Latest news with #Syphilis
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Elon Musk wants more kids through surrogacy, says report: What do you need to know about sperm donation?
Tesla CEO and US billionaire Elon Musk, 53, is looking to increase the size of his family by recruiting surrogates from across the world as a means of quickly creating a 'legion' of children, according to a report in the The Wall Street Journal. This has led to many questions about sperm donation and freezing procedures and what it means for fertility for men over 50. Upto what age can men donate sperm? 'Sperm donation in India is safe, well-regulated, and quite simple when done through the right channels. The law allows men between 21 and 55 years to donate sperm. Since sperm quality starts to dip with age, the aim is always to get the healthiest sperm,' says Dr Muskaan Chhabra, Birla Fertility & IVF, Delhi. However, a majority of sperm banks would like donors under the age of 35. 'Sperm quality tends to deteriorate after 40 in terms of quantity, motility and DNA quality. On the other hand, men can, in theory, father children at even older ages, but assisted reproduction and conception chances might go down with advancing age,' says Dr Mannan Gupta, HOD, Obstetrics, Gynaecology & IVF Expert at Elantis Healthcare, Delhi. Older men can have decreased sperm count, movement and shape, all of which impact fertility. 'Moreover, sperm DNA fragmentation increases, which can impact embryo development and raise the risk of miscarriage,' adds Dr Gupta. What are factors to keep in mind before becoming a donor? Sperm donors undergo a complete medical history examination to exclude any hereditary or underlying illnesses. 'A series of tests are carried out, which include infectious disease screenings such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and Syphilis, as well as genetic carrier testing to detect any concealed conditions,' says Dr Chhabra. According to her, the parameters are sperm count (at least 16 million per millilitre), motility or the ability of sperms to move efficiently, (a minimum of 42 per cent), and morphology (a minimum of four per cent). Lifestyle plays a significant role as donors have to be non-smokers, not have used any drugs and be in top physical condition. How is the donor sperm stored? Sperm samples are frozen and quarantined for a period of 180 days and retested to ensure they're free from infections before use. With modern cryopreservation techniques, sperm can be stored for many years, even decades, without significant declines in quality. 'There have been successful pregnancies using sperm frozen for 10 to 20 years and even longer in some cases. As long as the sample remains frozen without thawing, its quality remains largely unchanged,' says Dr Gupta. What about the impact on infants? Dr Gupta says infants born to older fathers might have marginally increased chances of genetic mutations, autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. 'The DNA present in the sperm ages along with men, and therefore, the likelihood of transferring genetic abnormalities increases. Still, most infants born to older fathers are completely normal. The overall likelihood of carrying a healthy baby is quite high,' says Dr Gupta. What are Indian laws? Sperm donation is governed under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. Only licensed ART banks are allowed to source, screen, store and provide donor sperm. Only a married couple or a single woman can undergo ART procedure and use donor sperm to conceive. To avoid any accidental biological overlap, one donor's sperm can only be used for one intended recipient.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in DC
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For the third time this year, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is headed to Washington DC. From April 16 to April 18, Cantrell will attend the African American Mayor's Association (AAMA) Conference. Pelicans name Joe Dumars Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations City officials say the conference is a national gathering of United States mayors and civic leaders committed to addressing health disparities and promoting equity in communities across the country. The annual conference is said to provide a critical platform for mayors to share best practices, influence national policy and strengthen initiatives at the local level. The focus of the 2025 conference will be the nutrition access, affordability and the education grant program which is an AAMA and American Black Families for Healthy Access (ABFHA) strategic initiative. The initiative will support community efforts to expand access to affordable, nutritious food and provide comprehensive nutrition education which are 'key pillars in reducing health disparities and empowering families to make informed dietary choices.' Chris Brown adds New Orleans to 'Breezy Bowl XX' tour City officials say while in DC, Cantrell will participate in panels and discussions focused on urban public health, food justice, and long-term community well-being. She has also been named as a grant recipient, securing $125,000 for the city through the Nutrition Access, Affordability, and Education Grant, making New Orleans one of two midsize cities selected for the senator seeks return of wrongly deported man Syphilis cases drop statewide but rise in Baton Rouge, LDH says Is Zoom down? Thousands report issues accessing software Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in DC Van Hollen denied meeting, phone call with Abrego Garcia during El Salvador visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Potential new antibiotic for gonorrhoea as superbugs rise
