Women's Health News and Research

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29 percent of California women mistakenly believe a cold or flu should be treated with an antibiotic

Illustrating the extent of Americans’ lack of knowledge about antibiotics, 29 percent of California women queried mistakenly believe a cold or flu should be treated with an antibiotic, according to results of a survey being presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

20 Sep 2004

Too much TV leads to higher risk of obesity for young black girls

Too much television and too few recreational opportunities mean not enough physical activity and a higher risk of obesity for young black girls, a new study says.

10 Sep 2004

Higher body mass index has a stronger association with diabetes than physical inactivity

Researchers have found that a higher body mass index (BMI) has a stronger association with development of diabetes than does physical inactivity, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2004

Blacks and whites have similar amounts of coronary calcium deposits, which are a sign of atherosclerotic plaques

In contrast to earlier studies that indicated African-Americans tend to have lower amounts of atherosclerosis than whites, despite having higher cardiovascular death rates, heart scans in a large, representative population indicate that blacks and whites have similar amounts of coronary calcium deposits

1 Sep 2004

New York Judge strikes down federal abortion ban

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA) has applauded the New York court ruling issued today in National Abortion Federation (NAF) v. Ashcroft, a lawsuit challenging the federal abortion ban passed by Congress last October and signed by President Bush. Today's ruling invalidates the ban.

26 Aug 2004

Evidence of pelvic floor nerve injury after routine vaginal birth

Women with pelvic floor disorders suffer from urinary and fecal incontinence as well as prolapse of the bowel, bladder and reproductive organs. (Bowel prolapse occurs when the bowel slips out of place, and pushes up against the walls of the vagina, which may cause a great deal of discomfort.)

20 Aug 2004

Adolescent girls that have been physically coerced into sexual intercourse are more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease

Adolescent girls who say they have been physically coerced into sexual intercourse are more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study published in the journal Women’s Health Issues.

17 Aug 2004

Benefits from short-term hormone therapy are likely to outweigh the risks

A group of prominent experts on treatment of the menopause today issued advice for doctors on the use of hormone therapy.

13 Aug 2004

Link between short-term hormone therapy (HT) and improvements in life quality for women with menopausal symptoms

An article in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine explains how a computer based simulation model has found a link between short-term hormone therapy (HT) and improvements in life quality for women with menopausal symptoms. The article also points out that short-term hormone therapy may actually shorten life expectancy.

10 Aug 2004

Fathers Support Breastfeeding campaign

On August 5, the Office of Minority Health at the Indiana State Department of Health will launch its "Fathers Support Breastfeeding" campaign by hosting the first of six meetings of a support group for fathers in Indianapolis.

5 Aug 2004

Risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) decreases with condom use

A multi-center study from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health suggests that women wishing to decrease their risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) should ensure that their sexual partners use condoms consistently.

31 Jul 2004

Australian Commonwealth and Queensland Governments sign public health funding agreement

The Commonwealth and the Queensland Government have renewed their commitment to public health in Queensland by agreeing to sign a further five year Public Health Outcome Funding Agreement for the period 2004-09.

29 Jul 2004

Combined, heart disease and stroke account for over 50% of all deaths among Los Angeles County women

The Los Angeles County Office of Women’s Health and the American Heart Association have launched a joint heart-health education and stroke prevention program targeting low-income women. Combined, heart disease and stroke account for over 50% of all deaths among Los Angeles County women.

23 Jul 2004

Study to begin to develop patient guidelines for the use of antidepressant medications in pregnancy and following birth

The University of Arizona department of psychiatry is conducting a first-of-its kind study to begin to develop patient guidelines for the use of antidepressant medications in pregnancy and following birth.

21 Jul 2004

Ghrelin may help reduce obsesity in children with genetic disorder

What if your child’s overeating was so uncontrollable that it led to eating out of the garbage, ransacking the kitchen and getting arrested for stealing food?

15 Jul 2004

New tool that measures and assesses first and second-degree perineal tears

A researcher from the University of Birmingham has co-developed a device to significantly improve the maternity aftercare of many new mothers - and the invention could also help lead the way in forensic investigations.

9 Jul 2004

Pfizer donates $3.7 million worth of Nicotrol patches to the New York City Department of Health

To help smokers quit, Pfizer is donating $3.7 million worth of eight-week courses of the Nicotrol patch, a leading nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

9 Jul 2004

Pfizer focuses on enabling America's 43 million uninsured to obtain medicines at significant savings

Pfizer Inc said today it will launch the pharmaceutical industry's most comprehensive initiative to significantly expand access to prescription medicines across the United States, with a specific focus on enabling America's 43 million uninsured to obtain Pfizer medicines at significant savings.

7 Jul 2004

Questions about this once widely-accepted treatment for postmenopausal ills

In the past two years, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trials of Premarin-based hormone therapy came to early ends because the risks outweighed the benefits.

2 Jul 2004

New drug application for cilansetron, an investigational product for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for cilansetron, an investigational product being studied for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea predominance (IBS-D), to the FDA on June 30, 2004.

1 Jul 2004