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WASHINGTON ? The average number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits over the past month fell to the lowest level since March 2008, a sign that the job market is healing.
The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000 in the week ended Dec. 22. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to a nearly five-year low of 356,750.
Still, the Christmas holiday may have distorted the figures. A department spokesman said many state unemployment offices were closed Monday and Tuesday and could not provide exact data. That forced the government to rely on estimates. Normally, the government might estimate application data for one or two states. Last week, it had to use estimates for 19.
The estimates are usually fairly accurate, the spokesman said. Even so, the government will likely revise the figures by more than normal next week.
Weekly applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have mostly fluctuated this year between 360,000 and 390,000. At the same time, employers have added an average of 151,000 jobs a month in the first 11 months of 2012. That's just enough to slowly reduce the unemployment rate.
Economists were mildly encouraged by the decline in applications. But they emphasized that the figures are volatile around the holidays. They were also distorted until recent weeks by Superstorm Sandy.
Many expect next week's jobs report to show that employers added about 150,000 jobs in December.
The decline in unemployment benefit applications suggests companies are not yet slashing jobs because of concerns over the "fiscal cliff." That's the name for sharp tax increases and spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect next week unless the Obama administration and Congress can reach a deal before then.
Still, unemployment remains high and companies are reluctant to ramp up hiring. The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November from 7.9 percent in October mostly because many of the unemployed stopped looking for jobs. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively searching for work.
Negotiations between President Barack Obama and House Republican leaders on a package to avoid the fiscal cliff stalemated last week. Obama and congressional lawmakers return to Washington Thursday with just days to go before the deadline.
The total number of people receiving benefits rose 73,000 to 5.48 million in the week ended Dec. 8, the latest data available.
That includes about 2.1 million people who have been out of work for at least six months and are receiving extended benefits paid for by the federal government. The program is ending at the end of the year. That means those recipients will receive their final checks next week, unless an extension is granted.
Obama wants an extension included in the budget deal. Republicans have yet to agree to that.
There are signs the economy is improving. The once-battered housing market is recovering, which should lead to more construction jobs in the coming months. Companies ordered more long-lasting manufactured goods in November, a sign they are investing more in equipment and software. And Americans spent more in November. Consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic growth.
While a short fall over the cliff won't push the economy into recession, most economists expect some tax increases to take effect next year. That could slow growth.
Consumers are starting to worry about higher taxes. A measure of consumer confidence fell to a five-month low this month, a survey released Friday found. And reports show the holiday shopping season was the weakest since 2008, when the country was in a deep recession.
Also on HuffPost:
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/weekly-jobless-claims_n_2369646.html
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The past year in media saw on-air talent switch networks, new shows launch, publications fold, hosts leave, leadership shake-ups and more.
The most notable departures and arrivals occurred on morning television programs across the broadcast networks. The arguably worst-handled departure was "Today" co-host Ann Curry's teary exit from the NBC morning news program. Her departure sent the cash cow into troubled waters filled with declining ratings, gossip-fueled press reports, and what some considered an image problem.
Over at ABC, co-host Robin Roberts took medical leave after being diagnosed with a rare blood and bone marrow disorder, MDS. And ABC's mid-morning show "Live! With Kelly" found its new co-host in Michael Strahan. While at CBS, former "CBS This Morning" host Erica Hill was replaced with the network's chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell. Hill landed at NBC's "Today" show to host the program's weekend edition.
But multiple changes occurred behind the scenes in the cable news industry as well?notably Jeff Zucker's appointment as CNN's new president. However arrivals and departures were not just limited to TV. The Newspaper, magazine, and online industries saw shake-ups as well?most notable being Newsweek publishing its final print edition just before the company moved to an all-digital format.
Take a look at the slideshow below to see the year in media arrivals, departures and shake-ups. These slides are in no particular order.
