Monthly Archives: April 2007

Group Health Cooperative quality?

I’ve just signed on to Group Health and my experiences so
far have been good. However a couple of times since doing so, I’ve
heard it referred to as “Group Death”, but was unable to get an
explanation for that. Can someone tell me where this idea
comes from, ideally in such a way that I can look up some articles?

When I was an editor at Health Sciences, I had Group Health Coverage (a
choice between that & Blue Cross, my progressive politics tricked me into
thinking a members coop would empower members the most). This was way back
in their supposed “heyday” of the 1970s, when they were already called
Group Death, already restricted doctors’ prescription options to the
cheapest & often least effective drugs forcing some doctors to send you to
independent pharmacies to pay for it yourself rather than covered as
promised, had “membership” meetings in the Tacoma Dome pretending to care
about “us” for more than our membership fee (which cost the same OR MORE
than any other medical insurance unless ones employer paid the bulk of
it), put you on an assembly healthcare line, with doctors & nurses coming
& going so soon there was very little continuity of care from visit to
visit, some older entrenched doctors smelling like cigars & having the
bedside manner of an Ambrose Bierce, & it was a pain in the ass to
remember to figure out before each vacation where the coverage would apply
if one had an emergency in another part of the world.

I remember an emergency with a friend who broke her leg in the fall in the
forest, & we could’ve gotten to a doctor in a ten minute drive to the
nearest town, but she was so bamboozled & afraid of Group Health’s limited
coverage that we drove for two hours with her foot twisted half off & held
together with the piece of string & two twigs I rigged up so she could
even crawl back up the trail to the car.

Group Death was merely an echo from the future of heartless HMOs whose
bottomline mentality seeks mainly to figure out the ratios between “as
little care as possible vs number of lawsuits for refusing care.” All
Group Death had that later HMOs never had were those mass-meetings at the
Tacoma Dome which was just a trick pony show anyhow.

I often hear about the good ol’ days when Group Health really was a
MEMBERs’ coop. I’m willing to believe it’s even worse now than then, but
it was always rather dreadful & anyone who compared care at Group Health
with care at Mason or anywhere EXCEPT the even worse veteran’s hospital
ended up kinda sad they only had Group Health. And when I stopped working
for the University & unable to afford the high cost of continuing with
Group Death, I had to rely on Country Doc thereafter — that was the first
time I experienced concerned, professional care.

Group Health is alright if you have simple medical problems with simple
solutions, especially when it can be addressed by a nurse practitioner
instead of a doctor. If, on the other hand, you have more complex issues
that requires a considerable amount of time with a real doctor (or worse,
a specialist!), you’ll soon learn where “Group Death” came from.

This isn’t to say that all of Group Health is bad. There indeed some
excellent doctors there. The optometry department and See Center are
quite good.

But Group Health does have it’s problems. Among other things, they are
very fashionably politically correct. A few years ago, they labelled all
their facilities as “gun-free zones”; a harmless bit of silliness except
for one thing. It turned out that some of their patients are hunters with
prescription shooting glasses and scopes, and the doctor needs to work
with the patient and the rifle.

They also get involved with politics a lot, and spend a great deal of
money on political advertising and lobbying.

They are obsessed with using the very cheapest medication. Never mind
that the price differential is inconsequential and the cheaper medication
isn’t as effective. Group Health will switch its formulary to the cheaper
medication and force patients to switch. Then, when the cheaper
medication is proven not to work (and you are forced to stick with it for
some time), you get hit up with the extra charge for non-formulary.
There was quite an uproar when they switched their GERD patients from
Prevacid to the much-less effective Protonix — all to save less than $10
on a $300 prescription.

There is a real problem with getting a problem escalated. If you’re not
the sort who makes waves, you can spend *years* suffering with a problem
because the nurse practitioners will fart around with treatment that isn’t
effective and won’t escalate it to a specialist.

Nurse practitioners certainly can deal with a wide variety of health care
needs. But it’s like always being taught by TAs and never seeing a
professor; after a while you lose something, and after a long while you
lose a lot.

