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 | Oct 2, 2014 | Cancers of Reproductive Systems, Just For Fun, Men's Sexual Health, Sex and Art, Sex and Pharmaceuticals, Sexual Discussion, Sexually Transmitted Diseases |
This blog pays homage to the syndicated column, News of the Weird, by creating a list of sexual issues, sexual health, and other taboo topics in the recent news. Holly Stewart, a grandmother from Kansas City, Missouri, asked for money on Kickstarter to help fund her penis art business. She wanted to raise $250 to pay for promotional posters to advertise her art exhibit HollyPolyester: Local Grandmother Quilts Giant Penises, which ran from September 4-19, 2014, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Gallery of Art. The grandmother raised $300 on Kickstarter, and her art show took place as planned. Stewart’s art includes life-size and giant quilted penises made from colorful materials and penis sculptures made from pins and sequins. Sources: elitedaily.com and the UMKC Gallery of Art website Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, a drug maker located in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, laid off 200 workers, or 30 percent of its workforce, on September 10, 2014. The pharmaceuticals company, which has not made a profit since 2012, sells 12 products dedicated to men’s health, including the testosterone gel Testim, the erectile dysfunction drug Stendra, and the Peyroine’s disease (penile curvature deformity) drug Xiaflex. Stendra is the first new erectile dysfunction drug to hit the American market in nearly a decade, and the company is awaiting a decision from the Food and Drug Administration to change the drug’s label to indicate a 15-minute onset of action over the current label’s 30-minute onset of action, which means it may take less time than previously thought for the drug to take effect. Auxilium expects to pay $20 million in...
by yoursl | Sep 25, 2014 | Men's Sexual Health, Sex and Pharmaceuticals, Sexual Discussion, Sexual Dysfunction |
A man’s erection is caused when nitric oxide is released from local nerve endings, which initiates a chemical reaction that allows blood vessels to dilate, or expand. A protein called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and an enzyme called PDE 5 play important roles in helping create an erection. cGMP signals the muscles in the blood vessel walls to relax and fill with blood. The amount of blood flowing into these blood vessels must be strictly controlled, filling them to capacity but not to bursting. PDE 5 breaks down cGMP to prevent overstimulation of the blood vessels and to prevent excessive relaxation as well. Problems start to occur when there is not enough cGMP present or if cGMP is broken down too quickly by PDE 5. In either case, the blood vessels don’t remain relaxed long enough to fill with a sufficient amount of blood to allow the penis to become erect, thus giving rise erectile dysfunction. Current erectile dysfunction drugs, such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and Stendra, work by inhibiting or blocking the effect of PDE 5 and thus allowing cGMP to remain active longer which in turn makes it easier to both achieve and maintain an erection. For erectile dysfunction drugs to work, a man must be sexually aroused as this allows the body to release cGMP which allows the blood vessels to fill with blood. Cialis is slightly different in chemical makeup than Viagra and Levitra, which are both essentially the same in chemical makeup. Foods, especially fatty foods, affect how Viagra, Levitra, and Stendra are absorbed by the...
