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Software giant Microsoft and the world's biggest drug company Pfizer are getting into bed together to combat an internet Viagra spam ring.

The two are filing 17 parallel lawsuits against two "international pharmacy spam rings" selling what they claim are generic versions of Viagra online.

Pfizer said two websites named in the suit sold "potentially dangerous medications" unapproved by regulators.

The websites involved are CanadianPharmacy and E-Pharmacy Direct.

Violation

In addition, Microsoft has filed three suits against web spammers who promote online drug stores, such as Discount RX, Virtual RX and EzeDrugStore.com.

"Together, these pharmacy spam rings have allegedly sent hundreds of millions of e-mail messages to Microsoft's MSN Hotmail customers within the past year alone," the joint statement said.

Deceptive advertising via e-mail violated the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, they said.

Pfizer said it was committed to protecting the public from risks associated with "the illegal sale of fake and unapproved generic products claiming to be Viagra".

The actions follow a seven-month probe by the two companies into the sale of the erectile dysfunction tablets.

Computers in New York received online orders which were then sent to a call centre based in Canada before being processed in India, the lawsuit claims.

The pills were then shipped from India to the US and delivered by an air freight company based in the US.

BBC News

Many parents with HIV limit physical contact with their children because of fears they will pass on the virus or catch an infection, a US study says.

The Rand Corporation found one-third of the 344 parents it surveyed avoided hugging and kissing to some degree.

The research is published in Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Experts in the UK said they had not encountered HIV-positive parents changing their behaviour in the way the US study suggested.

Infection fears

HIV can be transmitted via blood, semen, vaginal fluids - including menstrual blood - and breast milk.

But it cannot be passed on via saliva, sweat or urine - or through the air like a cold or flu virus.

The team from the Rand Corporation, a non-profit research organisation, interviewed HIV-positive parents of children under 18.

They were asked about their fears of transmitting the virus to their child or of catching infections from them and if such fears affected their behaviour in relation to cuddling or hugging, kissing on the cheek, kissing on the lips and sharing utensils.

Just under a third said they avoided one of these four types of interaction "a lot", with 22.2% highlighting not kissing on the lips and 17.7% not sharing utensils.

And more than 41% said they were worried about catching an infection, because of their weakened immune systems.

The researchers, led by Dr Mark Schuster, said: "The finding that more than one-third of parents fear transmitting HIV to their children suggests that more work needs to be done to reassure parents about the limited transmissibility of HIV."

'Surprising findings'

But Jackie Redding, of the UK's Terrence Higgins Trust, said she had not encountered parents with HIV changing their behaviour in similar ways to the adults in the US study.

"For most people, by the time they have had their babies, they understand HIV is not easily passed on," she said.

"I have encountered concerns where parents worry they are going to get sick and therefore not going to be around to look after their child."

She said others had expressed worries about negative attitudes their children may encounter if they tell school-friends of their parent's condition.

She added: "I am surprised at the findings in the US study. These sorts of fears often arise when people know little about how HIV is passed on, and knowledge is widespread in the US."

BBC News

Lovesickness can kill and should be taken more seriously as a legitimate diagnosis, according to health experts.

Frank Tallis, a clinical psychologist in London, is among those calling for greater awareness of the "illness" in a report in The Psychologist magazine.

He said many are "destabilised by falling in love, or suffer on account of their love being unrequited" and this could lead to a suicide attempt.

Few studies deal with the "specific problem of lovesickness", he said.

Physical exhaustion

Prof Alex Gardner, a clinical psychologist in Glasgow and a member of the British Psychological Society, agreed that doctors needed to be more aware of lovesickness as a possible diagnosis.

He said: "People can die from a broken heart.

"You get into a state of despair and hopelessness."

He said as a result of love, in some people it could lead to an extreme state of physical exhaustion.

In extreme cases lovesickness could drive people to take their own life, he added.

Dr Tallis said that before the 18th Century lovesickness had been accepted as a natural state of mind for thousands of years.

