Sixty-two percent of U.S. residents want Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to be confirmed, and 55% say she is "about right" on a liberal-to-conservative scale, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, the Post reports. For the survey, pollsters randomly surveyed a national sample of 1,001 adults by telephone between June 18 and June 21. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
The poll found that about three-fourths of abortion-rights supporters want Sotomayor to be confirmed, compared with less than half of abortion-rights opponents. According to the poll, six in 10 U.S. residents would want the new Supreme Court justice to vote to uphold Roe v. Wade. Most Republican men would want the next Supreme Court justice to vote to overturn Roe, while Republican women were split about evenly on the issue, the poll found.
The poll also found that support for Sotomayor's confirmation was equal between men and women. In addition, nearly eight in 10 Democrats and about two-thirds of independents said they supported Sotomayor's confirmation, compared with 36% of Republicans. The poll found that most Republicans deemed Sotomayor a "more liberal" nominee than they would prefer. Among Republicans, those self-identifying as conservative Republicans were largely opposed to Sotomayor's confirmation, with more than seven in 10 conservative Republicans saying she is too liberal.
Sotomayor received support from Republicans self-identifying as moderate or liberal, with fewer than four in 10 saying she is too liberal. However, about one in five who opposed Sotomayor's confirmation said that she is not liberal enough. The poll also found that among the 33% of U.S. residents who said that Sotomayor's gender plays a role, more than twice as many said that is a positive attribute as opposed to a negative attribute (Cohen/Barnes, Washington Post, 6/28).
Sessions Requests More Information
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking Republican Jeff Sessions (Ala.) on Friday sent a letter to the White House requesting additional information on Sotomayor, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports. According to Sessions, the Obama administration has yet to provide members of the committee with information about a number of cases that Sotomayor brought to trial while working as a district attorney in New York. In addition, Sessions requested information regarding a case that Sotomayor argued on appeal. He also requested information about her work with Latino Justice PRLDEF, formerly known as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Sotomayor's confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin July 13. Republicans have criticized the schedule, saying it gives them insufficient time to review Sotomayor's record. Democrats have said that Republicans are seeking to create unnecessary delays and noted that the timeline is similar to that of past nominees (Herszenhorn, "The Caucus," New York Times, 6/26).
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, 29 декабря 2011 г.
четверг, 22 декабря 2011 г.
Green Tea May Protect Against Breast Cancer
While tea has been used as an alternative medicine in China for the last
several thousand years, it is only recently that the Western hemisphere
started to take notice of the beverage??s potential health benefits,
according to University of Southern California researchers. Now, tea is
being hailed as a miracle elixir with the power to do everything from
lower
stress hormones and sooth the symptoms of PMS to protect against disease.
Although many of the claims are unproven, tea has been shown to reduce the
risk of certain kinds of cancer, says Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., R.D.,
assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine
of
USC.
??The tea that has been studied the most is green tea,?? she notes. ??It??s
one
of the few teas out there that has been shown to have antioxidants that
may protect against cell damage
Epidemiologist Anna Wu, Ph.D., professor of preventive medicine at the
Keck
School, is studying the relationship between green tea consumption and
breast cancer risk. An earlier study about breast cancer risk among
Asian-American women showed that green tea intake had a strong protective
effect, while the more commonly consumed black tea had no effect at all,
she
says.
While both green and black teas come from the same Camellia sinensis plant
native to Asia, the leaves are processed differently. Black tea leaves go
through a fermentation process that strips the plant of its natural
polyphenol compounds, which are believed to give the tea its antioxidant
properties, Wu says.
Results from a small pilot study suggest that regular green tea drinkers
had
lower blood estrogen levels, while regular black tea drinkers had higher
blood estrogen levels. Higher levels of estrogen are associated with
breast
cancer risk, Wu explains.
While green tea is gaining in popularity around the world in part due to
reports of its disease fighting properties, consumption still lags far
behind black tea in most cultures. Regardless of whether the benefits are
as
widespread as some reports claim, a few cups of either green or black tea
is
a smart addition to a diet as a replacement for high-calorie sodas and
fruit
drinks.
Wu, a life-long black tea drinker, says she hasn??t given it up but now
drinks at least one cup of green tea a day as well.
University of Southern California
usc.edu
several thousand years, it is only recently that the Western hemisphere
started to take notice of the beverage??s potential health benefits,
according to University of Southern California researchers. Now, tea is
being hailed as a miracle elixir with the power to do everything from
lower
stress hormones and sooth the symptoms of PMS to protect against disease.
Although many of the claims are unproven, tea has been shown to reduce the
risk of certain kinds of cancer, says Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., R.D.,
assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine
of
USC.
??The tea that has been studied the most is green tea,?? she notes. ??It??s
one
of the few teas out there that has been shown to have antioxidants that
may protect against cell damage
Epidemiologist Anna Wu, Ph.D., professor of preventive medicine at the
Keck
School, is studying the relationship between green tea consumption and
breast cancer risk. An earlier study about breast cancer risk among
Asian-American women showed that green tea intake had a strong protective
effect, while the more commonly consumed black tea had no effect at all,
she
says.
While both green and black teas come from the same Camellia sinensis plant
native to Asia, the leaves are processed differently. Black tea leaves go
through a fermentation process that strips the plant of its natural
polyphenol compounds, which are believed to give the tea its antioxidant
properties, Wu says.
Results from a small pilot study suggest that regular green tea drinkers
had
lower blood estrogen levels, while regular black tea drinkers had higher
blood estrogen levels. Higher levels of estrogen are associated with
breast
cancer risk, Wu explains.
While green tea is gaining in popularity around the world in part due to
reports of its disease fighting properties, consumption still lags far
behind black tea in most cultures. Regardless of whether the benefits are
as
widespread as some reports claim, a few cups of either green or black tea
is
a smart addition to a diet as a replacement for high-calorie sodas and
fruit
drinks.
Wu, a life-long black tea drinker, says she hasn??t given it up but now
drinks at least one cup of green tea a day as well.
University of Southern California
usc.edu
четверг, 15 декабря 2011 г.
New York Times Examines Increasing Scrutiny Of Fertility Industry After Octuplet Birth
The New York Times on Thursday examined how regulators and the fertility industry have begun to view large multiple births as "breakdowns in the system," an issue that has increased debate over how many embryos should be implanted during in vitro fertilization and whether more oversight is warranted. The issue has taken on a renewed focus since the birth of octuplets last month to 33-year-old Nadya Suleman, who has six other children conceived through IVF. According to the Times, nearly one-third of IVF births involve twins or more, and the government and professional medical associations have pushed fertility doctors to lower that number to minimize risks related to multiple births, including infant death, low birth weight, disability and high-cost medical care.
In 2008, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, an association of fertility doctors, issued guidelines calling for the transfer of no more than two embryos in a woman younger than age 35 and no more than five in women age 35 and older. However, unlike some countries, the U.S. does not enforce the guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects data on fertility clinic results, but reporting is voluntary. Experts say that many fertility doctors still implant higher numbers of embryos to raise the chances of a pregnancy, the Times reports. The number of triplet births declined from 7% in 1996 to 2% in 2006, a decrease that ASRM considers as one of its successes, according to the Times. However, only 11% of IVF procedures in 2006 involved single embryos, according to CDC data.
The Times reports that efforts to reduce multiple births, such as the guidelines for implanting only one embryo, have caused tension within the fertility industry, a more than $1 billion business. Doctors say patients constantly push for the implantation of multiple embryos. One IVF cycle can cost about $12,000, and "[w]omen who are not successful the first time often try again and again, which can push the cost of having a baby to more than $100,000," the Times reports. The fertility industry in the U.S. has doubled in size since 1996 -- when CDC began tracking data -- and the latest figures show that there are more than 483 clinics and that more than 134,000 procedures have been performed.
Jeffrey Steinberg -- head of Fertility Institutes, a Southern California-based group of fertility clinics -- said, "Every single decision we make about embryo transfers is a tough one, because we don't have a crystal ball." Daniel Potter, medical director of Huntington Reproductive Center in Southern California, said the responsibility of the procedure remains with the doctor, regardless of a patient's requests. He added that if someone came in and wanted to transfer six embryos in a situation" such as Suleman's, then "we have an obligation to protect the patient and not let the patient do things that are unreasonable." Suleman, in an interview on NBC's "Today Show", said that her IVF procedure involved six embryos, and she identified the fertility doctor who performed the procedure as Michael Kamrava of the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Medical Board of California is investigating Kamrava to determine whether there was a violation of standard medical practice. According to the Times, he has "raised eyebrows in the industry" in the past by advocating for a controversial procedure called SEED -- subendometrial embryo delivery, which involves inserting an embryo directly into the uterine lining. Potter said that the procedure's value is not scientifically supported. CDC data from 2006 place Kamrava's clinic among those with the lowest success rates in the country and reveal that the clinic had one of the highest rates of embryos transferred in younger women -- 3.5 embryos versus the average of 2.3 (Saul, New York Times, 2/12).
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.
In 2008, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, an association of fertility doctors, issued guidelines calling for the transfer of no more than two embryos in a woman younger than age 35 and no more than five in women age 35 and older. However, unlike some countries, the U.S. does not enforce the guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects data on fertility clinic results, but reporting is voluntary. Experts say that many fertility doctors still implant higher numbers of embryos to raise the chances of a pregnancy, the Times reports. The number of triplet births declined from 7% in 1996 to 2% in 2006, a decrease that ASRM considers as one of its successes, according to the Times. However, only 11% of IVF procedures in 2006 involved single embryos, according to CDC data.
The Times reports that efforts to reduce multiple births, such as the guidelines for implanting only one embryo, have caused tension within the fertility industry, a more than $1 billion business. Doctors say patients constantly push for the implantation of multiple embryos. One IVF cycle can cost about $12,000, and "[w]omen who are not successful the first time often try again and again, which can push the cost of having a baby to more than $100,000," the Times reports. The fertility industry in the U.S. has doubled in size since 1996 -- when CDC began tracking data -- and the latest figures show that there are more than 483 clinics and that more than 134,000 procedures have been performed.
Jeffrey Steinberg -- head of Fertility Institutes, a Southern California-based group of fertility clinics -- said, "Every single decision we make about embryo transfers is a tough one, because we don't have a crystal ball." Daniel Potter, medical director of Huntington Reproductive Center in Southern California, said the responsibility of the procedure remains with the doctor, regardless of a patient's requests. He added that if someone came in and wanted to transfer six embryos in a situation" such as Suleman's, then "we have an obligation to protect the patient and not let the patient do things that are unreasonable." Suleman, in an interview on NBC's "Today Show", said that her IVF procedure involved six embryos, and she identified the fertility doctor who performed the procedure as Michael Kamrava of the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Medical Board of California is investigating Kamrava to determine whether there was a violation of standard medical practice. According to the Times, he has "raised eyebrows in the industry" in the past by advocating for a controversial procedure called SEED -- subendometrial embryo delivery, which involves inserting an embryo directly into the uterine lining. Potter said that the procedure's value is not scientifically supported. CDC data from 2006 place Kamrava's clinic among those with the lowest success rates in the country and reveal that the clinic had one of the highest rates of embryos transferred in younger women -- 3.5 embryos versus the average of 2.3 (Saul, New York Times, 2/12).
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, 8 декабря 2011 г.
Gender Differences In Lung Cancer Incidence: Smoke Exposure Alters Gene Expression And Estrogen Metabolism In The Lungs Of Mice
Lung cancer rates are increasing substantially in women, particularly in non-smoking women, with no known reason for the increase. Now researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center may have uncovered a critical piece in the puzzle.
Working in a mouse model of smoking-induced lung cancer, Margie Clapper, Ph.D., Co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, and colleagues found that smoke triggers rapid changes in gene expression in the lungs of female mice, including increasing expression of a network of genes involved in estrogen metabolism. Based on these data, presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the team hypothesizes that estrogen metabolism may contribute to lung cancer in non-smoking women as well.
Following smoke exposure for 3, 8, or 20 weeks, Sibele Meireles, Ph.D., an assistant member in the Clapper Lab, found that 10 genes were differentially expressed in the lungs of smoke-exposed female mice as compared with control animals. The gene most affected by smoke was cytochrome P450 1b1 (Cyp1b1), which is responsible for breaking down toxins and is a key enzyme for estrogen metabolism. Additionally, when the team looked at networks of genes, they saw that genes involved in estrogen metabolism were altered within the lungs of animals exposed to smoke as compared to controls.
"We found a link between hormones and lung cancer through Cyp1b1 when we weren't looking for it -very exciting," says Clapper. "Previous work has suggested that estrogen may play a role in lung cancer, but no one has shown that smoke can actually accelerate the metabolism of estrogen within the lungs; the suggestion from our data."
The investigators hypothesize that estrogen plays a role in the formation and progression of lung cancers, similar to the role it plays in some breast cancers. The idea is consistent with previous studies indicating that women with lung cancer who take hormone replacement therapy have a poorer prognosis than women who do not, regardless of their smoking history. Additionally the observation that estrogen can be detected within the lungs and that its metabolism is upregulated in the lungs of smoke-exposed female mice may provide new insight into why lung cancer is rising so quickly in women, including non-smoking women world wide, according to Clapper.
