Study: Casual sex doesn’t kill chance of long-term relationship

People who “hook up” for casual sex can have as rewarding a long-term relationship as those who take it slowly and establish a meaningful connection before they have sex, says a new study. University of Iowa researchers analyzed relationship surveys and found that average relationship quality was higher for people who took it slowly than for those who became sexually involved in “hook-ups,” casual dating, or “friends with benefits” relationships. CASUAL SEX: More Americans do it TEENS: Casual sex, lower GPA linked SEX LIFE: Obesity can be bad for the bedroom However, having sex early …

Report: Health law’s small biz tax credit could expand coverage

As the provisions of the Affordable Care Act begin to be implemented, many small businesses in the United States will be able to take advantage of new tax credits, a new report states. During the first phase of the act, some businesses employing some 16.6 million workers will be eligible for these tax credits, according to the report released Thursday from the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation. “The new law is likely to have a significant …

Outbreak linked to ground beef puts focus on meat oversight

ST. PAUL — The first known U.S. outbreak linked to a rare strain of E. coli in ground beef is prompting a fresh look at tougher regulations to protect the nation’s meat supply. Three people in Maine and New York became ill this summer after eating ground beef traced back to a Cargill plant in Wyalusing, Pa. Cargill Meat Solutions, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Cargill , recalled about 8,500 pounds of ground beef on Saturday, and regulators warned consumers to throw out frozen meat purchased at BJ’s Wholesale Clubs in eight eastern states. The ground beef had a use-by-or-freeze-by date of July 1. Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, who was appointed undersecretary of food safety …

‘DASH’ diet can lower heart attack risk almost 20%

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats can significantly lower the risk of heart attack for people with mildly elevated blood pressure, Johns Hopkins University researchers say. The diet they examined — called the DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) — was designed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. In this new study, it reduced the risk of heart attack by almost 20%, the researchers said. DIET SELECTOR: Find the right plan for you LOW…

Bone drugs may raise throat cancer risk

LONDON (AP) — People who take bone-strengthening drugs for several years may have a slightly higher risk of esophageal cancer, a new study suggests. The findings are in contrast to another recent study that used the same database of 80,000 patients and concluded that there was no link between the drugs and esophageal cancer. That study was published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association . Authors of the new study say they tracked patients for nearly twice as long — nearly …

Egg industry alarmed at cage limits

Even before the recent salmonella outbreak, America’s egg industry was struggling to fend off another threat: allegations that it was cruel to chickens. Egg producers are alarmed at efforts to ban small cages for hens, a movement that has gained momentum in an increasing number of states. The 550 million eggs recalled in connection with the salmonella contamination came from hens housed in industrial-style “battery cages,” in which birds are crammed against one another in a long battery of …

Abstinence program partners Chinese officials with U.S. evangelicals

BEIJING – If all goes according to plan, this fall a girl somewhere in China’s Yunnan province will tell her boyfriend she can’t have sex with him. And he’ll have an abstinence program from the United States to thank. This Story Abstinence program partners Chinese officials with U.S. evangelicals User Poll: Does abstinence education work? In Yunnan schools this year, teachers are being trained with a sex education curriculum created by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family. The agreement with the Yunnan ministry of education is a milestone for Focus …

Study: Friends help college females avoid risky sex after drinking

College students use a number of strategies to prevent their female friends from engaging in risky sexual behavior after a night of heavy drinking, new research suggests. Researchers interviewed 141 U.S. college students and found that three-quarters of them said they would persuade a female friend not to go home with a new male acquaintance or that they would make sure she arrived home safely. The participants listed three ways they would attempt to ensure the safety of a female friend: They would remind their friend about the potential negative social and health consequences, such as getting pregnant, developing a bad reputation, and regretting their decision the next day. They would distract or trick their …

1 in 7 home kitchens would flunk inspection, worse than restaurants

ATLANTA (AP) — A new study suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of health inspection commonly administered to restaurants. The small study done in Los Angeles County found that less than two-thirds of home kitchens would get an A or B if put through the rigors of a restaurant inspection. At least 14% would fail. In comparison, 98% of restaurants in the county get A or B scores each year. The study is believed to be one of the first to offer this kind of look at food safety

New test may ‘revolutionize TB care,’ diagnosing

Scientists are reporting a major advance in diagnosing tuberculosis: A new test can reveal in less than two hours, with very high accuracy, whether someone has the disease and if it’s resistant to the main drug for treating it. The test could revolutionize TB care and replace the 125-year-old process used now, which is slow and misses more than half of all cases, experts say. A better test would be a powerful tool to curb TB in poor countries, where most people spread the lung disease before they are …

Next Page »