The influence of heroin use on sexual behavior was studied in individuals attending a drug abuse program in Porto, Portugal. As we expected, drug abuse was found mainly to adversely affect sexual behavior. A minority of patients reported improvement in sexual behavior with heroin use. Almost all patients remained sexually active and took no special precautions to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Some patients reported heroin-related sexual effects to be a motivating factor for ceasing drug abuse.

The use of mind-altering substances can be found in very different cultures and traced back thousands of years; the same is true for the searching of drugs that could increase sexual functioning. In this text, we explore the relation between drugs of abuse and sexuality in three domains: drugs and sexual dysfunctions, drugs and risky sexual behavior and drugs used as sexual aids. Although some drugs can increase sexual response in the early stages of the addiction career, particularly in those with a previous sexual dysfunction, the chronic use of substances tends to deteriorate all stages of sexual response in both male and female abusers. There is sufficient evidence for considering that drug use before or during sexual intercourse can, in certain circumstances, elevate the risk of unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Specific prevention strategies should be addressed to this population. Some psychotropic drugs are sometimes used as sexual aids. This can have some risks and should alert the therapist to a possible underlying and undiagnosed sexual problem.

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RESUMOIntrodução: A população lésbica, gay, bissexual e transgénero enfrenta ainda preconceito nos cuidados de saúde e, para além disso, os médicos frequentemente referem falta de conhecimento sobre as necessidades de saúde específicas desta população. Este estudo teve como objetivo explorar os fatores associados com as atitudes e conhecimentos dos estudantes de medicina face à homossexualidade em diferentes anos do curso de medicina. Resultados: A análise incluiu 489 respostas. Os estudantes que se identificaram como sendo do género masculino, mais religiosos e com menos amigos lésbicas, gays ou bissexuais revelaram atitudes mais negativas em relação à homossexualidade. Anos mais avançados no curso ou maior contacto com pacientes lésbicas, gays ou bissexuais não se correlacionaram com as atitudes avaliadas. Apesar da progressão no curso se ter correlacionado significativamente com níveis mais elevados de conhecimento, os itens relacionados com saúde lésbicas, gays ou bissexuais apresentaram menor percentagem de respostas corretas. Material e Métodos Conclusão:As atitudes dos estudantes de medicina face a lésbicas e gays parecem ser pouco exploradas ao longo do curso de medicina, havendo também falta de conhecimento sobre as necessidades específicas de saúde das pessoas lésbicas, gays ou bissexuais. Este estudo destaca assim a importância do desenvolvimento de um currículo médico inclusivo, crucial na promoção da qualidade dos cuidados de saúde. ABSTRACT Introduction: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people still face discrimination in healthcare environments and physicians often report lack of knowledge on this population's specific healthcare needs. In fact, recommendations have been put forward to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health in medical curricula. This study aimed to explore factors associated with medical students' knowledge and attitudes towards homosexuality in different years of the medical course. Palavras Material and Methods:An anonymous online-based questionnaire was sent to all medical students enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine -University of Porto, Portugal, in December 2015. The questionnaire included socio-demographic questions, the Multidimensional Scale of Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (27 items) and a Homosexuality Knowledge Questionnaire (17 items). Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, Chi-square tests and Pearson's correlations were used in the analysis.Results: A total of 489 completed responses was analyzed. Male gender, religiosity and absence of lesbian, gay or bisexual friends were associated with more negative attitudes towards homosexuality. Attitudinal scores did not correlate with advanced years in medical course or contact with lesbian, gay or bisexual patients. Students aiming to pursue technique-oriented specialties presented higher scores in the 'Modern Heterosexism' subscale than students seeking patient-oriented specialties. Although advanced years in medical course correlated significantly with higher knowledge scores, items related with les...

Background Burnout is a multidimensional syndrome and includes symptoms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment at work. Oncology health care providers are at high risk to develop symptoms of burnout because of work-related stressors. Adaptive coping strategies adopted to deal with stressors may prevent the development of burnout. Objective The present study aims to assess the association between burnout, functional coping strategies, and occupational factors in a sample of oncology providers, mostly nurses. Methods Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Problem Solving Inventory “Inventário de Resolução de Problemas” were administered. Descriptive, correlational, and linear regression analyses were performed. Results The study showed that emotional exhaustion correlated with lower levels of adaptive coping, less years of experience in Oncology, and a greater amount of hours worked per week. Personal accomplishment was associated with the adaptive coping strategies. No further statistically significant associations were identified. Discussion Our findings support the importance of adaptive coping strategies in order to prevent symptoms of burnout when health professionals face potentially stressful occupational factors. Training aimed at improving adaptive coping skills may prevent burnout syndrome for health care professionals working in Oncology.

Recognition of facial lentigo maligna (LM) is often difficult, particularly at early stages. Algorithms and multivariate diagnostic models have recently been elaborated on the attempt to improve the diagnostic accuracy. We conducted a cross-sectional and retrospective study to evaluate dermatoscopic criteria aiding in diagnosis of flat pigmented facial lesions (FPFL). We examined 46 FPFL in 42 Caucasian patients and found that 4 of 20 dermatoscopic criteria reached the significance level required for features indicating malignancy namely, hyperpigmented follicular openings, obliterated follicular opening, annular-granular structures, and pigment rhomboids. Concomitant presence of at least 2 or 3 of the 4 mentioned criteria was significantly more frequent in LM than in pigmented actinic keratosis (PAK). However, despite more frequently seen in LM, these features were also displayed in some of the PAK and other FPFL, so we found them not specific for LM. Although dermatoscopy enhances the diagnostic accuracy in evaluating FPFL, histopathology remains the gold standard for correct diagnosis, making evident the need for improvements in early noninvasive diagnosis of LM.

Introduction: Alopecia areata (AA) is a form of nonscarring alopecia and one of the most common autoimmune disorders. Persistent or severe variants lead to potential disfigurement and are associated with a significant negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. Case Presentation: A 51-year-old female patient presenting with refractory alopecia universalis was successfully treated with oral tofacitinib. Recurrence was not observed following 17 months of therapy. Discussion/Conclusion: None of the currently employed therapies for AA are reliably effective nor are they approved for the disease. In this setting, Janus kinase inhibitors emerge as a promising novel treatment, as increasing evidence supports their effectiveness in AA.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of coffee intake on cognitive function in persons living with HIV (PLWH). 130 PLWH with CD4 > 200 cells/mm(3), undetectable viral load, treated with HAART were included. A structured interview was applied and relevant clinical and laboratory data were assessed, including coffee intake. For neuropsychological assessment, the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center Battery was chosen. Univariate nonparametric statistics and multivariate regression model were used. A significant association between espresso coffee use and a better cognitive function was verified in five of the eight psychometric measurements. In the multivariate analysis, after variable adjustment, linear regression analysis showed that coffee intake was a positive predictor for attention/working memory, executive functions and Global Deficit Score. Although the mechanisms behind the influence of caffeine on cognitive functioning are controversial, regular espresso coffee intake may have favourable effects on cognitive deterioration caused by HIV.