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What Every Woman Should Know About Endometriosis: Surprising Truths And Best Treatment Options
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:00pm CDT
One out of every two women struggling to conceive may suffer from endometriosis - the leading cause of infertility - according to researchi from Camran Nezhat, M.D., gynecologist at El Camino Hospital, the hospital of the Silicon Valley. Almost 5.5 millionii women in the U.S... -
International Breast Health Global Summit, June 9-11, 2010
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) and the Latin American & Caribbean Society of Medical Oncology (SLACOM) will convene the fourth biennial BHGI Global Summit on International Breast Health June 9-11, 2010 in Chicago, bringing together collaborating national and international organizations to address the optimization of breast health care delivery in limited-resource countries... -
How The Overhaul Will Affect Insurance Premiums For Three Key Groups
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
One looming question for many consumers is whether the health overhaul will change how much they pay for insurance. Reports explore how the legislation will affect insurance premiums for three different groups. Indianapolis Star: People with employer-sponsored insurance can expect to see their rates increase even faster. And that's before the major provisions of the legislation take effect... -
State Roundup: Romney On Mass. Care, Kansas Rx Costs, Colorado Insurance Costs
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The Boston Globe, on former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's reaction to the new federal health law: "The former governor, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate again for president in 2012, had labeled Obama's bill 'unhealthy for America' and has called for its repeal, even as conservative critics say it was modeled on Romney's policy... -
Using The Pill To Prevent Endometrioma Recurrence
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Ovarian endometriomas, better known as ovarian 'chocolate' cysts for the brown liquid they contain, can be easily removed by surgery. However, recurrence is common, which can cause ongoing pain and complications. A study evaluated for Faculty of 1000 suggests a simple and effective remedy - the oral contraceptive pill (OCP)... -
Idaho 'Conscience' Law Approved; Okla., La. Bills Address Abortion Issues
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Three states recently took action on reproductive health-related measures. Summaries appear below. ~ Idaho: Gov. Butch Otter (R) has allowed a bill (SB 1353) that expands so-called "conscience" protections for medical workers to become law without his signature, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reports (Russell, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 3/29)... -
Blogs Comment On Health Reform, Maternal Mortality, Other Topics
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Q&A with Carole Joffe," Katha Pollitt, The Nation's "And Another Thing": Pollitt interviewed Carole Joffe -- a sociologist and author of "Dispatches from the Abortion Wars: The Costs of Fanaticism to Doctors, Patients and the Rest of Us" -- about the health reform law's potential effects on reproductive rights and health... -
Women, Diabetics, Dementia Patients Most Likely To Fall In 'Doughnut Hole'; Reform Seeks To Close Coverage Gap
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Bloomberg BusinessWeek: "Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan 'doughnut hole,' the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic coverage... -
Study Finds Minority Women Least Likely To Gain Access To A Doctor
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 4:00am CDT
One in three South Asian, West Asian or Arab women - one of the fastest growing segments of Canada's population - say they have trouble accessing a doctor to address an urgent health concern or to monitor health problems. The findings, from a new study by researchers at St... -
Health Reform Law Prohibits Gender Rating, Offers Other Benefits For Women's Health
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Under the recently signed health reform law (HR 3590), health insurance companies will no longer be able to charge women more than men for the same insurance policies, ending a practice known as "gender rating," the New York Times reports... -
Breast Screening Saves Two Lives For Every Over-Diagnosis, UK
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Following recent controversy about the pros and cons of breast screening, a new study part-funded by Cancer Research UK found that breast screening saves two lives for every case of over-diagnosis. The study by scientists at Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, is about to be published in the Journal of Medical Screening... -
Depression Affects How Women With PMDD Respond To Stress, Pain
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 2:00am CDT
As science slowly, but continually, unravels the causes of disorders, it increasingly teases apart biological threads that, when spooled together, begin to take on the warp and weft of separate disorders... -
Gout Risk Factors For Women: Obesity, Hypertension, Alcohol And Diuretic Use
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that women with serum uric acid levels over 5 mg/dl had a significantly lower risk of developing gout than men... -
Few Women Get Enough Exercise During Pregnancy
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Fewer than 1 in 4 pregnant women meet physical activity guidelines set by doctors and health officials, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study. Guidelines set by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2002 recommend pregnant women get 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily, or on most days, if they have no medical or obstetric complications... -
Multivitamin Use Linked To Increased Breast Cancer Risk
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Researchers in Sweden who studied data on over 35,000 middle aged and older women followed for 10 years found a link between taking multivitamins and increased risk of breast cancer and said this was of concern to public health and should be investigated further... -
Health Reform Law Includes $250 Million For Abstinence-Only Programs
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
A "little-noticed provision" in the recently signed health care reform law (HR 3590) will grant $250 million over five years to state programs encouraging teens to remain abstinent until marriage as a way to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, the Washington Post reports. The provision, sponsored by Sen... -
Several States See Action On Women's Health-Related Legislation, Ballot Proposals
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
The following summarizes recent action on women's health-related legislation and ballot initiatives in Colorado, Georgia, Nebraska, Nevada and Kansas... -
Women More Likely To Report Poor Health
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
In the UK, women are more likely to report poor health than men, but this is not reflected in the rates of death among the sexes later on, according to a new national study. The findings of the research are reported in an article in Population Trends, published by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 25 March... -
Radiation After Mastectomy Underused
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
While radiation therapy is common after breast conserving surgery, it's much less frequent after mastectomy, even among women for whom it would have clear life-saving benefit. This is according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center... -
Few Women Get Enough Exercise During Pregnancy
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Fewer than 1 in 4 pregnant women meet physical activity guidelines set by doctors and health officials, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study. Guidelines set by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2002 recommend pregnant women get 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily, or on most days, if they have no medical or obstetric complications... -
Blogs Comment On Health Reform Law, Access To Emergency Contraception
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Health Reform: Where Women Stand To Gain," Deborah Kotz, U.S. News & World Report's "On Women": Kotz writes that she was "surprised to see women's reproductive rights groups use words like 'betrayal,' 'onerous,' and 'unacceptable' in reaction to" the passage of the health reform law (HR 3590)... -
Africa Not On Track To Halve Poverty By 2015, Economic Commission For Africa Head Says
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
U.N. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh said the global economic downturn will keep Africa from meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving poverty by 2015, Reuters reports... -
Va. Attorney General Cuccinelli Has History Of Staunch Opposition To Abortion, New York Times Reports
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The New York Times recently profiled Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who has "surprised even his most ardent supporters with several high-profile legal actions that have ignited political firestorms," such as his decision to challenge the constitutionality of the newly enacted health reform law... -
Videos Discuss Executive Order On Health Reform Abortion Provisions, Urge FDA Action On Emergency Contraception Access
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Schakowsky Reacts to Executive Order: On Monday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill... -
RCOG Calls On The Next Government To Renew Focus On Providing Safe And Good Quality Care In Women's Health
