Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue, which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don't produce enough milk, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.
Researchers believe their findings, although only demonstrated in mice at this point, begin to address an area of health that impacts millions of women but has received little attention in the laboratory, said corresponding author B. Paige Lawrence, Ph.D., associate professor of Environmental Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology at URMC.
"Estimates are that three to six million mothers worldwide are either unable to initiate breastfeeding or are unable to produce enough milk to nourish their infants," Lawrence said. "But the cause of this problem is unclear, though it has been suggested that environmental contaminants might play a role. We showed definitively that a known and abundant pollutant has an adverse effect on the way mammary glands develop during pregnancy."
Dioxins are generated mostly by the incineration of municipal and medical waste, especially certain plastics. Most people are exposed through diet. Dioxins get into the food supply when air emissions settle on farm fields and where livestock graze. Fish also ingest dioxins and related pollutants from contaminated waters. When humans take in dioxin - most often through meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish - the toxin settles in fatty tissues; natural elimination takes place very slowly. The typical human exposure is a daily low dose, which has been linked to possible impairment of the immune system and developing organs.
In 2004 Lawrence's laboratory made the novel discovery that dioxin impairs the normal development of mammary glands during pregnancy. However, the underlying mechanisms were unclear, as was the extent of injury and whether exposure during certain stages of pregnancy had more or less of an impact on milk production.
This week, in an online report in Toxicological Sciences, researchers showed that dioxin has a profound effect on breast tissue by causing mammary cells to stop their natural cycle of proliferation as early as six days into pregnancy, and lasting through mid-pregnancy. In tissue samples from mice, exposure to dioxin caused a 50-percent decrease in new epithelial cells. This is important, Lawrence said, because mammary glands have a high rate of cell proliferation, especially during early to mid-pregnancy when the most rapid development of the mammary gland occurs.
Researchers also found that dioxin altered the induction of milk-producing genes, which occurs around the ninth day of pregnancy, and decreased the number of ductal branches and mature lobules in the mammary tissue.
The timing of dioxin exposure also seemed to be significant, the study noted. For example, when exposure occurs very early in pregnancy but not later, lab experiments showed that sometimes the mammary glands can partially recover from the cellular injury. However, although it is important to understand timing of exposure for research purposes, it is irrelevant for humans, who cannot really control their exposure to dioxins, Lawrence said.
"Our goal is not to find a safe window of exposure for humans, but to better understand how dioxins affect our health," she said. "The best thing people who are concerned about this can do is think about what you eat and where your food comes from. We're not suggesting that we all become vegans -- but we hope this study raises awareness about how our food sources can increase the burden of pollutants in the body. Unfortunately, we have very little control over this, except perhaps through the legislative process."
Much of Lawrence's research focuses on a transcription factor known as aryl hydrocarbon receptor, or AhR.When pollutants enter the body they bind to AhR, which then turns on certain genes responsible for detoxification. By using dioxin to activate AhR, researchers have learned that dioxin impairs the ability to fight off infection. The link between dioxin and the immune system is still being studied, but meanwhile researchers looked further at the mammary tissue after observing coincidentally that cells involved in milk production were sustaining so much damage that rodents could not nourish their offspring.
The next step is to understand what controls the differentiation process. An important question to answer, Lawrence said, is whether the toxic harm is occurring directly in the breast, or if it occurs throughout the entire body but has a unique manifestation in the fatty mammary tissue.
The URMC research group is also studying a possible connection between dioxin and breast cancer.Their hypothesis is that dioxin exposure in some people might cancel the general protection that pregnancy has on breast tissue against breast cancer.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the URMC Environmental Health Sciences Center, as well as the Art BeCAUSE Foundation of Boston, which funds breast-cancer related research.
Source:
Leslie Orr
University of Rochester Medical Center
четверг, 29 декабря 2011 г.
четверг, 22 декабря 2011 г.
What Women Need To Know: Getting The Facts About Women And Heart Disease
Many women don't worry about heart disease, or if they do, they are concerned it's something the men in their lives might develop. But that attitude is a mistake.
While it's true that estrogen gives women some protection against the disease, at least until menopause, heart disease is still the leading killer of American women. Here's what women should watch for.
Keep heart disease at bay. First, because the disease is so prevalent, prevention is the key. Two major risk factors obesity and smoking are in your control. Padma Uppalapati, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, says that women sometimes develop a cluster of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, polycystic ovarian disease and depression that are linked with a high risk of heart disease. And while smoking is a risk factor for both men and women, it seems to affect women differently, she says.
Watch and test. Dr. Uppalapati recommends that all women at high risk for heart disease be tested, even if they don't have any symptoms. That's because symptoms in women can be more subtle than in men. "Women may have shortness of breath, feel tired, and maybe just have neck, jaw or upper back pain," she explains. "It's so common to hear women say, 'I'm just not feeling well,' with no additional symptoms."
Search for signs. In women, a stress test with an EKG has a higher rate of false positives than in men, Dr. Uppalapati says. She recommends combining a stress test with an ultrasound, which can check for other heart problems such as mitral valve prolapse. She notes that with a good image from an ultrasound you shouldn't need a nuclear scan, which sometimes returns a false positive in women due to a breast shadow.
Time to treat. Dr. Uppalapati warns that because women's symptoms can be mild, they often postpone seeking treatment. Women need to get to the hospital early so the blockage can be cleared. "Time is extremely crucial," she says. "It's very important to get in early. Once women have angioplasty or bypass surgery they can do fine."
Here are five ways women can lower their risk of heart disease:
1. Maintain a healthy weight.
2. Eat a balanced diet that helps keep cholesterol levels under control.
3. Exercise.
4. Don't smoke.
5. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy.
For more information about Baylor Medical Center at Irving, visit BaylorHealth.
Baylor Health Care System
2001 Bryan St., Ste. 2200
Dallas, TX 75201
United States
BaylorHealth
While it's true that estrogen gives women some protection against the disease, at least until menopause, heart disease is still the leading killer of American women. Here's what women should watch for.
Keep heart disease at bay. First, because the disease is so prevalent, prevention is the key. Two major risk factors obesity and smoking are in your control. Padma Uppalapati, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, says that women sometimes develop a cluster of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, polycystic ovarian disease and depression that are linked with a high risk of heart disease. And while smoking is a risk factor for both men and women, it seems to affect women differently, she says.
Watch and test. Dr. Uppalapati recommends that all women at high risk for heart disease be tested, even if they don't have any symptoms. That's because symptoms in women can be more subtle than in men. "Women may have shortness of breath, feel tired, and maybe just have neck, jaw or upper back pain," she explains. "It's so common to hear women say, 'I'm just not feeling well,' with no additional symptoms."
Search for signs. In women, a stress test with an EKG has a higher rate of false positives than in men, Dr. Uppalapati says. She recommends combining a stress test with an ultrasound, which can check for other heart problems such as mitral valve prolapse. She notes that with a good image from an ultrasound you shouldn't need a nuclear scan, which sometimes returns a false positive in women due to a breast shadow.
Time to treat. Dr. Uppalapati warns that because women's symptoms can be mild, they often postpone seeking treatment. Women need to get to the hospital early so the blockage can be cleared. "Time is extremely crucial," she says. "It's very important to get in early. Once women have angioplasty or bypass surgery they can do fine."
Here are five ways women can lower their risk of heart disease:
1. Maintain a healthy weight.
2. Eat a balanced diet that helps keep cholesterol levels under control.
3. Exercise.
4. Don't smoke.
5. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy.
For more information about Baylor Medical Center at Irving, visit BaylorHealth.
Baylor Health Care System
2001 Bryan St., Ste. 2200
Dallas, TX 75201
United States
BaylorHealth
четверг, 15 декабря 2011 г.
Gynecologic Cancer Patients Should Consider Clinical Trials
For the estimated 83,000 women who will be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer in 2010, participation in clinical trials offers an opportunity both to ensure that future patients benefit from the most up-to-date treatments and increased survival rates and to potentially improve the health of current patients. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the efforts to raise awareness about gynecologic cancers and participation in clinical trials-a main focus of this year's Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM) in September.
Gynecologic cancers originate in the female reproductive organs including the cervix, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, and vulva. "Raising awareness of gynecologic cancers is extremely important because every woman is at risk," said Richard Waldman, MD, president of The College. "As ob-gyns, we have a responsibility to educate our patients about the very real threat of these cancers, which will kill approximately 28,000 women in the US this year alone."
In addition to raising general awareness of gynecologic cancers, this year's GCAM highlights the critical role of clinical trials in the prevention and treatment of disease. These trials are a key step in the discovery process that leads to the development of new therapies and advances in medicine.
Women who participate in clinical trials make an extremely valuable contribution to scientific knowledge. They also may gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available and can benefit from having their health closely monitored on an ongoing basis. They often have easy access to the clinical trial team, obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities, and are able to raise questions and concerns during treatment. Some women who participate in a clinical trial report feeling empowered because they are taking an active role in decisions regarding their health. It can also be a way of paying-it-forward and helping those who will struggle with that disease in the future.
Despite the importance of participating in clinical trials, only three percent of adults do so. That rate is even lower among low-income women and minorities, groups that have disproportionately higher rates of cancer-related deaths.
"The thought of trying a novel approach instead of a more tried-and-true therapy may be frightening when you're dealing with an illness," Dr. Waldman notes. "But considering participation in a clinical trial may be wise for cancer patients-it could be a choice that saves your life."
Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), which sponsors GCAM, urges women diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer to learn more about clinical trials. The GCF's Women's Cancer Network website is a comprehensive and educational resource on gynecologic cancers. Women can find out about clinical trials that are currently enrolling, take a free 15-minute online risk assessment to learn about their personal risk of developing cancer, and more. A tool-kit designed to help community members set up local awareness events is also available.
Source:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Gynecologic cancers originate in the female reproductive organs including the cervix, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, and vulva. "Raising awareness of gynecologic cancers is extremely important because every woman is at risk," said Richard Waldman, MD, president of The College. "As ob-gyns, we have a responsibility to educate our patients about the very real threat of these cancers, which will kill approximately 28,000 women in the US this year alone."
In addition to raising general awareness of gynecologic cancers, this year's GCAM highlights the critical role of clinical trials in the prevention and treatment of disease. These trials are a key step in the discovery process that leads to the development of new therapies and advances in medicine.
Women who participate in clinical trials make an extremely valuable contribution to scientific knowledge. They also may gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available and can benefit from having their health closely monitored on an ongoing basis. They often have easy access to the clinical trial team, obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities, and are able to raise questions and concerns during treatment. Some women who participate in a clinical trial report feeling empowered because they are taking an active role in decisions regarding their health. It can also be a way of paying-it-forward and helping those who will struggle with that disease in the future.
Despite the importance of participating in clinical trials, only three percent of adults do so. That rate is even lower among low-income women and minorities, groups that have disproportionately higher rates of cancer-related deaths.
"The thought of trying a novel approach instead of a more tried-and-true therapy may be frightening when you're dealing with an illness," Dr. Waldman notes. "But considering participation in a clinical trial may be wise for cancer patients-it could be a choice that saves your life."
Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), which sponsors GCAM, urges women diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer to learn more about clinical trials. The GCF's Women's Cancer Network website is a comprehensive and educational resource on gynecologic cancers. Women can find out about clinical trials that are currently enrolling, take a free 15-minute online risk assessment to learn about their personal risk of developing cancer, and more. A tool-kit designed to help community members set up local awareness events is also available.
Source:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
четверг, 8 декабря 2011 г.
Orthopedics Surgeons At Rush University Medical Center Performe Total Knee Replacement Surgery On Live, Online Computer Webcast
Orthopedic surgeons at Rush University Medical Center performed a Total Knee Replacement surgery which could be viewed online.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard A. Berger performed the surgery which featured the use of the knee replacement shaped to fit a woman's anatomy The webcast was moderated by Dr. Aaron G. Rosenberg, also from Rush. Berger and Rosenberg were two of the 12 surgeons who sought to address shape-related differences of a woman's knee by developing the new prosthesis.
Questions from both surgeons and the general public were sent in via email during the broadcast. The webcast was sponsored by The Zimmer Institute.
The procedure uses a Zimmer Minimally Invasive Solutions ™(MIS) sub-vastus approach and requires an incision of only 9 to 14 cm, compared with 20 to 30 cm used in a standard knee replacement arthroplasty. Among the goals of this minimally invasive technique are shorter hospital stays, lower blood loss, faster rehabilitation and a more cosmetically appealing surgical scar.
Knee replacements have long been available in many sizes, but merely using a different size for women doesn't resolve anatomical differences. Various studies show that women's knees significantly differ in shape from men's knees. Pioneering research conducted for Zimmer precisely maps out those differences and is the foundation for the design and development of the Gender Solutions Knee.
"Knee implants have been functioning very well for men and women, but we want to meet women's unique needs by making knee replacements that feel, fit and function even better," says Rosenberg. "The implant is the best of both worlds. It's based on the current implant we use, a highly successful implant with great mechanics and 10 years of clinical success. Only the shape of this new implant is different, to make it feel more natural."
When placing traditional implants, some surgeons accommodate women's differences by removing more bone or repositioning the implant during surgery, but their ability to make the implant precisely conform to the patient is limited. The Gender Solutions High-Flex Implant was designed so the surgeon can more closely match the female patient's knee anatomy.
"Mounting research indicates that a woman's knee is not simply a smaller version of a man's knee. The differences involve the bones, ligaments and tendons in the joints," says Rosenberg. "Women can wear men's clothing and shoes, but most prefer clothing and shoes made for them. It's the same with knees, and it makes perfect sense to design knee implants with women in mind, particularly considering that women are by far the majority of the knee replacement patient population."
Nearly two-thirds of the more than 400,000 annual knee replacement patients are women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and the numbers continue to increase each year. Research shows that while both women and men vastly underuse knee replacement, women are three times less likely than men to undergo the procedure, although they suffer from more knee pain and resulting disability.
The Gender Solutions High-Flex Knee, the first of several gender innovations to come from Zimmer, is based on the company's more than 20 years of clinical success with total knee implants. Further, it can be placed using Zimmer MIS Procedures, which typically offer smaller scars, shorter hospitalization and quicker rehabilitation and recovery; and safely accommodates high flexion (up to 155 degrees), which is necessary for many activities, such as climbing stairs, sitting in a chair, gardening and golfing.
The knee joint is composed of three bones: the end of the femur (thighbone), the top of the tibia (shinbone) and the patella (kneecap), which are all held together by tendons and ligaments and cushioned by cartilage. Knees can become painful, due to arthritis, injury and infection, which cause deterioration of the cartilage. When the cartilage is gone, the bones of the knee grind against each other, wearing away and typically causing severe pain. Total knee replacement involves removing the portion of bone that is damaged and resurfacing the knee with metal and plastic implants.
For more information on orthopedics at Rush
Contact: Mary Ann Schultz
Rush University Medical Center
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard A. Berger performed the surgery which featured the use of the knee replacement shaped to fit a woman's anatomy The webcast was moderated by Dr. Aaron G. Rosenberg, also from Rush. Berger and Rosenberg were two of the 12 surgeons who sought to address shape-related differences of a woman's knee by developing the new prosthesis.
