• Overcoming the mental health challenges that face the LGBTQIA+ community

    Psychologist Dr. Jeff Temple of UTMB joined other experts on Town Square to discuss common mental disorders prevalent in LGBTQIA+ individuals, the importance of acceptance and the effects it can have on mental health, and why it's important to seek treatment and better advocate for one's health.

  • Agent Orange exposure linked to increased risk for bladder cancer among Vietnam veterans

    Men exposed to Agent Orange during their military service had a modestly increased risk for bladder cancer, results of a retrospective study of Vietnam veterans showed. “This study was the largest retrospective cohort study to date from the largest equal access system in the U.S. and found a modest association between Agent Orange and bladder cancer risk,” said Dr. Stephen B. Williams, the study’s lead author and director of urologic oncology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Many other national news organizations reported the findings of this study.

  • The seaweed blob is heading to a beach near you

    According to Dr. Alfred Lea at the University of Texas Medical Branch, the rotting sargassum found on beaches can emit both ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gasses, which can irritate your nose and throat, or cause breathing difficulties if you have asthma or other sensitivities. But the breezes at most beaches will naturally dilute these gasses, he said, greatly reducing the risk.

  • Some vaccines must be repeated

    In their Vaccine Smarts column, Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp explained why some vaccines are only given once while others must be repeated.

  • How can we use aloe vera for our health?

    Aloe does more than heal sunburns. Dr. Samuel Mathis discussed other medical uses for the plant’s gel. “What I find works best is to keep a small planter with an aloe vera plant at home,” he wrote.

  • When patients feel gaslighted, it's time to find another physician

    Physicians have joined the conversation about medical gaslighting on TikTok to raise awareness that dismissing a patient's healthcare concerns is not only short-sighted, but it's bad medicine. Shannon Clark, MD, an OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, was one. "I want to say something that just might blow your mind," Dr. Clark said. "It is possible for someone to have a medical condition or complaints or symptoms that are not related to any mental health condition they might have. It's true. So automatically attributing any complaint a patient might have to their mental health condition is just plain bad medicine."

  • Healing from sexual trauma

    Dr. Leila Wood, a researcher and social worker at UTMB’s Center for Sexual Violence Prevention, spoke about healing from sexual trauma on Dan Savage’s podcast.

  • People with HIV, especially women, may have a higher prevalence of dementia as they age

    The likelihood of developing dementia increases with age in the general U.S. population, as well as in people living with HIV in the US. However, a new study suggests that people with HIV who are over 75 may experience a higher prevalence of dementia compared to the general population—with the largest gap seen in women. A study authored by Dr Xiaoying Yu of the University of Texas Medical Branch analyzed data from Medicare.

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