http://www.insidershealth.com/http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/keeping_your_gard_up_merck_targets_hpv_vaccine_to_boys/5175http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/keeping_your_gard_up_merck_targets_hpv_vaccine_to_boys/5175The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, voted unanimously to recommend routine use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil in 11 and 12-year-old boys. While the CDC had previously said that doctors can use the vaccine in boys if they’d like, there was no strong recommendation until now. And it comes with a bit of a debate.Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/pills_bills_and_conflict_lessons_from_the_er/5172http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/pills_bills_and_conflict_lessons_from_the_er/5172A trip to the ER is seldom a planned or welcomed event. It’s usually reserved for the most serious of “oopsies” and, thus, we often arrive there with little knowledge of what to expect and what treatment we will receive.  This leaves us vulnerable to the medical and financial unknowns that span a wide spectrum between life-saving or entirely superfluous. But by understanding the culture of the ER, the logistical realities of emergency medicine and the empowerment of patient choice, we can effectively protect ourselves from falling victim to a thorny system. My own medical mishap sets the context for these lessons.Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/the_debate_rages_on_juicing_raw_cannabis_for_medicinal_purposes/5169http://www.insidershealth.com/newsletter_article/the_debate_rages_on_juicing_raw_cannabis_for_medicinal_purposes/5169In the midst of the ever-growing debate regarding medical marijuana comes a whole new argument that may frustrate conservatives and marijuana smokers alike. It appears, according to some experts, consuming the plant in a raw, concentrated juice form may provide significantly more health benefits than smoking it . . . while drastically reducing the high that accompanies it.Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400