Attacks on Planned Parenthood and Title X threaten women’s health care

Using a crisis as cover to achieve a controversial policy goal is a tried and true political tactic. That seems to be the game plan of the GOP House leadership, which under the guise of reducing the deficit has launched an attack on Planned Parenthood, a major provider of family planning services for women in this country.

The organization has long been a target of anti-abortion groups because about 3 percent of the health services it provides nationwide at more than 800 clinics involve abortion. Federal law prohibits the expenditure of public funds for abortions, and Planned Parenthood officials say no state or federal money is used for abortion procedures. Opponents counter that the federal funding frees up private donations that are used for abortions.

A bill passed by the Republican-controlled House last week would cut $75 million in funding to Planned Parenthood that is spent for family planning assistance. A broader, related assault would totally eliminate Title X, a $317 million family planning program enacted in 1970 and signed by President Richard Nixon. Neither proposal is likely to make it through the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In response, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards denounced the measures as the most dangerous legislative assault on women’s health in Planned Parenthood’s 95-year history.

According to Richards, “It is difficult to understand why people who say they are opposed to abortion would do so much to undermine the family planning and contraception that helps prevent the need for it.”

Although the alleged motive for the cuts is deficit reduction, a clear aim is to cripple a leading provider of abortion services — and at high cost of essential medical care for Houston-area women.

Here’s what we’d lose if the House majority gets their way. Last year Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which serves Southeast Texas and Louisiana at 12 health centers, provided for more than 110,400 health care visits. Services dispensed included tests for sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer screenings and family planning counseling. The agency estimates that more than 18,000 unwanted pregnancies were prevented through contraceptives.

On a national scale, Title X services are credited with preventing 973,000 unintended pregnancies and 406,000 abortions each year. Family planning is the most effective way to reduce abortions.

According to estimates of the Guttmacher Institute, a research center focused on sexual and reproductive health, a dollar spent on family planning saves taxpayers more than $4 down the road. That’s why the effort to cast these bills as deficit reducers is such a bad joke.

In recent weeks, an anti-abortion group, Live Action, has attempted to smear Planned Parenthood’s operations with a series of video stings in which a man posing as a sex trafficker attempted to solicit advice on getting abortions for underage prostitutes. Despite making more than a dozen visits to clinics, they have produced only one inappropriate exchange with an employee, who was later fired by Planned Parenthood.

Agency officials said that a number of the visits were reported to state and federal authorities before it became clear that they were a politically motivated sham.

Such tactics must not be allowed to justify an ideologically based effort to shut off essential federal funding for Planned Parenthood clinics as well as other health care sources for millions of American women who cannot otherwise afford family planning services.

Diabetes Risk in Older Women not Linked to Vitamin D Levels

Low vitamin D levels are not linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetes Care. In the study Dr. Jennifer G. Robinson, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the University of Iowa, and researchers followed women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trials and Observational Study (a racially and ethnically diverse population of postmenopausal women) who were free of diabetes. Diabetes was defined as self-report of physician diagnosis and receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic medication.

Of 5,140 women who were free of type 2 diabetes at the start of the trial, 6 percent developed the disease over an average of 7 years.

The researchers found no clear link between the women’s blood levels of vitamin D at the outset and their risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on.

Women with mental health issues not seeking help

A Newcastle University study has found women with lower incomes and education levels are less likely to seek help for mental health issues.

The report in the Medical Journal of Australia shows despite improvements in mental health services, women with depression were unlikely to seek counselling or psychotherapy.
The study of almost 15-thousand women across Australia is part of a 20-year nation-wide investigation into women’s health.

Lead researcher, Professor Julie Byles says while it seems there is still a stigma attached to mental health, it’s likely women think they’re too busy to seek help.

“I think sometimes we don’t like to admit we need help” she said

“I think sometimes it’s an issue of the pressures on our lives as well and taking time out to go and talk to someone about your problems might seem to be too tall an order when we’ve got a lot of pressure on our lives”

Professor Byles says women who are socio-economically disadvantaged are even less likely to seek help.

“Their knowledge of whether these services are available, how they’re feeling about accessing counselling.” She said

“Maybe women who have higher levels of education are more open to talking about their problems with people whereas other people might not feel it’s so easy to express how they’re feeling”

Family Health History is Important Screening Tool

Washington, DC — All women should have a family health history on file and it should be reviewed and updated regularly, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). Family history screening is especially important in reproductive planning.

“Our goal is to help improve our patients’ health by promoting family history as a screening tool,” said W. Allen Hogge, MD, chair of The College’s Committee on Genetics. Certain diseases and conditions run in families, such as breast and colon cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and thrombophilias (blood clotting conditions). “If we know about the family history, then we can better help our patients identify their own risk factors, decide on certain screenings, and modify their lifestyle to prevent or minimize the problem.

“When a woman is planning a pregnancy, it’s an ideal time to review her family history as well as her partner’s,” said Dr. Hogge. In addition to obtaining the family and medical history of the woman and her male partner, it’s also important to include their ethnic backgrounds, any family or personal negative pregnancy outcomes they’ve had separately or together, such as miscarriages, preterm birth, or birth defects, and any known causes for infertility. Some couples may decide against pregnancy after genetic counseling and testing, choose to use donor sperm or eggs, or opt for preimplantation genetic testing of the embryos.

There are a couple of standard methods that physicians can use to obtain family health histories: a questionnaire or checklist, and a family pedigree. A common screening tool is the family history questionnaire. Patients can fill them out at home which gives them extra time to contact family members and provide more accurate information. The other family history tool is known as a ‘pedigree’ that ideally goes back three generations. The pedigree indicates the ages, health histories, and ethnicities of each family member, as well as dates and causes of death. Of course, family history screening tools can be difficult or impossible to obtain for adopted individuals and their usefulness may be limited for people with very small families.

Although many adult-onset health problems have complex genetic and environmental interactions, obtaining that information in a family history can help patients modify their diet, lose weight, or exercise to improve their outcome or delay the onset of symptoms. “For instance, if you are at high risk for developing heart disease, then you need to watch your blood pressure and keep your cholesterol levels in the healthy range,” said Dr. Hogge.

Committee Opinion #478, “Family History as a Risk Assessment Tool,” is published in the March 2011 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

# # #

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of approximately 55,000 members, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care.

Hidden Health Risk For Women No. 3

If you’re in the habit of popping a Tylenol or two in your mouth every time you have a headache, a hangover or some muscle pain, you need to be more careful.

According to a report in Harvard Women’s Health Watch, “Each year, overdoses of acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol and other brands) account for more than 56,000 emergency room visits and an estimated 458 deaths from acute liver failure.”

The publication acknowledges that the drug is not harmful when the proper directions are followed. However, experts also warn acetaminophen users to be careful about combining the drug with other over-the-counter or prescription drugs. They also say that it should never be taken with alcohol, or when alcohol is still in the bloodstream, like when you have a hangover.

Interestingly, there is something even more common that you likely ingest every day that could be a major hidden health risk.

