Health Services

Health And Human Services.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation dropped a lawsuit against PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. that alleged the insurer failed to provide its members with HIV and AIDS access to specialists as required under state law. The Hollywood-based foundation, which provides specialized medical care to such patients, filed its motion to dismiss the case in Los Angeles Superior Court after deciding it was not worth the effort to pursue the year-old case on a variety of grounds.

New state regulations that will define what constitutes an AIDS specialist should resolve much of the dispute the foundation had with the Cypress-based insurer, said foundation counsel Tom Myers, who also admitted that several patients who had agreed to testify against the insurer had gotten cold feet. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation assisted in the drafting of the regulations.

Nerves At The Ventral Prostatic Capsule Contribute To Erectile Function: Initial Electrophysiological Assessment In Humans
UroToday.com - When performing nerve sparing radical prostatectomy, how high up on the lateral prostatic fascia do urologists need to go to release the neurovascular bundle (NVB)? Are there even functional nerve fibers higher than the main bundle located at the 5 o'clock position? This question is answered by Dr. Yasuhiro Kaiho and colleagues at Tohoku University in an online report that appeared in European Urology.
Pfizer Drops Application To Switch Viagra 50mg To Non-Prescription Status In Europe
Pfizer announced today that it has withdrawn its application to switch the legal status of the 50 mg tablet strength of Viagra from 'prescription only' to 'non-prescription' in the European Union (EU). Viagra is a well established oral medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and all current doses of Viagra will continue to be available to patients by prescription from their doctor.
Adult Male Circumcision Not Linked To Sexual Dysfunction
The World Health Organization recommends male circumcision as an important element in HIV prevention programs, and the procedure is promoted in high-risk heterosexual populations. While the benefits of circumcision are well-documented (they also include reduced rates of urinary tract infection, penile cancer, and cervical cancer and chlamydia in female partners), there remains a concern that adult circumcision may impair sexual function.