Youths too shy to buy condoms

Despite the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, a study reports that many young people are hesitant to buy condoms because they are simply too embarrassed. For the study, reported in Social Science Journal, about 250 students at the University of Florida were asked to buy condoms and then describe the experience. First, seven students dropped out showing religious reasons. Twenty-five couldn't make the purchase at all. Many said it was the first time they had bought condoms. Most of them said they concealed the box or bought other items to distract attention. Some said they kept an eye out for other customers while buying the condoms; others were more likely to wait for other customers to leave.

High sugar can hit your head

High blood sugar levels can impair the brain's performance, as low blood sugar has long been known to do, says a study on diabetics. Drugs or restricted diet helps diabetics keep their blo-od sugar down, but if it's too low, the brain's functioning is affected. Extreme cases of low blood sugar can lead to a coma. For the study, researchers from the Un-iversity of Virginia gave patients with diabetes tests of mental function every time they checked their blood sugar. The results showed the high readings slowed the response and led to frequent errors. 'Blood glucose, like most other body functions, operates optimally only within a narrow range,' say the experts.

Antibiotics useless for acne

In acne treatment, antibiotics are often unnecessary, concludes a study published in The Lancet. Researchers, however, found that for acne on the face, simple over-the-counter creams were as good as antibiotics. The new findings may have significance beyond just the treatment of acne, given the concern among public health experts about the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria encouraged by the overuse of antibiotics. The researchers compared a number of different approaches for treating acne on about 650 volunteers. Some were given one of the two different oral antibiotics (oxytetracycline and minocycline), some an antibiotic cream, some the cream and a common over-the-counter lotion containing benzoyl peroxide, and others just the lotion.Those who used just the benzoyl peroxide, an antimicrobial lotion, had about the same level of improvement as those who took the oral antibiotics.

Ultrasound for perfect cooking

US scientists have put ultrasound to a unique use ' an ultrasonic cookware that 'knows' when vegetables are perfectly cooked. Just set a dial to the type of vegetable being cooked, and the pot beeps and switches off when it has finished the job.