This article says that long lasting contraceptives such as the intrauterine device and implants are better at preventing pregancy than more popular birth control methods, including the pill, patch and vaginal rings.  It was discovered that longer-lasting contraceptives were up to 20 times more effective than other methods.

This is interesting beause I have never heard of the intrauterine device before, and I always thought that the pill was the best way for a woman to prevent child-birth.  I guess there's a better solution to it then.  Now, I wonder what the best way is for guys to avoid impregnating a woman without the use of a condom.

Park, A. (2012, May 24). Which birth control works best? (hint: It’s not the pill) Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/24/iuds-and-implants-beat-the-pill-in-preventing-pregnancy/?iid=hl-main-feature

Officials at the WHO are urging governments and doctors to increase surveillance of potentially untreatable strains of drug-resistant gonorrhea and are calling people to be more vigilant on the proper treatment of the disease with antibiotics.  The strains of this infection are resistant to cephalosporin antibiotics, which are the last line of defense against gonorrhea.  Researchers warned that the disease could turn into a serious global health.

I'm deeply amazed by this article because I've never heard of gonorrhea that is resistant to drugs.  This poses a serious threat to people in the future if it cannot be fixed in a different way than using antibiotics.  Hopefully, some people in the medical field will find a way to combat this infection.

Sifferlin, A. (2012, June 6). Drug-resistant gonorrhea spreading worldwide, who warns. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/06/drug-resistant-gonorrhea-spreading-worldwide-who-warns/?iid=hl-main-lede

This article is about a new breed of marijuana that causes no buzz of its own.  There have been Israeli researchers that bred cannabis plants that look. smell. and taste like orindinary marjuana.  What's interesting is that it lacks THC, the active ingredient responsible for the spacy, giddy, and hallucinatory part of pot's high.

I'm very intrigued by this because I've grown up to know marijuana as a substance that makes people have a this false sense of ectasy.  Now, I'm reading about a compound that's similar in every single way other than the hallucinatory part of marijana.  There's bound to be some further developments made in the near future.

Szalavitz, M. (2012, June 4). A new marijuana plant without the high? it could be good medicine. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/04/a-new-marijuana-plant-without-the-high-it-could-be-good-medicine/?iid=hl-main-lede

This article is about how people who marry now have a better chance of wedding those from another race.  Two-thirds of all homes in the U.S. contain people who are related to each other.  One-tenth of of married couples in the U.S. are interracial, a growth of 10% since 2000.  In addition, almost 7 million homes are headed by unmarried couples.

This article is interesting because I never how popular interracial marriage was becoming now.  I, myself, am open to marrying other women of ethnic backrounds, but I just felt kind of awkward thinking about it.  This is quite intriguing because there will probably become more different mixtures of ethnic backrounds now, so it'll be interesting to see what combinations there will be.

This article discusses if infertility treatments raise the risk of birth defects, or if the risk is in infertility itself.  Apparently, it depends on the type of infertility treatment used; in vitro fertilization, or IVF, was not associated with a higher risk of birth defects, once other factors were taken into consideration.  Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, was associated with an increased risk of birth defects.

This article is interesting to me because I've always wanted to know what was the cause of birth defects.  I actually thought it was due to IVF, but I guess not.  This article opens my eyes a little more now because I know now that natural means of reproduction is probably the best way to avoid having birth defects.

Maia, S. (2012, May 7). The link between infertility treatments and birth defects. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/07/the-link-between-infertility-treatments-and-birth-defects/?iid=hl-main-lede

This article is about how blood tests can show depression in teens.  According to the the site, it says that diagnosing depression in teens can be difficult because it's hard to distinguish between mental illness and mood swings.  Currently, a depression diagnosis in teens relies on their descriptions of symptoms and their physician's subjective observations.  The breakthrough with the blood test can lead to earlier diagnoses that may not only allow for better treatment but also help to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness.

This article intrigues me because I've always wondered how doctors diagnose someone with depression.  I'm kind of confused at the fact that they would take blood in order to decide.  I wonder if there's some kind of substance in the blood that only appears when someone is in a depression.

Sifferlin, A. (2012, April 17). A blood test to determine depression in teens?. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/17/a-blood-test-to-diagnose-depression-in-teens/?iid=hl-main-

This article is about how researchers think that weght problems may be worse than we originally thought.  Dr. Eric Braverman, president of the nonprofit Path Foundation in New York City, says that out body mass index greatly underestimates the number of people who are obese, especially women.

I am greatly interested by this article because I watch what I eat, and I find the problem of obesity to be rather intriguing to me.  It's sad to realize that there are a lot more Americans in our age today who are over-weight and aren't doing anything about it.  I wish I could do something to help those people.

Park, A. (2012, April 03). Americans may be much fatter than we think, study says. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/03/americans-may-be-much-fatter-than-we-think-study-says/?

