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$22.4 Million in Funding to Help Prevent LGBT Suicides

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Editor
– November 11, 2010Posted in: Cover Stories, Culture, Dr. Know, Features, Health & Fitness

Newswise — In the United States, suicide claims over 34,000 lives annually, the equivalent of 94 suicides per day; one suicide every 15 minutes. To address this national crisis the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding a total of up to $22.4 million in additional funds over the course of the next five years to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). The center which is operated by the Education Development Center, Inc., in Massachusetts, provides state-of-the-art suicide prevention expertise to states, tribes, and communities throughout the country.

This new funding will allow the SPRC to increase its focus on populations at high risk for suicide or suicide attempts, such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth, young Latinas, youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, and American Indian/Alaska natives. The funding will also allow an increased focus on increasing the suicide prevention capacity of health and mental health providers to assess and manage suicide risk and to improve quality and continuity of care for persons at high risk of suicide, including individuals who have attempted suicide, those afflicted with mental illness and those with substance use disorders.

In addition the funds will help enhance suicide prevention capacities in critical care settings such as primary care, hospital emergency departments, and substance abuse treatment programs.

“Suicide is a preventable tragedy with the potential to touch every American,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Every life is important, so we must confront suicide, suicidal thoughts openly and honestly and use every opportunity to make a difference.”

The grant, part of SAMHSA’s strategic initiative on prevention of mental illness and substance abuse, will provide training and resources to organizations and individuals implementing suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies. It will also support the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s efforts to update and advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The Action Alliance was recently launched by HHS Secretary Sebelius and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and is co-chaired by former United States Senator Gordon H. Smith and Army Secretary John McHugh. The work of the Action Alliance will be supported by several other federal government agencies represented on the Federal Partners Working Group on Suicide Prevention.

“Suicide rips through the fabric of families, loved ones, mothers, fathers, children, spouses, partners, co-workers – a tidal wave of doubt, guilt, and silence often enfolds the circle of friends and family like no other experience,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “This action alliance gives us an opportunity to engage every sector of society — public, private and philanthropic — to bring the full force of our nation’s resources to bear on confronting the challenge and breaking the silence and suffering.”

“The Education Development Center is committed to improving health and well-being across the life cycle, especially for those who are underserved,” said Center President and CEO Luther Luedtke. “Working with SAMHSA and many colleagues and partners across the country, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the Education Development Center provides access to the science and experience that support the critical programs, interventions, and policies helping to prevent suicide nationwide.”

SAMHSA is projected to provide up to $4.5 million per year in funding under this grant for up to five years. The actual award amounts may vary depending on the availability of funds & the awardees’ progress achieved.
SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

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Headphones Can Be Risky

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Editor
– September 4, 2010Posted in: Cover Stories, Features, Health & Fitness

Personal listening devices like iPods have become increasingly popular among young — and not-so-young — people in recent years. But music played through headphones too loud or too long might pose a significant risk to hearing, according to a 24-year study of adolescent girls.

The study, which appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, involved 8,710 students of lower socioeconomic status, whose average age was about 16. Their hearing was tested when they entered a residential facility in the U.S Northeast.

“I had the rare opportunity, as an audiologist, to see how this population changed over the years,” said Abbey Berg, Ph.D., lead study author and a professor in the Department of Biology & Health Sciences at Pace University in New York.

In this period, high-frequency hearing loss — a common casualty of excessive noise exposure — nearly doubled, from 10.1 percent in 1985 to 19.2 percent, she found.

Between 2001, when testers first asked about it, and 2008, personal music player use rose fourfold, from 18.3 percent to 76.4 percent. High-frequency hearing loss increased from 12.4 percent to 19.2 percent during these years, while the proportion of students reporting tinnitus —ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears — nearly tripled, from 4.6 percent to 12.5 percent.

Overall, teens using the devices were 80 percent more likely to have impaired hearing than those who did not; of the teens reporting tinnitus, all but one (99.7 percent) were users.

However, “just because there’s an association, it doesn’t mean cause and effect,” Berg said. For the teens who took part in the study, other aspects of their lives — poverty, poor air quality, substance abuse, risk-taking behavior —might Sadd to the effects of noise exposure.

“This paper offers compelling evidence that the inappropriate use of headphones is indeed affecting some people’s hearing, and the number of ‘some people’ is not small,” said Brian Fligor, director of diagnostic audiology at Children’s Hospital Boston.

The level of impairment detected in this study might have been relatively subtle “but the point is that it is completely avoidable,” said Fligor, who has no affiliation with the study.