I live on Bainbridge (“brain damage”) Island. Group Health once had a
clinic on the island. They closed it and moved the doctors to Poulsbo (a
good half-hour’s drive away) but let us transfer to the VM clinic on the
island (basically, using Group Health as health insurance instead of as an
HMO). This was a net improvement since VM is vastly superior in every
way. But Group Health got unhappy with the fact that most people on the
island made that choice, and sent everyone a letter saying “you’re going
to have to go to Poulsbo starting next year.” I decided to stay with VM
and thus am no longer with Group Health.

Mens skin care

Man skin care’ would seem like an alien topic to some men. It would
have been even more alien a few years back. However, more and more men
are now realising the importance of man skin care (and hence you see
markets flush with man skin care products too). Even though the male
skin is very different from that of a female, ‘man skin care’ is very
similar to the skin care for women.

‘Man skin care’ too starts with cleansing. Water soluble cleansers are
preferred. Cleansing helps remove the dirt, grease and pollutants from
the skin and helps in preventing pore clogging. The inherent oily
nature of male skin makes cleansing an important part of man skin care
procedure. Cleansing should be done at least once every day, even
better if it is done twice a day. Using soap on the face is
discouraged.

‘Man skin care’ revolves a lot around shaving. Shaving foam/gel/cream
and after shave lotion are one of the most important man skin care
products. Serious ‘man skin care’ requires a proper selection of
shaving related equipment and products. One of the main considerations
in choosing shaving products should be the skin type (since the degree
of oiliness differs from person to person). Alcohol-based aftershaves
should be avoided. Proper ‘man skin care’ also mandates the use of good
quality razors. Here, swivel-head razors are preferred since they are
known to reduce cuts. Besides these products and equipment, it is also
necessary that you use them properly. Be gentle when using your razor.
Do not scratch it against your skin; use a soft and smooth action
(after all it’s a matter of removing hair, not the skin itself)

Magazine health

Who couldn’t have seen that comming for Network Magazine. It really has
nothing to offer. I hope Miller Freeman looses a whole crud-load of
money on it. They should have left OS/2 Mag alone, at least with us they
had a dedicated ( if small ) subscriber base.

NOBODY on this list could possibly miss OS/2 Magazine more than I… it
put kibble in the kitty’s bowls around here. It was also a true editorial
*home* for me, and I had the distinct honor of learning from one of the
best editors on the planet.

But the magazine business is a business, and it had to make money. It
didn’t make money. It didn’t suffer from lack of subscribers (much less
enthusiastic and dedicated subscribers); it didn’t have enough
*advertisers* and they’re the ones who pay the bills.

(Before someone chimes in to “prove” something about Editorial being
influenced by said advertising… I don’t care who pays for all those ad
pages, just as long as someone does. I literally have no idea who
advertises in the magazine I write for, because I’m so intent on finding
the errors in the writing. Uh, to be able to improve it, you see.)

Because the OS/2 ISV community was composed of so many tiny startups, the
ad rates at OS/2 Magazine were comparatively low. (I know what they were
at OS/2 Magazine, and I know what they are at Sm@rt Reseller — both of
which have a circulation about 60,000. SR is more than double the ad
rate.) And even then, the small companies couldn’t afford to pay. There
weren’t enough big ones to carry them.

NOBODY was happy about closing OS/2 Magazine. Unfortunately, there wasn’t
a business case for it. ….

This was pointed out in one of the last issues (I have a small stack of
them here.) They also pointed out that the information in their
magazine could be obtained for free on the Web. The lack of return on
the advertising dollar spent at OS/2 Magazine, and thus meant the end of
the magazine.

IBM will buy back a crud-load of their own stock to put confidence in the
Stock Market when it is falling, but they won’t say a few encouraging
words, backed up by action, about OS/2 to put confidence in it.

The PERCEPTION of IBM’s position on OS/2 has hurt it more than what they
have actually done, although that hasn’t helped either. And this is a
perception that is hurting IBM’s credibility in matters beyond OS/2 as
well. I wish I could make them see that.

Muscles, fitness and attractiveness

What do women think about muscle-bound guys? Is there a certain type of
physique that attracts women the most?

