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Boxers Holyfield, Retta To Participate In HIV/AIDS Charity Fight In Ethiopia
Boxer Evander Holyfield will fight Sammy Retta on July 26 in Ethiopia in an effort to raise money for HIV/AIDS organizations, Reuters India reports. Event organizers hope to raise between $5 million and $10 million from the fight. "I continue to strive to be the very best, but what got me to come here is" HIV/AIDS, Holyfield said, adding, "If we don"t find a cure to this, we"ll be extinct." According to Everton Boland -- CEO of Golden Globe, which is promoting the fight -- a significant portion of money raised will go directly to organizations addressing HIV/AIDS. Organizers said that a group established by African first ladies is the only recipient selected to date but they are considering others (Malone, Reuters India, 5/20).
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Treatable Hormonal Condition Sometimes Overlooked In Infertility Patients
A condition known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH, is easily treatable but frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed, leading to infertility and other "perplexing symptoms," the New York Times reports. CAH is a hormone deficiency that leads to excess production of androgens, which can hinder ovulation in women and cause low sperm count in men. It also can cause short stature, body odor, acne, irregular menstruation and excessive hair growth. The condition can be diagnosed through a blood test and treated with small doses of the steroid dexamethasone, which can reverse symptoms in three months to two-and-one-half years.According to Maria New, a leading authority on CAH and a professor of pediatrics and human genetics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the disease occurs in one in every 100 people in the general population. It is more common among certain ethnic groups, occurring in one in 27 Ashkenazi Jews and one in 40 Hispanics. Not everyone with the condition has symptoms or needs to be treated. The most severe form of the disease, classic CAH, can result in ambiguous genitalia in girls, while the milder nonclassical form sometimes produce no symptoms, the Times reports.Many fertility clinics do not test for the disease or only test after attempting other treatments. Some obstetricians are unaware of CAH and its effect on fertility, according to Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell hospital. CAH also can be confused with polycystic ovarian syndrome -- which has some similar symptoms -- or early puberty in younger patients (Tarkan, New York Times, 7/7).
News of the day
Couples To Rely On Male Contraceptive For New Trial, UK
Couples are being asked to replace their usual form of birth control with a new male contraceptive in a study to test its effectiveness.
Public Health

MU Public Health Program Receives Grant To Combat Human Trafficking

After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and it is the fastest growing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Recently, HHS awarded more than $2 million in grants to state and local organizations, including the University of Missouri, to identify and help victims of human trafficking. "Compared to urban areas, less information exists about the extent of trafficking in rural areas of the U.S.," said Deb Hume, instructor in the MU Masters of Public Health (MPH) Program. "In the rural Midwest, there is the perception that this problem is confined to large cities or the coasts." The MU MPH Program received the grant as part of the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Rescue & Restore victims of Human Trafficking Regional Program. The purpose of the program is to enhance anti-trafficking efforts in the U.S. by building regional capacity for the identification and service of victims. According to ACF, Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. Victims of trafficking are young children, teenagers, men and women, and are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 victims annually are trafficked across international borders worldwide. Identifying victims is difficult because of the covert nature of trafficking operations and minimal understanding of trafficking that occurs in the United States, Hume said. For example, people may think of trafficking as something that happens in other countries, or they may perceive trafficked persons as illegal immigrants, rather than victims. "There is limited awareness of trafficking among the general public and also within professional groups," Hume said. "Police officers, hospital staff, social service agents and others who are most likely to encounter trafficking victims receive minimal or no training for identifying cases. Increased public education, professional training and community outreach can reduce barriers to identifying and helping victims." Faculty and students in the MPH Program will work with members of the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition (CMSHTC) and other local organizations to raise public awareness, conduct surveillance and investigation and provide res for victims. Additionally, the MU MPH Program will be the first in Missouri to address human trafficking as a public health concern. "Trafficking victims are susceptible to many health issues, including infectious diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, injuries from violence, emotional trauma and general poor health due to inadequate nutrition, rest or medical care," Hume said. "There is a need to train public health professionals about these issues and provide information to the public health community." Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country each year is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. Emily Smith University of Missouri-Columbia


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