Since launching her new skincare line, JLo Beauty, Jennifer Lopez has spoken openly about whether or not she’s ever tried Botox or had any cosmetic surgery.

Now, J.Lo has addressed the issue once more, after someone commented on one of her Instagram photos and suggested that the superstar had “definitely” undergone Botox. Lopez replied, “LOL thats just my face!!! ….For the 500 millionth time… I have never done Botox or any injectable or surgery!! Just sayin’ .”

J.Lo also had some suggestions for the commenter as she wrote, “Get you some JLO BEAUTY and feel beautiful in your own skin!! And here is another JLO BEAUTY secret: try spending your time being more positive, kind and uplifting of others don’t spend your time trying to bring others down that will keep you youthful and beautiful too!!! Sending you love. #beautyfromtheinsideout #beautyhasnoexpirationdate.”

According to DailyMail.com, J.Lo recently opened up during a Zoom conference with members of the press, and said, “I haven’t ever had Botox to this day … I’m not that person. I don’t have anything against people doing that; it’s just not my thing. I’m more about a natural approach to skincare … but I want [my products] to work.”

She continued, “I want the hyaluronic acid in there. I want the things that are going to help, because I don’t want to have to go to the needles at some point. I’m not saying one day I won’t, but I haven’t yet.”

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Researchers discovered the virus in the testicles, which might be bad news for fertility down the line

Months into the pandemic, we’re still learning new, often bad and sometimes contradictory things about the coronavirus every day. Now, researchers have discovered that COVID-19 could impact male fertility, according to a new study by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

An evaluation of tissue from the autopsies of six men who died from COVID-19 revealed the virus was still present in the testicles, which researchers suggest means that COVID-19 could affect fertility.

“We also identified the presence of the virus in a man who underwent a testes biopsy for infertility but had a previous history of COVID-19,” said Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, an associate professor and director of reproductive urology at the Miller School. “So the patient tested negative and was asymptomatic after having COVID-19 but still showed the presence of the virus inside the testes. The finding is novel, remarkable, and certainly worthy of further exploration.”

While it’s unclear how exactly COVID-19 might affect fertility, Ramasamy suggested effects of some kind are likely to become apparent in some male COVID-19 patients down the line.

“I’m fairly certain, just like mumps, about 20 to 30 percent of men are going to have some sort of affected fertility in their future,” said Ramasamy.

Based on the new research, Ramasamy also suggested men who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are experiencing testicular pain should be seen by a urologist.

“Testicular pain along with other symptoms could be a sign that COVID-19 has entered the testis,” said Ramasamy. “If men are thinking about fertility and/or low testosterone either at present or in the future, they should get their testosterone levels evaluated with a blood test and sperm parameters evaluated with a semen analysis.”

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Researchers comparing dolutegravir to efavirenz suggest dolutegravir increases viral suppression and has similar rates of adverse events.

A new study has found that dolutegravir is the optimal medication for first-line treatment for people newly diagnosed with HIV. This discovery could change international treatment recommendations for newly diagnosed HIV patients, an update that could affect nearly two million people per year worldwide.

The study published in EClinicalMedicine was commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of a planned update to its guidelines for HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART).

“Research supporting the 2016 WHO guidelines suggested that dolutegravir was effective and well tolerated, but its efficacy and safety among key populations, such as pregnant women and people living with both HIV and tuberculosis (TB), remained unclear,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Steve Kanters, who completed the research as a PhD candidate in University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health (SPPH). “In 2018, new research warned of a potentially serious increase in risk of neural tube defects in the children of women who became pregnant while taking this treatment.”

According to the researchers, this risk meant that despite its favourable profile compared to other drugs, dolutegravir was only recommended as an alternative, with the antiretroviral efavirenz recommended as the primary treatment.

The study team completed a network meta-analysis of research stemming from 68 available antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinical trials. They found dolutegravir was superior to efavirenz in most outcomes, including viral suppression, tolerability and safety. Kanters commented that the five percent increase in the probability of viral suppression with dolutegravir could have a significant impact on achieving international goals for HIV treatment.

According to the researchers, another key attribute of dolutegravir is that it is effective in people who are resistant to NNRTI-class antiretrovirals (including efavirenz), a problem that is becoming increasingly common.

The analysis also showed that dolutegravir and efavirenz had similar rates of adverse events for pregnant women. The report stated that the increased risk of neural tube defects for dolutegravir was estimated to be less than 0.3 percent, which Kanters said shows “that the risk with dolutegravir is much more tolerable than previously thought and should quell the initial worry about this drug”.

“Dolutegravir appears to be here to stay as the preferred treatment for people newly diagnosed with HIV. However, it is important to recognise the good that efavirenz has done over the past two decades, as it helped lead the ART scale-up around the world,” added Kanters.

While this study is specifically focused on the optimal treatment for people newly diagnosed with HIV, an upcoming publication will review the evidence in support of switching to dolutegravir for people whose first treatment choice has been unsuccessful in controlling their HIV infection. This recommendation could mean improved treatment for the many people living with HIV around the world who are unable to achieve viral suppression despite being on treatment.

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