четверг, 15 декабря 2011 г.
The IUD Is The Most Popular Long-acting Contraceptive Amongst Europeans
"Long-acting contraceptives (the IUD, contraceptive injection or contraceptive implant) are still not widely used", Sergio Haimovich, researcher at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona and author of the study published in the European Journal Of Contraception And Reproductive Health Care, explains to SINC.
After the male condom, the pill is the most popular contraceptive method amongst European women, while intrauterine contraception (copper IUD or hormone-releasing IUS) is most popular as a long-term solution. Of the more than 11,000 women surveyed in 14 European countries, longer-lasting methods were used by 1,088 women, 10% of the sample.
The Spanish research, part of a broader study on the general contraceptive profile of European women, evaluates the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives. According to Haimovich, "those using them are women over the age of 30 who do not want more children and who are looking for a long-term solution". Younger girls use different methods, according to the expert.
The reasons why certain contraceptive methods are chosen, and how, are unknown. But why is there a scientific interest in the user profile? "The answers to these questions can help us to formulate contraceptive advice that is better adapted to the needs of the users", explains Haimovich.
The condom triumphs in Spain
The data consider the specific needs of each country. Spain is one of the European countries where the condom is used most, by all ages. However, according to the study hormonal methods, such as the pill or the ring, are increasingly being used.
The results of this research, awarded best work at the National Congress of Gynaecology on 25 September this year, "help to explain what users want and enable a more appropriate contraceptive check to be created", affirms Haimovich. "That is why we must always adapt our discourse to the demands of the users, and work such as this makes us aware of these requirements", the scientist points out.
Source: Plataforma SINC
четверг, 8 декабря 2011 г.
Florida, Georgia, Idaho Legislatures Act On Reproductive Health Bills
~ Florida: A Florida House committee approved a bill (H.B. 983) on Wednesday that would require a woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound unless she signs a waiver, the AP/Miami Herald reports. The bill includes an exemption for survivors of rape, incest and domestic violence if they provide a copy of a police or medical report. Republicans pushed for a similar bill last year, but it died after a "dramatic tie vote in the state Senate," according to the AP/Herald. Supporters of this year's bill say that they are confident it will pass because many of last year's opponents are no longer in office. The committee approved the bill on a party-line vote, with Republican supporters saying they want to provide women additional information when deciding to have an abortion. Democrats said the need for an ultrasound should be determined by a physician. Many clinics in the state already have ultrasound equipment because Florida law requires ultrasounds for women seeking second- or third-trimester abortions, although about 30 do not have ultrasound equipment, the AP/Herald reports (AP/Miami Herald, 3/18).
~ Georgia: The Georgia House passed a resolution (H.R. 334) on Wednesday urging Congress to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act by a vote of 92-55, the Florida Times-Union reports. The Georgia resolution claims that FOCA -- which has not been introduced in the current congressional session -- would overturn more than 550 federal and state laws on abortion. State Rep. Jerry Keen (R), who sponsored the resolution, said other states have proposed similar measures, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) was the only representative who spoke against the bill, saying it would embarrass Georgia to ask Congress to oppose an issue that he believes states should have the authority to decide (Florida Times-Union, 3/19).
~ Idaho: House committee approved a bill (H.B. 216) to give pharmacists the ability to refuse to dispense birth control and other medications, the AP/Forbes reports. The exemptions apply to pharmacists who have "moral, ethical or religious objections" to dispensing certain medications. Idaho law already allows hospitals and doctors authority to refuse to fill prescriptions. The bill now moves to the full House, "where it stands a good chance" to pass, according to the AP/Forbes. Idaho Pharmacy Board Director Mark Johnston reported to the committee that pharmacists already can deny providing medications because no state law requires that they fill a prescription. He said the pharmacy board remains neutral on the bill because it views the measure as a debate between abortion-rights supporters and opponents. State Rep. Erik Simpson (R), who supports the bill, said it would protect pharmacists from losing their jobs if they refuse to fill a prescription. Opponents of the bill argue that it places pharmacists' rights above patients' rights and that it could make it difficult for people in rural towns to access time-sensitive drugs, including emergency contraception (Wire, AP/Forbes, 3/18). The committee also passed a bill (H.B. 214) on Tuesday that would allow women who have a miscarriage or an abortion before 20 weeks' gestation to request a death certificate from the state's Bureau of Health Policy and Vital Statistics, the Idaho Statesman reports. State Rep. Judy Boyle (R), who introduced the bill, said that it is intended to provide a personal record for women and that the certificates would not represent vital records (Idaho Statesman, 3/17). Rebecca Poedy, vice president of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, said that the "real intent is to further undermine" Roe v. Wade, adding that if the bill is "legally challengeable, Planned Parenthood will be doing that" (Idaho Statesman, 3/18).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 1 декабря 2011 г.
Sex Education Increasing Slightly In China, Subject Remains Taboo, Washington Post Reports
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 24 ноября 2011 г.
