Women's Health News

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African lawmakers appeal for U.N. resolution banning female genital mutilation

"The cutting or removal of young girls' and women's clitoris and/or labia affects some 120 to 140 million women ... mostly in Africa and the Middle East, according to the World Health Organisation," Agence France-Presse writes.

6 May 2010

Study shows training in rhythmic gymnastics improves bone health in adolescent girls

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, long-term elite rhythmic gymnastics exerts positive effects on volumetric bone density and bone geometry in adolescent girls.

5 May 2010

Survey reveals need for educating U.S. women about stroke symptoms

Although more than 425,000 women suffer from stroke each year, 55,000 more than men, a new survey showed that women may be dramatically underestimating their risk of this medical emergency, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Only 27 percent of women who were surveyed could name more than two of the six primary stroke symptoms. Moreover, seven out of 10 women who were surveyed said they are not aware they are more likely than men to have a stroke, and were not at all or only somewhat knowledgeable about risk factors.

5 May 2010

FDA requested to publish data supporting assertion on HPV types 6, 11 causing vulvar, vaginal cancers

A Connecticut cancer pathologist/physician/scientist with extensive experience in the field for the past half century has formally challenged the FDA to back claims on its website that human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 6 and 11 cause vulvar and vaginal cancers in women.

5 May 2010

Americans and their babies are gaining more body fat: Study

A new study has found for the first time that as Americans are gaining more body fat, so are their babies. The research, which reviewed data from more than 74,000 births, found that a key measure of body fat composition in newborns increased significantly over a 15-year period, mirroring similar increases among pregnant mothers. The findings were presented Sunday by researchers from Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting.

5 May 2010

Eight states to receive grants for local health programs

Pregnant women in eight states will receive prenatal services and education from the March of Dimes, thanks to a $313,000 grant from the WellPoint Foundation, Inc., a private, nonprofit organization wholly funded by WellPoint, Inc.

5 May 2010

Vitamin A does not improve maternal, infant health, study finds

Giving women vitamin A supplements does not reduce maternal death rates or improve the health of infants, according to a study published Tuesday in the Lancet, the New York Times reports.

5 May 2010

Most women pay for abortions out of pocket; Okla. and Fla. abortion restrictions in the news

"Most women getting abortions pay for them out of their own pockets, with private insurers picking up the cost for just 12%, according to a new survey" from the Guttmacher Institute. The Journal adds that abortion coverage was "a flash point" in the health reform debate, "with abortion opponents seeking to block plans that include abortions from the new federally mandated insurance exchanges set to launch in 2014."

5 May 2010

Study: Flaxseed diet reduces ovarian cancer, increases survival rates

In the race to find answers about ovarian cancer, researchers now have something to cluck about. For five years, University of Illinois researchers have been using the chicken as a model to study this deadly disease and have recently discovered that a diet enriched with flaxseed decreases severity of ovarian cancer and increases survival in hens.

5 May 2010

Understanding the biology of postpartum blues

Greater levels of a brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - may explain why postpartum blues and clinical depression are so common after childbirth according to an important study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2010

Scientists discover key molecular mechanism in breast cancer metastasis

Scientists at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center have identified a key molecular mechanism in breast cancer that enables tumor cells to spread to adjacent or distant parts of the body in a process called metastasis.

5 May 2010

HPV test recommended for national cervical cancer screening programmes

Two studies suggest that testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the major cause of cervical cancer - could be used in national cervical cancer screening programmes.

4 May 2010

First Edition: May 4, 2010

Today's headlines include stories about parts of the new health reform law dealing with long-term care, high risk insurance pools and early retiree health insurance.

4 May 2010

Celsion reports $4.6 million net loss from operations for first-quarter 2010

Celsion Corporation, a leading oncology drug development company, announced today financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 and addressed the progression of the clinical trials of ThermoDox®, Celsion's heat activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin. ThermoDox® is currently being evaluated in the Phase III HEAT trial for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in a Phase I/II trial for patients with recurrent chest wall breast cancer.

4 May 2010

Drive for expediency should not compromise care in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment

While timely care can reduce stress among breast cancer patients about their condition, the drive for expediency should not compromise other factors important to care, such as safety, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity, according to new research findings published in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

4 May 2010

Percentage of obese girls in the U.S. increases: HRSA study

The percentage of obese girls in the United States increased more than twice as much as the percentage of obese boys from 2003 to 2007, according to a study by researchers at the Health Resources and Services Administration.

4 May 2010

$Osteoporosis screening can reduce risk of future fractures$

Osteoporosis screening can reduce risk of future fractures

One in two women in the United States will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her lifetime. However, according to a review article published in the May 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), only a few of these women will be tested and treated for osteoporosis, which if identified and treated, could dramatically decrease their risk of future fractures.

4 May 2010

Women taking hormonal contraceptives are at highest risk of FSD: Study

Women taking non-oral and oral hormonal contraceptives were at highest risk of Female Sexual Dysfunction, according to a study of female German medical students published today in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Interestingly, women taking non-hormonal contraceptives were at lowest risk for FSD, more than women not using any contraceptive.

4 May 2010

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases risk of psychiatric problems in children

It is well-known that maternal smoking during pregnancy can have long-term effects on the physical health of the child, including increased risk for respiratory disease, ear infections and asthma. New research shows that prenatal smoking also can lead to psychiatric problems and increase the need for psychotropic medications in childhood and young adulthood.

4 May 2010

Study highlights high prevalence of GDM during pregnancy

Living in a food-insecure household during pregnancy may increase the odds of greater weight gain and pregnancy complications, particularly gestational diabetes mellitus, according to a new study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

4 May 2010