Posted: March 28th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The RCOG launches its Election Manifesto today. Titled 'Delivering Excellence - Our Vision for the Future' it outlines the RCOG's views on the commitment, infrastructure and resources needed in maternity and gynaecological services... -
In Cases Of Dependency, Women Bear Caregiving Responsibility In Spain
Posted: March 27th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The main conclusion of this research is that in spite of the noteworthy advances of recent decades, women continue to be the main caregivers for minors as well as for the elderly, disabled or the sick... -
Videos Discuss Executive Order On Health Reform Abortion Provisions, Urge FDA Action On Emergency Contraception Access
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Schakowsky Reacts to Executive Order: On Monday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill... -
New Study: Egg Donors May Be Paid Too Much
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
"Women who donate eggs for use with in-vitro techniques aren't supposed to be compensated more than $10,000 ... according to guidelines from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine," The Wall Street Journal reports... -
Now You're Covered, Now You're Not: The Medicare Donut Hole
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
New study identifies medical conditions which put seniors at high risk of unsubsidized medical prescription expenses If you're older, a woman, and suffering from either dementia or diabetes, you are the most likely to be exposed to unsubsidized medication costs in the US... -
Washington Times Opinion Piece Discusses Emergency Contraception
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
At the same time as health experts and advocates marked the annual Back Up Your Birth Control Campaign Day of Action on Wednesday - dedicated to increasing awareness about emergency contraception - some also are calling for a greater focus on pregnancy prevention methods other than EC, Washington Times columnist and reporter Cheryl Wetzstein writes... -
Study Finds Women Prefer Home Testing For Chlamydia, Gonorrhea
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
About 75% of women preferred to complete a chlamydia or gonorrhea test at home and mail the sample for analysis, compared with 16% who preferred testing at a no-cost clinic and 8% who wanted to visit their own health care provider, according to a study published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, MedPage Today reports... -
Also In Global Health News: Bird Flu; Burundi's Global Fund Grant; Maternal Mortality In Ghana; Food Security In Africa; More
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
WHO Warns Bird Flu Continues To Pose Threat Despite a reduction in the number of cases of avian flu (H5N1) since its peak in 2006, the WHO said in a statement Wednesday that "the newly confirmed human and poultry cases of avian influenza this year are a reminder that the virus poses a real and continuous threat to human health," Agence France-Presse reports (3/24)... -
Associations Between Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Breast Cancer And Survival Revealed By Study
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the 12 months after they have completed a pregnancy are 48% more likely to die than other young women with breast cancer according to new research to be presented at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC7) in Barcelona today (Friday)... -
Patients Requesting Prophylactic Mastectomies Overestimate Their Breast Cancer Risk And Need A 'cooling Off' Period
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer believe the risk of the disease occurring in their unaffected breast is as much as ten times higher than it actually is. As a result, they are choosing to have prophylactic mastectomies based on a false perception of increased risk, according to new research... -
Pregnancy For Breast Cancer Survivors: Meta-analysis Reveals It Is Safe And Could Improve Survival
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Women who have been treated for breast cancer can choose to become pregnant and have babies, without fears that pregnancy could put them at higher risk of dying from their cancer, according to a major, new study... -
Women Account For Nearly 60% Of US Hospital Admissions - Leading Reasons Are Pregnancy And Childbirth
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Women accounted for nearly 60 percent of the 39.4 million admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. According to the analysis by the federal agency, the leading reasons that women are admitted to the hospital are for pregnancy and childbirth. About 5 million of the 23... -
Hygienic Care For Girls And Women In South Africa - Cooperative Project Of The Technical University Delft And The Medical Knowledge Institute
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The Medical Institute - 'Prevention through Education' - has started a new project: "Your Hygiene - Your Health" via its Health Information Centers in South Africa. Another project, run by four students from the Technical University (TU) Delft (NL), closely links to the MKI-project... -
Big Money Offered To Recruit "Desirable" Egg Donors At Top Universities
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Many egg donation agencies and private couples routinely exceed compensation recommendation limits for potential donors, a new study finds. From a sample of over 300 college newspapers, findings revealed that almost one-quarter of advertisements offered payment in excess of $10,000, a violation of guidelines issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)... -
Appeals Court Judge Wood Draws Notice As Possible Supreme Court Pick
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Seventh Circuit Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood is attracting speculation that she could be President Obama's Supreme Court nominee if Justice John Paul Stevens retires this year, USA Today reports. Stevens, who will turn 90 in April, has not chosen a full roster of legal clerks for the court term beginning in October, prompting observers to predict a pending retirement... -
New York Times Profiles In Vitro Fertilization Pioneer Jones
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The New York Times on Tuesday profiled surgeon Howard Jones, who, together with his wife, Georgeanna Seegar Jones, collaborated on the first U.S. in vitro fertilization procedure that led to the birth of an infant... -
Also In Global Health News: Child, Maternal Mortality; AIDS 2010; Food Aid To N. Korea; Millennium Challenge Corporation; Family Planning Conference;
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
AU Summit To Examine Progress Toward Child, Maternal Mortality MDGs When leaders of African states gather for the African Union summit in Kampala, Uganda, in July, they will assess the continent's progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals relating to child and maternal mortality, Isaac Musumba, Uganda's state minister for foreign affairs said M... -
Statement On Passage Of Health Care Reform, USA
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has long been a proponent of comprehensive health care reform and this weeks' enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care for America Act extends health insurance coverage to an additional 32 million Americans... -
Health Reform Legislation Expected To Have Major Benefits For Women
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The health reform law (HR 3590) that President Obama signed Tuesday could have an "especially large" impact on women in the U.S., who make the majority of family health care decisions and generally live longer than men, Forbes Woman reports. According to the Department of Labor, women make an estimated 80% of health care decisions for their families... -
Risk Of Uterine Rupture After Previous Caesarean Section
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
A Norwegian study to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that for women with previous caesarean section, the risk of uterine rupture was 8 times higher after trial of labour (TOL)1 than at repeated elective caesarean section. Induction of labour (using prostaglandins) was associated with the highest risk of uterine rupture... -
Man Flu: Why Men Are The Weaker Sex Where Disease Is Concerned
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Two UK researchers who developed a mathematical model to investigate why men appear to be the weaker sex where disease is concerned suggest there may be good reasons behind the "man flu" of popular imagination: it could be the result of evolution where ability to pursue adventure and be competitive has given them greater survival advantage than building immunity to disease... -
Attitudes About Breastfeeding And Formula Feeding Explains Disparities Among African American Women
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
African American women are less likely to breastfeed their children, in part due to the preconceived attitudes that women have regarding breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, according to a new study from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers... -
How To Choose The Right Baby Bottle And Nipple: Researchers Offer Tips
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 11:00am CDT
A conversation with an expectant mom overwhelmed by the choice of baby bottles and nipples at a store prompted a breastfeeding expert in the US to research the evidence behind manufacturers' claims for their baby products and come up with some tips to help parents make informed choices... -
Strategy For Passing Tanning Bed Legislation
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that when attempting to pass tanning bed legislation, successful advocates collaborate with local and national organizations and lobbyists and have direct contact with the sponsoring legislator to aid in the passage of the bill... -