First of all, you’re going to get a lot of responses pointing out that
“women” are attracted by a wide variety of physiques, depending on the
woman in question. So, as posed, the question is basically meaningless.

That said, I think you’ll find that most women would appreciate a man who
was generally physically fit, all other things being equal, just as most
men would probably prefer a woman who was generally physically fit under the
same circumstances. “Generally physically fit”, of course, covers a fair
amount of territory – maybe witin one standard deviation of the means for
weight, percentage of body fat, and so on.

IMO, the biggest benefits of a regular exercise program are a tendency to
increase one’s self-esteem, body image, and overall sense of well-being.
In terms of making one sexually attractive, these are proabably at *least*
as important as the effects on one’s physique. Indeed, things like “Speed
Seduction” and the like appear to be largely predicated on the assumption that
sexual attractiveness is mostly a function of attitude. My own experience
is that there’s a great deal of truth in that assumption.

Bottom line: a program of regular exercise that includes both aerobic and
wieght-bearing elements can only help a person in general, and there’s a
good chance it will help one’s love/sex life in particular. To say nothing
of the health benefits, which are far from negligible.

How a woman views a man is not simply a question of what he *is*.
A woman is also acutely sensitive to how other members of her
culture view that man, and, of course, how that man views himself
(or seems to view himself). The number one mate-selection criterion
for women is a man’s social status. A man’s social status influences
his attractiveness to women approximately as much as a woman’s
physical appearance influences her attractiveness to men. (This is
not to say that a man’s physical appearance is of no consequence;
actually, it is. But a physically unattractive man of high social
status (such as a rock star) will generally still have access to
the most attractive women.)

Therefore, when you ask what women think about guys with particular
attributes, you can answer your own question by observing the
degree to which those attributes contribute to a man’s social status.

I have some personal experience with the effects of muscular
hypertrophy on social status. I went from being rather thin (by
American standards) to fairly (but not spectacularly) muscular
after several years of ongoing weight training. There is no question
that this has caused a very noticeable reaction from men. When I
am dealing with men in face-to-face situations, it is easier
for me to command a measure of respect.

The reaction from women has been less noticeable and less
direct. A few women directly appreciate what I have done with
my body, but it’s difficult to guess the percentage because
most women do not really express these kinds of opinions until
you get them into bed. I suspect that being in shape improves
my attractiveness to more women than not, but for me this has
not been on anything like the rock-star level. Not even close.
However, I believe I have observed women ratcheting up their
estimates of me a few (small) notches after they observed other
men deferring to me (if ever so slightly) because of my (modest)
athletic achievements.

How much an achievement “counts” to women is all relative, of
course. If you were 20% slower than Michael Johnson, you would
just be another anonymous sprinter at the local track. A 20%
difference in ability is not really a large difference. But
Michael Johnson is the best in the world at what he does, and
for some reason a lot of people care about what he does, so that
makes him a celebrity. There is nothing more attractive to women
than a man who is a celebrity. Millions of women would like to
date Michael Johnson without having any real concept of his
athletic accomplishments, meaning that these women are primarily
attracted to his celebrity. If we woke up tomorrow and all other
men were suddenly 20% faster than Michael Johnson, his
attractiveness to women would be on its way down. That is a long
way of saying women don’t care how good you are, they care about
*HOW MUCH BETTER YOU ARE THAN ALL THE OTHER MEN*.

So the muscles probably matter less than the marketing. To
become really famous with your muscles requires going to
extremes that aren’t possible for most people. A modest
achievement will only bring a modest result. But the effects
of marketing are still important. It’s critical for the man
with any kind of achievement to insure that women observe
other men admiring the achievement and deferring to him. But
this is tricky to fake, because tooting your own horn too
loudly is the surest way to have women label you “subordinate”
in their minds, and that is the kiss of death as far as your
chances with them go. It is also difficult to arrange for other
men to admire you sincerely, because if they have any brains
they are *NOT* going to admire their competition!!!

