WHO: Sexually-transmitted superbug could be major crisis

A major public health crisis is emerging, in the form of a sexually-transmitted disease that doesn't respond to antibiotics, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday.

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually-transmitted infections. It is spread through oral, vaginal and anal sex. About 106 million people worldwide become infected every year.

Couple having sex in bath tab

"Once this organism develops full resistance to this last antibiotic that we have, we have nothing else to offer to these patients," says Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, scientist at the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO.

The organization has just released a global action plan encouraging greater awareness and advocacy, research, increased prevention efforts and monitoring of gonorrhea treatment failure. The same sorts of prevention messages apply for gonorrhea as for HIV/AIDS: Practice safe sex - correct and consistent use of condoms - and limit the number of sexual partners.

Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are among the countries reporting cases of gonorrhea that does not respond to cephalosporin antibiotics, which is the last treatment option against gonorrhea. These are developed countries with good health care systems, meaning countries less well off may be even more at risk for a crisis.

"If the resistence is there, what we think is that we're sitting at a tip of an iceberg," Lusti-Narasimhan said. "For places in many other parts of the world where there are much less both human and financial resources, it's very difficult to know the extent of the data."

The consequences of an untreated infection are harsh. In both men and women, it can cause infertility. Up to half of babies born from mothers with gonorrhea have severe eye infections, which could lead to blindness. Women who are pregnant may have spontaneous abortions or ectopic pregnancies. If the bacteria gets to other parts of the body, joint pain, swelling and stiffness are possible.

The WHO does not know the extent of the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhea yet. The infections don't seem to be as resistant in the United States as in some of the other countries, but there is increased susceptibility, Lusti-Narasimhan said. More surveillance is needed globally to fully assess how widespread these resistant infections are.

Bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics as a result of overuse or improper use of antimicrobial agents as well as poor-quality versions of these drugs. Strains of gonorrhea in particular appear to have a particularly good ability to become resistant.

Internet Cheating: Is it still cheating?

Most households have access to the Internet and most individuals spend three to four hours a day (weekends included) online, and that's not during office hours. So it's not surprising that a lot of folks find their way to the approximately 40 million online sex sites.

Consequentially, a door has been opened granting access to online infidelity.

Woman showing her boobs over webcam

A study done in the Netherlands looked at the reactions of both college-aged students and the general population to online infidelity. Online infidelity means carrying on an illicit relationship or sexual activity (via webcams, etc.) on your computer or phone.

With the media coverage about the Anthony Weiner scandal, everyone is rushing to figure out whether or not his (or anyone else's) actions constitute cheating or not. Do couples handle it like regular infidelity? Are they less jealous? And who gets hurt?

The study found that men more often than women are more jealous and hurt by the physical action of an affair, while women are more jealous and hurt by an emotionally intimate relationship. It holds true regardless of whether the affair was off or online; so whether the affair is online or offline, it was still very upsetting.

Interestingly, the study chose to look at both college-aged individuals and individuals whose average age was 48. What this demonstrated was that younger women were more hurt by the emotional connection than the physical, while older women were more “masculine” in their responses.

This is possibly due to the fact that older, more experienced women are more confident, more assertive and more successful; therefore their responses are more akin to the male perspective.

Is an online affair cheating? This study makes it clear that to most, the answer is yes. Affairs have a devastating effect on most relationships in the way of loss of trust, a hurt ego, and sometimes a significant decrease in one's self-worth. While men and women may react to cheating differently, someone is bound to get hurt.

We're on shaky ground when it comes to Internet infidelity because it is all so new. The most important thing that you can do for your relationship is set boundaries and be honest with your partner. If you find yourself entering into dangerous territory, ask yourself: if I found out that my partner was engaging in similar activity, would I be upset? Be honest with your response; your gut is a pretty good gauge, so listen to it.

Cheating men more likely to die from heart attack during sex

By lifestyle.aol.co.uk
Men who cheat on their partners could be taking their lives in the hands, as a new study shows that they're more likely to die during sex than those that stay faithful.
The Daily Mail reports that US researchers found this out when looking at whether men with heart problems could safely resume their sex lives after treatment.

Man caught cheating

The study, published by the American Heart Association, found that patients could safely have sex as soon as one week after a mild heart attack, provided they could walk up a few flights of stairs without discomfort.
However, they pointed out that married men having illicit sex faced a higher risk of sudden death during sex, because they were often with younger women in unfamiliar surroundings, which increases stress.
Dying during sex is very rare - after analysing autopsy results of almost 6,000 cases of sudden death, scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that just 0.6 per cent of cases happened during sex.
However, the scientists found that up to 93 per cent of people who died in this way were thought to be engaging in extra-marital sex.
Professor Glenn Levine, who led the study, said that these results shouldn't be blown out of context and said, "Sexual activity is the cause of less than one per cent of all heart attacks."
Nevertheless, he said that all doctors should talk to heart patients about sex about how and when to resume their sex lives.
And it sounds as if men should think twice if they're tempted to stray...

