Rekindle romance naturally in time for Valentine’s Day.

Julia R. Heiman, PhD, director of the Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University, estimates that 25 to 53% of women of all ages have low libido. And judging by all those commercials for erectile dysfunction, estimates that 30 million men experience sexual dysfunction don’t seem at all unreasonable.

Candlelight and soft music may not be enough to spark that loving feeling in today’s high-stress world. Before you invest in a bottle of bubbly or a slinky negligee for Valentine’s Day, ask yourself what may be holding you—or the one you love—back.

Burning the candle at both ends is one sure way to put out any romantic sparks. Being overweight can also make some people feel less attractive—and negative body image is one sure way to kill libido.

Not that there aren’t plenty of physical reasons for lowered sex drive, as well. Hormonal changes impact women at almost every life stage, particularly before their periods, after pregnancy, and during perimenopause and menopause, affecting libido.

For either sex, an underactive thyroid can diminish sex drive, leading to significant weight gain and depression, further lowering libido. Now a new Scottish study shows that among men with erectile dysfunction, 40% also had metabolic syndrome (a prediabetic condition for which blood sugar imbalances and belly fat are some of the symptoms).

Both men and women produce fewer sex hormones as they age. And men don’t have a monopoly on testosterone. A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows this male hormone makes women feel friskier too!

In this placebo-controlled trial, researchers followed 814 postmenopausal women with “sexual desire disorder” in Australia, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The women received either 150 mcg or 300 mcg of testosterone daily via a patch—or they were given “placebo” patches.

Neither the scientists applying the patches nor the women receiving them knew who got what until the end of the study. But both groups receiving testosterone reported increased sexual desire.

Other research suggests that testosterone therapy relieves hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms of menopause, lessens breast tenderness, improves sexual desire, increases sexual sensitivity, and can help promote orgasm in women. It also enhances their sense of well-being and boosts energy levels.

I agree with research results that testosterone is the hormone of desire. Unfortunately, synthetic testosterone is not recommended for any woman at risk for breast or uterine cancer.

Most experts also advise against this kind of hormone replacement therapy for men because testosterone may promote prostate cancer. There is also evidence that too much testosterone can increase the risk for cardiovascular and liver disease in both sexes.

That’s why I recommend a natural topical Hot Times Testosterone Body Creme—available for both men and women. It combines 11 homeopathic ingredients that have been safely used for more than 150 years to mimic testosterone’s effects in the body—without the negative side effects of the synthetic hormones.

Oh, and by the way, if you have a little black dress that feels a little snug, you still have time to lose tummy fat before Valentine’s Day. The 5-Day Hot Metabolism Booster in Fat Flush for Life can help you recoup your “skinny” metabolism—or break through a weight-loss plateau.

The centerpiece of this amazingly satisfying and effective plan is a soup-like cocktail that allows you to enjoy a larger volume of food than most diets. Drinking the Hot Metabolism Booster cocktail triggers the stomach’s stretch-like receptor to signal the brain to stop eating.

Also important in this quick, safe, but effective way to turbo-charge weight loss? Eat enough lean protein (eggs, fish, poultry, seafood, and whey) to raise your metabolism by roughly 25 percent. Along with green and low-starch veggies, “good” fats, fiber-rich fruits, thermogenic spices, and plenty of water to flush out toxins and further rev up metabolism, you’re likely to drop 5 to 10 pounds in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day.

Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/menopaus1/a/menotestosteron.htm
http://women.webmd.com/normal-testosterone-and-estrogen-levels-in-women
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20057988
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20070301
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20057984

Ann Louise Gittleman is a health guru, diet/detox expert, award-winning author of 30 books on health and healing including the New York Times bestsellers The Fat Flush Plan, Before The Change, and Fat Flush For Life. A regular contributor to national television and radio, visit her at www.annlouise.com.

2010 FirstLook Review: Fat Flush For Life By Ann Louise Gittleman

10 Ways Lose Weight In 2010

75-80% Of Women Using Testosterone Experience Side Effects

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D.--

Former U.S. Senator John Edwards’ admission of paternity regarding a child not conceived by his wife brings to mind Ruth Padawer’s New York Times Magazine article, "Who Knew I was NOT the Father," published a few months back. Padawer described the dilemma of Mike L. whose DNA proved he was not the biological father of a girl that he had raised from birth. Mike was extremely conflicted because he still loved his daughter deeply. However, upon learning that his former wife was about to marry the alleged biological father of their child, he asked the courts to relinquish his child support payments. Surprisingly, they refused. Mike continues to pay child support to his former wife and his daughter’s biological dad and he is not happy.