This article is about how breakfast can help maintain weight loss and even reduce lead poisoning.  What is the healthiest breakfast?  According to Oz Garcia, a celebrity nutritionist, an omelet made with two organic egg whites, one egg yolk, spinach and tomatoes, with a half-cup of organic berries on the side.  Eating protein will help reduce cravings and hunger throughout the day.

I'm deeply interested by this because I've always been looking for a good breakfast to eat while being able to maintain a good weight.  I'm somewhat of a body builder, so I have to watch what I take in.  I believe that this meal will help me crush the cravings I have during the day.  Hopefully, it'll help me with increasing my metabolism.

Sifferlin, A. (2012, April 10). Veggie omelet with berries. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/13/whats-the-healthiest-breakfast-heres-what-the-experts-say/ 

This article is about how tobacco companies will be required to report dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes, chew and other producs under the latest rules designed to tighten regulation of the tobacco industry.  Regulators have identified more than 93 harmful or poentially harmful chemicals in tobacco products.

I'm facinated by this article because I've ever only known tobacco as a drug that people take.  I never knew about how many dangerious chemicals and toxins it contained.  Ever since I read it, I promised myself that I would never do anything like that.  What scares me most  is that people still do it without ever thinking about the consequences.

Perrone, M. (2012, March 30). Tobacco companies must report dangerous chemicals. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/30/fda-tobacco-companies-must-report-dangerous- 

This article is about how the U.S. government was secretly testing the effects of LSD on hundreds of unsuspecting American civilians and military personnel.  They were carried out because the U.S. believed that communist Russia, North Korea, and China were using the dug to brainwash captured Americans.

This article caught my attention because I had a very limited knowledge about LSD, and now, I'm a little bit more informed.  Another thing that interested me was that the U.S. government tested LSD on hundreds of American citizens.  I personally feel that that was wrong of them to do, but I guess they had their own reasons for doing it.

Szalavitz, M. (2012, March 23). Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/23/the-legacy-of-the-cias-secret-lsd-experiments-on-america/

Does your sperm need a diet?

This article addresses that fatty foods may be associated with lower sperm quality.  According to a study, published in the European journal Human Reproduction, men who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids like healthy fats found in fish and peanuts, had better sperm formation.  Saturated fats led to lower sperm counts and concentration.

I am interested in this specific article because it discusses how a type of fat can affect the number of sperm a man releases.  I never knew that saturated fats could lead to this kind of a problem.  It's better to just stay from those kinds of foods as much as possible.  Unfortunately, I cannot have fish or peanuts so that's a disadvantage to getting the omega-3 fats.  This could come in handy for the future.

Sifferlin, A. (2012, March 14). Time healthland. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/14/does-your-sperm-need-a-diet-high-fat-intake-linked-to-poor-semen-quality/?iid=hl-main-lede

Apparently, some cholesterol-reducing statin drugs have increased risks of Type 2 diabetes and memory loss for patients who take the medication.  Some of these drugs include Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and Vytorin.  There is a possibility that they may increase users' risk of brain-related effects like memory loss and confusion.  On a good note, they have not been relatively serious and the symptoms go away once the drug is stopped.

This article caught my eye because some of the medications that I just mentioned above are very popular and now they're causing side-effects like memory loss and confusion.  Another thing is that the drugs may cause a small increase in blood sugar levels and Type 2 diabetes.  This can further the risk of heart disease.  It doesn't have to do anything with me but it's good to know for the future.

Park, A. (2012, February 29). Time healthland. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/29/fda-warns-statin-users-of-memory-loss-and-diabetes-risks/?iid=hl-main-lede

This article discusses different things about Hepatitis C, which now kills more Americans annually than HIV.  Most of the deaths occur in middle-aged aduts, but about half don't even know that they're infected.  HCV is not usually transmitted during sexual intercourse, so condom use is not required.  Sadly, it has been found in HIV-positive gay men probably due to a lower level of immunity.

I find this specific article interesting because Hepatitis, in general, has always caught my eye.  I've only had a limited amount of knowledge on it but what I found astounded me.  From this, I can better arm myself from getting this disease.

Szalavitz, M. (2012, February 23). Time healthland. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/23/qa-what-you-need-to-know-about-hepatitis-c/

This talks about how kids today are sleeping less than what the guidelines say they should.  Apparently, kids our age should be sleeping a minimus of 81/2 hours.  The lack of sleep results in sluggish performance in school and kids wanting to sleep more.

This greatly interests me because I myself seem to be sleeping less than I should be, and surprisngly,  I am always wanting to sleep more often.  In addition, this article discusses of these issues and many more.  By reading it, I think I'll be able to find out what's keeping me from achieving the sleep I need.

Rochman, B. (2012, February 13). Time healthland. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/13/a-history-of-kids-and-sleep-its-never-enough/?iid=hl-main-lede