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Examining family planning in Malawi under President Banda

Author and strategist Courtney Martin writes in a post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog about her experience during a trip to Malawi with the Aspen Institute's Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, led by former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, to visit "President Joyce Banda and her cabinet for an official consultation on their work around family planning and safe motherhood."

21 Jan 2013

DRC reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission, PlusNews reports

"The HIV infection rate has declined among pregnant women in the Republic of Congo from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.8 percent in 2012, according to a study by the Ministry of Health, which said it had taken specific action to help this section of the population," PlusNews reports.

19 Jan 2013

Nurse practitioners, certified midwives and PAs can provide safe early abortion care

First trimester abortions are just as safe when performed by trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives as when conducted by physicians, according to a new six-year study led by UCSF.

19 Jan 2013

China, U.K. form global health partnership

"The Chinese and British governments are cooperating on a program to improve global health policy for developing countries, with the launch in Beijing on January 16 of a new U.K.-China partnership," China Daily reports.

19 Jan 2013

Final day of global maternal health conference focuses on human rights

In her last report from the Second Global Maternal Health Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, Jocalyn Clark, senior editor of PLoS Medicine, writes in the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog about the final day of the three-day conference.

19 Jan 2013

Va. lawmakers block abortion ultrasound repeal; Other state abortion news

Lawmakers in Virginia blocked a repeal of a state law that requires women to have an ultrasound before an abortion as well as a law that requires stricter regulation of abortion clinics. In the meantime, however, a state Senate committee there killed a proposal that would have forbidden public money from being used for abortions where the fetus is likely to be deformed and unlikely to survive.

19 Jan 2013

Scientists figure out how to dodge HPV-triggered cancers by vaccination

In 2009, more than 30,000 people in the U.S. learned they had cancer linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus is best known for causing cervical cancer, but it's also the culprit behind many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus, and genitals. Unlike many forms of cancer, for which we lack the knowledge and tools to prevent, scientists have figured out how to dodge HPV-triggered cancers — by HPV vaccination.

19 Jan 2013

Study to determine prevalence of abnormal anal cytology and HPV in at-risk women

A basic connection of statistics lead a researcher at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island to question whether women should be screened for anal cancer during a regular visit to the gynecologist, and what technique is most effective.

18 Jan 2013

Blogs report on global maternal health conference

Crystal Lander, director of policy and advocacy at Management Sciences for Health (MSH), writes in the MSH "Gobal Health Impact" blog about the Second Global Maternal Health Conference taking place in Arusha, Tanzania, and she describes a speech by Agnes Binagwaho, Rwanda's minister of health. She says of the conference, "So far, the emphasis on multiple voices and knowledge sharing has gotten it off to an excellent start."

18 Jan 2013

Multivitamins should be taken with care

In light of research released today by Canstar Blue showing more than half of Australians who take multivitamins don’t know they are medicines, NPS MedicineWise is reminding people that complementary medicines are medicines too.

18 Jan 2013

Researchers analyse breast cancer mortality in Spain among different age groups from 1981-2007

Since 1992 the number of deaths linked to breast cancer in Spain has decreased among young and middle aged patients but not among the elderly. Spanish researchers also predict that it will continue to decline over the next decade, although more slowly as observed up until now.

18 Jan 2013

Burnout can cause negative health effects in middle-aged working women

Emotional exhaustion and physical and cognitive fatigue are signs of burnout, often caused by prolonged exposure to stress. Burnout can cause negative health effects including poor sleep, depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular and immune disorders.

18 Jan 2013

Report: Cancer death rates decline 20% from its peak in 1991

As of 2009, the overall death rate for cancer in the United States had declined 20 percent from its peak in 1991, translating to the avoidance of approximately 1.2 million deaths from cancer, 152,900 of these in 2009 alone. These figures come from the American Cancer Society's annual Cancer Statistics report, one of the most widely-cited medical publications in the world.

17 Jan 2013

Many mothers of newborns in NICUs lack privacy to breastfeed

Many mothers of newborns in neonatal intensive care units have difficulty finding private, quiet places in the hospital to express milk, according to a new study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

17 Jan 2013

Caesarean section increases risk of persistent pelvic girdle pain compared with vaginal delivery

Caesarean section increases the risk of persistent pelvic girdle pain after delivery compared with vaginal delivery, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

17 Jan 2013

Study identifies subgroups of patients with distinct, persistent pain after breast cancer surgery

Some 25 percent of breast cancer surgery patients experience significant, persistent pain six months after the procedure, and new research published in The Journal of Pain showed that women with preoperative breast pain have the highest risk for extended post-surgical pain.

17 Jan 2013

Miscarriage and molecular signals: an interview with Prof Brosens and Prof Quenby

Miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous loss of pregnancy before the baby reaches viability. Besides the physical trauma, miscarriage causes considerable anxiety, stress, and depression.

17 Jan 2013

Women who have migraine with aura more likely to develop major cardiovascular events

Women who have migraines with aura, which are often visual disturbances such as flashing lights, may be more likely to have problems with their heart and blood vessels, and those on newer contraceptives may be at higher risk for blood clots, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

17 Jan 2013

Global maternal mortality conference focuses on quality of care

Jocalyn Clark, senior editor of PLoS Medicine, reports on the three-day global conference on maternal health taking place this week in Arusha, Tanzania, in a post on the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog.

17 Jan 2013

H1N1 flu vaccination during pregnancy does not increase risk of fetal loss

Norwegian pregnant women who received a vaccine against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus showed no increased risk of pregnancy loss, while pregnant women who experienced influenza during pregnancy had an increased risk of miscarriages and still births, a study has found. The study suggests that influenza infection may increase the risk of fetal loss.

17 Jan 2013