Health
Pill popping for health?
Dietary supplements shouldn’t be needed with wide availability of good food in the U.S.
According to Consumer Report, dietary supplements have been taken by more than half of American adults; consumers spent $26.7 billion on supplements in 2009. Common motivations are to lose weight, stay healthy and avoid the use of prescription drugs.
With dietary supplements, the substitute may or may not be a better alternative to the original source. The supplementation, or in using the latest vernacular nutraceutical, industry is a tremendously huge and profitable world-wide market that will continue to grow at a rapid pace. But is it replacing real food and are most supplements safe? Everyone on the planet might think so. So it seems that everyone is popping some over-the-counter pill or powder perhaps to prevent disease or stave off a cold or simply looking for the perpetual elixir of life.
But don’t we all look for an elixir in some form or another to not only enhance our quality of life and ward off illness, but are also to prolong it? In doing so have we become a synthetically enhanced pill-popping society looking for the consummate magic pill in lieu of food consumed in the average American diet? This is all well and good, but shouldn’t safety be a consideration as well?
As a personal trainer for almost 20 years, I have never been a supporter of dietary supplementation (in the U.S.) and have never endorsed, sold or distributed a supplement and I abhor multi-level marketing. Recommending supplementation was prohibited in my personal training certification’s code of ethics; it was and continues to be beyond the scope of knowledge and credentials of the average personal trainer. Second, my personal view is that nothing can replace real food and that everything the average American needs from a nutritional standpoint is available in a supermarket or on a farm. The U.S. is blessed to have an abundant supply of food, nutrient rich and all, so where is the deficit?
We are all free to put whatever it is we want in our system, particularly if we think there is a benefit, so I’m not against personal choices that do nothing to harm me or another. But as a personal trainer I have a responsibility to my clients to know what they are putting in their system and refer them to a qualified practitioner who has the knowledge to educate them.
I also have issue with how supplementation is marketed, sold and distributed and how anyone can claim to be an authority from Joe Schmoe to a highly credentialed medical doctor. And again, my standpoint is much in alignment with the top personal training industries certification programs. Personal trainers are not Registered Dietitians and anyone can dub themselves a nutritionist (in Washington) and in most states, personal trainers alike.
Despite what many may believe, the supplementation industry is not regulated by the government, however they are monitored, a big difference. The FTC regulates false labeling claims. There are no safety testing standards in place prior to a supplement hitting the shelves. No over-the-counter supplement requires FDA approval. The FDA will swoop in only if and when there is a problem or in a 1995 landmark New York case, someone dies as an alleged result of taking an ephedrine-based supplement. In this case, the personal trainer, gym and supplement manufacturing company were sued for hundreds of millions of dollars. While the case is public knowledge, it was settled out of court, which seals the outcome.
Granted this is but one example of what could happen, but it speaks to the inherent risks and issues within the supplementation industry.
With the proliferation and inundation of information available doesn’t this mean there is conclusive evidence to support the safety and efficacy of a supplement? Absolutely not. Volume does not mean valid. One must look at the source, who financed the study and what type of study was conducted. The gold standard is independent, double-blind, randomized, controlled and conclusively in support of claims being made. Where are these studies? They don’t exist.
But I only take herbal and “natural” remedies, doesn’t this mean they are safe and effective? Hemlock and poisonous mushrooms are natural — would you take either of those? Enough said.
Where does one go to get the most accurate information on dietary supplementation? Not sure the Internet is the best place to start unless you know what you’re looking for. An dietician would be a good start and then confirm with your doctor and pharmacist.
Also, the FDA and the National Institute of Health office of the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine both offer comprehensive information.
Health
MISTR announces it’s now prescribing DoxyPE
MISTR, the telemedicine provider that offers free online PrEP and long-term HIV care in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, announced it is now prescribing Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (DoxyPEP), an antibiotic that reduces bacterial STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Patients can now use MISTR’s telehealth platform to receive DoxyPEP online for free, according to a release from the company.