Questions from both surgeons and the general public were sent in via email during the broadcast. The webcast was sponsored by The Zimmer Institute.
The procedure uses a Zimmer Minimally Invasive Solutions ™(MIS) sub-vastus approach and requires an incision of only 9 to 14 cm, compared with 20 to 30 cm used in a standard knee replacement arthroplasty. Among the goals of this minimally invasive technique are shorter hospital stays, lower blood loss, faster rehabilitation and a more cosmetically appealing surgical scar.
Knee replacements have long been available in many sizes, but merely using a different size for women doesn't resolve anatomical differences. Various studies show that women's knees significantly differ in shape from men's knees. Pioneering research conducted for Zimmer precisely maps out those differences and is the foundation for the design and development of the Gender Solutions Knee.
"Knee implants have been functioning very well for men and women, but we want to meet women's unique needs by making knee replacements that feel, fit and function even better," says Rosenberg. "The implant is the best of both worlds. It's based on the current implant we use, a highly successful implant with great mechanics and 10 years of clinical success. Only the shape of this new implant is different, to make it feel more natural."
When placing traditional implants, some surgeons accommodate women's differences by removing more bone or repositioning the implant during surgery, but their ability to make the implant precisely conform to the patient is limited. The Gender Solutions High-Flex Implant was designed so the surgeon can more closely match the female patient's knee anatomy.
"Mounting research indicates that a woman's knee is not simply a smaller version of a man's knee. The differences involve the bones, ligaments and tendons in the joints," says Rosenberg. "Women can wear men's clothing and shoes, but most prefer clothing and shoes made for them. It's the same with knees, and it makes perfect sense to design knee implants with women in mind, particularly considering that women are by far the majority of the knee replacement patient population."
Nearly two-thirds of the more than 400,000 annual knee replacement patients are women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and the numbers continue to increase each year. Research shows that while both women and men vastly underuse knee replacement, women are three times less likely than men to undergo the procedure, although they suffer from more knee pain and resulting disability.
The Gender Solutions High-Flex Knee, the first of several gender innovations to come from Zimmer, is based on the company's more than 20 years of clinical success with total knee implants. Further, it can be placed using Zimmer MIS Procedures, which typically offer smaller scars, shorter hospitalization and quicker rehabilitation and recovery; and safely accommodates high flexion (up to 155 degrees), which is necessary for many activities, such as climbing stairs, sitting in a chair, gardening and golfing.
The knee joint is composed of three bones: the end of the femur (thighbone), the top of the tibia (shinbone) and the patella (kneecap), which are all held together by tendons and ligaments and cushioned by cartilage. Knees can become painful, due to arthritis, injury and infection, which cause deterioration of the cartilage. When the cartilage is gone, the bones of the knee grind against each other, wearing away and typically causing severe pain. Total knee replacement involves removing the portion of bone that is damaged and resurfacing the knee with metal and plastic implants.
For more information on orthopedics at Rush
Contact: Mary Ann Schultz
Rush University Medical Center
четверг, 1 декабря 2011 г.
Women Dominate Hospitalizations For Chest Pain With No Known Cause
Women are more likely than men to be hospitalized for chest pain for which doctors cannot find a cause, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In 2006, there were 477,000 admissions of women to U.S. community hospitals for unspecified chest pain compared with 379,000 admissions for men.
Unspecified chest pain is usually characterized by a feeling of pressure, burning, or numbness. Although it is not clear why women receive this diagnosis more than men, there is some evidence that heart disease develops differently in women than men and that symptoms may be different. Medical experts believe that physicians may not always be aware of this gender difference.
The federal agency also found that men were more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease or heart attacks than were women in 2006.
Specifically:
- Women made up 56 percent of all admissions for unspecified chest pain, but only 38 percent of all admissions for coronary artery disease.
- Roughly 451,000 women, compared with 747,000 men, were hospitalized for coronary artery disease. This disease results in narrowing of the arteries.
- Heart attacks, which are usually caused by heart disease, sent 269,000 women to hospitals, compared with 406,000 men. Women made up 40 percent of all admissions for heart attacks.
- Hospitalizations for congestive heart failure were roughly the same for women (565,000) and men (534,000).
- Hospitalizations for irregular heart beat were also similar for women (379,000) and men (369,000).
This AHRQ News and Numbers summary is based on data in HCUP Facts and Figures, 2006, which provides highlights of the latest data from the 2006 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a part of AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The report provides data on leading reasons for hospitalization, such as arthritis, asthma, childbirth, cancer, diabetes, depression, and heart conditions, on procedures performed on hospital patients, and on related topics.
AHRQ
Unspecified chest pain is usually characterized by a feeling of pressure, burning, or numbness. Although it is not clear why women receive this diagnosis more than men, there is some evidence that heart disease develops differently in women than men and that symptoms may be different. Medical experts believe that physicians may not always be aware of this gender difference.
The federal agency also found that men were more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease or heart attacks than were women in 2006.
Specifically:
- Women made up 56 percent of all admissions for unspecified chest pain, but only 38 percent of all admissions for coronary artery disease.
- Roughly 451,000 women, compared with 747,000 men, were hospitalized for coronary artery disease. This disease results in narrowing of the arteries.
- Heart attacks, which are usually caused by heart disease, sent 269,000 women to hospitals, compared with 406,000 men. Women made up 40 percent of all admissions for heart attacks.
- Hospitalizations for congestive heart failure were roughly the same for women (565,000) and men (534,000).
- Hospitalizations for irregular heart beat were also similar for women (379,000) and men (369,000).
This AHRQ News and Numbers summary is based on data in HCUP Facts and Figures, 2006, which provides highlights of the latest data from the 2006 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a part of AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The report provides data on leading reasons for hospitalization, such as arthritis, asthma, childbirth, cancer, diabetes, depression, and heart conditions, on procedures performed on hospital patients, and on related topics.
AHRQ
четверг, 24 ноября 2011 г.
Washington Post Examines Program In India To Promote Safer-Sex Messages
The Washington Post on Monday examined a project in India in which health workers "re-spin" safer-sex messages to emphasize the pleasure-related benefits of such practices. The initiative was launched by Anne Philpott, founder of the Pleasure Project. According to the Post, Philpott began the program after promoting female condoms in India, Sri Lanka, Senegal and Zimbabwe as an "erotic accessory." In addition, over the last four years she has "pushed the pleasure principle at AIDS conferences in Bangkok, Sri Lanka and Mexico," the Post reports. "The whole debate about safe sex has been conducted around fear, danger, disease and death," Philpott said, adding, "It is negative. We forgot the pursuit of pleasure. We have to put the sexy back into safer sex." According to Philpott, safer-sex messages often are treated in a "clinical manner or like a teacher wagging their finger." She added that it is "more effective" when health workers find "creative ways to incorporate pleasure and desire into the sexual-health dialogue."
Health workers are using the approach to promote the female condom in India, and the government plans to increase female condom distribution among 200,000 sex workers, two years after the product was introduced limitedly in the country, the Post reports. According to a study by the National AIDS Control Organization, sex workers said they were able to persuade clients to use protection by citing the potential for enhanced pleasure. In addition, the Post reports that the number of nongovernmental organizations using the "pleasure rationale to promote safe sex is slowly growing in India." Arushi Singh, a resource officer for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which trains health educators in South Asia, said, "Talking about disease and fear haven't worked very well. People believe they are in a safe relationship and that disease does not apply to them." She continued, "But pleasure applies to everybody."
As part of such efforts, a youth festival called Project 19 was held last month to raise awareness about sexual health and HIV in the country. According to the Post, the festival was "unique" because it invited "bashful attendees to talk about pleasure" -- a rare move in the country, where talking about sex "can be an uphill task in India's traditional and patriarchal society." Volunteers also led a game in which they asked visitors to describe their first impression of the female condom. "We tell the sex workers to have fun with the female condom," Kavita Potturi, national program manager with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, said, adding, "We tell them, 'You spend money on makeup, jewelry, jasmine flowers for your hair. This female condom is another ornament for you.'"
According to the Post, 15 years after launching a national HIV/AIDS campaign, the Indian government is "still confronting the basic challenge of getting people to even utter the word 'condom.'" One advertisement campaign, called "Say Condom Freely," is addressing the issue by urging people to talk about the condom without fear of stigma (Lakshmi, Washington Post, 3/2).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Health workers are using the approach to promote the female condom in India, and the government plans to increase female condom distribution among 200,000 sex workers, two years after the product was introduced limitedly in the country, the Post reports. According to a study by the National AIDS Control Organization, sex workers said they were able to persuade clients to use protection by citing the potential for enhanced pleasure. In addition, the Post reports that the number of nongovernmental organizations using the "pleasure rationale to promote safe sex is slowly growing in India." Arushi Singh, a resource officer for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which trains health educators in South Asia, said, "Talking about disease and fear haven't worked very well. People believe they are in a safe relationship and that disease does not apply to them." She continued, "But pleasure applies to everybody."
As part of such efforts, a youth festival called Project 19 was held last month to raise awareness about sexual health and HIV in the country. According to the Post, the festival was "unique" because it invited "bashful attendees to talk about pleasure" -- a rare move in the country, where talking about sex "can be an uphill task in India's traditional and patriarchal society." Volunteers also led a game in which they asked visitors to describe their first impression of the female condom. "We tell the sex workers to have fun with the female condom," Kavita Potturi, national program manager with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, said, adding, "We tell them, 'You spend money on makeup, jewelry, jasmine flowers for your hair. This female condom is another ornament for you.'"
According to the Post, 15 years after launching a national HIV/AIDS campaign, the Indian government is "still confronting the basic challenge of getting people to even utter the word 'condom.'" One advertisement campaign, called "Say Condom Freely," is addressing the issue by urging people to talk about the condom without fear of stigma (Lakshmi, Washington Post, 3/2).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 17 ноября 2011 г.
MIDIRS Announces Over 15 Million Units Of Information Delivered To Maternity Health Care Professionals Worldwide In 2008, UK
UK maternity charity MIDIRS, renowned for its evidence-based information resources for health care professionals, announced that a total of 15,792,079 units of information had been delivered to customers during 2008.
Despite a downturn in the number of full-time practising midwives in the UK and the continuing economic crisis that has seen a decline in consumer confidence over the past 12 months, MIDIRS determination to meet its mission of assisting in the improvement of maternity care by producing and delivering a range of practical resources based on the best evidence-based information available, has paid off.
Andy Fisher, MIDIRS Business Manager said: 'There are huge demands on health care professionals at the moment, which has made MIDIRS doubly committed to supporting them in their practice and studies by providing improved information services which are both practical and affordable. Considering that 2008 was a challenging year in many respects, we are delighted that MIDIRS logistical performance during the last 12 months has remained positive'.
Source
MIDIRS
Despite a downturn in the number of full-time practising midwives in the UK and the continuing economic crisis that has seen a decline in consumer confidence over the past 12 months, MIDIRS determination to meet its mission of assisting in the improvement of maternity care by producing and delivering a range of practical resources based on the best evidence-based information available, has paid off.
Andy Fisher, MIDIRS Business Manager said: 'There are huge demands on health care professionals at the moment, which has made MIDIRS doubly committed to supporting them in their practice and studies by providing improved information services which are both practical and affordable. Considering that 2008 was a challenging year in many respects, we are delighted that MIDIRS logistical performance during the last 12 months has remained positive'.
Source
MIDIRS
четверг, 10 ноября 2011 г.
"Cosmetic Surgery And The Use Of Antidepressant Medication"
It has been proven that plastic surgery can improve self-esteem, but can it also act as a natural mood enhancer? A significant number of patients stopped taking antidepressant medication after undergoing plastic surgery, according to a study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2006 conference in San Francisco.
"Plastic surgery patients are taking a proactive approach in making themselves happier by improving something that has truly bothered them," said Bruce Freedman, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. "While we are not saying that cosmetic plastic surgery alone is responsible for the drop in patients needing antidepressants, it surely is an important factor."
In the study, 362 patients had cosmetic plastic surgery - 17 percent or 61 patients were taking antidepressants. Six months after surgery, however, that number decreased 31 percent, down to 42 patients. In addition, 98 percent of patients said cosmetic plastic surgery had markedly improved their self-esteem.
All of the patients, who were primarily middle-aged women, had an invasive cosmetic plastic surgery procedure such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck or facelift. The authors did not identify any other major life changes that may have affected patients' use of antidepressants.
"We have just begun to uncover the various physical and psychological benefits of plastic surgery," said Dr. Freedman. "By helping our patients take control over something they were unhappy about, we helped remove a self-imposed barrier and ultimately improved their self-esteem."
For referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery visit plasticsurgery/ where you can also learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Note: The study "Cosmetic Surgery and the Use of Antidepressant Medication" is being presented in electronic format, Sunday, Oct. 8 - Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco.
Contact: LaSandra Cooper
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
"Plastic surgery patients are taking a proactive approach in making themselves happier by improving something that has truly bothered them," said Bruce Freedman, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. "While we are not saying that cosmetic plastic surgery alone is responsible for the drop in patients needing antidepressants, it surely is an important factor."
In the study, 362 patients had cosmetic plastic surgery - 17 percent or 61 patients were taking antidepressants. Six months after surgery, however, that number decreased 31 percent, down to 42 patients. In addition, 98 percent of patients said cosmetic plastic surgery had markedly improved their self-esteem.
All of the patients, who were primarily middle-aged women, had an invasive cosmetic plastic surgery procedure such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck or facelift. The authors did not identify any other major life changes that may have affected patients' use of antidepressants.
"We have just begun to uncover the various physical and psychological benefits of plastic surgery," said Dr. Freedman. "By helping our patients take control over something they were unhappy about, we helped remove a self-imposed barrier and ultimately improved their self-esteem."
For referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery visit plasticsurgery/ where you can also learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Note: The study "Cosmetic Surgery and the Use of Antidepressant Medication" is being presented in electronic format, Sunday, Oct. 8 - Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco.
Contact: LaSandra Cooper
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
четверг, 3 ноября 2011 г.
Mother Gives Birth To Twins With Different Fathers, US
11-month old Dallas-born twins Justin and Jordan have different fathers, a phenomenon known as heteropaternal superfecundation that is so rare there
are only a handful of documented cases in the world.
Their parents Mia Washington and her fianc?©e James Harrison went public with their news last week when they contacted FOX4 to tell their
story.
Admitting she was having an affair with another man at the time the twins were conceived, Washington said she was shocked that it had happened to
her:
"I have twins, but they're by different fathers," she told the TV news company.
Washington and Harrison noticed that the twins had different facial features and decided to have a paternity test. They went to Dallas DNA Lab Clear
Diagnostics who said they had never seen a result like this before and that there was a 99.999 per cent chance that Justin and Jordan were fathered by
different men.
The highly probable result is that Jordan is Harrison's biological son and Justin's biological father is the man Washington had an affair with.
Lab Clear Diagnostics' president Genny Thibodeaux described the news as "very crazy", and "most people don't believe it can happen".