In any case, perhaps one of the surest ways to improve your
chances with women is to have *OTHER MEN* compliment and praise
your accomplishments in the hearing of those women. If those
women get the idea that you have done something other men
admire, and which *REALLY MATTERS* to them, then those men
have done half the job for you. This suggests an obvious
reciprocal strategy that you and a group of your male friends
should try. Suppose one member of the group, man Y, lusts for
woman X. The other members of the group arrange to be recounting
to each other the mighty works of man Y on several occasions when
woman X is passing by and is certain to overhear. Later, man Y
reciprocates by participating in groups that praise other men
in the group in the hearing of other target women.

Advice on health insurance for 25yo fit male

I’ve had health insurance in high school and college, but now that I
am self-employed and making OK money I guess I can start up on some
health insurance. I am not a smoker, never used tobacco, not married
and have no kids. I have good eating habits, work out 5 times a week.
Now, I know that tomorrow anything can happen. That’s why I want
medical insurance. But, I was thinking of getting a plan that can cover
me for any “catastrophic” events. I don’t mind paying for prescription
drugs out of pocket, doctor visits, etc as my medical history shows
that I’ve never done this in the last 5 years.

Do I really need to have an all-extensive plan for my age?

What’s the perfect plan for me?

My medical history: Had digestive surgery at the age of 12, but
everything is 100% now. Will that hurt my application? Went to ER once
when I was 19 for food poisioning.

I was looking at BlueShield as they are the most reputable. I live in
San Antonio, Texas.

I think you are wise to shop for a low-cost “catastrophic” plan with a
high deductible. You would easily save more than a hundred dollars over
a standard plan. It’s up to you how catastrophic you want to
go–something like a $1,000-2,000 deductible is quite affordable if
you’re “making OK money”. A plan with a $5,000 deductible is even
cheaper (you’ll cold probably save $300-500 a year over a plan with a
1,000 or so deductible), so you’re basically gambling on not needing a
$5,000 hospital stay in the next 5-10 years.

Check out www.ehealthinsurance.com–just plug in your basic data,
anonymously, and get quotes on a bunch of different plans. In the same
price range you’ll find some plans with a lower deductible, but where
you pay 100% of office visits up to the deductible, vs. plans with
higher deductibles but where you pay only a certain copay on office
visits. I think it’s kind of 6-of-1, half-a-dozen-of-the-other here
which is the most sensible, since despite (or perhaps because of) your
otherwise excellent health standing, you are still a candidate for
either larger-scale or ongoing minor health needs (broken bones, torn
ligaments, and other features of life for the young-and-reckless).

Then you probably want something that minimizes premiums
if you arent going to visit the doctor much.

The standard plan this year seems to be
(1) premium ($90 per month for your age group)
(2) $2000 deductable
(3) 20% copays capping $5000
(4) They pay 100% the next $1,975,000.

The minimum you’d pay for the year is $1080.
The maximum, if something serious happened, is $8080.

If one visits the doctor alot and thinks they’ll easily reach
the deductable, then one can pay a higher premium for
a smaller deductable. However, the insurance company
doesnt offer the lowest rates to sicker people.

Theres a new type out called Health Savings Account
that allows to save tax free for the deductable and copay.
And unused amounts would role over year to year.
So one could build a “rainy day fund” for that $8080 over
several years. I dont know anyone who has bought one.

How can a man get big without supplements or steroids?

I’ve been training for 4 years and I still have the master of the doubts… Can I get big (I mean in a regular basis) without taking any supplements /steroids?

You’ll probably ask me why I didn’t discover this before, but I’ve been training these 4 years and my gains stopped completely after the 2nd year.

I feel that my body can grow without steroids, but most of the time I can’t make it happen. I tried many approachs to training and I use a workout that I believe to be the less worst…but I still stucked.

Please, I need the only advice that works…MFW help me

Yes defenitely.
But you have big and BIG.
If he wants to get BIG, training and eating just won’t do it, unless you’re a genetic superfreak. Most people aren’t so he might end up dissapointed
if he decides NOT to use AAS.
If he wants to get BIG that is….

What exactly do you call bodybuilder diet? A 8000 cal. + 4 liters of water a day + 600 g of protein? I have a 5’11” frame, 187 lb. of weight at nearly 13% body fat and a ectomorph type. I have a diet of 2500 cal. and 35% of protein, 15% of fat and rest of carbos (proportions in calories, not in quantity). Lot of meat, non-fat milk, rice, bananas, bread, yam, etc. and a Centrum and a 1000mg vit. C every day.

