you did not pursue it, however I am so intrigued that I am emailing you again in the hope that you, or one of your readers can enlighten me.

I am 69 years of age and in good general health, on the infrequent occasions that, sitting in my armchair in the evening, my feet are cold, I warm one of them up by doing a sort of contortion and pressing it hard onto the inside of my thigh, and/or holding it with my warm hands for a couple of minutes until it's warm.

I NEVER EVER have to do it to the other one !!

It ALWAYS sort of warms up in sympathy, it is so consistent !!!

Why ? How ?

I would be fascinated to know if any of your other readers have experienced this phenomenon and can explain the mechanics of it.

Regards,

Bob R

Dear Bob R,

Thanks for your query and that most interesting observation of 'sympathetic' warming that I have not previously encountered. It could be accounted for by the 'vasoactive chemicals' that dilate the blood vessels causing the leg to warm being transmitted through the bloodstream to affect the other leg. Alternatively it could be a nerve reflex presumably mediated by the autonomic nervous system.

ALAMY

How good it is not to be alone. Like Mr G R I have an allergy to books - old and new - which developed at a slightly earlier age of 60 something. My face stings and I also experience breathing difficulties. After flying, I discovered that books that had been in the aircraft hold did not have that effect so now I put all my newly acquired books in the freezer for an hour or two and that does the trick. It may well be that china clay used in the manufacture of paper is the culprit but why the freezer solves the problem is anyone's guess.

Mrs Anita J

Dear Mrs J,

Thanks for passing on that most intriguing method for preventing book induced itching. I look forward to mentioning it in the column.

Sir,

Might I suggest that Mr GR from Mitcham buys himself a Kindle to rid himself of the itch?

Yours faithfully

Clare M

Dear Clare M,

Thanks for for that suggestion that will feature in next week's column.

I certainly occasional experience the effect of fresh new print which can bring on mild rhinitis

Dear Anon,

See above.

I have recently turned 70 and I find that my stomach is becoming more and more delicate. I have to be so careful what I eat, it's a real nuisance. I have never had this problem before it started in earnest about 3 years ago and seems to be getting progressively worse. If I get one of these attacks, I get terrible wind about 2am or 3am and have to get up and sit for sometimes an hour until it's all released. Any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

Dear Anon,

Thanks for your query. This windiness, as you will know, is generated by the gas producing bacteria in the colon exacerbated by an age related slowing of the contractions of the gut wall that impel its contents onwards. This can be alleviated by avoiding high fibre wind generating foods (beans, sprouts etc) chewing charcoal tablets and taking a probiotic yoghurt drink such as Yakult. Over the years several readers have reported a marked reduction in gas formation following a course of antibiotics.

PHOTO LIBRARY

Dear James

I always enjoy reading your Monday column and am sorry for those suffering from various complaints. I am aged 53 and have had 3 nasal polyp operations in my life. New small polyps are growing once more causing a congested nose. The last operation was so ghastly with loss of blood that the surgeon said I shouldn't have any more operations. I was in hospital for 3 days when it was supposed to be a day case. I am at a loss as to what to do. Some ENT specialists say I should shy away from more surgery, another one says I should have an operation. One puts me on nose drops, another on a nasal spray. My sense of smell didn't return after my last nasal polyp operation. NHS website says 1 in 100 people in UK have nasal polyps so it seems a common condition. It is surprising in the year 2013 that not more sophisticated and effective treatment is available. I know many people suffer from far worse conditions than this but any comments or feedback from other Telegraph readers that you have received would be most interesting to hear.

Regards

Julian P

Dear Julian P,

Thanks for being in touch. Nasal polyps are caused by 'an inflammatory condition of unknown cause'. The only effective medical treatment of which I am aware is steroid medication taken both orally and as a nasal spray which is effective in around 75% of cases.

ALAMY

My mother wondered if Mr G R may be using eye drops for Glaucoma. She uses Azopt and Xalatan and experiences itching on her scalp and on her back especially in the evening and at night. This is exacerbated when she is warm.