Dr Chris Dreiling, from the Paediatric Association of Dallas, who has not met the family, told Fox News that a woman can release more than one egg
during ovulation, and if she has intercourse with more than one partner at around that time, then sperm from different partners can fertilize each egg:
"Because sperm cells take a while to travel and eggs take a while to travel there can be an overlap," said Dreiling, explaining that it was a very rare
event and likely to be "the only time that we will ever see this occur in the city of Dallas".
Harrison said he will bring up the two boys as his own. He said he has forgiven his fianc?©e and promised to stay with her.
He said they are taking it day by day, "it's going to take time to build that trust like we had", he added.
Washington said she felt wary at first, thinking he would try but then give up and leave. But she said that has not happened.
"James is a good man; he's a great father and genuinely loves both of the twins," said Washington, adding that as far as she was concerned he was the
father of both boys because "he's the one there every morning when they get up and every night when they go to sleep".
Washington said she regrets her mistake and wants other people to know that this can happen.
"Don't put yourself in my shoes, because it can hurt and it does hurt, but you still have to go on with life". She had this advice for other women:
"Be careful about starting an affair - look what happened to me. Think hard about the consequences first, because the most
bizarre things can happen when you least expect it!"
Washington said she will tell her sons about their different DNA when they are old enough to understand. She has no plans to tell the other father,
although she did say "if when he is older Justin wants to meet his real dad then that's his decision".
Although rare in humans, heteropaternal superfecundation is more common in other animals such as cats and dogs, a fact that is well known to
professional breeders. Some kennel clubs for instance allow the registration of litters to more than one male dog or "sire", a phenomenon called
"multi-siring", and you can purchase DNA test kits from them for that purpose.
Sources: myFox DALLAS/FORTWORTH, Daily Mail, American Kennel Club.
: Catharine Paddock, PhD
are only a handful of documented cases in the world.
Their parents Mia Washington and her fianc?©e James Harrison went public with their news last week when they contacted FOX4 to tell their
story.
Admitting she was having an affair with another man at the time the twins were conceived, Washington said she was shocked that it had happened to
her:
"I have twins, but they're by different fathers," she told the TV news company.
Washington and Harrison noticed that the twins had different facial features and decided to have a paternity test. They went to Dallas DNA Lab Clear
Diagnostics who said they had never seen a result like this before and that there was a 99.999 per cent chance that Justin and Jordan were fathered by
different men.
The highly probable result is that Jordan is Harrison's biological son and Justin's biological father is the man Washington had an affair with.
Lab Clear Diagnostics' president Genny Thibodeaux described the news as "very crazy", and "most people don't believe it can happen".
Dr Chris Dreiling, from the Paediatric Association of Dallas, who has not met the family, told Fox News that a woman can release more than one egg
during ovulation, and if she has intercourse with more than one partner at around that time, then sperm from different partners can fertilize each egg:
"Because sperm cells take a while to travel and eggs take a while to travel there can be an overlap," said Dreiling, explaining that it was a very rare
event and likely to be "the only time that we will ever see this occur in the city of Dallas".
Harrison said he will bring up the two boys as his own. He said he has forgiven his fianc?©e and promised to stay with her.
He said they are taking it day by day, "it's going to take time to build that trust like we had", he added.
Washington said she felt wary at first, thinking he would try but then give up and leave. But she said that has not happened.
"James is a good man; he's a great father and genuinely loves both of the twins," said Washington, adding that as far as she was concerned he was the
father of both boys because "he's the one there every morning when they get up and every night when they go to sleep".
Washington said she regrets her mistake and wants other people to know that this can happen.
"Don't put yourself in my shoes, because it can hurt and it does hurt, but you still have to go on with life". She had this advice for other women:
"Be careful about starting an affair - look what happened to me. Think hard about the consequences first, because the most
bizarre things can happen when you least expect it!"
Washington said she will tell her sons about their different DNA when they are old enough to understand. She has no plans to tell the other father,
although she did say "if when he is older Justin wants to meet his real dad then that's his decision".
Although rare in humans, heteropaternal superfecundation is more common in other animals such as cats and dogs, a fact that is well known to
professional breeders. Some kennel clubs for instance allow the registration of litters to more than one male dog or "sire", a phenomenon called
"multi-siring", and you can purchase DNA test kits from them for that purpose.
Sources: myFox DALLAS/FORTWORTH, Daily Mail, American Kennel Club.
: Catharine Paddock, PhD
четверг, 27 октября 2011 г.
Breast Cancer Guidelines Confirm Central Role Of 'Switch Strategy'
Guidelines from the 2007 St Gallen International Expert Consensus on the Primary Therapy of Early Breast Cancer, published in the Annals of Oncology (annonc.oxfordjournals), confirm the value of switching from tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor (AI), such as exemestane, for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.[i]
Approximately 360,000 women in Europe are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. With up to two thirds of breast cancers requiring the hormone estrogen to grow, medicines such as exemestane are crucial for women affected by this disease, because they work by interfering with the supply of estrogen to the cancer and preventing it from growing. Switching from tamoxifen to exemestane has the potential to save lives among women diagnosed with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.ii
The St Gallen guidelines are the consensus of breast cancer experts from around the world, who have assessed and recommended optimal treatment strategies for this disease, which affects the lives of thousands of women and their families.
"Guidelines are essential for physicians, as they ensure we are up to date with the latest recommendations for patient care," said Professor Charles Coombes, Head, Department of Oncology, Imperial College, London. "The St Gallen guidelines have confirmed the value of starting treatment with tamoxifen then switching to an aromatase inhibitor, enabling women to benefit from the advantages of both medicines. Exemestane, one of the aromatase inhibitors, has been proven to offer an overall survival benefit in the switch setting, and these latest guidelines confirm to physicians that we should continue to use it in this way to offer patients the very best care."
In hormone receptor positive breast cancer, the St Gallen panel expressed a clear preference for switching patients from tamoxifen to an AI, such as exemestane, which means more patients can benefit from exemestane's proven results in extending lives.
The guidelines follow publication of the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) in The Lancet earlier this year, which showed an overall survival benefit for women who switched from tamoxifen to exemestane, the only AI to have demonstrated overall survival in a single, double-blind trial.[ii] The IES, which randomized 4,724 patients across 37 countries, demonstrated that postmenopausal women[1] with early breast cancer, who switched to exemestane after 2-3 years of tamoxifen, experienced a 17% reduction in the risk of death compared to those who stayed on tamoxifen for the full 5 years of therapy.ii Exemestane was the first AI to receive approval in the switch setting.
Professor Coombes, who was lead investigator of the IES, continued, "The IES results, and now the St Gallen guidelines, confirm that switching to exemestane rather than staying on tamoxifen gives women an improved chance of survival. Furthermore, switching to exemestane has also been proven to have no significant adverse effect on quality of life compared to tamoxifen alone,[iii] making it a good all-round option for women."
About exemestane[iv]
Exemestane is currently indicated for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor positive invasive early breast cancer who have received 2-3 years of tamoxifen and are switched to exemestane for the completion of a total of 5 consecutive years of adjuvant hormonal therapy. Exemestane is also indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in women with natural or induced postmenopausal states, whose disease has progressed following anti-estrogen therapy.
Exemestane should not be used in women who are premenopausal, are nursing or pregnant, have a known hypersensitivity to the drug, or are taking estrogen-containing agents. Exemestane should be used cautiously with drugs that are metabolised via CYP3A4 and have a narrow therapeutic window.
Exemestane was generally well tolerated across all clinical studies; undesirable effects were usually mild to moderate. The withdrawal rate due to adverse events in studies was 6.3% in patients with early breast cancer receiving adjuvant treatment with exemestane following initial adjuvant tamoxifen therapy and 2.8% in the overall patient population with advanced breast cancer receiving the standard dose of 25 mg. In patients with early breast cancer the most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flushes (22%), arthralgia (17%) and fatigue (17%). In patients with advanced breast cancer the most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flushes (14%) and nausea (12%). Most adverse reactions can be attributed to the normal pharmacological consequences of estrogen deprivation (e.g. hot flushes).
pfizeroncology
[i] Women with estrogen receptor positive or unknown status of disease.
[ii] Coombes RC et al. Survival and safety of exemestane versus tamoxifen after 2-3 years' tamoxifen treatment (Intergroup Exemestane Study): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):559-70
[iii] Fallowfield LJ et al. Quality of Life in the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) - a Randomized Trial of Exemestane versus Continued Tamoxifen after 2-3 years of Tamoxifen in Postmenopausal Women with Primary Breast Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Vol 24, No 6, Feb 20, 2006
[iv]Exemestane prescribing information (Summary of Product Characteristics dated 24 August 2005)
Approximately 360,000 women in Europe are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. With up to two thirds of breast cancers requiring the hormone estrogen to grow, medicines such as exemestane are crucial for women affected by this disease, because they work by interfering with the supply of estrogen to the cancer and preventing it from growing. Switching from tamoxifen to exemestane has the potential to save lives among women diagnosed with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.ii
The St Gallen guidelines are the consensus of breast cancer experts from around the world, who have assessed and recommended optimal treatment strategies for this disease, which affects the lives of thousands of women and their families.
"Guidelines are essential for physicians, as they ensure we are up to date with the latest recommendations for patient care," said Professor Charles Coombes, Head, Department of Oncology, Imperial College, London. "The St Gallen guidelines have confirmed the value of starting treatment with tamoxifen then switching to an aromatase inhibitor, enabling women to benefit from the advantages of both medicines. Exemestane, one of the aromatase inhibitors, has been proven to offer an overall survival benefit in the switch setting, and these latest guidelines confirm to physicians that we should continue to use it in this way to offer patients the very best care."
In hormone receptor positive breast cancer, the St Gallen panel expressed a clear preference for switching patients from tamoxifen to an AI, such as exemestane, which means more patients can benefit from exemestane's proven results in extending lives.
The guidelines follow publication of the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) in The Lancet earlier this year, which showed an overall survival benefit for women who switched from tamoxifen to exemestane, the only AI to have demonstrated overall survival in a single, double-blind trial.[ii] The IES, which randomized 4,724 patients across 37 countries, demonstrated that postmenopausal women[1] with early breast cancer, who switched to exemestane after 2-3 years of tamoxifen, experienced a 17% reduction in the risk of death compared to those who stayed on tamoxifen for the full 5 years of therapy.ii Exemestane was the first AI to receive approval in the switch setting.
Professor Coombes, who was lead investigator of the IES, continued, "The IES results, and now the St Gallen guidelines, confirm that switching to exemestane rather than staying on tamoxifen gives women an improved chance of survival. Furthermore, switching to exemestane has also been proven to have no significant adverse effect on quality of life compared to tamoxifen alone,[iii] making it a good all-round option for women."
About exemestane[iv]
Exemestane is currently indicated for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor positive invasive early breast cancer who have received 2-3 years of tamoxifen and are switched to exemestane for the completion of a total of 5 consecutive years of adjuvant hormonal therapy. Exemestane is also indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in women with natural or induced postmenopausal states, whose disease has progressed following anti-estrogen therapy.
Exemestane should not be used in women who are premenopausal, are nursing or pregnant, have a known hypersensitivity to the drug, or are taking estrogen-containing agents. Exemestane should be used cautiously with drugs that are metabolised via CYP3A4 and have a narrow therapeutic window.
Exemestane was generally well tolerated across all clinical studies; undesirable effects were usually mild to moderate. The withdrawal rate due to adverse events in studies was 6.3% in patients with early breast cancer receiving adjuvant treatment with exemestane following initial adjuvant tamoxifen therapy and 2.8% in the overall patient population with advanced breast cancer receiving the standard dose of 25 mg. In patients with early breast cancer the most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flushes (22%), arthralgia (17%) and fatigue (17%). In patients with advanced breast cancer the most commonly reported adverse reactions were hot flushes (14%) and nausea (12%). Most adverse reactions can be attributed to the normal pharmacological consequences of estrogen deprivation (e.g. hot flushes).
pfizeroncology
[i] Women with estrogen receptor positive or unknown status of disease.
[ii] Coombes RC et al. Survival and safety of exemestane versus tamoxifen after 2-3 years' tamoxifen treatment (Intergroup Exemestane Study): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):559-70
[iii] Fallowfield LJ et al. Quality of Life in the Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) - a Randomized Trial of Exemestane versus Continued Tamoxifen after 2-3 years of Tamoxifen in Postmenopausal Women with Primary Breast Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Vol 24, No 6, Feb 20, 2006
[iv]Exemestane prescribing information (Summary of Product Characteristics dated 24 August 2005)
четверг, 20 октября 2011 г.
FDA To Conduct Surveys About STI, Pregnancy Prevention Language On Condom Packaging
FDA plans to survey 1,200 people in shopping malls nationwide on their understanding of a condom's efficacy in preventing sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unplanned pregnancies based on current labeling, the agency said on Thursday in a notice on its Web site, Bloomberg/Arizona Republic reports. According to the notice, survey responses will be "considered in FDA's condom labeling recommendations to provide important risk/benefit and use information associated with condoms in easily understood language."
Congress in 2000 directed FDA to "determine whether [condom] labels are medically accurate regarding the overall effectiveness or lack of effectiveness," Bloomberg/Republic reports. The agency in a 2005 review found that many people who use condoms are unsure how often the contraceptive fails to prevent pregnancy with typical use or that they provide less protection from certain STIs, such as genital herpes, Bloomberg/Republic reports. FDA in 2005 also proposed that labels on condom boxes and wrappers show data on unplanned pregnancies and varying levels of protection against STIs (Bloomberg/Arizona Republic, 6/14).
In addition, the agency in November 2005 published a draft guidance document for latex condom manufacturers. The document included a proposal that labels be required to state that condoms "greatly reduce but do not eliminate" the risk of pregnancy and HIV infection when used correctly during sexual intercourse but provide "less protection" from other STIs, including human papillomavirus and herpes, because those STIs can be spread through skin-to-skin contact. However, the guidance also says that "using latex condoms every time you have sex may still give you some benefits against these" STIs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/22/06). FDA also recommended that condoms with spermicidal lubricant nonoxynol-9 include a warning that the lubricant can cause irritation that raises the risk of HIV transmission.
Any label changes would apply only to male condoms made with natural rubber latex, which account for almost 98% of sales in the U.S., FDA said. Guidelines for products made with lambskin or synthetic materials will be issued at a later date, the agency said (Bloomberg/Arizona Republic, 6/14).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Congress in 2000 directed FDA to "determine whether [condom] labels are medically accurate regarding the overall effectiveness or lack of effectiveness," Bloomberg/Republic reports. The agency in a 2005 review found that many people who use condoms are unsure how often the contraceptive fails to prevent pregnancy with typical use or that they provide less protection from certain STIs, such as genital herpes, Bloomberg/Republic reports. FDA in 2005 also proposed that labels on condom boxes and wrappers show data on unplanned pregnancies and varying levels of protection against STIs (Bloomberg/Arizona Republic, 6/14).