In a messy morning TV shake-up, Ann Curry was ousted from "Today" one year she took over as co-host. She spent more than a decade on the show. The program has not yet fully recovered from the departure as many viewers site the network's treatment of Curry as the reason why they tuned away.
Shortly after Curry left "Today," Savannah Guthrie was named as co-host. Guthrie joined the "Today" show's 9:00 a.m. hour one year earlier, when Curry was promoted to co-host.
The beloved NBC morning host's popularity dwindled after Ann Curry left "Today" as some viewers blamed Lauer for her departure. Rumors swirled in tabloids that Lauer was involved in the decision. NBC News chief Steve Capus and "Today's" then-executive producer Jim Bell repeatedly defended Lauer in the press, stressing that the he was not involved with the network's decision to replace Curry with Savannah Guthrie.
"Morning Joe" co-host and frequent "Today" guest host officially joined the NBC News morning show. He still appears on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" from 6-7:00 a.m., then crosses the plaza to host the 9:00 a.m. hour of "Today."
CBS' chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell joined the network's morning show over the summer.
Erica Hill previously co-hosted "CBS This Morning" with Charlie Rose and Gayle King, but was replaced earlier this year. She recently joined the "Today" show's weekend edition and co-hosts the program alongside Lester Holt on Saturdays and Sundays.
Ryan Seacrest joined NBC News just before the Olympics as a correspondent. He traveled to London with the "Today" show and appeared on the program a number of times. Seacrest, a large presence on the E! that, like NBC Universal, is owned by Comcast, was widely rumored to eventually replace Matt Lauer when he leaves "Today."
After seven years as the "Today" show's executive producer, Jim Bell left the morning show for a role with NBC Sports. Bill executive produced the network's coverage of the 2012 London Olympics, which brought in record ratings and revenue, despite complaints from viewers. The departure seemed almost inevitable after "Today" experienced a year filled with declining ratings and a nasty anchor shake-up.
After Regis Philbin left "Live!" at the end of 2011, the ABC morning show announced the addition of Michael Strahan as co-host in September.
"GMA" co-host Robin Roberts went on medical leave from the ABC morning show in September, after being diagnosed with the rare blood and bone marrow disorder, MDS. "GMA" has kept viewers abreast of her recovery journey.
George Stephanopoulos returned to ABC News' Sunday public affairs show "This Week" after Christiane Amanpour left the show in December 2011. He previously anchored the morning show for eight years before Amanpour, who anchored the show for a little more than one year.
Bob Schieffer's dream finally came true when CBS' Sunday public affairs program "Face The Nation" extended the show's length from 30 minutes to a full hour.
Melissa Harris-Perry's new show launched shortly into 2012. Previously, Harris-Perry frequently filled-in for hosts Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell.
Newsweek/The Daily Beast chief Tina Brown announced that the company will be transitioning to an all-digital format in 2013 and ending its print edition in 2012.
White left Cosmopolitan after 14 years.
Brauchli stepped down as editor of the Washington Post amidst rumors that he clashed with Post publisher Katharine Weymouth. He was replaced by Boston Globe editor Marty Baron.
The daily New Orleans newspaper cut back to printing only three days per week, making New Orleans the biggest city in the United States without a daily newspaper.
Mark Thompson began his tenure as New York Times CEO amidst scandal. News broke that the BBC program "Newsnight" scratched an investigative report outing famed British broadcaster Jimmy Savile as a serial child sex offender. Thompson was director general of the BBC when the decision was made.
George Entwistle resigned as director general of the BBC after the Jimmy Savile scandal struck the iconic broadcasting company.
News Corp.'s daily iPad news publication folded almost two years after it launched. The application was hailed as a wave of the future when it debuted, but failed to resonate with a large enough audience to sustain it.
The Huffington Post debuted its video streaming network in April 2012.
CNN Worldwide President Jim Walton stepped down from his post at the end of 2012. Former NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker, famous for his nasty late night feud with Conan O'Brien, was named CNN's new chief.
