Everyone has had days where they were feeling a little "blue". We all have been "down in the dumps" or felt "blah" But when these feelings last longer than a couple weeks you may be suffering from depression. Depression affects 10 million Americans each year and it's estimated that 1 in 4 adults will have at least one depressive episode in their lifetime. How can you deal with depression?

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• Do You Suffer From Depression?

• Depression in Men

• 5 Tips to Reduce Depression

LK was prescribed Vicodin for pain control after he broke his shoulder in a car accident. He followed his prescription to the letter, only using the Vicodin when he was having pain. And the drug worked well for awhile. Two weeks after his injury, LK found that the prescribed dose was no longer relieving his pain so he took more Vicodin. On occasion, he took the drug sooner than he was supposed to in an attempt to avoid the onset of pain. It seemed to LK that he needed more medication to achieve the desired pain relief. He asked his doctor for a new prescription. Two weeks later he had already used a month's worth of Vicodin. When his doctor refused to write a new prescription, LK went to other doctors; he went to his dentist; he went to emergency rooms around town. LK was hooked on Vicodin.

More Information

• Vicodin Fact Sheet

• What's With the Testicular Pain?

• Pain Meds May Worsen Prostate Symptoms

There are several reasons people don't get the colon screenings they should. People say they are inconvenient, the preparation prior to the test can be unpleasant, and many simply don't understand the importance of regular colon screenings. The fact remains, regular colon screening for both men and women is the best way to monitor colon health and to catch any problems such as colon cancer early.

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• The Facts About Rectal Pain

• Bowel Cancer in Men

• Health Concerns of Gay Men

When you mention safer sex, people usually cringe, thinking any safer sex means bad sex. People believe sex can't feel good if it's safe. But nothing could be further from the truth. You can have a safe relationship and fun relationship at the same time. These safer sex tips will help you have a fulfilling sex life the is healthy and safe at the same time.

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• How Safe is Oral Sex?

• Preventing STDs

• Men, Prostitutes, and Sex

Teens often feel like nothing can hurt them. To many, their impression of HIV is nothing more than a disease that doesn't affect them. In actuality, HIV can impact the teenage population. There are so many misconceptions surrounding HIV and AIDS; myth and misunderstanding fueled by the media, by fear, and by ignorance. Let's take a look at the truth; five things every teen should know about HIV and AIDS.

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• How Does HIV Impact Teens - An Interview

• How Teens Can Say No To Sex

• How To Talk To Your Kids About HIV

Most of us will have to take a prescription medication sometime in our lifetime. When you are prescribed a medication to take or when you need to take an over-the-counter medication, it's always a good idea to know what you are taking before you take the drug. About.com's new drug finder will help you learn what you need to know for most every drug you will take. Just type in the drug name in the search engine and the info you need will be at your fingertips. Give it a try today and let me know what you think.

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• Drug Finder Info For The Drug Viagra

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We have all heard or used the phrase "a pain in the butt." We can all chuckle but in reality, rectal pain is a very real problem facing men and women living with HIV. The cause of rectal pain can be trivial and easy to remedy or can be very serious and sometimes fatal. What are the causes of rectal pain and what should be done if rectal pain strikes you?

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• The Importance of Colon Screenings

• The Dangers of Anal Cancer

• Are Anal Paps Beneficial - The Jury May Still Be Out

To keep your car running you make sure maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations are done on a regular schedule. But it's not uncommon for men to forget their own oil changes and tire rotations such as yearly physicals, prostate exams, and vaccinations. Here is a guide to keeping healthy by taking care of those regular health screenings.

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• The Importance of Colon Screenings

• The Sun, Men, and Health

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A growing body of evidence suggesting that hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually is prompting some AIDS activists to call for more research and for AIDS groups to talk to clients about the health threat. Recent European studies have documented sexual transmission among groups of gay men who do not inject drugs. Most of the hepatitis C infections found in those studies are among gay men who are also infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but some research suggests that sexual transmission of hepatitis C is happening among gay men who are not HIV-positive. Read more from Gay Together

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• Hepatitis C Fact Sheet

• Are You At Risk For Hepatitis C

• Should You Be Tested For Hepatitis C

A viewer asks:
"I am a 26 year old straight male doing research for a college paper. I learned about a simple screeing test that men are getting that some say helps identify cellular changes in rectal tissue. These changes could be anal cancer. Now I'm wondering should I get an anal pap? I'm straight and "nothing" goes in that area. I'm not in pain or bleeding but I'm worried because I felt around that area and found a little bump just inside my rectum. It felt like a vein but it was raised. So, should I get an anal pap?"

You see men can benefit from a pap test too...an anal pap test.

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• Anal Pap Results...What Do They Mean?

• Rectal Pain - What Does It Mean?

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~This Entry Courtesy of Mark Cichocki - About.com HIV Guide