Women's Health Activist articles from September 2004

Women's Health Activist archives from September 2004

Uninsured, exposed and at risk--but not powerless.(lack of cohesive American health insurance plan)
September 1, 2004... HOLES RIDDLE THE PATCHWORK QUILT THAT IS THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, leaving nearly 16 million women exposed to the dangers of being uninsured. (1) These dangers include a lower quality of care, preventable serious health problems,...

Women's health in the USA: we're (not) number one!(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Can you tell I've been watching the Olympics? Like many, other people, even though I'm not at all athletic I love watching the Olympics every four years. I get excited when I see an athlete do something incredible, and I really enjoy seeing so...

NBCCF gets personal with health access campaign.(National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund )
September 1, 2004... Of the approximately 260,000 American women diagnosed with breast cancer last year, there was "Jane Doe." The 44-year-old single woman, a paralegal in a small Louisiana law firm, learned she had invasive ductal breast cancer in October. Doe's...

Better than talking?(young Feminists)(social aspects of recreational Viagra use)
September 1, 2004... Consider these staggering statistics: Nine tablets of Viagra are dispensed every second worldwide. Pfizer sold $850 million worth of the "little blue pill" in the first half of this year, with 16 million prescriptions written since 1998--not...

Weight cycling, often called yo-yo dieting, may affect the body's immune system.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Weight cycling, often called yo-yo dieting, may affect the body's immune system. Researchers at the University of Washington studied women who had experienced frequent intentional weight loss (and subsequent regain) of 10 pounds or more....

A recent report to the FDA highlights some possible adverse events that may occur during mammography for women with breast implants.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A recent report to the FDA highlights some possible adverse events that may occur during mammography for women with breast implants. The most common such event is the rupture of the implants (either saline or silicone). Other negative outcomes...

Abdominal liposuction does not appear to decrease risk factors for coronary heart disease.(Women's Health Snapshots)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Abdominal liposuction does not appear to decrease risk factors for coronary heart disease. In a recent study, the procedure was performed on eight obese women with normal oral glucose tolerance but moderate insulin resistance, and on seven...

How one state removed barriers to medicaid-funded abortion.
September 1, 2004... In 1977, Congress first passed the Hyde Amendment, which allows the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions only in cases of rape, incest or when the woman's life is in danger. States have the option of paying for abortions under broader...

In memory of Dido Hasper, 1948-2004.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
September 1, 2004... Dido Hasper, longtime executive director of Women's Health Specialists and founder of the Chico (California) Feminist Women's Health Center, died unexpectedly on July 15, 2004. Dido was best known as a tireless advocate for women's reproductive...

Fortified foods: one inadequate step in the right direction.(You Heard It Here First)
September 1, 2004... This spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that 500 serious birth defects are prevented each year thanks to a 1998 government rule requiring manufacturers to fortify cereal grain products with folic acid....

Questions about endometriosis?(Endometriosis: The Complete Reference for Taking Charge of Your Health )(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Endometriosis: The Complete Reference for Taking Charge of Your Health is a new book by Mary Lou Ballweg and the Endometriosis Foundation. You'll find a vast amount of useful information, including a chapter on menopause and endometriosis, a...

New at www.NWHN.org: message board for members!(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A timely, interactive forum for discussing topics in women's health, the NWHN message board is free to all members. To access the board, simply go to www. nwhn.org and log in as a member, using your username and password. You'll see a link that...

Harmless hormones? Bah, humbug!(Prescription for Change)
September 1, 2004... Do you need your hormones "balanced"? Some alternative doctors are promoting hormone cocktails to cure what ails you, and if you think nothing ails you, well, maybe that's just your haywire hormones talking. After I testified at a Congressional...

G-spot.(American Medical Association opposes FDA emergency contraceptive decision)(survey on health disparities)(health insurance providers including contraception)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In June, the American Medical Association approved a resolution opposing the decision by the Food and Drug Administration not to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception. The resolution outlines why EC should be available without...

Sore spot.(new titanium bra implant)(psychotropic drug ads)(Bush appointments to Reproductibe Health Drugs Advisory Committee)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Look out, silicone--the newest type of breast implant is a titanium mesh "bra" that lies just under a woman's skin. Its creator, German cosmetic surgeon Ziya Saylan, says that women wearing the invisible, permanent, strapless contraption will...