Planned Parenthood takes advantage of women, taxpayers

The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic bemoans the current bills of U.S. reps. Mike Pence, R-Ind.; Christopher Smith, R-N.J.; and Joe Pitts, R-Pa., stating that they undermine women’s health and access to health care.

What is blatantly missing from this opinion piece is that nationally, Planned Parenthood receives $350 million annually from various federal, state and local taxes and made a profit of $21,773,569 in 2009. As a matter of fact, the writer receives more than $300,000 annually in salary and personal benefits for her role at PPHP. While playing on our emotions by attempting to make it seem these bills care little about women, she fails to mention the lack of concern by Planned Parenthood itself for minor girls, as evidenced by the recent release of a number of undercover videos by a group called “Live Action.” These videos show seven Planned Parenthood facilities throughout the country, including one in New York, protecting child sex trafficking. An earlier video also shows Planned Parenthood protecting purported child rapists who impregnated underage girls.

Americans are finally learning the truth about Planned Parenthood instead of believing what they say. Actions speak louder than words. Planned Parenthood has:

• Opposed laws that would give parents the right to know if a minor daughter (even as young as 12 years of age) is about to undergo a potentially dangerous abortion “procedure.”

• Opposed laws that would require abortion facilities to give pertinent information to women before they consent to an abortion.

• Terminated more than 325,000 pregnancies in the first and second trimester last year alone (while the national abortion rate has steadily declined, the rate of abortions at Planned Parenthood facilities has rapidly increased) and supports unrestricted abortion throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy.

• Gives lip service to sexual abstinence for teens while promoting a philosophy in its teen resources that any consensual sexual activity is valid for teens. While Planned Parenthood tries to promote itself primarily as a health agency, it is actually promoting an extremely radical, left-wing ideological shift in traditional American values in regard to family, the value of human life and sexuality.

Planned Parenthood would like us to believe reps. Pitts, Smith and Pence have no regard for women and are determined to cut off health care to those who cannot afford it, as if Planned Parenthood was a savior for women. Strange coming from an organization that remains silent when women are hurt or even die from what it continues to call “safe, legal” abortions.

I hear no outrage in this Community View over the events in the undercover videos, a failure to immediately report illegal activity involving minor girls, or the fact Planned Parenthood gave instructions on how to beat the system and even advice as to what sexual acts the minors could continue to perform the two weeks following abortion when they are unable to have intercourse.

Planned Parenthood plays on our sympathies. The writer calls to mind the poor rural women for whom, she says, Planned Parenthood is their only source of health care. But she obviously has no sympathy for women who are hurt as a result of abortion or for girls who are returned to their abusers because of a failure to report the sexual abuse of minors to authorities.

Reps. Pitts, Pence and Smith care for women enough to expose the deceit and lies of Planned Parenthood. They are heroes to many women who have experienced the harm of abortion and to children whose abusers are protected instead of them, and they know most Americans do not want their tax dollars paying for abortion. As the group’s actions continue to be exposed, I have no doubt more Americans want to stop funding them. That is the real motivation for the calls to defeat these bills. During a time of out-of-control and questionable governmental spending, frightening deficits and burdensome tax increases, the last thing Americans want to see is having their hard-earned tax dollars funneled to a dubious organization such as Planned Parenthood. The attempt of congressional members to defund Planned Parenthood does absolutely nothing to restrict abortion. It simply puts the group on an even playing field with all other nonprofits.

HOUSE CALL: Yearly exam important in detecting cancer

SAN ANGELO, Texas — According to the American Cancer Society, in 2010 the United States reported 12,200 new cases of cervical cancer and just over 4,200 deaths related to this disease.

These numbers have decreased more than 50 percent over the last 30 years, due in large part to the availability of cervical cancer screening tests, also known as the Pap smear. The methods of cervical cancer screening have progressed significantly over the last few years, with advances in Pap smear testing and the addition of HPV DNA tests. Screening and treatment guidelines have changed as well.

Routine Pap smear and/or HPV DNA testing can greatly decrease a woman’s risk for developing cervical cancer. It is important for all women to know these screening guidelines, risks for developing cervical cancer as well as ways to protect themselves from this preventable disease.

Cervical cancer is linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is found in sexually active women. The risk of transmission of HPV is directly related to the number of sexual partners that a woman has in her lifetime. A woman having only one sexual partner can still be at risk for cervical cancer, depending on her partner’s past sexual activities. There are multiple strains of HPV, and a persistent infection with specific high risk strains of this virus is crucial to the progression to cervical cancer.

While all sexually active women are at risk for contracting HPV, not all infections will lead to cervical cancer. It is estimated more than 50 percent of all young sexually active women are infected with HPV at any given time. The body’s immune response plays an active role in clearing the virus from the cervix, and most women will clear the HPV infection within two years. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing cervical cancer.

There are now two available immunizations that help build the immune system against the more common types of HPV. One immunization, Gardasil, is recommended for all males and females ages nine through twenty-six, preferably before the onset of sexual activity, although everyone should consider the immunization series regardless of past sexual activity.

New cervical cancer screening guidelines recommend that Pap smear testing begin at age 21, with HPV DNA testing, with or without Pap smear, beginning at age 30, as endorsed by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Frequency of testing depends on age, sexual activity, health status, and previous pap testing results. Even though pap testing is not recommended until the age of 21, all sexually active women should be seen by a health care provider to talk about the risks of sexually transmitted infections, contraception and other gynecologic issues. Treatment guidelines for abnormal Pap smear testing have changed, as well, and depend on age, sexual activity, health status and previous pap testing results. These guidelines can be discussed with any health care provider that offers gynecologic exams.

While the number of cervical cancer cases has greatly decreased over the last several years, there are still too many preventable deaths associated with this disease. Women need to take control of their gynecologic health and find out how to prevent developing cervical cancer. All women should talk to their gynecologic health care provider to discuss risks and the current guidelines regarding cervical cancer testing.

Abbott Releases Rulings on Abortion “Affiliates”

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott just released two opinions that could force Planned Parenthood out of the state’s Women’s Health Program, which provides family planning, but not abortions, to Medicaid patients.

In the first opinion, Abbott said that under state law, the Health and Human Services Commission “may not contract with entities that are affiliates of entities that perform or promote elective abortions.” (This means, effectively, that HHSC can’t provide women’s health services through a Planned Parenthood branch — even if that branch doesn’t perform abortions — because it’s “affiliated” with clinics that do.)

In his second opinion, Abbott said HHSC has the authority to define the key word here: “affiliate.” With such strong Republican leadership at the helm, it’s likely HHSC will define affiliate in a way that excludes Planned Parenthood.

The rulings stem from a request made by Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, who has not hidden his desire to get Planned Parenthood clinics out of the state’s Women’s Health Program. Deuell says the 2005 law that created the program should exclude them already. It says that participating clinics can’t “perform or promote election abortions” or be “affiliates” of those that do.

