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Debate shifts on contraception rule

While congressional Republicans say the fight isn't over on the administration's birth control mandate, the measured support for President Obama's compromise from some Catholic groups and a few Republicans has tamped down the political furor.

15 Feb 2012

Study finds BRCA1 mutations in nearly one in five TN breast cancer patients

Leading breast cancer experts are calling for women under 50 who are diagnosed with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer to be offered testing for faults in the BRCA1 gene, according to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer.

15 Feb 2012

Many women 'want and need' gift of reproductive health this Valentine's Day

"This Valentine's Day, perhaps it's time to celebrate with a gift many of the world's women desperately want and need: reproductive health," Robert Engelman, president of the Worldwatch Institute, writes in this Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" opinion piece.

15 Feb 2012

Viewpoints: Obama's budget, birth control choices; Planning hospital readmissions to save

In poll after poll, the public has made clear that it prefers the president's approach of rebuilding the economy now and tackling the deficit when the fundamentals are stronger. While Republicans have counted on voters blaming Mr. Obama for the hard times, some are beginning to worry that they will be blamed for their obstructionism.

15 Feb 2012

AMCHP honors LSUHSC's professor for excellence in maternal and child health care

Rebekah E. Gee MD MPH FACOG, Assistant Professor, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans' Schools of Public Health and Medicine, has been chosen to receive a Recognition of Distinction for Excellence in State Maternal Child Health Leadership Award from the Association of Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Programs.

15 Feb 2012

Tetrahydrobiopterin plays a key role in arterial health of women

Researchers studying why arteries stiffen in postmenopausal women have found a specific chemical cofactor that dramatically improves vascular function.

15 Feb 2012

Researchers investigate role of a MYC family gene in ovarian cancer

The role of a known cancer-causing gene in the development of the most lethal type of ovarian cancer is being investigated by researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute after they were awarded a Cure Cancer Australia Foundation (CCAF) grant.

15 Feb 2012

mRNA sequencing reveals transcriptomic landscape of breast cancer

GW Cancer Research Team in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, published a study that is the first of its kind to use mRNA sequencing to look at the expression of genome, at a unprecedented resolution at the current time, in three types of breast cancer.

15 Feb 2012

Breast augmentations most common form of plastic surgery nationwide

Breast augmentations are the most common form of plastic surgery nationwide, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Loyola University Health System plastic surgeons are seeing similar trends in their practice. The number of women who are getting breast implants also is up from last year. In 2011, 307,180 women nationwide underwent a breast augmentation procedure while 296, 203 women had the same surgery in 2010.

15 Feb 2012

Diffusion-weighted MRI may effectively indicate response to ovarian cancer treatment

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have determined that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, which measures the movement of water molecules within the tumour, may be the best way to monitor how women with late-stage ovarian cancer are responding to treatment. The study is published in the journal Radiology today.

14 Feb 2012

Mich. Attorney General to sue administration on birth control rule

While officials at some hospitals and universities expressed support for Obama administration's compromise last week, other religious and governmental leaders remained unsatisfied, according to media reports.

14 Feb 2012

Examining Romney's 'shift' on birth control mandate, other campaign news

Mitt Romney's conservative credentials on birth control are examined through the lens of a Massachusetts state law similar to the birth control mandate President Obama has proposed. In other campaign news, Rick Santorum continues his "Romneycare" assault, and The Associated Press analyzes how Obama's birth control compromise affects the campaign.

14 Feb 2012

The U.S. debates the contraception rule

A selection of opinions and editorials on the controversy surrounding the administration's regulation mandating insurance coverage for women of birth control.

14 Feb 2012

Air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older women

A large, prospective study led by a researcher at Rush University Medical Center indicates that chronic exposure to particulate air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older adults.

14 Feb 2012

Despite contraception compromise, Catholic bishops, Congressional Republicans vow to continue fight

At Masses across the country Sunday, Roman Catholic priests blasted the Obama administration's compromise on contraceptive insurance coverage, a sign the White House's backtrack late last week did little to defuse the controversy. The new policy requires religious employers such as universities and charities to cover contraception in employee health plans but shifts the responsibility for paying for it away from the employer and on to its health-insurance provider. Previously, the administration had required all employers apart from churches to cover contraception in their employee-insurance plans.

14 Feb 2012

Two novel devices can predict women at risk of premature birth

Scientists and doctors from the University of Sheffield are developing two novel devices that could lead to the improved prediction of premature births.

14 Feb 2012

Transgender man falls pregnant and becomes a natural mother

A transgender man in his 30’s was able to carry a child after taking female hormones to reverse the effects of his female-to-male sex change treatment. The man from the West Midlands, UK is in a long-term relationship. It is not clear whether his partner is male or female. Medical ethics experts have called for a full inquiry into the issues surrounding transgender births, saying the interests of the child should not be risked to “fulfill the rights of an adult”.

13 Feb 2012

Chemotherapy during pregnancy for cancer does not necessarily harm the baby: Study

When a pregnant woman is diagnosed with cancer, she and her family and doctors are faced with difficult decisions about her health and that of her unborn child. It is known that giving chemotherapy in the first 12 weeks, when the baby's organs are still forming, raises the chances of birth defects. Postponing the treatment, however, could allow the cancer to spread. Over the last decade, doctors have been more willing to use chemotherapy after the first trimester, but there have been worries that the child's brain and heart could suffer damage.

13 Feb 2012

Cannabis and automobile accidents: Analysis finds link

A new Canadian study suggests that drivers who use cannabis up to three hours before driving are twice as likely to cause a collision as those not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The researchers say that this is because cannabis impairs brain and motor functions needed for safe driving. The study in bmj.com reviewed nine studies of 50,000 people worldwide who had been in serious or fatal crashes.

13 Feb 2012

High calories associated with memory loss in elderly: Study

Overeating may lead to a higher risk of memory loss say researchers. A new study found that elderly who consumed more than 2,143 calories a day had more than double the risk of a type of memory loss called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to those who ate fewer than 1,500 calories a day. The study appeared Sunday by the American Academy of Neurology on its website (aan.com).

13 Feb 2012