The investigators decided to look at gene expression changes after short-term smoke exposure in hopes of finding ways to intervene in or reverse the process. "If we can identify the earliest events that happen within the lungs when you begin to smoke, we might be able to use therapeutics to block them as well as lung cancer," says Clapper, who runs a chemoprevention laboratory at Fox Chase.
First author on the study is Sibele I. Meireles of Fox Chase. Co-authors include Suraj Peri, Karthik Devarajan, Michael Slifker, Stacy L. Mosier, and Jing Peng of Fox Chase, Gustavo H. Esteves of University of Para?ba State, Brazil, Roberto Hirata, Jr., and Jordao Neves of the University of S??o Paulo, Brazil, Manicka V. Vadhanam, Harrell E. Hurst, and Ramesh C. Gupta of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, Luiz F. Reis of the Hospital S?rio Liban??s, Brazil, and C. Gary Gairola of the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Source:
Diana Quattrone
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Working in a mouse model of smoking-induced lung cancer, Margie Clapper, Ph.D., Co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, and colleagues found that smoke triggers rapid changes in gene expression in the lungs of female mice, including increasing expression of a network of genes involved in estrogen metabolism. Based on these data, presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the team hypothesizes that estrogen metabolism may contribute to lung cancer in non-smoking women as well.
Following smoke exposure for 3, 8, or 20 weeks, Sibele Meireles, Ph.D., an assistant member in the Clapper Lab, found that 10 genes were differentially expressed in the lungs of smoke-exposed female mice as compared with control animals. The gene most affected by smoke was cytochrome P450 1b1 (Cyp1b1), which is responsible for breaking down toxins and is a key enzyme for estrogen metabolism. Additionally, when the team looked at networks of genes, they saw that genes involved in estrogen metabolism were altered within the lungs of animals exposed to smoke as compared to controls.
"We found a link between hormones and lung cancer through Cyp1b1 when we weren't looking for it -very exciting," says Clapper. "Previous work has suggested that estrogen may play a role in lung cancer, but no one has shown that smoke can actually accelerate the metabolism of estrogen within the lungs; the suggestion from our data."
The investigators hypothesize that estrogen plays a role in the formation and progression of lung cancers, similar to the role it plays in some breast cancers. The idea is consistent with previous studies indicating that women with lung cancer who take hormone replacement therapy have a poorer prognosis than women who do not, regardless of their smoking history. Additionally the observation that estrogen can be detected within the lungs and that its metabolism is upregulated in the lungs of smoke-exposed female mice may provide new insight into why lung cancer is rising so quickly in women, including non-smoking women world wide, according to Clapper.
The investigators decided to look at gene expression changes after short-term smoke exposure in hopes of finding ways to intervene in or reverse the process. "If we can identify the earliest events that happen within the lungs when you begin to smoke, we might be able to use therapeutics to block them as well as lung cancer," says Clapper, who runs a chemoprevention laboratory at Fox Chase.
First author on the study is Sibele I. Meireles of Fox Chase. Co-authors include Suraj Peri, Karthik Devarajan, Michael Slifker, Stacy L. Mosier, and Jing Peng of Fox Chase, Gustavo H. Esteves of University of Para?ba State, Brazil, Roberto Hirata, Jr., and Jordao Neves of the University of S??o Paulo, Brazil, Manicka V. Vadhanam, Harrell E. Hurst, and Ramesh C. Gupta of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, Luiz F. Reis of the Hospital S?rio Liban??s, Brazil, and C. Gary Gairola of the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Source:
Diana Quattrone
Fox Chase Cancer Center
четверг, 1 декабря 2011 г.
Belly Fat Puts Women At Risk For Osteoporosis
For years, it was believed that obese women were at lower risk for developing osteoporosis, and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss. However, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that having too much internal abdominal fat may, in fact, have a damaging effect on bone health.
"We know that obesity is a major public health problem," said the study's lead author, Miriam A. Bredella, M.D., a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Now we know that abdominal obesity needs to be included as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone loss."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 72 million American adults are considered obese. The CDC defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Obesity is associated with many health problems including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea and joint diseases. Yet despite all the health issues, it was commonly accepted that women with increased body weight were at lower risk for bone loss.
But not all body fat is the same. Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin, and visceral or intra-abdominal fat is located deep under the muscle tissue in the abdominal cavity. Genetics, diet and exercise are all contributors to the level of visceral fat that is stored in the body. Excess visceral fat is considered particularly dangerous, because in previous studies it has been associated with increased risk for heart disease.
Dr. Bredella and colleagues set out to evaluate the abdominal subcutaneous, visceral and total fat, as well as bone marrow fat and bone mineral density, in 50 premenopausal women with a mean BMI of 30. Each woman underwent an MR spectroscopy exam to evaluate the bone marrow fat of the L4, the fourth vertebra in the lumbar section of the spine. Then, the bone mineral density of the L4 was assessed using quantitative computed tomography (QCT), which measures bone mass and is used to assess bone loss.
The imaging revealed that women with more visceral fat had increased bone marrow fat and decreased bone mineral density. However, there was no significant correlation between either subcutaneous fat or total fat and bone marrow fat or bone mineral density.
"Our results showed that having a lot of belly fat is more detrimental to bone health than having more superficial fat or fat around the hips," Dr. Bredella said.
According to the National Women's Health Information Center, 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at risk for the disease.
"It is important for the public to be aware that excess belly fat is a risk factor for bone loss, as well as heart disease and diabetes," Dr. Bredella said.
While bone loss is more common in women, the research team is currently conducting a study to determine whether belly fat is also a risk factor for bone loss in men.
Coauthors are Martin Torriani, M.D., Reza Hosseini Ghomi, M.S.E., Bijoy Thomas, M.D., Anne Klibanski, M.D., and Karen Miller, M.D.
Source:
Radiological Society of North America
"We know that obesity is a major public health problem," said the study's lead author, Miriam A. Bredella, M.D., a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Now we know that abdominal obesity needs to be included as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone loss."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 72 million American adults are considered obese. The CDC defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Obesity is associated with many health problems including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea and joint diseases. Yet despite all the health issues, it was commonly accepted that women with increased body weight were at lower risk for bone loss.
But not all body fat is the same. Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin, and visceral or intra-abdominal fat is located deep under the muscle tissue in the abdominal cavity. Genetics, diet and exercise are all contributors to the level of visceral fat that is stored in the body. Excess visceral fat is considered particularly dangerous, because in previous studies it has been associated with increased risk for heart disease.
Dr. Bredella and colleagues set out to evaluate the abdominal subcutaneous, visceral and total fat, as well as bone marrow fat and bone mineral density, in 50 premenopausal women with a mean BMI of 30. Each woman underwent an MR spectroscopy exam to evaluate the bone marrow fat of the L4, the fourth vertebra in the lumbar section of the spine. Then, the bone mineral density of the L4 was assessed using quantitative computed tomography (QCT), which measures bone mass and is used to assess bone loss.
The imaging revealed that women with more visceral fat had increased bone marrow fat and decreased bone mineral density. However, there was no significant correlation between either subcutaneous fat or total fat and bone marrow fat or bone mineral density.
"Our results showed that having a lot of belly fat is more detrimental to bone health than having more superficial fat or fat around the hips," Dr. Bredella said.
According to the National Women's Health Information Center, 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at risk for the disease.
"It is important for the public to be aware that excess belly fat is a risk factor for bone loss, as well as heart disease and diabetes," Dr. Bredella said.
While bone loss is more common in women, the research team is currently conducting a study to determine whether belly fat is also a risk factor for bone loss in men.
Coauthors are Martin Torriani, M.D., Reza Hosseini Ghomi, M.S.E., Bijoy Thomas, M.D., Anne Klibanski, M.D., and Karen Miller, M.D.
Source:
Radiological Society of North America
четверг, 24 ноября 2011 г.
ABC News' 'World News Tonight' Examines Emotional Aspects Of Egg Donation Among College-Age Women
ABCNews' "World News Tonight" on Friday examined the emotional aspects of egg donation for female college students -- who are the "most desirable market" for fertility clinics because of their age and education -- and the opinions among former egg donors about whether the experience was positive or negative. According to Debora Spar -- a professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book, "The Baby Business: How Money, Science, and Politics Drive the Commerce of Conception" -- women do not think about or are not being counseled about the emotional aspects of donating genetic material. The segment includes comments from a woman who as a college student donated her eggs four times to make money and does not regret her decision, and a woman who as a college student donated her eggs to a family member and now feels she made the wrong choice (Marquez, "World News Tonight," ABCNews, 5/19).
The complete transcript is available online. Video of the segment is available online.
"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.
The complete transcript is available online. Video of the segment is available online.
"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, 17 ноября 2011 г.
Texas Newspapers Call For Comprehensive Sex Education To Address Teen Pregnancy
Two Texas newspapers recently published editorials and an opinion piece responding to a recent Child Trends report that ranked Texas No. 1 in the U.S. for repeat teen pregnancies. According to a recent Dallas Morning News article, despite Texas' high teen pregnancy rate, the state has some of the most restrictive policies in the nation regarding minors' access to prescription birth control. Summaries appear below.
Corpus Christi Caller-Times: The "dismal teen pregnancy rate" in the Corpus Christi area has been "well-documented," a Caller-Times editorial states, adding, "Now is not the time to cut funding for programs aimed to curtail teen pregnancies." The editorial notes that "Texas received more federal dollars than any state to support abstinence education with no money for comprehensive sex education." It adds, "That approach has been an abject failure." According to the editorial, "Insisting on abstinence for teen mothers having their second or third babies, without fact-based knowledge about condoms and other contraceptives, is public policy with blinders on" (Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 9/8).
Houston Chronicle: "We need to face the obvious: Teenagers are having sex. And some of them are having it in middle school -- with repercussions, both public and private, that will last for generations," a Chronicle editorial states. It adds that although sex education is "parents' job, of course, ... astounding numbers show that many parents need help." The editorial continues, "Our schools need to discuss sex and contraception -- and they need to start in middle school." According to the editorial, schools should teach "comprehensive sex ed" because it "helps teenagers to delay intercourse" and "makes them more likely to use condoms if they don't delay." The editorial recommends that the state Legislature pass a law next year requiring schools to provide "medically accurate" information regarding contraception, in addition to promoting abstinence. According to the editorial, "parents should be able to opt out of school sex ed for their kids," but the "default" in schools should be "straight talk about sex" (Houston Chronicle, 9/8).
Texas State Sen. Rodney Ellis/State Rep. Ellen Cohen, Houston Chronicle: "There's been virtually no impact on the reduction in teen pregnancy and births despite more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds invested in teaching young people that they should abstain from sexual relationships," Ellis (D) and Cohen (D) write in a Chronicle opinion piece. They continue, "Clearly, this single-minded approach is failing our teens and taxpayers." Ellis and Cohen write that a bill titled Education Works, which died during the committee process in the last legislative session, "was written to directly address the growing problem of teen pregnancy and births in Texas." According to Ellis and Cohen, the bill "would ensure that teens learn about abstinence, healthy relationships, positive self-image and about birth control so they can protect themselves from a pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease." They add, "The current approach is simply not working for young people, taxpayers and ultimately the state of Texas" (Ellis/Cohen, Houston Chronicle, 9/8).
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, 10 ноября 2011 г.
Recommendations On Women And Children's Health At G8 Summit
Governments and other organizations must intensify efforts to improve the health of women and children, particularly in the developing world where the lion's share of deaths occur, says Dr. Philip Baker, an internationally renowned medical researcher in obstetrics & gynecology. Baker is the lead author on a G8 positioning paper that included consultations with 20 of the world's leading medical experts on women and children's health.
The academies of science of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States have issued a joint set of recommendations for the upcoming G8 summit on how to achieve these goals. Lead author of the position paper is Dr. Philip Baker, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Canada.
"The health of families, communities and economies is inextricably tied to the health of women - yet every 100 seconds, a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth somewhere in the world. Mother and child outcomes are closely linked. Reducing maternal mortality is critical and is also a priority for improving child health," the paper says.
Some of its recommendations include the following:
Governments and other organizations must increase funding and resources for maternal and child health.
Health facilities and staffing need strengthening.
Strategies to improve maternal health should facilitate access to contraception services and measures to reduce unsafe abortion.
Policies which protect women and children from all forms of abuse, injury, exploitation and violence must be promoted.
Maternal and child health research needs strengthening, especially in knowledge translation.
The summit is being hosted by Canada in June.
Source:
Jo-anne Nugent
University of Alberta
The academies of science of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States have issued a joint set of recommendations for the upcoming G8 summit on how to achieve these goals. Lead author of the position paper is Dr. Philip Baker, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Canada.
"The health of families, communities and economies is inextricably tied to the health of women - yet every 100 seconds, a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth somewhere in the world. Mother and child outcomes are closely linked. Reducing maternal mortality is critical and is also a priority for improving child health," the paper says.
Some of its recommendations include the following:
Governments and other organizations must increase funding and resources for maternal and child health.
Health facilities and staffing need strengthening.
Strategies to improve maternal health should facilitate access to contraception services and measures to reduce unsafe abortion.
Policies which protect women and children from all forms of abuse, injury, exploitation and violence must be promoted.
Maternal and child health research needs strengthening, especially in knowledge translation.
The summit is being hosted by Canada in June.
Source:
Jo-anne Nugent
University of Alberta
четверг, 3 ноября 2011 г.