Social Stigma Faced By Never-Married Women
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
In 2009, approximately 40 percent of adults were single, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In a new study, "I'm a Loser, I'm Not Married, Let's Just All Look at Me," a University of Missouri researcher examined the familial and societal messages given to women who are not married by their mid-30's... -
Blogs Comment On Health Reform Abortion Agreement, Access To Emergency Contraception, Other Topics
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries... -
Menstrual Cramps: New Drug Shows Promise In Early Clinical Trial
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Scientists have described the discovery of a new drug, which is currently in Phase II clinical trials, designed to specifically target the root cause of painful menstrual cramps, not just the symptoms. The condition, called dysmenorrhea, is the leading cause of absenteeism from school and work among women in their teens and 20s... -
IVillage Launches New Women's Health Features
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
iVillage, one of the largest Web sites targeted toward women, last week launched a new health portal "to capitalize on a female penchant for seeking help online for health concerns or questions -- especially those they are too embarrassed to discuss with anyone else," the Wall Street Journal's "Health Blog" reports... -
Link Discovered Between Trans Fats, Increased Endometriosis Risk And Omega-3-Rich Food
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Women whose diets are rich in foods containing Omega-3 oils might be less likely to develop endometriosis, while those whose diets are heavily laden with trans fats might be more likely to develop the debilitating condition, new research suggests... -
Rise In Syphilis Cases, Cuts In HIV/AIDS Funding Concern Philadelphia Public Health Officials
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
In Philadelphia, a 45% increase in syphilis cases last year and steep cuts in state funding for HIV/AIDS are creating challenges for public health workers in the city, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Since 2008, the most recent year for which data are available, Philadelphia's syphilis rates have increased across all groups, according to the Inquirer... -
Sec. Clinton Highlights Water As Diplomatic, Development Opportunity For U.S.
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Marking World Water Day in a speech Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said tackling the world's water problems "represents one of the great diplomatic and development opportunities of our time," Inter Press Service reports... -
Fewer Women Entering Heroin Addiction Treatment - More Successfully Completing Treatment, England
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Far fewer women are entering treatment for heroin addiction and more women are successfully completing treatment for drug dependency than ever before. A detailed study of statistics about women in treatment in England shows a 19 per cent fall in the number of adult females under 30 entering heroin programmes over the last five years - 1,000 fewer female addicts than in 2005... -
New Roche Elecsys Testosterone II Assay Goes One Better Than Conventional Assays With Improved Accuracy And Reduced Interference For Female Sample
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The new Roche Elecsys Testosterone II Assay delivers enhanced accuracy against the Gold Standard ID-GC/MS methods for female samples (ref1) (in the range of 0.025-1.5 ng/ml)... -
Lloydspharmacy Reveals Young Women Becoming More Sexually Active, UK
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
According to new figures released by the sexual health team at Lloydspharmacy*, today's women have three times more sexual partners by the time they reach 24 than women of their grandmothers' generation had by the same age. The sexual health team's results show that young women today have an average of 5.65 different sexual partners by the time they are 24... -
A Book That Explains Women (and Medications)
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 1:00pm CDT
Just as diseases affect women and men differently, so do drugs. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has just released first pharmacotherapy reference to focus on women's health. Women's Health Across the Lifespan:A Pharmacotherapeutic Approach is the first reference that explains how the differences between the sexes can affect treatment for women of all ages... -
In Postmenopausal Women Height Loss May Indicate Spinal Fracture
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Loss of height in postmenopausal women may indicate a vertebral fracture, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Height loss is common as people age and is associated with back pain. Causes include changes in the curvature of the spine, narrowing of intervertebral discs and vertebral fractures. Two-thirds of adults have back pain at any time... -
Mothers Display A Decrease In Suicide-Related Mortality
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Motherhood appears to protect against suicide, with increasing numbers of children associated with decreasing rates of death from suicide, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)... -
Amnesty International Urges Congress To Turn Attention To Needed Reforms On Maternal And Childbirth Care
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Now that health insurance reform legislation has passed, President Obama and Congress must urgently turn their attention to ensuring quality maternal care for every American woman to reduce rising deaths and complications during pregnancy and childbirth, Amnesty International said... -
Women Bear Care Giving Responsibility In Cases Of Dependency In Spain
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Women are the main caregivers for the elderly in 80 percent of the cases, according to a study by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). The average age of the caregiver is around 50. The main conclusion of this research is that in spite of the noteworthy advances of recent decades, women continue to be the main caregivers for minors as well as for the elderly, disabled or the sick... -
A Historical Record Of Obstetrics - An Exhibition Of The Roy Dobbin Collection - Royal College Of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) library is exhibiting its most valuable collection of antiquarian books for a limited time period. These rare books were acquired by the College in 1935. The collection was previously owned by Roy Dobbin, Foundation Fellow of the then British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists... -
When 'That Time Of The Month' Becomes Too Much To Bear
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 8:00am CDT
For some women, the arrival of 'that time of the month' means relative discomfort for a short time. For others, however, it's far worse. Excessive menstrual bleeding (known as menorrhagia) is a common disorder that has a severe impact on women's physical health and well-being... -
Blogs Comment On Catholic Split Over Health Reform Abortion Issues, Other Topics
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 4:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ Columnists Gerson, Marcus Debate Abortion Language in House, Senate Reform Bills, Washington Post's "PostPartisan": In recent blog posts, Washington Post columnists Michael Gerson and Ruth Marcus debated their differences in interpreting abortion-related language in the Senate bill (HR 3590) and House bill (HR 3962)... -
American Roentgen Ray Society 2010 Annual Meeting
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 4:00am CDT
The American Roentgen Ray Society will hold its annual scientific meeting, May 2-7, 2010, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA... -
Backers Of Colo. 'Personhood' Amendment Secure Signatures For Ballot Proposal
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Abortion-rights opponents in Colorado on Thursday said they have enough voter signatures to a put an "abortion-ending" proposal on the ballot this fall asking whether the state constitution should be amended to grant human rights to fetuses, the AP/Boston Globe reports. Colorado voters "soundly rejected" a similar ballot measure in 2008, according to the AP/Globe... -
Stricter Enforcement Of South Korean Abortion Laws Limits Access For Many Women
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
South Korea has experienced a dramatic shift toward increased government enforcement of antiabortion laws, which has limited the number of ob-gyns who are willing to perform abortions and significantly increased the cost of the procedure, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. In 1953, South Korea outlawed abortion except in cases of rape, incest or severe genetic disorders... -
Canadian Prime Minister Says He's Open To Including Contraception In G8 Plan For Improving Maternal, Child Health
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
"Facing a squall of condemnation from aid groups and opposition politicians," following statements by Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon that Canada's G8 maternal and child health initiative would not include family planning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper "disavowed his foreign minister Thursday, promising that the federal government would include contraception programs ... -
Videos Discuss Health Reform Abortion Debate, Maternal Health Efforts
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Maddow Tracks Reform Developments: MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Thursday discussed Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) continued opposition to the Senate health reform bill's abortion language, despite support for the bill from Catholic nuns and some antiabortion-right lawmakers... -
What Is Date Rape? What Is Drink Spiking?
