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I would just like to take this oppurtunity to thank you for visiting Medcare Forum these past years, and to remind you, that not all blog posts are out dated. In fact the achives are worth visiting because a lot of the articles are the results of new research that is applicable today to help you manage your good health and well being.
For you new readers, Medcare Forum is a blog where I try to find interesting or informative medical news articles, give you the main points and then follow up with my own opinions of whatever issue the post is about.
Please feel free to drop me a line in the form of a comment if you have an opinion about the blog post. Agree or disagree, all are welcome.
I hope this blog informs, excites, educates, and saves you the time of searching for medical news yourself.
Thank you for your readership, with respect,
Kathleen Milazzo
New Vaccine to Fight HIV
Doctors have come up with a new vaccine that they say shows a great deal of promise to fight and contain Hiv.
I wonder if this is as good as they are making it sound. The reason I say this is that as with most other viruses it tends to mutate quickly and by the doctors own words, the HIV in America could be very different from the HIV in Africa, or China, or anywhere. The differences may make the vaccine useless, leading millions of people to think they are protected when they’re not. In my estimation this could result in spreading the virus even faster than it’s being spread now. So if that’s the case, how much is it really helping?
I hope they do find a vaccine against HIV, but I wouldn’t put all my eggs in that basket yet.
Poland and Chemical Castration
Poland has decided to chemically castrate some sex offenders. Those sex offenders would include those who rape a child under the age of 15 or those who are relatives of the offender. Chemical castration would lower the offenders sex drive. The same bill would also increase jail time for those who are convicted of incest or any form of pedophilia.
Here’s the really interesting part of the bill, these punishments would also include as offenders anyone who tries to justify these behaviors. In fact those who take such a view could spend up to two years in prison. This sentence would also include anyone caught trying to lure a child under 15 years old over the Internet. They say this bill still has to pass their senate.
This brings up some interesting questions. For instance, does chemical castration really work? Does the offender still have those sick thoughts and wants but is unable to act on them? Or does it really also put those ideas out of their heads? Also, is it fair to punish those who talk about it as much as those who actually act on it?
Maybe someone should also do a study or some research to try and figure out how a grown person develops these perverted desires in the first place. After all, someone is raising these sick creatures to begin with.
England Waiting for Verdict in 2007 Case of Suicide and Bullying
In 2007 a mother and her 18 year old daughter who had a severe learning disability, committed suicide by sitting in their car and setting fire to it. They are survived by a now 19 year old son who is fighting dyslexia.
As I understand the story, the family was often the target of a gang of 16 teens who constantly threw rocks and eggs at their home and in general made life a living hell for this family. Obviously the attacks and abuse were so severe they simply could not live through it anymore.
The problem is that this mother tried to get help from authorities who not only didn’t take it seriously enough, but also wanted the family to take responsibility for the attacks themselves. They know the mom was suicidal yet no one thought to sit down with them and listen to her and maybe even do something about it.
The same thing occurs here time after time. The victims of bullying are ignored till some of them snap and either kill themselves or take revenge out on others. Then we talk about the poor victims, some of whom might have been the bullies or even those who watched and observed the bullying and did or said nothing. It’s a disgrace.
Faster Cancer Testing
I admit I don’t know too much about Englands medical workings, but I do know that my father here in America had to wait weeks to get certain cancer tests after he went to the doctor. By the time he got the test his cancer had spread to many other internal organs and it was too late for treatment.
They must have the same problem in England, but the news is now they are attempting to correct it by making the tests available much earlier. We’ve all been told the key to fighting cancer is to catch it early and treat it early. Now this is more possible than ever and hopefully will save more lives. Good for England !
Aids Spreading Faster Than Treatment
World wide about 4 million people are getting meds to treat their Aids but there are another 5 million people who have it and are not getting the meds that are needed to treat it. In fact more people are contracting it then are receiving treatment for it. Most of these untreated cases are in Africa where it seems it’s spreading like wild fire.
This is a sad bit of news and I have no suggestions or solutions. Are most of those cases from unprotected sex? I don’t know, but something has to be done to stop the fast spread of this disease or millions will die and spread the infection to their unborn children.
Is The HPV Vaccine Safe?
A 14 year old girl in England died hours after getting the vaccine for the HPV vaccine. Doctors say that she probably had something else wrong with her beforehand. We don’t know yet.
As with any vaccine or medication there will be those who suffer adverse effects and usually those numbers are very small. However the problem is even if it’s one out of a million or millions, no one wants their daughter to be that one.
I’ve talked about this before and my view is that I do not consider the risk worth it myself since it only covers one type of cervical cancer and only one type of virus related to that one cancer.
I have been suspicious of this vaccine from the start and still wonder why there is an age limit on it, but remember I am not a doctor or medical expert so the decision to get your daughter vaccinated lies with you, her, and the advice of her doctor.
Unregulated Fake Health Insurance
I have noticed the last year or so I am getting quite a few offers in the mail from supposed insurance companies that claim to offer health coverage that is affordable and that sounds quite tempting. However some of these companies target the elderly and make them pay thousands and then deny services or really only offer discounts on medical services that are not even worthwhile or worth the money.
When people complain and want their money back they often only get about half if even that and are told that the rest was an application fee. Two of these companies that are currently being sued are Home Health America and Consumer Health Benefits Association.
Do your research before you invest in such a company for your health insurance and as always, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Changes In The WIC Program
For those who may not know WIC stands for womens, infants, and childrens program. It’s from the federal government and is an excellent program for pregnant women and those that have children five and under.
In the past and currently WIC gives women coupons every month to get free formula, baby cereal, beans, cereal, juice and baby juice, milk, eggs, and cheese. Now for the first time starting October 1, women will also be able to get coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The allowance will be $10 for breastfeeding mothers, $8 for women with children under 5 years old, and and $6 for pregnant women. It’s not a lot, but remember that WIC is a supplemental program, and this change will certainly help.
Good for you and thanks WIC !
Womens Health and Age 70
A new study has found that although most women can live to age 70, those that maintained a good weight from the ages of 18 to 50 were in good health at age 70. Those that were overweight between the ages of 18 and 50 tended to have suffered from a number of diseases by the time they reached 70. These diseases included diabetes and heart diseases.
Don’t call it quits if you have reached 50 and are heavy. You can still benefit from losing weight and exercising.
It’s just another reason to wish for 18 again isn’t it ladies? Or is it?