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Lift restrictions on abortion under Helms amendment as applied to rape victims

Though President Barack Obama signed an executive order on his third day in office to "lif[t] the odious 'global gag rule' that denied federal money for family planning work abroad to any group that performed abortions or counseled about the procedure, even with its own money," he left standing a policy that is "an overly restrictive interpretation of the [1973] Helms amendment."

9 Sep 2011

African countries see slow progress in reducing maternal mortality to achieve MDG 5

Inter Press Service examines what some experts are calling a lack of commitment from health care workers, which they say is "among the reasons why Africa may not succeed in achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 on improving maternal health by 2015 by reducing maternal mortality by three quarters."

9 Sep 2011

Chemotherapy before or after breast-conserving therapy does not impact treatment success

Whether chemotherapy is given before or after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) does not have an impact on long-term local-regional outcomes, suggesting treatment success is due more to biologic factors than chemotherapy timing, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

9 Sep 2011

Study examines alcohol use in relation to successful ageing among women

Among 13,894 women in the Nurses' Health Study, investigators prospectively examined alcohol use assessed at midlife in relation to "successful ageing," which was defined as survival to age 70 years, not having a major chronic disease, and having no major cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health problems.

9 Sep 2011

Fewer doses of Cervarix vaccine may be as efficacious as standard three-dose regimen

Fewer than three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix may be just as effective as the standard three-dose regimen when it comes to preventive measures against cervical cancer, according to a new study published September 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

9 Sep 2011

Family planning, contraceptives a national priority for saving women's lives, U.N. meeting participants say

First ladies, health and finance ministers, and parliamentarians from 12 developing countries participating in the U.N. Population Fund's (UNFPA) Global Programme to Enhance Reproductive Health Commodity Security, which was launched in 2007, declared at a U.N. meeting held on Wednesday that "voluntary family planning, secured by a steady supply of contraceptives, is a national priority for saving women's lives," the U.N. News Centre reports.

9 Sep 2011

Curbing unhealthy eating to reduce obesity

The Obesity Policy Coalition suggests a new mobile app called Traffic Light Food Tracker that will enable users to work around the food industry's hesitation in supporting traffic light labeling. Traffic light labeling marks foods high in fat, sugar and salt with red warnings, while green labels are for healthy options. Users only have to key in their food item's fat, sugar and sodium quantities and save each item in their “pantry” within the phone app.

8 Sep 2011

Moderate alcohol intake linked to longer life in women

According to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, women may benefit from alcohol consumption. The study showed that middle-age women who indulge in one drink a day or less on a regular basis may have a better chance of being healthier when they’re older.

8 Sep 2011

Breast-conservation therapy and mastectomy provide similar survival rates for early-stage breast cancer

Young women with early-stage breast cancer have similar survival rates with a lumpectomy and radiation treatment, known as breast-conservation therapy, as with mastectomy, a new study conducted at the University of Maryland has found. The results of the analysis of nearly 15,000 patients listed in a nationwide cancer registry will be presented at the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium to be held Sept. 8-11 in San Francisco.

8 Sep 2011

Proposed federal requirement for contraceptives drawing some fire

A proposed rule that birth control be a free preventive service under the health law is drawing partisan cheers and jeers.

8 Sep 2011

New studies on breast cancer screening, treatment and survival

New studies on breast cancer screening, treatment, and survival were released today in advance of the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium. The symposium is being held September 8-10, 2011, at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco.

8 Sep 2011

Researchers uncover new and safe contraceptive pill for women

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have uncovered a new contraceptive that is more focused, safer and, therefore, available for use among a larger population of women.

8 Sep 2011

HSPH receives Gates Foundation grant to improve maternal health in developing countries

A new three-year, $12 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will support a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) effort to significantly improve maternal health in developing countries.

8 Sep 2011

Spring Break may explain upswing in adolescent pregnancies

Researchers have found that the relative likelihood of conceiving in the month of March is higher if you're a school-aged adolescent than if you're an adult.

8 Sep 2011

New review article assesses alcohol's causal role in sexual assault perpetration

A new review article published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review assesses the extent to which alcohol plays a causal role in sexual assault perpetration. Results found that men who are already prone to anger, who have hostile attitudes toward women, and who are in social environments that accept sexual aggression are most likely to engage in sexual aggression when intoxicated.

8 Sep 2011

Calif. woman presses for breast cancer law

For seven straight years since turning 40, Amy Colton religiously scheduled a mammogram. Every year, the test showed nothing. Two years ago, however, the registered nurse was shocked to discover she was in the latter stages of breast cancer. ... Now she's even more shocked that California's powerful medical lobby is trying to block legislation that would require physicians to tell women if they have the condition, known as "extremely dense breast tissue."

8 Sep 2011

Women struggling to find truly free health care in Sierra Leone's system, Amnesty International report says

"Sierra Leone's free health care plan for pregnant women and young children is dysfunctional and hobbled by corruption and a lack of accountability," according to a report released Tuesday by Amnesty International, Agence France-Presse reports.

8 Sep 2011

Alcohol's role in sexual violence perpetration

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7 Sep 2011

FDA to review bone drugs; CDC reports parasite may be a risk to blood supply

Two advisory panels of the Food and Drug Administration will consider on Friday whether to recommend requiring women who use popular bone drugs like Fosamax to take "drug holidays" because of rising concerns about rare side effects with long-term use, according to people involved in the review.

7 Sep 2011

Loss of estrogen receptor alpha protein may lead to metabolic syndrome

UCLA researchers demonstrated that loss of a key protein that regulates estrogen and immune activity in the body could lead to aspects of metabolic syndrome, a combination of conditions that can cause Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. Called estrogen receptor alpha, this protein is critical in regulating immune system activity such as helping cells suppress inflammation and gobble-up debris.

7 Sep 2011

Women's Health News

Lift restrictions on abortion under Helms amendment as applied to rape victims

African countries see slow progress in reducing maternal mortality to achieve MDG 5

Chemotherapy before or after breast-conserving therapy does not impact treatment success

Study examines alcohol use in relation to successful ageing among women

Fewer doses of Cervarix vaccine may be as efficacious as standard three-dose regimen

Family planning, contraceptives a national priority for saving women's lives, U.N. meeting participants say

Curbing unhealthy eating to reduce obesity

Moderate alcohol intake linked to longer life in women

Breast-conservation therapy and mastectomy provide similar survival rates for early-stage breast cancer

Proposed federal requirement for contraceptives drawing some fire

New studies on breast cancer screening, treatment and survival

Researchers uncover new and safe contraceptive pill for women

HSPH receives Gates Foundation grant to improve maternal health in developing countries

Spring Break may explain upswing in adolescent pregnancies

New review article assesses alcohol's causal role in sexual assault perpetration

Calif. woman presses for breast cancer law

Women struggling to find truly free health care in Sierra Leone's system, Amnesty International report says

Alcohol's role in sexual violence perpetration

FDA to review bone drugs; CDC reports parasite may be a risk to blood supply

Loss of estrogen receptor alpha protein may lead to metabolic syndrome

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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