Birth Control News and Research

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Obesity, contraceptives pills may increase risk of developing MS in later stages, says study

The role of the so-called "obesity hormone" leptin and hormones used for birth control in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) is examined in two new studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.

28 Feb 2014

Will GOP candidates profit from laser-like focus on health law?

Some Republicans worry the focus, which includes nearly every advertising dollar, is too heavy a bet. Meanwhile a Senate race in Colorado is shaping up to be one where health care issues play big.

28 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 27, 2014

Today's headlines include a number of stories about Obama past and present administration officials -- notably, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden -- who are stepping up to "sell" people on enrolling in new health law insurance coverage.

27 Feb 2014

Report: Spending on health care for children increased between 2009 and 2012

Spending on health care for children covered by employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) increased between 2009 and 2012, rising an average 5.5 percent a year, with more dollars spent on boys than girls, and higher spending on infants and toddlers (ages 0-3) than any other children's age group, finds a new report released today by the Health Care Cost Institute. Per capita spending on children reached $2,437 in 2012, a $363 increase from 2009. The study shows a growth in prescription use by children through age 18, as well as a rise in the number of teens being admitted for mental health and substance use (MHSU) treatment.

27 Feb 2014

Appeals Court rules against Notre Dame in contraception lawsuit

In a blow to religious colleges and universities across the country, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago denied Notre Dame's request for an injunction to the ObamaCare birth control mandate that requires the school to provide coverage for contraception.

25 Feb 2014

Federal court rules against Notre Dame in contraception case

The university with strong ties to the Catholic Church must now provide birth control coverage to students and employees as mandated in the health law.

25 Feb 2014

Longer looks: Women's advantages in health law; health effects of the 'American Dream'

Every week reporter Ankita Rao selects interesting reading from around the Web.

14 Feb 2014

Obamacare tweaks continue amid complaints

The government will allow consumers who experience life changes, such as a marriage or the birth of a child, to update their plan choices, the administration said. It is also looking at requiring insurers to accept third-party payments, such as those made under the Ryan White CARE Act, to help people with HIV/AIDS pay for expensive drugs. Meanwhile, The Washington Post examines the history of Accenture, the contractor hired to fix healthcare.gov, and finds troubled projects and allegations of ethical lapses.

10 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 10, 2014

Today's headlines include stories about the health law's coverage gap.

10 Feb 2014

Experts release stroke-prevention guidelines for women

While stroke occurrences have been on a consistent decline in the United States since the early 1900s, more women are still dying from them than are men. To aid in curbing these deaths, first-of-their-kind stroke-prevention guidelines for women have been released with the help of one University of Alabama at Birmingham expert.

7 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Drop in abortion rates may have something to do with better contraception; GOP health law alternative 'designed to fail'

A new study released on Monday finds that the abortion rate among American women declined to its lowest level in more than three decades in 2011. ... Notably, though, the decline in abortions from 2008 to 2011 was mirrored by a decline in pregnancy rates that the researchers say may reflect stricter adherence to birth control methods during recession, and the growing use, especially among younger women, of reliable long-term contraceptives, like the intrauterine device, or IUD.

5 Feb 2014

U.S. abortion rate drops, but not for the reasons you might think

A new study finds that the rates are lowest in 40 years.

4 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 3, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of stories about how the health law is working in different locations across the country.

3 Feb 2014

First Edition: January 31, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the retirement announcement by Rep. Henry Waxman and the health policy legacy he will leave behind.

31 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Obama drops 'grand bargain' talk; Mitch Mcconnell in tough spot on health law

What didn't make the cut? ... A "grand bargain": For three years, Obama pursued a big fiscal deal that would have traded higher taxes (a Democratic goal) for cuts in long-term spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security (a Republican goal).

31 Jan 2014

Lawmakers file briefs in Hobby Lobby health law contraception case

Scores of House Democrats entered the legal fight over Obamacare's birth-control mandate Tuesday, filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in defense of the contentious coverage requirement. Behind House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the lawmakers say the provision -- which requires most employers to cover birth control for their workers -- does not infringe on religious freedoms, as the Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned retail chain, contends in its lawsuit (Lillis, 1/28).

30 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Health overhaul helps ease inequality issues; nuns triumph over health law; deinstitutionalization's mental health legacy

Intense as it is, the current debate over rising income inequality is hardly new. ... The good news is that there's more good news than one might expect. ... In addition to avoiding making things worse, the country has adopted, at least in part, several of the policy improvements we thought made sense eight years ago. Most prominent among these was President Obama's health-care reform, which, for all its problems, promises to ease the health-care cost squeeze on middle- and lower-income Americans (1/25).

28 Jan 2014