He said in modern day terms the symptoms can include mania, such as an elevated mood and inflated self-esteem, or depression, revealing itself as tearfulness and insomnia.

Aspects of obsessive compulsive disorder can also be found in those experiencing lovesickness, such as preoccupation and obsessively checking for text messages and e-mails.

BBC News

A sexually transmitted infection that before now has mainly been seen in the developing world is spreading in the UK and western Europe, experts say.

London is among a number of major cities that have reported outbreaks of lymphomagranuloma venereum (LGV).

The 24 cases confirmed in England have been in gay men but both sexes can contract LGV through unprotected sex.

Its symptoms include genital ulcers and swelling in the groin but it can be easily treated using antibiotics.

LGV is caused by a strain of bacteria, similar to the one that causes chlamydia, another sexually transmitted infection (STI).

In recent months, outbreaks of LGV have been reported in the cities of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Paris, Stockholm and Hamburg.

And this week, two men in New York were diagnosed with the disease.

Neil Macdonald, from England's Health Protection Agency, said: "LGV was previously hardly ever seen in the Western world.

"It is endemic in certain areas of Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

"What we are seeing now is something that is quite new and is affecting gay men."

He said it was not clear how long LGV had been in western Europe and that it might be the case that now people are checking for it more cases are being found.

Symptoms of LGV
Rectal inflammation
Rectal bleeding
Swollen groin lymph nodes
Rectal ulcers
Fever
Fatigue

Since the HPA set up an enhanced surveillance system for LGV in October, there have been 24 confirmed cases in England.

The HPA has been able to trace 19 of the men. All are homosexual and 17 are also HIV positive.

"We know it's here and we know it is a problem," said Mr Macdonald.

"One of the biggest problems we have is that it doesn't present like a typical STI so not only the patients themselves but also their doctors may not realise they have got it."

'Get checked'

The first symptom of LGV is usually inflammation of the rectum (proctitis) - with pain, discharge, rectal bleeding and bloody stools commonly reported, as well as genital ulcers.

The person might also notice large painful swelling in the groin because the infection invades the lymph nodes.

LGV can be easily treated with a three-week course of antibiotics.

But if it is not detected and treated, complications can develop such as fever, weight loss and lesions and permanent scarring of the rectal lining that might need surgical repair.

In some cases, the symptoms can be mistaken for a bowel problem which can delay the diagnosis, he said.

He urged anyone who thought they might have put themselves at risk of LGV or any other STI to go to their doctor for a check-up.

Will Mutland from the Terrence Higgins Trust said: "We are working with key target groups of HIV men to raise awareness about LGV."

He said as well as having unprotected sex with multiple partners, this group might be particularly at risk because of they have a condition that affects the immune system and ability to fight infections.

"People need to be aware of the symptoms.

"We also want to encourage regular screening, not just for LGV but for a range of other STIs."

The Terrence Higgins Trust has produced an information leaflet for gay men explaining the risks of LGV.

BBC News

Most secondary school teachers think pupils should be told how to get an abortion, a poll suggests. Under current policy, the topic is optional and schools are advised to respect the religious sensitivities of children and their parents.

A survey of 700 teachers in England and Wales, for the Times Educational Supplement, found 69% backed lessons on terminating unwanted pregnancies.

More than 75% said parents should be told if their child wanted an abortion.

Almost all (98%) favoured teaching about contraception in class.

The survey also showed the majority of teachers (74%) would be happy to tell children it was acceptable to be gay.

Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in western Europe and the government has said it wants to halve the pregnancy rate of people under the age of 18 by 2010.

One in every 10 babies born in England is to a teenage mother.

'Confidentiality controversy'

The editor of the TES, Bob Doe, told BBC News that while most teachers were happy to give explicit information in sex education lessons, they were "very uncomfortable" about the idea of a child seeking an abortion without her parents' knowledge.

"It is the government's intention that schools should become the places where all child welfare policies are delivered in future.

"Schools are becoming implicated in a controversy about whether or not children should be given an abortion without their parents' knowledge.

