It is a modern-day tragedy that millions of women in the U.S. have been scared by Merck’s powerful ad campaign to become “one less” victim to cervical cancer by getting vaccinated with Gardasil. Sadly, now an increasing number of formerly healthy girls are turning into “one more” victim of vaccine adverse reactions.

Is your sex drive diminishing or just plain gone?  You may not be alone.  Recent research suggests that over 40 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 59 suffer from some form of female sexual dysfunction. 

The leading culprit is lack of interest or hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).  Most of the research in the area of sexual dysfunction has been on men and has focused on erectile dysfunction.  A recent study indicates that for women part of the puzzle is how their brain is functioning.

What are 1 in 6 American men diagnosed with?  Prostate cancer; and it is serious stuff, as it claimed almost 30,000 lives last year. 

You may be familiar with the old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Here’s another truism – the key to a man’s health and his enjoyment of life, particularly as he ages, is his prostate.  The treatment for cancer (usually the removal of the prostate) is not pleasant and has various side effects, particularly loss of libido and sexual performance.  Now there is a news of a discovery that may help doctors determine how aggressive the prostate cancer is and the most appropriate treatment.

In recent years, more and more evidence has emerged, showing that certain chemicals are causing damage to the endocrine system of both wildlife and humans. Male infertility, in particular, is on the rise, and about 250,000 fewer boys have been born in the last 30 years in the U.S. and Japan.

Scientists are linking these phenomena to an accumulation of “gender-bending” toxins called endocrine disruptors.

The safety of BPA has been questioned for decades. In fact its toxicity was first discovered in 1930 when it was initially found to mimic estrogen, leading to various cancers. But nonetheless, a decade later its use was ubiquitous in plastics, cans and tins used for foods. Although manufactures knew of its health impacts, they were not required to prove its safety. Until more recently, BPA’s toxicity has been ignored by governmental regulatory organizations, despite mounting evidence for the contrary.

I get asked all the time about whether I still believe vitamin E is useful for supporting your prostate and possibly preventing cancer. Doubt has been raised by a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that was so poorly designed it doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Have you ever wondered why there seem to be so many advertisements for erectile dysfunction (ED) medication - Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra - on television and in the magazines you are reading?  I did, and began an investigation that would ultimately become my Doctoral dissertation.  The reason is quite simple – there is a lot of erectile dysfunction (ED).  Over 30 million men in the United States suffer from it.  ED affects over 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 and the incidence of complete ED triples between those ages.  Even more disconcerting, experts expect cases of ED to more than double over the next 25 years.

This is the second article in a two part series about the prostate gland.  In Part 1, we learned what the prostate is, what it does, and the three common disorders that men experience.  Now, we’ll take a look at what steps we can take to reduce our likelihood of prostate problems.

Q: I’ve been wondering if you have any advice that can help me get rid of canker sores. I seem to get them all the time, and it’s quite a nuisance! Thanks again.

––K.S., Roanoke, VA