In addition, the agency in November 2005 published a draft guidance document for latex condom manufacturers. The document included a proposal that labels be required to state that condoms "greatly reduce but do not eliminate" the risk of pregnancy and HIV infection when used correctly during sexual intercourse but provide "less protection" from other STIs, including human papillomavirus and herpes, because those STIs can be spread through skin-to-skin contact. However, the guidance also says that "using latex condoms every time you have sex may still give you some benefits against these" STIs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/22/06). FDA also recommended that condoms with spermicidal lubricant nonoxynol-9 include a warning that the lubricant can cause irritation that raises the risk of HIV transmission.
Any label changes would apply only to male condoms made with natural rubber latex, which account for almost 98% of sales in the U.S., FDA said. Guidelines for products made with lambskin or synthetic materials will be issued at a later date, the agency said (Bloomberg/Arizona Republic, 6/14).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 13 октября 2011 г.
LA Times Examines Health Risks of, Alternatives to Hysterectomy
The LA Times on Monday examined the health risks of undergoing a hysterectomy and how many women's health experts increasingly are questioning the need for many of the 615,000 procedures that are performed annually in the U.S. The rate of hysterectomies performed in the U.S. decreased from 45.7 per 10,000 women in 2002 to 41.7 in 2003, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. More than 90% of hysterectomies performed in the U.S. are conducted because a woman has fibroids, endometriosis, abnormal bleeding, or a prolapsed or fallen uterus -- all conditions for which less-invasive surgery or nonsurgical treatments are available (Foreman, Los Angeles Times, 8/15). According to a study conducted by William Parker, a clinical professor at the University of California-Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, and colleagues and published in the Aug. 1 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, more than half of the women who undergo hysterectomy each year in the U.S. also have their ovaries removed in order to eliminate their risk of developing ovarian cancer. However, the prophylactic removal of the ovaries -- which continue to produce small amounts of hormones even after a woman experiences menopause -- does not provide a health benefit, regardless of a woman's age at surgery, the study found. In addition, women who have their ovaries removed before age 65 might be at increased risk of heart disease because of a lack of estrogen in the body, Parker said. Overall, the younger a woman is when she has her ovaries removed, the more substantial the negative impact on her health and her chances of living to age 80 (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 8/2). Some health advocates suggest that women seek alternative treatments to hysterectomy, such as myomectomy, the surgical removal of fibroids without removing the uterus; uterine artery embolization, which involves inserting small plastic pellets into blood vessels to cut off blood supply; or laparoscopic surgery, in which surgery to remove ovarian tumors is performed through a keyhole incision (Foreman, Los Angeles Times, 8/15).
Los Angeles Times
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Los Angeles Times
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 6 октября 2011 г.
More About Sex And Relationships Needed At Gynaecological Visits
Visits to a gynaecologist or midwife are generally associated with different tests and/or prescriptions for contraceptives, but could offer so much more. Women, doctors and midwives are agreed that gynaecological visits presents great opportunities for dialogue about sexual health, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Many young women see sex as a problem, the thesis shows. Almost 500 women aged 23-29 answered questions about their sex lives, their relationships and how they view gynaecological visits. One in five had a reduced sex drive and found it difficult to be satisfied together with their partner. Just as many said that they had been taken advantage of sexually or experienced other forms of sexual abuse.
"Many young women actually know little about their sexuality," says midwife Eva Wendt, who wrote the thesis. "If you feel confident about your body and understand how it works, sex is much easier and much more fun."
Nine out of ten young women think it natural to be asked questions about sexuality at a visit to a gynaecologist or midwife, the survey shows. Seven out of ten think it natural to be asked questions about sexual abuse.
"Women trust their doctor and their midwife - they are independent parties who have both expertise and a duty of confidentiality," says Wendt. "This paves the way for a dialogue when these professionals ask questions and can help women to reflect and see their own situation more clearly."
This view is shared by midwives, general practitioners and gynaecologists, but it is still relatively unusual for medical professionals to invite women to engage in in depth discussion of sexuality and relationships. Instead, visits are primarily medically oriented discussion of sexuality gets forgotten or time runs out.
"Both doctors and midwives describe opportunities to create respectful meetings and strengthen women by giving them information and encouraging them to have a positive view of sexuality," says Wendt. "Now that we know that women and medical professionals both want the same thing, perhaps sexuality and dialogue with the patient can be allotted more time at gynaecological visits."
Source: University of Gothenburg
Many young women see sex as a problem, the thesis shows. Almost 500 women aged 23-29 answered questions about their sex lives, their relationships and how they view gynaecological visits. One in five had a reduced sex drive and found it difficult to be satisfied together with their partner. Just as many said that they had been taken advantage of sexually or experienced other forms of sexual abuse.
"Many young women actually know little about their sexuality," says midwife Eva Wendt, who wrote the thesis. "If you feel confident about your body and understand how it works, sex is much easier and much more fun."
Nine out of ten young women think it natural to be asked questions about sexuality at a visit to a gynaecologist or midwife, the survey shows. Seven out of ten think it natural to be asked questions about sexual abuse.
"Women trust their doctor and their midwife - they are independent parties who have both expertise and a duty of confidentiality," says Wendt. "This paves the way for a dialogue when these professionals ask questions and can help women to reflect and see their own situation more clearly."
This view is shared by midwives, general practitioners and gynaecologists, but it is still relatively unusual for medical professionals to invite women to engage in in depth discussion of sexuality and relationships. Instead, visits are primarily medically oriented discussion of sexuality gets forgotten or time runs out.
"Both doctors and midwives describe opportunities to create respectful meetings and strengthen women by giving them information and encouraging them to have a positive view of sexuality," says Wendt. "Now that we know that women and medical professionals both want the same thing, perhaps sexuality and dialogue with the patient can be allotted more time at gynaecological visits."
Source: University of Gothenburg
четверг, 29 сентября 2011 г.
CMACE Release: National Enquiry Into Maternal Obesity - Implications For Women, Babies And The NHS
The Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE) releases its report Maternal obesity in the UK: Findings from a national project today after its three-year UK-wide national enquiry into Obesity in Pregnancy.
This major national study, which collected information from every maternity unit in the UK, has revealed for the first time the prevalence of severe maternal obesity (body mass index 35+) in the UK. The report also details the complications and consequences of obesity during pregnancy, and outlines the implications for the care of obese pregnant women.
This study found that around 5% of the UK maternity population were severely obese. In real terms, this equates to around 38,478 (1 in 20) pregnant women each year, and, with growing levels of obesity in the general population, this number is expected to increase. Wales was found to have the highest rate (6.5%, 1 in every 15 pregnant women) of severe maternal obesity in the UK. In England, the region with the highest rate was East of England (6.2%, 1 in every 16 pregnant women), while London had the lowest rates (3.5%, 1 in every 29 pregnant women).
The report highlighted that pregnancy outcomes for severely obese women are poorer when compared to the general population. The study found that the stillbirth rate in women with a BMI 35+ (8.6 per 1000 singleton births) was twice as high as the overall national stillbirth rate (3.9/1000 singleton births), and that the risk of stillbirth increases with increasing obesity. Also, in women with a BMI 35+, stillbirths occurring during labour and birth were three times higher than the overall national rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The risks of obesity in pregnancy extend to the mother too. Pregnant women, and especially obese pregnant women, are more at risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), which is a potentially fatal condition that involves a blood clot forming in a vein which may break away, travel through the circulatory system and obstruct a blood vessel. The CMACE study revealed how VTE risk was poorly documented for obese pregnant women at their first antenatal appointment and fewer than 50% of the women at moderate or high risk of VTE were offered treatment to prevent the condition. For those women who did receive treatment antenatally, the prescribed doses were considered to be insufficient for their body weight, according to current guidelines published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Similar findings were found for postnatal treatment for the prevention of VTE, with only 55% of eligible women being prescribed the appropriate medication. These findings highlight that improvements in this area are required to reduce the risk of VTE in obese women during and after pregnancy.
The CMACE report also revealed that obese women have an increased risk of medical conditions both before and during pregnancy. Thirty-eight per cent of women in the study had at least one medical condition diagnosed prior to and/or during pregnancy. The most common conditions were gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension, which affect 8-9% of women with a BMI 35+; these conditions affect approximately 2-2.5% of women in the general maternity population. The presence of medical conditions increases the risk of complications for both the mother and baby, and increased surveillance and medical intervention are therefore required.
Only 55% of women with a BMI 35+ gave birth naturally. The caesarean section rate for singleton babies was 37%, which is 1.5 times higher than the rate in the general maternity population. In addition, severely obese women were at least four times more likely to suffer from postpartum haemorrhage within 24 hours of birth than women in the general maternity population.
The CMACE study also identified gaps in anaesthetic care for obese women. According to current joint CMACE/RCOG guidance, women with a BMI ?‰?40 (morbidly obese) should receive an antenatal consultation with an obstetric anaesthetist so that potential problems can be identified and an anaesthetic management plan for labour and delivery can be made. Only 45% of eligible women had such a plan.
A set of ten key recommendations has been developed by CMACE in response to the findings in the report. The purpose of providing these recommendations is to highlight areas requiring better clinical practice. The general points are:
- Better preconception care and advice is needed for women with overweight and obese BMIs. The joint CMACE/RCOG guideline on managing women with obesity in pregnancy, issued in March 2010, notes that women of childbearing age with a BMI 30+ should be provided with good information and advice on the risks of obesity during pregnancy and childbirth; and they should be supported to lose weight before conception and in the postnatal period. Pre-pregnancy counselling must also include taking an accurate height and weight measurement for a BMI calculation to identify women who may be at further risk or require additional services or care.
- Women with obesity have an increased risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. CMACE recommends that surveillance and screening according to existing guidelines occur so that referrals for specialist care can be made early in pregnancy.
- Women with a BMI 40+ should have a consultation with an obstetric anaesthetist, as recommended by the joint CMACE/RCOG guideline on obesity in pregnancy, so that potential problems such as venous access can be identified before the birth.
Professor James Walker, Chair of CMACE said, "The numbers of obese mothers are on the rise and this group of women require specialist care since they are more susceptible to illnesses and complications. So far, there hasn't been a UK-wide study on the extent of the problem but we now have very good data on how these women are cared for and the areas where improvements are urgently needed".
Dr Imogen Stephens, CMACE Clinical Director said, "This CMACE report shows that much more needs to be done in the NHS to deal with the growing numbers of obese pregnant women. We have already shown in our previous survey how specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, trolleys and beds are needed to care for this unique group of women. The findings from this new study show that the risks of clinical intervention increase with increasing levels of obesity and that specialist obstetric care is needed. All this requires improved, and better integrated, care for these women".
Dr Tony Falconer, President of the Royal College if Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said, "Pregnant women who are obese need to know about the associated risks for them and their baby and must be supported to lose weight before they embark on pregnancy. This will involve counselling and advice from a range of healthcare professionals including GPs, midwives, maternity support workers and nutritionists.
When a woman finds out she is pregnant, she tends to adopt positive behaviours to ensure that she is as healthy as she can possibly be and this includes sensible eating and lower alcohol consumption. However, we need to think about being more proactive by encouraging and enabling women to lead healthier lives before they fall pregnant and after giving birth so that they take a more long-term approach to being healthy".
Professor Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said "Our own research backs up these recommendations. Women have told us that they are not getting the level of care that they should from maternity services.
"There is no doubt that being obese and pregnant can leave women open to more problems in pregnancy than non- obese women. However with high quality care these problems can be identified and treated and women can have a very positive experience of pregnancy and birth. It is therefore crucial that midwives and other health professionals work together to ensure that these women get the best possible care, support and advice. Many women have told the RCM that one of the big barriers to this is that there are simply not enough midwives to spend time with them especially in the antenatal period.
"There is also a much wider and long-term public health message here. There is a real need to reduce obesity in the population as a whole, tackling the issue before women become pregnant."
Notes
The research lead for this project and author of the report is Dr Kate Fitzsimons (Senior Research Fellow, CMACE). The editor of the report is Professor Ian Greer (Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool; Chair of the National Advisory Committee for CMACE).
To view Maternal obesity in the UK: Findings from a national project, please click here. The launch of the report accompanies the CMACE conference 'Obesity in Pregnancy: Improving care and effecting change'. To view the conference programme, click here.
This new report follows the publication of the CMACE survey on NHS maternity provision to obese women and the joint CMACE/RCOG clinical guideline 'Management of Women with Obesity in Pregnancy' in March this year.
Body mass index (BMI) offers a useful measure of obesity and is a simple index of weight-for-height used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres (kg/m2). The table below shows a widely accepted classification published by both the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This report focused on women with a BMI 35+ (severely obese) in pregnancy. A woman with a height of 5ft 5" and a weight of 15 stone would have a BMI of 35.
BMI (kg/m2) Classification
This major national study, which collected information from every maternity unit in the UK, has revealed for the first time the prevalence of severe maternal obesity (body mass index 35+) in the UK. The report also details the complications and consequences of obesity during pregnancy, and outlines the implications for the care of obese pregnant women.
This study found that around 5% of the UK maternity population were severely obese. In real terms, this equates to around 38,478 (1 in 20) pregnant women each year, and, with growing levels of obesity in the general population, this number is expected to increase. Wales was found to have the highest rate (6.5%, 1 in every 15 pregnant women) of severe maternal obesity in the UK. In England, the region with the highest rate was East of England (6.2%, 1 in every 16 pregnant women), while London had the lowest rates (3.5%, 1 in every 29 pregnant women).
The report highlighted that pregnancy outcomes for severely obese women are poorer when compared to the general population. The study found that the stillbirth rate in women with a BMI 35+ (8.6 per 1000 singleton births) was twice as high as the overall national stillbirth rate (3.9/1000 singleton births), and that the risk of stillbirth increases with increasing obesity. Also, in women with a BMI 35+, stillbirths occurring during labour and birth were three times higher than the overall national rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The risks of obesity in pregnancy extend to the mother too. Pregnant women, and especially obese pregnant women, are more at risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), which is a potentially fatal condition that involves a blood clot forming in a vein which may break away, travel through the circulatory system and obstruct a blood vessel. The CMACE study revealed how VTE risk was poorly documented for obese pregnant women at their first antenatal appointment and fewer than 50% of the women at moderate or high risk of VTE were offered treatment to prevent the condition. For those women who did receive treatment antenatally, the prescribed doses were considered to be insufficient for their body weight, according to current guidelines published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Similar findings were found for postnatal treatment for the prevention of VTE, with only 55% of eligible women being prescribed the appropriate medication. These findings highlight that improvements in this area are required to reduce the risk of VTE in obese women during and after pregnancy.
The CMACE report also revealed that obese women have an increased risk of medical conditions both before and during pregnancy. Thirty-eight per cent of women in the study had at least one medical condition diagnosed prior to and/or during pregnancy. The most common conditions were gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension, which affect 8-9% of women with a BMI 35+; these conditions affect approximately 2-2.5% of women in the general maternity population. The presence of medical conditions increases the risk of complications for both the mother and baby, and increased surveillance and medical intervention are therefore required.
Only 55% of women with a BMI 35+ gave birth naturally. The caesarean section rate for singleton babies was 37%, which is 1.5 times higher than the rate in the general maternity population. In addition, severely obese women were at least four times more likely to suffer from postpartum haemorrhage within 24 hours of birth than women in the general maternity population.
