Study finds virus can reach immune cells in just 4 hours. A new route of male-to-female transmission of HIV . A new route of male-to-female transmission of HIV -- in which the virus can travel through healthy genital skin to reach immune cells in just four hours -- has been identified by U.S. researchers.

Don't let a chronic condition stop your sex life People who have a chronic illness People who have a chronic illness -- which may include heart disease, diabetes or asthma -- may have ongoing pain or fatigue that can hinder a healthy sex life.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers suggestions for how to enjoy sex, despite having a chronic illness.

Despite call for routine exams, 60,000 Americans were infected last year. Two years after U.S. health officials recommended routine HIV testing for Americans 13 to 64, such testing remains hit-and-miss, and the AIDS epidemic marches on.

It saves lives and slows the progression of AIDS, study confirms. A new study finalizes research that changed guidelines around the world regarding when HIV-infected babies should begin drug therapy.

At school or home, they can raise long-term health risks, studies say. Bickering parents and poor caregiver relationships each increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol in children, new studies say.

Study finds people struggling with rejection can spot a phony grin. Did you just get shot down by a co-worker who has no interest in going on a date? Look at the bright side: New research suggests that rejection may boost your ability to detect insincere smiles.

As life span has increased, they now face greater threat from other disease, study says.  People with HIV have about twice the risk of developing a non-AIDS cancer as members of the general population, a new report says.

Behavioral counseling needs to go beyond merely urging safe sex practices, study says. Teenage girls treated for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) become highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes just weeks or months after treatment, researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center report.

Researchers say lessons learned might one day lead to vaccine that works. The latest attempt to develop an AIDS vaccine has failed, but researchers report that they've still gained insight into how to make the next one more effective.

Discovery of pathway could lead to new treatments, researchers say A method of "rescuing" immune cells exhausted from fighting HIV infection has been discovered by American and Canadian researchers.

British study finds less than half of people in 30s, 40s use them when with a new partner. Six out of every 10 middle-aged Britons do not use a condom during a first-time sexual encounter, a new study shows.

But, the male hormone therapy may cause unwanted hair growth, study finds. There aren't a lot of treatment options for older women with flagging libidos, but a new study suggests that a testosterone patch may significantly improve the number of satisfying sexual episodes that women experience.

Most frequent tumor sites were cervix, head and neck, government study finds. An estimated 25,000 cases of cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) occurred in 38 states and the District of Columbia between 1998 and 2003, U.S. officials reported Monday.

But researchers stress finding doesn't establish a direct link between the two. New research suggests that teens who spend the most time watching sexually charged television shows are twice as likely to become pregnant or impregnate someone else.

Study may lead to better diagnosis and monitoring for head/neck cancers. A simple mouth rinse can spot specific types of human papillomavirus, some of which cause genital warts and increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, new research shows.

But study found only 12% are upset about it. In a double whammy for the female gender, new research shows that 40 percent of women report sexual problems, but only 12 percent are distressed about it.

And same 2 areas also activated by romantic love, study finds. This hate circuit shares part of the brain associated with aggression, but is distinct from areas related to emotions such as fear, threat, and danger,

And study finds they're, well, clueless about its impact on them. Red really is the color of love for men, according to two University of Rochester psychologists who conducted a series of experiments to determine how color affected men's responses to women.

Environment shapes thoughts, feelings and actions, researchers say. Conversely, if you are holding an iced coffee, your perception of your tablemate as generous and caring is less so. In fact, holding something warm makes you more likely to give something to others, while holding something cold make you more likely to take something, researchers find.

Rate double that for healthy patients, regardless of gender, site of injury, study says. Nearly a third of moderate-to-severe trauma patients reported some degree of sexual dysfunction a year after the trauma itself, a new report says.

Report shows 30,000 have used Internet service to handle delivery of delicate news. Letting someone you've slept with know that you have inadvertently exposed them to a sexually transmitted disease can now be done with the click of a computer mouse.

