Women's Health Activist articles from November 2004

Women's Health Activist archives from November 2004

High medical liability premiums: women shouldn't have to pay the price.
November 1, 2004... EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE "CRISIS IN MALPRACTICE INSURANCE" hit close to home for Maria Coe. Pregnant with her second child, the 36-year-old Maryland woman (whose real name is being withheld) wanted to deliver with a nurse-midwife, as she had with...

An action plan for 2005.(making US health care better)
November 1, 2004... I've been thinking about what it will take to bring universal health care to this country As I write, I don't know who our next president will be, only that neither President Bush nor Senator Kerry offered plans to move us significantly closer...

Community lifeguards of black women's health.(Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health)
November 1, 2004... Can you imagine having a chronic condition like heart disease and not being aware of it? Or knowing that if something is really wrong, you can't afford treatment? For women in underserved communities, this is too often the case. REACH 2010: At...

The most complicated profession.(young Feminists)(outreach with prostitutes in Washington DC)
November 1, 2004... This summer, I worked with a D.C.-based organization called Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS). Using a harm-reduction philosophy, HIPS programs address the effects of HIV/AIDS, STIs, discrimination, poverty, violence and drug use on...

Breastfeedings goals of Healthy People 2010.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... With six years to go, much progress remains to be made toward the breastfeeding goals of Healthy People 2010, the U.S. government's national health initiative to identify and reduce major health threats. As of 2003, Oregon alone had achieved...

Peer-led sex education classes may be more effective than classes taught by adults.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Peer-led sex education classes may be more effective than classes taught by adults. In a study in central and southern England, 29 schools were randomly selected to either continue using teachers to lead sex ed classes for 13 and 14-year-old...

A large majority--68 percent--of families who have difficulty paying medical bills have health coverage, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A large majority--68 percent--of families who have difficulty paying medical bills have health coverage, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Reasons include rising costs for deductibles, co-payments and...

Breast implants for reconstruction: a closer look.
November 1, 2004... Of the tens of thousands of American women each year who undergo mastectomies, approximately 75 percent go on to have one or both breasts surgically reconstructed, according to breastcancer.org. Roughly half of these women opt for surgery that...

If you ask us: Depo and STDs: you may have heard about a recent study linking women's use of Depo-Provera with increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). And you may have wondered: what does the National Women's Health Network think about that? ...
November 1, 2004... The study in question compared of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection among two groups of sexually active women at two clinics in Maryland. One group used hormonal contraception, either "the shot" (Depo-Provera) or "the pill" (oral...

'Tis the season!
November 1, 2004... This holiday season, why not consider a gift that shows you really care about a loved one and her health? A powerful way to pay tribute to a good friend or treasured family member is to make a donation to the National Women's Health Network...

Letters to NWHN.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Dear Women: I was really irritated and amazed to read the phrase 'to save the life of the mother' on page one of your latest newsletter (September/October 2004). After all these years of correcting emotionally charged words relating to the...

BellaFem: fulla false claims.(Menopause Ad Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... For years, pharmaceutical companies misled women into believing that taking hormones would protect their health. Misleading menopause-related websites may cause women to develop the same false assumptions about natural hormones. For...

Out of line on the flu vaccine.(Prescription For Change)
November 1, 2004... This time of year, it's usually competition for some hard-to-get toy that provokes criminal behavior, but the coveted consumer item of 2004 is the flu vaccine. People have lied about their health status, stolen doses, even resorted to shoving...

Most Americans feel that politics should not affect scientific research, and that scientific evidence should not be distorted or manipulated to further a political agenda.(G-Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Most Americans feel that politics should not affect scientific research, and that scientific evidence should not be distorted or manipulated to further a political agenda. In a survey commissioned by the Integrity of Science Working Group, 83...

Men Against Breast Cancer is a Rockville, Maryland-based group that "coaches" men on how to provide day-to-day emotional, mental and physical support for their wives, mothers, partners and daughters battling breast cancer.(G-Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Men Against Breast Cancer is a Rockville, Maryland-based group that "coaches" men on how to provide day-to-day emotional, mental and physical support for their wives, mothers, partners and daughters battling breast cancer. Last year, the...

Grassroots community organizing works!(G-Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Grassroots community organizing works! Local activists forced the shutdown of toxic waste incinerators run by Stericycle Inc., the nation's largest medical waste treatment and disposal company, in the inner city of North St. Louis, Missouri,...

In September, a New Hampshire pharmacist refused to fill a woman's prescription for emergency contraception on the grounds of personal beliefs.(Sore Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... In September, a New Hampshire pharmacist refused to fill a woman's prescription for emergency contraception on the grounds of personal beliefs. New Hampshire is one of many states with so-called "conscience clauses" that let pharmacists refuse...

Although the U.S. military does not cover the cost of abortion for female soldiers, it does pay some or all of the cost of many elective cosmetic surgeries, including face-lifts, liposuction and breast augmentation.(Sore Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Although the U.S. military does not cover the cost of abortion for female soldiers, it does pay some or all of the cost of many elective cosmetic surgeries, including face-lifts, liposuction and breast augmentation. When a female soldier seeks...

Americans distrust the pharmaceutical, health insurance and managed care industries.(Sore Spot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Americans distrust the pharmaceutical, health insurance and managed care industries. A recent US Harris poll placed all three in the bottom third among industries the public believes does a good job serving consumers. The pharmaceutical...