Comment: Underwater sex: a good idea?
Paul Woolley
pp 3-3
Last April, a question was posed on www.timesonline.co.uk as to whether sex in a bubble bath was harmful. The reply
focused on the deleterious effects of scented soaps, bath oils and other chemicals. Only
passing reference was made to injuries from underwater sex as an outdoor pursuit. MEDLINE
gave only one reference to ‘underwater sex’; Google was much more informative.
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Dealing with sexual assault
Bernadette Butler and Jan Welch
pp 4-7
Rape and sexual assault are common in all societies and can affect anyone, woman or man, adult or child. Possible sequelae are unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and psychosocial problems. Medical care and good documentation are crucial and evidence collection should be considered. Sexual assault centres (SACs) provide comprehensive services in a sensitive and secure environment; where they are unavailable, good care depends
on the liaison between service providers.
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Is it time to rethink your HRT prescribing?
Heidi Gauci Grech and Nick Panay
pp 8-9
Increased aging of the population and decreased
mortality in the elderly have resulted in an increased life expectancy. The average woman
can now expect to spend nearly one-third of her life in the postmenopausal state. Approximately 75% of women suffer from menopausal symptoms.
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Anal cancer screening in men who have had sex with men
Paul A Fox
pp 10-12
Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is a common condition in men who have had sex with men (MSM) and remain sexually active with multiple sexual partners, and this is true of
all age groups. The EXPLORE study, conducted in four large cities in the USA, found a prevalence of high-grade (HG) AIN of 4–8% in HIVnegative
MSM, the highest prevalence being in San Francisco.
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Misconceptions surrounding herpes: the HVA fights on
Marian Nicholson
pp 13-13
‘I’m torn when I have a patient with a new diagnosis
of genital herpes’, a genitourinary (GU)
consultant said, ‘because I’ve got to spend half an hour explaining all the misconceptions’.
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NICE guidance on long-acting reversible contraception
Louise M Melvin
pp 14-15
Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is
highly effective but is used by only 10% of
women in the UK.1 To address this problem, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) commissioned a review of
LARC which was published in October 2005. This article discusses the key recommendations of NICE and explains why increasing the uptake of LARC is essential for reducing unintended
pregnancy and abortion rates.
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Key insights about HIV and STIs epidemiology in the UK
Tim Chadborn, Geraldine Leong, Gwenda Hughes, Brian Rice, Valerie Delpech and Barry Evans
pp 16-18
National surveillance monitors HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to describe
their epidemiology for the protection of the public health. These infections continue to cause morbidity and some mortality in the UK,
where they disproportionately impact marginalised populations – including men who
have had sex with men (MSM), black communities and injecting drug users.
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The hand that rocks the cradle
David Hicks
pp 19-19
The way a mother holds her baby gives clues to her mental health, it is claimed. A British research team say that women who cradle children on their left-hand side are in the majority, regardless
of whether they are right or lefthanded, but the reason for this still remains a mystery.
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