by yoursl | Sep 24, 2015 | LGBT, Men's Sexual Health, Sex and Pharmaceuticals, Sexually Transmitted Diseases |
The HIV medication Truvada was first approved for use by the Federal Drug Administration in August 2004. Made by California-based pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences, Inc., Truvada contains two active drugs, emtricitabine and tenofovir disproxil fumarate and was originally approved for use as an antiretroviral agent. Antiretrovirals are in a drug classification of medications used to treat HIV and AIDS. All HIV medications work by disabling the steps the virus takes when hijacking uninfected cells. The goal of antiretroviral treatment is to keep the amount of HIV in the body at a low level to help stop the weakening of the immune system, which can lead to the development of AIDS, and to allow the immune system to recover from any damage that HIV might have already caused. There are more than 20 FDA-approved antiretroviral medications in use today. When only one antiretroviral medication is used to treat HIV, the virus can become resistant to that medication, making it ineffective over time. Taking two or more antiretroviral medications at one time is called combination therapy. The goal of combination therapy is to limit the rate at which HIV becomes resistant to the medications and, therefore, making treatment more effective over a longer period of time. Since its approval in 2004, Truvada has shown great promise in reducing the risk of acquiring an HIV infection. The medication works so well in suppressing HIV infections in the blood that HIV-positive people who regularly take Truvada can show negative results on HIV blood tests, which renders them nearly noninfectious despite their being HIV-positive in status. In July 2012, Truvada became the first FDA-approved...
by yoursl | Jul 2, 2015 | Men's Sexual Health, Sexual Discussion, Women's Sexual Health |
When a person experiences stress, his or her body releases cortisol, a steroid hormone. Cortisol belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which are present in almost every vertebrate animal cell, and is produced from cholesterol in the two adrenal glands located on top of each kidney. In addition to being released during times of stress, the body releases cortisol after a person wakes up and during and after exercise. Cortisol and the hormone epinephrine, which is also known as adrenaline, work together in “fight-or-flight” responses. After an individual is faced with stress, the adrenals secrete cortisol, which in turn floods the body with glucose (a simple sugar used as a source of energy in living organisms) that supplies immediate energy to large muscles. Cortisol causes this glucose release when it taps into protein stores in the liver. Cortisol’s focus is on supplying the body with glucose for quick energy which is why cortisol blocks insulin production as well. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes. As cortisol narrows the arteries, epinephrine increases heart rate. Both of these occurrences force blood to pump harder and faster through the body. Once the stressful situation is resolved, hormone levels return to normal. All this sounds very simple in theory, but many health experts theorize that our fast-paced lifestyles with ever-present stress causes our bodies to pump out cortisol almost constantly, which can have a negative impact on our health in general and on our sexual health in particular. Since cortisol stops the...
by yoursl | Jun 18, 2015 | Men's Sexual Health |
The testes, or testicles, are part of the human male’s reproductive system. There are two main types of cells found within the testicles: germ cells and Leydig cells. A germ cell is a reproductive cell, in this case a sperm cell. Each mature germ cell contains a single set of 23 chromosomes containing half the usual amount of DNA found in a human and half the number of genes found in a human because the egg germ cell contains the other half. When the egg and the sperm cell join to form a fertilized cell the full set of DNA is thus created. Leydig cells are found adjacent to the seminiferous tubules in the tesicles. Leydig cells produce steroids, including the androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which play a vital role in male fertility. Testosterone is thought to help regulate sex drive or libido, bone mass, fat distribution and muscle mass. Healthy males produce germ and Leydig cells in equal proportion, which gives the testicles their roundness, firmness and fullness. Most human testicles are egg-shaped. The testes work best at temperatures slightly cooler than the rest of the body. Sudden temperature changes can cause the testicles to shrink up into the body or fall away from the body. One testicle is usually smaller than the other, which is the same scenario for female breasts. One testicle typically hangs lower than the other as well. This is normal in terms of anatomy. Testicles in human males develop over time. During infancy, testicles are at their smallest in size. At the on-set of puberty, the testes begin to grow as they...