Some antiretroviral therapies boosted mortality from other diseases, study finds. An increased risk of death from diseases other than AIDS has possibly been tied to a therapy designed to help HIV-positive people, a new study says.

Findings show patients should take their medications as prescribed. It's been a mystery for medical researchers: How does the AIDS virus bring itself back to life after powerful drugs allow infected people to eliminate all signs of the disease in their blood?

A monogamous rodent could shed light on romantic loss. Pity the lovelorn prairie vole. A new study finds that when this monogamous rodent is separated from a mate, its brain starts a process that ends in lovesickness.

Review doesn't find a protective effect in post-HAART era. A new analysis of existing research finds little evidence that circumcision protects gay men from infection with the AIDS virus, but the issue is still far from settled.

Early research suggests 'horny goat weed' might help men with impotence. A Chinese herbal remedy known as "horny goat weed" may indeed live up to its name as a natural version of Viagra.

It may not be a good idea if you have certain risk factors While sexual intercourse throughout a healthy pregnancy is usually safe, it may not be recommended for women who are a higher risk for complications.

Maraviroc is designed for patients who become resistant to standard therapies. New research offers more evidence that a new class of AIDS drug can provide major benefits for certain patients who have become immune to existing medications.

Rise of cities, risky behavior in west central Africa between 1884 and 1924 at root, study says. The most pervasive global strain of HIV began spreading in humans around 1900 in sub-Saharan Africa, a new study claims.

Targeting increases in fatty acid metabolism inhibits replication, researchers find. Drugs used to treat obesity may be effective against a wide range of viral infections such as the flu, hepatitis, and even HIV, say researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center and Princeton University.

In some countries, prevalence of infection may be as high as 40%, study suggests. As the number of countries reporting intravenous drug use has increased over the last decade, a new study suggests that as many as 3 million of these addicts may be HIV-positive.

Home, family, club activities appear to enhance creation of new brain cells, study finds. Cognitive and social activity in midlife may significantly reduce men's risk of dementia, says a U.S. study that followed 147 male twin pairs for 28 years.

Having immediate relatives with tumors boosts one's risk for same, study says.  Having a family history of cancerous brain tumors puts you at a higher risk of developing the same kind of tumors, a new study says.

Indirect hostility shown by spreading rumors, gossiping, excluding others, a guy thing as well. Boys are as likely as girls to be socially aggressive by doing things such as spreading rumors, gossiping and intentionally excluding others, says a U.S. researcher.

Findings hint frosty reception from others could generate physical feelings of coldness. People who are socially isolated may literally feel left out in the cold, suggest Canadian researchers who examined whether social exclusion may generate physical feelings of coldness.

Partners are usually older boys with conduct problems, study says.  Girls who live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to have sexual intercourse in early adolescence and to have their first sexual experiences with older boys, a Canadian study says.

Poor manufacturing conditions at 2 plants to blame, agency says. More than 30 generic drugs made by Indian drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. are being denied entry into the United States due to quality concerns at two of the company's factories, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.

Condition may persist, but mouse research shows drug restores oxygen, sexual functioning.  Men with sleep apnea may suffer from a treatable form of erectile dysfunction caused by regular deprivation of oxygen experienced during these episodes of obstructed breathing, a new report says.

Prevention efforts must be targeted to racial and ethnic groups, agency says. The rate of new HIV infections among young gay or bisexual black men is significantly higher than new infections among whites and Hispanics of the same age, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

Those displaced more likely to withdraw from clubs, but older workers fare better, study finds. Getting laid off affects not only one's economic well-being, it also curtails one's involvement in community and social activities, a new study found.

Looking at joint movements alone, people could spot males vs. females, study found. A masculine walking motion is perceived by observers as coming toward them, while a feminine walk seems to be heading the other way, according to an Australian study.

Discovery brings better treatments, even a cure, a bit closer. The virus that causes AIDS infects one form of immune T-cell by rearranging its inner skeleton, allowing it access to the cell, scientists have discovered.