Estrogen Therapy Increases Benign Breast Disease Risk
Women who took conjugated equine estrogen, a commonly prescribed form of estrogen, had more than twice the risk of developing specific types of benign breast disease as women who took a placebo, according to a randomized controlled trial published online April 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The impact of conjugated equine estrogen on the risk of developing benign proliferative breast disease, a condition that is associated with increased risk of breast cancer, has been unclear. Some studies have reported an association while others have not. In the Women's Health Initiative study, 10,739 postmenopausal women with hysterectomy were assigned to either conjugated equine estrogen or a placebo. Previous analyses did not show an increase in breast cancer incidence in the women who took estrogen alone after a median follow-up of seven years.
To determine whether the hormone increases the risk of benign proliferative breast disease, Tom Rohan, M.D., Ph.D., of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and colleagues identified and examined non-cancerous breast biopsies in each of the Women's Health Initiative trial arms.
A total of 232 cases of benign proliferative breast disease were identified, with 155 cases among the women who took estrogen supplements and 77 in the placebo group. The risk of developing benign disease increased by more than two-fold for women taking conjugated equine estrogen, compared with those taking a placebo.
"The prevailing hypothesis concerning the natural history of breast cancer is that benign proliferative breast disease without atypia, proliferative disease with atypia, and in situ cancer represent successive steps preceding the development of invasive breast [cancer]. In keeping with this hypothesis, women with benign proliferative breast disease have an increased risk of subsequent breast cancer," the authors write.
Although the women taking conjugated equine estrogen have not yet shown a significant increased risk of breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative study, if this hypothesis holds true, they might show increased risk later. Ongoing follow up of the study participants may help to resolve this issue.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published by Oxford University Press and is not affiliated with the National Cancer Institute. Attribution to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is requested in all news coverage. Visit the Journal online at jnci.oxfordjournals/.
Source:
Liz Savage
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
The impact of conjugated equine estrogen on the risk of developing benign proliferative breast disease, a condition that is associated with increased risk of breast cancer, has been unclear. Some studies have reported an association while others have not. In the Women's Health Initiative study, 10,739 postmenopausal women with hysterectomy were assigned to either conjugated equine estrogen or a placebo. Previous analyses did not show an increase in breast cancer incidence in the women who took estrogen alone after a median follow-up of seven years.
To determine whether the hormone increases the risk of benign proliferative breast disease, Tom Rohan, M.D., Ph.D., of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and colleagues identified and examined non-cancerous breast biopsies in each of the Women's Health Initiative trial arms.
A total of 232 cases of benign proliferative breast disease were identified, with 155 cases among the women who took estrogen supplements and 77 in the placebo group. The risk of developing benign disease increased by more than two-fold for women taking conjugated equine estrogen, compared with those taking a placebo.
"The prevailing hypothesis concerning the natural history of breast cancer is that benign proliferative breast disease without atypia, proliferative disease with atypia, and in situ cancer represent successive steps preceding the development of invasive breast [cancer]. In keeping with this hypothesis, women with benign proliferative breast disease have an increased risk of subsequent breast cancer," the authors write.
Although the women taking conjugated equine estrogen have not yet shown a significant increased risk of breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative study, if this hypothesis holds true, they might show increased risk later. Ongoing follow up of the study participants may help to resolve this issue.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published by Oxford University Press and is not affiliated with the National Cancer Institute. Attribution to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is requested in all news coverage. Visit the Journal online at jnci.oxfordjournals/.
Source:
Liz Savage
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
четверг, 27 октября 2011 г.
Increasing Cohabitation By Young People Disrupts 'Courtship Narrative,' Post Columnist Writes
The traditional "courtship narrative" of "dating, engagement, marriage, children," has been "disrupted without being replaced, leaving many 20-somethings" to "evolv[e] a casual, ad hoc version of their own: cohabitation," Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson writes. According to Gerson, the average age when people marry has increased to about 26 for women and 28 for men, and the number of U.S. residents cohabitating increased fourteen fold from 1960 to 2007. It does not "seem realistic to expect most men and woman to delay sex until marriage at 26 or 28," so for some people cohabitation is "a test-drive for marriage," Gerson writes, adding, "For others, it's an easier, low-commitment alternative to marriage."
According to Gerson, cohabitation is not "working out ... very well." He states that "[r]elationships defined by lower levels of commitment are, not unexpectedly, more likely to break up," noting that 75% of children born to cohabitating parents "will see their parents split up by the time they turn 16."
Although it "may not be realistic to maintain the connection between marriage and sex, it remains essential to maintain the connection between marriage and childbearing," according to Gerson. He adds that the "age of first marriage is important to marital survival and happiness." He continues, "There is little use in preaching against a hurricane of social change," but "delaying marriage creates moral, emotional and practical complications." The "challenge, as always, is to humanize change," Gerson says, concluding, "The answer, even in the relational wasteland, is responsibility, commitment and sacrifice for the sake of children" (Gerson, Washington Post, 9/16).
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, 20 октября 2011 г.
Opinion Piece Questions Depictions Of Pregnant Teens On MTV Reality Shows
The MTV reality show "16 and Pregnant" and its spin-off, "Teen Mom," both "are designed to deter adolescents from becoming mothers -- a relevant issue as teen pregnancy rates are up for the first time in more than a decade," Double X managing editor Jessica Grose writes in a Slate opinion piece. Grose says that the shows "follow adolescent mothers as they struggle to raise their children" and "are produced in partnership with the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy." She asks, "Can a television show really convince teens that they should wait to become mothers? And even if it can, is it worth the cost of offering up a handful of young women as public examples during perhaps the most vulnerable period of their lives?" According to Grose, there is evidence showing that shows like these impact teen sexual behavior. A recent Ohio State University study found that "college-age women who watched an episode of 'The O.C.' that depicted a pregnancy scare were more likely to try to use birth control than women who watched a show in a news format about the hardships of teen motherhood."
Grose continues, "But at what price does '16 and Pregnant' get this message across?" She writes that she worries what "repercussions" a pregnant minor would face "for putting her life out there and wonder[s] whether she could really understand the consequences." She adds, "While MTV aims to send a good message with earnest shows about teen motherhood, the message gets muddled when it is in the context of the networks other reality programming," notably the show "Jersey Shore," "which depicted consequence-free carousing."
Grose reports that the executive producer of "16 and Pregnant," Morgan J. Freeman, says the participants are financially compensated for their time but did not provide details. Freeman said, "I don't think there's anything of an exploitative nature in what we're doing," adding, "We do our best to show a very unvarnished and honest portrayal of their experience." Grose writes, "But maybe essential truth isn't in the best interest of these girls, for whom excising some of their most unpleasant moments could be the equivalent of a televised white lie" (Grose, Slate, 2/22).
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, 13 октября 2011 г.
Pre-Eclampsia During Pregnancy Could Indicate Future Heart Disease Risk, Studies Say
Women who experience pre-eclampsia during pregnancy have more heart attacks, strokes and blood clots later in life than women without the condition, according to several studies, the New York Times reports. Pre-eclampsia occurs in about 5% of pregnancies, affecting about 300,000 women annually in the U.S. According to the Times, researchers do not know what causes the condition, which is marked by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, severe swelling, headaches and vision problems. Although pre-eclampsia usually disappears soon after delivery, a "growing body of evidence" indicates that women who develop pre-eclampsia have twice the risk of having a heart attack or stroke later in life, the Times reports.
Graeme Smith, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Queen's University in Ontario, currently is tracking about 600 women after pregnancy, half of whom had pre-eclampsia. For Smith's most recent study, published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers compared 70 women from the pre-eclampsia group and 70 women without the condition. The study found that one year after delivery, women in the pre-eclampsia group had higher blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index than the unaffected women. According to the Times, another study published this year found that women with pre-eclampsia were more likely to form blood clots and a 2007 study identified greater prevalence of artery hardening among women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy. David Williams, an obstetrician at the University College London, in 2007 published an analysis of 25 pre-eclampsia studies, finding that about four out of 100 women in their mid-40s with a history of normal pregnancy would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke 10 years later. Williams said that the proportion rises to eight out of 100 among women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and that it rises even higher among women who have had pre-eclampsia more than once. Thomas Easterling, an obstetrician and pre-eclampsia researcher at the University of Washington Medical School, said data from such studies are "overwhelming." Smith added that such findings are "a wake-up call," particularly because the women with pre-eclampsia "are, for the most part, young, healthy women."
According to the Times, most researchers do not believe that pre-eclampsia directly increases the risk of heart disease. Smith said that it seems more likely that the condition is an early indicator of the health of a woman's heart. He called pregnancy a type of stress test, adding, "How much or how badly you fail that stress test really is an indicator of your future health risk." According to the Times, Williams now advises women with pre-eclampsia to have frequent screenings for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure, and to seek treatment if the levels are high. However, barriers remain for increasing awareness of the link between pre-eclampsia and heart health. Smith said the association is "not readily appreciated by physicians," adding, "If you ask a cardiologist, they go, 'I never heard of it.'" According to Daniel Jones, dean of University of Mississippi School of Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, an expert panel responsible for revising national blood pressure guidelines currently is evaluating the recent evidence linking pre-eclampsia to heart disease. Smith said increased awareness about the two conditions might allow physicians to identify a woman's heart disease risk sooner. "The earlier you diagnose them, the more likely you are to prevent cardiovascular disease," he said, adding, "This is an opportunity where people can change their future (Westphal, New York Times, 3/17).
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.
Graeme Smith, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Queen's University in Ontario, currently is tracking about 600 women after pregnancy, half of whom had pre-eclampsia. For Smith's most recent study, published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers compared 70 women from the pre-eclampsia group and 70 women without the condition. The study found that one year after delivery, women in the pre-eclampsia group had higher blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index than the unaffected women. According to the Times, another study published this year found that women with pre-eclampsia were more likely to form blood clots and a 2007 study identified greater prevalence of artery hardening among women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy. David Williams, an obstetrician at the University College London, in 2007 published an analysis of 25 pre-eclampsia studies, finding that about four out of 100 women in their mid-40s with a history of normal pregnancy would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke 10 years later. Williams said that the proportion rises to eight out of 100 among women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and that it rises even higher among women who have had pre-eclampsia more than once. Thomas Easterling, an obstetrician and pre-eclampsia researcher at the University of Washington Medical School, said data from such studies are "overwhelming." Smith added that such findings are "a wake-up call," particularly because the women with pre-eclampsia "are, for the most part, young, healthy women."
According to the Times, most researchers do not believe that pre-eclampsia directly increases the risk of heart disease. Smith said that it seems more likely that the condition is an early indicator of the health of a woman's heart. He called pregnancy a type of stress test, adding, "How much or how badly you fail that stress test really is an indicator of your future health risk." According to the Times, Williams now advises women with pre-eclampsia to have frequent screenings for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure, and to seek treatment if the levels are high. However, barriers remain for increasing awareness of the link between pre-eclampsia and heart health. Smith said the association is "not readily appreciated by physicians," adding, "If you ask a cardiologist, they go, 'I never heard of it.'" According to Daniel Jones, dean of University of Mississippi School of Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, an expert panel responsible for revising national blood pressure guidelines currently is evaluating the recent evidence linking pre-eclampsia to heart disease. Smith said increased awareness about the two conditions might allow physicians to identify a woman's heart disease risk sooner. "The earlier you diagnose them, the more likely you are to prevent cardiovascular disease," he said, adding, "This is an opportunity where people can change their future (Westphal, New York Times, 3/17).
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, 6 октября 2011 г.
Obesity And Physical Inactivity Poses Arthritis Risk, Especially For Women
Researchers from the Toronto Western Research Institute noted a higher prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAL) in the U.S. versus the Canadian population. The authors attribute the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL to a greater level of obesity and physical inactivity in Americans, particularly women. Full findings of this study are published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, and one of the most frequently reported chronic conditions in the U.S. and Canada. Those in mid to late life are particularly vulnerable to this disabling condition, which is expected to increase in both countries due to the aging baby boomer population. According to a 2005 figure from the National Arthritis Data Workgroup more than 21% of American adults (46 million) have arthritis or another rheumatic condition and over 60% of arthritis patients are women. The 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey reported 15.3% (4.3 million) of Canadians have some form of arthritis, with more women then men affected.
This study is the first to provide a direct comparison of U.S. and Canadian data in search of between-country disparities associated with the prevalence of arthritis and AAL. The authors analyzed results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH) conducted in cooperation by Statistics Canada and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics during 2002-2003. Data were obtained for 3,505 Canadians and 5,183 Americans with an overall response rate of 65.5% and 50.2%, respectively.
Results show that in the U.S. the prevalence of arthritis was 18.7% and AAL was 9.6%, while equivalent estimates in Canada were 16.8% and 7.7%, respectively. Researchers noted that arthritis prevalence was higher in American women at 23.3% compared with 19.6% of Canadian women. Women in the U.S. also had a higher prevalence of AAL than Canadian women at 13.0% versus 9.2%. The overall occurrence of arthritis and AAL in men was similar in both countries at roughly 14% and 6%, respectively.
"Our study results uggest that the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL in the U.S. may be a consequence of greater obesity and physical inactivity in that country, particularly in women," noted Dr. Badley. "Public health initiatives that promote healthy weight and physical activity may benefit from including arthritis concerns to its message, and could potentially reduce the incidence of arthritis and AAL," concluded Dr. Badley.
