Arvinas, Pfizer announce VERITAC-2 trial did not reach statistical significance
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Why many women over age 52 have a higher risk of getting STIs
STIs are on the rise — but it's not just frat bros and free-lovers feeling the burn. While younger people still account for the majority of cases, studies show that some of the steepest spikes are happening in people 55 and up. Experts have offered several explanations for the surge, but research suggests there's a risk factor affecting many midlife and older women that has largely flown under the radar and could be playing a key role. Advertisement 4 More Americans are having sex in their senior years thanks to advancements in medicine. Monkey Business – More than a million American women hit menopause each year — and it's not just hot flashes and mood swings they're facing. The transition, which wraps up around age 52 on average, marks the end of reproductive years and is driven by a drop in estrogen as the ovaries slow hormone production. While vaginal dryness and loss of elasticity are well-known symptoms, research from Ohio State University (OSU) shows that menopause can also weaken the vaginal tissue itself, making it more prone to tearing. Advertisement That vulnerability comes down to changes at the cellular level. The vagina's surface is made up of multiple layers held together by key proteins like desmoglein-1 (DSG1) and desmocollin-1 (DSC1). 'These proteins strengthen the vaginal lining and restrict pathogen access to deeper tissue, reducing the risk of infection,' Dr. Thomas L. Cherpes, associate professor of otolaryngology at OSU, wrote in The Conversation. Advertisement 4 Menopause can bring a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including vaginal changes. – In their research, Cherpes and his colleagues found that postmenopausal women have significantly lower levels of DSG1 and DSC1 than women who haven't gone through the transition. To see how this might impact infection risk, the researchers removed the ovaries of mice in a lab to mimic estrogen loss in postmenopausal women. Compared to mice with intact ovaries, those without had far lower levels of DSG1 and DSC1 in their vaginal tissue. Advertisement The team also found that these mice were more vulnerable to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which causes genital herpes. They were less able to clear chlamydia infections from the lower genital tract as well. The findings help explain why postmenopausal women are more susceptible to STIs than their younger counterparts. Notably, when Cherpes and his colleagues applied estrogen cream to the mice without ovaries, it restored the vaginal lining's integrity and fully protected them from HSV-2 infection. 4 The vaginal tissue is more vulnerable to tearing after menopause, opening the door to infection. megaflopp – 'While additional research is needed, findings from our lab suggest that estrogen-containing compounds used to relieve vaginal irritation and other symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause can also reduce susceptibility to STIs among older adults,' Cherpes wrote. Sex doesn't stop — and neither do the risks Americans might not like to talk about it, but older adults are still very much having sex. A 2018 survey found nearly 40% of people aged 65 to 80 are sexually active, and almost two-thirds remain interested in sex. Advertisement More recent AARP data shows that 26% of 60- to 69-year-olds and 17% of those 70 and older have sex weekly. 'Hormone-replacement therapy, vaginal lubricants and the approval of sildenafil (Viagra) and its relatives have extended people's sex lives,' Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer told the American Medical Association. But while more people are living longer and staying sexually active, more are also paying the price. 4 Sex-crazed seniors are fueling a major spike in STIs nationwide. David – Advertisement 'Rates are highest in the under 25 age group, which accounts for about 50% of STIs, but we're definitely seeing a rise in infections in the older population, particularly in people over 65,' Dr. Angelina Gangestad said in an interview with University Hospitals. Between 2010 and 2023, the number of Americans over 65 diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis rose by roughly three-, five- and sevenfold, respectively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research also suggests women over 50 are at greater risk for HIV than their younger peers. Advertisement In addition to the effects of menopause, experts say several other factors are likely fueling the rise. Condom use is significantly lower among older adults compared to younger people. One study found that just 3% of Americans aged 60 and older have used a condom in the past year. Older adults also tend to have less knowledge about STIs, including how they spread, what symptoms look like and how to prevent them. Advertisement To make matters worse, research suggests that many doctors don't ask older patients about their sex lives — and seniors aren't exactly jumping to bring it up with their family or friends, either. 'No one wants to think about grandma doing this,' Matthew Lee Smith, an associate professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, told NBC News. 'You certainly aren't going to ask grandma if she was wearing condoms — and that's part of the problem, because every individual regardless of age has the right to intimacy.'
