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• Virginity Testing Puts South African Government, Zulu Tribe At Odds

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  A debate over the traditional practice of virginity testing is occurring between the South African Zulu tribe and the government, which banned the practice for girls younger than age 16 last year, the Washington Post reports.

• Women Born As Big Babies More Susceptible To Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Women who were born as big babies, particularly if they were longer in length, are more susceptible to breast cancer said UK researchers after re-analysing data from published and unpublished studies. The analysis was the work of researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is published in PLoS Medicine.

• Researchers Find Safer Way To Make Stem Cells From Mature Cells

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  ake Stem Cells From Mature Celld a safer way to convert mature cells into an embryonic-like state, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Science, the

• Conference: Perinatal Days And International Stillbirth Nov.5-7

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  The 21st Norsk Perinataldager (Norwegian Perinatal Days) will be arranged as a joint conference with the 2008 International Stillbirth Conference from the 5th - 7th November. This is in collaboration with the International Stillbirth Allliance (ISA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

• Senate Fails To Pass Stimulus Package That Included Contraceptive Pricing Fix

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  On Friday, the House voted 264-158 to pass a $60.8 billion economic stimulus package (HR 7110), but the Senate failed to advance its version (S 3604) of the package, CQ Today reports. The 52-42 Senate vote was eight votes short of the 60 required under a unanimous-consent agreement to bring the measure to the floor.

• PAHO Joins Clinton Global Initiative To Save Mothers' And Children's Lives

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced a new program of proven, low-cost interventions for maternal and child health that will benefit 750,000 pregnant women and 1.5 million children under 2 in 10 Latin American countries. PAHO announced the five-year, $60.5 million program as part of the Clinton Global Initiative's (CGI) Water and Sanitation Mega-Commitment, at the 2008 annual meeting of CGI this week in New York City.

• Antisoma Starts Phase II Trial Of AS1402 In Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announced that it has started a phase II trial evaluating the addition of AS1402 to the endocrine (hormonal) therapy letrozole in post-menopausal women receiving first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer. Approximately 110 patients will be randomly assigned to receive either letrozole plus AS1402 or standard treatment with letrozole alone.

• Cancer Research UK's New Video Puts A Fun Twist On Being Breast Aware

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Cancer Research UK is today releasing a viral video aimed at educating women on how to be breast aware. The comedic video features a woman explaining how best to check breasts, the twist being that her assistant is a beautiful and obliging male model. The video features Tommy, the

• Retrospective Analysis Of Phase 3 Data Suggest Wyeth's Investigational Compound Bazedoxifene

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A retrospective analysis of Phase 3 two-year data presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) suggest that postmenopausal women treated with bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens (BZA/CE) may experience incidence of breast tenderness and abnormal mammograms no greater than those treated with placebo.

• Blogs Comment On Election-Related Reproductive Rights Issues, World Contraception Day, HHS Rule

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  The following summarizes recent women's health-related blog entries.~ "

• Wall Street Journal Examines How No-Pregnancy Orders Reflect Previous Forced-Sterilization Projects

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined how a "scatter[ing]" of no-pregnancy orders in state courts is reflective of state laws in the first half of the 20th century, which included forced sterilization of women "deemed unfit for motherhood." Few judges have issued rulings ordering women not to become pregnant in recent years, and such orders often are overturned on appeal.

• Medical Protection Society Advises Doctors How To Avoid Missing The Early Signs Of Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  To mark the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on 1 October, a leading professional indemnity provider is warning doctors that delays in diagnosing the disease are a common contributor to claims against GPs.

• Breast Cancer And Women Under Age 40: A Growing Concern

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  When anyone thinks of breast cancer, the face of a young woman doesn't immediately come to mind. Yet, of the more than 200,000 women in the United States who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, about 11,000 will be under the age of 40.

• Women's Sexual Health Foundation Announces Inaugural Media Award To Recognize An Outstanding Journalist

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Recognizing the challenges of covering women's sexual health and education in consumer media, The Women's Sexual Health Foundation (TWSHF) has announced its first ever Media Award. To be presented annually, the award will recognize an outstanding media professional whose work has broadened the knowledge and understanding of women's sexual health disorders and related women's health concerns.

• News From The Journal Of The American Dietetic Association, October 2008

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Research studies featured in the October 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association include: Dietary Restraint and Gestational Weight Gain Learner-Centered Nutrition Education Improves Folate Intake and Food-Related Behaviors in Non-Pregnant, Low-Inc

• Core Needle Breast Biopsies Safe For Patients Taking Blood Thinners

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  It is safe to take anticoagulants (blood thinners) before core needle breast biopsies, according to a study performed at the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic in Rochester, NY. Core needle biopsies are offered as an alternative to surgical biopsy when a tissue sample of an irregular area in the breast is found by mammogram or sonogram. "They are safer than surgical procedures, require fewer anesthetics, and are accurate," according to Patricia Somerville, MD, lead author of the study.

• The Rett Syndrome Research Trust Introduces International Collaboration With Autism Speaks And MRC

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  The Rett Syndrome Research Trust, a newly established nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce the launch of our operations and website (http://www.rsrt.org). In the wake of last year's dramatic pre-clinical reversal of Rett symptoms, the Trust has been formed to pursue the next steps toward treatment and cures for Rett Syndrome and the increasing range of MECP2 spectrum disorders.