Can I make better than this?

I think you got the Point.

I don’t your concepts of big and BIG. All I know is that when I started BB 4 years ago I had 11.6″ arms and nearly 160 lbs. Today I have 16″ arms and 187 lbs. during this time I never used steroids and used some supplements by less than two years…I’d like to stop nearly 18″ arms and 205 lbs. My type is ectomorph (I think…is ectomorph a guy with pencil neck and match wrists?? Í used to be like this)

Can I get at this level?

Mondays & Thursdays
(Chest) Dumbell (or Barbell) Incline Press – W.U. (Warm-Up) + 2 x 10
(Back) Cable Seated Row – W.U. + 2 x 10
(Delts) Dumbell Lateral Raise – 2 x 10
After this I’ll rest 15 minutes to do arms workout:
(Bis) Barbell Curl – 2 x 10
Alternate dumbell Curl – 2 x 10
(Tris) Close Grip Bench Press – 2 x 10
Lying triceps extension -1 x 10

Tuesdays & Fridays
(Calves) Standing calf raise – 1 x 20 + 2 x 15 + 1 x 20 (this last is triple drop)
(Quads) Incline Leg Press – W.U. + 3 x 12-15
(Abs) Crunches – 110
Hanging Knee Raise – 60

Obs.: I train with a high intensity and rest 3 minutes between sets.

Diet:

Average of 2500 cal.
Roughly 35% of protein, 15% fat, rest of carbos.
A lot of (non-fat) milk, bread, ham, cheese, boiled red meat, yam, bananas, rice, spaghetti, etc.
1 Centrum and 1 vit. C 1000mg pill every day.

I have 22 old, 5’11” tall and weight is 187 lbs. I think bodyfat is around 13%. My type is ectomorph.

About supplements: Here in Brazil they are extremely EXPENSIVE and I don’t think they will worth the amount paid.

About steroids: I’m looking for a safe and permanent way of get big. Steroids are the fastest way to get big, but I cannot take steroids my whole life, so I won’t be big for much time when I take off them…

Men’s Health: The Book of Muscle : The World’s Most Authoritative Guide to Building Your Body
Commencing with a most informative section on Physiology, the authors begin this quite exhaustive work with chapters on Muscles, how to use them, allowing them to grow, feeding them (YES!, the correct diet is also vitally important) and other peripheral information.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised
This book is exactly what it says it is- an encyclopedia. It is divided into no less than five “books.” Measuring in at about one and a half inches thick, if the info contained inside doesn’t help you get bigger, just try lifting the book!

Sexual health myths

The success of sexual enhancement medications such as Viagra have sent more men to their doctors when they have a problem. But
there’s not much focus on sexual health as part of overall wellness for men. Here are some myths, and the real story:

Sexual health is a women’s issue

This is one of the biggest myths. advertisement

Compared with females, males begin having sex at an earlier age (16.9 vs. 17.4 years) and have more partners. But men have no
medical equivalent to a gynecologist, whom women see regularly for wellness care. A 2002 report by the Urban Institute found that
fewer than half of teen boys talked to a health professional about sexual health.

Males also have less access to information and counseling on sexual health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases and
contraception, and are less likely to be covered by health insurance. Some Medicare programs that pay for treatment for women with
sexually transmitted diseases don’t pay for men’s treatment for the same diseases, even though their female partners can be
reinfected.

Also, primary care physicians don’t always ask about sexual health, even though sex problems can be a symptom of underlying
conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.

For more information: Alan Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org, has statistics on men’s sexual health in the United States and
around the world.

Only older men get erectile dysfunction

“Everybody assumes it occurs at an older age, but it really occurs earlier, at a lesser degree,” often to men in their 40s, says Gil
Brito, a urologist in Scottsdale.

“With a younger guy, it really has a negative impact, with performance anxiety,” which worsens the problem, he says.

The success of drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have made men more likely to discuss erection problems with their doctors.
That’s good, because sexual dysfunction – the inability to achieve or maintain an erection – is often a symptom of an underlying
physical problem, such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.