by yoursl | Mar 19, 2015 | Just For Fun, Men's Sexual Health, Sexual Discussion, Women's Sexual Health |
I was that child who asked “Why is the sky blue?” until I was satisfied with the answer I was given. My mother quickly adapted to my questions; she bought my brother and me a set of encyclopedias and a “how science works” book series along with two dictionaries. She gave us both unlimited access to the public library and encouraged me to bestow some questions on the librarians. We were both encouraged to read anything we wanted, no matter how challenging the material or how questionable in nature the material was deemed by other mothers. Our mother never stifled our creativity, intelligence or curiosity. Perhaps this is why I still ask questions to this day. I want to know as much as I can about everything that interests me, which is one reason I spend more time reading and researching than watching television. The other day I was reading a book for some ideas for some Tweets and found information that excited me. I discovered a treasure trove of anatomy-related information about sex and reproduction. I want to share this information because it is just good stuff to know. The Italian anatomist Gabriel Fallopius was born in 1523 in Modena, Italy, and served as a canon of the cathedral of Modena before returning to the study of medicine. In 1549, Fallopius became a professor of anatomy at the University of Pisa. He performed multitudes of dissections using human cadavers and described his work in the book Observationes anatomicae, which was published in 1561. Fallopius described many of the major nerves of the head and face as well as...
by yoursl | Mar 12, 2015 | Men's Sexual Health, Sexual Discussion |
It is a myth that the human male orgasm is synonymous with ejaculation. Orgasm is a nervous-system response while ejaculation is a reproductive one. Men can achieve an orgasm without ejaculating and can ejaculate without achieving an orgasm. The two acts are independent of one another and both do not always occur in the same sexual encounter. The male orgasm has 13 stages, as described in Sexy Origins and Intimate Things, by Charles Panati. A summary of the individual stages follows along with other nuggets of knowledge gleaned in my research of male anatomy and sexual response. During orgasm, the stage is when the shaft of the penis reaches its maximum length, width and rigidity. This phase is commonly referred to as a “hard-on.” Second, the head of the penis, or the glans, swells and darkens. This is the result of vasocongestion of blood in the penis itself. Prescription medications for treatment of erectile dysfunction can aid with regulating vasocongestion. (For the mechanics behind these drugs, please read the Your Sexy Librarian blog about these medications.) Third, the opening at the tip of the penis widens and is lubricated by fluid from the Cowper’s glands. These two glands, originally known as the bulbourethral glands but called Cowper’s glands in honor of English anatomist William Cowper, are about the size of peas and are located inferior, or lower than, the prostate and lateral, or sideways, from the urethra in the urogenital diaphragm in the male pelvis. Fourth, the testes enlarge by 50 to 100 percent of their normal size before rising and rotating to come into close contact with the body....
by yoursl | Jan 8, 2015 | Men's Sexual Health, Sexual Discussion, Women's Sexual Health |
A urinary tract infection (UTI), which is sometimes called cystitis, happens when bacteria in the bladder or kidney multiples in the urine and enters the urinary tract. UTI’s are not necessarily sexually transmitted, but being sexually active can increase the likelihood of developing a UTI due to the transfer of bacteria during sex between the vagina, rectum and urethra. UTI’s are relatively common among both men and women, but women tend to develop UTI’s far more easily than men due to the structure of female anatomy. The distance between a woman’s bladder and the urethral opening is relatively short with the opening in close proximity to the vagina and rectum, making quick transfer of bacteria possible. Brown University reports that an estimated 50 percent to 80 percent of women will develop UTI’s sometime during their life and that 20 percent to 50 percent of these women will have recurrent UTI’s. Common symptoms of a UTI include urine that appears cloudy, presence of blood in the urine, foul-smelling urine, urine with a strong odor first thing in the morning, frequent or urgent need to urinate, pain or burning with urination, needing to urinate with very little fluid coming out, night sweats, shaking or chills, pressure in the lower pelvis and low-grade fever. Men with UTI’s may experience a feeling of fullness in the rectum. A UTI can occur anywhere along the urinary tract. As a general rule, the higher up into the urinary tract that the infection is, the worse the infection will be. The most common type of UTI is iscystitis, or infection or inflammation of the bladder which...