Scientists have found the first new antibiotic treatment for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea since the 1990s. Experts discovered that gepotidacin, an antibiotic currently used to treat urinary tract infections, can also treat gonorrhoea. It comes as experts warned that cases of gonorrhoea infections that are resistant to antibiotics are on the rise in England. The UK Health Security Agency said in March that if the problem is not tackled, increased resistance could one day make the sexually transmitted infection (STI) 'untreatable'. Many sexual health services in England now offer free #STI self-sampling kits you can order to your home & use to test for infections like #Chlamydia, #Gonorrhoea, #Syphilis and #HIV. More info 👉 — UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) February 11, 2025 But a new study suggests that gepotidacin – which is taken as a pill – may help treat cases and could potentially help to alleviate the threat of treatment-resistant gonorrhoea infections. A new study, published in The Lancet and presented at the ESCMID conference, saw experts compare gepotidacin with the current standard treatment for 'uncomplicated' gonorrhoea in 628 patients. They found that the new pill is as effective as ceftriaxone with azithromycin for treating the infection. It was also found to be able to treat strains of the infection that were resistant to current first-line treatments. The authors said that 'gepotidacin demonstrated non-inferiority to ceftriaxone plus azithromycin' which offers a 'novel oral treatment option for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea'. 'Gepotidacin is a novel oral antibacterial treatment with the potential to become an alternative option for the treatment of gonococcal infections,' they wrote. Gonorrhoea can usually be treated effectively, although some cases can be resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, which is the first line of treatment. This means the bacteria that causes the infection has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic. Some cases are also classed as 'extensively drug resistant' – or XDR – meaning the infection did not respond to ceftriaxone or the second line of treatment. Figures from the UKHSA show that in the 15 months from January 2024 to March 2025, there were 17 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea. When enjoying holidays overseas, practising safer sex is just as important as getting travel insurance or applying sunscreen 🏖️ Discover the risks & symptoms of #Gonorrhoea in our new blog post: — UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) March 28, 2025 Thirteen were reported in 2024, with four cases in 2025 so far. This is compared to 16 cases across 2022 and 2023. In the same period, there were nine XDR cases reported – six in 2024 and three in 2025 so far. This is compared to five cases between 2022 and 2023. Ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea was first detected in England in 2015 and 42 cases have since been reported. The UKHSA said that there were about 54,965 gonorrhoea diagnoses at sexual health services in the first nine months of 2024 compared to more than 85,000 in the whole of 2023.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Carville Speculates Trump Has Syphilis After ‘Mad' Zelensky Meet
Not one to mince words even in the best of times, Democratic strategist James Carville eviscerated President Donald Trump after his shockingly undiplomatic meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Describing the Republican president as a 'fat f--king slob' with a 'beached whale body' on the latest edition of his Politicon podcast, Carville speculated that a purported rash of red blotches on Trump's hands could be a sign of Syphilis that has addled the president's brain. 'When you see that condition, the first thing that you suspect is Syphilis,' Carville raged, noting that the condition causes brain damage in its later stages. 'That boy ain't right.' In some historic cases, the disease has been known to manifest in displays of erratic, volatile, and violent behaviour among patients. 'I don't mean madness like 'I'm mad at you, you're mad at me.' I'm talking about madness like, King George III kind of madness,' Carville said. 'I'm not a medical doctor, but I think we should revisit the possibility of a Syphilis diagnosis.'
