Friday, May 14, 2010

Vasectomy Immunologic Consequences


Another informative site with a large collection of documentation on vasectomy risks - of interest to me are the immunological consequences. Per the site:

"When this barrier is broken by vasectomy and sperm are “presented” to the immune system, new anti-sperm antibodies are formed and the previous “normal” immune response becomes abnormal in strength, specific antibody types, and perseverance of response"

And that's for the rest of the life of a man, unless the surgery is somehow reversed, and even then its chancy if the reversal will work.

I've posted a number of links on vasectomy risks/complication and pain if, for no other reason, to serve as a reference for me later, but I would hope that men would do more research prior to getting surgery like this, to know what all the risks are.

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Surgical Sterilizations: "Fixing" Something That Is Not Broken


Here's an interesting, and somewhat terrifying, article that includes a collection of references about vasectomy complications. I've been researching this, and, much like aspartame, gardasil, and other things scientists tell us are perfectly "safe", I remain skeptical.

This reference caught my attention:

"Post vasectomy pain syndrome… can turn a previously fit man into a chronic invalid. Even if the operation was painless, and not accompanied by the bruising and immediate post-operative discomfort which is quite common, weeks, months or years after the operation, nagging pain begins at the site. Sometimes tender cysts, or lumps called granulomas, can arise around the cut ends of the vas, and even if further surgery is performed to cut them out, the pain persists. This can be one of the most difficult problems in andrology to treat, especially as the precise cause is usually unknown. More research is urgently needed to prevent and treat the condition…." Dr. Malcolm Carruthers, MD, Vasectomy - The Unkindest Cut of All, [Online], http://www.goldcrossmedical.com

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Friday, May 7, 2010

Oil spill may endanger human health, officials say

I've been following the stories about the oil spill in the gulf, being of interest to me as I live in a gulf state not too far off from where this is happening. This has been devastating news to read about, and my prayers are that they can get this taken care of quickly. It's troubling reading articles like this one about the potential health effects ranging from "temporary, minor nuisances such as runny noses and headaches to long-term risks such as cancer if contaminated seafood ends up in the marketplace." I'm not a big fan of shellfish in the first place, but I do occasionally enjoy seafood from the gulf. Not anymore, I guess...

I once read that "science is violence against nature", and that phrase comes to mind with a disaster like this. I wonder how much scientific research into fossil fuels and their utilization sees its ultimate fulfillment in environmental disaster like this one?

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