CNN's Soledad O'Brien returned to the mornings after the network debuted two new shows in 2012: "Early Start" from 5-7:00 a.m.; and "Starting Point" from 7-9:00 a.m. O'Brien hosts later show.
To compete with MSNBC's "Way Too Early" and CNN's "Early Start," Fox News debuted its early morning show, "Fox & Friends First."
Keith Olbermann was fired from Current TV earlier this year. He sued the network, which then led Current TV to countersue. A nasty legal battle ensued. Olbermann was replaced by former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who formerly co-hosted a program on CNN.
Dylan Ratigan abruptly left MSNBC in June.
Dylan Ratigan's departure led MSNBC to launch "The Cycle," a news commentary show with four co-hosts.
Katie Couric's daytime television show "Katie" debuted in September to strong ratings. The newly appointed CNN chief, Jeff Zucker, served as the show's executive producer. He will step down from his post in mid-January.
Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show went through a revamp after its first season, but was ultimately canceled.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/biggest-media-departures-2012_n_2318447.html
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In his last offer to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), President Barack Obama lobbied for $16 billion in cuts from the military's health care program, TRICARE. In 2012, the president also proposed hiking fees for military personnel and veterans who receive benefits under the program in an effort to help cut the defense budget. His proposal drew significant fire from Republican lawmakers and veterans' groups.
Both sides agreed to cuts from the military retirement program. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) claimed during July 2011 talks that lawmakers had reached a tentative deal to slash <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$11 billion</a>. Under the current system, military personnel receive immediate retirement benefits after serving for 20 years. According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office, the appropriation cost per active military service member has <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43574" target="_hplink">increased at a higher rate</a> than either inflation or the total pay package of private-sector employees. Given the budget constraints looming before the Defense Department, the CBO floated the idea of transitioning the military retirement program to a matching-payment model.
Cantor claimed that Republicans and Democrats had agreed to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$36 billion in savings</a> over 10 years from civilian retirement programs. The president proposed a marginally more modest figure of <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$33 billion</a> in his final offer to House Speaker John Boehner. Just this year, Republicans in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform also looked to find savings from the Federal Employee Retirement System by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/house-committee-approves-measure-upping-federal-employee-contributions-to-retirement-plan/2012/04/26/gIQAuoW6iT_blog.html" target="_hplink">requiring employees to pay more of their salary</a> into their pensions, which Democrats opposed as a pay cut that would make civil service less attractive for top talent. In September 2011, the federal government employed <a href="http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?DC=Q&E=/FSe%20-%20Status/Employment%20-%20September%202012&LA=en&LO=en-us&BACK=/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?toc=%2FFSe%20-%20Status&LA=en&LO=en-us" target="_hplink">over two million individuals</a>, either through the cabinets or independent agencies. Many Republicans have complained that the federal workforce has ballooned during the Obama administration, and while the raw number of employees has risen by <a href="http://www.thefactfile.com/2012/01/23/the-size-of-the-federal-workforce-rapid-growth-for-some-stagnation-for-others/" target="_hplink">14.4 percent</a> between Sept. 2007 and Sept. 2011, the percentage of public employees out of the total civilian workforce has <a href="http://www.thefactfile.com/2012/01/23/the-size-of-the-federal-workforce-rapid-growth-for-some-stagnation-for-others/" target="_hplink">remained fairly constant</a> around 1.2 percent since 2001. Much of the raw growth has been concentrated in the Department of Defense, Veteran's Affairs and Homeland Security.
Democrats and Republicans agreed to cut as much as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$30 billion</a> from agricultural subsidies; the main opposition fell along geographical lines rather than partisan ones. Hailing from an agriculture-heavy state, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) threatened to pull out of talks entirely if a deal included that much in subsidy reduction. The president ended up pushing for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$33 billion in cuts</a>, but that figure also included reductions in conservation programs. Baucus now tells HuffPost any cuts should be made through the farm bill, not fiscal cliff talks.
