Medical News

RSS

Women who donate eggs for stem cell research face few health risks

Women who donate their eggs for stem cell research or in vitro fertilization are not at increased risk of health complications, and most of the risks are a result of the hormones used to stimulate their bodies to release more than one egg, according to a report commissioned by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and released by the Institute of Medicine, Bloomberg reports.

13 Feb 2007

Low voter turnout prevents approval of Portugal referendum on abortion restrictions

Voters in Portugal on Sunday approved a referendum to legalize abortions during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, but the referendum is invalid because fewer than half of the country's registered voters cast a ballot, the New York Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

States to spend $13 million in 2007 to dissuade women from abortion

States in 2007 have budgeted about $13 million in public funds to subsidize family planning services and pregnancy centers in an attempt to dissuade women from seeking abortions, the Los Angeles Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

Actions taken on HPV vaccine proposals in Alabama, Louisiana, Utah, Washington

The following highlights recent news of state actions on human papillomavirus vaccine proposals. Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

13 Feb 2007

New Hampshire Gov. endorses bill to repeal State's parental notification law

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) would sign a bill (HB 184) meant to repeal a state law (HB 763) that requires physicians in the state to notify by certified letter a parent or guardian of a minor who is seeking an abortion at least 48 hours before performing the procedure, Lynch spokesperson Colin Manning said on Thursday, the Manchester Union Leader reports.

13 Feb 2007

Rwanda plans to control population growth

Officials in Rwanda within the coming months plan to unveil a campaign promoting contraception and family planning to control the country's population growth and stabilize its economy, the New York Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

World Bank to provide Thailand with $750,000 for HIV/AIDS programs

The World Bank plans to provide Thailand with a $750,000, three-year grant aimed at providing HIV-positive people with increased access to antiretroviral drugs, Viroj Tangcharoensathien, program director for international health policy at the country's Ministry of Public Health, said recently.

13 Feb 2007

WFP resumes programs providing food to people with TB, HIV in Cambodia

The World Food Program has resumed its programs providing people living with HIV and tuberculosis in Cambodia with access to food after receiving aid from Spain and the U.S., the agency said on Thursday, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports.

13 Feb 2007

House spending resolution contains provision that would cancel funding for program to expand HIV services to pregnant women, infants

The $463 billion spending resolution (HJ Res 20) for fiscal year 2007 passed last week by the House contains a provision that cancels funding for a program aimed at supporting state-level efforts to provide HIV prevention, early diagnosis, and counseling services to pregnant women and infants, CongressDaily reports.

13 Feb 2007

G7 nations plan to adopt vaccine purchase plan for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria

The Group of Seven industrialized nations on Friday plans to sign an agreement to provide $1.5 billion to develop vaccines for diseases -- including HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria -- that largely affect developing countries, the government of Italy announced on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

13 Feb 2007

Youth in Czech Republic not practicing safe sex

Increasing numbers of young people in the Czech Republic are not protecting themselves against HIV transmission, according to the Czech daily newspaper Mlada Fronta, the Prague Daily Monitor reports.

13 Feb 2007

New HIV/AIDS cases in Japan reach record high

The number of people newly diagnosed with HIV and those who developed AIDS in Japan in 2006 reached record highs of 914 and 390, respectively, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Japanese AIDS Surveillance Committee, the Kyodo/Yahoo! Asia News reports.

13 Feb 2007

Michel Kazatchkine to focus on improving partnerships, health care infrastructures

Michel Kazatchkine -- France's global ambassador for HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases who on Thursday was selected to be the new executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria -- has announced that he will aim to improve the organization's partnerships with United Nations organizations and donors, the Boston Globe reports.

13 Feb 2007

Wealthy nations launch vaccine purchase plan for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria

Officials from a group of wealthy nations on Friday launched a $1.5 billion plan to provide and develop vaccines for diseases -- including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- that largely affect developing countries, the New York Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

Groups call on G8 to deliver on 2005 promises made for Africa

Some HIV/AIDS advocacy groups last week called on finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations, meeting on Friday in Germany, to fulfill commitments made by the Group of Eight industrialized nations at its 2005 summit regarding aid to Africa, including HIV/AIDS funding, South Africa's Star reports.

13 Feb 2007

Safeway health plan reduces company costs, promotes preventive health

An employee health plan offered by supermarket chain Safeway that focuses on preventive care reduced company health care costs by 11% for nonunion employees in 2006, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

13 Feb 2007

Formularies needed to reduce medication prices under Medicare prescription drug benefit

A bill passed last month by the House that would require the HHS secretary to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit "would have very little effect" on prices "because it forbids Medicare from excluding drugs from coverage...

13 Feb 2007