Source: Wiley - Blackwell
Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, and one of the most frequently reported chronic conditions in the U.S. and Canada. Those in mid to late life are particularly vulnerable to this disabling condition, which is expected to increase in both countries due to the aging baby boomer population. According to a 2005 figure from the National Arthritis Data Workgroup more than 21% of American adults (46 million) have arthritis or another rheumatic condition and over 60% of arthritis patients are women. The 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey reported 15.3% (4.3 million) of Canadians have some form of arthritis, with more women then men affected.
This study is the first to provide a direct comparison of U.S. and Canadian data in search of between-country disparities associated with the prevalence of arthritis and AAL. The authors analyzed results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH) conducted in cooperation by Statistics Canada and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics during 2002-2003. Data were obtained for 3,505 Canadians and 5,183 Americans with an overall response rate of 65.5% and 50.2%, respectively.
Results show that in the U.S. the prevalence of arthritis was 18.7% and AAL was 9.6%, while equivalent estimates in Canada were 16.8% and 7.7%, respectively. Researchers noted that arthritis prevalence was higher in American women at 23.3% compared with 19.6% of Canadian women. Women in the U.S. also had a higher prevalence of AAL than Canadian women at 13.0% versus 9.2%. The overall occurrence of arthritis and AAL in men was similar in both countries at roughly 14% and 6%, respectively.
"Our study results uggest that the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL in the U.S. may be a consequence of greater obesity and physical inactivity in that country, particularly in women," noted Dr. Badley. "Public health initiatives that promote healthy weight and physical activity may benefit from including arthritis concerns to its message, and could potentially reduce the incidence of arthritis and AAL," concluded Dr. Badley.
Source: Wiley - Blackwell
четверг, 29 сентября 2011 г.
American Cancer Society Releases Guidelines On Merck's HPV Vaccine Gardasil
The American Cancer Society in the Jan. 19 issue of its journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians recommended that girls ages 11 and 12 receive Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the Washington Times reports (Altamirano, Washington Times, 1/20). Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. FDA in July 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/12). The ACS guidelines state that girls as young as age nine can receive the vaccine and recommend the vaccine for girls and women ages 13 to 18 to complete the three-shot series or to catch up on missed shots (Washington Times, 1/20). The guidelines also say that there is not enough data to recommend whether women ages 19 to 26 should be vaccinated. Harmon Eyre, lead author of the guidelines and chief medical officer of ACS, in a statement said, "The vaccine holds remarkable potential, but unless the same population of women who right now do not have access to or do not seek regular Pap tests gets this vaccine, it will have limited impact." Eyre added that it is "critical" that women continue to be screened regularly even if they have received the vaccine (HealthDay News/CBC News, 1/19). Several states recently have introduced legislation that would require girls as young as age 11 to receive Gardasil unless parents and guardians choose to opt out of the requirement, the Times reports. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow parents and guardians to opt out of vaccines for medical reasons, and all states except Mississippi and West Virginia allow religious opt-outs, while 20 states allow opt-outs for philosophical or personal reasons. ACS estimates that 11,150 cervical cancer cases will be diagnosed this year in the U.S. and that 3,670 women will die from the disease (Washington Times, 1/20).
Related Opinion Piece
Legislation that would require girls entering the sixth grade in Washington, D.C., Public Schools to receive Gardasil is a "small but critical component" of a larger strategy to fight cervical cancer, City Council members and legislation sponsors David Catania and Mary Cheh, write in a Washington Post opinion piece (Catania/Cheh, Washington Post, 1/21). According to the legislation, female students would be required to show proof of vaccination before enrolling in the sixth grade unless their parent or legal guardian chose to "opt out." The bill does not specify the circumstances under which girls would be allowed an exemption (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/10). "While we strongly endorse the use of the vaccine, this decision rests ultimately with parents and guardians," Catania and Cheh write. According to Catania and Cheh, the district has the highest cervical cancer rate in the U.S., and the D.C. Cancer Coalition estimates that 92% of the district's cases occurring among minority women. Gardasil is the "first major breakthrough in preventing cervical cancer since the introduction of the Pap test in the 1940s," Catania and Cheh write, concluding, "Our city has the resources, talent and leadership to prolong the lives of our residents. However, complacency will not bring this about" (Washington Post, 1/21).
"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.
View drug information on Gardasil.
четверг, 22 сентября 2011 г.
SAGE Partners With The Society For Gynecologic Investigation
SAGE Publications is pleased to announce it will begin publishing the journal Reproductive Sciences on behalf of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI). Formerly known as the Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, the publication will move from Elsevier to SAGE in January 2007. A new cover design will debut with the first SAGE issue.
Reproductive Sciences publishes significant scientific papers advancing knowledge in all aspects of reproductive biology, including the disciplines of perinatology, obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, infertility, gynecologic oncology, and related fields. The journal's impact factor is 2.887, and it is ranked 8 out of 57 obstetrics and gynecology journals in the 2005 Thomson Scientific Journal Citation Reports.
"We're pleased to add this highly regarded publication in women's health to our expanding collection of science and medical journals, many of which we publish on behalf of prestigious societies like SGI," commented Dr. Peter Binfield, SAGE Journals Editorial Director. "SAGE offers high quality publishing services and is well equipped to broaden the reach and impact of the journals we publish."
"The SGI chose SAGE to publish Reproductive Sciences after an extensive search," added Linda Giudice, SGI President, 2006-2007. "SAGE's publishing experience, in healthcare in particular, as well as its editorial staff, all contributed to our decision. We anticipate a great partnership in the future to publish research focused on women's health and the reproductive sciences."
New ISSN numbers have been assigned due to the title change, and they are 1933-7191 for print and 1933-7205 for online. Institutional subscriptions will include Combined (Print and E-access), E-access, or Print Only options. Online access will not be disrupted during the transition to SAGE, and the journal will be available electronically on SAGE Journals Online prior to the first print issue in January 2007. The journal's new web site will be rs.sagepub/.
About SAGE
SAGE Publications is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. SAGE Publications, a privately owned corporation, has principal offices in Thousand Oaks, California, London, United Kingdom, and New Delhi, India. sagepublications/
About SGI
The Society for Gynecologic Investigation is the premier scientific organization in obstetrics and gynecology throughout the world. Approximately one-third of SGI members are basic scientists in reproductive biology and related disciplines. The other two-thirds comprise clinical investigators and scientific leaders in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, anesthesiology, and internal medicine. Many of the members are recipients of grants from National Institutes of Health, and often serve on study sections and advisory councils for government and private foundations. sgionline/
Contact: Valerie Johns
SAGE Publications
Reproductive Sciences publishes significant scientific papers advancing knowledge in all aspects of reproductive biology, including the disciplines of perinatology, obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, infertility, gynecologic oncology, and related fields. The journal's impact factor is 2.887, and it is ranked 8 out of 57 obstetrics and gynecology journals in the 2005 Thomson Scientific Journal Citation Reports.
"We're pleased to add this highly regarded publication in women's health to our expanding collection of science and medical journals, many of which we publish on behalf of prestigious societies like SGI," commented Dr. Peter Binfield, SAGE Journals Editorial Director. "SAGE offers high quality publishing services and is well equipped to broaden the reach and impact of the journals we publish."
"The SGI chose SAGE to publish Reproductive Sciences after an extensive search," added Linda Giudice, SGI President, 2006-2007. "SAGE's publishing experience, in healthcare in particular, as well as its editorial staff, all contributed to our decision. We anticipate a great partnership in the future to publish research focused on women's health and the reproductive sciences."
New ISSN numbers have been assigned due to the title change, and they are 1933-7191 for print and 1933-7205 for online. Institutional subscriptions will include Combined (Print and E-access), E-access, or Print Only options. Online access will not be disrupted during the transition to SAGE, and the journal will be available electronically on SAGE Journals Online prior to the first print issue in January 2007. The journal's new web site will be rs.sagepub/.
About SAGE
SAGE Publications is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. SAGE Publications, a privately owned corporation, has principal offices in Thousand Oaks, California, London, United Kingdom, and New Delhi, India. sagepublications/
About SGI
The Society for Gynecologic Investigation is the premier scientific organization in obstetrics and gynecology throughout the world. Approximately one-third of SGI members are basic scientists in reproductive biology and related disciplines. The other two-thirds comprise clinical investigators and scientific leaders in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, anesthesiology, and internal medicine. Many of the members are recipients of grants from National Institutes of Health, and often serve on study sections and advisory councils for government and private foundations. sgionline/
Contact: Valerie Johns
SAGE Publications
четверг, 15 сентября 2011 г.
Genetic Defects Linked With Rare Bearded Lady
New research provides exciting genetic insight into a rare syndrome that first appeared in the medical literature in the mid 1800s with the case of Julia Pastrana, the world's most notorious bearded lady. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 21st issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals intriguing molecular clues about the pathogenesis of this mysterious condition that has captured the attention of the public since the Middle Ages.
Congenital generalized hypertrichosis (CGH) represents a group of conditions characterized by excessive hair growth over the entire body, well beyond the average limits for a particular age, sex or race. Congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis (CGHT) with gingival hypertrophy is a distinct subgroup of CGH that is associated with universal overgrowth of darkly pigmented hairs, enlarged gums and a distortion of facial features, the phenotype famously exhibited by Julia Pastrana.
"Although it has long been believed that most people with CGH have some kind of genetic defect, the specific genetic mutations that underlie CGHT, with or without gingival hyperplasia, had not been discovered until now," explains senior study author Dr. Xue Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing. The condition has been very difficult to study because it is so rare.
Dr. Zhang and colleagues performed a sophisticated, high resolution genetic analysis of several members of three Chinese families with CGHT and an individual with a sporadic case of CGHT with gingival hyperplasia. The researchers mapped the genetic locus for this syndrome and discovered that genetic defects on chromosome 17q24.2-q24.3 were responsible for CGHT with or without gingival hyperplasia.
The three families exhibited different DNA deletions whereas the sporadic case was associated with a DNA duplication within the identified chromosome region. These different copy number mutations affected 4 to 8 genes. "Our work clearly establishes CGHT as a genomic disorder. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms by which copy number mutations on 17q24.2-q24.3 lead to the defining characteristics of this rare disorder," concludes Dr. Zhang.
Source:
Cathleen Genova
Cell Press
Congenital generalized hypertrichosis (CGH) represents a group of conditions characterized by excessive hair growth over the entire body, well beyond the average limits for a particular age, sex or race. Congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis (CGHT) with gingival hypertrophy is a distinct subgroup of CGH that is associated with universal overgrowth of darkly pigmented hairs, enlarged gums and a distortion of facial features, the phenotype famously exhibited by Julia Pastrana.
"Although it has long been believed that most people with CGH have some kind of genetic defect, the specific genetic mutations that underlie CGHT, with or without gingival hyperplasia, had not been discovered until now," explains senior study author Dr. Xue Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing. The condition has been very difficult to study because it is so rare.
Dr. Zhang and colleagues performed a sophisticated, high resolution genetic analysis of several members of three Chinese families with CGHT and an individual with a sporadic case of CGHT with gingival hyperplasia. The researchers mapped the genetic locus for this syndrome and discovered that genetic defects on chromosome 17q24.2-q24.3 were responsible for CGHT with or without gingival hyperplasia.
The three families exhibited different DNA deletions whereas the sporadic case was associated with a DNA duplication within the identified chromosome region. These different copy number mutations affected 4 to 8 genes. "Our work clearly establishes CGHT as a genomic disorder. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms by which copy number mutations on 17q24.2-q24.3 lead to the defining characteristics of this rare disorder," concludes Dr. Zhang.
Source:
Cathleen Genova
Cell Press
четверг, 8 сентября 2011 г.
New York Times Examines Abortion-Rights Opponents' Focus On Pregnant Women
The U.S. Supreme Court's recognition last month of an argument advanced by some abortion-rights opponents that the "interests of the pregnant woman and the fetus are ... the same" has "galvanized" antiabortion groups and has "se[t] the stage for an intensifying battle over new abortion restrictions in the states," the New York Times reports.
According to the Times, the "political struggle" over abortion often has been framed as a "starkly binary choice" between the "interest of the woman," advocated by abortion-rights supporters, versus the "interest of the fetus," advocated by abortion-rights opponents. However, some groups -- such as the Justice Foundation, National Right to Life Committee and Feminists for Life -- in the last decade have been building an argument that abortion is not in the "best interest" of the woman and that women are often "misled or ill-informed" about the risks related to the procedure.
According to the Times, many abortion-rights supporters and opponents viewed part of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion in a ruling that upheld a federal law (S 3) banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion as an "invitation from a newly conservative court to pass tough new counseling and informed consent laws intended for women seeking abortions."
Abortion-rights supporters say that the focus on women by abortion-rights opponents "is motivated by ideology, not women's health," the Times reports. "Informed consent is really a misleading way to characterize it," Roger Evans, senior director of public policy litigation and law for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said, adding, "To me, what we'll see is an increasing attempt to push a state's ideology into a doctor-patient relationship to force doctors to communicate more and more of the state's viewpoint."