DNA tests have proven that 40% of children are born outside of marriage and the number of paternity tests has increased by 60% in the past decade. With a swab from the cheek, life can change dramatically.  Most states require an unmarried couple to complete an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP) before the baby’s birth certificate is signed. However, there is a growing movement to have mandatory paternity tests done, even for married couples.

Life is indeed, messy.  Most state-appointed judges will NOT let non-biological fathers to stop paying child support in the “best interest of the child.” According to the courts, if a man acknowledges paternity and a bond has been established with the child, it would be disruptive for that relationship to disappear. It is now recommended that a presumed father, biological mother or biological father challenge paternity before the child turns 2. This would allow for any discrepancies to be resolved before deep parental bonds have formed. However, there are men who dispute this proposal stating a man may not discover he is not the child’s biological father until years later.

As an obstetrician, I have witnessed the heart break on both sides of the fence. Sex is not a benign act. It can and DOES bring forth creation. It is therefore prudent that everyone act responsibly and HONESTLY. Children shouldn’t suffer because of misguided adults.

Linda Burke-Galloway, MD, MS, FACOG is a board-certified ob-gyn physician who is a champion of patient safety and is on a mission to keep pregnant women from falling through the cracks of our imperfect healthcare system.  For over twenty years she has provided clinical services to high-risk pregnant women in medically underserved communities. She served our country through the National Health Service Corp, is a medical malpractice consultant for the U.S. Human Health Services and the federal government has also sought her expertise in reducing obstetrical malpractice cases in high-risk communities.  Dr. Burke-Galloway has worked for the State of Florida Department of Health for over thirteen years in direct patient care.  She is the author of The Smart Mothers Guide to a Better Pregnancy and is the Pregnancy Expert for LifeScript.com. She is a graduate of City College of the City University of New York, Columbia University School of Social Work and Boston University School of Medicine.  She lives with her husband in Central Florida and is the proud mother of two sons. Dr. Galloway is the author of The Smart Mother's Guide to a Better Pregnancy (Red Flags Pub/ 2008). You'll find Dr. Galloway online at www.smartmothersguide.com

Wrong Implanted Embryo Born, Baby Given To Biological Parents

USA: 1 Million Sperm Donor Children; 30,000 Yearly

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Ann Louise Gittleman--

Wendy (name has been changed) and her husband used to make love at least three times a week. But for the past six years, she’s lost interest. “All of a sudden I didn’t have any desire,” she says.

She’s not depressed and she loves her husband. “But after our second child was born, I just lost interest in sex,” Wendy says.

Ever since Viagra and pills for male sexual dysfunction hit the market, drug companies have been searching for a female version. However,
sexuality is very different for women.

“Attempting to treat low libido with a pill ignores the fact that many women’s level of desire is deeply affected by everyday life stresses and interpersonal relationships,” says Judy Norsigian, executive director of the women’s health advocacy organization, Our Bodies Ourselves.

"That’s not to deny a biological basis for low libido in women," says Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH, at Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute. Clearly, hormones play an important, if not complex role in sexual desire.

That explains why more women experience loss of libido during perimenopause and menopause, as their hormone levels decline. As if hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness weren’t enough to spoil their pleasure.

While levels of the female hormones decline dramatically with the change, estrogen is not the only hormone at play here. New research points out powerful benefits of the male hormone testosterone on libido—even for women.

Unlike female hormone replacement therapy that’s been linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease in women, a little testosterone also seems to support women’s health overall. The Multiethnic Cohort Study, which followed diverse populations of women, shows that testosterone—as opposed to female hormones—was inversely linked to breast cancer.

And a recent Swedish double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial shows that adding testosterone to the female hormone estradiol lowers an inflammatory marker for cardiovascular disease, C-reactive protein, helping to protect a woman’s heart.

I’m glad the research is finally reporting what I’ve recognized for years—women need testosterone too!

After menopause, women’s testosterone levels are about half what they were before the change. Low levels of testosterone are also found in women with high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Sure, it’s important for vaginal health to counteract the effects of low estrogen levels. But it’s equally important to boost your testosterone levels if you want to keep the fires of sexual desire burning into menopause and beyond.

A little testosterone not only supports a woman’s libido but also relieves fatigue, irritability, depression, joint pain, and dry, thinning skin. This male hormone has even been found to strengthen women’s bones, preventing osteoporosis that’s so common with menopause.