6 surprising libido boosters

By health.com

Astonishing aphrodisiacs
You've heard (and tried) it all before: down a dozen oysters, watch a marathon of sultry movies, get a couples massage. Even if these usual turn-ons work for you, sooner or later they start to feel tired—which may make you less likely to respond to them, says Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego.

Luckily, science has discovered a few more offbeat things that crank up your desire. Try one out tonight!

Ten surprising health benefits of sex

When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.

Black couple having romancing ready for sex

That's a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. "Of course, sex is everywhere in the media," she says. "But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people."

Sex does a body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and other experts. The benefits aren't just anecdotal or hearsay -- each of these 10 health benefits of sex is backed by scientific scrutiny.

Understanding females' sexual fluidity

Source: CNN 

Actress Cynthia Nixon made headlines recently when she said during an interview that she “chooses” to be a lesbian.

“I've been straight and I've been gay, and gay is better,” she said. “For me, it is a choice.”

As you might expect, her comments – published in a New York Times Magazine profile - set off a firestorm of controversy, with gay activists and others worrying that Nixon's words would give credence to those who claim that being gay is a conscious decision, not a genetic certainty.

(She later clarified that she identifies most closely as a bisexual, which, she says, is a “fact,” not a choice.)

Why You're Not Married

 source huffingtonpost.com

You want to get married. It's taken a while to admit it. Saying it out loud -- even in your mind -- feels kind of desperate, kind of unfeminist, kind of definitely not you, or at least not any you that you recognize. Because you're hardly like those girls on TLC saying yes to the dress and you would never compete for a man like those poor actress-wannabes on The Bachelor.

You've never dreamt of an aqua-blue ring box.

Then, something happened. Another birthday, maybe. A breakup. Your brother's wedding. His wife-elect asked you to be a bridesmaid, and suddenly there you were, wondering how in hell you came to be 36-years-old, walking down the aisle wearing something halfway decent from J. Crew that you could totally repurpose with a cute pair of boots and a jean jacket. You started to hate the bride -- she was so effing happy -- and for the first time ever you began to have feelings about the fact that you're not married. You never really cared that much before. But suddenly (it was so sudden) you found yourself wondering... Deep, deep breath... Why you're not married. 

Sex after divorce: Does it get better?

Source: cnn 

“If I hadn't gotten divorced, I never would have had the top five sexual experiences of my life,” gushed Tom, a friend of a friend at a recent holiday party.

What a turnaround! In 2010, at the same party, Tom* had been in the midst of splitting up with his wife of 12 years and I was offering him the names of marriage counselors. Now he was bankrupt and only saw his kids every other week, but he was exuberant about the change to his sex life.

“I'd given up on sex and fooled myself into thinking that I wasn't even a particularly sexual person,” he explained. “I didn't want to be the sort of guy who cheated, so I resigned myself to lackluster sex every other week... if I was lucky. We were so young and inexperienced when we got married. Now, for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm approaching sex as a confident adult.”

Dating and the challenge of too many choices

Source: cnn

If online dating hasn't led you to your perfect match, perhaps the issue isn't that you're too choosy, but rather that there's too much choice.

There's no doubt that dating in the 21st century offers a lot of opportunities. Think about your parents' generation: They grew up with no Internet, they likely stayed in the same town for most of their lives, and they automatically had more in common with the people in that town as a result. Today, women and men are increasingly marrying someone outside of their religion, their ethnicity and their geographic area.

How many times a day do you think about sex?

Source: CNN

Gentlemen, lest you were alarmed you might be abnormal for not thinking about sex once every 7 seconds (more than 8,000 times a day), a new study in the Journal of Sex Research arrives to reassure you.

Men, on average, think about sex far less than that much-hyped interval. (Where that 7-second stat originated is anybody's guess - it's been bandied about for decades and was probably a misquote of the original Alfred Kinsey study on male sexual behavior published in 1948.)

Men reveal their top kissing tips

Source: ivillage.com

1. Explore her body
When you're ready to really turn up the heat, kiss her on her neck and move your lips slowly up to her earlobes and give a light nibble. Don't be surprised when she starts breathing heavily.  

2. Spice it up
Once initial contact has been made, spice it up a bit with some variety. Move from short, soft kisses into longer, deeper ones, then back again... and don't use your tongue any more than she does. Change the angle by moving your head to the other side, and alternate between sucking on her lower and upper lip. Be sure to stop to breathe after every few kisses. These little moves will let her know that you know exactly what you're doing.

Is he still into his ex?

Source: webmd.com

Wondering if your honey's heart remains in the hands of a past love? Holding on to previous romantic attachments can create feelings of distrust and stymie an otherwise promising relationship.

Although there's no way to know for sure without discussing your concerns openly and honestly with your main squeeze, WebMD asked the experts for the top 10 clues that should at least set off your relationship radar.