"The law gives children the right to confidentiality in medical matters and that right is above a parent's right to know."

Referral

Catherine Lane teaches sex education at a Roman Catholic all-girls school in Dorset.

She says girls are taught about contraception and terminations in science and in sex education lessons and also in the context of religious education.

She said if a girl told her she was pregnant and did not know what to do, she would not advise her directly but would refer her on through the school to an anti-abortion charity offering counselling, such as Life.

"Girls have a right in their medical context to confidentiality. Schools are in a minefield here. We are teachers, not doctors. I am not qualified to give someone advice about what they should do.

"In sex education lessons I teach them the facts and the Catholic church's teaching which is what their parents expect and why they sent them here."

BBC News

A 24-year-old woman who had been taking a course of contraceptive pills has found she is expecting identical quads.

Soheyla Zolfaghary, from Leeds, was told she was expecting four babies after going for a pregnancy scan, the Daily Mirror newspaper said.

Ms Zolfaghary had been on a low dosage contraceptive pill after giving birth to son Zachary seven months ago.

The Multiple Births Association said natural quads were rare as most were born to mothers on fertility treatment.

Ms Zolfaghary told the Daily Mirror she had gone to Leeds' St James Hospital after a home pregnancy test indicated she was expecting.

'Shell-shocked'

"I couldn't imagine what I was being told," she said. "It doesn't feel real to me even now. It's momentous - we're shell-shocked.

The hospital's technician told her and partner Matthew Owens she was expecting not one, but four children.

The foetuses, now 12 weeks old, were formed from the same egg but are now growing in separate sacs in her womb.

Elizabeth Bryan, founder of the Multiple Births Association, told the BBC there were risks in trying to carry multiple babies.

She said many of these multiple embryo pregnancies do not go to term, as doctors have to reduce the number to twins or triplets in order to ensure the health of the mother and to increase the survival chances of the babies.

She said it was "most unusual" for quads to be conceived while the mother was on a contraceptive pill, in this case the low-dose Femulen.

She said if mothers were worried about conceiving while on the pill, they should consult their GPs, but added "it's certainly the first time I've heard of quads being conceived in this way".

Ms Zolfaghary said she considered having an abortion, but had changed her mind. "Part of me feels very special because this is so unusual. And I was just enjoying being a full-time mum to Zach."

BBC News

A devout Baptist couple who bought a Doris Day DVD from a supermarket were shocked to find a sex film instead.

Alan and Anne Leigh-Browne, from Wellington, Somerset, had been expecting to enjoy The Pajama Game.

Instead they were confronted by Italian sex film - Tettone che Passione, which translates Breasts, What a Passion.

"Some topless young women appeared and started talking in Italian... it's not what you expect from a Doris Day film," Mr Leigh-Browne said.

Retired doctor Mr Leigh-Brown, 67, said he picked up the film, which was sealed in plastic wrapping, for £2.99 from the bargain bin of a Safeway supermarket in Taunton.

No 'plot'

The couple, regular attendees at their local Baptist church, settled down with a cup of tea to watch the 1957 musical which has a U (universal) certificate.

"It was a pretty raunchy, explicit film, it certainly pulled no punches," Mr Leigh-Browne said.

"My wife and I were very shocked but we watched it until the end because we couldn't believe what we were seeing.

"The film became progressively more graphic, there was no plot to it, it was just sex."

Alan and his wife Anne, 60, a retired teacher, complained to Safeway the next day and all copies of The Pajama Game were removed from the store.

BBC News

The safe sex message is being reinforced by student leaders in mid Wales with the launch of a special awareness week.

A programme of events is being organised by Aberystwyth Guild of Students.

The guild plans to launch hundreds of balloons to symbolise how illness can be indiscriminately transmitted.

Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) continue to grow, with more than 700,000 new cases in the UK in 2003.

Last year, a £300m campaign was launched to tackle the growing sexual health crisis in the UK.

It was announced that clinics would receive £130m for modernisation while £50m would go on an advertising campaign for under 25s - the largest of its kind for 20 years.

