Planned Parenthood aids women’s care needs continued funding
It’s hard to believe that not a single state measures up when it comes to providing for women’s health care needs. But that’s the state of the union, according to a study released recently by the National Women’s Law Center.
The 10-year study from the National Women’s Law Center and Oregon Health Services University is called “Making the Grade on Women’s Health.” It ranks the states based on 26 measures of good health for women, established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Only two states ranked as high as a “satisfactory-minus.” Thirty-seven states, including Michigan, earned an “unsatisfactory.” Twelve states flunked.
Among the alarming trends nationally are a rise in the rates of chlamydia infections among women and a decline in the number of women getting Pap tests. Pap tests are one of the most basic tools for early detection of cervical cancer, yet, since 2007, Michigan showed a 5% drop in the number of women getting tested.
While Michigan’s overall grade was “unsatisfactory,” it scored even lower on a number of women’s health measures, including rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and maternal mortality.
The study points out the direct connection between economics and women’s health. Compared to men, women are poorer (on average), spend a greater portion of their incomes on health care (mostly because of reproductive health needs), have more difficulty accessing care, and are more likely to struggle with medical debt.
Equally alarming was the increase in the number of Michigan women who no longer have health insurance. The percentage of uninsured women rose from 13% in 2007 to 16% in 2010. A quarter of Hispanic women are uninsured, and nearly 22% of African Americans.
The fact that fewer Michigan women have health insurance is compounded by the fact that state family planning funding has been reduced by over 75% over the past two years, leaving 32,000 Michigan residents without services.
Women’s health centre closes
Women who used to go downtown to use the Women’s Health Care Centre services, such as eating-disorder and sexual-assault programs, now must go to the hospital.
The centre relocated from 157 Charlotte St. to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) on Tuesday as part of the plan to balance the PRHC budget by 2012, said hospital spokes-woman Alicia Doris.
The new centre is on the hospital’s fourth floor, near the main entrance. All services and the phone number (743-4132) remain the same, Doris said.
The centre saw patients down-t ow n until Friday and will reopen for patient care Jan. 4 because it’s typically closed between Christmas and New Year’s, Doris said.
An open house is being planned for January, she said.
Healthy Lifestyle Boosts Eye Health
MADISON, Wis.—Women who exercise and consume a healthy diet are significantly less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the most common causes of vision loss in the elderly, according to a new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison reviewed data from the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study, an ancillary study of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study. Data was included for 1,313 participants, ages 55 to 74; the women provided information on physical activity and lifetime smoking history, and were assigned a score on a modified 2005 Healthy Eating Index (HEI) based on responses to a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline of the WHI study. The HEI is a measure of diet quality that assesses the nutrient adequacy of the diet based on the five major food groups of the original Food Pyramid, aspects of the diet that should be limited, and a measure of variety in food choices.
Six years later, researchers took stereoscopic fundus photographs to assess the presence and severity of AMD. A total of 202 women had AMD, 94 percent of whom had early AMD, the primary outcome. In multivariate models, women whose diets were in the highest quintile compared to the lowest quintile on the HEI were 46 percent less likely to have early AMD. Further, women in the highest quintile compared to the lowest quintile for physical activity had 54 percent lower odds for early AMD. Finally, while smoking was not independently associated with AMD, having a combination of the three healthy behaviors—not smoking, consuming a healthy diet and getting physical activity—was associated with 71 percent lower odds for AMD compared to women with high-risk scores.