Health Highlights: June 29, 2008

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

Sexual Violence Rate Among NYC Teens More Than National Average

As many as 10 percent of American teenagers experience sexual violence at some point, surveys show, but if that adolescent is from New York City, the percentage climbs to more than 16 percent.

This finding is one of many from a three year research project announced over the weekend from Columbia University researchers and a coalition called The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault.

The entire study will be released in July, according to a news release from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, but the research highlights indicate New York City adolescents face even more exposure to violence related to sexual activity than teens across the country.

"These are alarming statistics any way you look at them," said Harriet Lessel, executive director of the New City Alliance Against Sexual Assault in a statement. "We are hopeful that these findings will highlight an issue that has been kept in the shadows for far too long, and encourage more young people to seek help when they are victimized."

Among other findings, based on survey of 1,300 New York city teenagers:

Almost 90 percent of those who have experienced sexual violence knew their perpetratrator. Among those who experienced physical dating violence, 27.4 percent reported having been pushed or shoved by a dating partner, and 17 percent reported having been slapped or hit.Almost 10 percent of students who reported having a dating partner in the last year said that their partner touched them sexually when they didn't want to be touched, and 6.7 percent said they were forced to have sex against their will.

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Doctor Who Was Target in U.S. Anthrax Probe, Wins Multimillion Dollar Settlement

The physician and bio-researcher who the U.S. Justice department identified as a "person of interest" in the bizarre series of anthrax incidents that killed 5 people beginning in 2001 has settled his lawsuit against the government.

TheNew York Timesreports that Dr. Steven Hatfill will receive almost $3 million in cash and an additional $150,000 annually for the next 20 years to settle a lawsuit he filed in 2003, charging the FBI and U.S. Justice Department with leaking information to the news media in order to link him to the mailing of letters that contained anthrax spores.