Early Childbirth Linked To Poor Health In Middle Age
The study appears in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and reveals that women who are single at the time they have their first baby could also be at risk of earlier death an outcome that can probably relates to socioeconomic status later in life after having a child as a young, single woman.
"Being unmarried at the time of first birth is associated with lower midlife income and a lower probability of being married in midlife," said study author John Henretta at the University of Florida. "It's not so much the characteristic of being unmarried at first birth that's important; it's what being unmarried at first birth tells us about the midlife status of these women."
Henretta evaluated data from the Health and Retirement Study, focusing on 4,335 women born in the United States between 1931 and 1941. These women were first interviewed in 1992 (at ages 51 to 61) and then followed until 2002. Interviewers asked about their health, level of education, marital status, wealth, how many children they had and the age of each living child.
Study data showed that women who give birth before age 20 have a risk of dying 1.42 times higher than that of women who first give birth after age 20. Women who had a child before age 20 also had higher rates of reporting having heart disease, lung disease and cancer.
Henretta said that having a baby while unmarried could lead to a lower chance of eventually marrying and lower economic status in midlife, which research shows can relate to poorer access to healthcare.
"The conditions under which a woman has a child at a young age would be important to consider," said Ken R. Smith, a professor of human development and family studies at the University of Utah. "For example, were her parents or siblings there to assist in rearing the child, did the child survive, did the mother go on to marry the father and was that first child followed quickly by another birth?
"But overall, this [study] is a plausible finding and worth replicating," Smith added. "A parallel study of men would be useful to determine if the effects exist for the fathers as well."
Henretta JC. Early childbearing, marital status, and women's health and mortality after age 50. J Health Soc Behav 48(3), 2007.
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четверг, 17 ноября 2011 г.
NPR Broadcasts First Of Four Reports On College Rape, Sexual Assault
Wednesday's segment examined the effects of the Jeanne Clery Act, a crime disclosure law passed 20 years ago. According to DOJ figures, campuses have reported a 9% decrease in violent crime and a 30% decrease in property crime in the past 10 years under the Clery Act. However, DOE has fined schools that violate the act only six times, and most fines have been less than $350,000 (Shapiro, "Morning Edition," NPR, 2/24).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 10 ноября 2011 г.
Kansas Equal Rights Amendment Proposal Prompts Criticism From Antiabortion Groups
Catholic and antiabortion-rights groups believe that an ERA could derail all state restrictions on abortion. Beatrice Swoopes, a lobbyist with the Kansas Catholic Conference, said, "If we allow it to pass, Kansans will wake up one day wondering how a right to unrestricted and taxpayer-funded abortion was smuggled into our constitution." However, Washburn University professor Jeffrey Jackson noted that many states with ERAs have more restrictive abortion policies than Kansas.
Kansas lawmakers would have to approve the proposal by a two-thirds vote in both chambers to place the measure on the state ballot. According to the Star, the proposal "might not get that far," as state Sen. Pete Brungardt (R), who leads the committee reviewing the bill, has not decided whether the committee will have the time to vote on the legislation this year (Klepper, Kansas City Star, 2/26).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 3 ноября 2011 г.
Insomnia In Adults Improved By A Self-Help Program Delivered Online
The study, authored by Lee Ritterband, PhD, of the University of Virginia, focused on 44 participants (mostly female) with an average age of 45 years. The participants were randomly selected to either the cognitive behavioral intervention for insomnia via the Internet or a wait list control. Measures of sleep, mood, cost, and cognitive functioning were collected at pre- and post-treatment, while additional measures of sleep were collected throughout treatment.
According to the results, sleep improved significantly for those who received a cognitive behavioral intervention for insomnia via the Internet over the six-week intervention, whereas control participants showed no change during the treatment period. Sleep efficiency also significantly improved for the experimental group from pre- to post- assessment, with no change for the controls. The experimental group increased total sleep time by 80 minutes and the control group increased by nine minutes.
"We believe these types of Web-based treatment programs have the potential to impact countless individuals around the world," said Dr. Ritterband. "Specifically related to insomnia, the availability of non-pharmacological help is significantly lacking. The Internet has already become a critical source of health-care and medical information. The Internet may prove an effective tool to more broadly disseminate cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia."
Insomnia is a classification of sleep disorders in which a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early. It is the most commonly reported sleep disorder. About 30 percent of adults have symptoms of insomnia. It is more common among elderly people and women.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you change actions or thoughts that hurt your ability to sleep well. It helps you develop habits that promote a healthy pattern of sleep. CBT is most often used for people who suffer from insomnia.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) offers the following tips on how to get a good night's sleep:
Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
Get a full night's sleep every night.
Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.
Do not bring your worries to bed with you.
Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.
Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little bit cool.
Get up at the same time every morning.
Those who suspect that they might be suffering from insomnia, or another sleep disorder, are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.
The annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine to present and discuss new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.
More than 1,000 research abstracts will be presented at the SLEEP meeting, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. The three-and-a-half-day scientific meeting will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
SleepEducation, a patient education Web site created by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.
Source: Kathleen McCann
American Academy of Sleep Medicine