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Study explores link between BPA exposure and breast cancer

Chronic low-level exposure to a compound found in a variety of plastic household items could pose a threat to women who overproduce a protein linked with breast cancer, say researchers at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

13 Oct 2011

U.S. Ambassador advises Kenya to seek additional sources of funding for health programs

"U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Gration has advised Kenya to seek new sources of money to finance health programs," Kenya's the Star reports, adding, "Gration said projects initiated by donors will only be sustainable if the Kenyan government takes over."

13 Oct 2011

Breast-reconstruction procedure can preserve mammary artery for future cardiac surgery

Doctors at Johns Hopkins have shown that during an increasingly popular type of breast-reconstruction surgery, they can safely preserve the internal mammary artery, in case it is needed for future cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2011

VOA News examines how a public-private partnership will combat cancer among women in the developing world

This VOA News editorial examines how a public-private partnership between PEPFAR, the George W. Bush Institute, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, as well as private sector partners will launch a program called Pink Ribbon, Red Ribbon to "combat cervical and breast cancer for women in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America."

13 Oct 2011

Estrogen may prevent strokes in premature or early menopausal women

Estrogen may prevent strokes in premature or early menopausal women, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Their findings challenge the conventional wisdom that estrogen is a risk factor for stroke at all ages.

13 Oct 2011

Teenage condom use on the rise: CDC report

A federal survey revealed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday shows that sexually active teenagers are using condoms more often, but inconsistently.

13 Oct 2011

Folic acid in early pregnancy leads to an early talking toddler: Study

According to a new Norwegian study, women who took folic acid supplements in the first two months of pregnancy were less likely to have kids with severe language delays.

12 Oct 2011

Restless legs syndrome linked to hypertension

Up to 15 percent of the population has restless legs syndrome. Restless legs syndrome is characterized by crawling sensations and repeated muscle twichings in one or both legs, and an uncontrollable urge to move them - which may compel a person to walk in circles for hours at night.

12 Oct 2011

Ovarian cancer patients survive longer with BRCA2 mutation in tumors

Among women with a certain type of high-grade ovarian cancer, having BRCA2 genetic mutations, but not BRCA1, was associated with improved overall survival and improved response to chemotherapy, compared to women with BRCA wild-type, according to a study in the October 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Oct 2011

Time examines maternal mortality in Afghanistan

Time examines the issue of maternal mortality in Afghanistan, where the Health Ministry says "about 18,000 Afghan women die during childbirth every year" writing, "According to a recent report by the NGO Save the Children, Afghanistan ranked as the worst place to give birth, followed by Niger and Chad."

12 Oct 2011

Arguing for better family planning worldwide is not coercive

In this post in the Guardian's "Response" column, Jenny Tonge, chair of the U.K. all-party parliamentary group on population, development and reproductive health, responds to a Guardian opinion piece published last month entitled "Welcome baby seven billion: we've room on Earth for you."

12 Oct 2011

Breast cancer education and detection a challenge in Egypt

In this Washington Times Communities column, Anwaar Abdalla, a lecturer on Civilization and Cultural Affairs at Egypt's Helwan University, writes, "While breast cancer is a global issue, in Egypt, the figure for people suffering from breast cancer is alarming," adding, "According to official statistics of the National Cancer Institute (Cairo University), breast cancer accounts for 35.1 percent of the cases of cancer in Egypt."

12 Oct 2011

UNAIDS delegation to Russian Federation visits specialized AIDS clinic, plays in charity soccer match

"On the first of a four-day mission to the Russian Federation, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador James Chau visited a specialized HIV clinic near Saint Petersburg that cares for children who have been orphaned by AIDS and pregnant women living with HIV," according to a UNAIDS feature story.

12 Oct 2011

Phyllodes tumors more prevalent among Hispanic women

According to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, phyllodes tumors - rare breast malignancies accounting for 0.5 to one percent of all breast tumors - tend to be more prevalent in Hispanic patients.

12 Oct 2011

Over 6,000 Australians joined ‘Weigh it Up Australia’

Weigh it Up Australia re-launched its FREE online healthy living program last Sunday with more than 6,000 Australians signing up to join the program within the first three days. Weigh it Up’s new website offers new and existing members access to more experts and 2 new ways to participate in its healthy living program.

11 Oct 2011

Multivitamin supplements no panacea for women: Study

According to the latest American study women who take multivitamin supplements don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. In fact, they appear to have slightly higher death rates, researchers found.

11 Oct 2011

CRN responds to study on dietary supplements in older women

In response to the published study, "Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women," published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (a publication of the American Medical Association), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, issued the following two-part statement.

11 Oct 2011

DMC completes review of BioSante's LibiGel Phase III cardiovascular and breast cancer study

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has completed the seventh unblinded review of the LibiGel Phase III cardiovascular and breast cancer safety study, which has completed enrollment of subjects.

11 Oct 2011

Rwandan government, UNFPA step up campaign to end obstetric fistula

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Program and Engender Health have partnered with Rwanda's Ministry of Health in "a campaign to treat and end obstetric fistula in women in Rwanda," the New Times/AllAfrica.com reports.

11 Oct 2011

Diethylstilbestrol in utero affects immune system of the fetus

A synthetic estrogen — diethylstilbestrol (DES), prescribed to women in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s to prevent miscarriages, had serious, untoward effects in daughters of these women, including the development of a rare type of cancer of the uterus.

11 Oct 2011