Study: herpes increases risk of brain inflammation

by Sabine Kortals, Editorial Director What is encephalitis? It's a disorder marked by swelling and inflammation of the brain...and people who test positive for herpes could be more likely to suffer from its potentially debilitating effects (e.g., tremors, muscle degeneration, paralysis or diminished cognitive function). That's according to a recent study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Medical Journal. Researchers analyzed the records of more than 200 people with encephalitis symptoms and found that about 42% of the cases were caused by infections...and about 19% of this group developed encephalitis because they had herpes.
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Survey: teens more careful about sex

by Sabine Kortals, Editorial Director It's a knee-jerk reaction to fault teens with unsafe, unprotected sex...but a new survey suggests they're more careful than we think they are. Findings from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior – the most recent national survey of sexual health and behaviors – indicate that about 70-80% of teens used a condom in their last sexual encounter. In fact, the lowest rates of condom use were found among adults over 40.
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