• Exploring The Roles Of The Pituitary Gland And Sympathetic Nervous System In The Inflammatory Process

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  University of Iowa researchers are ready to find the causes of interstitial cystitis, thanks to a five-year, $4.8 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The grant is the largest ever received by the University of Iowa Department of Urology. Interstitial cystitis is a painful bladder condition that causes excessively frequent urination and associated pain. An estimated 1.

• Voters Need 'Direct Answer' About Palin Rape Kit Controversy, Opinion Piece Says

  Posted: September 28th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Voters deserve an explanation from Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, about the policy of charging rape survivors for the cost of rape kits and forensic exams in Wasilla, Alaska, while Palin was mayor of the town, New York Times columnist Dorothy Samuels writes in an opinion piece.

• Obama Ad Attacks McCain's Position On Stem Cell Research

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) recently released an ad stating that Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) "has stood in the way" of stem cell research, the AP/Google.com reports (Kuhnhenn, AP/Google.com, 9/24).

• N.C. Gubernatorial Candidates Use Personal Stories In Ads About Stem Cell Research

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  The candidates for governor in North Carolina are using jarring images and emotional stories in ad campaigns to address their positions on embryonic stem cell research, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

• Senate Passes Bill On Doctors Providing Information On Down Syndrome Tests

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Late on Tuesday, the Senate by voice vote passed a bill (S 1810) that would require physicians to provide information and support services to patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions, the

• Medical Groups, AHA, 13 Attorneys General Voice Opposition To HHS Regulation

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  In advance of Thursday's end to a public comment period on an HHS draft regulation that would allow health care providers who receive federal grants to "opt out" of care they object to based on moral or religious grounds, six medical associations and 13 state attorneys general on Wednesday wrote to HHS to protest the rule, the

• New HHS Regulation Poses Threat To Women's Health

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a new regulation proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could limit women's access to appropriate, complete, and accurate reproductive health information and services and seriously jeopardize the doctor-patient relationship.

• Concert Pharmaceuticals Initiates CTP-347 Phase I Clinical Trial - Potential Best-in-Class Non-Hormonal Treatment For Vasomotor Symptoms

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase I study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CTP-347, a novel deuterium-containing serotonin modulator created by Concert researchers.

• Concert Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Results Supporting Co-Administration Of CTP-347 And Tamoxifen

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the presentation of data from a preclinical study demonstrating the potential of CTP-347, its novel deuterium-containing serotonin modulator, to avoid the risk of adverse drug-drug interactions when co-administered with tamoxifen, a widely-used breast cancer drug. These data were the subject of a poster presentation at the North American Menopause Society's 2008 Annual Meeting.

• Bionovo's VG101 Shows Greater Efficacy Than Estrogen In The Treatment Of Vaginal Dryness

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) will present an abstract in a presentation on their new drug candidate, VG101, for the treatment of vaginal dryness, at the 19th Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society in Orlando, Florida on September 26, 2008. Dr. Mary Tagliaferri, president and chief medical officer of Bionovo, will provide seminal information on the company's second estrogen receptor beta selective drug candidate that will be entering clinical trials shortly.

• Invivodata Captures Symptom Relief Data In Endometriosis Trial

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Invivodata inc.

• Washington, D.C., Sex Education Programs 'Exclude Parental Involvement,' Editorial Says

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  Although Washington, D.C., schools have been attempting to establish a rigid health curriculum for years, they have struggled "chiefly because health ed has become sex ed and administrators exclude parental involvement every step of the way," a Washington Times editorial says.

• Nipple Shield That Deactivates HIV Prevents Virus Transmission During Breastfeeding, BBC NewsReports

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  A nipple shield that disinfects milk as it leaves the breast has shown to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, BBC News reports. Devised by Stephen Gerrard, a

• Proposed HHS Rule Is 'Sneak Attack On Family Planning,' Editorial Says

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  A proposed HHS rule masquerading as a measure to "protect health care providers from 'morally coercive or discriminatory practices'" is a "sneak attack on family planning by the Bush administration," a Los Angeles Times editorial says.

• Candidates For N.H. Congressional Seat Debate Embryonic Stem Cell Research

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), the incumbent in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, and Jennifer Horn, the Republican nominee for the seat, discussed their respective positions on embryonic stem cell research during a debate on Sunday, the Manchester Union Leader reports.

• AG Mukasey Rejects Immigration Board's Denial Of Malian Woman's Asylum Claim Over Genital Cutting

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Monday threw out a decision by the Department of Justice's Board of Immigration Appeals to deny asylum to a Malian woman who had been subjected to female genital cutting -- also known as female genital mutilation and female circumcision -- the Los Angeles Times reports.

• Women Spending Less Time In NHS Hospitals After Giving Birth By Caesarean Section, UK

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Women are spending less time in NHS hospitals after giving birth by Caesarean section compared to previous years, a report by The NHS Information Centre shows today (September 25 2008). Just over a quarter (27,407) spent four days or more recovering in hospital in 2006-07, compared to just under a third (31,393) in 2005-06.

• Weak Bladders Deter Many Young Women From Sports Participation

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  A weak bladder is putting many young women off participating in sport, or prompting them to give it up altogether, suggests research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The prevalence of urinary stress incontinence, defined as an involuntary leakage of urine, is relatively high among women, with some research putting the figure as high as 46%.

