Men's Health Bulletin

Sept. 7 -- A new form of prescription birth control that looks like a ring — called Nuvaring — may spice up your sex life.

The flexible plastic rings are inserted into the vagina and release lower levels of birth-control hormone than the Pill, so they help reduce mood swings.

Men like the ring because they can feel it during sex, says Frans Roumen, M.D., who conducted a yearlong Dutch study on the product.

The ring can be removed for up to 3 hours without losing its reported 99 percent effectiveness.

The first wave of rings should be available by the end of the year.

Air Supply

Shoes with air cells in the soles are supposed to protect your ankles when you come down from a shot on the court. But a new study states otherwise

An Australian study says that basketball players who wear shoes with air cells in the heels are 4.3 times more likely to injure their ankles.

"Air cells appear to decrease heel stability, making your ankles more vulnerable to injury," says Gaylene McKay, a physical therapist, who conducted the study.

If you're prone to sprains, using preformed, pull-on ankle braces may counteract the instability.

Try a New Position

According to a 2-year study at the University of California at San Francisco, regularly sleeping on the same side of your body makes you much more likely to develop kidney stones.

Of 93 patients with recurring kidney stones, 75 percent developed them only in the kidney on the side they slept on.

"Sleeping in the same position each night appears to alter bloodflow to that kidney, impairing the organ's ability to clear itself of stone-forming crystals and deposits," says Marshall Stoller, M.D., a UCSF professor of urology.

Stiff Medication

Blood-pressure drugs are good for your heart, but they're murder on your love life.

If your libido hasn't been the same since you started a new BP medication, ask your doctor about losartan (Cozaar).

In a trial of 82 men with erectile problems, doctors found that 50 to 100 milligrams of losartan a day not only helped men control their blood pressure, but also improved their sex lives — reducing impotence and boosting sex drive.