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(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-01 08:05

New spermicide 'effective and safer'

A new spermicide compound, not yet available in drugstores, may be as good a contraceptive as the drug now in existing gels, films and foams, hints a new study.

All currently available gel, film and foam spermicides, such as Encare contraceptive inserts and VCF dissolving vaginal films, contain the compound nonoxynol-9. But researchers testing a new mixture of spermicidal compounds called C31G find it to be just as effective at preventing pregnancy, and perhaps even a bit safer to use.

"Spermicides are one of the least utilized contraceptive methods," says lead researcher Dr Anne E. Burke of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore.

However, for women who would rather not depend on a male partner's cooperation in birth control, do not want to take hormones, or who simply do not have sex all that often, it would be helpful to have newer and ultimately better spermicide options available, she adds.

The aim of the study is not to determine if C31G is better than nonoxonyl-9, notes Burke, but rather to see if it is "at least as good". Indeed, it is.

"There are concerns with nonoxynol-9, such as vaginal side effects and genital irritation for some users," she says. "It seems that C31G might offer improvements in those regards."

One of the hopes among researchers developing new spermicides is that they might address not only the problems of unintended pregnancy but also sexually-transmitted infections such as HIV. As a result, C31G has already been extensively tested as a microbicide, however, the current study is not designed to prove such an effect.

Ways to beat the winter blues

When winter draws and the days grow shorter, many people tend to become tired and listless. One cause of this is the hormone melatonin, which plays a role in sleeping patterns and is released during hours of darkness.

"You should make use of daylight to keep yourself fit and alert," advises Korinna Ruthemann from the German High School for Prevention and Health Management in Saarbruecken. "Go for a walk in the fresh air during lunch break."

Physical exercise and daylight also promote the release of the hormone serotonin which helps feelings of well-being. "The best thing is to take someone along with you as positive social contacts can give a big boost to your happiness," Ruthemann says.

There are also a few simple nutritional tricks that can help. Omega-3 fatty acids and the amino acid Tryptophan have a positive effect on our moods. "It's a good idea to eat a well balanced diet with fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and nuts," Ruthemann says. "Pay attention to your thoughts because negative attitudes can quickly drag you down into a vicious circle."

Winter depression can also affect children and young adults. Edgy moods and weak performance in school are the first signs. Concentration loss, low motivation and irregular sleep patterns are also symptoms, according to the German Society for Child and Young Adult Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy (DGKJP).

If the symptoms are not especially acute, the DGKJHP recommends getting plenty of exercise in the fresh air.

Elderly who exercise to music fall less

Keeping fragile seniors from tottering off balance is one of the major medical challenges of old age.

But if older people walk and exercise to piano music, seniors fall less than half as much and avoid the bone breaks that can incapacitate the elderly.

That at least was the finding of a study by Andrea Trombetti, of University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine of Geneva, Switzerland, and her colleagues.

The study was done through exercise classes for community-dwelling elderly people. The tasks were meant to challenge the body's balance control mechanism, and became gradually more difficult over a six-month period.

The exercises included walking in time to piano music, and responding to changes in the music's rhythm.

The study found that seniors who were in the group that exercised to music once a week for six months had only 0.7 falls per person per year, while those who didn't have the piano accompaniment fell 1.6 times per year. Walking speed and stride length both improved to music.

"Our findings suggest that this program may be useful for fall prevention and rehabilitation in community-based settings such as senior centers," the authors write.

DPA - Reuters