Cantor pushed hard for significant cuts to food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He charged that the federal government could save as much as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$20 billion over ten years</a> by eliminating waste and fraud, but the White House countered that the real number was closer to $2 billion. Instead, those cuts would force the program to scale back on the number of enrollees and the level of benefits it could offer.
Obama proposed cutting <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$4 billion from flood assistance</a> funding in his final offer to Boehner in July 2011. But Hurricane Sandy straining the National Flood Insurance Program; The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/nyregion/federal-flood-insurance-program-faces-new-stress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_hplink">reports</a> that thousands of claims are being submitted daily, which could send the overall cost upwards of $7 billion for a program that suffers from a ballooning debt problem. And with climate change promising <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/climate-change-predictions-foresaw-hurricane-sandy-scenario-for-new-york-city/2012/10/31/b78de428-2374-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html" target="_hplink">future flooding disasters</a> along the eastern seaboard, cutting the program looks unwise.
The president offered to cut <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$110 billion over the next decade</a> from the government's health care spending, excluding Medicare. Among the programs that could lose crucial funding is home health care, where Democrats and Republicans agreed to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$50 billion in reductions</a> over ten years. Cantor pushed for closer to $300 billion in spending cuts to health care, but Democrats appeared to stand firm.
The president proposed cutting <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$10 billion from higher education</a> over the next decade, mostly from Pell grants. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/pell-grants-college-costs_n_1835081.html" target="_hplink">Over nine million students</a> relied on federal subsidized loans to afford college during the 2010-2011 school year, and the skyrocketing costs have continued to diminish the purchasing power of the Pell grant program. Obama has actively worked to make college more affordable for lower-income students. Key Republican lawmakers have attempted to cut funding for student loans; most notably, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slashed the maximum award from $5,550 per student per year down to <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/07/dems_students_fight_to_save_pell_grants_amidst_debt_ceiling_talks.html" target="_hplink">just $3,040</a>.
The original funding levels proposed by Cantor and the GOP leadership would turn the entitlement program for America's poor into little more than a block grant program, Democrats claimed during the 2011 debt ceiling talks. Under such a program, they argued that states would then <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/medicaid-to-lose-1-26-trillion-under-romney-block-grant.html" target="_hplink">drop more people from enrollment</a> and scale back on health benefits. In fiscal year 2009, <a href="http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0151.pdf" target="_hplink">over 62 million Americans</a> -- many of them children -- depended on Medicaid for their health care. But the president did agree to <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$110 billion</a> in cuts from Medicaid and other health programs.
Republicans pushed for a drastic overhaul to the entitlement program for America's seniors. Ryan infamously proposed turning Medicare into little more than a voucher system in which seniors would receive checks to purchase their own health care on the open market -- a plan that would ultimately <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kennethdavis/medicare-vouchers_b_1947804.html" target="_hplink">force individuals to shoulder more of the burden</a> for their health care costs. Democrats refused to accept changes similar to those in Ryan's plan. The president, however, was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">more open to other GOP suggestions</a> on Medicare. In his final offer to Boehner, he agreed cut $250 billion over the next ten years -- in part by increasing premiums for higher-income seniors and by raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 (although over a longer time frame).
Republicans have again and again <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0511/Boehner_Medicare_Medicaid__everything_should_be_on_the_table_except_raising_taxes.html" target="_hplink">decried any attempt</a> to raise taxes, either on the highest earners or on corporations. (A Democracy Corps/Campaign for America's Future survey shows that <a href="http://www.ourfuture.org/report/2012114508/cafdemocracy-corps-election-poll-2012" target="_hplink">70 percent of voters</a> support raising taxes on the wealthiest two percent of Americans.) Instead, Boehner has pushed for a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">comprehensive tax reform bill</a> that would lower the marginal tax rates while closing loopholes and eliminating deductions in order to raise around $800 billion in additional revenues. For many Democrats, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323551004578117152861144968.html" target="_hplink">that figure simply isn't enough</a>. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday that the president was aiming for as much as <a href="http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/showing-backbone-on-the-debt/" target="_hplink">$1.6 trillion in new revenues</a>, and the president told reporters on Wednesday that it would be <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/obama-tax-cuts_n_2131256.html" target="_hplink">practically impossible</a> to raise the amount of revenue he wanted simply from closing loopholes and lowering rates.