“The ear is going to be damaged throughout your lifetime; what we’re seeing here resembles early onset age-related hearing loss — you might think of it as prematurely aging the ear,” he said.

“I don’t demonize headphones,” said Fligor, who encourages moderation, not prohibition. At a reasonable volume — conversational or slightly louder—there’s little risk, he said: “It’s when you start overworking the ear that you get problems.”

Berg said her findings suggest the need for more effective educational efforts to reduce unsafe listening behavior, particularly among disadvantaged youth. “You have to target them at a much younger age, when they are liable be more receptive,” she said.

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Laws Equate Sex to Love

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Editor
– September 1, 2010Posted in: Advice & Editorials, Cover Stories, Daily, Gay FAQ, Health & Fitness, Politics

What do banning sex toys, being fired for an off-hours affair, or losing custody of a child because of sexual orientation have in common?

They’re all the result of legal rulings, thanks in part to narrow interpretations of a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that eliminated criminal prohibitions against sodomy according to Laura Rosenbury, JD, professor of law, at Washington University in St. Louis.

In the landmark case Lawrence v. Texas, the high court ruled 6-3 that Texas’ criminal ban on sodomy between consenting adults was unconstitutional. The decision, which overturned similar laws in other states, was expected to broaden, not restrict, sexual rights.

The petitioners in Lawrence, two men who had been arrested for engaging in sodomy in a private home, were not in a committed, romantic relationship with each other. (It was a jealous partner who called police.) But since the ruling was handed down, scores of lower court cases have held that the case applies only to sexual activity involving emotional intimacy.

These subsequent rulings stem from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s wording of the decision, according to Rosenbury, who co-authored “Sex In and Out of Intimacy,” published in July in the Emory Law Journal.

“Justice Kennedy actually overlooked the actual facts of the case and instead reasoned that consensual sexual activity should be constitutionally protected because it’s an important part of relationships,” Rosenbury says. “And the lower courts have used that language, not the facts of the case, to protect sex only when it’s in this relationship context.”

LONG HISTORY OF CORRALLING SEX, RELATIONSHIPS

States have long protected sexual activity only when it serves the states’ own interests, typically marriage and procreation. While Lawrence has reined in that effort in some cases, the ruling has reinforced the link between sex and relationships in others by suggesting the protection of sexual activity should occur only in long-lasting, intimate associations.

“States used to be much more coercive, punishing sex outside of marriage, and have gradually become less coercive but they still maintain this idea that sex is only valuable in relationships,” Rosenbury says. “We’re trying to highlight how such practices remain to this day, and to provide arguments for really letting go of the channeling of sex into marriage or other relationships that have the potential of long-term intimacy.”

States’ constant linking of sex and intimacy diminishes not only sex outside of relationships but also intimate relationships that are not sexual. Rosenbury’s article asks: Why shouldn’t states allow people to divide the rights and obligations currently attached to marriage among a variety of others: spouses, friends, siblings and sexual partners.

The sex-intimacy connection also reinforces gender stereotypes, assuming that that men achieve intimacy primarily through sex and that women desire intimacy over sex, according to Rosenbury.

“There have long been sexual double standards, and protecting sex only when it is in the service of intimacy does nothing to change those standards,” Rosenbury says. “Although Lawrence acknowledged that emotional intimacy need not involve women, it did nothing to disrupt the idea that sexual pleasure is a male domain.”

Rosenbury, whose research and teaching focuses on sex, family, work and other everyday issues, is committed to examining ways that the law influences seemingly private relationships and conduct. “Sex In and Out of Intimacy” is her most recent examination of that phenomenon.

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The Four Best Exercises

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Editor
– August 28, 2010Posted in: Body Talk, Features, Health & Fitness

Exercise trends are called trends for a reason. They last about as long as a head of lettuce and offer about as many benefits. But some have been around since the birth of weight lifting, and that’s because they work.

But which are the best of the best, and how can you maximize them?

Push-ups
imageWhat’s great about pushups is that you can do them even though you may be weaker than a pick up line. You can start with a few, and over time increase repetitions at a good, even pace that builds muscle in the chest, shoulders and triceps. Different variations of the exercise can work the abdominals as well.

The one-arm pushup: It’s the pushup that impresses, the one that only the strongest and bravest should attempt. That’s right I’m talking about you.

Widen your feet and place your hand on the floor beneath the middle of your chest. Tuck your other arm behind your back. As you lower yourself, you’ll realize that this isn’t a straight-up-and-down movement like a regular pushup.

You’ll twist on the ball of your foot and untwist as you push yourself back up—if you can. You’ll feel muscles working all up and down the side of your body that corresponds to which hand is on the floor.

