Contraceptives for the macho

It has always been the female population who are subjected to temporary and permanent fertility control—contraceptive pills, intra-uterine devices, tubal ligation and the like.

For their male counterparts, we only know barriers like condoms and the permanent method—vasectomy.

Here are two new and promising reversible modes of birth control for men. They are not yet available in the market and it may take years before they will be fully developed and approved for commercial use.

NY court charges a physician involved in $700,000 HIV drug fiasco

A doctor from Manhattan was busted for falsely telling 150 patients to claim they harbor the HIV virus so he could claim from Medicaid $700,000 for medications.

After posting a $250,000-bond, the 57-year-old Dr. Suresh Hemrajani pleaded not guilty on Friday to felony charges of grand larceny, falsification of records and health care fraud to the Manhattan Supreme Court, New York Post said.

US researchers blind mosquitoes to combat fatal diseases

Are you not tired of mosquito bites that cause deadly diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever and malaria?

Three classes of molecules were created by scientists at the University of California that will make mosquitoes less sensitive to smell the carbon dioxide exhaled from the human body.

US medical board revokes fertility doctor's license

The medical license of a Beverly Hills obstetrician-gynecologist—who implanted 12 embryos to a 34-year-old American that resulted to the delivery of octuplets—will be revoked effective 1 July, announced by the Medical Board of California Wednesday.

Nadya Suleman, called “Octomom” by the media, gave birth to eight babies in January 2009 following the assisted reproductive technology services she received from Dr. Michael Kamrava in 2008, CNN said.

Global father aims for 100 children

Meet Daad Mohammed Al Balushi, a 63-year-old global father from the United Arab Emirates. Yes, he is global, as he wants to be called. He is father of 90 children to date.

In June, two of his current three wives will give birth. He promised in 2002 to go for the century mark before he dies—and he is a few kids away.

Japan: More women seeking marriage after twin calamities

Like in many modern countries, Japanese women focus on their careers and marry late. The 11 March Great East Japan Earthquake that plagued the country may have been a wake up call to many singles particularly women.

They came to reflect and think about their life and future.

Arizona baby who grew outside the uterus delivered safely

This is Medicine's first.

A 27-year-old woman from Arizona gave birth to a 1,143-gram (2-pound-14-ounce) baby boy at 32 weeks gestational age last Monday at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Center at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.

What is so special about this case other than the baby being born prematurely?

Well, the fetus developed outside his mother's womb.

Two Filipinos killed in Missouri tornado

At least two Filipino women were killed on Sunday in Missouri's tornado, the worst in US history.

Grace Aquino was killed in a collapsed building in Joplin to save her son by covering him. He sustained minor bruises, according to an email sent by viewer Dustin Dalisay to Balitang America on Tuesday, in a report by ABS CBN.

Filipinos' reactions on the RH Bill radio debate

I listened to an entertaining—but not necessarily educational—debate about one of the Philippines' hotly discussed topics these months known as the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 or simply, the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

Pro-RH Bill Rep. Rissa Hontiveros Baraquel and anti-RH Bill Sec. Lito Atienza Jr. belted their best wisdom on whether the country needs to pass this Bill as a Law in a debate at DZMM.

Philippine town wins UN Disaster Risk Reduction Award

Mabuhay!

The municipality of San Francisco in the Camotes Island, Cebu bagged the grand prize of $25,000 from the 2011 United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction for strengthening its disaster preparedness program.

The other city winners that received $12,500 each on 11 May during the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva were Argentina and Canada, according to the The UN News Center.

Rat poison: Another theory surrounding the mysterious tourist deaths in Thailand

Chiang Mai's seven mysterious deaths continue to perplex our minds much like in the X-Files series.

In a related development, health officials in northern Thailand are now entertaining the possibility of poisoning due to chemicals used to kill rodents, Australia's News.Com said.

Kids of undocumented Filipinos in Sabah are neither Filipinos nor Malaysians

Up to one million undocumented Filipinos live near Sabah, Malaysia's poorest state.

The attached YouTube video by Al Jazeera shows a glimpse of the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Filipinos who has lived for several years close to the Malaysian territory seeking better opportunities.

Terminal breast cancer patient arrives in native South Korea

She made it!

The woman who was diagnosed to have late stage breast carcinoma has finally arrived in South Korea on Friday via Delta Airlines.

Crystal Kim and her daughter, Mimi, were even upgraded to first class seats from Seattle to Inchŏn, said King 5 News.

Child slavery in the chocolate industry

Many people love chocolates. I, for one, am a huge fan of it but a documentary film that I watched last night made me think that there are many injustices behind my favorite dessert.

The four-part YouTube video titled The Dark Side of Chocolate(total running time: 45 minutes) opened my eyes that forced child labor exists in Ivory Coast where almost half of the world's cocoa is produced.

Terminal cancer patient barred to fly from US to Korea

A weak-looking 62-year-old woman who is suffering from stage 4 breast cancer was denied transportation to her home country via Korean Air on 8 May for Mother's Day.

Korean-American Crystal Kim accompanied by her daughter, Mimi, failed to take their seats in a flight from Seattle because airline authorities thought she was unfit to last the 11-hour travel even though she showed proofs from two doctors who cleared her that the illness will not be a deterrent, The Korea Herald said.

Successful HIV vaccine trial in monkeys gives hope for human cure

After years of working to create a vaccine that can effectively prevent the deadly HIV/AIDS, US scientists published a report that promises to find cure to the elusive virus.

In their experiment, 24 healthy rhesus monkeys were injected with a vaccine that will produce antigens and attack the monkey form of HIV, said the BBC.

May 12 is International Nurses Day

Feel good when you’re feeling bad. We have nurses to thank for.

May 12 marks the International Nurses Day. The world honors the thousands of nurses who dedicate their services to the millions of sick people.

7.1-Magnitude earthquake hits South Pacific, no injuries

The USGS reported a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the Loyalty Islands close to the island nation Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean at 08:55:11 UTC Tuesday.

No tsunami warnings were issued. There were no injuries or damages reported.

Thailand's mysterious tourist deaths linked to insecticide poisoning

Seven tourists were reported to have died between January and March while spending their holidays in northern Thailand, all with similar circumstances and symptoms of severe chest pain that progressed to vomiting and fainting.

An incredible life-threatening investigative journalism was undertaken by reporters of New Zealand's TV3 60 Minutes who traveled to Chiang Mai and posed as tourists to get samples and swabs in Downtown Inn—the hotel were all of the seven died.

Online survey shows 90% of foreigners want to stay in Japan despite the risks

An online survey conducted shortly after the 11 March triple calamities in Japan showed that over 90 percent of foreigners living in the country did not want to leave in spite of the damage and risks facing them.

A total of 392 respondents—90 percent of whom were Chinese, Taiwanese and South Koreans—answered the Internet-based poll conducted by the International Foreign Students Association between 22 and 26 March, The Japan Times said.