One form of DNA linked to marital bliss, the other to discord, study found. Whether a man has one type of gene versus another could help decide whether he's good "husband material," a new study suggests.

Mouse study shows genetic link to signals telling body when it's full, safe to mate. A new study has found a "master switch" in the brain of mice that helps control both body weight and fertility.

It reduced problems with sleep, sexual functioning and hot flashes, study finds. Hormone replacement therapy, even when it's started many years after menopause, can reduce some of the quality-of-life problems caused by menopause, such as sleep problems and hot flashes.

2 cases demonstrate efficacy of surgery, but tissue rejection must be monitored, reports say. Two cases of face transplantation demonstrate the procedure can be used for long-term restoration of serious facial disfigurement.

It means different things to youngsters, so sex ed should be added to lineup, study says. One reason why abstinence-only programs don't do much to prevent teen sexual activity is because abstinence can mean different things to teens than it does to adults, according to a University of Washington study.

But the number receiving reproductive health care services remains flat, survey finds. More U.S. women are availing themselves of contraceptives services, such as birth control pill prescriptions, according to a new national survey.

New research reports both biological and economic benefits are weighed. Would-be participants in an extramarital affair tend to calculate both the economic and biological benefits beforehand, researchers from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Bryant University report.

But long-time bachelors are making gains, study finds. People who've exchanged wedding vows tend to be healthier than their single, divorced or widowed peers, but new research shows that health gap may be narrowing.

Cannabis was well-tolerated, effective when added to existing meds, study finds. Medicinal marijuana helps relieve neuropathic pain in people with HIV, says a University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine study.

There's likely no one key reason for a particular orientation, research shows. Genetics and random environmental factors each play a major role in determining both gay and heterosexual behavior, say British and Swedish researchers.

New numbers show sharpest increase is among young black males. The latest data on HIV infection across 33 states finds new diagnoses jumping by 12 percent annually between 2001 and 2006 among young gay and bisexual men.

But symptoms linked to low levels are much rarer, study finds, New research suggests that one out of four men over 30 have low testosterone levels, but only one out of every 20 men have clinical symptoms linked to such a deficiency.

The drug nevirapine -- widely used in developing countries to prevent transmission of HIV from mothers to babies -- persists in the breast milk and blood of mothers, a new Stanford University study finds. That, in turn, could increase the risk that they and their children will develop drug-resistant strains of HIV, the researchers added.

Teens who mature early without positive feedback more likely to choose bullying behavior. Positive parenting can help ease aggression in adolescent girls who go through puberty early, says a study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Wide variety of co-factors affects heterosexual transmission, study finds. A widely used HIV infectivity rate doesn't take into account multiple risk factors, say U.S. researchers who reviewed published data.

Updated government guidelines take a dim view of prostate cancer screenings at any age and flatly recommend against them entirely for men over 75. The over-75 rule "is much more explicit than any recommendation out there right now" for using the prostate-screening antigen

New guidelines for treating HIV and AIDS patients with treatments known as antiretrovirals suggest earlier therapy might be effective. The findings were slated to be presented at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City Sunday.

The number of Americans newly infected with HIV each year is, and has long been, higher than what was previously assumed, U.S.health officials have announced at an international conference. That's because the latest calculations have been arrived at via a new and improved method, they added.

Once-daily treatment with atazanavir/ritonavir (A/R) is as effective as twice-daily treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir (L/R) in HIV patients who are starting antiretroviral treatment for the first time, a European study shows. After 48 weeks of treatment, 78 percent of patients receiving A/R and 76 percent of those receiving L/R had a viral load of less than 50 copies per milliliters in their blood.

Minority women are at higher risk for HIV/AIDS, and doctors need to make a special effort to encourage them to be tested for HIV. That's the new recommendation released Thursday by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

At 102, Marianne Crowder credits her longevity to a taste for change, a sunny attitude, and supportive family and friends. Not surprisingly, a new survey reveals that Crowder's recipe for a long and happy life mirrors that of other centenarians.

