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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 25, 2003
MALE CYCLISTS may be risking their reproductive prowess.
So say two studies, one of which found that frequent mountain biking can lower sperm counts, damage the scrotum and possibly reduce fertility. The other study showed that even less strenuous cycling can cause genital numbness and interfere with erectile function.
"Biking overall is a great sport," said Dr. Ferdinand Frauscher, who presented the findings at a Radiological Society of North America conference. "It's excellent exercise for the cardiovascular system, but . . . it carries a certain set of risks."
Frauscher's study compared 40 mountain bikers with 35 noncyclists over one year. He found that 90 percent of the cyclists who rode more than 3,000 miles a year produced one-third the sperm and had much lower sperm mobility and volume compared with noncyclists.
The other study, published last month in the Journal of Andrology, followed a group of 17 bicycle police in Long Beach, Calif., and found that they had erections for less time during sleep compared with nonriders.
Both studies cited the bicycle seat, or saddle, as the chief culprit. The saddle's nose often puts extra pressure on the perineum, the area behind the scrotum where nerves and arteries run to the genitals.
New, ergonomically designed saddles distribute a rider's weight more evenly. Seats with more padding or with a triangular wedge cut out of the middle get positive reviews from riders and doctors, but they are more expensive.
MIGRAINE PAIN would seem an unlikely inspiration for art, but the National Headache Foundation is sponsoring a contest for artwork illustrating "My Life with Migraine."
Migraine sufferers are invited to depict their pain through paintings, drawings, photography and computer-generated work.
All entries must be submitted by May 23. The contest, sponsored with an educational grant from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc., will culminate in July with a Chicago exhibition and cash prizes.
For more information or an entry form, go to www.headaches.org or call the nonprofit National Headache Foundation toll free at 1-888-643-5552.
A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN is encouraging women to be tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), a factor for cervical cancer.
Putting Women's Health First wants women to know more about available screening for HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that may have clinical consequences. HPV can be a contributing cause for cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is preventable if malformed cells are detected early by a Pap smear, recommended annually for all women.
Accurate tests to detect HPV also are available. The dilemma comes in deciding who should get an HPV test. If a woman has an abnormal Pap smear, an HPV test may be useful to differentiate precancerous cells and avoid further intervention.
Polls show that about two-thirds of women have never heard of HPV. About 70 percent say their doctor has never discussed the health issue with them.
Key questions a woman should ask her doctor are:
-- What do I need to know about HPV and cervical cancer?
-- Do you provide HPV testing as part of cervical cancer screening?
-- When do I next need to be screened for cervical cancer?
For more information, go to www.puttingwomenshealthfirst.org.
-- Staff writer Susan Aschoff and Times wires