Wanda Franz, president of NRLC, said, "We think of ourselves as very pro-woman," adding, "We believe that when you help the woman, you help the baby" (Toner, New York Times, 5/22).
"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.
According to the Times, the "political struggle" over abortion often has been framed as a "starkly binary choice" between the "interest of the woman," advocated by abortion-rights supporters, versus the "interest of the fetus," advocated by abortion-rights opponents. However, some groups -- such as the Justice Foundation, National Right to Life Committee and Feminists for Life -- in the last decade have been building an argument that abortion is not in the "best interest" of the woman and that women are often "misled or ill-informed" about the risks related to the procedure.
According to the Times, many abortion-rights supporters and opponents viewed part of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion in a ruling that upheld a federal law (S 3) banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion as an "invitation from a newly conservative court to pass tough new counseling and informed consent laws intended for women seeking abortions."
Abortion-rights supporters say that the focus on women by abortion-rights opponents "is motivated by ideology, not women's health," the Times reports. "Informed consent is really a misleading way to characterize it," Roger Evans, senior director of public policy litigation and law for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said, adding, "To me, what we'll see is an increasing attempt to push a state's ideology into a doctor-patient relationship to force doctors to communicate more and more of the state's viewpoint."
Wanda Franz, president of NRLC, said, "We think of ourselves as very pro-woman," adding, "We believe that when you help the woman, you help the baby" (Toner, New York Times, 5/22).
"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, 1 сентября 2011 г.
Pelvic Floor An Overlooked, Important Aspect Of Women's Health
Performing pelvic floor exercises are a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of women's health, said an expert today at the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition.
Sheila Dugan, M.D., FACSM, says keeping the pelvic floor - the sling of muscles connecting the pubic and tail bones - healthy is key for everything from supporting organs surrounding the pelvis to maintaining normal sexual function. The pelvic floor also supports the actions of the spine and legs, helping everything to work in a coordinated manner and allowing people to walk, jump and run.
"The pelvic floor is equally important during childbirth as it is in training for a marathon," Dugan said. "That's why women need to be cognizant about keeping these muscles healthy."
An unhealthy pelvic floor can be either "hypotonic" (low muscle tone) or "hypertonic." Women with hypotonic pelvic floors often experience incontinence, while hypertonics can experience pain and incontinence.
Dugan provided exercises for women in either category to keep their pelvic floor in shape.
- Practice deep breathing, with the feeling of letting the pelvic floor muscles "drop away" from the body. Spend at least five minutes breathing this way during the day, especially when feeling stressed or tense.
- Lay on your back with the bottoms of your feet together and your knees dropped to the side. This will help relax the groin and pelvic floor muscles together, as they often work in conjunction. Lay this way for at least five minutes and if the stretch feels too intense, you can place a small pillow under each knee.
- Lay on your back and attempt to smoothly draw your lower belly muscles in, as though you were wearing a girdle or corset, for a count of five, then slowly release. Repeat 10 times several times per day as time permits.
- Lay on your back and lift the pelvic muscles in and up for a count of five, then slowly lower for a count of five. Repeat several times per day as time permits. This lifting and squeezing action is similar to the action taken when stopping urine mid-stream. However, Dugan does not recommend this technique while urinating.
Women who have recently given birth will especially gain benefits from these exercises, Dugan says.
"During childbirth, the pelvic floor muscles stretch from teacup-sized to the size of an infant's head. This stretching and tearing requires healing and regain of function."
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.
Source
American College of Sports Medicine
Sheila Dugan, M.D., FACSM, says keeping the pelvic floor - the sling of muscles connecting the pubic and tail bones - healthy is key for everything from supporting organs surrounding the pelvis to maintaining normal sexual function. The pelvic floor also supports the actions of the spine and legs, helping everything to work in a coordinated manner and allowing people to walk, jump and run.
"The pelvic floor is equally important during childbirth as it is in training for a marathon," Dugan said. "That's why women need to be cognizant about keeping these muscles healthy."
An unhealthy pelvic floor can be either "hypotonic" (low muscle tone) or "hypertonic." Women with hypotonic pelvic floors often experience incontinence, while hypertonics can experience pain and incontinence.
Dugan provided exercises for women in either category to keep their pelvic floor in shape.
- Practice deep breathing, with the feeling of letting the pelvic floor muscles "drop away" from the body. Spend at least five minutes breathing this way during the day, especially when feeling stressed or tense.
- Lay on your back with the bottoms of your feet together and your knees dropped to the side. This will help relax the groin and pelvic floor muscles together, as they often work in conjunction. Lay this way for at least five minutes and if the stretch feels too intense, you can place a small pillow under each knee.
- Lay on your back and attempt to smoothly draw your lower belly muscles in, as though you were wearing a girdle or corset, for a count of five, then slowly release. Repeat 10 times several times per day as time permits.
- Lay on your back and lift the pelvic muscles in and up for a count of five, then slowly lower for a count of five. Repeat several times per day as time permits. This lifting and squeezing action is similar to the action taken when stopping urine mid-stream. However, Dugan does not recommend this technique while urinating.
Women who have recently given birth will especially gain benefits from these exercises, Dugan says.
"During childbirth, the pelvic floor muscles stretch from teacup-sized to the size of an infant's head. This stretching and tearing requires healing and regain of function."
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.
Source
American College of Sports Medicine
четверг, 25 августа 2011 г.
Female Obesity Affects College Attendance
Obese girls are half as likely to attend college as non-obese girls, according to a new study from The University of Texas at Austin.
The study also shows obese girls are even less likely to enter college if they attend a high school where obesity is relatively uncommon. The findings appear in the July issue of the journal Sociology of Education.
The study tracked nearly 11,000 American adolescents, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
"Obesity has been identified as a serious public health issue, but these results indicate the harmful effects extend far beyond physical health," said Robert Crosnoe, author of the study and a sociologist at the university.
Crosnoe suggests a number of mental health and behavioral issues seem to play a significant role in keeping obese girls from enrolling in college. The study found obese girls were more likely to consider committing suicide, use alcohol and marijuana and have negative self-images.
The disconnect between obesity and college enrollment was more pronounced among non-whites and among girls whose parents did not graduate from college. Obese boys did not differ from their non-obese peers in college enrollment.
"That girls are far more vulnerable to the non-health risks of obesity reinforces the notion that body image is more important to girls' self-concept and that social norms have greater effects on the education of girls than boys," Crosnoe noted.
Source: Robert Crosnoe
University of Texas at Austin
The study also shows obese girls are even less likely to enter college if they attend a high school where obesity is relatively uncommon. The findings appear in the July issue of the journal Sociology of Education.
The study tracked nearly 11,000 American adolescents, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
"Obesity has been identified as a serious public health issue, but these results indicate the harmful effects extend far beyond physical health," said Robert Crosnoe, author of the study and a sociologist at the university.
Crosnoe suggests a number of mental health and behavioral issues seem to play a significant role in keeping obese girls from enrolling in college. The study found obese girls were more likely to consider committing suicide, use alcohol and marijuana and have negative self-images.
The disconnect between obesity and college enrollment was more pronounced among non-whites and among girls whose parents did not graduate from college. Obese boys did not differ from their non-obese peers in college enrollment.
"That girls are far more vulnerable to the non-health risks of obesity reinforces the notion that body image is more important to girls' self-concept and that social norms have greater effects on the education of girls than boys," Crosnoe noted.
Source: Robert Crosnoe
University of Texas at Austin
четверг, 18 августа 2011 г.
Interstitial Cystitis Treatment?
This letter was sent to blog offering, perhaps, a treatment idea for Interstitial Cystitis
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is concerning women's health. The disease is Interstitial Cystitis (I.C.) of the bladder. The bladder is inflamed and pain worsens when urine fills it. Women are disproportionately afflicted with I.C. Conventional therapy is palliative treatment for an unknown etiology without a cure. My wife was diagnosed with I.C.
Her doctor bravely allowed me to offer a therapy that promotes the production of mucin, a protective glycoprotein that is also secreted onto the bladder membrane. Most over the counter products for menstrual discomfort can inhibit mucin production - to be avoided! The trade name drug Cytotec, prostaglandin agonist for gastric ulcer, was chosen because it can increase mucin production. I designed the drug protocol for my wife. After nine months of treatment, she has remained asymptomatic for five years.
I believe that Cytotec needs formal clinical investigation to assess a potential off-label treatment. Your influence can facilitate an audience with doctors to study this drug. Bringing attention to I.C. may encourage investigators to identify causative agent(s) and gain a better understanding as to how the bladder membrane becomes inflamed.
Sincerely,
Norman A. Smith
normanasmithcox
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is concerning women's health. The disease is Interstitial Cystitis (I.C.) of the bladder. The bladder is inflamed and pain worsens when urine fills it. Women are disproportionately afflicted with I.C. Conventional therapy is palliative treatment for an unknown etiology without a cure. My wife was diagnosed with I.C.
Her doctor bravely allowed me to offer a therapy that promotes the production of mucin, a protective glycoprotein that is also secreted onto the bladder membrane. Most over the counter products for menstrual discomfort can inhibit mucin production - to be avoided! The trade name drug Cytotec, prostaglandin agonist for gastric ulcer, was chosen because it can increase mucin production. I designed the drug protocol for my wife. After nine months of treatment, she has remained asymptomatic for five years.
I believe that Cytotec needs formal clinical investigation to assess a potential off-label treatment. Your influence can facilitate an audience with doctors to study this drug. Bringing attention to I.C. may encourage investigators to identify causative agent(s) and gain a better understanding as to how the bladder membrane becomes inflamed.
Sincerely,
Norman A. Smith
normanasmithcox
четверг, 11 августа 2011 г.
China Daily Examines Campaign Against Cross-Generational Sex In Uganda To Fight Spread Of HIV Among Girls, Women
China Daily on Wednesday examined a campaign against cross-generational sex in Uganda that aims to fight the spread of HIV among girls and women. The campaign, called "Go-Getters," was launched in 2003 and is widespread among many Ugandan schools and universities, according to China Daily. The campaign was launched in response to "shocking statistics that show HIV prevalence in Uganda is five times higher in girls aged 15 to 19 than in the boys the same age," according to program materials.
As part of efforts to curb cross-generational sex, posters have been placed around busy areas in Kampala, Uganda, and at universities. One poster that pictures an older man asked, "Would you let this man be with your teenage daughter?" Another poster, titled "Something for Something Love," shows a man in police custody while a pregnant girl hands her mother a cell phone that the man gave her for sex, China Daily reports.
Helen Mukiibi, deputy news editor of Uganda's New Vision, said, "We know that some rich men in Uganda have HIV/AIDS and [that] many young girls have been infected because they willingly became mistresses of these men, many of whom are married." Peter Mugyenyi, chief of Kampala's Joint Clinical Research Centre, said, "Only a low percentage of women [in Uganda] have jobs, and most women can't control money in their households because they don't work." He added, "Women should be more independent, and it will be a way to stop cross-generational sex" (Li, China Daily, 6/11).
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.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
As part of efforts to curb cross-generational sex, posters have been placed around busy areas in Kampala, Uganda, and at universities. One poster that pictures an older man asked, "Would you let this man be with your teenage daughter?" Another poster, titled "Something for Something Love," shows a man in police custody while a pregnant girl hands her mother a cell phone that the man gave her for sex, China Daily reports.
Helen Mukiibi, deputy news editor of Uganda's New Vision, said, "We know that some rich men in Uganda have HIV/AIDS and [that] many young girls have been infected because they willingly became mistresses of these men, many of whom are married." Peter Mugyenyi, chief of Kampala's Joint Clinical Research Centre, said, "Only a low percentage of women [in Uganda] have jobs, and most women can't control money in their households because they don't work." He added, "Women should be more independent, and it will be a way to stop cross-generational sex" (Li, China Daily, 6/11).
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.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 4 августа 2011 г.
Obama, Sen. Snowe Discuss Women's Health Needs As Part Of NBC's 'A Woman's Nation' Series
NBC News recently aired a series called "A Woman's Nation" looking at the findings of "The Shriver Report," a collaboration between California first lady Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress that examines the shift in gender roles in the American work force. Wednesday's segment of the series featured an interview with President Obama, who said that when he is making policy decisions, he is "constantly thinking about how can we strengthen families, how can we provide more resources, greater flexibility, so that women can thrive." He added that he thinks "if women are thriving, everybody's going to be thriving" (Guthrie, "Nightly News With Brian Williams," NBC, 10/21).
An interview with Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) was included for a segment on women and health care reform. When asked about addressing the practice of gender rating -- charging women more for the same coverage as men -- in the private health insurance market, Snowe said it is "critical" to restructure the private market so women who work for small businesses or are self-employed "have access to more affordable health care." Snowe also emphasized the need to reduce medical costs in the U.S., adding that thousands of people lose their health coverage annually. The situation is "a crisis that's only going to get worse over time," she said, adding that "in the short term, we are seeing double-digit [cost] increases ... and that will only grow exponentially worse." Higher health care costs "will be detrimental to women and their children, without question, because they are the first one[s] who bear the brunt of ... rising health care costs," Snowe said (Mitchell, MSNBC, 10/21).