• A Child Dies Every 3 Seconds, A Mother Every Minute

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  In a Comment published early Online (Thursday September 25) and later this week in the print edition of The Lancet, the Prime Ministers of Norway and The Netherlands, and the Presidents Tanzania and The World Bank, discuss the finance issues that surround the attempts to attain the Millennium Development Goals on Maternal and Child Mortality. The publication coincides with a meeting on MDG progression at the UN General Assembly.

• Women's Preferences For Management Options For First Trimester Miscarriage

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  In the absence of clear evidence of clinical superiority from randomised controlled trials, the decision about which management option to offer women with a diagnosed first trimester miscarriage should be informed by evidence on cost-effectiveness and women's preferences. To elicit women's preferences for attributes of alternative management options for first trimester miscarriage. A recent study led by Dr.

• Pharmacy Self Care Releases Phase II Of Contraception Health Campaign

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Pharmacy Self Care has launched Phase II of its Contraception Health Campaign in partnership with Bayer Schering Pharma. Phase I of the campaign, released in July, provided Self Care pharmacies with education and training resources on contraception, the new options available and how to assist their patients to choose and use the appropriate method. Phase II also coincides with the release of a new formulation of combined oral contraceptive (COC).

• After Wearing A Cast Women Are Slower Than Men To Recover Their Muscle Strength

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Women are four times more likely than men to experience a broken forearm and require a cast (immobilization). To examine whether the effects of casting were similar between the sexes, researchers examined immobilized volunteers for a period of three weeks. They determined that while men were able to regain 99% of their strength within a week of removing the cast, women's strength was still 30% lower when compared to before the cast was applied.

• Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy Minimizes Hot Flashes

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  With an estimated 85 percent of women experiencing hot flashes as they approach menopause, finding effective non-medication treatment is vitally important. A new Baylor University study shows hypnotic relaxation therapy can decrease the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal women. Interference from hot flashes, like loss of sleep and social interaction difficulties, also significantly decreased in the majority of women who received hypnosis.

• Ovarian And Endometrial Cancer Patients Experience Improved Outcomes When Treated First By A Gynecologic Oncologist

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  For the first time, accumulated data demonstrates that women diagnosed with a reproductive cancer, especially ovarian and uterine (endometrial) cancers, experience improved outcomes when treated first by a gynecologic oncologist. The 2008 State of the State of Gynecologic Cancers: Sixth Annual Report to the Women of America, published by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), details these results.

• Blogs Comment On HHS Rule, Colo. 'Personhood' Measure, Obama Campaign, Sex Education

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  The following summarizes recent women's health-related blog entries. ~ "

• Conservative Group Asserts Causal Link Between Parental Involvement Laws, Declining Abortion Rates

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Abortion rates drop by an average of 13.6% in states that have enacted laws requiring minors to notify their parents or obtain parental consent before having an abortion, according to a recent report commissioned by the conservative evangelical group Family Research Council,

• Thai Health Experts Call For Review Of Prevention Of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Program

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Health experts in Thailand are calling for a review of the country's national program to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, which follows World Health Organization guidelines, the Bangkok Post reports.

• Cosmetic Vaginal Surgery - How Effective And How Safe?

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  A leading urogynaecologist has argued that aggressive marketing from private clinics along with growing media interest, have seen an increasing number of women requesting vaginal cosmetic procedures. However, little medical and scientific evidence exists regarding their effectiveness or safety.

• Study Links Obesity To Recurrent Miscarriage

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  New research released at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 7th International Scientific Meeting in Montreal, has found that obesity significantly increases the risk of a subsequent pregnancy loss in women with recurrent miscarriages.

• Leading Expert Says Claims About Cosmetic Vaginal Surgery Not Substantiated

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  A leading UK expert has expressed concern about the rise of vaginal surgery for purely cosmetic reasons, saying that while there are lots of claims in the popular press, and perhaps more alarmingly, made by some surgeons quoting comments from "satisfied clients", these are not supported by the medical literature.

• ORLive Presents: Improved Operative Outcomes In Open Hysterectomy

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  On Tuesday, September 23, 2008, John Elkas, MD of Inova Fairfax Hospital and Warner Huh, MD of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital lead a live webcast of a panel discussion on the various uses of the LigaSure Impact(TM) instrument and the Force TriVerse(TM) electrosurgical device during open hysterectomies complicated by the presence of cancer. The doctors reviewed video footage of several cases performed by Dr.

• Sexist Men Earn More

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  A large new US study found that sexist men earned more, that is men with more traditional views on the work and home roles of women on average earned higher salaries than men with more egalitarian views about gender roles. The study also found that women with a more egalitarian outlook did not earn much more than women with more traditional views.

• Editorial Examines How McCain, Obama Picks For Supreme Court Would Differ

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  The fact that the next president of the U.S. likely will appoint several Supreme Court justices means that those choices "will determine the future of the law, and of some of Americans' most cherished rights," according to a New York Times editorial.The editorial says that Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.

• MSNBC.com Examines New Ovarian Tissue Transplant Procedure

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  MSNBC.com on Thursday examined an experimental procedure that aims to preserve the fertility of girls and young women undergoing medical treatments for cancer and other conditions that could cause them to become sterile. The procedure, featured on NBC's "

• Worse Clinical Outcomes In Women And South Asians With Angina

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Women and South Asian people with typical pain were more likely than those with atypical pain to receive a diagnosis of angina pectoris and to have increased mortality rates or acute coronary complications, a study by UK researchers found. Despite this, in women and South Asians, both those with typical and atypical pain had lower rates of angiography and coronary interventions compared with men and white people respectively.