Dear Anon,

Thanks for that interesting suggestion which I will mention in next week's column.

Dear doctor

my d.o.b is 16,6,29 (84); my medication---6mg warfarin + 3 beta blockers for atr-frib no stents needed. All under control.

Problems for diagnosis/remedy/advice:

1. Symptoms: about 2/3 times a week I sneeze about 6/7 times, followed by a running nose, which lasts about 24 hrs. no cold symptoms, eg sore throat etc. I have tried anti histamine tablets/nasal spray.

2. I have severe arthritis in both knees but no pain. But impaired mobility. I have been advised recently by s specialist to avoid surgery. I was told some years back by a similar sufferer that 0.3% copper sulphate in solution might assist

Any input you can offer will be appreciated.

Thksnrgds

David R

Dear David R,

Thanks for your two queries. You do not mention whether you are taking Aspirin but if so it (or indeed other anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen) would certainly account for this episodic sneezing you describe. As for the impaired mobility with your knee arthritis, I have not encountered copper sulphate as a possible remedy (and it is difficult to imagine how it might work). I would suggest rather you investigate whether APOS treatment (a biomechanical approach involving specialised footwear) might improve matters.

Thank you for your reply to my query.about a strange odour emanating from my hands and arms. I have asked a few other people if they can smell it. They say they can, nobody says they can relate it to any other smell. Have you any ideas or routes I can pursue? Pat

Dear Pat,

Thanks for clarifying that these 'strange' odours can be detected by others. I have never encountered this before and will mention this in the column in the near future in the hope of eliciting some useful suggestions

Dear Dr Le Fanu,

When I was a boy growing up in the 1940s and 50s I was forever getting boils and styes. My last boil, which I remember well because of its painfulness, was on my forehead in 1960.

My children never seemed to get boils and styes and similarly my grandchildren seem to be free of them.

What is the reason for this welcome decline? Our diet is better because sixty years ago we only ate salads in season and subsisted in winter on root crops and hygiene is probably better now. Does the occasional dose of penicillin for other problems also have the side effect of killing off incipient boils and styes?

I always find your column very interesting and I would be interested to see your views on this.

Dear Anon,

Thanks for your query. This decline in the frequency of boils could, I suppose, be related (though not necessarily in your case) to the increased frequency in bathing and showering as boils are spread within a family by person to person transmission of the skin bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus. It is also possible, as you suggest, that the prescription of antibiotics for other reasons might have had this inadvertent, if beneficial, effect in preventing boils from developing.

Dear Dr Le Fanu,

For a number of years (around 3-4) I have been developing some uncomfortable, frustrating, occasionally painful symptoms. They started at first with a very dry mouth. This was constant but worst at night. During the day, I was able to manage it better with sips of water. Around the same time, my eyes became very dry, again most noticeably at night. When I wake up, they feel as if my eyelids were turned inside out. I have been tested for the Sjogren's but this test was negative. I would agree that this is correct, as I am able to produce tears. In fact my eyes feel over-sensitive to external factors.

I also have sore throat and neck - this sensation is both internal and external and quite intermittent. Specifically, the cartilage around the thyroid feels slightly tender and around the area where I expect the tonsils are (but not all the time). I feel as if there was a lump in my throat while swallowing (but this might be simply from the dryness). I have been experiencing GERD symptoms for which I take Omeprazole but the prescribe dose doesn't always alleviate the symptoms. I've also had IBS for past 10 years.

Finally, my ears are very sore on and off, but most noticeably at night, especially when I sleep on that particular side. This is not due to the wrong choice of pillow, as I tested quite a few. The best pain relief I found is folding the pillow so that it has a hollow bit into which I position my ear.

Theses are the main features of my mystery ailment. I am a 40 years old female and had been experiencing these symptoms for past 3 years. I do generally find they worsen when I dehydrate or have an alcoholic drink the evening before. I'm not overweight. I have in the past had problems with IT band and the tibialis-posterior tendon, I would be inclined to put this down to my running. I do experience the raynaud's, especially in the winter (daily).