With many younger men, early treatment can correct erectile dysfunction so that the man doesn’t need the pills anymore.

For more information: The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse Web site at kidney.niddk.nih.gov. Click on
“A-Z list of topics” and then click on “E” for erectile dysfunction.

Lifestyle doesn’t affect sexual health

Sex, drugs and rock and roll don’t make a healthy mix.

“Lifestyle is very important and can have a negative impact,” Brito says. “Smoking is very bad. An erection is basically increased
blood flow. Smoking affects an erection through negative impact on the blood vessels.”

A little alcohol can improve the mood, but too much will hinder an erection.

“Human instinct is for instant gratification. (Lifestyle changes) take a long time, and compliance isn’t the best. If I tell a
patient to lose 30 pounds and exercise for six months and come back, it won’t happen.”

He will often prescribe medication such as Viagra in the interim. Sometimes, men will lose excess weight and tell him they don’t
need the pills any more.

The pills work in about 65 to 75 percent of patients, Brito says. The rest need different treatments.

“There are many options – injection therapy, pellets in the urethra, vacuum-erection devices. If all else fails, a penile prosthesis
always works.”

For more information: To read about how smoking affects sexual health, visit www.teenwire.com and do a search on “smoking and sex.”

Low sex drive can’t be helped

Just as with women, men’s sexual desire can wane as hormone levels decrease with age.

“If a man has decreased libido, I’ll check his testosterone level,” says Brito.

Inadequate production of testosterone, called andropause, usually happens in a man’s 60s, but can happen as early as his 30s. The
treatment is testosterone therapy – after any chance of prostate cancer has been ruled out. Testosterone will accelerate the cancer
cells’ growth.

Brito says men are more aware of andropause. “Savvy men will come in and say ‘I’m not as sharp,’ and ask about hormone levels. I’d
never had patients ask that before.”

For more information: www.andropause.com is a Web site run by a pharmaceutical company, with general information on the condition
and treatment.

Erectile dysfunction is the most common sexual problem

The most common sexual problem among men is premature ejaculation, or early ejaculation – when men feel they have no control over
when they climax.

Gene Gary Gruver, a clinical psychologist and licensed sex therapist in Tucson, says, “It almost always starts in the late teenage
years, probably during the first coitus or the second,” he says. “Then it builds in anxiety, and anxiety is what drives it,” he
says. At first, young men might assume that climax after a few seconds of intercourse is normal. “They quickly learn that it’s not.”

The quickest and easiest treatment is medication, usually an antidepressant such as Prozac. One of the side effects is delayed
orgasm. Patients usually also meet with a sex therapist while they’re taking the drug, and may eventually be able to stop taking the
drug, he says.

During sex, there is a “point of no return,” when no matter what happens, the male will climax. “The secret is finding that point
and slowing it or stopping it,” Gruver says. But men believe if they stop and lose their erection, they won’t get it back. That’s
not true.

Left untreated, early ejaculation can lead to frustration for both partners, lack of interest in sex and affection, and even
divorce. Treatment is about 95 percent effective, he says.

For more information: Discovery Health Channel’s Web site at health.discovery.com has an article on premature ejaculation. At the
left, click on “sexual health.”

Study shows that religion screws your sexual health big time.

From New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/mg19225763.100-global-sex-sur…

“Marriage is good for your sex life, but both it and religion could
harm your sexual health.

The first ever global survey of sexual behaviour, studying more than a
million men and women from 59 countries, has found that while married
people have the most sex, marriage is not a safeguard for sexual
health. “Married women typically find it harder than single women to
negotiate safer sex and condom use, leaving them more vulnerable to
infections and unplanned pregnancies,” says Kay Wellings at the London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research.

Perhaps surprisingly, countries where people have the most sexual
partners – the developed world – also have the lowest incidence of
sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies. The reason
could be that condom use is far more common in these countries,
Wellings says.

Religion is a real problem in reproductive health, says Joy Phumaphi,
assistant director general of the World Health Organization. People
who follow religions that frown on contraception still have more
children than they can support, and the lack of safe abortion centres
harms thousands of women, she says. Only part of the blame lies with
Catholicism and other major religions, Phumaphi says. “The biggest
problem is many independent churches have huge influence and very
extremist views.”

