SubscribeA little over a week ago, a letter I co-authored ended up in the Star Tribune. As a follow-up to that letter, the strib wrote an editorial endorsing the need to utilize new, online methods as part of HIV prevention programs. The editorial was well written, and made a good point. Of [...]
John Schrom
Epidemiologist and political junkie
Category: Health
Modernize HIV Prevention
I co-authored a letter to the editor that ran in the Star Tribune yesterday regarding the urgent need to modernize HIV prevention efforts. This sparked a handfull of comments on the strib website about how preventable HIV is (just like the flu, which kills ~36k people per year), and how we’re wasting money on [...]
Don’t Eat the Gravy!
There was a recent outbreak of Salmonella subspecies IV among attendees of a scout troupe potluck in Minnesota. Human cases of Salmonella are normally caused by subspecies I… this type is typically associated with contact with reptiles.
This led the investigators to the home of the potluck’s gravy-preparer:
She reported having two pet bearded dragons at [...]
How long have we known?
As I’m sure you’re well aware, Minnesota saw an 83% increase in HIV cases among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in 2009. This prompted the Department of Health, Hennepin County (Part A), and the Department of Human Services (Part B) to plan a YMSM Provider’s Summit.
Someone at the summit made a [...]
HIV Prevention 2.0
There’s a definite and urgent need to adapt our HIV prevention strategy to reflect the needs and styles of adolescents and young adults. This is clear from the 9 year history of increasing newly diagnosed HIV cases among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), including the 83% increase in the last year.
I [...]
Drunk and Horny
I attended the Minnesota YMSM Provider Summit yesterday, and that (alcohol, hormones) emerged as one theme partially attributable to the increase in HIV infections in men under 24. Honestly, I’m just trying hard to find a legitimate and professional excuse to say “horny” in a blog title…
We received an epidemiology update, with additional information [...]
Minnesota HIV Rates
The Minnesota Department of Health released initial 2009 HIV epidemiology data last week — something that they normally wait until April to do. MDH saw an urgent need to release the information due to the dramatic rise in incidence over the past year, particularly the 83% increase in young men who have sex with [...]
Grand Rounds
You’re looking at an x-ray of the abdominal area, and there’s something in there that shouldn’t be…can you guess what it is?
I found this in a journal (Surgical Rounds) that we get at work. It details a case of an 85 year old man who showed up in the ER complaining of acute abdominal [...]
I’m good enough, smart enough…
Apparently, for minority children, self-affirmation has a significant effect on their GPA. A two-year follow-up study was published last week in Science. This study had children, starting in 7th grade, write about relationships, interests, and personal values. Students in the test group showed as much as a 0.41 increase in their GPA [...]
Mercury in HFCS
Apparently one-third of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) containing products are contaminated with mercury. The worst offender? Chocolate milk. Well, dairy products in general (60% contained mercury). Mercury was also found in every food/drink category tested, including dressings, syrups, snacks, and soups. On the bright side, only 16% of beverages [...]
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Foursquare- Anodyne Coffee House September 6, 2010
- Wedge Community Co-op September 5, 2010
- HCMC Cafeteria September 3, 2010
- Jazzman's Cafe & Bakery September 3, 2010
- HCMC - Hennepin County Medical Center September 3, 2010