UPI
7 hours ago
- UPI
SpaceX Dragon delivers Crew-11 to International Space Station
1 of 3 | The four Crew-11 members are greeted by the seven-member Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station. Photo by NASA Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The four Crew-11 crew members joined seven other astronauts in the International Space Station early Saturday morning following a 15-hour journey from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, entered the ISS at 3:46 a.m. EDT, NASA said. At 2:27 a.m., the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS's Harmony module, and then the crew conducted standard leak checks and pressurization between the two spacecraft. The docking occurred as the two spacecraft were 264 miles above the South Pacific Ocean. "Endeavour, welcome to the International Space Station," NASA astronaut Jonny Kim said from inside the ISS. "Zena, Mike, Kimi and Oleg, we have cold drinks, hot food and hugs waiting. See you soon." The six ISS crew members already on board are JAXA's Takuya Onishi, commander of the current Expedition 73 mission; Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers of NASA; and cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. Crew-10 members Ayers, McClain, Onishi and Peskov, who have been on ISS since mid-March, will head home in a few days. "Hello space station, Crew 11 is here!" Fincke, the Endeavour pilot, replied. "And we are super excited to join Expedition 73. We will do our best to also be good stewards of our beautiful ISS during our stay. The ISS has been inhabited and crewed for almost 25 years. We look forward to celebrating with you." The docking was exactly five years after the splashdown of Space X's first crewed mission, the Demo-2 test flight, aboard the Endeavour. The spacecraft has been involved in six missions and is the most-flown of the Crew Dragon capsules. On Friday, the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:43 a.m. from Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being scrubbed on Thursday because of inclement weather. It is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the second for Yui and the fourth for Fincke. Cardman and Plantonov were supposed to fly last year as part of Crew 9 on Sept. 8, 2024, but that Dragon capsule was used at the ISS by Boeing Starliner pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Their stay lasted nine months instead of one week because of problems with Starliner. "This has been the absolute journey of a lifetime," Cardman said. "We are so incredibly grateful to be here. Thank you so much for this warm welcome. It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time, especially with these wonderful crewmates." SpaceX has flown 11 operational astronaut missions to the ISS. Also, SpaceX has eight other crewed missions -- Demo 2, four private efforts by Axiom Space and three free-flying ones to orbit.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Will health insurance pay for Covid vaccines this fall?
If you want a Covid shot this fall, will your employer's health insurance plan pay for it? There's no clear answer. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has upended the way Covid vaccines are approved and for whom they're recommended, creating uncertainty where coverage was routine. Agencies within HHS responsible for spelling out who should get vaccinated aren't necessarily in sync, issuing seemingly contradictory recommendations based on age or risk factors for serious disease. But the ambiguity may not affect your coverage, at least this year. 'I think in 2025 it's highly likely that the employer plans will cover' the Covid vaccines, said Dr. Jeff Levin-Scherz, a primary care doctor who is the population health leader for the management consultancy WTW and an assistant professor at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They've already budgeted for it, 'and it would be a large administrative effort to try to exclude coverage for those not at increased risk,' he said. With so much in flux, it's important to check with your employer or insurer about coverage policies before you roll up your sleeve. Here's what we know so far, and what remains unclear. How have the recommendations changed? What used to be straightforward is now much murkier. Last year, the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccines were recommended for anyone at least 6 months old. This year, the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is narrower. Although the vaccines are broadly recommended for adults 19 and older, they are no longer recommended for healthy pregnant people or for healthy children 6 months through 17 years old. Kennedy announced the changes in a video in May, citing safety risks for young people and pregnant people as justification. But his claims have been widely disputed by experts in vaccines, pediatrics, and women's health. An analysis by found that the secretary 'misrepresented scientific research to make unfounded claims about vaccine safety for pregnant people and children.' In addition, recently announced changes to the vaccine approval framework have further chipped away at eligibility. Moderna announced July 10 that the Food and Drug Administration had fully approved its Spikevax Covid vaccine — but approval is restricted to adults 65 and older, and for people from 6 months through 64 years old who are at increased risk of developing a serious case of Covid. Two other Covid vaccines expected to be available this fall, Novavax's Nuvaxovid and Moderna's mNexspike, are also restricted. They are approved for people 65 or older and those 12 to 64 who have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of developing severe Covid. Notably, Pfizer's Comirnaty Covid vaccine is