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Date rape means the rape of a person by an acquaintance; the rapist is usually a woman's date or escort and is usually male. A date rape drug, also known as a predator drug is any drug that is used to assist in carrying out a sexual assault, such as date rape. Such drugs may have sedative, hypnotic, dissociative and/or amnesiac effects... -
Research!America Advocacy Award Honours March Of Dimes
Posted: March 20th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
March of Dimes was honored March 16, 2010, at the 14th Annual Research!America Advocacy Awards event at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. Jennifer L. Howse, PhD, March of Dimes president, and Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter of March of Dimes founder President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, accepted the award... -
Women Who Witness Sexism May View All Men More Negatively
Posted: March 20th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
For every woman who is a direct target of sexism, there are others who witness the event and are also affected. The actions of one sexist man affect how female bystanders feel and behave towards men in general... -
Survey Results Raise Concerns About Women's Perceptions On Risks Associated With Elective Deliveries
Posted: March 20th, 2010, 12:00am CDT
Results of a national survey point to a greater need to educate women on the risks associated with early elective cesarean sections and labor inductions. A recent survey by UnitedHealthcare of first-time mothers found more than half the respondents believe it is safe to deliver their baby before 37 weeks' gestation even if not required because of a medical complication... -
Also In Global Health News: Drought In S. China; Images Of TB; Kenya's Population Growth, Poverty; Sanitation Problems In Cambodia; Drug Development
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Over 20M In S. China Face Water Shortages Due To Drought Chinese state media on Thursday reported regions of southern China "are suffering from the worst drought in decades, leaving millions of people with inadequate water and huge areas of farmland too dry to plant," the Associated Press reports... -
Videos Discuss Health Reform Abortion Debate, Maternal Health Efforts
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Maddow Tracks Reform Developments: MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Thursday discussed Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) continued opposition to the Senate health reform bill's abortion language, despite support for the bill from Catholic nuns and some antiabortion-right lawmakers... -
Va. Infertility Clinic Sparks Ethics Debate Over Donor Eggs
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
A Virginia infertility clinic incited debate on Wednesday by sponsoring a contest at a London seminar in which the prize was a no-cost cycle of in vitro fertilization using eggs from a U.S. woman, the Washington Post reports. The seminar, hosted by the Genetics & IVF Institute, sought to entice British women to seek donor eggs in the U.S. (Stein, Washington Post, 3/18)... -
Cancer Prevention Institute Of California Study Of Breast Cancer In Asian American Women Reveals Rising Occurrences
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Research scientists from the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) released the results of a study of breast cancer in Asian women which examined their cancer rates by ethnicity, age and immigrant status. The findings challenge the notion that breast cancer rates are uniformly low across the population of Asian women and indicate rising rates of occurrences in specific ethnic groups... -
New Chemotherapy Combination Shows Promise In Endometrial Cancer
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report that in a small study of women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, gemcitabine and cisplatin, when used in combination, produced a response rate in fifty percent of patients. Jubilee Brown, M.D., associate professor in M. D... -
Family Planning Will Not Be Included In Canada's G8 Maternal Health Initiative, Foreign Minister Says
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
"Canada's 'signature' initiative at June's G8 summit - a strategy to improve the health of mothers and young children in poor countries" will not include family planning programs, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said on Tuesday, the Globe and Mail reports. Cannon said the initiative "does not deal in any way, shape or form with family planning... -
Mum Has An Eating Disorder
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
They would love to be perfect mothers. Instead, they feel ashamed and inadequate, and fearful that their children might inherit their eating difficulties. Imagine an ordinary Norwegian home, where Mum is having dinner with her three-year-old son... -
Opinion Pieces Examine How Health Reform Affects Coverage For Women's Services
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The American Prospect, Boston Globe and Washington Post recently published opinion pieces and an editorial discussing how health reform legislation would affect health insurance coverage for abortion, prenatal care and other services that affect women... -
March Is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - No. 3 Killer Of Women Is Preventable, Treatable, And Beatable
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reminds ob-gyns and women that the best defense against colorectal cancer-the third leading cause of cancer death among women in the US-is getting screened... -
Women Taking Birth Control Pill Likely To Live Longer, Reduce Risk Of Certain Cancers, Study Finds
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
Women who take the birth control pill are more likely to live longer than women who have never taken the pill, according to a study published Friday in the British medical journal BMJ, the AP/Boston Globe reports. Researchers in the United Kingdom followed more than 46,000 women who took the pill and then compared the mortality rate of those women with women who did not take birth control pills... -
Kotex Campaign Parodies Typical Menstrual Product Advertising
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
In an effort to part from typically "euphemistic" advertisements for feminine products, Kotex has launched a marketing campaign for its new "U by Kotex" line that parodies conventional menstrual product ads, the New York Times reports... -
NPR Examines CDC Report On Genital Herpes, Black Community
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Friday examined a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis showing that roughly 16% of U.S. residents ages 14 through 49 are infected with genital herpes, making it one of the nation's most common sexually transmitted infections... -
HPV Vaccine Also Protects Females From Post-Surgical Cancer Recurrence
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
A vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer also may protect females from post-surgical recurrence of the disease, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)... -
Pelvic Pain And Surgeries In Women Before Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome - Chronic Pelvic Pain, BPS And Pelvic Surgical Procedures
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
UroToday.com - For years, bladder pain syndrome series have reported apparently high numbers of BPS patients with a history of hysterectomy and other pelvic surgeries. No study has compared cases with controls prior to onset of BPS symptoms... -
Why Do Sexually Experienced Girls Resume Sexual Activity After Abstinence?