But HHSC has for years overlooked the rule, fearing that barring Planned Parenthood clinics might be unconstitutional. After Deuell asked the AG for an opinion, HHSC Commissioner Tom Suehs sent in his own request for an opinion, asking the AG if HHSC had the authority to define the term “affiliate.”

Abbott says there’s no constitutional problem, and that the state is within its rights to exclude certain types of providers from Medicaid programs. He also said HHSC is within its rights to define the word “affiliate.”

While some Planned Parenthood clinics in Texas do perform abortions, those that provide family planning services under Texas’ Women’s Health Program do not — they screen Medicaid patients for breast and cervical cancer, STDs and prescribe birth control, among other services. Since 2007, 40 Planned Parenthood clinics have received a combined $17.6 million through the Women’s Health Program, according to HHSC records.

With Abbott’s opinion, HHSC spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said, “We can now move forward to adopt a rule that restricts affiliates of abortion providers from getting Women’s Health Program funding.”

Planned Parenthood calls for support against GOP attack

As the struggle to keep the doors open at the legendary women’s clinic, Lyon-Martin Health Services, continues here in San Francisco, yet another blow to women’s health care at the national level has advocates sounding the alarm. Planned Parenthood has issued a call for help defeating a federal bill it’s calling “the most dangerous legislative assault on women’s health and Planned Parenthood in our 95-year history.”

Congress is gearing up to vote on the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would eliminate federal funding for all health-care services provided by any clinic that offers abortion services. The legislation places Planned Parenthood, a leading national provider of reproductive health care serving primarily low-income and uninsured women, squarely in the crosshairs.

The bill was proposed by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IL), who apparently has serious beef with Planned Parenthood.

While Pence has sought to convince lawmakers that the bill would eliminate federal funding only for abortions, its reach is actually much broader than that, and it would deliver a devastating blow to basic reproductive health services for millions of women.

“This bill would eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood health centers — including funding for birth control, cancer screenings, HIV testing, and more,” notes a statement on Planned Parenthood’s website. “The consequences of this bill are clear — and they would be devastating. More women would have unintended pregnancies. Cancer would develop, undiagnosed, in countless women. There is no doubt: cutting off millions of women from care they have no other way to afford places them at risk of sickness and death.”

Even Cosmo has weighed in, noting that this federal funding is helping millions of women stay healthy or detect early stages of disease: “Last year, that money (which would dry up completely if the bill is passed) went towards 2.2 million Pap tests, 2.3 million breast exams, and over six million tests for STDs.”

City Attorney Dennis Herrera has joined in the calls for defense of Planned Parenthood, issuing an email blast as part of his mayoral campaign asking voters to sign a petition against the Pence legislation. “New efforts by the far right to eliminate funding from all Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide pose a dangerous and immediate threat to women’s health,” Herrera wrote in the campaign message.

A number of other online petitions are circulating on this issue as well. Go here or here to learn more.

Southern Ocean County Hospital to Host 19th Annual Women’s Health Night

Online PR News – 17-February-2011 –Manahawkin, NJ – On Wednesday, October 27, the women of southern Ocean County will once again be treated to an evening devoted to their personal health and wellness. During the hours of 5:00 through 9:00 pm, the first floor of Southern Ocean County Hospital (SOCH) will be transformed into one of the region’s most comprehensive health events, featuring free health screenings, literature, educational seminars, and opportunities to meet SOCH physicians, interactive displays, free gifts and more!

It’s all part of Southern Ocean County Hospital’s 19th annual Women’s Health Night, scheduled for Wednesday, October 27, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm.

“Last year, nearly 400 women attended the event, demonstrating just how important these health services are to women in our community.” says Carol Schoenberger, RN, BSN, CDE, director of health resources at SOCH.

Registration begins at 5:00 pm, and guests are asked to enter through the main entrance and register at the Women’s Health Night Registration Desk in the main lobby.

Prior to the event a free lipid profile (cholesterol screening) will take place. Women who would like to take part in the lipid profile should come to the Beach Plum Conference Room at SOCH at 1140 Route 72 West on Monday MORNING, October 25 from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Fasting for 12 hours is required prior to having blood drawn. That is why the blood draw will take place in the morning. The lipid profile results will be available during Women’s Health Night on October 27.

A variety of health screenings are also planned for the evening. The free screenings include: blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat analysis, bone densitometry, colorectal cancer, Dermascan, foot screenings, hearing screenings, pulmonary function and pap smears. Participants wishing to have a free pap smear are required to schedule an appointment through 1-800-DOCTORS.

In addition to the free lectures and health screenings, Women’s Health Night 2010 at Southern Ocean County Hospital also features a wealth of information on maternity services (http://www.jerseyshoreuniversitymedicalcenter.com/JSUMC/services/maternity/index.cfm), nutrition, fitness, cancer, cardiology and other health issues related to women. Women will enjoy the dozens of interactive educational displays hosted by healthcare professional representing SOCH services and community organizations:
SOCH is located at 1140 Route 72 West in Manahawkin.

Eliminating Abortion or Women’s Reproductive Freedom?

Correction: Some early versions of this story may have erroneously attributed a quote to Reina Schiffrin, who is the President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.

U.S. Democrats and local women’s health care providers are calling on Republicans to stop pursuing legislation that they say would create historically drastic cuts in women’s health services and reproductive freedoms.

“Since the beginning of the year the Republicans haven’t put a single bill on the floor that would create a single job,” said U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) at a press conference in White Plains Monday. “Instead, Republicans, the majority in the house, have prioritized an extremist agenda that seeks to roll back women’s reproductive rights.”

Bills H.R. 3, H.R. 358 and H.R. 217—titled “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” the “Protect Life Act,” and the “Title X Abortion Prohibition Act”—will make it more expensive to pay for healthcare from providers who cover abortions and would eliminate the Title X federal funding program that funds healthcare providers who offer full reproductive services.

Democrats and women’s advocates say the bills would allow hospitals to leave pregnant women to die; prevent the funding of abortions for rape and incest victims; and block crucial preventative care services, like birth control and STD screenings. Republicans say the legislation will make abortion inaccessible, which will reduce the number that occur in the United States each year.

At the press conference, Reina Schiffrin, President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, called the bills “the most devastating legislative assault on women’s health care in American history.”

“It’s not just about terminating pregnancies,” Lowey said. “These women who are struggling in the economy will have no place to go for their health care.”

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and several other Democratic senators also have spoken out against the bills and what they view as the Republican Party’s misplaced priorities.

“This agenda disregards women’s rights and restricts the ability of women to access affordable health care,” Gillibrand said in a press release. “Clearly, the Republican House is not focusing on creating jobs or growing our economy, but making the degradation of women’s health care a top priority.”

