Women's Health Activist articles from March 2009

Women's Health Activist archives from March 2009

Strategies for staying sexual after menopause.
March 1, 2009... WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A JOKE suggesting that sex invariably goes ever downhill or totally crashes after menopause? Like yesterday? This concept was boldly reaffirmed without reference to reliable research--at a conference on...

Join us in New York for the National Women's Speakout for Action on Health Reform and Strategy Conference.(Conference news)
March 1, 2009... Not too long ago, I found myself in a meeting room in the basement of the Senate. I was there, along with the NWHN's winter interns, to take part in an event calling on Congress to pass health care reform that meets women's needs. The speakers...

First FDA decision on contraception after the election ... coming soon!
March 1, 2009... Female condoms may soon be more available and affordable for women in the United States and around the world, if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) follows the recommendation made by its advisory committee. On December 11, the FDA convened...

The treatment and mistreatment of chronic "urgency and frequency"--gathering women's experiences about interstitial cystitis.
March 1, 2009... In 1970 I had a bladder infection, hardly a cause for alarm. My gynecologist cleared up the infection with antibiotics but sent me to a urologist just to be on the safe side. Little did I know that I had just embarked upon a course of pain,...

Menstruation education: the impact of its shortcomings.(young FEMINISTS)(Essay)
March 1, 2009... I was 12 years old when I got it. My nana had picked me up from school that day, and was watching me until my mom got off work. I went to the bathroom and did my business as usual, but on this particular occasion, there were dark brown stains...

A randomized, six month study explored whether skills training on how to use female condoms increased sustained use of the barrier method and resulted in more protected sex acts overall.(WOMEN'S HEALTH SNAPSHOTS)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2009... A randomized, six month study explored whether skills training on how to use female condoms increased sustained use of the barrier method and resulted in more protected sex acts overall. Half of the 409 participants received brief instructions...

Researchers evaluating race and hysterectomy have found that Blackwomen in the U.S. are nearly four times more likely than White women to have had a hysterectomy.(WOMEN'S HEALTH SNAPSHOTS)
March 1, 2009... Researchers evaluating race and hysterectomy have found that Blackwomen in the U.S. are nearly four times more likely than White women to have had a hysterectomy. The increase holds even when adjusting for age, education level, perceived...

New research from the British Women's Heart and Health Study shows that both childhood and current socioeconomic status (SES) influence healthful eating and physical activity.(WOMEN'S HEALTH SNAPSHOTS)(Report)
March 1, 2009... New research from the British Women's Heart and Health Study shows that both childhood and current socioeconomic status (SES) influence healthful eating and physical activity. Participants completed questionnaires about diet, smoking, and...

Osteo express: bisphosphonate safety.
March 1, 2009... After many years of ignoring important drug safety concerns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking action. The agency recently alerted women about possible problems with the most commonly used osteoporosis medicines, saying it needs...

Tribute gifts to NWHN: a thoughtful way to commemorate someone special.
March 1, 2009... IN HONOR OF Kate McCarthy Barnett Marlene McCarthy Jane Barr Judy Sommerfeld Ruth Carter Charlea Massion Zena Corby Charlea Massion Ellen & Douglas Cummings Clare Kirby Katie Cummings & Chris...

The problem of unapproved and off-label prescriptions.
March 1, 2009... UNAPPROVED DRUGS Last November, a pair of Associated Press (AP) reporters conducted an investigation which found that Medicaid paid nearly $200 million from 2004-2007 on more than 100 unapproved drugs which never went through the Food and Drug...

G-spot.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... In the past, inducing labor or having a Caesarean section a bit early was thought not to pose much risk to a baby's development. But now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is urging women and obstetricians not to...

Sore spot.
March 1, 2009... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved guidelines permitting drug company sales people to give physicians copies of medical journal articles that advocate prescribing approved drugs for unapproved uses. The guidelines allow...