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Obama, Romney exchange barbs on Medicare, abortion

The former Massachusetts governor, responding to charges of a GOP "war on women," says his state health overhaul provided health care for "all women and men." The president, meanwhile, fights back against charges that he is taking money out of Medicare by asserting he wants to strengthen and preverve the program. Both campaigns also debut new ads on Medicare.

27 Aug 2012

Despite controversy, WHO not likely to change its stance on misoprostol use

Highlighting a recent report by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine about the use of the drug misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and the WHO's inclusion of the drug on its Essential Medicine List, Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley writes in this post in her "Global Health Blog," "Seldom has there been a drug that has excited as much controversy as misoprostol."

27 Aug 2012

Fertile women with obesity more likely to develop atrial fibrillation

Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Deniz Karasoy from Denmark.

26 Aug 2012

Judge questions 'ripeness' of legal challenge to health law's contraception coverage mandate

U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle questioned Wheaton College closely Thursday as to whether its lawsuit against the administration's contraception coverage mandate is actually "ripe" for review. Wheaton, an evangelical Christian school in Illinois, opposes offering emergency contraception on religious grounds. On Aug. 1, the college asked Huvelle for a preliminary injunction against the Obama administration's contraception requirement under the health care law.

26 Aug 2012

Few state laws restricting abortion make exceptions for rape victims

Politico Pro examines state abortion laws and finds few waivers for rape victims. Also, California lawmakers spar over rape comments made by Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin.

24 Aug 2012

Herbal plant extract may help cure breast cancer

Scientists at Aston University and Russells Hall Hospital have discovered that an extract from a common plant in Pakistan may help cure breast cancer.

24 Aug 2012

Abortion issues continue to stir political pot

Although GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign advisers say they don't anticipate the need to adjust their strategy to respond to the latest fracas over reproductive rights, news outlets analyze the possible repercussions of the dust-up regarding Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin's statements about "legitimate" rape and pregnancy.

24 Aug 2012

Planned Parenthood in Texas braces for end to state funding

Officials are moving quickly to end state funding for Planned Parenthood, which for now remains a part of the Texas' Women's Health Program despite a judge's ruling that state funds can be stopped while a related lawsuit is pending.

24 Aug 2012

Presidential campaigns jockey for upper hand in Medicare debate

Just as new polls find that voters in three key swing states are more likely to trust President Barack Obama than GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney on Medicare, the Romney campaign is struggling to quiet controversies related to this issue.

24 Aug 2012

Views on Akin and abortion: Both parties energized by candidate's remarks on rape, but does it clarify abortion debate?

There's something off -- something a bit cowardly, actually -- about the positions of both parties in the abortion debate refueled by the asinine remarks of Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.). Akin's comments have left Republicans scrambling to avoid the politically unpalatable implications of the anti-abortion views central to their party.

24 Aug 2012

Women with Alzheimer's show worse mental deterioration than men

Women with Alzheimer's show worse mental deterioration than men with the disease, even when at the same stage of the condition, according to researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.

24 Aug 2012

Women with heart attack symptoms receive lower quality of care than men

A new study published recently in the American Journal of Medicine, conducted by researchers in the Cardiac and Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center, found there was significantly lower quality of care and worse outcomes in women compared to men - particularly young women under age 35 who had heart attack symptoms.

23 Aug 2012

A father’s stress can lead to psychiatric disorders in female offspring

A study in mice conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) suggests that a woman's risk of anxiety and dysfunctional social behavior may depend on the experiences of her parents, particularly fathers, when they were young.

23 Aug 2012

Antiabortion language in the GOP draft platform draws attention to Akin flap

The Republican panel charged with drafting the party's platform included language that would essentially ban abortion. Mitt Romney's campaign says he supports "exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother."

23 Aug 2012

Antibiotics: do they affect contraceptives?

NPS MedicineWise has released information for consumers about taking antibiotics when also using hormonal contraceptives, explaining that there are only two antibiotics that affect how hormonal contraceptives work.

23 Aug 2012

Federal judge rules Texas can end Planned Parenthood funding before final ruling is made

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Texas can cut off funding to Planned Parenthood before a ruling is made on the legality of the Texas legislature's law banning funding to the provider of women's health services over its abortion services.

23 Aug 2012

Nearly half of Lesotho population faces food insecurity in coming months, Prime Minister warns

"Years of bad luck and record-breaking maize prices have led land-locked Lesotho into a crisis," the Devex "Development Newswire" reports. "Prime Minister Tom Thabane declared a food security emergency on August 10, and a national vulnerability assessment warns that nearly 45 percent of the nation's 2.2 million people will face moderate to severe food insecurity in the next few months," the news service writes.

23 Aug 2012

Menopause prevents competition between a mother and her new daughter-in-law

The menopause evolved, in part, to prevent competition between a mother and her new daughter-in-law, according to research published today in the journal Ecology Letters.

23 Aug 2012

Study provides new direction for research in bipolar disorder during pregnancy

The impact of bipolar disorder during pregnancy has been hotly contended among the research community. Now, a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University is sorting out the debate and calling for more targeted, prospective research.

23 Aug 2012