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
An Indiana University School of Medicine study provides a better understanding of why sexually experienced girls resume sexual activity after periods of abstinence, information key to dealing with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancy in high school girls and beyond... -
What Is Hirsutism (Excessive Hairiness)? What Causes Hirsutism?
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Hirsutism (from the Latin "hirsutus" meaning shaggy, hairy) is a condition of unwanted, male-pattern hair growth in women. It is excessive hairiness on female humans. It may arise from excess male hormones called androgens, the major hormone being testosterone, or it may be due to an ethnic or family trait. The amount of body hair is largely determined by genetic makeup... -
Zapping Uterine Fibroids With Heat From High-energy Sound Waves
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
There's a new interventional radiology tool showing promise in the treatment of uterine fibroids: magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), a minimally invasive treatment that uses high-energy ultrasound waves to generate heat at a specific point to destroy uterine fibroid tissue and relieve symptoms... -
Slate Looks At 'Contraceptive Pioneers' And New Contraceptives In Development
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
After struggling for decades "to win support from the scientific community," contraceptive researchers have "re-established themselves as dedicated to a deserving craft with impressive developments that redefine conventional birth control," according to a Slate opinion piece by Jennifer Austin, a medical school graduate who is beginning an obstetrics and gynecology residency this summer... -
Do We Need New Surgical Techniques To Repair Vesico-Vaginal Fistulas?
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
UroToday.com - Vesicovaginal fistula has been a medical and social problem and remains a surgical challenge, especially when it requires re-operation, presents large size, involves the ureter and is associated with radiotherapy. In this paper, we describe our experience with complex urogenital fistulas... -
Uterine Fibroid Embolization Shows Fertility Rates Comparable To Myomectomy
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure that blocks blood supply to treat painful uterine fibroids, has a comparable fertility rate to myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, for women who want to conceive, according to the first study on the subject released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Sci... -
Mental Function May Be Impaired By Smoking
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Men and women with a history of alcohol abuse may not see long-term negative effects on their memory and thinking, but female smokers do, a new study suggests. In a study of 287 men and women ages 31 to 60, researchers found that those with past alcohol-use disorders performed similarly on standard tests of cognitive function as those with no past drinking problems... -
Clinton Delivers Speech At U.N. Women's Meeting As Conference Closes
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
"Calling the subjugation of women a threat to American security, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary [Rodham] Clinton made a vibrant plea to give equal rights to women around the world," during a speech a the U.N. on Friday, Agence France-Presse reports... -
U.S. Avoids Debate On Abortion At U.N. Women's Conference
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
The U.S. avoided a debate on abortion during a two-week United Nations conference assessing women's rights that ended on Friday, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. In contrast, during the 2005 conference, the Bush administration fought to insert language saying that women did not have a guaranteed right to abortion in the conference's final declaration... -
Amnesty International Report Calls For Efforts To Address U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Maternal deaths in the U.S. have doubled over the last 20 years, according to a new report from Amnesty International that frames the issue "as part of a systematic violation of women's rights," Time reports. The report, titled "Deadly Delivery," found that more than two women die of pregnancy-related causes each day in the U.S. About half of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S... -
VBAC Reasonably Safe, Should Be More Widely Available, NIH Panel Finds
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Vaginal birth after caesarean section is reasonably safe and more women should have access to it, an NIH advisory panel announced on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Roan, Los Angeles Times, 3/11). The VBAC rate has declined from a peak of 28.3% in 1996 to less than 10% currently... -
Blogs Respond To Antiabortion Ads, Use Of Twitter To Describe Abortion, Other Topics
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries... -
Videos Examine Health Reform Abortion Debate, International Women's Day
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Uncertainty Surrounds 'Stupak Dozen': On Wednesday, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow challenged Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) claim that he has about twelve lawmakers who will vote against the Senate health reform bill if it doesn't include more restrictions on abortion coverage... -
More Focus On Reaching MDGs Needed, Development Officials Say
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
During a conference in London Thursday, development officials urged world leaders to "accelerate efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and [said] rich countries must make good on promises to boost aid to poorer nations," Reuters AlertNet reports... -
Recent Releases In Global Health
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Lancet Comment Asks: What's Next For Global Fund? Reflecting on the recent annual report by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a Lancet comment writes, "Two big challenges remain [for the Global Fund]: first, to show, reliably and independently, that the Fund's investments have delivered the benefits that it claims; and second, on the basis o... -
UVA Signs Research Collaboration With Merck & Co., Inc To Discover Women's Reproductive Health Drugs
Posted: March 14th, 2010, 1:00am CST
The University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) to discover novel drugs for women's reproductive health... -
Are Cities Designed For Women? Penn-ICOWHI Conference Examines Urban Women's Health
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 4:00am CST
Women comprise more than half the population of the nation's cities, are three times as likely as their male counterparts to live alone after the age of 65, and are primary caregivers for their families at all ages and stages of life... -
Free Hormonal Contraception Halved Termination Rate
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 3:00am CST
3500 20- to 24-year-old women from Tromsø and Hamar in Norway were offered free hormonal contraception for a year. The result was that the abortion rate in the trial cities was halved... -
Strong Period Pain And Excess Weight In Childhood Increase Risk Of Endometriosis
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) scientists have identified a new link between strong period pain experienced in adolescence and early adulthood and the risk of endometriosis. Researchers from QIMR's Gynaecological Cancer Laboratory have found having strong period pain often at an early age doubles a woman's risk of developing endometriosis... -
Weight-Bearing Exercise Does Not Prevent Increased Bone Turnover During Weight Loss, MU Researchers Find
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 2:00am CST
While there are many benefits of losing weight, weight reduction also might negatively affect bones in the body. During weight loss, bones are being remodeled - breaking down old bone and forming new bone - at an accelerated rate. As a result, bone density is reduced, causing increased fragility... -
Opinions: Haiti Corruption; Financial Sector Tax, G8 Promises; Investing In Women
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Preval's Response To Corruption Queries Is 'A Public Relations Debacle' A Washington Post editorial reflects on Haitian President Rene Preval's response to U.S... -
Newsweek Examines Role Of New Female Condom In Efforts To Combat Spread Of HIV In D.C.
