Woman dies after lover forgets to take cucumber out of her mouth

A GERMAN man who allegedly killed his lover with a cucumber is now facing up to five years in prison.
Rica Varna died after Oliver Dietmann put the vegetable in her mouth — and left it there — after the two used it as a sex toy, the Daily Mail reported.
Dietmann, 46, who is on trial for negligent homicide, told the court in Mannheim that on July 19, 2014, he invited Varna, also 46, to his place, where they polished off four bottles of wine and several glasses of schnapps.

Men take to Reddit to reveal what it’s really like to have a relationship with a sex worker

IF you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to date a sex worker, then a group of men who do just that have answered all your questions for you.
Men took to Reddit to discuss what it’s like to have a partner who sells her body, with some commenters put off by the idea — and others claiming that sex workers make the best girlfriends.
Being in a relationship with a sex worker can create jealousy issues for some fellas, but other men claim that there’s no reason why women working in the world’s oldest profession are any different to be with.

The worst sex injuries of all time

THESE are the worst injuries you could possibly go to the hospital with.
After the news that a student teacher had to go to hospital to have a vibrator removed from her backside, The Sun has put together a list of the worst sex-related injuries.
Because obviously there’s nothing worse than having to explain to the people at emergency just how you got that deodorant can stuck ... there.
A real circus of horrors

Dr Brad McKay explains the complex world of vaginal bacteria

LUCY* had an embarrassing problem. She slumped into the chair, put her head in her hands and said “Sorry doc, but my bits smell funny down there”.
She had already spent a fortune on perfumes and pharmaceutical products but nothing worked. In desperation she tried vaginal douching, but this only made things worse.
Her self-esteem was shattered, her sex life was ruined, and she attended my clinic in tears.
Lucy had Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), a common vaginal infection that affects more than a third of women aged between 15 and 44 years.

Why you lose your ambition in your 30s

MY TEENS and 20s were spent plotting an ambitious career trajectory. No sooner had I settled into a role than I’d start thinking about the next step to get me to a level I deemed “successful”.
Along the way, that meant a lot sweat, tears and networking, while repeatedly falling victim to the “I worked until midnight last night” humble brag.
But as I inch towards 32, my ambition has simmered right down. Instead of dreaming of the next career milestone, I’m scrolling Instagram and admiring the yogis stretching out in exotic locations and anyone who seems to have a healthy work-life balance.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k: Blogger Mark Manson’s direct approach to life

EVERYTHING we’ve been told about how to improve our lives is wrong, according to blogger Mark Manson.
In his new, somewhat direct book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k, Manson cuts through the crap and tells us what we need to do to get it right.
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I believe that today we’re facing a psychological epidemic, one in which people no longer realise it’s okay for things to suck sometimes. I know that sounds intellectually lazy on the surface, but I promise you, it’s a life/death sort of issue.

Fake penis woman Gayle Neweland set for retrial after having conviction quashed

A WOMAN who was jailed after being accused of impersonating a man to trick her female friend into having sex with her has had her conviction quashed.
The Sun reports that Gayle Newland, 26, challenged her eight-year prison sentence and conviction after being accused of disguising her voice and using a fake dildo while having sex — with the matter now facing a retrial.
The woman, of Williaston, Cheshire, had her case heard by three judges at the Court of Appeal, considering the case after her conviction at the Chester Crown Court last year.

Worrying doesn’t solve your problems, it is the problem

DO YOU worry too much? Do you find yourself worrying excessively about your health, your finances, your job security, what people think of you, or if you will be able to get to sleep?
Worrying excessively can lead to a host of physical and mental problems such as hypochondria, muscle tension, chronic indigestion, poor sleep, irrational fears, panic, self-consciousness, stage fright, compulsive behaviours, and perfectionism.

Man receives penis transplant in US

A hospital in Boston has become the first in the US to perform a successful penis transplant, doctors said, calling the operation "a surgical milestone".
Thomas Manning, 64, received the donated organ three years after his penis was amputated due to penile cancer.
He is the third man worldwide to have had the experimental surgery performed.

Dreaming brain rhythms lock in memories

Disrupting brain activity in sleeping mice, specifically during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase, can stop the animals remembering things they learned that day, a study suggests.
It is the clearest evidence to date that REM sleep is critical for memory.
By switching off certain brain cells, the researchers silenced a particular, rhythmic type of brain function - without waking the mice.
If they did this during REM sleep, the mice failed subsequent memory tests.
The research is reported in the journal Science.