According to the press release, the bill would:
Redefine the definitions of rape and incest, according to the National Women’s Law Center. This would mean that states would no longer be required to offer abortions to poor women who were raped, were victims of incest or need the abortion to save their lives.
No longer require hospitals to save the life of a pregnant woman if it meant the fetus would die.
Eliminate Title X funding, which funds places like Planned Parenthood that provide abortions in addition to preventative services like mammograms and other cancer screenings, birth control, HIV and STD testing and treatment, and annual check-ups.
Restrict women from deducting the cost of purchasing health insurance that offers certain reproductive services.
Would prevent women and families from using pre-taxed dollars (via Flexible Spending Accounts) to pay for certain health care from providers who offer abortions.
Prevent small businesses from receiving tax credits if they choose providers who offer abortions.

Though federal law prohibits taxpayer money from directly funding abortions, federal funds can give aid to providers who offer a range of health care services, including abortion.

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) said the bill he sponsored, H.R.3, “is designed to permanently end any U.S. government financial support for abortion, whether it be direct funding or by tax credits or any other subsidy.”

Smith says the abortion industry is a “multimillion dollar business,” and that Planned Parenthood raked in $1 billion in fees, local, state and federal subsidies, while killing 324,000 babies in 2008.

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) says H.R. 358 aims to ensure that private insurance companies and families aren’t forced to cover abortion if they don’t want to.

“Individuals who have strong moral objections are thereby forced to directly finance abortion coverage in order to purchase a health care plan they believe best provides for their needs and the needs of their family members,” said Upton, in a Feb. 9 committee meeting. “This is wrong and the legislation proposed by Mr. Pitts [Congressman Joseph Pitts (R-PA)] corrects this injustice.”

Smith said abortion is harmful to women, and that studies show women who get abortions are at higher risk for suicide and depression.

“The ugly truth is that women are victimized by abortion—wounded and hurt physically and emotionally,” said Smith, on Jan. 20. “Women deserve better than abortion.”

UCSF/UC Hastings Forum to Address Role of Hormones in Women’s Health

The UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy and the Hastings Women’s Law Journal will host an upcoming symposium titled “Frontiers in Women’s Health: The Role of Hormones in Aging and Disease.”

The symposium will take place on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Admission is free. Continuing Medical Education credit is available.

This unique event will draw together speakers and attendees from the medical, legal and policy communities, and will present opportunities for members of each community to interact with and understand the perspectives of the others.
Malegra Fxt
The morning will begin with an overview of the now-familiar topic of hormone therapy in peri-menopausal and menopausal women, with an in-depth discussion of the Women’s Health Initiative hormone trial data and the controversies the data have engendered since the trials were halted. This topic will be the starting point for a wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary set of panels, including discussions about health policy decisionmaking, informed consent, litigation over hormone use, and gendered medicine. Panel titles are as follows:

Morning Panels

Panel 1 – Introduction and Background

Hormone Therapy: What We Know (and Don’t Know) after the Women’s Health Initiative Trials

Panel 2 – Translational Research and the “Timing Hypothesis”

Panel 3 – Government Agency and Health Policy Decision Making and Recommendations in an Environment of Empirical Uncertainty

Afternoon Panels

Panel 4 – Public Support/Public Advocacy: Public vs. Private Research Funding, Grassroots Advocacy, Effects on Underserved Populations, Media’s Role

Panel 5 – Informed Consent/Litigation Related to Hormone Therapy

Panel 6 – Legal Relevance of “Real” Differences: Constitutional Issues, Work and Family, Healthcare and Aging.
Women’s Health Experts Gather

The lunchtime keynote speaker is women’s health pioneer Marianne J. Legato, MD, an internationally recognized specialist in women’s health and the founder and director of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. She is the founder and editor of The Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine and a leading advocate for the inclusion of women in clinical trials.

Legato has devoted much of her research to the subject of women and heart disease. She is the author of several books, including Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine (for medical practitioners) and the general-trade books Eve’s Rib: The New Science of Gender-Specific Medicine and How It Can Save Your Life, The Female Heart: The Truth About Women and Heart Disease, and Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget (with Laura Tucker). Read more about Legato on the National Library of Medicine website.

Other panelists, in alphabetical order, include:

Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD, R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development, professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, University of Southern California; director, Los Angeles Basic Clinical Translational Science Institute.

Marcelle I. Cedars, MD, professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UCSF; principal investigator, UCSF Women’s Health Clinical Research Center.

Marsha Cohen, JD, professor of Law, UC Hastings College of the Law; past president, California State Board of Pharmacy. Cohen has served on four National Research Council and Institute of Medicine committees, including the recent “Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake,” and has also served on the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Review Panel on New Drug Regulation.

David L. Faigman, JD, John F. Digardi Distinguished Professor of Law, Director, UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science & Health Policy, UC Hastings College of the Law; Author of numerous books and articles concerning the use, or failure to use, scientific research in legal decision making.

Baruch Fischhoff, PhD, Howard Heinz University Professor, Depts. of Social and Decision Sciences and of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University; member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences; chair of the Food and Drug Administration Risk Communication Advisory Committee.

Cynthia Gorney, professor, UC Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism; Contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic; former national features writer, South American bureau chief and founding Style section writer for the Washington Post.

Cantor’s policy on women’s health shows his speech as empty rhetoric

In his Charter Day address to the student body, House Majority Whip Eric Cantor J.D. ’88 declared, “Our commonwealth, this region, is a place where our founding principles of liberty, democracy and limited government were cultivated.” Apparently, these founding principles do not extend to America’s women.
Under Cantor’s leadership, the House of Representatives has introduced a number of bills to severely limit women’s liberty, expand governmental power over women’s bodies and harm our democracy.

In 1970, Richard Nixon signed Title X, legislation to provide family planning services for Americans. Title X was passed three years before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, a clear and obvious testament to the fact that Title X never intended to provide federally funded abortions. Under current U.S. law, no abortion is provided at federal expense.

This blatant fact, however, does not appease those in control of Congress’ 112th session. Rep. Mike Pense (R-Ind.) introduced H.R. 217, or the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, to Congress on Jan. 7. The controversial bill has 164 co-sponsors, including three democrats, Michele Bachmann ’89 and our Congressman Rob Wittman. The bill would prohibit providers who perform abortions from receiving family planning grants.

If passed, H.R. 217 will have disastrous effects on the health of American women. The bill will cut $327 million in funding to Planned Parenthood. In 2008, Planned Parenthood provided healthcare to 3 million patients. According to its annual report for that year, 36 percent of Planned Parenthood’s total services went to providing contraception, 31 percent involved testing and treatment for STIs, 17 percent provided cancer screening and prevention and only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services were used for abortions. H.R. 217 will disconnect 3 million women from preventative treatment and vital healthcare annually.
On January 20, Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.), along with 121 cosponsors including 10 democrats, introduced H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act. As the law stands today, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services.

Plans that receive federal funds are required to keep those funds separate from funds used for abortion. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the Protect Life Act prohibits “federal funds from being used to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion services.” Even though federal assistance is not used to fund abortions, if H.R. 358 is passed, providers will be bribed into discontinuing abortion services.