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 5:00am CST
Women's health experts are watching closely to see whether a recent grant to provide no-cost female condoms in Washington, D.C., will "really make a difference" in the area's HIV/AIDS rate among women, Newsweek's Kate Dailey writes. The goal of the program is to empower women to take control of their own health and safety... -
Weighing Parents' Preferences And Risk Factors When Choosing Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Or Plan A Repeat Cesarean
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 2:00am CST
An independent panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health confronted a troubling fact that pregnant women currently have limited access to clinicians and facilities able and willing to offer a trial of labor after previous cesarean delivery because of so-called VBAC bans. Many, even those at low risk for complications in a trial of labor, are not offered this option... -
The American College Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists Supports Women's Access To Universal Health Care
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 7:00am CST
During Cover the Uninsured Week, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reiterates its position that all women should be guaranteed a package of essential benefits that includes primary and preventive care, pregnancy-related and infant care, medically and surgically necessary services, prescription drugs, and catastrophic care... -
CDC Analysis Shows Genital Herpes Rates Remain High
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Roughly 16% of U.S. residents ages 14 through 49 are infected with genital herpes, making it one of the nation's most common sexually transmitted infections, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis released on Tuesday, Reuters reports. CDC noted that infection rates for the lifelong and incurable infection varied by gender and race. Twenty-one percent of U.S... -
U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Increases Over Last Decade
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 6:00am CST
The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. appears to have risen over the past 10 years, reaching a rate that is four times higher than the federal government's 2010 goal, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. In 2006, the last year for which nationwide data are available, about 13.3 maternal deaths occurred for every 100,000 live births, compared with around seven deaths per 100,000 births one decade before... -
Men's 'Barbarity' Should Not Be Used To Justify Mistreatment Of Women, Opinion Piece Argues
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 6:00am CST
"'Feminism' is a loaded word in the United States," but the "simple fact is that 'the feminists' are absolutely right when it comes to the treatment of women in much of the developing world," Los Angeles Times columnist Jonah Goldberg writes... -
Women Who Drink Moderately Appear To Gain Less Weight Than Non-Drinkers
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 4:00am CST
Normal-weight women who drink a light to moderate amount of alcohol appear to gain less weight and have a lower risk of becoming overweight and obese than non-drinkers, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. More than half of American adults drink alcoholic beverages, according to background information in the article... -
Risk-Free Treatment For Low Female Sexual Desire
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 2:00am CST
According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, people who engage in regular sexual activity gain several health benefits, such as longer lives, healthier hearts, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of breast cancer. However, approximately 33 percent of women may not receive these benefits due to low sexual desire... -
Questioning The Benefits Of Elective Removal Of Ovaries During Hysterectomy: Evidence Suggests Procedure May Do More Harm Than Good
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 7:00am CST
Removal of the ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) while performing a hysterectomy is common practice to prevent the subsequent development of ovarian cancer. This prophylactic procedure is performed in 55 percent of all US women having a hysterectomy, or approximately 300,000 times each year... -
Low-Income Women Living In Small Cities Have Higher Chance Of Obesity
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 7:00am CST
A recent Kansas State University study found that the availability of supermarkets -- rather than the lack of them -- increased the risk of obesity for low-income women living in small cities. This suggests that policies to increase healthful eating behaviors might need to be tailored based on geographic location... -
Utah Gov. Signs Revised Bill Allowing Criminal Charges Against Women For Illegal Abortions
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) on Monday signed a bill (HB 462) that would allow prosecutors to bring criminal homicide charges against women who arrange illegal abortions, the Salt Lake Tribune reports (Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, 3/8). An earlier version of the bill (HB 12), sponsored by state Rep... -
New York Times Examines Factors Affecting VBAC Rates As NIH Conference Begins
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
The New York Times on Tuesday examined efforts to increase rates of vaginal births after caesarean sections at the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, a small hospital run by the Navajo Nation and financed partially by the Indian Health Services... -
Obamas, Clinton Commemorate International Women's Day
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
Marking International Women's Day at the White House Monday, President Barack Obama vowed to fight for gender equality at home and abroad, Agence France-Presse reports. The president marked the event with First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, AFP reports... -
Opinions: Don't Slow Fight Against HIV, TB, Malaria; U.S. Focus On Women, Girls
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
2010 To Be 'Decisive Year' For Global Health, Global Fund Director Says In a BusinessDay opinion piece, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Michel Kazatchkine reflects on the organization's progress and impact on global health outcomes since its creation in 2002, as detailed in the organizations' 2010 annual report... -
Blogs Comment On Abortion Coverage In Health Reform, International Women's Day, Other Topics
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 4:00am CST
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Stupak's Abortion Argument: Still More About Class Than Choice": Washington Post's "Ezra Klein": The "practical effect" of Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich... -
Controlled Study Finds Possible Early Warning Signs For Autism Spectrum Disorders Within Families
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 7:00am CST
A new study suggests a trend toward developing hyperactivity among typically developing elementary-school-aged siblings of autistic preschoolers and supports the notion that mothers of young, autistic children experience more depression and stress than mothers with typically developing children... -
Novel Program Translates Behavioral And Social Science Research Into Treatments To Reduce Obesity
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 7:00am CST
Under a $7.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Rush University Medical Center is developing a novel program, called WISHFIT, to help pre-menopausal women reduce visceral fat through a sustained increase in physical activity and reduction in stress... -
Washington, D.C., To Become First U.S. City To Distribute Free Female Condoms
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Washington, D.C., soon will become the first city in the U.S. to distribute female condoms at no charge, the Washington Post reports... -
Sex Education, Contraception Key To Lowering Abortion Rate Among Blacks, Guttmacher CEO Writes
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 6:00am CST
In a New York Times letter to the editor published on Monday, Guttmacher Institute President and Chief Executive Sharon Camp calls for the U.S. to "get serious about providing better health care and more educational and economic opportunities for black women... -
Unequal Health Care, Neglect, And Sex-Selective Infanticide, Abortion Lead To Large Gender Gap In Asia, Report Finds
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 6:00am CST
"Nearly 100 million women across Asia have 'disappeared' because of a huge and growing gender gap that has fatally deprived them of access to health care and food and has led to widespread abortions of female fetuses, according to a U.N. report released Monday," the Associated Press reports. The U.N... -
Politico Opinion Pieces Argue For U.S. Investment In Global Women's Issues
