Archive: Columns

The Sex Lives of Older People Are Not What You May Think
Cheree Cleghorn | March 11, 2010

News/Commentary
This is another angle from a study just out which says healthier people have longer-lasting sex lives.
Here, the story focuses on male versus female interest in sexual activity as people get older.
A doctor friend of mine always has said, “Men will be interested in sex until the day they die. That is just how we [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor

When Baby Girls Are Not in Fashion, Then What?
Cheree Cleghorn | March 11, 2010

This report reminds us all that children are a source of labor in countries such as India and China.
Girls can be seen as an expense with the investment returns going to the families into which they marry.
Ultrasound scans can tell parents a baby’s gender. This story says that millions of couples have aborted a daughter, [...]

Topics: Friends & Families

British Young Adults Do Know How to Talk About Sex…Until…
Cheree Cleghorn | March 5, 2010

This is a large study, sponsored by the British government. It polled more than 1,200 15-24 year-olds. It appears that, when talking about prior sexual activity, this age group considers honesty a measure of the seriousness of, and the future of, that relationship. Disclosing that would involve agreeing on what “having sex” means, which may not be as clear in the U. S.

Topics: How To Speak Doctor

A New Kind of Failure to Communicate…People Don’t Agree on What “Had Sex” Means
Cheree Cleghorn | March 5, 2010

This is not leading up to a joke.
If people do not know how to report what sexual activity they are having or have had to physicians, the doctors may skip tests patients actually need, for instance. They may not know to advise them correctly when giving them contraceptive advice or prescriptions. For older males, the [...]

Topics: How To Speak Doctor

New Diabetes Test Offers Bonus…Also Better Predictor of Heart Disease and Stroke Risks
Cheree Cleghorn | March 4, 2010

A just-released research report shows that a newer diabetes test is more reliable and also is a better predictor of heart disease and stroke.

Topics: You, the Patient

Patients Could Be “Beeped” into Taking Medicine on Time
Cheree Cleghorn | March 3, 2010

This is an interesting story about a new system for reminding people to tell medications at the times they are supposed to take them and a second development, a new patent, which may report when medication has been taken.
It is reported by The Wall Street Journal Digital News.
Medication errors are one huge patient safety issue. [...]

Topics: You, the Patient

Resources Can Help Parents Help Kids with Learning Disabilities
Cheree Cleghorn | February 28, 2010

Find general advice and specific resources for parents who are trying to help a child who has learning differences or disabilities.

Topics: Patient's Own Decision-Maker

Choking on Foods and Toys Are Leading Cause of Death In Kids Three and Younger
Cheree Cleghorn | February 23, 2010

Pediatricians have been warning parents of toddlers about the choking hazards of hot dogs for quite a few years.
A hot dog is about the same size as a toddler’s esophagus. No one, until now, has called for the redesign of the hot dog to make it safer.
Given the data on choking, any item which raises [...]

Topics: Patient's Own Decision-Maker

Seven Secrets—Plus a Bonus—About Going to Emergency Room
Cheree Cleghorn | February 21, 2010

Please do not be a scene-thrower, whether you are patient or family member. Scene-throwers merely eat up valuable time which could be better used for you, your loved one or somebody else. There is enough real drama in ER’s.

Topics: How To Speak Doctor

Check Out Sites Which Check Out Best Air Fares…Illness Seldom Comes at Convenient Times
Cheree Cleghorn | February 19, 2010

This item is a review of airfare sites and their strengths and weaknesses.
As airfares have come down, there no longer are special rates for people who must fly with little or no notice to be with someone who is seriously ill.
The fare is the fare, whether your father just died or not.
At times like these, [...]

Topics: Communication Technology