still approved or authorized for people 6 months of age and older without any restrictions based on risk factors for Covid — at least for now. But the FDA could change that at any time, experts said. Increasing restrictions 'is definitely the direction they are moving,' said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at KFF who authored a KFF analysis of vaccine insurance coverage rules. KFF is a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. HHS did not provide an on-the-record comment for this article. How might these changes alter my insurance coverage for the vaccine? That's the big question, and the answer is uncertain. Without insurance coverage, people could owe hundreds of dollars for the shot. Most private health plans are required by law to cover recommended vaccines, whether for Covid, measles, or the flu, without charging their members. But that requirement kicks in after the shots are recommended by a federal panel — the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — and adopted by the CDC director, according to the KFF analysis. The committee hasn't yet voted on Covid vaccine recommendations for this fall. Its next meeting is expected to occur in August or September. Still, employers and insurers can opt to cover the vaccines on their own, as many did before the law required them to do so. But they may require people to pay something for it. In addition, the narrower recommendations from different HHS agencies might result in some health plans declining to pay for certain categories of people to get certain vaccines, experts said. 'I don't think an employer or insurer would deny coverage,' Kates said. 'But they could say: You have to get this product.' That could mean a 45-year-old with no underlying health conditions raising their covid risk might have to get the Pfizer shot rather than the Moderna version if they want their health plan to pay for it, experts said. In addition, up to 200 million people may qualify for the vaccines because they have health conditions such as asthma or diabetes that increase their risk of severe disease, according to a commentary published by FDA officials in the New England Journal of Medicine. Health care professionals can help people determine whether they qualify for the shot based on health conditions. Tina Stow, a spokesperson for AHIP, which represents health plans, said in a statement that plans will continue to follow federal requirements for vaccine coverage. What are the options for people who are pregnant or have children they want to have vaccinated? Many parents are confused about getting their kids vaccinated, according to an Aug. 1 KFF poll. About half say they don't know whether federal agencies recommend healthy children get the vaccine this fall. Among the other half, more say the vaccine is not recommended than recommended. Meanwhile, Kennedy's recommendation that healthy children not get vaccinated has a notable caveat: If a parent wishes a child to get a Covid vaccine and a health care provider recommends it, the child can receive it under the 'shared clinical decision-making' model, and it should be covered without cost sharing. Some policy experts point out that this is the way care for kids is typically provided anyway. 'Outside of any requirements, vaccines have always been provided through shared decision-making,' said Amanda Jezek, senior vice president of public policy and government relations at the Infectious Diseases Society of America. There's no similar allowance for pregnant people. However, even though Kennedy has stated that Covid vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy pregnant people, pregnancy is one of the underlying medical conditions that put people at high risk for getting very sick from Covid, according to the CDC. That could make pregnant people eligible for the shot. Depending on the stage of someone's pregnancy, it could be difficult to know whether someone should be denied the shot based on their condition. 'This is uncharted territory,' said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. How will these changes affect access to the vaccine? Will I still be able to go to the pharmacy for the shot? 'If far fewer are expected to be vaccinated, fewer sites will offer the vaccinations,' Levin-Scherz said. This could be an especially notable hurdle for people looking for pediatric doses of a covid vaccine, he said. In addition, pharmacists' authority to administer vaccines depends on several factors. For example, in some states they can administer shots that have been approved by the FDA, while in others the shots must have been recommended by the ACIP, said Hannah Fish, senior director of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacists Association. Since ACIP hasn't yet recommended covid shots for the fall, that could create a speed bump in some states. 'Depending on the rules, you still may be able to get the shot at the pharmacy, but they might have to call the physician to send over a prescription,' Fish said. What do these changes mean long-term? It's impossible to know. But given Kennedy's vocal skepticism of vaccines and his embrace of long-disproven theories about connections between vaccines and autism, among other things, medical and public health professionals are concerned those views will shape future policies. 'The recommendation changes that were made with respect to children and pregnant women were not necessarily made in good science,' Corlette said. It's already a challenge to convince people they need annual covid shots, and shifting guidelines may make it tougher, some public health experts warn. 'What's concerning is that this could even further depress the uptake of the covid vaccines,' Jezek said. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