It’s International Masturbation Month – but is porn harming your brain?

LADIES and gents, gather ’round. Let’s talk about International Masturbation Month.
Oh, wipe that sheepish look off your face. You’ve masturbated. Your mates have masturbated. Your boss has masturbated. Your frumpy middle-aged neighbour Meg has masturbated. Statistically, most people you know have literal first-hand experience with brushing the beaver, jerkin’ the gherkin, or whatever other crude slang is slightly more comforting to you than the M-word.
International Masturbation Month was started in 1995, after then-US Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders was fired by the government for publicly advocating that masturbation should be discussed in school classrooms.

What yoghurt tells us about the obesity fight

When it comes to understanding the challenge facing the nation on obesity, yoghurt is a good place to start.
It's one of the most common items in our shopping basket. We spend more on it than we do on crisps and bacon.
In its normal state - natural full-fat - it's pretty good for you. It can boost your immune system, is good for your bones and is great at satisfying hunger.

Skin bacteria stay 'stable over time'

Everyone has their own personal range of bacteria living on their skin that stays largely unchanged over time, a US study suggests.
It found sites of oily skin, such as backs and ears, had the most stable microbial fingerprints.
But even exposed dry sites such as palms were relatively stable.
Feet were among the areas that changed most in their microbial make-up, perhaps due to factors such as personal hygiene.

Abortion study: 25% of pregnancies terminated, estimates suggest

One in four pregnancies ends in an abortion each year, global estimates from the World Health Organization and Guttmacher Institute suggest.
The report in the Lancet said 56m induced abortions take place annually - higher than previously thought.
Researchers acknowledge rates have improved in many rich countries but warn this masks no change in poorer areas over the past 15 years.

Breast cancer: Scientists hail 'milestone' genetic find

Scientists say they now have a near-perfect picture of the genetic events that cause breast cancer.
The study, published in Nature, has been described as a "milestone" moment that could help unlock new ways of treating and preventing the disease.
The largest study of its kind unpicked practically all the errors that cause healthy breast tissue to go rogue.
Cancer Research UK said the findings were an important stepping-stone to new drugs for treating cancer.

'Secret' of youthful looks in ginger gene

Scientists say they have made a leap in knowing why some people retain their youthful looks while others age badly.
They found the first part of human DNA - the genetic code - that seems to affect how old people look to others.
The mutations, reported in the journal Current Biology, were in the genetic instructions for protecting the body from UV radiation.
But these can also lead to red hair, and experts caution the findings may be confused by eye, skin or hair colour.

Why people sleep badly in an unfamiliar place

People sleep less well in an unfamiliar place as the brain's left side stays alert for danger, a study suggests.
Images of volunteers' brains during nights spent in the lab showed the left side remained more responsive to sound.
This asymmetry, also found in marine animals and some birds, was observed only on the first night in a new place.

Boy born in Poland to mother on life support goes home

Authorities in Poland say a baby boy has gone home safe and well after his brain-dead mother was kept alive on life support so he could be born.
Doctors at Wroclaw University kept the mother alive for 55 days while they waited for the boy to grow.

This is the one move women should never do before sex... but should always do after it

       

       PEEING before having sex will not reduce your chances of catching an infection, experts warn.

On the contrary, it could actually be increasing your chances of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by bacteria being pushed into the urethra during sex.

David Kaufman, a urologist based in New York, said going to the bathroom beforehand is one of the biggest misconceptions and that you actually need to be peeing after sex.
He told Yahoo News that women should wait to pee so they have enough urine stored up to produce a strong stream to help push that bacteria back out.

"Bacteria have tiny pilli that act as Velcro hooks, which allow them to attach themselves to the urethral lining," he explained. "Having a solid stream afterward is crucial since the bacteria can be hard to dislodge."
Women are more prone to catching UTIs from sex than men because the urethra is shorter in women making it easier for bacteria to travel.

Huge leap to mass produced platelets

Scientists have made a significant leap towards mass producing platelets - the part of the blood that forms clots.
The NHS and University of Cambridge team have discovered how to grow the body's platelet factories in the laboratory.
It could provide a new source of platelets to stop heavy bleeding, for example after a car crash.
But the researchers need to make the process more efficient before starting trials.
If you donate blood, then it is separated out into red blood cells, plasma and platelets so patients are given only the component they need.