I have attempted to do some internet research on these symptoms. However, when I then enquired with my GP, he outright dismissed my theory, which is polychondritis, on the grounds that it is very rare therefore very unlikely. Also, he pointed out that my RA tests did not indicate any underlying rheumatoid problems. I am puzzled and uncomfortable.

Would you please help me to find an answer?

Kind regards,

Alison

Dear Alison,

Thanks for your query and my sympathies for these distressing, if mysterious, symptoms. The dry mouth and painful eyes are certainly suggestive of some defect in the mucus secreting glands while the tender throat and ear pain might point to a low grade inflammation in the cartilage otherwise known as Chondritis. I would suggest you discuss with your doctor the possibility of being referred to a rheumatologist for investigation of some underlying systemic condition such as Sarcoidosis.

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Angola defends barring Islamic groups, denies persecution

By Shrikesh Laxmidas

LUANDA Fri Nov 29, 2013 10:13am EST

LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola said on Friday it had refused registration to a number of Islamic religious groups and closed illegal mosques because they did not comply with national laws, but it denied any persecution of Muslims.

The government of the No.2 oil producer in Africa has faced a storm of criticism after some international media reported it had "banned Islam", causing embarrassment for this member of the OPEC oil cartel dominated by Muslim states.

The outcry followed an announcement by the Ministry of Justice earlier this month listing 194 "religious confessions" whose requests for registration it rejected, among them the Islamic Community of Angola (COIA).

Requests from a number of evangelical Christian and other non-Muslim groups were also turned down.

A COIA leader, David Ja, told Reuters the authorities had closed dozens of mosques and even demolished some across Angola's 18 provinces, in what he called a targeted crackdown in the predominantly Catholic former Portuguese colony.

In a briefing to diplomats on Friday, Foreign Minister Georges Chikoti said there had been "misunderstandings" about the government action.

"There has been no Muslim persecuted," Chikoti said.

"There is no government policy to persecute one church or religion, that was an interpretation made by the Islamic community in Angola," he said.

Chikoti said Angola's constitution defends the right to religious freedom, but the law requires religious groups to meet legal criteria to be recognized as official churches.

"There are eight Islamic denominations here, all of which requested registration. But none fulfilled legal requisites so they can't practice their faith until concluding the process."

He said some groups had not registered their mosques as official places of worship but did not go into further detail on what legal requirements they had not met.

Organisations need to have more than 100,000 adult members and have a presence in over two thirds of the country's territory to be considered legal entities.

Most of the estimated 18 million Angolans are Catholic, a legacy of Portuguese colonial rule which ended in 1975.

MUSLIM LEADER SEES "SUBTERFUGE"

Ja said the around 900,000 Muslims in the country were feeling persecuted and called the government's argument over legal requirements "a subterfuge to ban Islam".

He said his organization had enough members and covered enough territory to quality for registration. "It is a way to ban a religion they think threatens Angolan culture," he added.

Many Muslims settled in Angola after arriving from West African countries after 1992, when President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' MPLA government abandoned Marxism. Many fled political persecution at home, others came to work in diamond fields in eastern Angola.

Chikoti said Angola faced a big influx of illegal immigrants and many of these were Muslims.

He added many Muslims obtained licenses to build commercial warehouses and then used the sites to build mosques, without obtaining legal permission or building licenses specifically for such places of religious worship.

"None of the mosques were built in accordance with the law ... In Angola there is a big number of Muslims who enter the country illegally and then practice their faith in their places of commerce," he said.

Alex Vines, an Angola expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House, said the issue had been clumsily handled by the government and the recent media headlines about a "ban on Islam" could attract hostility from radical Islamist groups.

"It might not only radicalize Muslim communities in Angola but could make it a target for jihadists," he said, adding that it could also affect Angola's commercial ties with Muslim nations, such as Turkey, Indonesia and Gulf states.

(Reporting by Shrikesh Laxmidas; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Andrew Heavens)

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