• Christian Science Monito Examines Effect Of Palin, Abortion Rights On Catholic Vote In Presidential Election

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  The Christian Science Monitor on Friday examined how the nomination of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate has caused some observant Roman Catholics to return to the party, a trend that could "mark a partial setback" for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

• Newsweek Examines Fertility Issues Among Women Older Than 40, Women In Developing Countries

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Newsweek on Monday published two stories on fertility-related issues. Summaries appear below.~ "Modern Maternity": The story examines the increasing number of women who are giving birth after age 40 and the medical issues and decisions confronting them. According to CDC's

• Female Condoms Promoted Through Beauty Salon Initiative In Malawi

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  The United Nations Population Fund and Population Services International have introduced a program to distribute female condoms in Malawian beauty salons in an effort to encourage their use and curb the spread of HIV, VOA News reports.

• Study Finds That Increased Federal Aid For Low-Income Women Can Lower Abortion Rates

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Increased federal assistance for low-income women can significantly reduce abortion rates, according to a new study from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, the Tennessean reports.Co-author Joseph Wright said the study aimed to understand a drop in the U.S.

• U.S. News & World Report Examines HIV/AIDS Rate Among Black Women

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  U.S. News & World Report recently looked at how "black women continue to be struck particularly hard" by HIV/AIDS (Payne, U.S. News & World Report, 9/12). According to the latest available figures reported by

• Women's Rights Groups Endorse Obama

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) received the endorsement of six women's rights organizations on Tuesday, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the AP/Chronicle, the groups

• New American Media Examines Postpartum Depression Among Asian-Indian Women

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Research has shown that one in 10 women in the U.S. experience postpartum depression, and "South Asian women -- particularly newer immigrants -- may be at a higher risk for [postpartum depression], because of difficulties adjusting to a new culture, loneliness, isolation and the lack of a traditional Indian support system," New America Media reports.

• India Witnessing Growth Of 'High-Price' Commercial Sex Workers, Reuters Reports

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 3:00pm EDT

  A new group of "high-price" commercial sex workers is emerging in India and "servicing India's nouveau riche and the throng of foreign businessmen drawn to a booming economy," Reuters reports.

• Blogs Comment On Addition Of HPV Vaccine To Immigration Rules; Forced Intercourse; Ab-Only Ed; HHS Rule; Palin

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  The following is a summary of selected women's health-related blog entries.~ "Immigration authorities Add Gardasil to List of Required Vaccines," Feministing: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday

• U.S. News & World Report Examines HIV/AIDS Rate Among Black Women

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  U.S. News & World Report recently looked at how "black women continue to be struck particularly hard" by HIV/AIDS (Payne, U.S. News & World Report, 9/12). According to the latest available figures reported by

• Reuters Examines Teen Celebrity Abstinence Pledges

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Reuters on Friday reported on the impact of teen celebrities wearing rings signifying a pledge to remain abstinent until they are married.

• Sex-For-Fish Practice In Kenyan Fishing Communities Contributing To Spread Of HIV

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  A practice within some Kenyan fishing communities in which young female fish sellers develop sexual relationships with fishermen and middlemen in exchange for fish is exposing a new generation to HIV, IRIN/PlusNews reports. According to statistics from the United Nation's

• ASH Applauds Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent And Reduce Deep-Vein Thrombosis And Pulmonary Embolism

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world's largest professional society of blood specialists, supports the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action on Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE), which seeks to raise public awareness of this blood condition; increase research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of DVT and PE; and share evidence-based practices.

• Three Trials Support Evidence Of Zometa(R) Anticancer Benefit In Pre- And Post-Menopausal Women With Early-stage Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  New data from three clinical trials show Zometa® (zoledronic acid) reduced the risk of local and distant recurrence in pre- and post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. Investigators reported on the studies this week in Stockholm at the 33rd Annual Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the primary European professional organization representing medical oncologists.

• ACOG Announces Partnership With Frosted Pink With A Twist Innovative Program To Educate Women About Gynecologic Cancers

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased to announce its partnership with ABC's Frosted Pink with a Twist, a unique television special that will bring together the 2008 US women's Olympic gymnasts with today's top music stars and a host of celebrities to raise awareness of cancers primarily affecting women.

• Older And Heavier Women More Likely To Suffer Incontinence

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  According to a study published in the September 17 issue of JAMA, about 25% of women and over 33% of older women reported at least one pelvic floor disorder in recent survey. Pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary and fecal incontinence and the shifting of a pelvic organ, were also found to become more prevalent as age and weight increased. Pelvic floor disorders refer to a broad array of women's health issues.

• Colorado 'Personhood' Initiative Is 'Extreme Measure,' Opinion Piece Says

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  The proposed Colorado ballot initiative to define a fertilized human egg as a person with all constitutional rights is an "extreme measure no matter how you look at it," Gail Schoettler -- a former U.S. ambassador and lieutenant governor and treasurer of Colorado -- writes in a

• Federal Court Panel Grants Appeal For Woman Denied Asylum For Seeking To Avoid Forced Sterilization In China

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Thursday ruled that a Chinese woman who feared sterilization under China's family planning law can challenge her denial of asylum in the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture, the AP/Macon Telegraph reports.

• McCain Campaign Releases New Ad Touting His Support For Stem Cell Research

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Friday released a radio advertisement that states his support for stem cell research, The Hill reports. According to The Hill, the ad does not mention specifically human embryonic stem cell research.

