Trauma

Urethral sounding: why some people find it pleasurable to insert objects into their urinary tube

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

In case you’re wondering, the human urethra is a tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body.

Key Points: 
  • In case you’re wondering, the human urethra is a tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body.
  • Some people find it sexually pleasurable to insert objects – known as sounds, which are typically small glass or metal rods – or even fluid into the urethra.
  • Many objects have been used for sounding, however, and that’s one of the reasons the practice is so hazardous.
  • The urethra is a narrow outflow tube, usually less than 9mm wide, so squeezing objects into it isn’t usually recommended.
  • Megalouretha can lead to retention of objects in the urethra or bladder from clinical examinations such as cervical screening.

Risky business

  • It takes several turns to pass through the pelvic floor muscles, prostate and then, if inserted far enough, the bladder.
  • Urethral damage exposes the underlying connective tissues which can cause blood in the urine, as well as erectile dysfunction and even bladder rupture.
  • Trauma and damage may lead to further narrowing of the urethra in later life which may require medical intervention.

Sounds painful

  • But sounding can be highly sexually gratifying for some people.
  • The arousal and subsequent stimulation of the erectile tissue of the penis and clitoris usually occurs through one of two mechanisms: psychogenic (images or thoughts) or reflexogenic (touching).
  • The reflexogenic pathway is served by nerves which also innervate the lining of the urethra – the dorsal nerve(s) of the penis or clitoris.


Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Fire represents power and control for an Indigneous teenager who lacks both, in Melanie Saward’s compassionate debut novel

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

“From the moment I got here, I’ve wanted to set the whole of Brisbane on fire,” reflects Andrew, the protagonist of Melanie Saward’s debut novel.

Key Points: 
  • “From the moment I got here, I’ve wanted to set the whole of Brisbane on fire,” reflects Andrew, the protagonist of Melanie Saward’s debut novel.
  • Saward, a Bigambul and Wakka Wakka author, moved to Bracken Ridge in the northern suburbs of Brisbane as a teenager, after growing up in Tasmania.
  • Fire is symbolic: it’s power and control for Andrew, who has precious little control over his life.

Reading as ‘invited guests’

  • Writes Leane:
    Presencing means the recognition that First Nations works are happening in the same ‘now’ as the settler reader.
  • Presencing means the recognition that First Nations works are happening in the same ‘now’ as the settler reader.
  • While my own experience was very different, I recognise the way poverty and deprivation press up against natural beauty in Saward’s novel.
  • As an adult living in Melbourne, I became gradually aware of the economic gap between the mainland and Tasmania.
  • They were reasons I left the state when I was old enough to do so.
  • Despite living in Melbourne for nearly 30 years, I still feel the thread Saward writes about, connecting me to Tasmania.
  • Burn, however, generates a type of “presencing” that allows you to see complexity in the way the past manifests in the present.

Inside family trauma

  • “We don’t know how deep it is,” he said the first time I started wading in for a paddle.
  • If a nice, warm, nearly nine-year-old boy gets in, they might think you’re their dinner.” The tidal pool becomes a recurring image for trauma.
  • We see inside family trauma, how the dynamics are self-perpetuating.
  • We also bear witness to the role institutions play in exacerbating trauma associated with colonialism, such as ongoing disconnection from culture.

Crossover appeal


Burn has obvious crossover appeal for teen and adult audiences, with a strong adolescent protagonist driving the story. So it interests me that this novel has been published as adult fiction. In fact as a young adult author and once-upon-a-time editor of books for teenagers, I puzzled over the decision.

  • When teaching young adult fiction to creative writing and publishing classes, I often ask Dr Lili Wilkinson’s four powerful plotting questions: What does your character want?
  • In this novel, there is nothing Andrew alone can do to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
  • The only answer posed to the question, “What does Andrew need to do?” is: light fires.
  • Andrew lights fires which destroy, but Andrew’s fires also offer regeneration and renewal.