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 5:00am CST
On International Women's Day, Politico published two opinion pieces discussing the benefits of U.S. aid to support women overseas. ~ Dana Perino, Politico: "Empowering one woman is an investment in the future of families and countries," Perino -- a former press secretary to President George W. Bush -- writes in an opinion piece discussing her work with Women ONE2ONE in Africa... -
Light To Moderate Drinking Linked To Less Weight Gain In Middle Aged Women
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
A new study from the US found that normal weight women in their 40s and older who drank a light to moderate amount of alcohol gained less weight and had a lower risk of becoming obese and overweight compared to their non-drinking counterparts... -
Washington Post Opinion Piece Draws Attention To Breast Ironing In Cameroon
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
In a Washington Post opinion piece on Sunday, freelance writer Jamie Rich examined the Cameroonian practice of breast ironing, in which women use heated plantain leaves or hot stones to "flatten adolescent girls' developing breasts, intending to protect the girls from the dangers of sex, consensual or otherwise... -
Global Fund Releases Latest Impact Data, Projections For Improving Global Health In Next Decade
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
By 2015, mother-to-child HIV transmission will be virtually eliminated and deaths from malaria and tuberculosis will continue to decline if health investments for the diseases are maintained or scaled up, according to an annual results report published Monday by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Agence France-Presse/Africasia.com reports (3/8)... -
Women's Group Support Can Improve Birth Outcomes
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Community support groups can reduce neonatal mortality, and lower rates of maternal depression-provided that the population coverage is wide enough and the programmes are appropriately designed. These are the conclusions of two Articles, published Online First in The Lancet. Participatory women's groups have shown promise in trials in Nepal, reducing neonatal mortality by about one-third... -
What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)? What Are The Benefits And Risks Of Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Hormone replacement therapy, commonly known as HRT is a treatment used to replace hormones that the body is no longer producing because of the menopause. The hormones that need replacing are estrogen and progesterone. The therapy is based on the notion that the treatment may prevent discomfort caused by diminished circulating estrogen and progesterone hormones... -
Equal Rights And Opportunities For Women And Girls Essential For Better Health
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 11:00am CST
Today, on International Women's Day, the world reflects on how to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and girls. Everyone must fight against discrimination and inequalities that compromise the health of women and girls around the world... -
Women's Support Groups Make Dramatic Improvements On Neonatal Survival Rates
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Women's community groups have had a dramatic effect on reducing neonatal mortality rates in some of the poorest areas on India, according to a study published in the journal the Lancet. The groups provide a cost-effective intervention with added benefits such as reducing significantly maternal depression and improving decision-making amongst the women... -
Statement By UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman On International Women's Day
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 5:00am CST
"Last week in Guatemala I visited a UNICEF centre that houses girls as young as thirteen who have been rescued from brothels. The stories of suffering are simply unimaginable -- horrific situations of rape, prostitution, torture and lost innocence... -
Minn. Legislature Considers 'Abstinence-Plus' Sex Education Bill
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 3:00am CST
A bill (SF 2645) in the Minnesota Legislature would require each school district to create an "abstinence-first" sex education curriculum with "age-appropriate" lessons on human sexuality and information about condoms and other contraceptives, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports... -
Recent Releases In Global Health
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 3:00am CST
WHO Bulletin Examines Communicable Diseases In Southeast Asia The WHO's March Bulletin is a special themed issue focusing on communicable diseases in Southeast Asia. The publication addresses tuberculosis, cholera, neglected tropical diseases and family planning in the region (March 2010)... -
Women Community Support Groups Can Reduce Neonatal Mortality
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Two articles published Online First in The Lancet report that community support groups can reduce neonatal mortality. In addition, they can lower rates of maternal depression, provided that the population coverage is wide enough and the programs are suitably designed. In trials in Nepal, participatory women's groups have shown promise. Neonatal mortality was reduced by about one-third... -
U.N. Secretary-General, CSW Mark International Women's Day
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:00am CST
"U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked International Women's Day Wednesday calling for gender equality and the empowerment of women, saying that until women and girls are liberated from poverty and injustice; peace, security and sustainable development stand in jeopardy," VOA News reports. Though the international community will officially mark the occasion next Monday, the U.N... -
Also In Global Health News: HIV In Philippines; Birth Control, Child Health In Afghanistan; Guatemala's Progress On MDGs
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:00am CST
Philippines' Health Secretary Seeks To Boost Condom Distribution After Increase In HIV Diagnoses The Philippines' Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral on Thursday announced she would seek additional public funds to support the distribution of condoms among high-risk groups, after the country recorded 143 new cases of HIV in January - its highest number of diagnoses i... -
Colo., 'Personhood' Measure Fails To Qualify For Ballot; Colo., Wyo., Finalize Bills On Violence Against Pregnant Women
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 7:00am CST
The following summarizes recent action in Colorado and Wyoming related to a "personhood" initiative and bills addressing crimes against pregnant women... -
Editorial Criticizes Idaho Bill To Increase 'Conscience' Protections For Health Care Workers
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 7:00am CST
"Last week, 21 Idaho senators injected themselves into private, painful decisions about conception, abortion and euthanasia" by advancing a bill (SB 1353) that would shield health care professionals from liability if they "decline to provide services that violate their conscience," an Idaho Statesman editorial states... -
Individual Counseling, Religious Support Increase Contraceptive Use In Afghanistan, WHO Study Finds
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 7:00am CST
Birth control use in three rural areas of Afghanistan increased over an eight-month period after health workers explained the benefits of contraception in individual counseling sessions, according to a report published Monday in the World Health Organization's journal Bulletin, the AP/Yahoo! News reports... -
Uzbek Groups Renew Allegations Of Government-Ordered Sterilizations
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 7:00am CST
The Uzbek human rights group Najot and the Expert Working Group, an independent Uzbek think tank, alleged this week that Uzbekistan's Health Ministry has instructed government doctors to perform hysterectomies on women to help control the nation's population, the AP/Google reports... -
Dermatologists Can Help Women Win The Fight Against Common Forms Of Hair Loss
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 6:00am CST
For many women, unexplained hair loss can take a significant psychological toll on their overall quality of life. From altering their hairstyle to hide a thinning part to scaling back their hair care regimen in an effort to halt further hair loss, women try countless ways to cover up this problem and the results are often lukewarm at best... -
New York Times Analyzes Ford's Decision Not To Challenge Gillibrand For N.Y. Senate Seat
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
The New York Times on Tuesday examined how former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) came to concede that a campaign against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary "would be a brutal fight dominated by endless debates about when he began paying taxes as a New Yorker and the sincerity of his support for gay marriage and abortion rights... -