The CMACE study also identified gaps in anaesthetic care for obese women. According to current joint CMACE/RCOG guidance, women with a BMI ?‰?40 (morbidly obese) should receive an antenatal consultation with an obstetric anaesthetist so that potential problems can be identified and an anaesthetic management plan for labour and delivery can be made. Only 45% of eligible women had such a plan.
A set of ten key recommendations has been developed by CMACE in response to the findings in the report. The purpose of providing these recommendations is to highlight areas requiring better clinical practice. The general points are:
- Better preconception care and advice is needed for women with overweight and obese BMIs. The joint CMACE/RCOG guideline on managing women with obesity in pregnancy, issued in March 2010, notes that women of childbearing age with a BMI 30+ should be provided with good information and advice on the risks of obesity during pregnancy and childbirth; and they should be supported to lose weight before conception and in the postnatal period. Pre-pregnancy counselling must also include taking an accurate height and weight measurement for a BMI calculation to identify women who may be at further risk or require additional services or care.
- Women with obesity have an increased risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. CMACE recommends that surveillance and screening according to existing guidelines occur so that referrals for specialist care can be made early in pregnancy.
- Women with a BMI 40+ should have a consultation with an obstetric anaesthetist, as recommended by the joint CMACE/RCOG guideline on obesity in pregnancy, so that potential problems such as venous access can be identified before the birth.
Professor James Walker, Chair of CMACE said, "The numbers of obese mothers are on the rise and this group of women require specialist care since they are more susceptible to illnesses and complications. So far, there hasn't been a UK-wide study on the extent of the problem but we now have very good data on how these women are cared for and the areas where improvements are urgently needed".
Dr Imogen Stephens, CMACE Clinical Director said, "This CMACE report shows that much more needs to be done in the NHS to deal with the growing numbers of obese pregnant women. We have already shown in our previous survey how specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, trolleys and beds are needed to care for this unique group of women. The findings from this new study show that the risks of clinical intervention increase with increasing levels of obesity and that specialist obstetric care is needed. All this requires improved, and better integrated, care for these women".
Dr Tony Falconer, President of the Royal College if Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said, "Pregnant women who are obese need to know about the associated risks for them and their baby and must be supported to lose weight before they embark on pregnancy. This will involve counselling and advice from a range of healthcare professionals including GPs, midwives, maternity support workers and nutritionists.
When a woman finds out she is pregnant, she tends to adopt positive behaviours to ensure that she is as healthy as she can possibly be and this includes sensible eating and lower alcohol consumption. However, we need to think about being more proactive by encouraging and enabling women to lead healthier lives before they fall pregnant and after giving birth so that they take a more long-term approach to being healthy".
Professor Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said "Our own research backs up these recommendations. Women have told us that they are not getting the level of care that they should from maternity services.
"There is no doubt that being obese and pregnant can leave women open to more problems in pregnancy than non- obese women. However with high quality care these problems can be identified and treated and women can have a very positive experience of pregnancy and birth. It is therefore crucial that midwives and other health professionals work together to ensure that these women get the best possible care, support and advice. Many women have told the RCM that one of the big barriers to this is that there are simply not enough midwives to spend time with them especially in the antenatal period.
"There is also a much wider and long-term public health message here. There is a real need to reduce obesity in the population as a whole, tackling the issue before women become pregnant."
Notes
The research lead for this project and author of the report is Dr Kate Fitzsimons (Senior Research Fellow, CMACE). The editor of the report is Professor Ian Greer (Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool; Chair of the National Advisory Committee for CMACE).
To view Maternal obesity in the UK: Findings from a national project, please click here. The launch of the report accompanies the CMACE conference 'Obesity in Pregnancy: Improving care and effecting change'. To view the conference programme, click here.
This new report follows the publication of the CMACE survey on NHS maternity provision to obese women and the joint CMACE/RCOG clinical guideline 'Management of Women with Obesity in Pregnancy' in March this year.
Body mass index (BMI) offers a useful measure of obesity and is a simple index of weight-for-height used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres (kg/m2). The table below shows a widely accepted classification published by both the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This report focused on women with a BMI 35+ (severely obese) in pregnancy. A woman with a height of 5ft 5" and a weight of 15 stone would have a BMI of 35.
BMI (kg/m2) Classification
четверг, 22 сентября 2011 г.
Condom Promotion Campaigns In Sub-Saharan Africa Have Been Successful
There has been a substantial rise in the use of condoms reported by young, sexually active, single women in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet. The study found that most women who reported using a condom stated pregnancy avoidance as their reason. The authors therefore suggest that condoms may be promoted more effectively if the emphasis was on pregnancy prevention rather than prevention of sexually transmitted disease.
John Cleland (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) and Mohamed Ali (WHO) assessed trends in sexual abstinence, contraception, and condom use by single women aged 15-24 years in 18 African countries. They used data from comparable surveys involving 132 800 women in total. The researchers found that between 1993 and 2001, the proportion of women declaring themselves virgins rose significantly in seven of the 18 countries and fell significantly in six. On average, abstinence over the 3 months preceding the survey increased from 43.8% to 49.2% in the 18 countries. For women who reported having sex in the 3 months preceding the survey, use of any contraceptive method rose slightly from an average of 32.6% to 36.5%. Use of non-barrier methods (mainly contraceptive pills) changed little, whereas use of periodic abstinence fell slightly. Use of condoms rose substantially during the study period, from an average of 5.3% to 18.8%. This rise was significant in 13 of the 18 countries. In the most recent surveys from these 13 countries, 60% of the women said they were using condoms for pregnancy prevention.
Professor Cleland concludes: "The finding that condoms have now become the dominant method of contraception is to be welcomed because of their dual protection against HIV transmission and pregnancy - A young woman might find it easier to negotiate use of condoms with a partner for prevention of pregnancy than for protection against HIV transmission. Therefore, we suggest that condoms might be promoted more effectively if the emphasis was on pregnancy prevention rather than prevention of sexually transmitted disease."
Contact: Joe Santangelo
Lancet
John Cleland (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) and Mohamed Ali (WHO) assessed trends in sexual abstinence, contraception, and condom use by single women aged 15-24 years in 18 African countries. They used data from comparable surveys involving 132 800 women in total. The researchers found that between 1993 and 2001, the proportion of women declaring themselves virgins rose significantly in seven of the 18 countries and fell significantly in six. On average, abstinence over the 3 months preceding the survey increased from 43.8% to 49.2% in the 18 countries. For women who reported having sex in the 3 months preceding the survey, use of any contraceptive method rose slightly from an average of 32.6% to 36.5%. Use of non-barrier methods (mainly contraceptive pills) changed little, whereas use of periodic abstinence fell slightly. Use of condoms rose substantially during the study period, from an average of 5.3% to 18.8%. This rise was significant in 13 of the 18 countries. In the most recent surveys from these 13 countries, 60% of the women said they were using condoms for pregnancy prevention.
Professor Cleland concludes: "The finding that condoms have now become the dominant method of contraception is to be welcomed because of their dual protection against HIV transmission and pregnancy - A young woman might find it easier to negotiate use of condoms with a partner for prevention of pregnancy than for protection against HIV transmission. Therefore, we suggest that condoms might be promoted more effectively if the emphasis was on pregnancy prevention rather than prevention of sexually transmitted disease."
Contact: Joe Santangelo
Lancet
четверг, 15 сентября 2011 г.
Non Communicable Diseases: The World's Number One Killer For Women
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, are the world's number one killer causing 60% of deaths globally. A staggering 35 million people die from NCDs, of which 18 million are women. These diseases represent a major threat to women's health, increasingly impacting on women in developing countries in their most productive years. To voice their outrage at the international neglect of these silent killers, the NCD Alliance convened a high-profile side event on women and NCDs at the United Nation's 55th Commission on the Status of Women.
The panel session, "Non-communicable diseases: A neglected dimension of women's health and development" called for the global health and development community to focus their attention on the impact of NCDs on women, particularly in low and middle income countries. High profile panelists included Ann Keeling, CEO of the International Diabetes Federation and Chair of the NCD Alliance Steering Committee, Sania Nishtar, Founder and President of NGO think tank Heartfile, Patricia Lambert, Director of the International Legal Consortium at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Vice President of the International Network of Women Against Tobacco, and Vivien Tsu, Associate Director of the Reproductive Health global program at PATH.
During this event the panel discussed the unique vulnerability of girls and women to the socioeconomic determinants and risk factors of NCDs; the impact of NCDs on the health and socio-economic position throughout the lifecycle; and the importance of women's empowerment for the prevention of the global NCD epidemic. The session also focused on the UN High-Level Summit on NCDs in September 2011, and the opportunity it presents for securing commitments for the biggest killer of women worldwide. Failure to act now on NCDs will undermine development gains made to date on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4 & 5), including progress on women's empowerment.
This event also marked the official launch of the landmark publication "Non-communicable diseases: A priority for women's health and development". This publication is the first to focus on the specific needs and challenges of girls and women at risk of, or living with NCDs. It aims to draw attention to these diseases and key risks factors particularly tobacco control as a priority for women's health and development, stimulate policy dialogue in the run-up to the UN Summit on NCDs in September.
Concluding the afternoon, Ann Keeling, NCD Alliance, called for a unified approach to the NCD epidemic "By pooling our collective expertise and strengths in a coordinated movement to make NCDs a priority for women's health and development, we will inspire a new level of commitment that will benefit the millions of girls and women worldwide".
Source:
World Heart Federation
The panel session, "Non-communicable diseases: A neglected dimension of women's health and development" called for the global health and development community to focus their attention on the impact of NCDs on women, particularly in low and middle income countries. High profile panelists included Ann Keeling, CEO of the International Diabetes Federation and Chair of the NCD Alliance Steering Committee, Sania Nishtar, Founder and President of NGO think tank Heartfile, Patricia Lambert, Director of the International Legal Consortium at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Vice President of the International Network of Women Against Tobacco, and Vivien Tsu, Associate Director of the Reproductive Health global program at PATH.
During this event the panel discussed the unique vulnerability of girls and women to the socioeconomic determinants and risk factors of NCDs; the impact of NCDs on the health and socio-economic position throughout the lifecycle; and the importance of women's empowerment for the prevention of the global NCD epidemic. The session also focused on the UN High-Level Summit on NCDs in September 2011, and the opportunity it presents for securing commitments for the biggest killer of women worldwide. Failure to act now on NCDs will undermine development gains made to date on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4 & 5), including progress on women's empowerment.
This event also marked the official launch of the landmark publication "Non-communicable diseases: A priority for women's health and development". This publication is the first to focus on the specific needs and challenges of girls and women at risk of, or living with NCDs. It aims to draw attention to these diseases and key risks factors particularly tobacco control as a priority for women's health and development, stimulate policy dialogue in the run-up to the UN Summit on NCDs in September.
Concluding the afternoon, Ann Keeling, NCD Alliance, called for a unified approach to the NCD epidemic "By pooling our collective expertise and strengths in a coordinated movement to make NCDs a priority for women's health and development, we will inspire a new level of commitment that will benefit the millions of girls and women worldwide".
Source:
World Heart Federation
четверг, 8 сентября 2011 г.
Women's Rights Factor Into Election Campaigns For Congress, Pa. Governor
As campaigns get under way for elections this spring and fall, many media outlets are examining the policy positions of incumbents and their challengers, including where they stand on reproductive rights and related issues. The following summarizes recent media coverage of races in Pennsylvania and New York.
~ Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.): Specter, who switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 2009, faces election challenges from both the left and the right, the New York Times reports. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), a two-term House member, is challenging Specter in the state's Democratic primary, set for May. While Sestak "has lagged behind [Specter] in the polls and raised only half the money the senator has," several progressives back Sestak's candidacy, and his presence in the primary "has driven Specter to the left," the Times reports. As he campaigns for re-election, Specter "has to be careful not to alienate Democratic women, who support him for backing abortion rights despite what they view as his demeaning treatment of [Anita Hill] two decades ago in Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings," the Times writes. That issue re-emerged last week when Specter told Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to "act like a lady" after she repeatedly interrupted him in a radio interview. Specter later apologized for the remark. If he survives the Democratic primary, Specter will face former Rep. Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.), whom Specter narrowly defeated six years ago in a Republican primary (Seelye, New York Times, 1/27).
~ Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.): Reshma Saujani, a hedge fund lawyer, has launched a campaign against Maloney in the Democratic primary, to the dismay of some New York state feminists who have long backed Maloney "for her work on mammograms, equal pay, reproductive rights and violence against women," the New York Times reports. Marilyn Fitterman, a former state president of the National Organization for Women, wrote in an e-mail message to Sujani that she should drop her challenge to Maloney "if you care anything about women's rights." Former vice presidential candidate and Rep. Geraldine Ferraro (D-N.Y.) also encouraged Saujani not to run, saying, "She's ending her political career before it starts." Ferraro added, "That's not a threat, it's a statement of fact. You don't, if you're a Democrat, challenge an incumbent Democrat who has a position of power to get things done just because you feel like this is something you want to do." According to the Times, Maloney considered a primary challenge against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) but decided against a bid (Halbfinger, New York Times, 1/27).
~ Former Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-Pa.): Hoeffel officially launched his gubernatorial bid on Tuesday after first declaring his candidacy on Facebook in September 2009, the AP/Lebanon Daily News reports (Jackson, AP/Lebanon Daily News, 1/26). Hoeffel appeared with former NARAL Pro-Choice America President Kate Michelman on Tuesday at a campaign event in Philadelphia, where she said Hoeffel was the only gubernatorial candidate who would protect women's rights. Hoeffel told the audience, "I stand with all of the women of this state," adding, "You have a constitutional right to privacy that, as governor, I will protect and defend." Hoeffel will compete against three opponents running for the Democratic nomination: state Auditor Jack Wagner, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. Wagner describes himself as an opponent of current abortion law, while Doherty calls himself "pro-choice, without exception." Oronato said that he personally opposes the procedure but would not work to change state law. Hoeffel has said that, if elected, he would try to amend Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act of 1981 to end certain abortion restrictions (Infield, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/27).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 1 сентября 2011 г.
FDA Issues Warning To Breast Pump Maker
FDA last month sent a warning letter to a breast pump manufacturer, telling company officials that they should have investigated complaints from women who said the "Comfort Select" pumps electrically shocked them, the Wall Street Journal reports.
FDA found manufacturing violations at two of Evenflo's Ohio plants during inspections in January and February. Evenflo failed to "review and evaluate all complaints," according to FDA, and also failed to "establish medical device reporting procedures." Eighteen of 37 complaints about the products -- including at least three from women who say they were shocked while using the pumps -- were not investigated by the company. An Evenflo spokesperson said that the company is working with FDA to address the agency's concerns (Corbett Dooren, Wall Street Journal, 9/15).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 25 августа 2011 г.
