Contraceptive News and Research

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Viewpoints: Blocking an abortion option for military women; Plan B pushback; Solving Wis. doc shortage

Republican Senate leaders have an odd way of showing gratitude for the dedication and sacrifices of the more than 200,000 women on active duty in the military. Late last month, they blocked consideration of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have lifted the statutory ban that denies female service members coverage for abortion care in cases of rape and incest.

13 Dec 2011

Abortion does not raise risk of mental ailment: Experts

A major review by experts concludes that abortion does not raise the risk of a woman suffering mental health problems. Data from 44 studies showed women with an unwanted pregnancy have a higher incidence of mental health problems in general. This is not affected by whether or not they have an abortion or give birth.

12 Dec 2011

FDA panel supports birth control Yaz but advises labeling changes

Medical experts at the panel of Food and Drug Administration have voted 15-11 that Bayer's Yaz, and Yasmin and similar medications used as birth control pills remain a beneficial option for women, despite an increasing number of studies suggesting the drugs are more likely to cause dangerous blood clots than older birth control pills.

11 Dec 2011

President Obama’s take on the morning-after pill debate

President Obama said las week that he would support the Department of Health and Human Services overruling an FDA decision to allow an emergency morning-after contraceptive pill to be sold to girls younger than 17 without a prescription.

11 Dec 2011

Obama defends limit on morning-after pill

The New York Times, Washington Post and others analyze the president's support of his health secretary's decision to limit access to the Plan B pill.

9 Dec 2011

FDA panel: Some birth control pills should carry stronger warning labels

An FDA panel decided Thursday that two popular birth control pills should come with stronger warning labels about the possibility of blood clots.

9 Dec 2011

The contraceptive pill could reduce risk of ovarian and uterine cancer in nuns

Professor Roger Short, from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Kara Britt, from Monash University, argue in a comment piece in The Lancet, that since the contraceptive pill reduces overall mortality and mortality specifically linked to ovarian and uterine cancer, nuns should be given the pill for health, rather than contraceptive, reasons.

9 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Obama's lessons from LBJ; Plan B positions; Choosing Gingrich

In 2005, for example, the United States devoted only 29 percent of gross domestic product to health and social services combined, while countries like Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark dedicated 33 percent to 38 percent of their G.D.P. to the combination.

9 Dec 2011

ZEN bust-enhancing supplements may increase risk of breast cancer

Women who use bust-enhancing dietary supplements containing the mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEN), a naturally occurring toxin that widely contaminates agricultural products, could be increasing their risk of breast cancer. That is the warning from breast health experts in a paper published online ahead of print publication in the January issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

9 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 9, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include artilces about a new GOP tax plan that includes a Medicare pay fix for doctors and President Obama's support of a decision to keep the "Morning After Pill" from minors.

9 Dec 2011

Sebelius overrules FDA on 'morning after' pill's OTC availability

The decision to keep the contraceptive pill "Plan B" behind the counter could shield the Obama administration from a bruising battle with conservatives but comes at the expense of liberal groups who are "shocked" at the decision.

9 Dec 2011

Sebelius overturns FDA on morning after pill access

The Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this Wednesday has overturned the Food and Drug Administration's plan to remove the age limit on who can buy Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's Plan B One-Step pill – commonly known as the “morning after pill” without a prescription.

8 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 8, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the HHS decision on the Plan B morning after pill, as well as the latest progress reports from Capitol Hill on the payroll tax break extension and the doc fix.

8 Dec 2011

HHS: Plan B access will stay limited

The Department of Health and Human Services announced today that the morning-after pill, known as Plan B, will continue to be kept behind the pharmacy counter and girls younger than 17 will continue to need a prescription to obtain it.

8 Dec 2011

Reuters examines role of family planning at Durban climate change talks

"[W]ith studies suggesting that 215 million women around the world want -- but cannot get -- effective contraception, making sure birth control methods are available to those who want them could be one of the cheapest, fastest and most effective ways of addressing climate change, experts said at the U.N. climate conference in Durban" this week, AlertNet reports.

7 Dec 2011

Family planning spending cuts will lead to 'more unwanted' pregnancies, 'unsafe abortions'

"Unwanted babies and unsafe abortion are major problems in the developing world, yet funding for contraception is limited because of attitudes to sex and abortion in donor countries," the Guardian's Sarah Boseley writes in her "Global Health Blog."

7 Dec 2011

Opinion pieces, editorial recognize World AIDS Day

Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal and Ashley Grosso, Huffington Post's "Impact": Blumenthal, senior policy and medical adviser at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and Grosso, an Allan Rosenfield fellow at amfAR, outline steps they feel necessary to reach the goal of an AIDS-free generation.

3 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 2, 2011

In today's headlines, reports on congressional efforts to extend a payroll tax break and other work Congress must do before the end of the year -- including the Medicare doc fix.

2 Dec 2011

'Simple solutions' available to improve family health

"Although advances in vaccines, nutrition and family health have dramatically reduced the number of child deaths in the past 50 years, nearly eight million children younger than five still die every year," Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in this CNN opinion piece.

2 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Bush, Bono and others reflect on World AIDS Day; Coburn and Burr on Medicare savings

On this Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, the promise of progress against the disease has never been more vivid - or more fragile. ... In lean budget times, the U.S. and the developing world must prioritize. But there can be no higher priority than saving lives. And there is no better way to save lives than to support and expand effective, proven programs such as Pepfar.

2 Dec 2011