Something is on the rise for men who take erectile dysfunction drugs and it's not what you think.

A new study of men over 40 found that the rate of sexually transmitted disease was nearly three times as high for those taking medications (like Viagra) to enhance their love lives.

Risky behavior, not the pills, is to blame, say researchers.

"We are typically unaccustomed to practice safe sex over the age of 50, because the risk of pregnancy is eliminated," study lead author Dr. Anupam B. Jena of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston told Reuters Health.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 1,410,806 middle aged and older men, some of whom used erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, and some who didn't.

Researchers found that although there were higher rates of infection among men taking the erectile dysfunction drugs, no direct correlation could be found. Those men had higher rates both before and after they started taking the medication.

That, researchers say, seems to indicate that men who take these drugs are more inclined towards risky behavior. And the problem is growing fast, they say.

"Younger adults have far more STDs than older adults, but the rates are growing at far higher rates in older adults," Dr. Jena told Reuters.

People over 50 now account for 15 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases according to 2005 data from the CDC, which says 24 percent of people living with the disease are 50 or older.

What's the solution? Doctors should be sure to talk to patients about safe sex when writing out that ED prescription, researchers say. Hopefully, that will get a rise out of them, in a good way.

Source: CBSnews.

Jeremy Bilding wrote a blog post this week attempting to reconcile his views on the opposing condom policies in straight porn and gay porn. It's a conversation we've all had before, so let's have it again.

The straight industry is able to forgoe condoms by testing all of its performers and banning the ones who test HIV positive. By contrast, the gay industry is able to forgoe testing by mandating condoms and allowing performers who are HIV positive.

There are exceptions on both sides, of course. Some straight studios do mandate condoms, and once in a while an HIV positive performer slips through the ass cracks. And then you have those gay studios which film bareback sex, shunned as they are by the big and glossy side of the industry.

Even within the bareback studios there are different strategies for handling HIV. Hot Desert Knights tests its performers and sero-sorts them, aiming to pair poz guys with poz guys and neg guys with guys. On the other end of the spectrum is Treasure Island Media, the notorious bareback studio that does not acknowledge the virus except to fetishize it, at times, with poz daddy "breeding" lingo.

The condom side of the gay industry is full of HIV positive performers too, performers who fuck with condoms on-screen but bareback in their personal lives. Some condom studios go even further to stave off HIV, as with Next Door Studios and Randy Blue, among others, who test models as well as slapping condoms on them.

This diversity in gay studios' approaches to condom usage and HIV reflects the diversity of sex in the gay community at large, and the risks involved in fucking on camera mirror the risks involved in man-on-man sex in private. Just as there is no effective way to monitor gay men's sex lives in private without messy and invasive legislation, there is no way to prevent HIV positive performers from fucking on camera without a witch hunt that would decimate the gay porn star ranks and unfairly expose those porn stars who are living with HIV.

This conversation is far from new, but I'm writing about it in response to Jeremy Bilding's blog post this week that compared and contrasted two "mind-blowing facts": that "50%" of gay performers are HIV positive while "0%" of straight performers are. Jason Curious did not like this post very much. The porn agent said that Jeremy's blog post was beating a dead horse, and added that Jeremy was pulling these statistics out of his tight virgin ass.

As it happens, Jeremy's statistics are not so far from the numbers that The Sword gathered in 2008, in a study finding that nearly 30% of working gay porn stars were HIV positive or didn't know their status. And Jeremy's conclusion is the same as The Sword's. He writes:

I’m not opposed to anyone working in Porn that wants to work in Porn. ... Every time anyone, industry or not has sex, you are entering into a risky act that may leave you with something for the rest of your life. It is absolutely up to you AND your partner as to how you wish to reduce that risk. You AND your partner need to figure that out.

In other words, porn policy needs to come from inside the industry, not from zealous prosecutors and outsider watchdog organizations. The only mandate that makes sense for me would be to require studios to disclose the risks involved in fucking men, either with condoms or without. Once informed, performers can consent to these risks as adults, and studios can choose for themselves which kind of slice of gay sex they serve to consumers.