• FDA Expands Use Of HPV Vaccine Gardasil For Vaginal, Vulvar Cancer Prevention

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  FDA on Friday approved expanding the use of Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil to protect against cancers of the vagina and vulva, the AP/MSNBC.com reports (AP/MSNBC.com, 9/12). According to an FDA

• Study Of Yondelis(R) In Ovarian Cancer Shows Significant Prolongation In Progression Free Survival

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Positive final results of the Phase III randomized pivotal study of Yondelis® in ovarian cancer were presented during the Presidential Symposium at the ESMO congress in Stockholm. ESMO selects clinical studies that may result in a change in the current standard of care for presentation at the 2008 Presidential Symposium. In total, 672 patients in 124 hospitals across 21 countries worldwide were enrolled in the pivotal study OVA-301, initiated in 2005.

• Promising New Treatment Option For Women With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Combining the new drug trabectedin with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin provides clinical benefit to women with relapsed ovarian cancer, according to new results presented at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Stockholm. The combination, which importantly does not include a platinum drug, challenges the current standard of treatment for women whose cancer recurs at least 6 months after first-line treatment, said Associate Prof. Bradley J.

• Investigational Drug Shows Promise In Ovarian Cancer

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  An investigational drug that combats ovarian cancer by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels has shown promise in a phase II trial, according to a presentation at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Stockholm. Prof. Michael Friedlander from Australia presented the results of an international collaborative trial which administered the drug to 35 patients with recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal carcinoma.

• Global Health Nutrition Grant Received By Harvard University

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The Harvard Initiative for Global Health (HIGH) has been selected to receive a prestigious $400,000 Framework Programs for Global Health grant from the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center. The three year award will be supplemented by an additional $300,000 grant from the University and support HIGH's development of a curriculum in nutrition and global heath.

• Global Study Shows That Majority Of Women With Osteoporosis Do Not Consider Themselves At Higher Risk For Fractures

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Results from the Global Longitudinal study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) showed that 55 percent of women diagnosed with osteoporosis do not believe they are at a higher risk of fractures than their peers. This latest study from GLOW included more than 60,000 women over age 55 and was presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 30th Annual Meeting.

• New Tutorial Discusses Health Care, Long-Term Care For Older Women; GAO Report Examines Health Centers In Medically Underserved Areas

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  "Health Care and Long-Term Care Policy: Concerns Facing Older Women," kaiserEDU.org: The slide tutorial -- narrated by Alina Salganicoff, vice president and director of women's health policy at the

• Gardasil's FDA Approval Now Includes Some Vaginal And Vulvar Cancers

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Merck's cervical vaccine Gardasil for protecting against vaginal and vulvar cancers caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in girls and women aged from 9 to 26. The agency announced its decision to the press on Friday 12th September, in a FDA News page on its website.

• Blogs Comment On Palin, Feminists For Life, Presidential Election Rhetoric, Protecting Patients' Rights

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The following is a summary of selected women's health-related blog entries.~ "Feminists for Life's Imaginary World," Amanda Marcotte, RH Reality Check: "In order to back the claim that she's 'pro-woman'" Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claims affiliation with the antiabortion organization

• McCain Ad On Obama's Sex Education Record 'Flat-Out Lies,' NYT Editorial Says

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  A television advertisement released by Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) that criticizes Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for supporting a comprehensive sex education measure in 2003 while in the Illinois Senate contains "flat-out lies," a

• Genital Cutting Prevalence In Ethiopia Decreasing, Survey Finds

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  The prevalence of female genital cutting -- also referred to as female genital mutilation and female circumcision -- has decreased in Ethiopia from 61% of girls and women in 1997 to 46% in 2007, according to a 2007 survey by the Ethiopian National Committee on Traditional Practices, or EGLDAM, IRIN News reports.

• Cross-Protective Efficacy And Prevention Of Precancerous Vaginal Lesions Added To Gardasil(R) I Product Information

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  The product information of the four-type (6,11,16,18) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil® has been updated to include cross-protective efficacy in preventing precancerous cervical lesions (CIN2/3 and AISiii) due to additional cancercausing HPV types related to HPV type 16.1 Statistically significant efficacy against disease was demonstrated against HPV 31 which is the second most common HPV type in Europe in causing precancerous cervical lesions, after type 16.

• Pepperoni Pizza And Pelvic Pain

  Posted: September 14th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  What's the worst that could happen after eating a slice of pepperoni pizza? A little heartburn, for most people. But for up to a million women in the U.S., enjoying that piece of pizza has painful consequences. They have a chronic bladder condition that causes pelvic pain. Spicy food -- as well as citrus, caffeine, tomatoes and alcohol -- can cause a flare in their symptoms and intensify the pain.

• Gynecologic Cancer Treatment Center - Dana-Farber/Brigham And Women's Cancer Center

  Posted: September 14th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  The Gynecologic Oncology Program is a service of the Gillette Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center - a collaboration of one of the world's leading cancer institutes with one of the world's leading hospitals.

• Sildenafil Treatment Of Women With Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  Posted: September 13th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  UroToday.com - Treatment emergent sexual dysfunction is a frequent adverse effect occurring with medication use and is a major influence for premature treatment discontinuation, which leads to treatment failure and costly disease management outcomes.