Do an equal number with each arm, and don’t even try one-arm pushups unless you can bench-press your own body weight eight to 10 times.

imageThe Arm-Blaster Curl
The arm blaster hangs from your shoulders and prevents your elbows from moving forward and back during a curl.

This forces your biceps to work much harder than they would if allowed to swing a little.

Consequently, this curl is the best single exercise for working all parts of the biceps with maximum intensity.

The Squat
imageIf you aren’t doing squats in your workout, then you don’t have a workout. Squats shape the body and develop performance power.

It’s the easiest power move to learn, and you’ll see the fastest results in both strength and muscle size.

To get more out of the squat: Focus on squatting deeper, rather than heavier. The key is to descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor, while still keeping your heels on the floor and maintaining the natural arch in your lower back.

Use a light weight until you develop the correct form.

This deeper squat builds muscle faster and is safer for your knees than a squat in which you stop before your thighs are parallel to the floor. When you cut a squat short, you turn your knees into brakes. And you know what happens to brakes. They wear out.

The Clean and Jerk
imageThe clean and jerk used to be a staple move in hard-core gyms where guys would throw around weights the size of small cars.

But it’s making a big comeback in collegiate training rooms and with the popularity of its champion, Ivan Stoitsov (photo). It requires a combination of speed, strength, skill and balance that few exercises can match.

Place your feet hip-width apart with the bar directly over the balls of your feet. Set the bar right above the point where your toes meet the rest of your foot. Place your hands just about shoulder width apart.

Begin to lift the bar by pushing your feet through the floor. Keep your shoulders, hips and the bar all moving at the same rate of speed. The bar will get to about mid-thigh.

Give your shoulders a big “shrug” and jump your feet out to the sides as you raise the bar to your shoulders. Catch the bar across your shoulders with your elbows held high. You’ll be in a squat position with bar slightly under your chin.

Slowly rise up out of the squat until you’re standing straight with the bar on your chest. Take a deep breath and dip down before you raise the bar overhead.

When complete, split your feet with one leg forward, the other one back and hold. Get steady then bring your legs even with each other again.

So go ahead and jerk. Get a spotter, and start with light weights. Focus on building speed more than building strength. Add weight only when your form is fluid and the move feels natural.

If you’re not ready, use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

imageContributing blogger Troy Meyers is a certified personal trainer and sports conditioner with more than 10 years of experience. He owns Atlanta-based JockBoyLocker.comand contributes to the site’s Lockerroom Blog.

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8 Weeks to Cardio Fitness

By
Editor
– August 21, 2010Posted in: Cover Stories, Features, Health & Fitness

Hooray to JockBoy for this article:

If you would like a challenge and want to lose fat while gaining strength to get your ultimate Beach Body, we offer this day-by-day, step-by-step workout that can get you there quickly.

As with all workouts, this one should be done at your own risk with a doctor or trainer consult if you have any doubts about doing strenuous activity. I have been doing it now for four weeks, and I have seen incredible results.

This program consists of a lot of running and swimming, so be sure to prepare yourself mentally for long, hard cardio workouts. I recommend that you take it one day at a time and always remember: don’t give up!

Mondays: Back and Abs
One-arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Machine Row: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Lat Pull-down: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Pull-ups: 3 sets to maximum # of reps
Sit-ups: 3 sets to exhaustion
Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets to exhaustion
Twisting Crunches: 3 sets to exhaustion

imageTuesdays: Shoulder, Triceps and Abs
Military Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Shoulder Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Dumbbell Front Raise: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Dumbbell Side Raise: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Narrow Grip Bench Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Rope Pull-down: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Dips: 3 sets to exhaustion
Crunches: 3 sets to exhaustion
Leg Raises (Bench): 3 sets to exhaustion
Crunches (Machine): 3 sets to exhaustion

Wednesdays: OFF

Thursdays: Legs
Squat: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Leg Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Leg Curl: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps

imageFridays: Chest, Biceps and Abs
Bench Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Incline Press: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Decline Fly: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Pec Dec Fly: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Push-ups: 3 sets to exhaustion
Barbell Curl: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 6 to 10 repsReverse Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Decline Crunch: 3 sets to exhaustion
Knee Raise: 3 sets to exhaustion
Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets to exhaustion

Weekends: Cardio as you go
The weekends are yours to go to the beach, run, swim. Cardio is important in order to get ripped, and although I’m not giving you a set cardio routine, you should make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of cardio done.

Check out more of Troy’s fitness articles at ProjectQ Atlanta

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