A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors. In general, all men are at risk for prostate cancer. However, there are specific risk factors that increase the likelihood that certain men will develop the disease, including the following:
Age is a risk factor for prostate cancer, especially men age 50 and older. More than 80 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. Race: Prostate cancer is nearly twice as common among African-American men than it is among Caucasian-American men. Japanese and Chinese men native to their country have the lowest rates ofprostate cancer.
Diet: Data suggests that the diet consumed in Western industrialized countries may be one of the most important contributory factors for developing prostate cancer. The following information regarding diet and its effect on the risk for prostate cancer include men who eat a high-fat diet may have a greater chance of developing prostate cancer. Dietary fiber intake may decrease the progression of prostate cancer. Soy protein lowers fat intake, and the isoflavones in soy have been found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Vitamin E and selenium Vitamin E, an antioxidant, combined with selenium, has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. Carotenoids Carotenoids containing lycopenes have been shown to inhibit the growth of humanprostate cancer cells in tissue cultures. The primary source of lycopenes is processed tomatoes in tomato juice and tomato paste. Obesity Obesity not only contributes to diabetes and high cholesterol, but has also been associated with some common cancers includingprostate cancer.
Vasectomy, BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), or STD (sexually transmitted disease) Researchers have looked at whether men who have had a vasectomy, BPH, or those who have had exposure to STD's are at increased risk forprostate cancer. Some studies suggest a link, while others don't. Family history of prostate cancer. A father or brother with prostate cancer doubles a man's risk of developing prostate cancer . The risk is even higher for men with several affected relatives. Geneticists divide families into three groups, depending upon the number of men withprostate cancer and their ages of onset, including the following: Sporadic - a family with prostate cancer present in one man, at a typical age of onset. Familial - a family with prostate cancer present in more than one person, but with no definitive pattern of inheritance and usually an older age of onset. Hereditary - Five to 10 percent ofprostate cancer cases are considered hereditary. Genetic Approximately 9 percent of all prostate cancers and 45 percent of cases in men younger than age 55 can be attributed to a cancer susceptibility gene that is inherited as a dominant trait (from parent to child).
There are one or two baby boomers (who shall remain anonymous) who have experimented extensively with the realms of fantasy that is the World of cyber sex. One elderly contestant (82 next birthday…) in a cyber sex experiment decided that the sex was actually not worth bothering about but he learned so much about how to use Skype; how to set up a webcam and microphone and how to set up a virus check (hmmm – we asked that one too but don’t worry - he does know the difference between a computer virus and an STD!) that he is going to continue surfing for cyber sex partners to see what else he can – erm – pick up!
Sadly, psychological articles state that cyber sex is escalating amongst over sixties. Much of the incentive to indulge in cyber sex is put down to baby boomers experiencing a slowdown in their ‘real’ sex lives, so they seek an alternative set of pleasures, spending many hours each week scanning xxx-rated databases and sending speculative and erotic emails to like-minded people located just about everywhere.
Obviously, the attraction of cyber sex is the absolute confidentiality, unless you are a baby boomer silly enough to try cyber sex with a partner who lives in your street! Worryingly, a large percentage of people who indulge in cyber sex experience depression and anxiety, according to Marcus Squirrell, a doctoral student at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, who states that 35% of the men tested (not women in this case) were “moderately to severely stressed”. Squirrell also contends that the more online sexual activity indulged in, the deeper the depression – so watch out, baby boomers!
Naturally enough, the age of cyber sex is still in its youth, however old its participants might be. Psychological articles tell us that the full effects it could have on those who are involved in its fantasies are as yet, therefore, unknown – virtually. Although the illustrious Mr Squirrell might have thoroughly researched his subject, it is entirely possible that the link between cyber sex and depression will turn out, in time, to carry no more weight than the old adage that masturbation caused blindness – time will tell!
For baby boomers determined to experiment with cyber sex, the ingredients are simply basic computer literacy, a webcam for serious visual participation, a microphone (or speakers if you want to share!) and a good imagination.
Remember to install a class A virus check on your computer if you are going to start browsing fantasy sites and sex chat rooms if you want to make sure your expensive hard drive doesn’t get blown up in the throes of passion and excitement - and take the somewhat obvious precautions of locking the door and making sure your chair is securely anchored!
Genital warts or sometimes called venereal warts are growths or bumps contracted through sexual contact. They are caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
As what the name suggest, genital warts affect the moist tissues of the genital area. They may look like small, flesh-colored bumps or have a cauliflower-like appearance. Genital warts may be very small, or they may multiply into large clusters.
There is a lot of danger involved in allowing the genital warts to grow and the disease to spread. Because the genital warts appear on or near the sexual organs, there is a threat of sexual side effects in both men and women. The most common side effect of advanced stage genital warts is painful intercourse.
Sometimes the viruses disappear but it has a high tendency to come back if left untreated. The virus lies inactive until such time that the conditions are right for another attack. It is important to ask for medical advice once you suspected that you have thevirus. Learning how to stop genital warts will help you get rid of the problem for good.
But genital warts are no longer the life long affliction that they used to be and can simply treated in a number of ways like freezing, laser treatment or thermocautery. But you don’t need to undergo expensive methods; there are natural treatments as another option. The most effective is the Castor oil method. This is done by mixing the castor oil with some eucalyptus amygdaline oil or lemon oil; the latter are used to mask its bad smell. It has been proven that natural remedies were able to endure the test of time.