UNAIDS Launches Plan To Address Gender Equality, HIV/AIDS
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
UNAIDS on Tuesday launched a five-year initiative to help tackle gender inequalities and human rights violations that increase the vulnerability of women worldwide to HIV/AIDS, BBC reports (3/3)... -
Pelosi Signals Openness To Senate Language On Abortion Coverage In Health Reform Bill
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 7:00am CST
In a press conference Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) signaled that House Democrats might be willing to accept the Senate's language on abortion coverage and health insurance for immigrants, Roll Call reports... -
Drop In Calif. Teen Births Shows Effectiveness Of State's 'Enlightened Approach' To Pregnancy Prevention, Editorial Says
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 7:00am CST
California governors of the past two decades "deserve praise for funding a wide array of programs aimed at combating teen births," a Sacramento Bee editorial states. The editorial notes that California is "bucking a national trend" of rising teen births. The number of births to California teens ages 15 through 19 dropped to 35.2 per 1,000 teens in 2008, down from 37... -
Women Face VA Obstacles In Treatment For War Disorders
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 7:00am CST
Women are saying they face roadblocks to care when they seek treatment at Veterans Affairs hospitals, even as they return in record numbers from battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, ABC News reports... -
Women More Affected Than Men By Air Pollution When Running Marathons
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 3:00am CST
Poor air quality apparently affects the running times of women in marathons, according to a study by Virginia Tech civil and environmental engineer Linsey Marr. Marr's findings come from a comprehensive study that evaluated marathon race results, weather data, and air pollutant concentrations in seven marathons over a period of eight to 28 years... -
Mother's Milk Turns On The Heat
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 2:00am CST
In newborn mice, at least, mother's milk appears to have some rather immediate and potentially far-reaching metabolic consequences. The milk intake kick-starts the liver to produce a molecule that then turns on heat-generating brown fat... -
ABC News Examines Potential Impact Of Utah Bill To Prosecute Women For Illegal Abortions
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
A bill (HB 12) recently approved by the Utah Legislature that would permit criminal charges against women who seek an illegal abortion "may have opened a loophole" allowing women to be charged with murder if they experience a miscarriage because of "reckless behavior," ABC News reports... -
U.N. Meeting Examines Progress, Challenges In Achieving Women's Empowerment
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
Despite gains in women's rights in the 15 years since the Beijing Declaration, U.N. Female Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro on Monday during the opening of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting acknowledged more action is needed to help countries advance gender equality and women's empowerment, VOA News reports... -
Opinions: Chile's Preparedness; Evangelical Christians; 'Locavorism'
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
Free Economies Essential For Disaster Preparedness The earthquake in Chile "was the fifth biggest ever measured, and several hundred times larger than the one that killed more than 220,000 in Haiti," according to a Wall Street Journal editorial. The editorial highlights Chile's preparation for earthquakes, including stricter building codes... -
World-Renowned Radiologist Speaks Out On The Over-Use, Radiation Exposure, And Expense Of CTs Ordered For Women With Acute Pelvic Conditions
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 4:00am CST
In a bold, eye-opening editorial in the March 2010 issue of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Harvard Professor, Beryl Benacerraf, MD, urges the medical community to use ultrasound instead of Computed Tomography (CT) as the first-line imaging test for better diagnosis capability in the evaluation of acute female pelvic and lower abdominal conditions... -
Only The Beautiful Need Apply
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 4:00am CST
New study flags damaging effect of joining a sorority on body image and eating behaviors. Undergraduate women who join a sorority* are more likely to judge their own bodies from an outsider's perspective (known as self-objectification) and display higher levels of bulimic attitudes and behaviors than those who do not take part in the sorority's recruitment process... -
Unique Program Helps New Moms Cut Down On Babies' Exposure To Second-Hand Smoke
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 2:00am CST
In underserved areas like North Philadelphia, existing research shows a nearly 10 percent higher smoking rate than in the general population, with a lower quit rate to boot. The consequences of this public health problem are magnified for new mothers that smoke, as they also expose their babies to the ill effects of second-hand smoke... -
Breast Cancer: Minimizing Delay Between Surgery And Radiotherapy Improves Outcomes
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 2:00am CST
A study published on bmj.com today reports that the longer women wait for radiotherapy after breast cancer surgery, the more chance there is of local recurrence. Starting radiotherapy as soon as possible will minimize this risk according to the authors. The reasonable generally accepted interval between cancer surgery and radiotherapy is four to six weeks... -
Different Fat Types Can Help Or Hinder Obese Girls' Bone Health
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 6:00am CST
According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), obese teenage girls with a greater ratio of visceral fat (fat around internal organs) to subcutaneous fat (fat found just beneath the skin) are likely to have lower bone density than peers with a lower ratio of visceral to subcutaneous fat... -
Joint Chiefs Chair Visits Haiti To Examine Aid Response
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 5:00am CST
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen, who is President Barack Obama's top military adviser, visited Haiti over the weekend to examine relief and rebuilding efforts and meet with local leaders, Agence France-Presse reports. It was his first visit to the country after the earthquake, according to AFP... -
Two-Week U.N. Meeting On Gender Equality Kicks Off Monday
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 5:00am CST
Ahead of the two-week U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which kicks off Monday in New York, Inter Press Service features a Q&A with Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, executive director of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), who highlights some of the goals of the meeting... -
Utah Gov. Considers Bill To Allow Prosecution Of Women Who Seek Illegal Abortions
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 3:00am CST
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) is reviewing details of a bill (HB 12) that would allow criminal charges against women who seek illegal abortions, including self-inflicted attempts to end a pregnancy, with penalties of up to life in prison, the New York Times reports. The bill was approved 59-12 by the state House and 24-4 by the state Senate... -
Women's Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked To Cataracts; Smoking May Raise Uveitis Risk
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 3:00am CST
Intriguing findings on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cataract risk, and on smoking and uveitis risk are reported in this month's Ophthalmology,the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology... -
Women Need Clot-Busting Therapy After Stroke
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 2:00am CST
New research shows women who don't receive a clot-busting drug after a stroke fare worse than men who are not treated. The study is published in the March 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Women need to be treated for stroke as soon as possible," said study author Michael D... -
Videos Comment On Stupak Amendment, Antiabortion Billboards, Va. Del. Marshall
Posted: March 1st, 2010, 3:00am CST
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos... -
Blogs Comment On State Antiabortion Bills, Health Reform Summit, Other Topics
Posted: March 1st, 2010, 2:00am CST
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Making Miscarriage Murder," Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon's "Broadsheet": A Utah bill (HB 12) awaiting action from Gov. Gary Herbert (R) "could criminalize miscarriage," according to Williams...