HealthDay (12/15, Haelle) reports that adolescents who abuse prescription pain medications may be “more likely to have sex or to participate in risky sexual behaviors,” a study published online Dec. 14 in Pediatrics suggests. After reviewing “surveys about risky behaviors completed by more than 29,000 high school students,” researchers found that such “risky behaviors included having sex with multiple partners, using drugs or alcohol before having sex or having sex without the use of a condom.”

Related Links:

— “Abuse of Prescription Painkillers, Stimulants Ups Sexual Risks for Teens,” Tara Haelle, HealthDay, December 14, 2015.

The AP (12/15, Thompson) reports that Rep. Mike Thompson (R-CA), who chairs the House Democrats’ Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, conducted a hearing in Sacramento, CA on Dec. 14 at which “a gun club owner and a gun dealer” testified that “closing loopholes in federal background checks and increasing mental health help would reduce gun violence.” Thompson, who is the “co-author of a House bill requiring nationwide background checks at gun shows and for those who buy guns from individuals online,” was accused by “gun rights proponents…of politicizing the issue.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health care would curb violence, some at hearing say,” Don Thompson, Associated Press, December 14, 2015.

ABC World News (12/14, story 13, 0:25, Muir) reported that new research suggests that “women taking antidepressants in the last six months of pregnancy are 87 percent more likely to have a child later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder [ASD].”

On NBC Nightly News (12/14, story 7, 2:05, Holt), correspondent Anne Thompson explained that according to the study, “the most commonly prescribed antidepressants” called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), “if taken during the second and third trimesters, are” tied to a greater risk for ASD.

USA Today (12/15, Szabo) reports that the study, which was published online Dec. 14 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, reveals that no “increase in autism rates” was seen “in women who took medication for depression in the first three months of pregnancy.”

The Washington Post (12/15, Cha) “To Your Health” blog reports that for the study, investigators analyzed “health records in Quebec from January 1999 and December 2009.” During that time frame, “145,456 full-term singleton infants were born, and 1,054 or 0.72 percent were subsequently diagnosed with autism.”

Related Links:

— “Taking antidepressants during pregnancy linked to increased risk of autism,” Liz Szabo, USA Today, December 14, 2015.

HealthDay (12/12, Dallas) reported that returning “to school could help older people stave off dementia.” The study of 350 older adults without dementia revealed that “taking college courses may boost brain functions, such as memory, decision-making and planning.” The findings were published in the journal Neuropsychology.

Related Links:

— “Seniors Who Head Back to School May Reduce Dementia Risk,” Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, December 11, 2015.

HealthDay (12/14, Haelle) reports, “Increased stress could be a risk factor for the kind of thinking difficulties that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease,” a study published online Dec. 11 in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders suggests. In research involving some “500 adults, aged 70 and older,” researchers found that “adults who perceived themselves to be under the most stress had a 30 percent greater risk of early cognitive impairment.” Medical Daily (12/14, Baulkman) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Stress May Boost Risk for Alzheimer’s-Linked Thinking Problems,” Tara Haelle, HealthDay, December 11, 2015.