Another segment in the series focused on the role of women as caregivers to their families and included comments from Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center. Women continue to "carry the overwhelming burden of dealing with family needs," and they are "often the deciders of health care not only for themselves and their children, but also of elderly parents or relatives," Greenberger said. NBC News Chief Medical Editor Nancy Snyderman reports that women caregivers are twice as likely to have chronic health conditions as noncaregivers but are less likely to have health insurance. They also face higher insurance rates than men in some states, "and it's taking a toll," Snyderman reports. "Women are more likely to go into bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills than men," Greenberger said. She added that women "scrimp so that they can put food on the table for their kids," and will do things like avoid filling prescriptions to save money (Snyderman, NBC News, 10/21).
In conjunction with the series, MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" also featured an interview with Shriver about the report. During her appearance on the program, Shriver discussed the role of women in the workplace, their home environments and as caregivers to their families. "Women are using their voices to demand changes in the workplace and from their government," Shriver said. She added, "They're not going to accept gender discrimination in health care. I thought it was great to see Olympia Snowe, a Republican woman, be so forceful this past week in the debate," when she became the first Republican to vote for a health reform bill (Matthews, "Hardball with Chris Matthews," MSNBC, 10/19).
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, 28 июля 2011 г.
Women With Certain Types Of Migraines Have Higher Risk Of Heart Disease; Many Study Authors Did Not Report Ties To Pharmaceutical Companies
Women who have migraines with visual problems have increased risk for heart disease, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Long Island Newsday reports. For the study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed the records of 27,800 women older than age 45 who participated in the Women's Health Initiative. None of the women had heart disease when they entered the study between 1992 and 1995. Researchers focused on the records of 5,125 women who had a history of migraines. According to the study, participants who had migraines with migraine aura had more than twice the normal risk for major cardiovascular events. Migraine aura "is a visual sensation -- like lights flashing or lines zigzagging, with some reports of temporary blindness" -- that often lasts for 20 minutes to one hour before migraines begin, Newsday reports. Women who had migraines without migraine aura did not have an increased risk for major cardiovascular events, the study finds. Lead study author Tobias Kurth said that researchers did not determine the cause of the link between migraine aura and heart disease and that the increased risk was small, with about 18 additional cases of heart disease per 10,000 women with migraine aura. Mark Gudesblatt, a neurologist at South Shore Neurologic Associates, said, "It's an important study because it tells you not to take these things lightly" (Talan, Long Island Newsday, 7/19).
Study Authors Did Not Report Financial Ties
The six authors of the study did not disclose to JAMA that they have consulted for, or received research funds from, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture treatments for heart disease or migraines, the AP/Miami Herald reports. JAMA in January implemented a policy that requires financial disclosures from researchers before acceptance of studies for publication, and an editorial published in the journal last week indicated that "JAMA was getting tougher as a result of ... recent breaches" of the policy, the AP/Herald reports. JAMA Editor in Chief Catherine DeAngelis said that journal editors were not aware of the financial ties until the Associated Press informed her about them last week. The authors said they did not report the financial ties because the study does not promote a treatment. JAMA on Tuesday published online a letter from the authors of the study to explain their failure to disclose the financial ties, as well as a response from DeAngelis and a correction. DeAngelis said that the letter, her response and the correction will appear in a future print edition of JAMA. "Let me decide what's pertinent or not," DeAngelis said, adding, "Authors should always err on the side of full disclosure." Kurth in an interview said that the financial ties "do not represent a conflict of interest" (Tanner, AP/Miami Herald, 7/19).
WSJ Examines Issue
In related news, the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how a "spate of recent lapses" from several medical journals has prompted "calls for more journals to ban offending authors from publication." In addition, "medical schools are being urged to regulate relationships between their researchers and industry more closely," the Journal reports. Sheldon Krimsky, a professor at Tufts University who has studied the issue, said, "If journals are going to have ethical standards and if those ethical standards are going to mean anything, there has to be sanctions associated with them." However, many journal editors "are reluctant to ban authors, partly out of concern these researchers will shop their work to a different publication," the Journal reports. DeAngelis has asked medical schools to investigate potential conflicts of interests among their researchers and issue sanctions when appropriate. She said that sanctions have resulted each time she has asked medical schools to investigate their researchers. Jerome Kassirer, a former New England Journal of Medicine editor, said that medical schools require "more stringent policies" because "faculty members are just up to their ears in financial conflicts and academic medical centers are just not doing anything about it" (Armstrong, Wall Street Journal, 7/19).
"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, 21 июля 2011 г.
In Inaugural Address, Obama Vows To 'Restore Science' To 'Rightful Place'
President Obama on Tuesday in his inaugural address pledged that the U.S. "will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost," the New York Times reports. As one of his first steps, Obama is expected to rescind former President George W. Bush's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research next week, in contrast to the Bush administration which, according to the Times, "sought to tame, and in some cases suppress the findings of many of the government's scientific agencies" on issues such as stem cells, sex education and contraceptives.
According to Raynard Kington, acting director of NIH, during the Bush administration "there was a fair degree of discussion and one might even say tension between the views of the agency" and those of the administration regarding stem cell research. Kington said NIH is "prepared to respond quickly" to implement stem cell research policy changes, adding that the process could take months. According to Obama transition officials, the new administration also plans to loosen existing regulations regarding oversight on federal scientific agencies. Although reversing the current policies could take time, "[i]f you look at the science world, you see a lot of happy faces," Frank Press, former president of the National Academy of Sciences and former science adviser to former President Carter, said. Press added that scientists are hopeful because of Obama's "recognition of what science can do to bring this country back in an innovative way."
According to some analysts, the biggest challenges for the new administration might involve funding priorities, particularly during the current economic downturn. However, Obama's proposed stimulus package already contains funding provisions for several scientific agencies, Ken Koizumi, senior budget analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said. According to Koizumi, this proposal is "an early indication that the administration will go for more science funding in priority areas, even at a time of big deficits" (Harris/Broad, New York Times, 1/21).
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.
According to Raynard Kington, acting director of NIH, during the Bush administration "there was a fair degree of discussion and one might even say tension between the views of the agency" and those of the administration regarding stem cell research. Kington said NIH is "prepared to respond quickly" to implement stem cell research policy changes, adding that the process could take months. According to Obama transition officials, the new administration also plans to loosen existing regulations regarding oversight on federal scientific agencies. Although reversing the current policies could take time, "[i]f you look at the science world, you see a lot of happy faces," Frank Press, former president of the National Academy of Sciences and former science adviser to former President Carter, said. Press added that scientists are hopeful because of Obama's "recognition of what science can do to bring this country back in an innovative way."
According to some analysts, the biggest challenges for the new administration might involve funding priorities, particularly during the current economic downturn. However, Obama's proposed stimulus package already contains funding provisions for several scientific agencies, Ken Koizumi, senior budget analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said. According to Koizumi, this proposal is "an early indication that the administration will go for more science funding in priority areas, even at a time of big deficits" (Harris/Broad, New York Times, 1/21).
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, 14 июля 2011 г.
Women With MS Need Individual Support
The women who I asked would like to have time and opportunity to express grief and vulnerability in contact with health services. They also expect a response based on their individual situation and needs, "said Malin Olsson, Ph.D. at Lule?? University of Technology.
The purpose of Malin Olsson's research is to describe women's experience of living with MS: She has interviewed 25 women with MS, focusing on their daily lives, experiences of extreme tiredness, treatment and their experiences of feeling well. The illness MS means a big change for the women affected, according to Malin Olsson,
-- It's about to go from being healthy and independent to being dependent on others to meet the basic needs of daily life, "she says.
The study shows that woman's experiences of changing relationships between one's own body, self and the outside world is the knowledge needed to identify the individual experiences of women living with MS. This in turn is a precondition for the health care system to be able to communicate on the conditions of women and understand their situation.
Malin Olsson also shows in her research that women living with MS in today's individualistic society are more likely than before at greater risk to be discriminated in their everyday lives.
-- To not feel equal and involved in a community with others is in itself exclusion, "she says.
Source: Lulea University of Technology
The purpose of Malin Olsson's research is to describe women's experience of living with MS: She has interviewed 25 women with MS, focusing on their daily lives, experiences of extreme tiredness, treatment and their experiences of feeling well. The illness MS means a big change for the women affected, according to Malin Olsson,
-- It's about to go from being healthy and independent to being dependent on others to meet the basic needs of daily life, "she says.
The study shows that woman's experiences of changing relationships between one's own body, self and the outside world is the knowledge needed to identify the individual experiences of women living with MS. This in turn is a precondition for the health care system to be able to communicate on the conditions of women and understand their situation.
Malin Olsson also shows in her research that women living with MS in today's individualistic society are more likely than before at greater risk to be discriminated in their everyday lives.
-- To not feel equal and involved in a community with others is in itself exclusion, "she says.
Source: Lulea University of Technology
четверг, 7 июля 2011 г.
Young Women Prefer Individually Tailored Weight Loss Advice
The word is out - young women want
personally tailored nutrition advice and information when it comes to weight loss.
Over 80% of young women are trying to lose weight but are confused about the best way
to achieve this a study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the June 2007 issue of Nutrition
& Dietetics - the official Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, including
the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association - has found.
The study is the first in Australia to examine women's views on different approaches to
weight loss, their preferences on how the program are delivered (e.g. individual versus
group sessions), and likelihood of participation.
Lead author Dr. David Crawford, Associate Head at the School of Exercise and Nutrition
Services at Deakin University, said, "Our study suggests young women are moving away
from weight loss groups and classes, with 58% preferring to receive individual face-toface
advice on weight loss from a health professional. They want information on a range
of topics including meal planning, cooking, low-fat recipes and how to better manage
stress."
Co-author Dr. Kylie Ball, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Physical Activity and
Nutrition Research, Deakin University added, "This request for information also suggests
they don't currently have access to good quality information about healthy eating and
being physically active, or that the abundance of information that is currently available
simple serves to confuse them. They would also be more likely to participate in a weight
loss program if it was tailored to their needs".
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of
Australia, Tara Diversi, sees many women in her practice who want to lose weight and
says the study findings confirm what many dietitians already know. "Many of the women lots of different weight loss programs that haven't worked. The key to success is giving
people the information they want and the confidence to eat in a way that is right for them.
APDs work out an eating plan that meets each person's specific needs and fits with their
lifestyle so they can stick with it for life" Ms Diversi said.
This paper is published in the June 2007 issue of
personally tailored nutrition advice and information when it comes to weight loss.
Over 80% of young women are trying to lose weight but are confused about the best way
to achieve this a study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the June 2007 issue of Nutrition
& Dietetics - the official Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, including
the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association - has found.
The study is the first in Australia to examine women's views on different approaches to
weight loss, their preferences on how the program are delivered (e.g. individual versus
group sessions), and likelihood of participation.
Lead author Dr. David Crawford, Associate Head at the School of Exercise and Nutrition
Services at Deakin University, said, "Our study suggests young women are moving away
from weight loss groups and classes, with 58% preferring to receive individual face-toface
advice on weight loss from a health professional. They want information on a range
of topics including meal planning, cooking, low-fat recipes and how to better manage
stress."
Co-author Dr. Kylie Ball, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Physical Activity and
Nutrition Research, Deakin University added, "This request for information also suggests
they don't currently have access to good quality information about healthy eating and
being physically active, or that the abundance of information that is currently available
simple serves to confuse them. They would also be more likely to participate in a weight
loss program if it was tailored to their needs".
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of
Australia, Tara Diversi, sees many women in her practice who want to lose weight and
says the study findings confirm what many dietitians already know. "Many of the women lots of different weight loss programs that haven't worked. The key to success is giving
people the information they want and the confidence to eat in a way that is right for them.
APDs work out an eating plan that meets each person's specific needs and fits with their
lifestyle so they can stick with it for life" Ms Diversi said.
This paper is published in the June 2007 issue of
четверг, 30 июня 2011 г.
Right To 'Preserve One's Health' At Stake In Supreme Court Case Concerning Federal Abortion Ban, Opinion Piece Says
The Department of Justice's appeal to uphold a federal law banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion and the Supreme Court precedent that is "[s]tanding in the government's way" are "not really about the contentious liberty to choose abortion" but "concern the fundamental right to preserve one's health," Randy Barnett, a professor of legal theory at Georgetown University Law School and author of "Restoring the Lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty," writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece (Barnett, Wall Street Journal, 12/9). President Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S 3) into law in November 2003. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the National Abortion Federation and the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of four abortion providers filed lawsuits alleging that the law is unconstitutional because of the absence of an exception for procedures preformed to protect the health of the pregnant woman. In place of a health exception, the law includes a long "findings" section with medical evidence presented during congressional hearings that, according to supporters of the law, indicates the procedures banned by the law are never medically necessary. Federal judges in California, Nebraska and New York each issued temporary restraining orders to prevent enforcement of the ban, all of which were upheld by appellate courts. The Supreme Court last month heard oral arguments in two of the appeals, and the court is expected to rule on the case by July 2007 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/9). The Supreme Court in deciding on DOJ's appeal and other similar cases will decide if Congress is "entitled to blind deference when a person's life and health is at stake" or if "the people themselves deserve deference when their choices are supported by state-licensed and regulated physicians and ... substantial medical authority," Barnett writes. Former President James Madison said the Ninth Amendment was added to the Constitution to affirm "'the just importance of other rights retained by the people,'" Barnett writes concluding, "We will soon learn whether the courts agree" (Wall Street Journal, 12/9).