Life imitates porn in this delightful clip from a young rugby team's locker room. The doctor is a hunk, the volunteer is uncut, the gloves are latex and the measuring tape is ready to do this.
The clip -- dug up by Casper Fans and reblogged by Arch Noble -- comes from a British doc called Embarassing Bodies. Grow-ers vs. show-ers is the lesson of the day, and I know far too many undickucated homos who need a refresher course in the phenomenon. Repeat after me, faggots: a dick's size flaccid is often not related to a dick's length hard.

BRITISH experts today welcomed the news that a team in Spain has performed the world's first full face transplant.

More than 30 medics carried out the operation at Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron University Hospital on a young man who was injured in an accident five years ago.

The patient was unable to breathe, swallow or speak properly before the surgery and relied on artificial equipment.

He received new facial muscles, skin, nose, lips, jaw, teeth, palate and cheekbones in the 24-hour operation, which was performed on March 20.

In a statement, the hospital said: "He had been operated on nine times without satisfactory success, therefore he was considered for full face transplant.

"This is the first full face transplant performed worldwide, as the 10 operations performed previously had been only partial."

The operation included the transplant of the entire facial skin and muscles, nose, lips, maxilla (upper jaw), palate, all teeth, cheekbones, and the mandible (lower jaw).

In the first part of the operation, the soft parts of the face, including veins and arteries, were extracted before firmer tissue was removed.

The young man's arteries and veins were then isolated and the donor's face checked to ensure there was a complete flow of blood.

The final part of the surgery involved transplanting bones and connecting nerves to the new face.

The statement said: "The recipient must remain in Vall d'Hebron University Hospital for two months, although the duration will depend on his evolution.

"Once leaving the hospital, he will have to undergo strict medical examinations during at least four months."

Professor Peter Butler, head of the UK's Facial Transplantation Research Team, has been ready to perform a full face transplant for several months.

His team is understood to still be looking for donors that provide an exact match for several British patients.

The team, based at the Royal Free Hospital in North London, has ethical permission for a research programme of four face transplants.

Prof Butler said: "We congratulate Dr Barret and his transplantation team in Spain on what may well be the most complex facial transplantation operation carried out so far worldwide.

 

"Secondly I would like to wish the patient well for the future.

"We must also remember the family of the donor who, we understand, has helped not only the facial transplantation patient, but others, with various forms of organ donation.

"To help others, not only to live but to have a good life, is a supreme act of human generosity.

"This operation once again shows how facial transplantation can help a particular group of the most severely facially injured people, for whom reconstructive surgery has not worked and for whom the quality of life is indescribably poor.

"These are people who live a terrible twilight life, mostly shut away and hiding from public gaze."

many of you have read in my previous posts about my recent trouble with lubricants, especially the silicone based lines. its been an annoying few months this time around. well, im happy to say that my cock is finally back to its normal sexy self and ive been beating off every night since returning from my recent trip to los angeles last week. ive gone back to using my favorite lube too. more on that in a sec...

anyways, i had an email chat with my doctor about what's been going on and some simple advice for you guys having the same reaction i am...

Dr. Greene: What you're describing is chapped skin. Is it happening with water based lube or silicone based lube or both? The water based is easier, because it washes off better, the silicone takes longer to come off. Either way, I would recommend a low tech solution, a petroleum based jelly or ointment (vaseline petroleum jelly or aquaphor ointment) and slather it over your dick and butthole (a thin layer) before bed (NOT before using a condom) for 1-2 weeks. Be sure there isn't a layer of lube already on your dick/butt before using it or it won't work. Truthfully, I haven't heard of it this dramatically before, but it seems likely related to the lubes. Hope this helps

MD: well, it seems to happen MOSTLY from silicone based lubes so i stopped using them except for swiss navy which doesn't seem to bother as much. but recently i got a ton of travel sized mini packs by WET, all water based. im not having a reaction. i also switched lotions... i moisturize after every shower usually especially in the winter. i was using vaseline's moisture locking lotion. but while i was at my mom's over the holidays i forgot my lotion and used her aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with the green label and OMG the next day my cock was way better.

so the boys over at WET LUBE got wind of my plight and ask to meet with me. imagine that. they wanted to hear all about my experience with their silicone based line and share my feedback with the powers that be at the company. during the meeting with their marketing guy i was presented with a couple of samples of their two new silicone based lubes in the WET NATURALS line. one is Silky Supreme and Beautifully Bare. both are proported to be vitamin enriched, antioxidant and moisturizing. now, i haven't tried them yet because im honestly scared to. i mean, its so fuckin uncomfortable when i have a reaction plus ive got a couple of projects coming up and i have to be camera ready, ya know? but, i will try them out after shooting and let you guys know how it works out.

they also gave me this new anti-bacterial foaming toy wash thats supposed to help clean up silicone lubes not only from toys, but from sheets and pillows. you know how it stains and is impossible to get off or cleaned up. it works pretty good and smells nice. so if you've got silicone stains on your sheets, etc., you might wanna give this product a shot.