Social Security <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/fiscal-cliff-social-security_n_2130762.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" target="_hplink">isn't driving the deficit</a>, yet Republicans have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">pursued drastic changes</a> to the program. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has promised that Social Security would be <a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/reid-no-messing-with-social-security" target="_hplink">off the table</a> in the on-going negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff, but Obama did concede to tying the benefits to a <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">recalculated Consumer Price Index</a> that would ultimately provide less money to retirees. Sen. Bernie Sanders claims that, under such a measure, seniors who are currently 65 years-old would see their benefits drop by <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/267079-reid-assures-sanders-he-wont-agree-to-social-security-cuts-in-debt-deal" target="_hplink">$560 a month in 10 years</a> and by as much as <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/267079-reid-assures-sanders-he-wont-agree-to-social-security-cuts-in-debt-deal" target="_hplink">$1,000 in 20 years</a>. The Moment of Truth project (led by the two former co-chairs of the president's deficit reduction commission, former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles) claims that the recalculated CPI could save as much as <a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/11767/the_social_security_cut_washington_does_not_want_you_to_understand/" target="_hplink">$112 billion</a> from Social Security over the next ten years.
Although Cantor and other GOP House members demanded that any deficit-reduction deal brokered in 2011 be classified as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">revenue-neutral</a>, they were open to closing particular loopholes in the corporate tax code and limiting itemized deductions for individuals -- given that they were offset by other tax cuts. Out of the $50 billion in savings to be found over the next decade from closing loopholes, Cantor proposed getting $3 billion from eliminating the break for corporate-jet owners and another $20 billion from voiding the subsidies for the oil and gas industries. On the individual earner side, he proposed eliminating the second-home mortgage deduction for $20 billion, as well as limiting the mortgage deduction for higher-income households to rake in another $20 billion. He also offered to tighten the tax treatment of retirement accounts. But Democrats wanted to see even greater action taken on itemized deductions. In June 2011, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) proposed raising $130 billion in new revenues by capping itemized deductions at 35 percent for the highest income brackets. The GOP response to his proposal at the time was a resounding "no."
Set to expire on Dec. 31, 2012, the Bush tax cuts represent one of the most controversial elements of the so-called fiscal cliff. They added over <a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24editorial_graph2/24editorial_graph2-popup.gif" target="_hplink">$1.8 trillion to the deficit</a> between 2002 and 2009. Yet Republicans argue that an extension is necessary to create jobs and spur economic growth. But a <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/PDF/0915taxesandeconomy.pdf" target="_hplink">study</a> from the Congressional Research Service found that tax cuts for the wealthiest earners had little economic effect. The White House is pushing for a renewal only of those tax breaks for the lower- and middle-class Americans in order to save the average middle-class family <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/01/pf/taxes/fiscal-cliff-tax/index.html" target="_hplink">between $2,000 and $3,500</a> next year. Letting the cuts expire for those earning over $250,000 a year -- or the wealthiest two percent of Americans -- would haul in <a href="http://www.offthechartsblog.org/cbo-ending-high-income-tax-cuts-would-save-almost-1-trillion/" target="_hplink">$950 billion</a> in savings over the next decade, according to the CBO. Obama stressed how much the country stood to gain from such an approach Wednesday during a press conference. "If we right away say 98 percent of Americans are not going to see their taxes go up ? 97 percent of small businesses are not going to see their taxes go up," he said. "If we get that in place, we're actually <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/49821777" target="_hplink">removing half of the fiscal cliff</a>."