"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
среда, 29 июня 2011 г.
Kansas Abortion Opponents Petition For Grand Jury Investigation Of Abortion Provider Tiller
The antiabortion group Kansans for Life on Wednesday delivered a petition asking for a Sedgwick County, Kan., grand jury to investigate abortion provider George Tiller, who has been charged with 19 misdemeanors for allegedly violating a state law that requires an independent, consulting physician to approve some late-term abortions, the AP/Wichita Eagle reports. In the petition, which contains 7,857 signatures, the group asks the Sedgwick County District Court to convene a grand jury and appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate Tiller (Hegeman, AP/Wichita Eagle, 9/6).
State Attorney General Paul Morrison (D) in June filed charges alleging that Tiller, who owns Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., had financial ties to physician Ann Kristin Neuhaus, from whom he received a second opinion before performing 19 late-term abortions in 2003.
A 1998 Kansas law says that before an abortion of a fetus of 21 weeks' gestation or more, two physicians must determine if continuation of a pregnancy will lead to death or "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function." Consulting physicians cannot have legal or financial ties to abortion providers. Tiller's attorneys have entered a not guilty plea to the alleged misdemeanors and filed a motion to dismiss the charges. If convicted, Tiller could face up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine for each of the 19 misdemeanor charges (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/7).
Grand Jury Petition
According to the AP/Eagle, petitioners want the grand jury to examine late-term abortions that Tiller performed during the past five years and the reasons cited for the abortions. The group said it does not want the Sedgwick County Office of the District Attorney or Morrison's office associated with the investigation because neither could conduct an unbiased investigation. According to the group, Morrison was not thorough enough in his examination of Tiller's case.
"We waited nine years for those in law enforcement to do their jobs," David Gittrich, state development director for Kansans for Life, said. Tiller's attorneys did not have immediate comment on the petition, according to a receptionist at the law office of Tiller attorney Lee Thompson. "I can assure you the attorney general will enforce the law regardless of his personal view," Ashley Anstaett, spokesperson for Morrison, said, adding, "He does not and will not let politics influence this or any other case." Georgia Cole, spokesperson for Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston (D), said, "We are confident they will do as the law allows."
According to the AP/Eagle, the number of signatures submitted by Kansans for Life is nearly three times the number needed to convene a grand jury (Hegeman, AP/Wichita Eagle, 9/6).
Morrison Allowed To Intervene in Planned Parenthood, Kline Case
In related news, the Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Morrison could intervene in the legal dispute between Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri's Overland Park clinic Comprehensive Health and former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R), the Kansas City Star reports (Klepper, Kansas City Star, 9/5).
Kline in 2004 subpoenaed the records of 90 women and girls who in 2003 underwent late-term abortions at Comprehensive Health or Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, which is owned by Tiller, saying there is probable cause that each record contains evidence of a felony. The state Supreme Court in February 2006 ruled that Kline could seek access to the records but that he must return to Shawnee County, Kan., District Court Judge Richard Anderson and present his reasons for seeking the subpoenas. Anderson turned over the records to Kline's office in November 2006 after removing information that would identify individuals.
Morrison -- who defeated Kline in the November 2006 election -- in May in a letter to PPKM attorney Pedro Irigonegaray wrote that he has ended the investigation of Comprehensive Health. Morrison added that the attorney general's office "found no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing" by the clinic. Morrison in the letter also said that Kline forwarded copies of the medical records from PPKM patients to the Johnson County, Kan., district attorney's office on Jan. 5 -- three days before he left the state attorney general's office. Kline, who replaced Morrison as Johnson County district attorney, retains copies of the records, according to Morrison's letter (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/23). PPKM is seeking the return of the records used by Kline in the investigation.
According to the Star, Morrison also is suing Anderson in a separate lawsuit. Records in that case also are sealed. Kline said that if Morrison is attempting to force Anderson to return the records, it would be "unprecedented, bizarre and contrary to the responsibilities of a prosecutor." Anstaett declined to comment on the details of either lawsuit. She said that because of the court seal, Morrison's office could not review the Planned Parenthood lawsuit without getting permission to intervene (Kansas City Star, 9/5).
State Attorney General Paul Morrison (D) in June filed charges alleging that Tiller, who owns Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., had financial ties to physician Ann Kristin Neuhaus, from whom he received a second opinion before performing 19 late-term abortions in 2003.
A 1998 Kansas law says that before an abortion of a fetus of 21 weeks' gestation or more, two physicians must determine if continuation of a pregnancy will lead to death or "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function." Consulting physicians cannot have legal or financial ties to abortion providers. Tiller's attorneys have entered a not guilty plea to the alleged misdemeanors and filed a motion to dismiss the charges. If convicted, Tiller could face up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine for each of the 19 misdemeanor charges (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/7).
Grand Jury Petition
According to the AP/Eagle, petitioners want the grand jury to examine late-term abortions that Tiller performed during the past five years and the reasons cited for the abortions. The group said it does not want the Sedgwick County Office of the District Attorney or Morrison's office associated with the investigation because neither could conduct an unbiased investigation. According to the group, Morrison was not thorough enough in his examination of Tiller's case.
"We waited nine years for those in law enforcement to do their jobs," David Gittrich, state development director for Kansans for Life, said. Tiller's attorneys did not have immediate comment on the petition, according to a receptionist at the law office of Tiller attorney Lee Thompson. "I can assure you the attorney general will enforce the law regardless of his personal view," Ashley Anstaett, spokesperson for Morrison, said, adding, "He does not and will not let politics influence this or any other case." Georgia Cole, spokesperson for Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston (D), said, "We are confident they will do as the law allows."
According to the AP/Eagle, the number of signatures submitted by Kansans for Life is nearly three times the number needed to convene a grand jury (Hegeman, AP/Wichita Eagle, 9/6).
Morrison Allowed To Intervene in Planned Parenthood, Kline Case
In related news, the Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Morrison could intervene in the legal dispute between Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri's Overland Park clinic Comprehensive Health and former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R), the Kansas City Star reports (Klepper, Kansas City Star, 9/5).
Kline in 2004 subpoenaed the records of 90 women and girls who in 2003 underwent late-term abortions at Comprehensive Health or Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, which is owned by Tiller, saying there is probable cause that each record contains evidence of a felony. The state Supreme Court in February 2006 ruled that Kline could seek access to the records but that he must return to Shawnee County, Kan., District Court Judge Richard Anderson and present his reasons for seeking the subpoenas. Anderson turned over the records to Kline's office in November 2006 after removing information that would identify individuals.
Morrison -- who defeated Kline in the November 2006 election -- in May in a letter to PPKM attorney Pedro Irigonegaray wrote that he has ended the investigation of Comprehensive Health. Morrison added that the attorney general's office "found no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing" by the clinic. Morrison in the letter also said that Kline forwarded copies of the medical records from PPKM patients to the Johnson County, Kan., district attorney's office on Jan. 5 -- three days before he left the state attorney general's office. Kline, who replaced Morrison as Johnson County district attorney, retains copies of the records, according to Morrison's letter (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/23). PPKM is seeking the return of the records used by Kline in the investigation.
According to the Star, Morrison also is suing Anderson in a separate lawsuit. Records in that case also are sealed. Kline said that if Morrison is attempting to force Anderson to return the records, it would be "unprecedented, bizarre and contrary to the responsibilities of a prosecutor." Anstaett declined to comment on the details of either lawsuit. She said that because of the court seal, Morrison's office could not review the Planned Parenthood lawsuit without getting permission to intervene (Kansas City Star, 9/5).
вторник, 28 июня 2011 г.
Six-Week Course Of Antiretroviral Nevirapine Did Not Clearly Reduce Risk Of HIV Among Breastfed Infants, Study Finds
A six-week extended course of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine did not clearly show a reduced risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission among breastfed infants, according to a study published Saturday in the journal Lancet, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, breastfeeding "presents a life-and-death dilemma" for HIV-positive mothers in developing countries. Although using formula can reduce the risk of MTCT, when formula is mixed with dirty water, it can increase the risk of death among infants from causes such as diarrhea and malnutrition. In most developing nations, women will continue to breastfeed because it is traditional, formula is expensive and because using formula "announces" that a woman is HIV-positive, according to the Times. At least 150,000 infants contract HIV through breastfeeding annually, experts estimate.
In an effort to prevent MTCT, researchers have "stumbled into their own terrible dilemma," the Times reports. A single dose of nevirapine can prevent MTCT, but a single dose is not always effective. In addition, nevirapine can have side effects, and some infants develop liver failure, rashes or low white blood cell counts. Resistance to nevirapine also develops quickly, meaning that an infant who receives nevirapine and still contracts HIV will be unable to combination therapies that contain it or any related drug (McNeil, New York Times, 7/29).
For the study, researchers administered nevirapine to infants in Ethiopia, India and Uganda whose mothers were HIV-positive (Britt, Bloomberg, 7/25). The infants were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of the drug, while the other half received a six-week course (Bollinger et al., Lancet, 7/26). The study found that infants who took daily doses of nevirapine for six weeks reduced their risk of MTCT by 15% (Bloomberg, 7/25). "Although a six-week regimen of daily nevirapine might be associated with a reduction in the risk of HIV transmission at six weeks of age, the lack of a significant reduction in the primary endpoint -- risk of HIV transmission at six months -- suggests that a longer course of daily infant nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission via breastmilk might be more effective where access to affordable and safe replacement feeding is not yet available and where the risks of replacement feeding are high," the researchers wrote (Lancet, 7/26).
However, three members of the research team led by Mrudula Phadke of the Maharshtra University of Health Sciences in Nashik, India, in a letter to the journal wrote that it is "wrong that a drug that has not shown significant benefit and which has serious toxic side effects in 38.4% of babies should be tried for longer." The study's design of six months was based on the 10 to 14 days that it takes nevirapine to build up in infants' blood, the three researchers wrote in the letter, adding that the finding that incidence was lower after six weeks "does not reflect the effect of six weeks of treatment at all." Instead of using nevirapine, HIV/AIDS experts should focus on methods to make infant formula more available and acceptable to HIV-positive mothers in developing countries, the researchers added.
The disagreement among the study's authors is unusual, Lancet editors Pia Pini and Sabine Kleinert wrote in an accompanying commentary. They added that NIH, which funded the study, said there was no "breach of research integrity." They added, "In our opinion, publication of these important data, with complete disclosure, is the best course of action." Jeffrey Stringer and Benjamin Chi from the University of Alabama-Birmingham wrote in an accompanying commentary that "[e]xtended infant prophylaxis with nevirapine is simple enough to be implemented almost anywhere. It represents a long-awaited, if partial, solution to a mother's impossible choice. We should not delay" (Bloomberg, 7/25).
The study is available online. The letter also is available online.
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.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
In an effort to prevent MTCT, researchers have "stumbled into their own terrible dilemma," the Times reports. A single dose of nevirapine can prevent MTCT, but a single dose is not always effective. In addition, nevirapine can have side effects, and some infants develop liver failure, rashes or low white blood cell counts. Resistance to nevirapine also develops quickly, meaning that an infant who receives nevirapine and still contracts HIV will be unable to combination therapies that contain it or any related drug (McNeil, New York Times, 7/29).
For the study, researchers administered nevirapine to infants in Ethiopia, India and Uganda whose mothers were HIV-positive (Britt, Bloomberg, 7/25). The infants were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of the drug, while the other half received a six-week course (Bollinger et al., Lancet, 7/26). The study found that infants who took daily doses of nevirapine for six weeks reduced their risk of MTCT by 15% (Bloomberg, 7/25). "Although a six-week regimen of daily nevirapine might be associated with a reduction in the risk of HIV transmission at six weeks of age, the lack of a significant reduction in the primary endpoint -- risk of HIV transmission at six months -- suggests that a longer course of daily infant nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission via breastmilk might be more effective where access to affordable and safe replacement feeding is not yet available and where the risks of replacement feeding are high," the researchers wrote (Lancet, 7/26).
However, three members of the research team led by Mrudula Phadke of the Maharshtra University of Health Sciences in Nashik, India, in a letter to the journal wrote that it is "wrong that a drug that has not shown significant benefit and which has serious toxic side effects in 38.4% of babies should be tried for longer." The study's design of six months was based on the 10 to 14 days that it takes nevirapine to build up in infants' blood, the three researchers wrote in the letter, adding that the finding that incidence was lower after six weeks "does not reflect the effect of six weeks of treatment at all." Instead of using nevirapine, HIV/AIDS experts should focus on methods to make infant formula more available and acceptable to HIV-positive mothers in developing countries, the researchers added.
The disagreement among the study's authors is unusual, Lancet editors Pia Pini and Sabine Kleinert wrote in an accompanying commentary. They added that NIH, which funded the study, said there was no "breach of research integrity." They added, "In our opinion, publication of these important data, with complete disclosure, is the best course of action." Jeffrey Stringer and Benjamin Chi from the University of Alabama-Birmingham wrote in an accompanying commentary that "[e]xtended infant prophylaxis with nevirapine is simple enough to be implemented almost anywhere. It represents a long-awaited, if partial, solution to a mother's impossible choice. We should not delay" (Bloomberg, 7/25).
The study is available online. The letter also is available online.