‘Who’s your mob?’

  • In Tasmania, Sarah and Andrew try and fail to imagine new futures for themselves, to generate a fantasy of who they might be.
  • New love interest, Tess, makes clumsy attempts to connect with Andrew, and he in turn tries hard not hurt her.
  • This question cuts to the heart of what it means to belong: to family, to Country, to culture and to your own story.


Penni Russon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

All of Us Strangers buys into tropes of tragic queer lives – but there is hope there, too

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

On the surface, All of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, is a dark and twisty love story.

Key Points: 
  • On the surface, All of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, is a dark and twisty love story.
  • Underneath, there is the often-present storyline seen in queer cinema: that of trauma and tragedy.
  • All of Us Strangers follows lonely middle-aged gay man Adam (Andrew Scott), struggling to come to terms with his tragic past and sexuality.

Queer representation

  • Queer representation in mainstream media has historically been marred by negative stereotypes, tokenistic representation and death.
  • In my recent interactive documentary, Queer Representation Matters, queer media scholars and queer screen storytellers share how queer characters are often relegated to roles characterised by tragedy or trauma, perpetuating harmful tropes like “bury your gays”.
  • Online queer news site, Autostraddle, have compiled a list of the 230+ dead queer female TV characters, which continues to be updated with each death.
  • Essentially, for queer people, it starts to feel like you can’t have queer representation without someone dying tragically at the end.
  • Read more:
    We studied two decades of queer representation on Australian TV, and found some interesting trends

We need diverse stories

  • Tropes will always exist in storytelling, but by having more diverse queer filmmakers telling more diverse queer stories, audiences will have a more balanced narrative about queer life (and life expectancy).
  • We need to see stories that challenge the narrative that being queer ultimately leads to pain, trauma and tragedy.
  • We need to see we can also live long and happy lives, so we can believe we can have the happy ever after.
  • Read more:
    All of Us Strangers: heartbreaking film speaks to real experiences of gay men in UK and Ireland


Natalie Krikowa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Daxor Announces Sales to Three New Hospitals Furthering Expansion of Its User Base

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024

These new acquisitions further fuel BVA sales growth and underscore its clinical relevance.

Key Points: 
  • These new acquisitions further fuel BVA sales growth and underscore its clinical relevance.
  • New client and services wins include:
    BVA analyzer purchase at a 735-bed non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center located in northern New Jersey.
  • Daxor’s ezBVA Lab service extended to a regional academic medical center, Level I adult trauma center in Ohio.
  • “We remain focused on commercialization - broadening our reach with new analyzer sales, while driving increased utilization within our current customer base, supported by our expanding ezBVA Lab service.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication in Psychiatry Research Showing Activity of Bedtime TNX-102 SL on PTSD Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Military-Related PTSD at Four Weeks of Therapy

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024

CHATHAM, N.J., March 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company with marketed products and a pipeline of development candidates, today announced the publication of a research paper in the Journal Psychiatry Research. The article titled, “A Phase 3, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Bedtime Sublingual Cyclobenzaprine (TNX-102 SL) in Military-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” by Parmenter, et al. found that bedtime TNX-102 SL* treatment is well-tolerated and showed nominal improvement in PTSD severity and sleep quality measures in the first four weeks in military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).1 The Company believes these findings suggest a potential role for short-term bedtime TNX-102 SL treatment in the immediate aftermath of traumatic events.

Key Points: 
  • The IND supporting the OASIS trial was recently cleared,3 and the trial is expected to begin enrolling in the second quarter.
  • In the OASIS study, 14 days of bedtime TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg will be tested in the immediate aftermath of motor vehicle collision.
  • “We believe the results in the published paper suggest that bedtime TNX-102 SL has short-term activity on improving PTSD symptom severity and sleep quality in military-related PTSD.
  • The upcoming OASIS trial will test a 14-day short-course of bedtime TNX-102 SL therapy beginning within 24 hours of index trauma for effects on ASR symptoms and incidence of PTSD development.

