Condom Use Linked to Risk of Preeclampsia
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/433419?srcmp=wh-051002
LOS ANGELES (Reuters Health) May 09 - Women who are not exposed to a partner's sperm prior to pregnancy because the couple used condoms may be at increased risk for developing preeclampsia, a new study presented here concludes.
The findings suggest that when the uterus is repeatedly exposed to sperm, a woman's immune system may become accustomed to this "foreign" genetic material, said Dr. Jon I. Einarsson, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
However, when a woman's body has only recently been introduced to the sperm because she stopped using barrier contraception and was trying to conceive, she may have an immune reaction to the paternal genetic material that causes arterial damage and contributes to preeclampsia, Dr. Einarsson suggested. This reaction may be heightened because the placenta produces paternal proteins similar to those on sperm, he told Reuters Health.
Preeclampsia affects about 7% of pregnant women, yet little is understood about why the condition develops, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The Baylor study findings were presented Wednesday during the College's annual meeting.
Dr. Einarsson described his team's findings for 113 women who developed preeclampsia during their pregnancies and another 226 women who did not.
He said those who used barrier methods and had only been having sex with their partners for a short period of time were most at risk. "Women who used barrier methods who had been having sex with their partners for less than 4 months prior to getting pregnant had a 6.5-fold increased risk of getting preeclampsia, compared with women who did not use barrier methods and had been in a sexual relationship for more than 12 months," he said.
Most women in the study who reported using barrier contraception relied on condoms, while some also used diaphragms. Women who relied on the withdrawal method also were included in this group.
"Women who use barrier methods exclusively prior to pregnancy should consider changing to an alternative method 4 to 6 months prior to getting pregnant, especially if they have other risk factors for preeclampsia, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or if they are overweight," Dr. Einarsson recommended.
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Reuters Health Information 2002. © 2002 Reuters Ltd
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For Release October 16, 2002
Contact: Jeff Rosenberg - (301) 972-0646
Scientific Review of Condom Effectiveness Research Reveals Condoms Provide
Inadequate Risk Reduction for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
http://www.medinstitute.org/media/index.htm
WASHINGTON, DC (October 16, 2002) A new scientific report released today reveals that condoms, even when used 100 percent of the time, fail to reduce the risk of some of the most common and potentially dangerous sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to an acceptable level.
Sex, Condoms, and STDs: What We Now Know, released today by The Medical Institute for Sexual Health, reviews findings of all significant research and professional presentations about the ability of condoms to reduce the risk of STDs. The report is authored by some of the nation's leading experts on sexually transmitted diseases and condom research.
"America is facing an epidemic of STDs more than 15 million new STD infections per year," commented Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD, president of The Medical Institute. "It is imperative that Americans understand what the science says about the limits of condoms in keeping them safe from STDs, many of which can have life-altering consequences, including infertility and cancer."
Key findings of Sex, Condoms, and STDs include:
Condoms must be used 100 percent of the time and used correctly during all the years an unmarried individual is engaged in sexual activity to provide any reasonable hope of avoiding STD infection and potential disease from infected partners (except for herpes and HIV where less than 100 percent condom use can provide some risk reduction).
Even 100 percent condom use does not eliminate the risk of any STD including HIV.
One hundred percent use of condoms for many years is so uncommon that it is almost a purely theoretical concept except for very few, very meticulous individuals. Even among adults who knew that their partner had HIV, only 56 percent used condoms every time (and the median follow up was only 24 months).
There is no evidence of any risk reduction for sexual transmission of human papillomavirus infection (HPV) even with 100 percent condom use.
Syphilis transmission is reduced from 29 percent to 50 percent with 100 percent condom use, leaving 50 to 71 percent relative risk of infection. ("Relative risk" does not mean the actual percentage risk of infection but rather refers to the calculated difference of risk between using a condom and not using a condom.)
Gonorrhea transmission is reduced by approximately 50 percent with 100 percent condom use leaving an approximate 50 percent relative risk of infection.
Chlamydia transmission is reduced by approximately 50 percent with 100 percent condom use, still leaving an approximate 50 percent risk of becoming infected with Chlamydia.
A recent study showed that with 25 percent or more condom use, the risk of transmission of genital herpes is reduced for females but not for males. Expanded data by the same author, as yet unpublished but presented at a national STD conference, show risk reduction of approximately 40 percent for both males and females when condoms were used for 65 percent or more of sex acts leaving an approximate 60 percent relative risk of infection.
HIV sexual transmission is reduced by approximately 85 percent with 100 percent condom use leaving an approximate 15 percent relative risk of infection with this usually fatal disease.
For the approximately twenty other STDs, not enough data exist to say whether or not condoms offer any risk reduction from sexual transmission.
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NIH Condom Report Press Release
Federal Panel on Condoms Offers Crucial Warnings to Sexually Active Americans, Says The Medical Institute for Sexual Health
AUSTIN, TX (July 19, 2001) "The National Institutes for Health report on the effectiveness of condoms reveals that condoms are not a reliable defense against today's epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases," said Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD, president of The Medical Institute for Sexual Health. He was referring to the groundbreaking NIH report scheduled for release tomorrow but reported in today's press coverage.
"America's youth have been lulled into a false sense of security about pre-marital sexual activity, believing that, as long as they use a condom, they are protected from sexually transmitted diseases. As the NIH report makes clear, there is no such thing as safe sex outside of marriage."
Among the very important revelations to be found in the NIH report, Dr. McIlhaney noted:
Condoms can reduce the risk of HIV by approximately 87 percent if they are used 100% of the time.