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.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Nevada Mother-To-Child HIV Prevention Program Faces Funding Cuts
Nevada state officials recently announced plans to terminate funding for the University of Nevada School of Medicine's Nevada Care Program, which largely works to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission through targeted antiretroviral therapy, the AP/Nevada Appeal reports. According to the officials, Nevada faces a possible $1.2 million funding shortfall for HIV/AIDS-related programs in 2010. Therefore, the state Department of Health and Human Services decided to end the $350,000 Nevada Care Program because of a projected increase in clients and medication costs. According to the AP/Appeal, the Nevada Care Program was the most affected by funding cuts targeting six HIV/AIDS programs in southern Nevada.
According to the AP/Appeal, when the Nevada Care Program began providing MTCT prevention services in 2006, Clark County had four reported HIV cases among infants. However, since the program launched, the county has reported no new cases, although 40 infants have been born to HIV-positive women. Echezona Ezeanolue, director of the Nevada Care Program, said eliminating the program is "a life and death decision that will have consequences far greater than the state has obviously considered." He said, "These children, who would otherwise have a 98% chance to be born without the HIV virus, will more likely be born with the virus." According to Ezeanolue, the budget cuts will not affect the availability of antiretroviral drugs, but they will prevent the program from having office space or medical assistants.
To address the funding shortfall, David Gremse, head of the School of Medicine's pediatric program, recently sent a letter to Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) asking for assistance in securing funding to continue the Nevada Care Program. According to Gremse, eliminating funding for the program does not make financial sense. He wrote that by preventing MTCT for 40 infants, the program saved the state $12,124,000 over two years, based on the cost of providing health care for HIV-positive children. According to the AP/Appeal, Berkley has said that she is "hopeful that the financial resources will be found to keep this important program in place" (Harasim, AP/Nevada Appeal, 4/11).
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.
According to the AP/Appeal, when the Nevada Care Program began providing MTCT prevention services in 2006, Clark County had four reported HIV cases among infants. However, since the program launched, the county has reported no new cases, although 40 infants have been born to HIV-positive women. Echezona Ezeanolue, director of the Nevada Care Program, said eliminating the program is "a life and death decision that will have consequences far greater than the state has obviously considered." He said, "These children, who would otherwise have a 98% chance to be born without the HIV virus, will more likely be born with the virus." According to Ezeanolue, the budget cuts will not affect the availability of antiretroviral drugs, but they will prevent the program from having office space or medical assistants.
To address the funding shortfall, David Gremse, head of the School of Medicine's pediatric program, recently sent a letter to Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) asking for assistance in securing funding to continue the Nevada Care Program. According to Gremse, eliminating funding for the program does not make financial sense. He wrote that by preventing MTCT for 40 infants, the program saved the state $12,124,000 over two years, based on the cost of providing health care for HIV-positive children. According to the AP/Appeal, Berkley has said that she is "hopeful that the financial resources will be found to keep this important program in place" (Harasim, AP/Nevada Appeal, 4/11).
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.
FIGO's New Classification Of Causes Of Abnormal Uterine Benefits Patients
Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in women of reproductive age may be due to a wide range of disorders or pathologies. Until now, there has been no universally accepted method for classifying such patients, which has impeded basic science and clinical investigation, as well as the practical, rational, and consistent application of medical and surgical therapy. As the result of a stringent 5-year review process, a multinational group of clinician-investigators with broad experience in the investigation of AUB has now agreed on a classification system to facilitate multi-institutional investigation into the epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of women with acute and chronic AUB. This classification has been approved by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Executive Board as a FIGO classification system and has been published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics.
"There has been general inconsistency in the nomenclature used to describe abnormal uterine bleeding in reproductive aged women, and there is a plethora of potential causes-several of which may coexist in a given individual," commented Malcolm G. Munro, MD, FRCS(c), FACOG, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA and Director of Gynecologic Services, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. "It seems clear that the development of consistent and universally accepted nomenclature is a step toward rectifying this unsatisfactory circumstance. Another requirement is the development of a classification system for the causes of AUB, which can be used by clinicians, investigators, and even patients themselves to facilitate communication, clinical care, and research."
Beginning with workshops in 2005, contributors from more than 17 countries on 6 continents developed the PALM-COEIN (pronounced "pahm-koin") classification system for causes of AUB in the reproductive years. The basic system comprises 9 categories: The first 4 are defined by visually objective structural criteria (PALM: polyp; adenomyosis; leiomyoma; and malignancy and hyperplasia); a second 4 that are unrelated to structural anomalies (COEI: coagulopathy; ovulatory dysfunction; endometrial; and iatrogenic), and a final category reserved for entities that are not yet classified (N). A draft system was developed and revised, distributed for comments, and then discussed at a face-to-face meeting held in association with the 2009 FIGO World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.
The process was systematically designed to create a practical system that could be used by clinicians in most countries worldwide to classify patients with AUB readily and consistently. Drs. Munro, Critchley and Fraser note that it is "recognized that the system will require periodic modification and occasional substantial revision depending on advances in knowledge and technology, and increasing availability of investigative options across geographic regions. Consequently, we recommend a scheduled systematic review of the system on a regular basis by a permanent committee of an international organization such as FIGO, which has already endorsed the establishment of a suitable ongoing Working Group on Menstrual Disorders."
FIGO Chief Executive Hamid Rushwan said: "There is no existing classification of the causes of these common gynecologic symptoms that allows good communication between practicing clinicians and researchers, and which encourages focus on the optimal approaches to modern management. Therefore, FIGO is pleased to have a role in facilitating the use of this ground-breaking new classification worldwide."
The article is "FIGO classification system (PALM-COEIN) for causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in nongravid women of reproductive age" by Malcolm G. Munro, Hilary O.D. Critchley, Michael S. Broder, and Ian S. Fraser; for the FIGO Working Group on Menstrual Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.11.011). The editorial is "The FIGO classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding" by Malcolm G. Munro, Hilary O.D. Critchley, and Ian S. Fraser (doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.01.001). Both appear in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Volume 113, Issue 1, April 2011, published by Elsevier.
Source:
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
Elsevier
"There has been general inconsistency in the nomenclature used to describe abnormal uterine bleeding in reproductive aged women, and there is a plethora of potential causes-several of which may coexist in a given individual," commented Malcolm G. Munro, MD, FRCS(c), FACOG, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA and Director of Gynecologic Services, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. "It seems clear that the development of consistent and universally accepted nomenclature is a step toward rectifying this unsatisfactory circumstance. Another requirement is the development of a classification system for the causes of AUB, which can be used by clinicians, investigators, and even patients themselves to facilitate communication, clinical care, and research."
Beginning with workshops in 2005, contributors from more than 17 countries on 6 continents developed the PALM-COEIN (pronounced "pahm-koin") classification system for causes of AUB in the reproductive years. The basic system comprises 9 categories: The first 4 are defined by visually objective structural criteria (PALM: polyp; adenomyosis; leiomyoma; and malignancy and hyperplasia); a second 4 that are unrelated to structural anomalies (COEI: coagulopathy; ovulatory dysfunction; endometrial; and iatrogenic), and a final category reserved for entities that are not yet classified (N). A draft system was developed and revised, distributed for comments, and then discussed at a face-to-face meeting held in association with the 2009 FIGO World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.
The process was systematically designed to create a practical system that could be used by clinicians in most countries worldwide to classify patients with AUB readily and consistently. Drs. Munro, Critchley and Fraser note that it is "recognized that the system will require periodic modification and occasional substantial revision depending on advances in knowledge and technology, and increasing availability of investigative options across geographic regions. Consequently, we recommend a scheduled systematic review of the system on a regular basis by a permanent committee of an international organization such as FIGO, which has already endorsed the establishment of a suitable ongoing Working Group on Menstrual Disorders."
FIGO Chief Executive Hamid Rushwan said: "There is no existing classification of the causes of these common gynecologic symptoms that allows good communication between practicing clinicians and researchers, and which encourages focus on the optimal approaches to modern management. Therefore, FIGO is pleased to have a role in facilitating the use of this ground-breaking new classification worldwide."
The article is "FIGO classification system (PALM-COEIN) for causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in nongravid women of reproductive age" by Malcolm G. Munro, Hilary O.D. Critchley, Michael S. Broder, and Ian S. Fraser; for the FIGO Working Group on Menstrual Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.11.011). The editorial is "The FIGO classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding" by Malcolm G. Munro, Hilary O.D. Critchley, and Ian S. Fraser (doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.01.001). Both appear in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Volume 113, Issue 1, April 2011, published by Elsevier.
Source:
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
Elsevier
Independence Blue Cross Delivers Important Reminder To Women During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Each year, about 11,000 women in
the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,700 women die
unnecessarily from this disease(1). In recognition of Cervical Cancer
Awareness month, Independence Blue Cross will make more than 100,000 member
outreach calls reminding women that early detection and prevention of
cancer can help save lives.
During this educational campaign, Independence Blue Cross will remind
women ages 21-49 to receive their cervical cancer screening. In addition,
women will be encouraged to discuss the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine,
which is recommended for girls ages 11-12 and females ages 13-26, with
their health care providers. HPV is one of the most common sexually
transmitted infections in the United States and most cases of cervical
cancer are associated with previous HPV infection.
Independence Blue Cross is providing this important reminder to members
because research shows that receiving the three-shot HPV vaccine and
recommended cervical cancer Pap test screening can decrease the chance of
developing cervical cancer(2). However, it is important to note that even
if a woman has had the HPV vaccine, she will continue to require regular
cervical cancer screening by the Pap test and the HPV test when
recommended(2).
"Our goal is to help keep our members healthy today, tomorrow, and well
into the future," Says Dr. Esther Nash, senior medical director of
Population Health and Wellness at Independence Blue Cross. "Prevention is a
key. Providing important reminders about health screenings and
vaccinations, wellness education, and increasing members' awareness of
consumer tools and resources available to them are just some of the ways
we're helping to keep our members feeling great in '08 and beyond."
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern
Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates
provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For 70 years, Independence
Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet
the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals.
Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently
received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality
Assurance.
Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross
and Blue Shield Association. More information about Independence Blue Cross
is available at ibx.
References
1. American Cancer Society, 2007
2. National Cervical Cancer Coalition
Independence Blue Cross
ibx
the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,700 women die
unnecessarily from this disease(1). In recognition of Cervical Cancer
Awareness month, Independence Blue Cross will make more than 100,000 member
outreach calls reminding women that early detection and prevention of
cancer can help save lives.
During this educational campaign, Independence Blue Cross will remind
women ages 21-49 to receive their cervical cancer screening. In addition,
women will be encouraged to discuss the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine,
which is recommended for girls ages 11-12 and females ages 13-26, with
their health care providers. HPV is one of the most common sexually
transmitted infections in the United States and most cases of cervical
cancer are associated with previous HPV infection.
Independence Blue Cross is providing this important reminder to members
because research shows that receiving the three-shot HPV vaccine and
recommended cervical cancer Pap test screening can decrease the chance of
developing cervical cancer(2). However, it is important to note that even
if a woman has had the HPV vaccine, she will continue to require regular
cervical cancer screening by the Pap test and the HPV test when
recommended(2).
"Our goal is to help keep our members healthy today, tomorrow, and well
into the future," Says Dr. Esther Nash, senior medical director of
Population Health and Wellness at Independence Blue Cross. "Prevention is a
key. Providing important reminders about health screenings and
vaccinations, wellness education, and increasing members' awareness of
consumer tools and resources available to them are just some of the ways
we're helping to keep our members feeling great in '08 and beyond."
About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern
Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates
provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For 70 years, Independence
Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet
the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals.
Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently
received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality
Assurance.
Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross
and Blue Shield Association. More information about Independence Blue Cross
is available at ibx.
References
1. American Cancer Society, 2007
2. National Cervical Cancer Coalition
Independence Blue Cross
ibx
New HHS Grant Will Allow Pennsylvania HIV, STI Education Program Targeting Hispanic Women To Continue
The Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County, Pa. -- which runs a program that provides Hispanic women with education about HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, as well as domestic violence -- has received a five-year, $335,000 grant from HHS to continue the program, the Reading Eagle reports. About 300 local women have completed the program, and the grant will allow an additional 400 women in the city of Reading and surrounding township with the opportunity to participate.
The partnership's executive director, Cheryl Guthier, said that it focuses on the city of Reading because of its large Hispanic population, adding that the program plans to expand to Muhlenberg Township, which also has a large Hispanic population. The Eagle reports that the program's classes help alleviate the stigma that can prevent open discussion about HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. The partnership has offered the program for about eight years, the Eagle reports. The recent grant is the third from HHS' Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention. Guthier said because the grant is for five years, there is "more time to do services in the community, more time to evaluate whether or not it's effective." She added, "It will enable us to reach more people" (Negley, Reading Eagle, 3/10).
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.
The partnership's executive director, Cheryl Guthier, said that it focuses on the city of Reading because of its large Hispanic population, adding that the program plans to expand to Muhlenberg Township, which also has a large Hispanic population. The Eagle reports that the program's classes help alleviate the stigma that can prevent open discussion about HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. The partnership has offered the program for about eight years, the Eagle reports. The recent grant is the third from HHS' Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention. Guthier said because the grant is for five years, there is "more time to do services in the community, more time to evaluate whether or not it's effective." She added, "It will enable us to reach more people" (Negley, Reading Eagle, 3/10).
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.
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