Washington Post Examines 'Natural Family Planning' Centers
The Washington Post on Thursday examined "natural family planning" centers, which "tailor" the type of care provided with the religious beliefs of the physicians. At NFP clinics, physicians teach NFP techniques -- including monitoring a woman's temperature and other signals to time intercourse to control pregnancy timing -- while "shunning" birth control, emergency contraception, intrauterine devices, sterilization, in vitro fertilization and abortion, according to the Post. Some opponents of NFP say that the practice is "segregating medicine along religious lines" and that people using the clinics are not being informed about all the options. In addition, opponents of NFP are "especially alarmed about the consequences" of NFP centers for people in "poor or rural areas with few alternatives," the Post reports. Advocates of NFP say that the practice allows physicians to avoid conflict with people who want services with which the practitioner does not agree. In addition, advocates say that the NFP approach provides an alternative to commonly used medicines and devices that some physicians believe can negatively effect a patient's personal life. According to the Post, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not have a formal position on NFP. "If women know before selecting [NFP centers], then it's quite a legitimate thing to do and might meet the needs of many women and doctors," Anita Nelson of the University of California-Los Angeles and ACOG spokesperson, said, adding, "But if you hang out your shingle that says 'All-purpose ob-gyn' and don't offer certain services, that's false advertising." Nearly 500 physicians have registered on an Ohio-based Web site to practice NFP. However the actual number of practices that offer only NFP is unknown, according to the Post (Stein, Washington Post, 8/31).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 18 августа 2011 г.
Orion Genomics Announces The Discovery And Validation Of Novel Breast Cancer Biomarkers
Orion Genomics announced today that
the company has identified and validated a suite of novel breast cancer
biomarkers, the most promising of which will be incorporated into the
company's diagnostic assays for the early detection of breast cancer and
the detection of breast cancer recurrence. Using proprietary genome-wide
microarray technology, the company was able to quickly identify a suite of
novel biomarkers in a panel consisting of normal and cancerous breast
tissues. In a second independent biomarker validation panel of more than
200 normal and cancerous breast tissues, over 50 biomarkers demonstrated
significant diagnostic potential, the most promising of which presented 90
percent sensitivity and 96 percent specificity. The results of Orion's
genome-wide, DNA methylation profiling were presented at the 29th Annual
San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 14, 2006 in San Antonio,
Texas.
"Utilizing MethylScope(R), our genome-wide DNA methylation profiling
technology, we were able to quickly identify a suite of promising breast
cancer biomarkers that show significantly high sensitivity and specificity
and represent the most comprehensive and clinically accurate breast cancer
epigenetic biomarkers discovered to date," said Jorge A. Leon, Ph.D.,
Orion's acting Chief Scientific Officer. "We are now validating our most
promising biomarkers in blood serum from cancer-free and breast cancer
patients."
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 211,000 new
cases of invasive breast cancer are expected in the U.S. in 2006 alone,
where approximately 40,000 patients are expected to die of their disease.
Early detection and treatment when the tumor is still small remains a key
factor in survival; however, early stage breast cancer typically produces
no noticeable symptoms, making early detection through conventional methods
challenging.
"Identifying cancer earlier in the disease progression timeline will
significantly improve treatment outcomes and patient survival, especially
in breast cancer," said Nathan Lakey, Chief Executive Officer and president
of Orion Genomics. "Our identification and validation of sensitive and
specific biomarkers for the detection of breast cancer will form the
foundation of our breast cancer diagnostic assays. These assays will
provide a diagnostic screening test, from blood or other easily collected
samples, of a large population for the early or recurrent signs of breast
cancer."
About Orion Genomics
Orion Genomics, the Second Code biotechnology company, develops
molecular diagnostic products to detect cancer at its earliest stages and
to aid in appropriate therapy selection. Orion's most advanced diagnostic
program is in breast cancer, where the company is developing a highly
sensitive and selective early screening test, followed by additional
epigenetic screening assays in lung, ovarian and colon cancers. Orion
Genomics is located in the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis.
For more information, visit oriongenomics.
Orion Genomics
oriongenomics
the company has identified and validated a suite of novel breast cancer
biomarkers, the most promising of which will be incorporated into the
company's diagnostic assays for the early detection of breast cancer and
the detection of breast cancer recurrence. Using proprietary genome-wide
microarray technology, the company was able to quickly identify a suite of
novel biomarkers in a panel consisting of normal and cancerous breast
tissues. In a second independent biomarker validation panel of more than
200 normal and cancerous breast tissues, over 50 biomarkers demonstrated
significant diagnostic potential, the most promising of which presented 90
percent sensitivity and 96 percent specificity. The results of Orion's
genome-wide, DNA methylation profiling were presented at the 29th Annual
San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 14, 2006 in San Antonio,
Texas.
"Utilizing MethylScope(R), our genome-wide DNA methylation profiling
technology, we were able to quickly identify a suite of promising breast
cancer biomarkers that show significantly high sensitivity and specificity
and represent the most comprehensive and clinically accurate breast cancer
epigenetic biomarkers discovered to date," said Jorge A. Leon, Ph.D.,
Orion's acting Chief Scientific Officer. "We are now validating our most
promising biomarkers in blood serum from cancer-free and breast cancer
patients."
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 211,000 new
cases of invasive breast cancer are expected in the U.S. in 2006 alone,
where approximately 40,000 patients are expected to die of their disease.
Early detection and treatment when the tumor is still small remains a key
factor in survival; however, early stage breast cancer typically produces
no noticeable symptoms, making early detection through conventional methods
challenging.
"Identifying cancer earlier in the disease progression timeline will
significantly improve treatment outcomes and patient survival, especially
in breast cancer," said Nathan Lakey, Chief Executive Officer and president
of Orion Genomics. "Our identification and validation of sensitive and
specific biomarkers for the detection of breast cancer will form the
foundation of our breast cancer diagnostic assays. These assays will
provide a diagnostic screening test, from blood or other easily collected
samples, of a large population for the early or recurrent signs of breast
cancer."
About Orion Genomics
Orion Genomics, the Second Code biotechnology company, develops
molecular diagnostic products to detect cancer at its earliest stages and
to aid in appropriate therapy selection. Orion's most advanced diagnostic
program is in breast cancer, where the company is developing a highly
sensitive and selective early screening test, followed by additional
epigenetic screening assays in lung, ovarian and colon cancers. Orion
Genomics is located in the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis.
For more information, visit oriongenomics.
Orion Genomics
oriongenomics
четверг, 11 августа 2011 г.
AVAC Launches Report On Female-Initiated HIV Prevention Methods
"Female-Initiated HIV Prevention: What Will We Learn From Upcoming Trials?" AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition: The report -- which was published by AVAC in collaboration with the African Microbicides Advocacy Group and the Global Campaign for Microbicides -- aims to assist people in understanding the implications of results from two trials on female-initiated HIV prevention methods. One trial, called MIRA, examines whether protecting the cervix with a physical barrier reduces women's risk of contracting HIV. The other trial looks at a microbicide candidate called Carraguard. The report also provides background data on the two experimental methods and details of study design and targets. In addition, it investigates the general implications of prospective trial results for other female-initiated methods and possible actions to be taken. The report is part of AVAC's "Anticipating and Understanding Results" series, which provides assessments of AIDS vaccine trials and other new HIV prevention alternatives (AVAC et al., "Female-Initiated HIV Prevention," 7/11).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 4 августа 2011 г.
Program Combining Nutrition, Exercise, Other Activities Shows Success In Helping Black Girls Lose Weight
An NIH-funded program that combined exercise, nutrition education, field trips and other activities was more successful than a self-esteem program in helping black girls lose weight and keep it off for two years, according to a study presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. The program is part of a national effort by NIH to develop and test strategies to help black girls avoid obesity and related health problems. Black girls are at the highest risk of becoming obese later in life, study principal investigator Robert Klesges said.
The study looked at 303 girls who were ages eight to 10 at the time the study began. Forty-one percent of the girls were considered overweight, though none were considered obese. Study participants over two years met weekly and later monthly to focus on diet and exercise or self esteem. At the study's conclusion, the girls in the diet-and-exercise group reported eating 90 fewer calories daily and consuming fewer sweetened drinks and eating slightly more vegetables than girls in the self-esteem group. Thirty percent of overweight girls in the first group lost weight and were able to keep that weight off for two years, compared with 15% of girls in the second group.
According to the Commercial Appeal, there was no difference in amount of exercise reported by the girls in the two groups. According to Klesges, neither intervention had any effect on girls who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study.
Klesges said, "We emphasized real simple strategies that were within the control of the girls. So, rather than choosing a cola drink, we would emphasize (to the girls), why don't you get water, or if you can't do water, why don't you at least get a diet cola?" Klesges said that while the program targeted black girls, it is designed to work within other groups or community settings.
Marian Levy, director of the University of Memphis graduate public health program, said, "It is a very important study," adding, "It shows just by making simple dietary changes you can have an impact on weight and health" (Powers, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 11/25).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
The study looked at 303 girls who were ages eight to 10 at the time the study began. Forty-one percent of the girls were considered overweight, though none were considered obese. Study participants over two years met weekly and later monthly to focus on diet and exercise or self esteem. At the study's conclusion, the girls in the diet-and-exercise group reported eating 90 fewer calories daily and consuming fewer sweetened drinks and eating slightly more vegetables than girls in the self-esteem group. Thirty percent of overweight girls in the first group lost weight and were able to keep that weight off for two years, compared with 15% of girls in the second group.
According to the Commercial Appeal, there was no difference in amount of exercise reported by the girls in the two groups. According to Klesges, neither intervention had any effect on girls who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study.
Klesges said, "We emphasized real simple strategies that were within the control of the girls. So, rather than choosing a cola drink, we would emphasize (to the girls), why don't you get water, or if you can't do water, why don't you at least get a diet cola?" Klesges said that while the program targeted black girls, it is designed to work within other groups or community settings.
Marian Levy, director of the University of Memphis graduate public health program, said, "It is a very important study," adding, "It shows just by making simple dietary changes you can have an impact on weight and health" (Powers, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 11/25).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 28 июля 2011 г.
Congresswoman's Death Turns Spotlight On Women And Cancer
The death of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a seven-term congresswoman from southern California, on Saturday, serves as a sober reminder for women of the dangers of cancer, according to the Society for Women's Health Research, a Washington, D.C. based advocacy organization focused on health differences between women and men.
"Our sympathies are with the family of Rep. Millender-McDonald," said Sherry Marts, Ph.D., vice president of scientific affairs for the Society for Women's Health Research. "She was a tremendous public servant who worked tirelessly on behalf of her constituents and all Americans. I hope that American women will take note of her untimely death and recognize the importance of cancer prevention and screening. Cancer is the second leading killer of women and we must be vigilant in our efforts to prevent, detect early and treat this deadly disease."
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women, followed by breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer. All adult women should see a doctor annually and ask about what screenings they need based on their age and other factors.
Women ages 40 and older should have a mammogram every one to two years, according to the Society's book "The Savvy Woman Patient: How and Why Sex Differences Affect Your Health" (Capital Books, 2006). To help prevent colon cancer, the book says, every woman should receive a colonoscopy exam once every 10 years beginning at age 50.
"Deaths from breast cancer and colon cancer have been on the decline recently, thanks to screening efforts that catch cancer early or detect pre-cancerous growths that can be monitored or treated," Marts said. "Unfortunately, gains in these two areas have been slower for African Americans. We have to do a better job of making sure minority communities understand the importance of cancer screenings and have affordable access to care."
Rep. Millender-McDonald was African American.
"To prevent lung cancer, obviously, the best thing you can do is not smoke," Marts said. "Some studies show that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men. So, if you do smoke, don't be afraid to seek professional help and social support.
"For ovarian, cervical and other gynecologic cancers, women should receive a Pap test and pelvic examination every one to three years once they become sexually active and no later than age 21. Women over 65 should talk to their doctors about how often they need these exams."
Tremendous advances have been made in the prevention of cervical cancer with the June 2006 FDA approval of a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) for women ages 9-26. The vaccine protects against two strands of HPV (16 and 18) which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
"The approval of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is a great step forward in women's health," Marts said. "We are hopeful that more cancer vaccines will become a reality in the near future."
In the United States, more than 10,000 women were estimated to have developed cervical cancer in 2005, and nearly 4,000 died. Of American women who develop cervical cancer, about half have never had a Pap test and an additional 10 percent have not had a Pap test in the last five years.
"Cancer is a scary thing," Marts said, "but our ability to prevent, detect and treat it is improving quickly. As women, we have to be aware of our unique cancer risks and seek appropriate care and timely screenings."
Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR)
1025 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 701
Washington, DC 20036
United States
womenshealthresearch
"Our sympathies are with the family of Rep. Millender-McDonald," said Sherry Marts, Ph.D., vice president of scientific affairs for the Society for Women's Health Research. "She was a tremendous public servant who worked tirelessly on behalf of her constituents and all Americans. I hope that American women will take note of her untimely death and recognize the importance of cancer prevention and screening. Cancer is the second leading killer of women and we must be vigilant in our efforts to prevent, detect early and treat this deadly disease."
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women, followed by breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer. All adult women should see a doctor annually and ask about what screenings they need based on their age and other factors.
Women ages 40 and older should have a mammogram every one to two years, according to the Society's book "The Savvy Woman Patient: How and Why Sex Differences Affect Your Health" (Capital Books, 2006). To help prevent colon cancer, the book says, every woman should receive a colonoscopy exam once every 10 years beginning at age 50.
"Deaths from breast cancer and colon cancer have been on the decline recently, thanks to screening efforts that catch cancer early or detect pre-cancerous growths that can be monitored or treated," Marts said. "Unfortunately, gains in these two areas have been slower for African Americans. We have to do a better job of making sure minority communities understand the importance of cancer screenings and have affordable access to care."
Rep. Millender-McDonald was African American.
"To prevent lung cancer, obviously, the best thing you can do is not smoke," Marts said. "Some studies show that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men. So, if you do smoke, don't be afraid to seek professional help and social support.
"For ovarian, cervical and other gynecologic cancers, women should receive a Pap test and pelvic examination every one to three years once they become sexually active and no later than age 21. Women over 65 should talk to their doctors about how often they need these exams."
Tremendous advances have been made in the prevention of cervical cancer with the June 2006 FDA approval of a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) for women ages 9-26. The vaccine protects against two strands of HPV (16 and 18) which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
"The approval of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is a great step forward in women's health," Marts said. "We are hopeful that more cancer vaccines will become a reality in the near future."
In the United States, more than 10,000 women were estimated to have developed cervical cancer in 2005, and nearly 4,000 died. Of American women who develop cervical cancer, about half have never had a Pap test and an additional 10 percent have not had a Pap test in the last five years.
"Cancer is a scary thing," Marts said, "but our ability to prevent, detect and treat it is improving quickly. As women, we have to be aware of our unique cancer risks and seek appropriate care and timely screenings."
Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR)
1025 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 701
Washington, DC 20036
United States
womenshealthresearch
четверг, 21 июля 2011 г.
Xanodyne's New Drug Application For The Treatment Of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia) Accepted For Filing With A Priority Review Classification
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing and granted priority review status for its investigational proprietary formulation of tranexamic acid for the treatment of women with menorrhagia, heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), and its accompanying symptoms. On January 30, 2009, Xanodyne submitted the New Drug Application (NDA) for XP12B, a unique oral therapy which acts as a competitive plasmin inhibitor to prevent fibrinolysis by binding to the lysine receptor sites of plasminogen. This helps to normalize the hyperfibrinolytic activity often present in women with HMB.