Condoms can reduce the risk of gonorrhea in men, and may or may not reduce the risk of chlamydia in men. (Chlamydia is an STD that is a common cause of infertility in women and is common in sexually active adolescents.)
The studies reviewed consistently reported that condoms had no impact on the risk of sexual transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women, which is responsible for more than 98 percent of cervical cancers.
There is no clear evidence that condoms reduce the risk of any other STD, including gonorrhea and chlamydia in women and HPV infection in men.
"We are in the midst of an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases," continued Dr. McIlhaney. "Approximately 15 million Americans acquire STDs each year. 25 percent are younger than 20. Some STDs are deadly. Others contribute to infertility and cancer."
"What this report tells us about the effectiveness of condoms and about our public health approach to STDs must be widely and loudly communicated to our young people. Ultimately, they must understand that there is only way to avoid the risk of contracting one of the approximately 25 STDs in existence today that is sex within the context of marriage."
A non-profit medical organization based in Austin, Texas, The Medical Institute was founded in 1992 to confront the worldwide epidemics of nonmarital pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection with incisive health care data.
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Press Release: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/20010720.html
Contact: Melissa Cox 512.328.6268 or mcox@medinstitute.org or Jeff Rosenberg 301.972.2367
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Editorial: To Tell the Truth About Condoms
By Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., M.D.
http://www.medinstitute.org/media/index.htm
The classic television game show, To Tell the Truth, is back. Could we ask the producers to dedicate one episode to condoms? Yes, condoms. Because it seems that we just don't seem capable of telling the truth about condoms.
If we did, at least then young people will have all the facts they need to decide whether to become sexually active. And their parents will have a true measure of the risks involved.
Unfortunately, too many experts seem to obfuscate, to create a confusing haze around the reality of condoms. The facts though, are rather clear. The National Institutes of Health last year convened a panel to explore the scientific evidence determining whether male latex columns are effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STD) the report has just been released. Experts from around the world presented research to the panel. What the panelists heard paints a much less reassuring picture about condoms than the message kids and parents generally hear.
The panel found that condoms can reduce the risk of HIV by approximately 87 percent if they are used 100 percent of the time. Condoms can reduce the risk of gonorrhea in men, and may or may not reduce the risk of chlamydia in men. (Chlamydia is an STD that is a common cause of infertility in women and is common in sexually active adolescents.) The studies reviewed consistently reported that condoms had no impact on the risk of sexual transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women, which is responsible for more than 98 percent of cervical cancers. Finally, they learned that there is no clear evidence that condoms reduce the risk of any other STD, including gonorrhea and chlamydia in women and HPV infection in men.
The other truth is that America is experiencing an epidemic of STDs. Sixty percent of co-eds at Rutgers University, for example, were found to be infected with HPV at some time during a three-year study. A study of herpes infection showed that 45.9 percent of all African-Americans over the age of 11 in this country is infected. And there has been a 500 percent increase in the prevalence of genital herpes in white adolescents over the past 25 years.
And condoms do nothing to protect the emotional health of young people engaged in activities they don't really understand.
All of this being the case, you wouldn't think we would have any difficulty telling the truth about condoms. Yet, much of the public health community, committed as they are to promoting an intervention strategy relying almost solely on condom use, would end up with the booby prize on To Tell the Truth.
Indeed, an honest look at the research leads to only one conclusion: the only realistic way for a young person to eliminate their risks of STDs and nonmarital pregnancy is to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. But, despite the fact that more teenagers are grasping this fact and less teenagers are having sex than just nine years ago, public health advocates continue to promote condom use over abstinence.
Leslie Kantor, spokesperson for the Othmer Institute at Planned Parenthood of New York, recently said, "The United States currently spends close to $100,000,000 annually on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which prohibit discussion of key topics, such as contraception." She's referring to Title V funding for abstinence education, which is just a drop in the bucket compared to federal funding for contraception and family planning. But she's also not telling the truth. Title V does allow discussion about contraceptives as long as it's in the context of emphasizing abstinence.
And James Wagoner of Advocates for Youth said, "American young people are contracting HIV at the rate of two per hour, yet Congress continues to dump taxpayer dollars into ineffective programs that deny young people information about contraception that could protect their health and save their lives." Besides being inaccurate about abstinence education programs, Wagoner ignores the fact that only rare contraception-based education programs have been shown to decrease pregnancy rates and then only a little. None have reduced STD rates.
Kantor and Wagoner are far from the only public health figures who would find To Tell the Truth a challenging game show. And that's a terrible shame because this isn't a game. This really can be life or death.
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Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., M.D., is president and founder of The Medical Institute for Sexual Health. A non-profit medical organization based in Austin, Tex., The Medical Institute was founded in 1992 to confront the worldwide epidemics of nonmarital pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection with incisive health care data. Dr. McIlhaney can be reached at The Medical Institute, P.O. Box 162306, Austin TX 78716.
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Fri 28 May, 2004 17:09
BERLIN (Reuters) - Most condoms contain a cancer-causing chemical and their manufacture should be subject to greater quality control, a German scientific research institute said Friday.
The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, said it found the carcinogen N-Nitrosamine present in 29 of 32 types of condoms it tested in simulated conditions.
"N-Nitrosamine is one of the most carcinogenic substances," the study's authors said. "There is a pressing need for manufacturers to tackle this problem."
The carcinogen is thought to be present in a substance used to improve condom elasticity. When the rubber material comes in contact with human bodily fluids, it can release traces of N-Nitrosamine, the study said.
Local government officials said condom users should not stop using rubber contraceptives based on results of the study because N-Nitrosamine does not present an immediate health danger.
But Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said that daily condom use exposed users to N-Nitrosamine levels up to three times higher than levels naturally present in food.
