Amherst Times

A strain of the bacterium methicill-reistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has spread to gyms and health clubs.

To protect yourself don’t share towels, put a clean towel over workout mats and wipe down equipment with alcohol which most gyms will have in house.

See your doctor if you have signs of skin infection: boils or a localized, painful rash that doesn’t heal.

While this strain is less deadly than the version found in hospitals, it is now the cause of skin related visits to the emergency room.

Reading, ‘riting, rithmetic and reproduction. That’s what middle-schol students are dealing with in the Portland, Me. school system. Their school board voted to allow middle-school students to gain access to prescription birth control medications without notifying parents.

“The proposal, from the Portland Division of Public Health, calls for the independently operated health care center at King Middle School to provide a variety of services to students, including immunizations and physical checkups in addition to birth-control medications and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases, said Lisa Belanger, an administrator for Portland’s student health centers.”

“All but two members of the 12-person committee voted to approve the plan.”

“The school principal, Mike McCarthy, said about 5 of the school’s 500 students had identified themselves as being sexually active.”
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