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) introduced H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. H.R. 3 similarly “prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion.” Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) has called H.R. 3 “one of our highest legislative priorities.” Abortion has been legal in the United States for 38 years, but Congress seems determined to revoke healthcare providers’ right to cover it at their own expense. Congress’ chief priority seems politicized and pointless in a time when Americans are faced with mounting debt, high unemployment and homelessness.

Rep. Cantor told us last Friday that America is “the world’s free-est [sic] and most prosperous nation.” Yet in terms of women’s health, our country is by no means the world’s leader. Amnesty International’s 2010 report, “Deadly Delivery; The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA,” outlines the danger of further sanctioning women’s health. The report declares the U.S. 41st in maternal health. Further limiting women’s access to vital health services such as family planning and cancer screening will improve neither women’s freedom nor American prosperity.

The sponsors of these bills claim to be both anti-deficit and pro-life, yet they have introduced no such measures regarding the defense budget. Of the world’s military expenditures in 2006, the United States accounted for 46 percent. According to the Center for Defense Information, defense related budget requests for 2011 total at around $1,048.9 billion dollars. An obvious way both to reduce spending and save lives would be to examine the defense budget; yet our leaders are focusing on limiting women’s access to pap smears. At our Charter Day assembly, Rep. Cantor proclaimed that “America is built on a culture of opportunity, responsibility and earned success.” American liberty and democracy are too important to be used merely as politicized talking points: We must extend these freedoms to our citizens before we can boast about them to the world.

Half of American Women Think They’re More Successful Than Their Men

There’s a new male-female survey out, and this time it’s in Women’s Health, which reveals in the March issue that almost half of American women think they’re “more successful” than the men they go out with or are married to. Women’s Health spins this as a positive — how great is it that women are so confident and happy and full of opportunities in their careers!? — and, yet, the question begged is: Why are we dating losers?

Of course, that might not be it at all. Maybe these women are dating men who aren’t the career-obsessed workaholic type, men who instead shower them with attention and affection and good times because they actually have time — and maybe that in part is why they’re so happy with their careers, and other stuff too. Confidence and pleasure in certain parts of life tend to extend toward others.

Lisa Bain, executive editor at Women’s Health, attributes the stats in part to the gradual evening of the wage gap (apparently, for women under 30 that gap is gone, and the ladies are actually making more than their male peers). Also, women are better educated, financially independent, etc. etc., nowadays. All good things.

But if anything, the oddest thing about this survey is the word “successful.” Sure, it can mean money, but it can also mean other things. And considering someone you’re dating or possibly married to less successful than you seems to indicate a certain kind of superiority that might not be so great in a relationship, or maybe that’s just us. More revealing, perhaps, are these additional survey results:

According to the poll, these women don’t think they’ve made it unless they’re making $100,000K or more. The majority of them think they’re more successful than their friends and their siblings. And half of them think wearing black helps them be more successful at work.

Lawmakers see a timely target in Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON — In the rush to slash the federal budget, House Republicans have taken quick aim the nation’s largest provider of abortions, reviving an emotional fight after a campaign season in which social issues were dormant.

A coalition of abortion foes joined with an undercover video activist on Thursday to call on lawmakers to cut all funding for Planned Parenthood, which they blasted as “complicit” in the trafficking of underage girls for prostitution. Planned Parenthood denies the allegations.

The attack came a day after House Republicans announced a spending proposal for the rest of the budget year that would eliminate funding for a 40-year-old family planning program. Planned Parenthood is the largest recipient of the so-called Title X funds, which pay for contraception and cancer screenings, but not abortions, to low-income patients.

The proposed spending cuts added momentum to an already burgeoning feud over abortion in Congress. Buoyed by the arrival of dozens of new anti-abortion Republicans, conservative lawmakers have introduced several bills that would further distance taxpayers from any connection to abortion.

Current policy already bars federal money in Medicaid and other government programs for abortion — except in cases of rape, incest or a danger to the life of the woman.

In response to the new push, Democrats and their allies accused Republicans of mounting an attack on women’s health and veering far from their promise of a laser-like focus on economic issues.

“The new leadership ran on the agenda of jobs and the economy and what they’re giving us instead is possibly the most extreme assault on reproductive rights in decades,” said Donna Crane, policy director for NARAL Pro-Choice America. “It’s a classic bait and switch.”

Title X funding had not been targeted for a cut since 1995, Crane said, when the effort failed in a Republican-led House. Planned Parenthood said it receives $363 million a year in government grants and contracts at the state, local and federal level.

But the current climate, where calls for fiscal discipline rule the day, presents a new opportunity for anti-abortion Republicans who have long opposed federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Lawmakers said they plan to remain focused on cutting the budget while also moving forward on an issue of key importance to many in their base.

On Thursday, they noted their new allies in the House and the economic constraints were both working in their favor.

“This is when we’re going to defund Planned Parenthood,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns, (R-Fla.). “Now is the season for us to do this.”

Although the cuts may be embraced by the House, they are likely to find much more resistance in the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority.

The fight against Planned Parenthood gained steam from a series of videos recently released by a young anti-abortion activist. Some of the videos, shot undercover by the group Live Action, appear to show Planned Parenthood staff giving advice to people claiming to be engaged in sex work and seeking medical care for underage girls.

At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Live Action head Lila Rose, who has targeted Planned Parenthood clinics for several years with sting operations, said the videos showed the employees “willing to aid and abet the human trafficking of teenage girls.”

One such video resulted in the firing of a Planned Parenthood employee in New Jersey. But in all other cases, the video are “heavily edited and manipulated” said Planned Parenthood spokesman Stuart Schear.

“The organization is not credible and their tapes cannot be trusted,” he said.

The debate is not likely to die down quickly. Stearns, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight panel, said he planned to call Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to testify on the matter.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said he would introduce an amendment to cut all federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Pence also has introduced a bill to prohibit Title X funds from being awarded to any health provider that performs abortions.

Another bill, introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) would eliminate federal tax breaks for employers who offer health insurance if their plans cover abortion.

Abortion bill is an assault on women’s health care

Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) has sponsored a bill that would make it difficult for most women — even those who pay for their own health insurance coverage — to obtain a safe abortion in a medical facility. It’s the latest salvo in the war on women’s rights to obtain a safe abortion.

Federal law already prohibits poor women from using Medicaid dollars for an abortion except under certain circumstances, such as rape or health emergency. The bill makes radioactive any health plan that offers abortion coverage.

Private health insurance plans that cover the procedure lose tax credits and subsidies. Employers who offer the offending plans have their tax credits snatched away. And employees — male and female — who subscribe to a plan that covers abortion are punished, too. It doesn’t matter if you never had an abortion or even contemplated it. If your health care plan includes abortion coverage, you won’t be able to take deductions for your premiums.

Nearly every employee-based health plan covers abortion, according to the nonpartisan health think tank Guttmacher Institute, so the bill would have a devastating effect on women’s access to abortion. The institute estimates that 1 in 3 women have had or will have an abortion before the age of 45. You or someone you know has likely had an abortion.