Trouble is, oral testosterone dosage is tricky in women, and the testosterone patch produces adverse side effects like acne, irritated skin, and weight gain in 75 to 80 percent of females who use it. Even too much testosterone cream can cause unwanted facial hair, belly fat (linked to heart disease), agitation, and other unwanted symptoms.

Instead, I recommend Hot Times Testosterone Creme for Women, a unique blend of 11 homeopathic ingredients that have been safely used for more than 150 years. These ingredients stimulate testosterone in the body—increasing sex drive and energy levels, enhancing mood, and helping maintain muscle tone—without the negative effects of this hormone in women.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19906002

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19903744

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1939884,00.html?artId=1939884?contType=article?chn=sciHealth

Visionary, health guru, diet/detox expert, and natural foods icon Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of 30 books on health and healing including the New York Times bestsellers The Fat Flush Plan and Before The Change. Her most recent release is The Gut Flush Plan. For the past two decades she has been considered one of the foremost nutritionist in the United States. A regular contributor to national television and radio, visit her at www.annlouise.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

BASIL AND SPICE SEXUAL MATTERS - What's A Guy To Do When His Wife Is Just Not Into Sex?

U.S.: 5 Million Suffering With Alzheimer's

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Jill Blakeway, M.Sc, L.Ac.--

Whilst moderate exercise helps relieve stress and prepare a body for a healthy pregnancy, spending too much time in the gym can impair a woman’s fertility, according to a new study of 3,000 women published in last month’s edition of Human Reproduction.

In our book, Making Babies, we suggest that women who are trying to conceive do enough exercise to maintain a normal level of fitness and but that they do it in a way that makes them feel good physically and mentally, not drained or exhausted.  This advice is seconded by Sigridur Lara Gudmundsdottir, who led the study, ”We found two groups who experienced an increased risk of infertility. There were those who trained almost every day, and there were those who trained until they were completely exhausted. Those who did both had the highest risk of infertility.”

The researchers believe that high levels of physical activity consume so much energy that the body experiences short periods of time where there simply is not enough energy to maintain all the necessary hormonal mechanisms that make fertilization possible.

This correlates with the way traditional Chinese medicine sees the effects of too much exercise on qi. Qi is the word used to describe the body’s ability to warm, move and make transformations. For thousands of years Chinese doctors have cautioned their patients not to deplete their qi, if they are trying to conceive, because weak qi can lead to failure to ovulate or affect the embryo’s ability to implant.

The key is moderation. Too much exercise depletes qi whilst moderate exercise can help build qi. This is supported by previous research which has shown that moderate physical activity gives women better insulin function and an improved hormonal profile. In this recent study there is no evidence of impaired fertility through moderate amounts of exercise. Gudmundsdottir advises that women who want to conceive should still maintain their fitness but avoid extremes.

"We believe it is likely that physical activity at a very high or very low level has a negative effect on fertility, while moderate activity is beneficial." she said.

Jill Blakeway is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Board Certified Herbalist. A former Professor of Traditional Asian Medicine she is the coauthor of Making Babies: A Proven Three Month Program for Maximum Fertility and The Fertility Plan. She is the Clinic Director at the YinOva Center in New York City, which is a complementary medical center for women and children. www.yinovacenter.com

Book Review: Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

Chinese Medicine Brings Back The Libido

1 In 5 Women Suffer Pelvic Pain In Pregnancy: Ear Acupuncture Safe Therapy

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved

Open Homicide, Rape Cases Contain Forensic Evidence Not Sent to Crime Labs

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—Nationwide, 14 percent of open homicide cases and 18 percent of open rape cases contain forensic evidence that has not been sent to a crime lab for analysis, according to a new study conducted by RTI International for the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice.

The national survey of more than 2,000 state and local police agencies also found that fewer than half of police departments (43 percent) have computerized systems in place for tracking forensic evidence inventory.

Among the reasons cited for not submitting forensic evidence for analysis were:

• 44 percent reported that evidence is not submitted for analysis unless a suspect has been identified
• 15 percent of law enforcement agencies reported that they may not submit forensic evidence to a lab if the analysis was not requested by a prosecutor
• 11 percent said they did not submit evidence because they felt the lab was not able to produce timely results

The survey also revealed that evidence retention policies and practices vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

The "Survey of Law Enforcement Forensic Evidence Processing" was conducted by RTI International and funded by the National Institute of Justice, the research, technology and evaluation component of the Department of Justice.