In the past 17 years, there has been an overall decrease in risky sexual behaviors among U.S. teens, a new government study shows. The rates of having sexual intercourse or multiple sex partners have been dropping.

If you are single and in your 40s, it might be a healthy idea to get hitched. A new Scandinavian study found unmarried middle-aged people are more likely to develop cognitive impairment than their partnered counterparts.

The odds of HIV infection increase fourfold for male injection drug users who were deported to Tijuana from the United States compared to non-deportees in the Mexican border city, a new study reports.

Impaired immune response after anti-retroviral therapy may be due to genetic factors. A new study challenges the long-held belief that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) impairs the immune system's ability to restore itself after HIV patients are treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Since 1996, the life expectancy of HIV patients in developed countries taking antiviral therapy has increased more than 13 years, and deaths have dropped by almost 40 percent, researchers report. Despite these gains, life expectancy still falls short by some 20 years.

Medication helps those with HIV who become treatment-resistant, study shows. New research offers more evidence that a new AIDS drug brings significant benefits to patients who have failed other treatments.

Study suggests sildenafil may reduce sexual dysfunction for women taking antidepressants. The drug that turned around the sex lives of many older men has proven in a small trial to also help women on antidepressants who experience sexual dysfunction.

In 2006, 57 percent of all tuberculosis cases in the United State were among foreign-born individuals and, as time passes, that population is under increased threat from the disease, a new study warns.

Breast-feeding releases oxytocin, involved in bonding, release of milk in humans, animals. Researchers have discovered that babies nursing at their mother's breast set off a cascade of events leading to release of oxytocin, known as the "trust" hormone in their mother's brains.

Family, friends, school impact expression of certain molecular variants, study says. It's not environment or genetics that determine a predisposition toward delinquent behavior in adolescents, it's the combination of the two, say scientists who seem to have proof of the phenomenon.

Scans show young naturally prone to relate to pain in others, study says. Using functional MRI scans on normal kids aged 7 to 12, researchers found the parts of the children's brains that were activated when shown pictures of people in pain, according to findings published in the current issue of Neuropsychologia.

Culture lets scientists infect cells with virus from the blood of infected patients. In a feat that should help researchers more effectively evaluate new treatments for hepatitis C, investigators report that they have developed the first tissue culture of regular human liver cells that can imitate infections with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Might be responsible for 11% of HIV cases in Africa, researchers say. New research suggests that people of African descent are much more likely to have a genetic trait that makes them more susceptible to infection with the HIV virus.

Lunch break dialogues drew both together to discuss attitudes, health issues. Teach parents how to talk about sex with their teen, and they will tackle this tough subject more readily and often, a new study says.

Researchers say clinical trials' design may also mask risk of HIV drug resistance. A new study questions whether vaginal microbicides being developed to help protect women against HIV infection could lead to new drug resistance from the virus that causes AIDS.

Stay calm, and work it out. Learning how to deal with conflicts is an important part of maturing, and will help you build healthy relationships throughout your life.

Study finds big jump in number of those over 70 who are intimate and enjoying it. When it comes to sex, grandma and grandpa are having more of it these days, new Swedish research suggests.

It's the 'use it or lose it' principle at work, one expert says. Frequent sexual intercourse may cut down on a man's chances of developing erectile dysfunction, Finnish researchers report.

Could help prevent spread of disease in developing countries, study suggests. In developing countries where breast-feeding is a necessity, and HIV is rampant, the risk of disease transmission through breast milk might be reduced if infants were first fed a freeze-dried formula full of good bacteria that could capture and potentially destroy the deadly virus.

Study found 5-year survival rate for those on HAART now equals general population. Death rates for HIV-infected people lucky enough to get their hands on antiretroviral medications have decreased dramatically since the introduction of these drugs in 1996, new British research shows.