1. Talking about the ex too much
Sure, we all compare our current romance to ones we've had in the past, and an occasional reference to an old steady is no cause for alarm. “But if it's happening 24-seven, it's a problem. It's going to keep both of you from enjoying the new relationship,” says couples counselor Joan Sherman, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT).

Ten questions every husband should ask his wife annually

Every year, Tom and Jeannie Elliff get away for a private retreat. Once, while sharing a meal in an intimate restaurant, Tom asked Jeannie the following questions — he wanted to listen to his wife's words and hear from her heart.

These ten questions have become an annual exercise as Tom seeks to follow the apostle Peter's exhortation: You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman, and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. -- 1 Peter 3:7 (NASB)

1. What could I do to make you feel more loved?

2. What could I do to make you feel more respected?

3. What could I do to make you feel more understood?

4. What could I do to make you more secure?
5. What can I do to make you feel more confident in our future direction?

6. What attribute would you like me to develop?
7. What attribute would you like me to help you develop?

8. What achievement in my life would bring you greatest joy?

9. What would indicate to you that I really desire to be more Christ like?

10. What mutual goal would you like to see us accomplish?

Optional - Have I overlooked any question you would like for me to ask?

Why is the female orgasm so elusive?

Nearly every week I receive an email from at least one woman asking me what she needs to do to have an orgasm during intercourse, or worrying that something may be wrong with her because she can't. Yet I rarely, if ever, receive the same question from men.

The simple fact is that the male orgasm typically comes easily during sex and female orgasms do not. The late Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, famous for interviewing thousands about their sex lives, declared that 75% of men ejaculate within two minutes of penetration in over half of their sexual encounters.

Going with the flow for great sex

Source: cnn - CNN News

When you hear the words 'heart' and 'sex life' in the same sentence, odds are the speaker is probably talking about love. But your heart - or, more accurately, your cardiovascular system - actually has a lot to do with your ability to perform in the bedroom.

This concept was brought home to me recently when I caught up with my colleague, Dr. Madeleine Castellanos, author of a recent book dealing with male sexual issues. She reminded me that there's no way we can talk about sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) or other arousal disorders without talking about cardiovascular health.

11 mistakes women make in middle age

Source: health.com

Aging mistakes

Let's not kid ourselves. Getting older is a drag, and middle age is particularly fraught with tension.
Do the sexy clothes you wore in the past now seem just plain wrong? Will smoky eye makeup that looks great on 19-year-olds make you appear just plain crazy?
Part of the problem is that aging often requires change, but most women don't want to move to a frumpy town called Middle Age, where sensible shoes and boring clothes are de rigueur.
Here are the 11 most common mistakes aging women make—and how to avoid them.

Man 99, divorcing wife of 77 years over an affair 50 years ago

A 99-year-old Italian man is divorcing his 96-year-old wife after discovering that she conducted an affair in the 1940s, reports the Telegraph.  

The couple have been together for 77 years, but time was no healer when the husband, referred to by Italian lawyers as Antonio C, found evidence of the affair while rummaging through a chest of drawers. Having confronted his wife, who confessed to the affair, he is now seeking a divorce. 

According to UPI, Antonio came across letters his wife had received from an old lover more than 50 years ago, making him suspect an affair. It is also reported that the couple have five children and 12 grandchildren along with a single great grandchild.

What behavior is considered cheating if you are married?

Though the term "cheating" may mean different things to different people, it usually involves a betrayal of trust. If you're wondering what behavior is considered cheating when you're married, follow your conscience and know your partner's boundaries. "We all have male friends and female friends, but there is a certain line that is drawn about what is appropriate and any reasonably intelligent person knows when it's crossed," says marriage and relationship counselor David Wheeler.

Charity sex vs. Pity sex

Source: goodinbed.com

Is pushing yourself when you're not in the mood an investment in your relationship?

You may be bristling at the phrase "charity sex." If you're a woman, perhaps it brings to mind past, award-worthy, faked orgasms. Or maybe it reminds you of that time you bit your tongue and had sex because you were sick of hearing him ask for it. If you're a guy, you might be thinking, "better than nothing."

Or possibly, just possibly, you assume I'm referring to guilt-induced sex...... the sort you engage in because you feel bad for not throwing your partner a bone lately... the sort you suffer through, only to feel resentment later on.

Men confess: 22 reasons why younger guys fall for older women

In Older Women, Younger Men: New Options for Love and Romance, authors Felicia Brings and Susan Winter interviewed more than 200 men to discover the allure of the so-called "Mrs. Robinson syndrome." You'll be surprised at what men find appealing about older women.

"I'd do it again? definitely, no question. Oh yeah, and once you've done it, you definitely look at older women in another way." --Nick, 33

We've made our position known and shared the thoughts and experiences of the women to whom we talked. Now it's time to let the men speak for themselves. One important question we asked was what they felt an older woman has to offer. Here are some answers which are clear, articulate and to the point. Their sentiments represent a very large proportion of the opinions we heard expressed.