• Bionovo Reports On Metabolic Studies Related To Its Menopausal Hot Flash Drug Candidate

  Posted: September 13th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) announced the publishing of a paper in the journal for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, entitled "Oxidative In Vitro Metabolism of Liquiritigenin, a Bioactive Compound Isolated from the Chinese Herbal Selective Estrogen Beta-Receptor Agonist MF101.

• Groups Protest Colorado 'Personhood' Measure

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Opponents of a Colorado ballot measure that would define a fertilized egg as a person in the state constitution plan to protest the amendment Wednesday at the University of Denver, the AP/KRDO.com reports.

• DCCC Mailings Criticize Va. Congressional Candidate Fimian's Positions On Women's Rights, Health Issues

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the past three weeks has sent at least seven mailings calling Keith Fimian, the Republican candidate for Virginia's 11th Congressional District, as a "reactionary activist seeking to roll back the rights of women," the Washington Post reports.

• India's NACO To Distribute 1.5M Female Condoms To Sex Workers In Four States

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Approximately 1.5 million female condoms will be distributed and marketed to commercial sex workers in four Indian states this year in an attempt to provide women with a method of HIV prevention, IANS/Hindustan Times reports.

• New York Times Reports McCain Ad Distorts Obama's Record On Sex Education Measure In Illinois Senate

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  The New York Times on Thursday examined a television advertisement released by Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) that criticizes Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for supporting a comprehensive sex education measure in 2003 while in the Illinois Senate.

• Sens. Schumer, Clinton Criticize Proposed Medicaid Rule On Outpatient Services

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday called Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Kerry Weems to urge Weems to drop a proposed rule that would narrow the scope of hospital outpatient services covered by Medicaid, CongressDaily reports. Schumer and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) also recently wrote to President Bush about the issue.

• USA Today Examines Practice Of Billing Rape Survivors For Medical Exams In Wasilla While Palin Was Mayor

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Rape survivors in Wasilla, Alaska were billed for forensic medical examinations when Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was mayor of the town, USA Today reports.

• New Bra-Line Back Lift Introduced By American Society Of Plastic Surgeons Study

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Even as many of us yearn to wear the sheer, body-hugging fashions available today, we are stopped by our rear reflection and the sight of dreaded back fat rolls and lumps. A study published in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveals a new back lift procedure that removes these unsightly bumps and bulges while hiding the scar under the bra line.

• Supermodel Beverly Johnson Speaks Out To End Silence About Uterine Fibroids

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Supermodel Beverly Johnson is on a mission to get women to Ask 4 questions and Tell 4 or more others about a health condition faced by up to 75 percent of all women in the U.S. (1): uterine fibroids.

• Wellgate Supports Women In The Fight Against The Obesity Epidemic

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 7:00pm EDT

  A unique line of specially designed orthopedic supports from Lil' Drug Store Products, a leading marketer of feminine health solutions, can help women of all ages avoid some of the health dangers associated with the national trend toward obesity. Researchers at the

• Opinion Pieces Discuss Teen Pregnancy, Abortion Rights, Motherhood

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces about Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's views on abstinence-only education and abortion rights. Opinion pieces also discussed the pregnancy of Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, and criticism Palin has faced for choosing to run for vice president as a working mother. Summaries appear below.~ Barbara Amiel,

• More Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education Efforts Needed To Reach Black, Hispanic Girls, Women, Letter Says

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  An "otherwise excellent" editorial recently published by the New York Times did not "mention the rapid spread of HIV among women and girls of color," Tracie Gardner, director of New York state policy and coordinator of the Women's Initiative To Stop HIV-New York at the

• New Jersey Health Commissioner Should Improve Prenatal Care Resources To Address Racial, Economic Disparities, Editorial States

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The prenatal care report released last week by New Jersey Health Commissioner Heather Howard that found "wide economic and racial disparities" is "startling and ominous" and "requires immediate attention and action," an Asbury Park Press editorial states (Asbury Park Press, 9/9).

• McCain Ad Criticizes Obama For Supporting Age-Appropriate Sex Education In Illinois State Senate

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  The campaign of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday released a television advertisement that criticizes Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for supporting age-appropriate sex education beginning in kindergarten while he served in the Illinois Senate, the AP/Google.com reports.

• Clinical Trial Offers Hope To Thousands Of Women With Incontinence And Could Save The NHS Millions Pounds Per Year

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Tens of thousands of women every day suffer from the misery of stress incontinence, a condition which costs the NHS in excess of £400m a year to treat. Now a new clinical trial of a simple medical device offers hope to women worldwide.

• Sexual Harassment 10 Times More Likely In Casual And Contract Jobs

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Women employed in casual and contract jobs are up to ten times more likely to experience unwanted sexual advances than those in permanent full time positions, a University of Melbourne study has found.

• Fertility Preservation Using Cryopreservation Techniques

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Emerging cryopreservation techniques are increasing hope of restoring fertility for women after diseases such as ovarian cancer that lead to destruction of reproductive tissue. The same techniques can also be used to maintain stocks of farm animals, and protect against extinction of endangered animal species by maintaining banks of ovarian tissue or even nascent embryos that can used to produce offspring at some point in the future.