About RTI International

RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory and chemistry services. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

©2009 RTI International. RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

RTI: ARRA 2009 Grants $500K For Sexual Assault Response Web Training

By Lauryn Abbott

Love and marriage, and . . . sex. In her new book Kiss Me Again, (Multnomah Books/ Sep 2009) Barbara Wilson explores intimacy and sex in marriage and how emotions, sexual abuse and past sexual impurity can sabotage the sacred union between a husband and a wife. In society today, premarital sex is more the rule than the exception (sadly, even in Christian circles), and this creates unhealthy and invisible bonds to any persons with shared sexual history. And these bonds cause pain, scars, and hang-ups that are damaging to marriage. But forgiveness, healing and freedom are available. This great book includes a 10-week study guide at the end. It can be read and worked-through individually, as a couple, or even within a safe women’s small group setting.

Many married women genuinely want to feel more desire toward their husbands. But while sex before marriage was hard to resist, now resisting seems like all they do. In her new book, Barbara Wilson shows how couples can suffer for years from the “invisible bonds” of previous relationships without even knowing it. Hidden emotions of distrust, shame, and resentment can sabotage even the most loving marriage.

In Kiss Me Again, Wilson:

~ Shares her own story of healing and renewed desire
~ Helps women forgive themselves and their husbands for past choices
~ Shows readers how to break free from “invisible bonds”
~ Explains God’s plan for helping a husband and wife to re-bond
~ Includes conversation helps for both wives and their husbands
~ Helps couples reignite the passion that they thought was lost

With assessment tools, write-in exercises, and gentle guidance, Kiss Me Again offers a biblical plan for rekindling the closeness and passion women long for in marriage. Because no past is beyond the reach of God’s healing touch.

Barbara Wilson is the author of The Invisible Bond and former director of sexual health education for the Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center in Sacramento. She speaks nationwide to youth and adults with her message of sexual healing, and she teaches frequently in the women’s ministry at the multi-campus Bayside Church in Northern California. Barbara and her husband, Eric, have been married for 28 years.  You'll find the author online at www.barbarawilson.org

Sexually Satisfied Women Have Better General Well-Being and More Vitality

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Jill Blakeway, M.Sc, L.Ac.--

“Can you help me get my mojo back?”

Karen¹ was a tired Mom with two small children who was worried about her lack of libido. Here at the YinOva Center we regularly hear from women who are concerned that they have little or no interest in sex. To a certain extent it’s normal for sexual desire to wax and wane and a low sex drive is often the result of major life changes such as illness, having a baby or menopause. Karen was delighted to hear that something as ancient and traditional as Chinese medicine has much to offer a modern woman who wants revive her sex drive. In fact, Chinese medicine associates a healthy sex drive with overall good health and some of the most famous Chinese tonic herbs, such as Ginseng, are also considered to be herbal aphrodisiacs.

The problems women have with their sex life can be divided into four areas

•      Lack of desire
•      Lack of arousal
•      Failure to orgasm
•      Pain or discomfort with intercourse

All of these areas have different diagnoses in Chinese medicine and are treated with different combinations of herbs and regular acupuncture treatments.

Lack of libido in women is usually diagnosed as weak Kidney Qi and Heart blood deficiency. The kidneys are considered to be the root of reproductive energy and the emotions, as reflected by the heart, also play a vital role in female sexuality. So we treat low desire with a combination of herbs that nourish both the heart and kidneys.

Lack of arousal is also related to weak kidney energy but in this case it is attributed to weak kidney yin. Yin is what gives our bodies lubrication and so at the YinOva Center we have found that giving our patients herbs that tonify kidney yin can really help them become aroused easier.

Failure to orgasm is related to stagnation and in particular stagnation of liver qi. In Chinese medicine the liver channel flows through the genitals and the liver is responsible for the smooth flow of energy throughout the body. Lack of orgasm is related to an interruption in this energy flow. We give these patients qi-moving herbs which seem to help a great deal.

Painful intercourse is also related to stagnation in Chinese medicine – blood stagnation. As in Western medicine where painful intercourse is associated with a diagnosis of endometriosis or fibroids, in Chinese medicine the pain is attributed to some kind of local obstruction. We give these patients blood moving herbs as well as referring them to their gynecologist for further investigation.

