Category: Aa-Ab

A complex set of behaviors that include child neglect and the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children. Although most people think first of physical abuse when they hear the term child abuse, physical abuse makes up only a small percentage of reported cases. Physical abuse is defined as physical injury inflicted upon the child with…

Also known as fertility awareness, natural family planning, and the rhythm method, this approach entails not having sexual intercourse on the days of a woman’s menstrual cycle when she could become pregnant or using a barrier method (such as a condom, the diaphragm or a cervical cap) for birth control on those days. Because a sperm may live in the female’s reproductive tract for up to 7…

The voluntary self-denial of food, drink, or sex. Today, abstinence most commonly refers to denial of one’s sexual activity.

Marked by restraint, especially in the consumption of food or alcohol. From the Latin prefix “abs-,” meaning “from” or “away,” and the Latin noun “temetum,” meaning “intoxicating drink.”

Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other substances) from the digestive tract.

In radiology, the amount of energy that is deposited in any material by ionizing radiation. The unit of absorbed dose, the rad, is a measure of energy absorbed per gram of material. An alternative unit of absorbed dose is the gray. One gray equals 100 rads.

To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine. To react with radiation and reduce it in intensity, as with a dose of radiation or transmitted light.

The real number of white blood cells (WBCs) that are neutrophils. The absolute neutrophil count is commonly called the ANC. The ANC is not measured directly. It is derived by multiplying the WBC count times the percent of neutrophils in the differential WBC count. The percent of neutrophils consists of the segmented (fully mature) neutrophils)…

The number of ‘helper’ T-lymphocytes in a cubic millimeter of blood. The absolute CD4 count is frequently used to monitor the extent of immune suppression in persons with HIV because with HIV, this number declines as the infection progresses. Also known as T4 count.

The disorder associated with the habitual abuse of absinthe. The symptoms included hallucinations, sleeplessness, tremors, and convulsions. There has been debate over whether absinthism was due to absinthe or the alcohol contained therein. For more information, see: Absinthe.