• Link Discovered Between A Mother's Stress And Her Child Becoming Overweight

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A mother's stress may contribute to her young children being overweight in low income households with sufficient food, according to a new Iowa State University study that is published in the September issue of Pediatrics, the professional journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study analyzed data collected from 841 children in 425 households in the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

• Newspapers Examine Advocates' Reaction To GOP VP Nominee Palin's Comments On Children With Special Needs

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  The New York Times on Sunday examined the reaction of advocates and parents of children with disabilities to comments by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, that she will be a "friend and advocate in the White House" for families of children with special needs. Palin's infant son, Trig, was born with Down syndrome.

• Embryonic Stem Cells Needed, Still Should Be Regulated, Panel Says

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  The use of human embryos for stem cell research still is necessary despite some research that indicates ways of creating stem cells -- called induced pluripotent stem cells -- without using embryos, the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee said in a new report, Reuters reports.

• Eastern Virginia Medical School Receives $100M Grant From USAID For Microbicide Research

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Eastern Virginia Medical School on Monday announced that it has received a $100 million grant from USAID for microbicide research through its CONRAD program, the Virginian-Pilot reports.

• Infant Development Enhanced By Eating Fish While Pregnant, Longer Breastfeeding

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Both higher fish consumption and longer breastfeeding are linked to better physical and cognitive development in infants, according to a study of mothers and infants from Denmark. Maternal fish consumption and longer breastfeeding were independently beneficial. "These results, together with findings from other studies of women in the U.S.

• During Pregnancy Harmful Levels Of Lead In Blood Reduced By Calcium

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Pregnant women who take high levels of daily calcium supplements show a marked reduction in lead levels in their blood, suggesting calcium could play a critical role in reducing fetal and infant exposure. A new study at the University of Michigan shows that women who take 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily have up to a 31 percent reduction in lead levels.

• Dysmenorrhea - Columbia Laboratories To Release Top Line Results Of Phase II Lidocaine Study In Late September

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Columbia Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRX) announced that its third party data management consultants have confirmed that the results from the Company's recently completed Phase II clinical trial evaluating vaginal lidocaine for the prevention and treatment of dysmenorrhea (a condition typified by painful menstruation) will be available on or before September 29, 2008. The Company had previously expected top line data to be available at the end of August. Robert S.

• When Hot Flashes Require Medical Attention

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Nearly one third of all American women are between the ages of 40 and 60, which means more than 37 million women are most likely in the midst of the menopause transition. Three out of four women transitioning into this period experience hot flashes, characterized by a feeling of mild warmth, a flushed appearance with red blotchy skin, rapid heartbeat, perspiration or a chilled feeling. Women may experience hot flashes for a couple or several years.

• Study Identifies Proteins That Help Provide Immunity Against HIV Among Commercial Sex Workers In Kenya

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  In a study published Wednesday in the Journal of Proteome Research, researchers from the University of Manitoba, along with participants from Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory and the

• Los Angeles Times Examines Differences Between McCain, Palin Over Discussion Of Condom Use In Schools

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The Los Angeles Times on Saturday examined differences between Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and his vice presidential running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) over whether condom use should be discussed in schools. According to the Times, McCain and the Republican Party

• Obama, Biden Discuss Views On Conception, Abortion Rights On Sunday Shows

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in an interview on Sunday on ABC's "This Week" said that his response to a question during an interview last month on when human rights are conferred was a little "too flip," adding that all he wanted to express was that he does not "presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions," the New York Times reports.

• World Vision Report Finds Young Brides At Risk Of Contracting HIV/AIDS

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  A report recently released by World Vision has found that girls in developing countries who marry before age 18 -- whose numbers are expected to double to 100 million in the next 10 years -- are at an increased risk of HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports.

• Over 1 In 4 South African Men Report Using Physical Violence Against Their Female Partners: CMAJ Study

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  A first-ever, national study conducted in South Africa found that 27.5 percent of men who have ever been married or lived with a partner report perpetrating physical violence against their current or most recent female partner. This study, led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Yale School of Public Health, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, appears in the September 9, 2008, issue of CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal.

• FDA Panel Says Pfizer's New Osteoporosis Drug Has Benefits But Use Should Be Restricted

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  A panel that advises the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on new drug approvals said the benefits of Pfizer's bone drug Fablyn for treating postmenopausal women with osteoporosis outweighed the risks but that use should be restricted to patients at high risk of fracture or who have tried other treatments without success.

• New Diet Unveiled To Save Millions Of PMS Sufferers

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  PMS charity announces new findings after years of research Figures released from the UK's only PMS Charity NAPS (The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome) show that 97% of women in Britain are affected by PMS - with 13% taking time off work, costing British business millions of pounds per year*. PMS creates emotional and behavioural symptoms in millions of women in the UK which interferes with day-to-day functioning, affecting their personal and professional lives.

• New HIV Protection For Women

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Vaginal rings, similar to those used for contraception and hormone replacement therapy, could protect women from sexually-transmitted HIV, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

• Record $181 Million Grant To Evaluate Health, Poverty And Gender Programs Worldwide, Received By UNC

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill up to $181 million to continue its MEASURE Evaluation project. The award is the largest ever received by UNC. The award funds the monitoring and evaluation of family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS programs around the world.

• New Study Finds First-Time Mothers Could Benefit From Postpartum Preparation

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A new study published in The Journal of Perinatal Education finds first-time mothers want more information about how a newborn will impact their lives. Thirty-five percent did not feel prepared for the physical experience following birth and 20% did not feel prepared for the emotional experience. The study includes 151 first-time mothers attending community child health centers in Brisbane, Australia.

