Infertility could double in the next decade in Europe, according to specialists.

Obesity and sexually transmitted diseases are cited as the main reasons for rising European infertility

Thailand's health ministry warned size-obsessed men on Friday to avoid trying to enlarge their penises with liquid injections, saying it could cause deformities.

The warning is a response to media reports that male teenagers in central Thailand had rushed to have their penises injected with olive oil or other liquids

Doctors say more and more children are being treated for a deadly illness previously thought to take years to develop. Officials say the number of teenagers diagnosed with melanoma is growing and the ages are getting younger. Researchers say pediatric melanoma is still rare, but it affects more the twice as many kids as it did two decades ago. In 1982, the illness affected about 3 children per million, increasing to 7 per million by 2002. Increases are also being seen in other countries as well, including Australia, England, and Sweden. Doctors say physicians who notice moles on children they would have paid no attention to years ago, are now watching much closer. Experts say no definitive cause is known yet, but increased exposure to the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays could be to blame for the damage being done to children's skin. The American Cancer Society says adults are also being stricken with more cases of melanoma over the past 30 years. Currently about 60,000 cases are diagnosed annually resulting in about 7,700 deaths. Melanoma is much more invasive and likely to spread to other parts of the body than other skin cancers. It develops in skin cells called melanocytes that produce the pigment that colors the skin's surface and protects it from sun damage. Doctors say kids, unlike adults, have no family history of the melanoma and also show no other risk factors including moles present since birth. Research indicates melanoma in children often looks different than it does with adults and can be diagnosed incorrectly

Orthopedists say they are seeing an increasing number of patients with a condition known as "overuse syndrome" or "BlackBerry thumb" - caused by increasing use of handheld devices. In a time where people can't live without their handheld sidekicks - such as a BlackBerry or text messaging - more and more users are noticing the area between her thumb and wrist begin to throb - in some cases this symptom is severe. The American Society of Hand Therapists issued a consumer alert in January saying that handheld electronics are causing an increasing amount of carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. With that warning, the society included directions on how to properly hold the devices, urging users to take breaks and, if possible, place pillows in their laps so their wrists are in a more upright position. BlackBerry subscribers now total 2.51 million, more than double the 1.07 million subscribers a year ago. Some other handheld devices, such as PalmOne Inc.'s Treo and T-Mobile Inc.'s Sidekick phones, use similar thumb-operated keyboards. The small keyboards are tough on hands and wrists, according to Paige Kurtz of the American Society of Hand Therapists. The pains associated with BlackBerrys and other handhelds used to be common among video game players, but Stuart Hirsch, clinical assistant professor of orthopedics at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J., believes teens who are frequent gamers are a little more immune. Also, though many handheld game devices use thumb-operated controls, they typically don't require as much range of motion as keyboards spanning the entire alphabet as well as punctuation marks. "Tendonitis won't affect your teenage son the way it will a parent," Hirsch said. "Children are more tolerant of overuse than adults because they are younger." A British researcher of cyber culture, Sadie Plant, found that teenagers and young adults throughout the world are becoming so adept at using their thumbs for messaging, they have started to use them for ringing doorbells and pointing. Japanese teenagers are sometimes called "the thumb generation" because of their heavy-duty messaging. Plant has said that teens use their thumbs more than index fingers; making them faster and more muscled. Workplace injuries in white-collar jobs have grown with the widespread use of mobile communications technology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ergonomic disorders are the fastest-growing category of work-related illnesses for which it receives reports. In 1981, only 18 percent of all reported illnesses were repetitive strain injuries, known as RSI. By 1992, that figure had grown to 52 percent. That number has leveled off, said Emil Pascarelli, author of "Dr. Pascarelli's Complete Guide to Repetitive Strain Injury: What You Need to Know About RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" and professor emeritus of clinical medicine at Columbia University. He attributes the change to companies and employees becoming more knowledgeable about setting up a workstation to prevent injuries. However, with the popularity of tiny handheld devices, Pascarelli said there is a "potential for an epidemic" for new repetitive strain injuries. "These new devices are really introducing a new potential injury issue. I think it has the potential for being an explosive issue in the next few years

A study released Thursday indicates more American teens are using prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin to get high. The 2004 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study commissioned by nonprofit group, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, says about 20-percent of teenagers nationwide admit to abusing prescribed drugs in their medicine cabinet more than using drugs such as cocaine, LSD, or Ecstasy. The study also says about 9-percent have abused cough medicine or other over the counter products. PDFA President Steve Pasierb says, "The pain reliever number translates to about 4.3 million kids who have tried these products, outside of a doctor's recommendation, with the intention of getting high." Partnership Chairman Roy Bostock says, "For the first time, our national study finds that today's teens are more likely to have abused a prescription painkiller to get high than they are to have experimented with a variety of illegal drugs." Vicodin is the leading drug of choice by teens with 18 percent abusing it. 10-percent of teens say they abuse Ritalin or OxyContin. v The survey says 48 percent of teenagers consider experimenting with prescription medication as being a "great risk". They say "ease of access" is the top reason to try the drugs. v Pasierb says, "We're finding that the kids who are doing this are by and large already drug-experienced. This is not an entry behavior. These are kids who have tried other drugs, primarily illicit drugs. They're getting a buzz, they're getting high. They're seeing these as a safer alternative to illicit street drugs." The study indicates marijuana use is down from 42 percent in 1998 to 37 percent in 2004. Ecstasy use is also down slightly as well as methamphetamine. More than 7,300 teens participated in the 17th annual survey that has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percent