STI rates on the rise statewide and nationally

Between 2012 and 2016, gonorrhea rates in Colorado increased 97 percent due to a variety of factors including limited sex education, lack of universal screenings, and widely perpetuated stigmas about sexually transmitted infections.

Local entrepreneur uses experiences to serve the adaptive community

Craig Towler was at the counter ordering a coffee when I walked into the café. He was dressed in a burgundy quarter-zip and stylish, mustard-colored pants that were rolled to his knees, where his legs end.

Recent CU druggings fall into dangerous, longstanding pattern

 

On the night of October 18, two women were taken to Boulder Community Hospital for potentially being drugged at off-campus fraternity parties. That same night, a sexual assault was reported at one of the fraternity houses. Three more women came forward only days later to file similar reports of drugging.

This Week in Health: Measles, Snoring, and Male Contraception

2017 brings measles resurgence worldwide

Despite years of global vaccination efforts, 2017 saw a 31% increase in measles cases worldwide, according to a joint report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. To prevent outbreaks, 95% vaccine coverage worldwide is necessary; right now, we’re at 85%. Regions declared clear of the virus, such as Venezuela and surrounding countries as well as Russia and Germany saw a resurgence of endemic measles. Routine immunizations are the only way to fight the disease.

This Week in Health: Pacifiers, Cancers, and more about Omega-3

Not just a Big Baby: Sucking on your kid’s pacifier may be good for their health

There are days when all of us feel like curling up, crying, and maybe even sucking our thumb. But did you know that sucking on your baby’s pacifier may benefit their health? A study by the Henry Ford Health System found that babies whose parents cleaned a fallen pacifier by briefly sucking on it had lowered levels of immunoglobulin E, an antibody linked to allergies and asthma. Parents’ saliva may have healthy bacteria that helps their child’s immuno-development. So remove that pacifier from the dishwasher and instead, just give it a good suck.

This week in health: Cannabis, red meat, and the migrant caravan

Cannabis linked to fatal complications for type 1 diabetics

A study from the lean, green state of Colorado published Monday suggests that cannabis use is related to dangerous — even fatal — health complications for individuals with type 1 diabetes. The risk of developing ketoacidosis, or a condition where blood sugar is elevated for an extended period of time and causes acidity in the blood, was twice as high for type 1 diabetics who used cannabis. This research stands in contrast to theories that frame cannabis as a regulatory mechanism for blood sugar in type 2 diabetics.

Joe Neguse elected as Colorado’s first African American man in Congress

Democrat Joe Neguse defeated Republican Peter Yu in a race for Colorado’s District 2 seat in U.S. Congress Tuesday night. Following his sweeping victory in the primaries in June, he has been the favored candidate for the seat left open by newly elected Governor Jared Polis.

Gubernatorial candidates’ health plans may be missing the mark

On November 6, Walker Stapleton and Jared Polis will go head-to-head for the position of governor of Colorado. One of the few things they agree on is the need to integrate mental health care as part of primary care in an attempt to battle one of the most serious public health crises the state has seen: the opioid epidemic.

This Week in Non-Election-Related Health: Cheese, pot, and Parkinson’s

Cheese and heart disease

We all have that vegan friend who constantly bemoans just how much they miss eating cheese before halfheartedly explaining the health risks that have forced them to give up this piece of heaven on earth. But a new study from the University of Eastern Finland found that eating fermented dairy projects like yogurt, cheese and sour milk (though I’m not sure who casually sips on this) actually decreases the risk of coronary heart disease in men. High consumption of non-fermented dairy is still linked to increased risk, but as long as your milk is starting to mold, you’re in the clear.

This Week in Health: Opioids, adenovirus, and Trump’s stigmatizing proposal

The Opioid Epidemic: Death toll still rising, but more slowly

A tentative light at the end of the most deadly drug overdose epidemic in the United States appeared on Tuesday when Health Secretary Alex Azar suggested that opioid death rates are leveling off. National, bipartisan efforts to fight opioid death may be paying off as funding is used for medical treatment in tandem with counseling and continued support for those struggling with addiction. Though the number of opioid deaths may be increasing more slowly, death rates from drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine are still sharply on the rise. We aren’t out of the woods just yet.