Women's Health News and Research

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Estrogen only HRT in some postmenopausal women could lower breast cancer risk: Study

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8 Mar 2012

Texas plan to defund women's health program draws protest; Other abortion and contraception news

Texas' move and subsequently imminent loss of federal Medicaid money has sparked a protest. Lawmakers in New Hampshire and Minnesota are examining the federal contraception coverage requirement.

8 Mar 2012

Women with breast pain do not gain benefit from imaging

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that women with breast pain who receive imaging (mammograms, MRIs or ultrasounds) as part of breast pain evaluation, undergo follow-up diagnostic testing, but do not gain benefit from these additional studies.

8 Mar 2012

World Bank should re-evaluate programs to reduce maternal mortality

"The World Bank boasts that it has positioned itself as a 'global leader' in reproductive health, especially for youth and the poor," but in 2011, it dedicated "just 0.2 percent of its $43 billion budget" to reproductive health projects, and much of that money was provided as loans, which can "leave poor countries indebted and threaten to divert domestic spending away from vital public health services," Elizabeth Arend, program coordinator at Gender Action, writes in the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

7 Mar 2012

Planned Parenthood poll says Texans want group to remain in Texas women's program, Fla. anti-abortion bill stopped in Senate

A poll commissioned by Planned Parenthood in Texas says voters want to keep the provider in the state's Women's Health Program while an anti-abortion bill in Florida is stopped in the Senate.

7 Mar 2012

States cut birth control subsidies; Impact of abortion laws hard to ascertain

Reuters reports that states are cutting birth control subsidies while The Associated Press writes that it's difficult to gauge what impact anti-abortion laws have on reducing the procedure. The Arizona House gave initial approval to blocking abortion providers from getting federal funding for family planning services through the state. A similar move in Texas, which is now in effect, reverberates.

6 Mar 2012

New article examines multiple opportunities provided by ACA to improve women's health

A new article by researchers from the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative in the Department of Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examines the multiple opportunities provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to improve the health of low-income women through the use of community health centers.

6 Mar 2012

National Council for Research on Women honors CINJ breast oncologist

The chief medical officer at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been named as one of this year's 30 'Outstanding Women' by the National Council for Research on Women. Deborah L. Toppmeyer, MD, a medical oncologist at CINJ who heads a very active breast cancer clinic and conducts clinical research, was selected for her commitment to issues critical to advancing women and women's health.

5 Mar 2012

Contraceptive debate roils on in editorial pages

If the pill had never been invented, perhaps American politics would be very different today. ... Conflicts over gay marriage, transvaginal ultrasounds, Planned Parenthood funding and insurance coverage for birth control are not isolated events (Nancy L. Cohen, 3/4).

5 Mar 2012

Survey: Americans spend more for health care than people in other countries

The report from the International Federation of Health Plans found that Americans pay more for physician time, for scans, surgery and drugs than people in other countries. Also in the news, other reports from the health care marketplace explore the lack of insurance coverage for reproductive-age women and the growth in the number of companies that are offering incentives to their employees to better manage their health.

5 Mar 2012

Young children with SDB more likely to develop neurobehavioral problems

A study of more than 11,000 children followed for over six years has found that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms and difficulty with peer relationships, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

5 Mar 2012

Contraception coverage flap becoming key issue in Senate races

Congress can't seem to stop its debate on birth control -- and one reason is that it's bringing in lots of votes and money. ... Republicans are also using the issue to raise money among conservatives and broaden GOP support among Catholics, who are strongly opposed to Obama's contraceptive mandate. But, in general, the flap over birth control is helping Democrats solidify their base and gives them an opening to appeal to independent women, said Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report.

3 Mar 2012

New APS policy requires reporting of sex and gender in experimental studies

The American Physiology Society (APS) has announced a new policy requiring the reporting of the sex of experimental animals and the sex or gender of humans used in studies submitted for publication in any of the organization's 13 peer-reviewed journals.

3 Mar 2012

States consider their own legislation limiting contraception coverage, abortion

Lawmakers in Mississippi, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Florida are considering bills to limit contraception coverage or abortion.

3 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: The defeated Blunt Amendment, Obama's $100B Catholic hospital risk, fixing drug shortages

The amendment, which was attached to a highway bill, was defeated on a narrow 48-to-51 vote. But it showed once again how far from the mainstream Republicans have strayed in their relentless efforts to undermine the separation of church and state, deny women access to essential health services and tear apart President Obama's health care reform law.

3 Mar 2012

Serum taurine may protect against CHD in women with high cholesterol

A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) in women with high cholesterol, according to a study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center.

2 Mar 2012

Va. lawmakers approve scaled-back abortion ultrasound bill

Lawmakers in Virginia have passed a scaled-back version of a contentious ultrasound proposal that would force women to get a "non-invasive" ultrasound before having an abortion.

1 Mar 2012

ROSETTA Study to compare two therapies in women with overactive bladder

Overactive bladder, or the sudden urge to urinate, affects the quality of life of many women. Studies have shown that not all women respond to or can tolerate oral medications and may benefit from other therapies.

1 Mar 2012

Aspirin may help postmenopausal women reduce risk of trans fat-related stroke

New research shows an increased risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fatty acids, commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, and packaged products. Study findings now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, suggest aspirin use may moderate the stroke risk caused by a diet high in trans fats.

1 Mar 2012

Aspirin may reduce risk of trans fat-related stroke in older women

Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows.

1 Mar 2012