Axogen, Inc Reports 2023 Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Financial Results

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Fourth quarter revenue was $42.9 million, an 18.7% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.

Key Points: 
  • Fourth quarter revenue was $42.9 million, an 18.7% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • The Company estimates that revenues from emergent trauma procedures represented approximately half of total revenues during the fourth quarter and grew mid-single digits versus the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Gross margin was 78.7% for the fourth quarter compared to 83.0% in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $0.6 million for the quarter, compared to an adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Mountain America Partners in Building the New Ronald McDonald House

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The Leading with Love campaign is a significant fundraising effort that demonstrates Mountain America’s continued commitment to the vision and mission of RMHC.

Key Points: 
  • The Leading with Love campaign is a significant fundraising effort that demonstrates Mountain America’s continued commitment to the vision and mission of RMHC.
  • “We are honored to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities to support the Ronald McDonald Family Room at the new Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America Credit Union.
  • In fact, this Ronald McDonald Family Room is the fourth Ronald McDonald Family Room program located directly inside Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospitals.
  • For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, please visit: https://www.rmhcslc.org/
    For more information about the new Miller Campus of Primary Children’s Hospital, please visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/primary-childrens/about/lehi-campus

Pace Center for Girls and Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center Announce Partnership to Study the State of Today’s Girls and Young Women

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 4, 2024

Pace Center for Girls' research department will collaborate with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center’s research team, operating out of Jacksonville, FL, to conduct an environment scan using secondary sources.

Key Points: 
  • Pace Center for Girls' research department will collaborate with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center’s research team, operating out of Jacksonville, FL, to conduct an environment scan using secondary sources.
  • “By partnering with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, we are taking a proactive step towards understanding the unique challenges faced by girls today and developing targeted solutions to address them."
  • Inderjit “Vicky” Kaur Basra, DSW, President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, emphasized the importance of this collaborative partnership, saying, "Our collaboration with Pace Center for Girls represents a shared commitment to improving the lives of girls and young women.
  • For more information about the collaborative partnership between Pace Center for Girls and the Delores Barr Weaver Foundation, please contact Lymari Benitez , PhD, Pace Senior Director of Program Information and Impact.

ImpactLife salutes longtime platelet donors on reaching major milestones

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, March 3, 2024

Davenport, Iowa, March 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A pair of longtime platelet donors have reached significant donor milestones with ImpactLife, highlighting the importance of consistent donation patterns to meeting patient needs.

Key Points: 
  • Davenport, Iowa, March 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A pair of longtime platelet donors have reached significant donor milestones with ImpactLife, highlighting the importance of consistent donation patterns to meeting patient needs.
  • The nonprofit blood provider based in Davenport, Iowa, has approximately 6000 active platelet donors who have made at least one donation in the last two years.
  • He continued as a whole blood donor after returning from Vietnam, and recalls being asked to give platelet donation a try.
  • To help grow its base of platelet donors, ImpactLife is offering a $50 electronic gift card for those who donate platelets for the first or second time with ImpactLife.

One More Child Sounds Alarm on Human Trafficking During “See it. Say it. Stop it.” Event at Texas A&M University

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 1, 2024

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experts, advocates, and law enforcement professionals gathered for a one-night event at Texas A&M University to raise awareness around the issue of human trafficking.

Key Points: 
  • COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experts, advocates, and law enforcement professionals gathered for a one-night event at Texas A&M University to raise awareness around the issue of human trafficking.
  • Stop it.” event at the university’s Rudder Theater brought in students, faculty, staff and community members to hear speakers and panelists discuss the harsh realities of human trafficking and how to recognize the warning signs of sexual exploitation.
  • According to a study by the National Human Trafficking Hotline , Texas has the 2nd highest number of human trafficking cases in the United States.
  • Attendees also heard from speakers representing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Unbound Now, Texas A&M University's Health Promotion department and the Brazos Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.