"We are pleased with the position that the FDA has taken in granting XP12B a priority review as it reflects their recognition of the important unmet medical need which HMB represents. We look forward to working closely with the agency to further advance this important treatment option to women who suffer from menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding," said Gary A. Shangold, Chief Medical Officer of Xanodyne.
Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), drug products with priority review designation have a 6 month review clock as compared to a 10 month standard review. Upon approval, this product candidate could become the first approved pharmaceutical product in the United States specifically indicated for the treatment of menorrhagia.
About Menorrhagia
HMB, or menorrhagia, represents a frequent and significant medical condition encountered by obstetricians, gynecologists and primary care physicians. Menorrhagia has been described as regular, normal intervals of menstruation with excessive volume that may exceed 80 milliliters of blood loss per menstrual cycle. At present, no pharmacotherapy has ever been approved by the FDA for the treatment of this disorder.
About Xanodyne
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which commenced operations in 2001, is an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with both development and commercial capabilities focused on women's healthcare and pain management. Xanodyne markets a portfolio of revenue generating products consisting of pharmaceuticals and a line of prenatal vitamins. Additionally, Xanodyne is advancing a late stage pipeline of product candidates targeted at significant potential markets in Xanodyne's focus areas.
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
xanodyne
"We are pleased with the position that the FDA has taken in granting XP12B a priority review as it reflects their recognition of the important unmet medical need which HMB represents. We look forward to working closely with the agency to further advance this important treatment option to women who suffer from menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding," said Gary A. Shangold, Chief Medical Officer of Xanodyne.
Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), drug products with priority review designation have a 6 month review clock as compared to a 10 month standard review. Upon approval, this product candidate could become the first approved pharmaceutical product in the United States specifically indicated for the treatment of menorrhagia.
About Menorrhagia
HMB, or menorrhagia, represents a frequent and significant medical condition encountered by obstetricians, gynecologists and primary care physicians. Menorrhagia has been described as regular, normal intervals of menstruation with excessive volume that may exceed 80 milliliters of blood loss per menstrual cycle. At present, no pharmacotherapy has ever been approved by the FDA for the treatment of this disorder.
About Xanodyne
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which commenced operations in 2001, is an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with both development and commercial capabilities focused on women's healthcare and pain management. Xanodyne markets a portfolio of revenue generating products consisting of pharmaceuticals and a line of prenatal vitamins. Additionally, Xanodyne is advancing a late stage pipeline of product candidates targeted at significant potential markets in Xanodyne's focus areas.
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
xanodyne
четверг, 14 июля 2011 г.
Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Summarizes Editorials On Approval Of Nonprescription Plan B Sales To Women Over Age 18
Some editorials and opinion pieces respond to FDA's decision on Thursday to approve Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B to women ages 18 and older. The approval came after the agency in May 2004 issued a "not approvable" letter in response to an application originally submitted by the pharmaceutical company Women's Capital for nonprescription sales of Plan B, which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse. Barr purchased Women's Capital during consideration of the application. FDA in the "not approvable" letter cited inadequate data on Plan B's use among girls younger than age 16, and Barr subsequently submitted a revised application to make the drug available without a prescription only to girls and women ages 16 and older. In a July 31 letter to Barr subsidiary Duramed Research, acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach wrote that 18 is the "appropriate age" to allow women to buy Plan B without a prescription and asked Barr to raise the age restriction in its application from 16 to 18. Barr earlier this month resubmitted its application. The approval requires Barr to "[m]onitor the effectiveness of the age restriction and the safe distribution of [nonprescription] Plan B to consumers [ages] 18 and above and prescription Plan B to women under [age] 18." Barr has agreed to send "anonymous shoppers" into pharmacies to test compliance with the age restriction, to distribute with the drug a booklet about its proper use and to exclude gas stations and convenience stores from selling the drug. Barr spokesperson Carol Cox said Plan B should be available for nonprescription sales this fall (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/25).
Editorials
Philadelphia Inquirer: FDA's decision to limit nonprescription sales of Plan B to women older than 18 is "about moral preference, not science; about preserving parents' control over minor children, not medical prudence," an Inquirer editorial says. Although the decision "won't please family planning groups that argued against" age restrictions or "those who consider Plan B a form of abortion," it is the "best decision the nation could expect of this administration," the editorial says (Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/25).
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: By approving nonprescription sales of Plan B to women ages 18 and older, FDA has "finally taken a big step to prevent pregnancies, protect health and reduce" the number of abortions, a Post-Intelligencer editorial says. However, the "decision included a compromise based on ideology" because it does not allow for nonprescription sales among girls ages 17 and younger, according to the editorial. "At the state and national levels, ideology has inserted itself into the discussions," the editorial says, concluding, "Science, the facts and the need to reduce the high U.S. teen birth rate ought to guide the decisions" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/25).
Opinion Pieces
Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The FDA approval "signals a rare victory for women's reproductive health, which has been a casualty of the Republican Party's courtship of far right extremists," Downey, a member of the Journal-Constitution's editorial board, writes in an opinion piece. However, the "18-and-older rule is a political mollification" that has "no scientific or health basis," Downey writes, adding that it also is "unfortunate because it's teenagers who engage in unprotected sex and have less access to birth control than their peers worldwide" (Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/25).
David Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: FDA's decision concerning Plan B was "influenced by political pressure," Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, writes in a Journal-Constitution opinion piece. By "allowing both prescription" and nonprescription sales of Plan B, FDA "appears" to be creating an "entirely new type of approval that neither has been authorized by Congress nor subjected to a formal rulemaking process," Stevens writes, adding that it is questionable how FDA will be able to ensure that "this scheme is followed" (Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/25).
Mary Worthington, Philadelphia Inquirer: While "we can make no simplistic post hoc correlations here between access to a drug and wholesale sexual behavior," two European studies have shown after Plan B became available without a prescription, sexually transmitted infection rates increased and abortion rates either increased or did not decrease, Worthington of Generation Life writes in an Inquirer opinion piece. FDA has "made a mistake in according" nonprescription "status to Plan B," Worthington writes, concluding, "Here's hoping the policy is revised or ended soon" (Worthington, Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/25).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 7 июля 2011 г.
Sotomayor Officially Takes Seat On Supreme Court
Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday officially took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in a formal ceremony attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden, the Washington Post reports. Sotomayor was sworn in as a member of the court on Aug. 8 following her confirmation by the Senate (Barnes, Washington Post, 9/9).
On Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the judicial oath in which Sotomayor pledged to "do equal right to the poor and to the rich," after which she took her seat at the far right side of the bench (Liptak, "The Caucus," New York Times, 9/8). In concluding the four-minute ceremony, Roberts said, "We wish for you a long and happy career in our common calling." Several other lawmakers, judges, family members and friends also attended the ceremony (Washington Post, 9/9).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 30 июня 2011 г.
Federally Funded Study Shows More Women Can Avoid Hysterectomy For Common Problem
A minimally invasive procedure
called endometrial ablation is as effective as hysterectomy in solving a
common female complaint called "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" or DUB,
according to a new federally-funded study published in the Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology.
DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding) can be described as abnormal
bleeding which cannot be attributed to abnormalities of the female
reproductive system, pharmacological interaction, intrauterine
contraception, or bleeding disorders. It is also referred to
menometrorrhagia.
The condition affects up to a third of all women at some point during
their reproductive years, usually women over age 30. It is characterized by
extremely heavy, erratic menstrual bleeding and is often accompanied by
fatigue, pelvic pain and decreased quality of life. The excessive blood
loss in DUB can provoke iron deficiency anemia.
"This is a very important study, proving that a minimally invasive
procedure -- endometrial ablation -- can solve the problem of excessive
bleeding as well as hysterectomy," commented Franklin D. Loffer, M.D.,
Executive Vice President/Medical Director of AAGL, the professional
organization dedicated to the advancement of minimally-invasive gynecologic
surgery. "Women should always be offered the least invasive, effective
approach to solving her medical problems."
While hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus and in some cases the
ovaries and cervix) has a long history of use to cure DUB, newer, less
invasive procedures have become available in recent years. These have
stirred controversy over whether hysterectomy is overused, particularly for
conditions such as DUB for which more conservative approaches may be just
as effective and cause fewer complications.
The new study, bearing the acronym of StopDUB for "Surgical Treatments
Outcomes Project for Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding," was a multi-center,
randomized, controlled trial in the U.S. and Canada involving 237 women at
25 treatment centers. The primary complaint causing women to seek surgery
was excessive bleeding that had not been mitigated by medical therapy.
These women were randomly assigned to receive either hysterectomy or
endometrial ablation, a minimally invasive technique that removes only the
lining of the uterus (the lining cells are responsible for the bleeding),
not the entire organ.
The primary measure of success in the study was women's satisfaction
with their treatment, rather than just a clinical endpoint. After three
years of follow-up, the vast majority of patients in both groups (93-95%)
reported that their problem was solved. The secondary endpoints of pain and
fatigue were also similar between the hysterectomy group and the
endometrial ablation group.
"Using women's satisfaction as the study goal, rather than clinical
endpoints alone, was very astute from our perspective, because the most
important outcome is the woman's opinion, not the doctor's," said Dr.
Loffer. "Our view at AAGL is always patient-focused: how much pain will
there be, how much trauma, how much time lost, what impact on the quality
of life? These are the measures that count."
Advantages of the less invasive procedure include shorter hospital
stays (hours instead of days), less blood loss, fewer complications and
quicker recovery. In many cases endometrial ablation causes menstrual
periods to become much lighter and more regular, rather than eliminating
them altogether. Many women consider this to be a satisfactory outcome and
would prefer to have normal periods rather than lose their uterus.
"Both endometrial ablation and hysterectomy are effective treatments in
women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. However, hysterectomy was
associated with about four times more adverse events and six times as many
postoperative infections," said Malcolm Munro, MD, an investigator in the
StopDUB Research Group at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University
of California Los Angeles. Dr. Munro is also an advisor to the AAGL.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
recommends that treatment for menorrhagia begin with the least invasive
therapy. But, for some women, endometrial ablation may not solve their
problem.
"In this study about two thirds of women were able to avoid
hysterectomy by having an endometrial ablation procedure while about a
third of the patients who had received endometrial ablation ended up having
a hysterectomy several years later. This rate is comparable to that seen in
other studies," said Munro.
About 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S., making
it the second most common major surgery performed on women of reproductive
age. There is controversy about how many of these hysterectomies are really
necessary. Clearly, 120,000 hysterectomies performed each year for DUB
(without uterine pathology) are amenable to endometrial ablation. Moreover,
many patients with uterine fibroids and abnormal bleeding can be treated
via endometrial ablation. Fibroids account for 40% of hysterectomies each
year.
While some doctors may look for anemia as a diagnostic indicator for
DUB, in the StopDUB study women's perception of their problem was the main
criterion, supported by clinical measures of excess duration, amount, or
unpredictability of flow. "We felt that women should not have to be anemic
in order to seek help and have their problem taken seriously," said Munro.
"Based on our results, it is reasonable to recommend that women should
select the type of surgery they want for DUB, based on their preferences
and situations," concluded Munro.
About AAGL
The AAGL is the first and largest organization in the world dedicated
to gynecologic endoscopic surgery. Founded in 1971, AAGL works to advance
the safest and most efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that
afford less invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions through the
integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, and dialogue. For
the past 36 years, the organization has educated the world's finest
surgeons while improving the lives of women everywhere. This global
commitment to women's health care is embodied in their continuing medical
education of physicians and professionals to further promote the
well-documented high standards of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
For more information visit aagl.
AAGL
aagl
called endometrial ablation is as effective as hysterectomy in solving a
common female complaint called "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" or DUB,
according to a new federally-funded study published in the Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology.
DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding) can be described as abnormal
bleeding which cannot be attributed to abnormalities of the female
reproductive system, pharmacological interaction, intrauterine
contraception, or bleeding disorders. It is also referred to
menometrorrhagia.
The condition affects up to a third of all women at some point during
their reproductive years, usually women over age 30. It is characterized by
extremely heavy, erratic menstrual bleeding and is often accompanied by
fatigue, pelvic pain and decreased quality of life. The excessive blood
loss in DUB can provoke iron deficiency anemia.
"This is a very important study, proving that a minimally invasive
procedure -- endometrial ablation -- can solve the problem of excessive
bleeding as well as hysterectomy," commented Franklin D. Loffer, M.D.,
Executive Vice President/Medical Director of AAGL, the professional
organization dedicated to the advancement of minimally-invasive gynecologic
surgery. "Women should always be offered the least invasive, effective
approach to solving her medical problems."
While hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus and in some cases the
ovaries and cervix) has a long history of use to cure DUB, newer, less
invasive procedures have become available in recent years. These have
stirred controversy over whether hysterectomy is overused, particularly for
conditions such as DUB for which more conservative approaches may be just
as effective and cause fewer complications.
The new study, bearing the acronym of StopDUB for "Surgical Treatments
Outcomes Project for Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding," was a multi-center,
randomized, controlled trial in the U.S. and Canada involving 237 women at
25 treatment centers. The primary complaint causing women to seek surgery
was excessive bleeding that had not been mitigated by medical therapy.
These women were randomly assigned to receive either hysterectomy or
endometrial ablation, a minimally invasive technique that removes only the
lining of the uterus (the lining cells are responsible for the bleeding),
not the entire organ.
The primary measure of success in the study was women's satisfaction
with their treatment, rather than just a clinical endpoint. After three
years of follow-up, the vast majority of patients in both groups (93-95%)
reported that their problem was solved. The secondary endpoints of pain and
fatigue were also similar between the hysterectomy group and the
endometrial ablation group.
"Using women's satisfaction as the study goal, rather than clinical
endpoints alone, was very astute from our perspective, because the most
important outcome is the woman's opinion, not the doctor's," said Dr.
Loffer. "Our view at AAGL is always patient-focused: how much pain will
there be, how much trauma, how much time lost, what impact on the quality
of life? These are the measures that count."
Advantages of the less invasive procedure include shorter hospital
stays (hours instead of days), less blood loss, fewer complications and
quicker recovery. In many cases endometrial ablation causes menstrual
periods to become much lighter and more regular, rather than eliminating
them altogether. Many women consider this to be a satisfactory outcome and
would prefer to have normal periods rather than lose their uterus.
"Both endometrial ablation and hysterectomy are effective treatments in
women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. However, hysterectomy was
associated with about four times more adverse events and six times as many
postoperative infections," said Malcolm Munro, MD, an investigator in the
StopDUB Research Group at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University
of California Los Angeles. Dr. Munro is also an advisor to the AAGL.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
recommends that treatment for menorrhagia begin with the least invasive
therapy. But, for some women, endometrial ablation may not solve their
problem.
"In this study about two thirds of women were able to avoid
hysterectomy by having an endometrial ablation procedure while about a
third of the patients who had received endometrial ablation ended up having
a hysterectomy several years later. This rate is comparable to that seen in
other studies," said Munro.