Smith invokes “bigotry” against the unborn child, but don’t be fooled. The only bias at play here is against a woman’s right to choose.

Smith’s proposal comes on the heels of efforts by anti-abortion groups to discredit Planned Parenthood and cut off its federal funding.

Two other House bills would also slam the door on women. One would allow medical staff and hospitals to refuse to perform abortions, or any duties related to the procedure, even in a medical emergency. Another bill, introduced late yesterday, would kill $327 million for family planning services of all kinds, including preventative care and contraceptive counseling.

This is beyond the abortion question. It goes to the heart of a woman’s right to make her own informed choices about health care.

Walk, Shop and Stroll for Women’s Heart Health Friday

In the spirit of National Heart Month, the Women’s Heart Program at the John Muir Health Women’s Health Center is inviting women to take steps for cardiovascular health in its 7th annual walk Friday. The Go Red: Walk, Shop and Stroll event takes place noon to 2 p.m. and is designed to educate, inspire and bring awareness about heart disease to women.

Preventing heart disease in women, one step at a time–literally–has been the mantra of women of all ages who have walked in the event in past years.

Heart disease is still the number one killer of American women each year, according to the American Heart Association. This event provides a way for women to be proactive in taking care of themselves. They learn about the risks for developing cardiovascular disease and how to take action to lead healthier lives.

“Heart health is so important and now is a great time for people to do something for themselves and make that change to a healthier lifestyle. It’s all about taking the first step, and every step truly counts,” says Evon Shipley, LVN, and Women’s Heart Program Coordinator.

The walk begins at the Women’s Health Center 1656 North California Blvd., covers approximately 1.5 miles through downtown Walnut Creek and ends in Broadway Plaza. This year, the event includes a special Zumba session that will get hearts racing and improve cardiovascular fitness. Special talks, giveaways and prizes will be available. The first 100 registered participants will receive a free commemorative t-shirt.

Republican Congress attacks women’s health care

For years, anti-choice zealots have been pushing to deny more and more women access to safe, legal abortions. They’ve succeeded in denying any direct federal funding for abortions, making it much harder for low and mid income women to have access. Now, they’re gathering steam to deny the normal federal tax deductions and credits for employers who provide health care coverage for employees IF the health care plan covers abortion.

Incidentally, that’s a huge tax increase. If you pay for your own coverage directly, no deductions, credits, etc. for you, either, if the plan you select offers abortion coverage. It doesn’t matter if you or someone covered by your plan doesn’t actually GET an abortion–just the fact that its covered is enough to disallow the deductions.

This effects roughly 87% of private insurance plans for individuals and businesses.

Is there another type of health care procedure singled out for this kind of punitive tax increase? Not that I know of.

This ought to be called “The Rich Heiress Abortion Protection Act of 2011″. This does nothing but keep all but those who can afford to write their own check from having access to reproductive choice. No word on how proponents of this oppressive mess plan to support all the families they’re forcing into existence.

There’s been significant pushback against this particular resolution, mostly because it originally attempted to redefine rape in an effort to make it much harder to qualify for a rape exception. But that language was pulled because GOP leaders found it a tough sell.

I contacted each of Oregon’s congressional offices in order to find out their response to this legislation. The statement from Blumenauer’s office was sent yesterday, prior to the removal of the heinous rape provision:

“It defies imagination that the new majority in the House would start parsing the meaning of rape. At a time when there is such concern about the polarization in politics, this is a horrible time for this bad idea.”

How can anyone support saying that women who are drugged, children who are victims of statutory rape, or people who are victims of the many date rape scenarios should no longer be considered raped under federal law? Shockingly, that is exactly what legislation introduced this Congress, HR 3, does.

Even more shocking is the powerful symbolism that the House leadership wants to address this issue, but has not yet put a single bill relating to job creation up for a vote on the floor.”

Even with the removal of the rape provision, the Congressman has an excellent point. The House GOP’s complete lack of focus on the economy and jobs is stunning in its arrogance.

Predictably, calls to Congressman Walden’s office were not returned. I expect they’re not exactly anxious to have to defend the fact that their party is championing a tax increase AND not doing anything about job creation.

Congressman Wu’s office stated:

Anti-choice interests continue to advance the myth that federal tax dollars are going towards abortion procedures in order to undermine women’s basic right to quality, affordable, and accessible reproductive health care.

As we saw during the debate on health care reform, supporters of the broken status quo are willing to use the most divisive rhetoric available to foment support for their views.

In fact, extremely tight restrictions on federal funding of abortion procedures already exist. This legislation is nothing more than the latest iteration of a favorite right-wing bogeyman.”

Schrader:

“Reproductive health and pregnancy are deeply personal matters and the choices involved are best left to patients and their doctors. As a pro-choice Democrat I oppose any new restrictions on reproductive rights.”

DeFazio:

“I strongly opposed H.R. 3 because it limits women’s access to care and limits their ability to make decisions about their health care. This is another example of Republicans using social wedge issues to divide our county and distract voters from the real needs of our nation – job creation – for which they have no answers.”

DeFazio has it right in a nutshell: the GOP has no answers for fixing the economy–and it shows by their complete lack of effort to do anything but push crazy social crap–and the repeal of one thing that actually DOES save money: health care legislation.

Pre-natal outreach campaign in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: The capital city’s first pre-natal outreach campaign is to help educate married women in Abu Dhabi about how to prepare for a pregnancy, and offer a free, three-month supply of pre-natal vitamins.

Amira Wali, director of Public Health and Communications at Corniche Hospital, which is organising the campaign, told Gulf News that the first pre-natal outreach session would be on February 28 at the Women’s Health Centre, and from then onwards once a month until the end of the year.

A total of 20 couples would be included at the start.

“If we get 100 women interested to sign up and attend our pre-pregnancy outreach programme today, we will think about offering more pre-natal classes,” said Wali on the sidelines of the Bride Show Abu Dhabi.

As part of the campaign, a dedicated booth has been set up at the Bride Show which began yesterday and will run until February 5 at the National Exhibition Centre.

A team of female doctors, dieticians and health experts will be available at the booth to offer women free medical advice and a three-month supply of pre-natal vitamins.

Wali said: “We have a supply of 300,000 pre-natal tablets in 3,000 boxes, ranging from folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E which will be given to healthy women … and to those who plan to attend our upcoming pre-natal session”.

Women with medical conditions would be referred, she said.

Women & Heart Disease Education Program

Heart Disease is not just a “man’s disease.” It is the leading cause of death in women and responsible for more deaths than all forms of cancer combined.
Catholic Health will be sponsoring a free women’s health education program entitled, “Heart Health for Women,” on Wednesday, February 9 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the OLV Senior Neighborhood located at 55 Melroy Avenue in Lackawanna.
Even though most people associate heart disease with men, it is a growing women’s health concern. Ginny Lyons, RN, women’s health specialist, will provide a female-focused overview of the risks, signs, symptoms and current treatment options for heart disease.
All area women are invited. If you would like to learn what you can do to keep your heart healthy, plan on attending this free women’s health program.

