Unsafe Sex Common When Partner Cheats: Study

HealthDay – Fri, Jun 15, 2012 FRIDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- People who have sexual affairs without their partner's knowledge are less likely to practice safe sex than those who have their partner's consent to have sex with others, a new study says.

These secret cheaters also were more likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their sexual encounters, the researchers found.

The University of Michigan study included more than 1,600 people who responded to an online ad. About 800 said they'd had sex with someone other than their primary partner. Of those, nearly 500 said the sex happened as part of a negotiated non-monogamous relationship, and about 300 said they were sexually unfaithful while in a monogamous relationship.

Those who were sexually unfaithful were 27 percent and 35 percent less likely to have used condoms for vaginal and anal sex, respectively, and 64 percent more likely to have used drugs and alcohol when they had their secret sexual encounters.

The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

"Our research suggests that people who are unfaithful to their monogamous romantic partners pose a greater risk for STIs

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China suspends sale of drugs in unsafe capsules

China's State Food and Drug Administration has suspended the sale of 13 drugs that it says are believed to have been made with capsules that contain excessive chromium.

State broadcaster CCTV ran a report Monday quoting the administration as saying it has started an investigation into the case.

The report says the capsules were made from industrial gelatin, which has more chromium than edible gelatin.

China suffers from a slew of food and drug safety problems and faces an uphill battle eliminating the rampant use of illegal additives and drugs, which are often churned out by makeshift chemical factories.

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Sexual Abuse May Put Boys at Risk for Unsafe Sex

HealthDay – 1 hr 22 mins ago TUESDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- Male teens who were sexually abused are more likely to have unsafe sex, a new study finds.

University of British Columbia researchers analyzed data from more than 40,000 American and Canadian male high school students who were surveyed between 1986 and 2011.

Compared to those with no history of sexual abuse, young males who were sexually abused were five times more likely to cause teen pregnancy, three times more likely to have multiple sexual partners and two times more likely to have unprotected sex, according to the study published online and in the June print issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

"As far as we know, this is the first study to explore the strength of the effects of sexual abuse on boys' sexual behavior," lead author Yuko Homma, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of British Columbia's School of Nursing, said in a university news release. "Our findings show that boys are also vulnerable to the traumatic effects of sexual abuse, which can lead to sexually transmitted infections or teen pregnancy."

About 8 percent of males and 20 percent of females in North America report that they've been sexually abused.

"Boys are far less likely to tell someone when they have been sexually abused," study co-author Elizabeth Saewyc, a UBC professor of nursing and adolescent medicine, said in the news release. "Yet it's clear they too need support and care to cope with the trauma from sexual violence."

Homma agreed. "Parents need to speak to their sons about sexual abuse awareness and prevention, as parents of girls do. Boys may hesitate to tell parents about an incident if parents have misconceptions about sexual abuse -- that it can't happen to males."

The researchers also suggested that schools should include sexual abuse prevention in health education, and health care agencies should screen boys and girls for a history of sexual abuse.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about sexual abuse.

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