Despite greater awareness of the major STIs, chlamydia rose by 9% in 2003 to 89,818, genital warts went up by 2% to 70,883 and syphilis increased by 28% with 1,575 cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The guild in Aberystwyth said today's students were not old enough to remember the safe sex message of the 1980s, and it was trying to redress the balance.

Rob Doran, the guild's education and welfare officer, said the awareness week was aimed at helpig to stem the tide of the rise of STIs among people of student age.

"In the last 10 years, STIs have increased by over 30% which is frightening when this includes potentially life-threatening conditions such as HIV," he said.

"The majority of the student population are not old enough to remember the safe sex message of the 1980s and we are trying to redress this balance."

THE MAJOR STIs

• HIV
• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea
• Syphilis
• Genital warts
• Genital herpes

Multiple genes - and not just the sex chromosomes - are important in sexual orientation, say US scientists.

A University of Illinois team, which has screened the entire human genome, say there is no one 'gay' gene.

Writing in the journal Human Genetics, they said environmental factors are also likely to be involved.

The findings add to the debate over whether sexual orientation is a matter of choice. Campaigners say equality is the more important issue.

Non-sex genes

Much of the past genetic research into male homosexuality had focused solely on the X chromosome, passed down to boys by their mother, according to lead researcher Dr Brian Mustanski.

His team looked at all 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes of 456 individuals from 146 families with two or more gay brothers.

They found several identical stretches of DNA that were shared among gay siblings on chromosomes other than the female X.

About 60% of these brothers shared identical DNA on three chromosomes - chromosome 7, 8 and 10.

Complex trait

If it were down to chance, only 50% of these stretches would be shared, said the authors.

The region found on chromosome 10 correlated with sexual orientation only when it was inherited from the mother.

Dr Mustanski said the next step would be to see if the findings could be confirmed by further studies, and to identify the particular genes within the newly discovered sequences that are linked to sexual orientation.

"Our study helps to establish that genes play an important role in determining whether a man is gay or heterosexual," he said, but added that other factors were also important.

"Sexual orientation is a complex trait. There is no one 'gay' gene.

"Our best guess is that multiple genes, potentially interacting with environmental influences, explain differences in sexual orientation."

Alan Wardle from the gay rights charity Stonewall said: "It's an interesting study that contributes further to the debate.

"Regardless of whether sexual orientation is determined by nature or nurture or both, the most important thing is that lesbians and gay men are treated equally and are allowed to live their life without discrimination."

BBC News

The Roman Catholic Church in Spain has acknowledged that condoms could play a role in the global fight against Aids.

The comments mark an apparent shift from traditional Roman Catholic teachings which ban condoms because they are a form of contraception.

But a spokesman for Spanish bishops said the use of condoms and practising sexual restraint appeared to be the best strategy to tackle the disease.

He added that this was backed by the most recent scientific research.

"The Church is very worried and interested by this problem, and its position is backed by scientific proposals such as the one published in the prestigious magazine the Lancet," Bishop Juan Antonio Martinez Camino said.

"The time has come, the Lancet magazine says, for a joint strategy in the prevention of such a tragic pandemic as Aids, and contraception has a place in a global approach to tackling Aids."

Influence

His statement followed a meeting with Health Minister Elena Salgado.

According to Spanish government figures there are more than 120,000 adults living with HIV/Aids in Spain, where the disease has caused 42,149 deaths. It is estimated that eight people a day become infected with the virus in Spain.

Correspondents say the comments by the spokesman for the Spanish Bishops' Conference could avoid a clash between the Catholic Church and the socialist government - which promotes the use of condoms and has announced that it supports a new law allowing homosexual marriage.

The Roman Catholic Church remains a powerful voice in Spain.

The Vatican has not issued a definitive statement on the use of condoms, but many of its officials oppose campaigns promoting them.

Last year the European Union criticised a Vatican paper that claimed that HIV - the virus which leads to Aids - can pass through latex condoms and cause infection.

BBC News