New Campaign Urges Women to Know Signs of Heart Attack

TUESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) — Every minute a woman has a heart attack in the United States, yet many don’t reach out for help because they don’t recognize the symptoms, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

In fact, according to the American Heart Association, only 53 percent said they would call 911 even if they thought they were having a heart attack, which is why the federal government is starting a new campaign called Make the Call, Don’t Miss A Beat.

“We hope to engage and empower women to recognize the seven most common symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 as soon as those symptoms begin to appear,” assistant secretary for health Dr. Howard K. Koh said during a morning news conference.

Each year in the United States about 1.2 million people have heart attacks. Of these, about 515,000 are women, Koh said. But there have been challenges in getting women to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack and getting them to call 911, he said.

Koh also noted that women wait longer than men in calling for help, “which leads to poorer outcomes for women.”

“The good news is that if you seek medical attention as soon as heart attack symptoms begin, treatment can save your life and prevent permanent damage to the heart. In fact, treatment works best when given within an hour of the onset of symptoms,” he said.

Speaking at the news conference, Suzanne Haynes, a senior science adviser at the U.S. Office on Women’s Health, noted that a 2010 survey found 53 percent of women said they would not call 911 and 47 percent said they would call a relative or drive themselves to the hospital.

“These percentages were shocking, because they were down from 2006. In 2006, about 80 percent of women said they would call 911,” she said. “Something was going on to discourage women from calling 911, and we need to reverse it.”

Another expert, Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said that a only minority of women recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and would call 911, even though they would call if they thought another person was having a heart attack.

“We believe this may be related to denial,” she said. “Many women are hoping they can just be wrong if they think they are having a heart attack; some women feel that if they go to the emergency room that their symptoms will be dismissed, and in fact they may be right.”

In addition, women don’t want to bother others and are concerned about being embarrassed and also the cost of calling 911, she added. “But no matter what these barriers are, if they don’t call 911 and get the help they need, they are significantly more likely to suffer an extensive heart attack or die,” Mosca said.

Also speaking at Tuesday’s news conference, Pamela Detrow, a WomenHeart Champion and heart attack survivor, shared her experience.

While out for lunch with a friend, Detrow began to have shortness of breath, cold sweat, dizziness and a racing heart beat.

“A couple of minutes later, these symptoms intensified and they became very profound,” she said. “I returned to the table and fatigue overwhelmed me. I could not lift my head, my arms. Fortunately, my friend knew something was wrong. I thought I was just having some kind of a spell that would pass. She had called 911, and I was taken to a hospital.”

According to Make the Call, Don’t Miss A Beat, the seven symptoms of a heart attack include:
Chest pain, discomfort, pressure or squeezing
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck, jaw or upper part of the stomach
Unusual fatigue
Breaking out in a cold sweat

If you have any or a combination of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Corniche Hospital launches pre-pregnancy health awareness campaign at The Bride Show Abu Dhabi

Doctors from the hospital are advising that it is never too early to start preparing for your pregnancy and are reaching out to brides-to-be and young women to encourage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle and begin taking pre-natal vitamins, including folic acid, three months before an anticipated pregnancy in an attempt to reduce the prevalence of spina bifida among newborns.

Doctor Judy Lee, chief medical officer of Corniche Hospital, platinum sponsors of The Bride Show Abu Dhabi, said, “Newlyweds are often keen to start a family soon after they have celebrated their marriage and our goal is to educate them on how to prepare their bodies for pregnancy. Another goal is to reduce the risks to the mother and her unborn baby if she has a personal or family history of medical conditions.”

“We recommend that brides-to-be begin taking pre-natal vitamins in the months leading up to their wedding and after so that their bodies are ready for pregnancy when the time comes. In addition, unlike in other countries, many foods in the UAE are not fortified with folic acid and therefore it is important for women intending to become pregnant to ensure that they receive their recommended intake of folic acid from other sources,” Judy Lee added.

A team of female doctors, dieticians and health experts from Corniche Hospital will be available at The Bride Show Abu Dhabi from 2 to 5 February at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, offering advice and giving away a free three month’s supply of pre-natal vitamins suitable for all women.

Women visiting the exhibition stand at the show will also have the opportunity to register for one of the free evening classes at the Women’s Health Centre in Abu Dhabi which aims to educate women about preparing for their pregnancy.

There will be a private area where women can speak about more personal health-related issues with a doctor and receive free blood pressure, weight, body fat, and diabetes checks.

The Bride Show Abu Dhabi and The Bride Show Dubai, the Middle East’s most opulent, glamorous and sparkling bridal and fashion extravaganzas, has long promoted the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, particularly when embarking upon a new marriage and family.

In 2008, the event launched the Go Red for Women campaign to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, the biggest single killer of women and in 2010, the London Breast Clinic introduced BCtect, an innovative blood test for early detection of breast cancer. Addressing the emotional factors related to marriage, the show offers marriage guidance counsellors who are on hand to discuss the many questions women have about relationships.

Women’s Health symposium in Redding

REDDING – Plan now to attend a reception and lecture with leading medical professionals who will share the latest information on cancer that is most often experienced by women.

The Mercy Regional Cancer Center and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center will present An Evening Dedicated to the Latest and Greatest in the Detection and Treatment of Women-related Cancers 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Redding. There is no charge to attend.

Topics will include: Breast Cancer presented by Lauren Strickland, DO, Breast Surgical Oncology specialist; Cervical Cancer presented by George Sawaya, MD, professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences & Epidemiology & Biostatistics at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The event will include complimentary appetizers and a no host bar.

CHIP joins with health fund

Onslow County Community Health Improvement Process Inc. has joined forces with the Onslow Women’s Health Fund, according to releases from the organization this week. As of Jan. 10, Onslow CHIP is the financial intermediary for the health fund.

The first joint event for the organizations will be an OWHF “Raising Green for the Girls” Bunco tournament set for March 15 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Tickets are $30 per person or $25 per person for a 4-person team, and seating is limited to 100 players. Registration forms are available online at Onslowwomenshealthfund.webs.com or by calling Melissa St. Clair, advisory committee member at 910-389-5771.

Players may register by sending a check, payable to Onslow County CHIP Inc. and earmarked in the memo line: OWHF, c/o Sue Talbert, OCHD, 612 College St., Jacksonville, NC 28540. Include contact information and the name of each player with the check.

N.E. hospital getting women’s health overhaul

The provincial government is spending almost $12 million to improve the women’s health program at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary, officials announced on Thursday.

The money is going to be used for obstetrical services, redeveloping the neonatal unit, the labour facilities and a dedicated operating room at the northeast hospital, Alberta Health Services (AHS) officials said.

“This expansion and redevelopment will help us better serve our growing population,” said Dr. Doug Wilson, who is in charge of obstetrics and gynecology for AHS.

The 32,000-square foot project, which is still in the design phase, will see most of the third floor at the Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC) renovated, officials said.

Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year.

The PLC now delivers 5,835 babies annually. The expansion will provide capacity for 7,000 births per year, officials said.

Poor women fall through a crack in the health-care system

CHICAGO — If you aren’t familiar with the Philadelphia doctor recently charged with eight counts of murder performed in a squalid abortion clinic, you’ve been spared the nightmarish details of the horrors the women and babies allegedly suffered at Kermit Gosnell’s hands.

The 69-year-old general practitioner, who was not certified to perform abortions, ran what prosecutors described in a 281-page grand jury document as “a baby charnel house” littered with fetal remains along with cat urine and excrement. The document detailed an outfit ironically named the Women’s Medical Society bearing little resemblance to any health facility, executing medical procedures with broken medical equipment and used supplies on bloodstained furniture and blankets.

The case has set off alarm bells about government oversight of such clinics. The grand jury said it believed the clinic fell through the cracks because “the women in question were poor and of color, and because the victims were infants without identities, and because the subject was the political football of abortion.”

The reality is that situations like this occur all over the country. Strip away the politics of women’s reproductive choice and the moral debates about a baby’s right to life and what you have left is a case study on the shameful lack of access to health care that poor women have. Though it’s difficult to not view such a tragedy through the lenses of emotion or ethics, we must.

“This is a much bigger issue than the complications of abortion politics,” said Alina Salganicoff, director of women’s health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation. “There are well-documented disparities in health-care access, so it’s a complicated situation. In many cases, poor women don’t have the money or access to good information about preventative care or quality care.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2011″ found that 17 percent of all women 18-64 had no health insurance. For both men and women, the percentage of the poor without health insurance was 37 percent versus 8.9 percent for the non-poor.

Though it is true that a certain percentage of those living in poverty qualify for Medicaid, preventive screening and care options on reproductive issues are limited even though for women, reproductive health is nearly synonymous with general health.

A 2009 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation — “Putting women’s health-care disparities on the map: Examining racial and ethnic disparities at the state level” — stated that women of color, like those who sought care in that Philadelphia clinic, fared worse than white women across a broad range of measures.

“All these things are tied together,” said Gaylon Alcaraz, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund. “Women who are trying to survive on food stamps and Medicare and go to clinics to access reproductive health care or services generally don’t have a regular doctor. That’s when people take advantage of poor women who have no place left to go — there is always a supply for the demands of women in situations where they can’t access treatment for their health issue.”

The shock of what apparently occurred in one last-resort clinic will eventually fade, but another example of such horror will surely pop up sooner or later.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the number of women 15-44 covered by private insurance fell from almost 39 million in 2008 to 36.7 million in 2009 as widespread job losses caused many Americans to lose employer-provided insurance.

The institute’s research shows that in 2009 nearly half of all low- and middle-income women wished to delay pregnancy or limit the number of children, but reported skimping on or eliminating their contraceptive use entirely to save money — the forewarning of more tragedies to come.

Red is the new pink for women’s health

Just as October is awash in pink for breast cancer awareness, February will be rolling in red to remind everyone that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of adult women.

The official Wear Red Day is Feb. 4, and both men and women are invited to visit their local fire station to get their blood pressure taken, then plug that number into My Life Check, to get their heart-health score (and a customized plan to improve it).

Other deals and events to look for:

Macy’s is offering deals if you stop by the department store wearing red between Feb. 2 and 6. If you aren’t wearing red, you can buy a red dress pin for $2 and receive the all-day savings. Macy’s will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the pins to Go Red For Women. From Feb. 6 through Feb. 14 for every Valentine sent through Macy’s Facebook page, Macy’s will donate $1 to Go Red For Women, up to $250,000.

Sweetbay will donate 1 percent from the sale every pound of strawberries in the month of February to the American Heart Association.

Even babies! On Wear Red Day Feb. 4, St. Petersburg General Hospital and Community Hospital babies will receive red caps from the American Heart Association, and their moms will get info on staying healthy.

Buildings go red. The SunTrust Building in downtown Tampa and The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg will be turning crimson, too. The SunTrust Building goes red on Feb. 3 and will remain illuminated in red for the entire month of February. Starting Feb. 3, The Pier will be turning shades of red in honor of Go Red For Women.

Boomer women and their doctors reluctant to talk about bladder & other health problems

There appears to be a communications gap between female baby boomers and their doctors, according to a Harris Interactive survey sponsored by Swedish personal hygiene manufacturer SCA.
The Boomer Women’s Health Survey (of North Americans aged 45 or older) finds these women have increased personal health needs as they enter midlife but only 16% are likely to discuss their symptoms with a doctor. 67% were less likely to see a doctor if they felt their symptoms were merely a “normal part of aging.” 26% felt uncomfortable, embarrassed or “judged” when discussing common health issues with their doctors. More than half (55%) would not contact their doctor at all, even if their symptoms got worse.

Dr. Cynthia Hall of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center says that as this generation enters midlife it’s common to experience potentially embarrassing problems like bladder control. Since most are not talking to their doctors about how to manage these problems, “they’re seeing their daily quality of life suffer unnecessarily.”

Dr. Hall also says doctors are not initiating conversations about such sensitive topics. Bladder weakness and low sex drive are the most embarrassing issues seldom raised by doctors. Bladder weakness affects about one in four women over the age of 40. The survey was conducted in association with SCA’s TENA brand: its Be TENAcious campaign encourages women to speak up about these health issues.

Department of Public Health webinar about HPV this Thursday

Springfield, Ill. —

In recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Women’s Health and STD Program are sponsoring a webinar called, “The Many Issues of Human Papillomavirus and Its Prevention.”

The focus of the webinar is to provide additional education to physicians, nurses and public health personnel about cervical cancer and human papillomarvirus (HPV), to help ensure they are able to provide people with the best information and care possible.

The webinar will provide information on the risk factors for HPV infection, HPV transmission, vaccination as a primary prevention for HPV infection, and the importance of cervical cancer screenings.

“Two types of HPV cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers. The more education we can provide to physicians and health care workers about HPV risk factors, transmission, vaccination and screenings, the better able we are to reduce the risk of cervical cancer and other cancers caused by HPV,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas, mouth and throat of both women and men. Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems. In fact, in 90 percent of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally within two years. However, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women. Other HPV types can cause cancer, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat), as well as cervical cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines that are highly effective in preventing infection with the two HPV types that cause most cervical cancers, with one vaccine also providing protection against most genital warts. Both vaccines are recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls and can also be given to females 13 through 26 years old who did not get any or all of the three recommended doses when they were younger. These vaccines can also be given to girls as young as nine years old. The vaccines are most effective when given before sexual activity begins. The vaccines may not fully protect everyone and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it is important to continue regular cervical cancer screenings.

Through routine screening and follow-up, cervical cancer is highly preventable and early detection through screening can significantly increase chances of survival. In 2011, a projected 590 women in Illinois will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and a projected 180 women in Illinois will lose their lives to cervical cancer.