The subject line does not match the article. The subject line would only be
true depending on your definition of sexual health. It says that the lack of
safe abortion centers harms thousands of wonmen, but it is not clear what
role religion has in the actual harm, or what the harm exactly is, although
one would assume it means that women try to get unsafe abortions. But since
religions discourage abortion, how can they be blamed for unsafe abortions
in general?
Also it doesn’t actually say that having lots of babies harms sexual health.
It says religions have extremist views but doesn’t make clear how exrtremist
views harm sexual health, and doesn’t define exactly what sexual health is.

Are you suggesting that the millions of Africans who are explicitly
prevented from using condoms by the Catholic Church, and various
ignorant anamist religions, and get HIV and die as a result, after
spreading it far and wide, as “improving” sexual health?

Men’s health organizations and forums

Three hundred delegates from around the world attended the First World
Congress on Men’s Health Conference speakers addressed a wide range of
issues, including the state of men’s health worldwide; specific
conditions, such as prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis,
the andropause, HIV infection, and heart disease; the health of gay men;
and strategies to improve the overall health of men. The International
Society for Men’s Health and the European Men’s Health Forum were also
launched during the conference.

Men’s health organizations, such as the Men’s Health Forum in England
and Wales and the Men’s Health Network in the United States, are
lobbying for the introduction of male-friendly health policies and
developing their own health promotion initiatives. Both organizations
are heavily involved in promoting Men’s Health Week in their respective
countries.

Men’s Health Forum in London, and a general practitioner based in
Northern Ireland, drew attention to the extent of premature death
among males in Europe (unpublished; presented at the launch of the
European Men’s Health Forum).

The European Men’s Health Forum (EMHF) was launched on November 2, 2001,
in Vienna. This independent, nongovernmental, not-for-profit body aims
to tackle the serious health problems affecting men across Europe by
raising the profile of men’s health at a Europe-wide level and within
individual countries. It will also focus on improving the delivery of
health services to men and increasing men’s awareness of their own
health. For more information about EMHF, visit the organization’s Web
site at: www.emhf.org.

Will his health insurance cover this?

December 20, 2003 — A Connecticut doctor with a Bronx practice was
arrested for alleged sodomy yesterday after a patient claimed a
physical exam went beyond the routine when the physician performed
oral sex on him.

Dr. Brian Shaw, 41, of Wilton, was charged with sodomy and sexual
misconduct after a 49-year-old male patient said the doctor initiated
sexual contact after examining the man’s genitals during a Dec. 9
office visit at his East Tremont Avenue office.

The patient, who was not identified, went to Shaw with a rash on his
body. During the examination, he told police, Shaw handled and
examined the man’s scrotum. When the patient questioned if that was
routine, Shaw allegedly replied, “Yeah, I’m looking for fatty tissue.”

The patient admitted to police that he became aroused, whereupon Shaw
began performing oral sex on him. It was unclear when he reported the
incident.

Shaw, a 1993 Eastern Virginia Medical School graduate, was arrested
yesterday morning in the 45th Precinct and was due to be arraigned
last night on charges of committing a criminal sexual act in the third
degree and sexual misconduct.

Shaw was acquitted of a similar crime in January 2002, said
law-enforcement sources.

In that case, a 20-year-old man had claimed Shaw abused him during an
examination at a Bronx-Lebanon Hospital clinic in Highbridge.

Wait just a minute here, are we to believe the man?? Afterall, there
apparently wasn’t an unbiased witness to this event, was there? I mean, are
we to go on his word alone? Perhaps he’s a slut, known to make these kinds
of accusations in the past?? Was there any ‘physical’ evidence, cause if
there wasn’t then there is absolutely no proof.

Just because this guy says he was victimized, doesn’t make
it so! He probably just loves the attention he gets. Probably just trying
to get the attention of an ex-girlfriend. I’ll bet he even tried to kill
himself a couple times in the past few months. Maybe they should look into his
past medical history and splash his name and picture all over the internet.
How come they name the accused, but not the accuser?