At the YinOva Center we start by taking a full history and working out your Chinese medical diagnosis. In Karen’s case running around after two toddlers was making her tired and leaving little time or energy left for sex. She also talked about how separate she felt from her husband, Andy¹, now that her life revolved around their kids. She commented that when she and Andy did make time they both still enjoyed sex but that motivation was an issue. The combination of emotional shut down and physical exhaustion was a clear case of kidney qi deficiency and heart blood deficiency. I gave Karen a Chinese herbal formula and we agreed to meet once a week for regular acupuncture. She also decided to consciously set aside time for intimacy. Within a month Karen was much happier about her sex life. She described feeling much closer to her husband and commented that he too seemed to have a new spring in his step.

Here’s the advice we give our YinOva Center patients when they come to us for help in reviving their sex drive.

Come and see us for regular acupuncture – acupuncture moves qi and blood in the channels around the genitals and so can help with issues related to orgasm. Acupuncture can also gently balance hormones and so can help increase desire and arousal.

A specially tailored herbal formula can be really helpful. Many of our patients have reported great success from taking Chinese herbs for their particular condition. Chinese medicine has a long tradition of using safe, gentle aphrodisiacs and may be all you need to get your sex life back on track

Consult your doctor – there can be structural and hormonal issues affecting your libido and your doctor will be able to help with these. Your doctor can also tell you if any of the medicine you are taking is lowering your libido and may be able to suggest alternatives. She can also check for undiagnosed medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and hypothyroid – all of which can affect your sexual response.

Exercise – regular exercise moves qi in Chinese medicine and so alleviates the qi stagnation associated with poor sexual response. Exercise also reduces stress and improves your body image, both of which will help you feel sexier.

Strengthen your pelvic muscles. Pelvic floor exercises called Kegel exercises can help you become more aware of which muscles give you sexual pleasure. To perform these exercises, tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re stopping a stream of urine. Hold for a count of five, relax and repeat. Do this several times a day.

Set aside time for sex. Although you sacrifice spontaneity by doing this, scheduling time when you and your partner can be intimate can really help a struggling sex life. You can also liven things up by making some changes to your regular sexual routine.

1. All names have been changed to protect the privacy of our patients.

Jill Blakeway is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Board Certified Herbalist. A former Professor of Traditional Asian Medicine she is the coauthor of Making Babies: A Proven Three Month Program for Maximum Fertility and The Fertility Plan. She is the Clinic Director at the YinOva Center in New York City, which is a complementary medical center for women and children. www.yinovacenter.com

Book Review: Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

Copyright © 2006-2009, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Older Women Have Higher Well-Being Scores than Younger Women

Pre- and post-menopausal women who self-rated themselves as being sexually satisfied had a higher overall psychological well-being score and scores for “positive well-being” and “vitality,” compared with sexually dissatisfied women in a study of 295 women sexually active more than twice a month.  The study, published today in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, also uncovered a positive association between age and well-being, but a negative association for general health.   The most commonly reported sexual problems in the area of consensual sexuality in women relate to sexual desire and interest, pleasure and satisfaction, and for most women these are part of the overall sexual experience, and are inextricably related. 

In contrast to studies of interventions for male erectile dysfunction, benefit of treatment in women with sexual dysfunction cannot be measured simply by the frequency of sexual events, as women frequently continue to be sexually active despite a high level of sexual dissatisfaction. Thus the frequency of self-reported satisfactory sexual events has been used as the primary outcome in recent studies.   To assess whether there was a correlation between sexual satisfaction and well-being, the team of Australian researchers recruited women from the community aged 20-65 who self-identified as being satisfied or dissatisfied with their sexual function. 

Participants were also asked questions which identified whether they were pre- or post menopausal, with recruitment closed when there was an equal number of women in each of the four subgroups.   “We wanted to explore the links between sexual satisfaction and wellbeing in women from the community, and to see if there was any difference between pre- and postmenopausal women,” said lead author Dr Sonia Davison, of the Women’s Health Program at Monash University, Australia.  “We found that women who were sexually dissatisfied had lower well-being and lower vitality. This finding highlights the importance of addressing these areas as an essential part of women’s healthcare, because women may be uncomfortable discussing these issues with their doctor.”   “The problem with interpreting this finding is that it is impossible to determine if dissatisfied women had lower well-being because they were sexually dissatisfied, or if the reverse is true, such that women who started with lower well-being tended to secondarily have sexual dissatisfaction,” added Davison.  “As such, pharmacotherapies aimed to treat sexual dysfunction may have secondary effects on well-being, and the reverse may be true.”  

