Student BMJ February 1998 Vol 6 Editorials 2 Lumbar puncture needn't be a headache 3 Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in corneal grafts 4 Under pressure 5 How to plan a clinical attachment abroad News 6 US scientists extend the life of human cells Juniors are concerned at new training proposals Heavy smoking may cause irreversible damage to arteries Medical students form orchestra Doctor successfully sues medical school over poor training Urine may be better than milk for 'biopharming' Education 9 Helicobacter pylori - a gastroenterological revolution 11 Involving patients in healthcare decisions 13 Fast track medical degrees 14 Picture Quiz 15 You should know, you're a medic 16 Net.Philes 17 ABC of mental health: Common mental health problems in primary care 21 How to read a paper: Getting your bearings (deciding what the paper is about) 14 Photographic competition Papers 25 First sexual intercourse: age, coercion, and later regrets reported by a birth cohort 30 Case-control study of oral contraceptives and risk of thromboembolic stroke Life 32 Uganda - planning your elective 34 Life as an expedition medic 35 Jack of all trades 36 Uses and abuses of your stethoscope 37 The not-so-secret diary of a medical student 38 Crossword 38 Out There Letters 39 Fairer recruitment policy for postgraduate entrants Benefits of cochlear implants Favouring abortion is pro-choice RCOG report on fetal pain challenged Training students to be doctors Soundings 41 Love is ... 41 Opening doors in theatre Art & Reviews 42 Body art 43 Book of the MonthOsler: Inspirations from a great physician Minerva 44 Editor's choice Do you fear an empty post box this Valentine's day? Get the studentBMJ to send you one of the prizes up for grabs in this month's journal. Just by writing a letter (p 39), recommending a book you have enjoyed (p 43), or giving advice on planning an elective (p 32) you can receive a £15 music token, £25 book token, or a Lonely Planet travel guide of your choice. If your aspirations are a little higher and you fancy yourself as an author, we are also running two writing competitions. Firstly, alongside our new style elective articles, we want to publish your stories about travelling abroad (for details see p 5). This month Helen Gentles describes life as a doctor on an expedition in Uganda. Secondly, we are looking for a couple of people to join our team of excellent soundings columnists (p 41). Debashis Singh examines the theme of love in his column this month. He thinks Valentine's day is a stupid idea and dreads being surrounded by smug, happy couples. But for those looking for love, Net.Philes has a few suggestions (p 16), and if you'd rather just meet new people for a bit of intelligent chat, join the studentBMJ 's email discussion group (p 40). If all else fails, and you end up spending 14 February sitting quietly on your own - there's always the studentBMJ crossword to keep you busy (p 38). Love seems to have little to do with women's first experience of sexual intercourse. A study from New Zealand found that women were often forced into having first intercourse (especially when it happened before age 14), and a majority of women wish they had waited longer (p 25). Front cover: Valentine's day/Guy Drayton