With this launch, MISTR plans to offer patients access to post-exposure care, in addition to its existing preventive and long-term HIV treatment options, which include PrEP and antiretroviral therapy (ART). This comes at a time when the rate of STIs continue to rise. In 2022, more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in the U.S; of that population, gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected, the company reported.
“Despite an ongoing STI epidemic affecting the LGBTQ+ community, there are few resources available for this underserved, vulnerable community to get the preventative medication they need,” said Tristan Schukraft, CEO and founder of MISTR. “I’m proud that MISTR is democratizing access to PrEP, HIV care, and now DoxyPEP.”
An NIH-funded study published by the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2023 found that doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis, now known as DoxyPEP, reduced syphilis by 87%, chlamydia by 88%, and gonorrhea by 55% in individuals taking HIV PrEP, and reduced syphilis by 77%, chlamydia by 74% and gonorrhea by 57% in people living with HIV.
MISTR is a telemedicine platform offering free online access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and long-term HIV care Visit mistr.com for more information.
Health
UNAIDS to commemorate Zero Discrimination Day’s 10th anniversary
UN agency urges global action to protect human rights
As the world marks the 10th anniversary of Zero Discrimination Day; UNAIDS is sounding the alarm on the increasing threats to human rights, calling for renewed efforts to protect the rights of all individuals as a fundamental step towards ensuring health for everyone.
Established by UNAIDS a decade ago, Zero Discrimination Day aims to promote equality and fairness regardless of gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity or HIV status. The progress achieved over the past years is now in jeopardy, however, due to rising attacks on the rights of women, LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima emphasized the critical link between protecting human rights and safeguarding public health.
“The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health,” she said in a press release. “Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030. It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health.”
Despite challenges, there has been notable progress.
At the onset of the AIDS pandemic more than 40 years ago, two-thirds of countries criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. They are now decriminalized in two-thirds of countries. An additional 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, contributing to positive changes that include 50 million more girls attending school compared to 2015.
To sustain and enhance these advancements; UNAIDS urges global support for women’s rights movements, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and peace initiatives. By standing with communities advocating for their rights, the U.N. aims to reinforce the collective effort towards a more inclusive and equitable world.
Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1.
Events and activities that will take place around the world throughout the month will serve as reminders of the essential lesson and call to action: Protecting everyone’s health is synonymous with protecting everyone’s rights.
“Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a safer, fairer, kinder and happier world — for everyone,” said Byanyima.
Health
New CDC report finds transgender women at higher risk for HIV
More than 1,600 people in seven cities surveyed
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new study report this week that revealed that restricted by employment and housing discrimination and lack of access to needed gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women increasing the risk of contracting HIV.
Researchers reviewed data from a 2019-2020 survey, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Among Transgender Women, which found that the demographics of HIV/AIDS have been disproportionally high, especially among Black and Latina trans women, who had experienced employment and housing discrimination coupled with lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare.
The Jan. 25 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was based on data studies of more than 1,600 trans women in seven major urban locales. Participants from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle were chosen by referrals from people and community-based organizations who knew or were part of the local population of trans women.
The study’s researchers noted: “Employment discrimination occurs at the overlapping nexus of poverty, homelessness, incarceration, health insurance, disability, food insecurity and survival sex work. These issues are interconnected.”
The study stated that trans women’s inability to access quality healthcare, including gender-affirming treatment or access to PrEP, and can expose them to potential incarceration as many turn to “survival sex work” and violence, which increases the risk of contracting HIV.
The study’s author’s pointed out: “When economically marginalized transgender women are refused employment, this refusal cyclically contributes to economic hardships. This analysis …demonstrates the importance of transgender women working and living with dignity and without fear of unfair treatment.”
Comings & Goings
Miss Kitty tackles classical mythology in ‘Metamorphoses’
Pride journey: Las Vegas
Unique financial planning challenges for trans community
Heather Lawver’s journey to growth, inclusion with Ceemo.ai at StartOut’s Growth Lab
HHS reverses Trump-era anti-LGBTQ rule
4th Circuit rules gender identity is a protected characteristic
Pride season has begun
New World Bank US executive director: LGBTQ rights are human rights