When were you last tested for HIV? With World AIDS Day just days away (1st December `09) we recommend that all gay men are tested once a year, but more regularly if you put yourself at risk. You can find out lots of information about the reality of HIV in the UK today and how you can get involved atwww.worldAIDSday.org, but if you only do one thing this year make a resolution to get tested. Its one thing we can all do to protect ourselves and others.

Data published today by the UK's Health Protection Agency shows that in 2008, an estimated 2,760 men who have sex with men (MSM) were newly diagnosed with HIV. This is 6% fewer than in 2007.  The fall is not due to a lack of testing - more people tested for the virus in 2008.

Despite fewer new diagnoses, record numbers of MSM are living with HIV in the UK, over 24,000 are diagnosed and almost 9,000 are undiagnosed.

In response to these statistics, Nick Partridge, Chief Executive, Terrence Higgins Trust said, "The level of undiagnosed HIV in the country is completely unacceptable. With early diagnosis and effective treatment, most people with HIV can live to old age. If left undiagnosed, they will die earlier, be significantly more ill and more likely to infect others. HIV testing is easy, quick and saves lives. Every sexually active gay man should get tested. There should be more testing offered in more settings and we need the political will to make this happen."

Terrence Higgins Trust is calling on the Government to introduce a national targeted screening programme to halve undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2014. 

US porn star Steve Cruz is among those taking part in the Australian Red Ribbon Appeal on World AIDS Day.

The Raging Stallion Studios actor, who will be selling red ribbons at Taylor Square on Tuesday, December 1, is in Sydney to help promote the safe-sex message.

READ OUR STEVE CRUZ INTERVIEW - CLICK HERE

Joining Cruz are Australian TV star Peter Everett and a host of community figures.

“The money we raise through the Red Ribbon Appeal is vital to the work of ACON as it helps us prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through education campaigns as well as provide the services and facilities essential to the health and wellbeing of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS across NSW,” said ACON CEO, Nicolas Parkhill.

The Red Ribbon Appeal is among a range of events taking place marking World AIDS Day 2009. Venues across Oxford Street are hosting charity fundraisers throughout the weekend, and special events will be held to mark the occasion, including the second annual World AIDS Day Concert.

The UK theme for World AIDS Day 2009 will focus on the reality of HIV in the UK today. The aim is to present true, and sometimes surprising, accounts of how HIV affects people in the UK and to dispel myths and misinformation.

The slogan for World AIDS Day 2009 is "HIV: Reality"

The call to action is: Discover the real stories about HIV in the UK today. Understanding the facts is the key to fighting prejudice and protecting yourself and others.

“HIV: Reality” builds on last year’s popular “Respect & Protect” theme.

Research has shown that public knowledge of HIV in the UK is declining and there is evidence of a worrying lack of understanding about HIV and its relevance in a UK context. For people to respect and protect themselves and others, they need to understand the facts and reality of HIV in the UK.

Contributed by Lyndon Evans and cross posted at: Focus on the Rainbow -

Until Dr. Jonas Salk introduced the Salk vaccine to fight polio, it was a dreaded disease, one which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suffered from. The 1952 outbreak was the worst in the history of the United States with nearly 58,000 reported cases of which over 3,000 people died and over 21,000 suffered from mild to severe forms of paralysis, most of which affected children.

I remember when I went to Mill Ridge Elementary School here in Danbury, there was a young girl in my class who suffered from polio and had to wear the standard leg braces of the time back in the early 60’s and used crutches to get around. And I remember getting the vaccine shots in school and also the “sugar cube pill” to stave off polio.

Since the discovery and outbreak of HIV in the 80’s there has been the hope that one day a vaccine would be developed to fight HIV infection.

One such vaccine which was tried, but halted in 2007 is the vaccine trial known as “STEP” and on Monday (November 16) a report was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which attempted to explain why the vaccine failed.