• A Quarter Of South African Males Likely Using Violence Against Intimate Partners

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  According to a study published in the September 9, 2008 issue of Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), about 27.5% of men in South Africa who have been married or have lived with a partner report using physical violence against their current or most recent female partner.

• Blogs Comment On Palin VP Nomination; Palin's Daughter's Pregnancy; HPV Prevention; Sex Education

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  The following is a summary of selected women's health-related blog entries.~ "

• North Carolina Sex Education Debate Becoming More Polarizing, News Observer Reports

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  The Raleigh News & Observer on Wednesday examined the sex education debate in North Carolina. According to the News & Observer, debate on the issue has become more "polarizing" this week after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, announced that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

• Women Likely To Receive No-Cost Formula Samples When Leaving Hospital After Birth, Report Finds

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Despite opposition from numerous health organizations to giving new mothers no-cost formula samples, most women after giving birth in the U.S. leave the hospital with such samples, as well as discount coupons to buy formula, according to a report published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,

• Events Seek To Raise Health Awareness Among Blacks; Magazine Ranks Top Schools For Hispanic Medical Students

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The following summarizes events related to reducing racial health care disparities. Portland, Ore.: Portland Community College's Cascade Campus on Saturday will host a conference that focuses on memory and aging in the black community, the

• Society Of Interventional Radiology Applauds Report's Uterine Fibroid Embolization Recommendations

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The Society of Interventional Radiology, a national organization of nearly 4,500 doctors, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to improving health care through minimally invasive treatment interventions, applauds the recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that uterine fibroid embolization "is a safe and effective option" for women. "This finding fully opens the door to women's choice.

• How STDs Increase The Risk Of Becoming Infected With HIV

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Individuals who have a sexually transmitted disease (e.g., genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia) and women with yeast and bacterial vaginal infections have an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV if exposed to the virus through sexual contact. Although several explanations have been proposed, exactly how and why STDs have this effect has not been clear. Now, Teunis B.H.

• Stem Cell Research: Updated Guidelines Released

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The National Academies has released amended guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells, revising those that were issued in 2005 and updated in 2007. The Academies originally produced the guidelines to offer a common set of ethical standards for the responsible conduct of research using human stem cells, an area that, due to an absence of comprehensive federal funding, was lacking national standards.

• Women Who Binge Drink At Greater Risk Of Unsafe Sex And Sexually Transmitted Disease

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Binge drinking (5+ alcoholic beverages at one time) is associated with risky sexual behaviors. A new study is one of the few to examine this association by gender in an urban clinic for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Results show that binge drinking among women attending the clinic was linked to unsafe sexual practices - such as multiple partners and anal sex - and high rates of gonorrhea.

• Women With Hormone Disorder May Benefit From Acupuncture

  Posted: September 6th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  Getting pregnant with her first child was difficult, but when Rebecca Killmeyer of Charlottesville, Va. experienced a miscarriage during her second pregnancy, she wasn't sure if she would ever have another baby. When she decided to enter a study testing the impact of acupuncture on women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at the University of Virginia Health System, she came out with a miracle.

• First Day Of Ovarian Cancer Symposium Focuses On Early Detection - Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium

  Posted: September 6th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  Leading ovarian cancer researchers and clinicians from around the world gathered at the Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium today to hear about cutting-edge developments that may increase the chances of early detection of the disease. Dr. Patricia Kruk, from the University of South Florida, presented her research that could lead to using a non-invasive urine test for detecting ovarian cancer.

• Newspapers Examine Reaction To GOP VP Nominee Palin's Announcement Of Daughter's Pregnancy

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Wednesday accepted the vice presidential nomination for the Republican Party at the party's national convention in St. Paul, Minn., the AP/Washington Post reports (Espo, AP/Washington Post, 9/4).

• Minority, Single Women, Teenagers In New Jersey Less Likely Than Others To Receive Prenatal Care, Report Finds

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Teenagers, minorities and single women in New Jersey all have a higher risk of poor birth outcomes and also are less likely than others to receive early prenatal care, according to a report released on Wednesday by state Health Commissioner Heather Howard, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

• Women At Calif. Hospitals ;With Mostly Low-Income Patients Less Likely To Breastfeed, Report Says

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Women who give birth at hospitals in California that have mostly non-white, low-income patients are less likely to breastfeed than women who give birth at other hospitals around the state, according to a report that ranks the rates of breastfeeding mothers in California hospitals released by the University of California-Davis

• Survey Examines Issue Of Paid Sick Days Among Employees, Finds Wide Range Of Support

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  More than three-quarters of workers questioned in a national survey view paid sick days as a basic right of employment that should be guaranteed by the government, according to a survey recently conducted by the

• Sexual Activities Other Than Intercourse Carry Risk Of STIs, Study Finds

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Sexual activities other than intercourse carry some risk of sexually transmitted infections, according to a report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published recently in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports.

• QuatRx Initiates Second Phase 3 Study Of Ophena(TM) (Ospemifene Tablets) In Women With Postmenopausal Vaginal Syndrome

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  QuatRx Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on development and commercialization of compounds to treat endocrine, metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, announced that it has initiated a second Phase 3 clinical trial of Ophena(TM) (ospemifene tablets), the company's estrogen-free oral therapy in development for the treatment of vaginal symptoms associated with menopause.

• Maternity Safety In Practice Seminar (RCM Accredited) Working In High-Risk Situations, 20 October 2008, London

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 4:00am EDT