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/john-boehner-fiscal-cliff_n_2366716.html
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Reported by Dr. Lauren Browne:
Let?s face it.? Teens have sex.? Parents may choose to ignore it, and teens may choose to deny it, but almost 50 percent of American high school students are having sex, according to the?U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And each year, millions of those sexually active teens contract sexually transmitted diseases?such as?chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and?HIV.
Now one doctor hopes to curb the spread of STDs in this tech savvy group with a smartphone app that lets users ?bump? their STD status.
It?s called ?safe bumping,?? said Dr. Michael Nusbaum, the New Jersey developer of MedXSafe, a feature of the new app called MedXCom.? ?If you happen to be out at a bar or a fraternity house or wherever, and you meet someone, you can then bump phones and exchange contact information and STD status.?
The app?s special feature, according to Nussbaum, encourages dating singles to go to the doctor for regular STD checks.? Those who screen negative can ask their doctors to document their STD-free status on the app, allowing users to share the information with whomever they choose.
An alarming 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year, and rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are on the rise, according to a new report released this month by the CDC.??More than?1.4 million chlamydia infections were reported in 2011, up 8 percent from the previous year.? Cases of gonorrhea were up by 4 percent, marking the second consecutive year of increases.
Nearly half of all infections occur in young people, between the ages of 15 to 24, a group that can be particularly devastated by the associated health effects.
?[Some] undetected and untreated STDs can increase a person?s risk for HIV?and cause other serious health consequences, such as infertility,? said Mary McFarlane, an acting chief in the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC.? Harnessing modern social networking technology to prevent these infections may appeal to a younger tech-savvy generation.
MedXSafe is just one of several Internet-based programs devoted to?easing confidential STD-status sharing between sexual partners.? Services like?Qpid.me, whose slogan is?Spread the Love, Nothing Else and?U Should Know, designed by a former college student and his girlfriend, also allow their users to check on a partner?s STD status.
But could these services offer a false sense of security to teens who believe that, with a simple phone bump, they have the green light to have unprotected sex?
?It can take months for HIV to show up on a test,? said Renee Williams, executive director of SAFE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to abstinence education.? ?So you can test negative today, go out on Friday night and have sex, and then get retested later and find out that you had HIV all along.?
The app does nothing to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and may even encourage high-risk behaviors that young people might otherwise not have been tempted to try, said Williams.
Nor is the app likely to be completely reliable, said Dr. J. Joseph Speidel, director of communication at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health.
?Does it come with a condom?? asked Dr. Richard Besser, ABC?s chief health and medical editor, who?s also a pediatrician and former acting director at the CDC.
But the app?s creator said it does promote regular STD testing and encourages potential partners to openly discuss safe sex practices.
?We?re recognizing that this behavior is going to take place no matter what we do or what we say,? said Nusbaum.? ?I have friends that are nuns and?I?ve?run this by them, and they also agree that it?s promoting safer behaviors.?
Although each program promises to keep health information strictly confidential, none are immune from cyber attacks.
But such attacks would not expose any users?who have an STD, according to Nusbaum.? MedXSafe does not allow doctors to upload information about any tests that come back positive, including HIV.??A user with an infection is simply treated for the STD and then retested.? And that user is only confirmed STD-free via the app once subsequent test results come back negative.
Still, it is too early to tell whether these services will become popular with teens.? Lingering social stigma surrounding STDs might make potential partners reluctant to mention such an app when out at a party.
?It?s a big personal step to bring up using such an app,? said Noah Bloom, creator of a smartphone app called Jiber, which uses the same ?bump? technology to electronically connect new friends.? ?Who really wants anything in the way of getting lucky??
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Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/12/25/bumping-your-way-to-safer-sex-with-a-smartphone-app/
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