The recent failure of an HIV vaccine was probably caused by the immune system reacting to the virus ’shell’ used to transmit the therapy around the body. The trial, called ‘STEP’, was halted in September 2007 because preliminary results suggested that people who had been given the vaccine were more likely to be infected with HIV than people who had been given a placebo.

The researchers behind this study, from Imperial College London, King’s College London and Royal Holloway, University of London, say their findings mean scientists may have to rethink other vaccines they are developing for diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, which are delivered in the same way, using the same virus ’shell’.

The vaccine used an adenovirus, which normally causes the common cold, to enable the vaccine therapy to travel around the body. Harmless HIV genes were then inserted into the virus. It was thought that this would help the immune system to learn to recognise and fight off HIV.

This study suggests that after receiving the trial vaccination, people who had previously built up immunity to the adenovirus had an influx of immune cells called CD4 T-cells homing in on their mucous membranes, as these cells prepared to fight off a new adenovirus infection. Mucous membranes are found in areas including the nose, mouth, vagina and gut. HIV naturally infects CD4 T-cells, so this inadvertently provided HIV with an abundance of potential new homes at the sites where the virus would naturally enter the body during sexual intercourse, thereby increasing people’s risk of infection. (source – Medical News Today)

The researchers say their findings are a warning for scientists developing adenovirus vaccines against other diseases, as the same effect occurs with other, perhaps all, adenovirus subtypes.

Another vaccine trial was reported in September of this year as the first to cut infection rates, A trial HIV vaccine that cuts infection rates by almost a third has provided the research community with some hope following years of setbacks.

The vaccine, a combination of two earlier experimental vaccines that had not reduced infection rates individually, is the first to prevent infection. It was given to 16,000 Thai volunteers in the world’s largest HIV/AIDS vaccine trial, carried out by the Thai government and the United States Army.

The male and female volunteers, all HIV negative and aged between 18 and 30, were split into two groups — half were given a placebo, and half given the vaccine. All were provided with condoms and counselling on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Over the course of the trial, 74 people from the placebo group and 51 in the vaccine group became infected. Scientists say the results are statistically significant — with a 31.2 per cent lower risk of infection for the vaccinated group.

“This result is tantalisingly encouraging,” says Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet. “The numbers are small and the difference may have been due to chance, but this finding is the first positive news in the AIDS vaccine field for a decade.” (source – SciDevNet)

And now Dr. Sudhir Paul in association with the Covalent Immunology Foundation is hoping, along with his team of researchers to find the “magic bullet” to guard against HIV as Dr. Jonas Salk did so many years ago to fight polio.

In his bio at the website of CIF it reads, Scientific principles underlying CIF’s mission have been discovered by Dr. Sudhir Paul and his research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and for the last 12 years, at the University of Texas Houston Medical School. Dr. Paul has proved that abzymes are inherently more potent in attaining inactivation of various targets than traditional antibodies with reversible binding activity. Their work on basic science of antibodies and abzymes, HIV, hepatitis C virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease and hemophilia has been covered in over 150 scientific publications. Dr. Paul has been a professor and researcher for over 26 years, and the recipient of numerous federal grants and awards during his distinguished career, much of which has been devoted to developing abzyme technology.

And in CIF’s mission statement, CIF aims to raise funds for research and education that will rapidly translate the hard earned abzyme and covalent vaccination discoveries into medical benefits. CIF will provide funds for timely completion of expensive drug effectiveness and safety studies required by the Food and Drug Administration. It is estimated that drug development costs can be up to 1 billion dollars. For instance, preventative HIV vaccination trials will require a large investment, as a large number of humans must be tested, and their infection status must be monitored for years. CIF’s mission is to enable this process with support from a broad cross-section of the public. In addition, CIF will support Dr. Paul’s efforts to raise additional governmental funds for the research and development.

While the development of a vaccine to fight HIV will be too late for those who have passed due to HIV/AIDS or who are currently infected, it could one day become a great hope for a worldwide halt to HIV. But with the finding of a successfull vaccine it does bring up the quandary of, if there is a vaccine, will gay men go back to the practice of “unsafe sex” ?

That perhaps is a question for another day, as they say, one step at a time.

Below is a video made by celebrities on behalf of the Covalent Immunology Foundation.

This writer nor Hearst Newspapers endorses CIF, the video is provided as an information point.