About 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S., making
it the second most common major surgery performed on women of reproductive
age. There is controversy about how many of these hysterectomies are really
necessary. Clearly, 120,000 hysterectomies performed each year for DUB
(without uterine pathology) are amenable to endometrial ablation. Moreover,
many patients with uterine fibroids and abnormal bleeding can be treated
via endometrial ablation. Fibroids account for 40% of hysterectomies each
year.
While some doctors may look for anemia as a diagnostic indicator for
DUB, in the StopDUB study women's perception of their problem was the main
criterion, supported by clinical measures of excess duration, amount, or
unpredictability of flow. "We felt that women should not have to be anemic
in order to seek help and have their problem taken seriously," said Munro.
"Based on our results, it is reasonable to recommend that women should
select the type of surgery they want for DUB, based on their preferences
and situations," concluded Munro.
About AAGL
The AAGL is the first and largest organization in the world dedicated
to gynecologic endoscopic surgery. Founded in 1971, AAGL works to advance
the safest and most efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that
afford less invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions through the
integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, and dialogue. For
the past 36 years, the organization has educated the world's finest
surgeons while improving the lives of women everywhere. This global
commitment to women's health care is embodied in their continuing medical
education of physicians and professionals to further promote the
well-documented high standards of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
For more information visit aagl.
AAGL
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среда, 29 июня 2011 г.
Blogs Comment On Plan B Court Decision, Mexican Abortion Law, Teen Pregnancy, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.
~ "Do the Right Thing: Make Emergency Contraception Accessible and Affordable," Sondra Goldschein/Vania Leveille, The Hill's Congress Blog: Although a federal judge this week ordered FDA to "do the right thing and revisit its politically motivated decision to unnecessarily restrict access to the emergency contraceptive Plan B," the ruling is "only the first step," Goldschein, director of state advocacy for the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project and Leveille, a legislative counsel for ACLU, write. "More work is needed to make sure that all women have true access to emergency contraception," they continue, noting that they "remain concerned about the high cost" of nonprescription EC. "Most state Medicaid plans ... currently don't cover Plan B, meaning that many low-income women who rely on Medicaid for their health care needs currently can't afford access," Goldschein and Leveille write, adding that "with the mounting cost of health care in general, coupled with our tough economic times, more and more women -- many of whom don't qualify for Medicaid -- will find it difficult if not impossible to cover the costs of Plan B when they need it." They conclude that the "court decision has given us the opportunity not only to put science and health care back into the FDA decision-making process, but to simultaneously reconsider ways to make Plan B accessible and affordable for all women who need it" (Goldschein/Leveille, The Hill's Congress Blog, 3/24).
~ "Ignoring Evidence, Mexican States Move to Increase Abortion Restrictions," Sharon Camp/Fatima Juarez, AlterNet: In Mexico, a "new spate of state-level laws further restrict[s] Mexican women's already limited access to legal abortion," Camp and Juarez of the Guttmacher Institute write in a blog entry. They continue, "Worse, there is evidence that women are being denied abortion care even when they meet the strict criteria for a legal procedure." The "trend" among Mexican states to "reinforce what are already strict restrictions on abortion access comes in reaction" to a 2007 policy legalizing the procedure during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, which was recently upheld by Mexico's Supreme Court, Camp and Juarez write. The new policies "not only demonstrate a shocking lack of compassion, they also directly contradict strong evidence from Mexico and other parts of the world that restricting abortion access does not make abortion less common -- it just results in more women dying or being injured by clandestine and unsafe practices," Camp and Juarez continue. They add, "If Mexican policymakers are concerned about reducing the need for abortion and safeguarding women's health, they should heed the strong evidence and focus on policies that promote prevention" (Camp/Juarez, AlterNet, 3/24).
~ "Why Canada's on Top in Teen Pregnancy," Vanessa Richmond, Huffington Post blogs: Canada's policies regarding sex education and access to pregnancy prevention methods "might actually be beacons of sustainable light, not dull lead weights," Richmond writes. The U.S.' teen birth rate rose for the second year in a row from 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 to 42.5 in 2007, which is "not a huge jump, but it's still significant because until two years ago, it had declined every year for 14 years," Richmond writes. The U.S. has the highest observed juvenile birth rates among industrialized countries, almost twice the rate in Canada and 10 times higher than Japan and the Netherlands, according to a comparative study from Statistics Canada. Richmond writes that the "main reason" for this is that "Canada's teens of all social classes get comprehensive information about contraception and about how to avoid unwanted pregnancies." Teens in Canada "get more sex-ed in school, and can access high-school-based family planning counseling through the nurse," she continues, adding they can "also always access universally free medical services, including visiting a family doctor and special health clinics." In addition, "at all levels, there's a more positive attitude towards the pill, and either cheaper or free prescriptions for it," Richmond writes. In the U.S., the "role institutions can play is one of providing information about the pill and condoms, rather than telling kids they shouldn't have sex," Richmond writes, concluding, "When adults treat teens as intelligent beings capable of making informed decisions when armed with good information, then they do. That's backed not just by belief, but by actual numbers and science" (Richmond, Huffington Post blogs, 3/26).
~ "The Down and Dirty Politics of Sex," Lon Newman, Below the Waist: The Obama administration "will need to sideline a few of the professional wrestlers and sports announcers in the abortion-rights contest" to achieve a "solid" reproductive health care policy as part of larger health care reform efforts, Newman writes. The "ongoing face-off" over issues like abortion rights, access to contraception and sex education "provides a dramatized competition that does not reflect the real lives of Americans," Newman says. He continues, "In their personal choices, citizens have accepted and embraced the right to informed consent on reproductive health issues," and, "[i]n this case, public policy should reflect private behavior." Although Obama has "reached out to listen to fundamentalist members of Congress and to interest groups who disagree, most of the time he has tried to set policy based on practical scientific decision-making instead of partisan crowd noise," Newman writes. The administration and Congress "must continue on this course of providing leadership on the principle that reproductive health care policy will be based on two foundations of American democracy -- reason and science," he continues, concluding, "We must not be distracted from that principle by battles over who holds higher moral ground. Instead, we must keep our attention on developing reproductive health care policy that is down to earth" (Newman, Below the Waist, 3/24).
~ "Colorado House Passes Birth Control Bill," Wendy Norris, RH Reality Check: Norris reports that the Colorado House this week passed the Birth Control Protection Act (S.B. 225) "on a largely party-line roll call vote of 39 to 25," after efforts to block the measure "shriveled" and supporters squelched an attempt to "add a poison pill amendment to insert the religious definition of pregnancy as at the moment of conception." According to Norris, the Birth Control Protection Act "codifies 'contraception or a contraceptive device as a medically acceptable drug, device or procedure used to prevent pregnancy.'" The measure is an attempt by two Democratic state representatives to "thwart future legal or constitutional challenges similar to Amendment 48," a failed November 2008 ballot measure that "sought to grant constitutional rights to fertilized eggs," she says. "The lawmakers reasoned that having a clear-cut definition that complements state law defining pregnancy will eliminate a debate over whether contraception includes abortions," Norris explains. She writes that the bill was amended to exclude mifespristone "and other federally approved pharmaceuticals that induce abortion, from the proposed legal definition of contraception," which will likely result in Gov. Bill Ritter's (D) approval of the bill (Norris, RH Reality Check, 3/25).
~ "Pope Condom Quote Undermines Credibility," Wayne Besen, Huffington Post blogs: Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, responds to Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments that the distribution of condoms will not help curb the spread of HIV in Africa. Besen asks, "How many people is this man willing to see die to defend his outdated dogma? How high must the body count be before the Pope is no longer considered pro-life?" He continues, "How ironic that a pope fixated on staunching the decline of the Catholic Church in Western Europe would declare something so out of touch with the modern world," adding, "His unconscionable cruelty has transformed him into a crusty relic on the verge of irrelevance." Besen writes that it is "such wanton disregard for reality and wearing of rose-colored shades to blind oneself from avoidable carnage that define fanaticism." He continues, "There is something pathological and perverse in the psyche of people willing to do enormous wrong in order to prove their doctrine right." Besen says Benedict will continue to "dupe the developing world," particularly countries "where people aren't as attuned to the ethical depravity of his unscientific proclamations." He continues, "Far from infallibility, this pope has failed on so many levels that he has virtually no credibility on matters of morality," concluding that "sadly, compassion is out of fashion at the Vatican these days" (Besen, Huffington Post blogs, 3/25).
~ "Do the Right Thing: Make Emergency Contraception Accessible and Affordable," Sondra Goldschein/Vania Leveille, The Hill's Congress Blog: Although a federal judge this week ordered FDA to "do the right thing and revisit its politically motivated decision to unnecessarily restrict access to the emergency contraceptive Plan B," the ruling is "only the first step," Goldschein, director of state advocacy for the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project and Leveille, a legislative counsel for ACLU, write. "More work is needed to make sure that all women have true access to emergency contraception," they continue, noting that they "remain concerned about the high cost" of nonprescription EC. "Most state Medicaid plans ... currently don't cover Plan B, meaning that many low-income women who rely on Medicaid for their health care needs currently can't afford access," Goldschein and Leveille write, adding that "with the mounting cost of health care in general, coupled with our tough economic times, more and more women -- many of whom don't qualify for Medicaid -- will find it difficult if not impossible to cover the costs of Plan B when they need it." They conclude that the "court decision has given us the opportunity not only to put science and health care back into the FDA decision-making process, but to simultaneously reconsider ways to make Plan B accessible and affordable for all women who need it" (Goldschein/Leveille, The Hill's Congress Blog, 3/24).
~ "Ignoring Evidence, Mexican States Move to Increase Abortion Restrictions," Sharon Camp/Fatima Juarez, AlterNet: In Mexico, a "new spate of state-level laws further restrict[s] Mexican women's already limited access to legal abortion," Camp and Juarez of the Guttmacher Institute write in a blog entry. They continue, "Worse, there is evidence that women are being denied abortion care even when they meet the strict criteria for a legal procedure." The "trend" among Mexican states to "reinforce what are already strict restrictions on abortion access comes in reaction" to a 2007 policy legalizing the procedure during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, which was recently upheld by Mexico's Supreme Court, Camp and Juarez write. The new policies "not only demonstrate a shocking lack of compassion, they also directly contradict strong evidence from Mexico and other parts of the world that restricting abortion access does not make abortion less common -- it just results in more women dying or being injured by clandestine and unsafe practices," Camp and Juarez continue. They add, "If Mexican policymakers are concerned about reducing the need for abortion and safeguarding women's health, they should heed the strong evidence and focus on policies that promote prevention" (Camp/Juarez, AlterNet, 3/24).
~ "Why Canada's on Top in Teen Pregnancy," Vanessa Richmond, Huffington Post blogs: Canada's policies regarding sex education and access to pregnancy prevention methods "might actually be beacons of sustainable light, not dull lead weights," Richmond writes. The U.S.' teen birth rate rose for the second year in a row from 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 to 42.5 in 2007, which is "not a huge jump, but it's still significant because until two years ago, it had declined every year for 14 years," Richmond writes. The U.S. has the highest observed juvenile birth rates among industrialized countries, almost twice the rate in Canada and 10 times higher than Japan and the Netherlands, according to a comparative study from Statistics Canada. Richmond writes that the "main reason" for this is that "Canada's teens of all social classes get comprehensive information about contraception and about how to avoid unwanted pregnancies." Teens in Canada "get more sex-ed in school, and can access high-school-based family planning counseling through the nurse," she continues, adding they can "also always access universally free medical services, including visiting a family doctor and special health clinics." In addition, "at all levels, there's a more positive attitude towards the pill, and either cheaper or free prescriptions for it," Richmond writes. In the U.S., the "role institutions can play is one of providing information about the pill and condoms, rather than telling kids they shouldn't have sex," Richmond writes, concluding, "When adults treat teens as intelligent beings capable of making informed decisions when armed with good information, then they do. That's backed not just by belief, but by actual numbers and science" (Richmond, Huffington Post blogs, 3/26).
~ "The Down and Dirty Politics of Sex," Lon Newman, Below the Waist: The Obama administration "will need to sideline a few of the professional wrestlers and sports announcers in the abortion-rights contest" to achieve a "solid" reproductive health care policy as part of larger health care reform efforts, Newman writes. The "ongoing face-off" over issues like abortion rights, access to contraception and sex education "provides a dramatized competition that does not reflect the real lives of Americans," Newman says. He continues, "In their personal choices, citizens have accepted and embraced the right to informed consent on reproductive health issues," and, "[i]n this case, public policy should reflect private behavior." Although Obama has "reached out to listen to fundamentalist members of Congress and to interest groups who disagree, most of the time he has tried to set policy based on practical scientific decision-making instead of partisan crowd noise," Newman writes. The administration and Congress "must continue on this course of providing leadership on the principle that reproductive health care policy will be based on two foundations of American democracy -- reason and science," he continues, concluding, "We must not be distracted from that principle by battles over who holds higher moral ground. Instead, we must keep our attention on developing reproductive health care policy that is down to earth" (Newman, Below the Waist, 3/24).
~ "Colorado House Passes Birth Control Bill," Wendy Norris, RH Reality Check: Norris reports that the Colorado House this week passed the Birth Control Protection Act (S.B. 225) "on a largely party-line roll call vote of 39 to 25," after efforts to block the measure "shriveled" and supporters squelched an attempt to "add a poison pill amendment to insert the religious definition of pregnancy as at the moment of conception." According to Norris, the Birth Control Protection Act "codifies 'contraception or a contraceptive device as a medically acceptable drug, device or procedure used to prevent pregnancy.'" The measure is an attempt by two Democratic state representatives to "thwart future legal or constitutional challenges similar to Amendment 48," a failed November 2008 ballot measure that "sought to grant constitutional rights to fertilized eggs," she says. "The lawmakers reasoned that having a clear-cut definition that complements state law defining pregnancy will eliminate a debate over whether contraception includes abortions," Norris explains. She writes that the bill was amended to exclude mifespristone "and other federally approved pharmaceuticals that induce abortion, from the proposed legal definition of contraception," which will likely result in Gov. Bill Ritter's (D) approval of the bill (Norris, RH Reality Check, 3/25).
~ "Pope Condom Quote Undermines Credibility," Wayne Besen, Huffington Post blogs: Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, responds to Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments that the distribution of condoms will not help curb the spread of HIV in Africa. Besen asks, "How many people is this man willing to see die to defend his outdated dogma? How high must the body count be before the Pope is no longer considered pro-life?" He continues, "How ironic that a pope fixated on staunching the decline of the Catholic Church in Western Europe would declare something so out of touch with the modern world," adding, "His unconscionable cruelty has transformed him into a crusty relic on the verge of irrelevance." Besen writes that it is "such wanton disregard for reality and wearing of rose-colored shades to blind oneself from avoidable carnage that define fanaticism." He continues, "There is something pathological and perverse in the psyche of people willing to do enormous wrong in order to prove their doctrine right." Besen says Benedict will continue to "dupe the developing world," particularly countries "where people aren't as attuned to the ethical depravity of his unscientific proclamations." He continues, "Far from infallibility, this pope has failed on so many levels that he has virtually no credibility on matters of morality," concluding that "sadly, compassion is out of fashion at the Vatican these days" (Besen, Huffington Post blogs, 3/25).
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