As over 90% of women in this study reported their sexual activity involved a partner, and was initiated by the partner at least 50% of the time, the sexual activity of the women may have been affected by partner presence (or absence), partner health, and sexual function, which were not addressed in this study. “The fact that women who self-identified as being dissatisfied maintained the level of sexual activity reported most likely represents established behaviour and partner expectation,” said Professor Susan Davis, senior author of this study, also based at the Women’s Health Program at Monash University, Australia. “It also reinforces the fact that frequency of sexual activity in women cannot be employed as a reliable indicator of sexual well-being.”  

“We are proud to publish this extremely important study in women's sexual health” said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.  “This large study performed in the community emphasizes the role and importance of women's sexual health in women's overall health and well-being.  Previous criticism equated physicians’ efforts to improve a woman's satisfaction with her sexual life as medicalization. Dr. Davison's and co-workers’ research will help health care professionals appreciate the need for overall women's healthcare to include women's sexual health care.”

Citation:  Davison SL; Bell R; LaChina M; Holden SL; Davis SR; The Relationship between Self-Reported Sexual Satisfaction and General Well-Being in Women; Journal of Sexual Medicine; 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01406.x

About the Authors: Dr Sonia Davison is an NHMRC postdoctoral Research Fellow and Professor Susan Davis, MBBS FRACP PhD, is Director of the Women’s Health Program at Monash University in Victoria, Australia.

About the Editor: Irwin Goldstein, M.D. is Director of Sexual Medicine, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego and Clinical Professor of Surgery at University of California, San Diego.

About The Journal of Sexual Medicine (JSM)
JSM is a peer-reviewed publication founded in 2004 and is the official journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, its five regional affiliated societies and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. It publishes multi-disciplinary basic science and clinical research to define and understand the scientific basis of male and female sexual function and dysfunction and carries an Impact Factor of 5.393.  For more information, please visit www.jsm.issm.info.

The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) was founded in 1982 for the purpose of promoting, throughout the international scientific community, research and knowledge in sexual medicine, considered as the subspecialty area of medicine that embraces the study, diagnosis and treatment of the sexual health concerns of men and women. The society has over 2700 members worldwide, with five regional societies that are affiliated with ISSM: the Africa Gulf Society for Sexual Medicine, Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, Latin American Society for Sexual Medicine, and Sexual Medicine Society of North America. For more information please visit www.issm.info.

About Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world’s leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or www.interscience.wiley.com.

RTI: ARRA 2009 Grants $500K For Sexual Assault Response Web Training

Web Training to Be Developed to Help Sexual Assault Response Professionals Handle Cases Involving Drugs and Alcohol

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—Researchers at RTI International are developing Web-based training as part of a grant to help sexual assault response personnel handle cases involving drugs and alcohol.

The two-year grant, worth almost $500,000, is funded under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

The grant will allow researchers at RTI to develop and deliver five Web-based training modules to further Jeri R. Millereducate professionals such as sexual assault nurse examiners, sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFEs) and the sexual assault response teams (SARTs), who include law enforcement, emergency medical responders and victim advocates.

SANE/SAFE/SART training specific to Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) cases is one advanced topic that has received limited attention. DFSA, often referred to as date rape, is a sexual assault that occurs when the victim is overtly drugged by an offender or a sexual assault of an individual who is under the influence of a drug and, thus, unable to consent to sex.

"Professionals who deal with sexual assault need advanced training to increase their skills and knowledge of current trends, particularly related to sexual assault involving drugs and alcohol," said Jeri Ropero-Miller, of RTI's Center for Forensic Sciences and the project's director. "The Web training modules being developed will provide professionals with a better understanding of the fundamental issues of forensic evaluations, the roles of investigators and medical professionals, and evidence collection and analysis for drug-involved sexual assaults."

The Web training will provide sexual assault response professionals with a cost-effective means to continue their professional education focusing on evidence collection and drug recognition behaviors. Each training module will be presented as an instructor-led "virtual classroom" to facilitate student-teacher interaction. In addition, panel discussions will provide information from a number of subject matter experts while competency testing will allow participants to measure their ability to apply the knowledge obtained from the training. Subsequent on-demand modules will provide flexible access to the information.

"It is believed that increased understanding of the fundamental issues of sexual assault may increase the effectiveness of sexual assault response teams and the prosecution of offenders," said Peter Stout, of RTI's Center for Forensic Sciences and the project's co-director. "Increased effectiveness in DFSA response has the potential to enhance community support and awareness for the victims."

RTI is collaborating with The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing program and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory on this project.

About RTI International

RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory and chemistry services. For more information, visit www.rti.org

©2009 Research Triangle Institute. RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

Study Finds Alcohol Associated with Sexual Assault in College