MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'abortion'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:47:01 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169550&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-perils-of-fetal-sex-selection-terminating-pregnancies-based-on-babys-gender%2F2011.08.26 What would you do if you discovered early in your pregnancy that you were pregnant with a girl when you wanted a boy? Would you terminate the pregnancy? With the advent of a new DNA test that can determine the sex of a fetus at 7 weeks gestation with a simple blood or urine test, fetal sex selection is now possible. However, before you proceed to pop the cork on your bottle of champagne, a word of precaution is warranted. The Chinese and India dilemmas present a global warning regarding the perils of fetal sex selection. Boys now outnumber girls in China and India and competition is fierce regarding finding a wife or a mate. According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), by the year 2020, there will be between 30 to 40 million more boys than girls in China and the statistics i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169550 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:00:03 +0100 5169550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159201&cid=t_91830_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2Fis-it-really-mind-over-matter-the-mind-and-body-are-one%2F You have probably heard the phrase mind over matter, which implies the mind and matter are separable.  Or maybe you have heard it’s all in your head, or it’s mental.  Both of these phrases imply the separation of mind and brain (or body). So to explore this issue, I’d like to share some videos that discuss the unity of mind-body.  They can help us better understand how inseparable the mind and brain (body) really are. Mind vs. Brain: In the above video, Yale psychologist Paul Bloom says, “The mind is a product of the brain.  The mind is what the brain does.” Can we overload our brains? Steven Pinker, a scientist at Harvard, discusses the mind-brain myth in the video above.   Substance Dualism *Mirror* This is an excellent video (above) that discusses and re... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159201 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:29:31 +0100 5159201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158847&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F21%2Fsunday-news-round-up-not-on-vacation-edition%2F I know I’ve been posting infrequently when I get an email from a reader saying they thought I might be on vacation. I’m not. That message was about updates in the Juana Villegas case, which I’ll post about separately later this week. In the meantime, here are some things that have caught my attention recently: New York City is going to make sure middle and high school students get at least a little sex ed as part of their health education classes. Good. Maternal mortality for Black women got a bit of attention at BET. The New York Times explores the issue of pregnancy reduction when there are twins/two fetuses. “Selective reduction” is pretty well accepted (but not uncontroversial) when there are many fetuses, but it apparently seems more complicated to som... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158847 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:32:45 +0100 5158847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140112&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1057-How-Twins-became-Endangered.html There is a lot of buzz lately about "selective reduction."  Ever since the New York Times published "Two-Minus-One Pregnancy" about aborting one twin for parents who only want one baby at a time, born triplets, twins and singletons alike stand horrified.  Like so many unethical practices that slide down a very slippery slope, "selective reduction" was never intended to be used to kill a twin.  It began as a response to the multiple pregnancies created by the fertility industry in their attempt to boost success rates.  They would implant 3, 4, 5, even 12 embryos (in the case of Nadya Suleman) in hopes that one would take. When more than the desired fetuses resulted, doctors would recommend eliminating some to make the pregnancy more manageab... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140112 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:28:17 +0100 5140112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118594&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fu-s-abortion-restrictions-on-humanitarian-aid-violate-geneva-convention-campaign-underway-to-petition-president-obama Guest post by Sarah Morison It was not until I started working at the Global Justice Center that I learned that due to U.S. policy (not law, policy), it is almost impossible for a victim of war rape who becomes impregnated to have the option of abortion. That is because all humanitarian aid that the United States gives in areas of armed conflict to either governments or humanitarian organizations contains a blanket prohibition on any monies being used to provide abortions — or even information about abortion. Yet under the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States has been a party for over 60 years, “wounded and sick” civilian victims of armed conflict are absolutely guaranteed the right to “comprehensive and non-discriminatory” medical care. The Global ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118594 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:39:37 +0100 5118594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118888&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1052-1-adoption-for-every-2%2C235-abortions-makes-baby-selling-a-lucrative-business.html I love the Fixx's "One Thing Leads to Another."  I found the video, with the white-lab coat doctor/scientist looking into his microscope, mildly prophetic. (I apologize in advance for the inappropriate Adidas ad that may proceed.)   Sometimes we can learn something from rock. (Mostly classic rock, because music nowadays is only about clubbing and hooking up, even from mothers who should have left that life behind once the pregnancy test was positive.)  I digress.  LifeNews reported that statistics from the UK show that for every 1 adoption there were 2,235 abortions.  In the United States, Planned Parenthood has 1 adoption referral for every 333 abortions.Add the lack of babies to adopt to the fact that couples are starting families later in life and you ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118888 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:50:04 +0100 5118888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107796&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1051-Rock-is-to-fetus-as-adult-is-to.....html Just when I think I have seen every possible way a pro-choicer can perform mental gymnastics trying to convince themselves that somehow a fetus is not human, they surprise me.  This one takes the cake.  In the comments section on Salon.com:We think it is bad to kill an adult but not bad to destroy a rock. Why the difference? Well, an adult is conscious, self-aware and has feelings, thoughts, beliefs, plans, relationships, hopes and so on. A rock has none of those characteristics so destroying it doesn't matter. So is a fetus closer to an adult or to a rock? I'd say a rock. That is why legal abortion is justified.I would love to say that this argument dropped like a rock, but others responded as if it was totally rational:I think I learned a lot by considering your position....I a... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107796 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:32:08 +0100 5107796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103315&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F05%2Flatina-week-of-action-for-reproductive-justice%2F This week, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and other organizations have been observing the second annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice: This year’s theme is Caminamos: Justice for Immigrant Women. We’re inviting everyone to join us in moving toward a brighter future for immigrant women and their families. Mean-spirited enforcement, workplace exploitation, and the criminalization of basic rights like education and health care are just a few of the challenges that have forced immigrant women into the shadows and ignored the crucial, positive role we play in our communities. Action items for the week include calling for a review of the 287(g) program and online discussion on the theme, “what’s the real problem behind the targeting of ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103315 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:27:53 +0100 5103315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096838&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1049-Legacy-of-Population-Control-163-million-missing-women.html 163 million women are missing from Asia.  That is the entire female population of the United States.  The culprit is sex selective abortion according to Mara Hvistendahl's fascinating book Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men.  Hvistendahl is not pro-life nor is she Catholic, but that is what, I believe, makes this book courageous.  Of course in typical pro-choice fashion, she refuses to address the facts of when human life begins, but she does tackle the sacred cows at the root of the devastation that now faces Asia: widespread abortion and the population control movement of the West.What I loved most about this book is that it goes beyond the typical reasons why Asians are aborting their girls in record numbers.&#1... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096838 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:09:34 +0100 5096838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086114&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attack-kitty-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a while, having been distracted by the heat, the carless situation, dad’s cancer, mom’s hip replacement re-replacement, work, leveling my first character in Warcraft (now a level 71 undead frost mage – I don’t want to duel you!), and life in general. Tonight, though, I’m at my parents’ house (sitting with mom after said re-replacement), in a town with <30 thousand people that gets really, truly dark at night, World of Warcraft won't run on this computer, and I think I've reached the end of the internet. Might as well do something. The FDA has issued a warning not to use emergency contraception labeled as Evital. The agency says, These products may be counterfeit versions of the “morning after pill” ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086114 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:40:55 +0100 5086114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077934&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1047-The-Right-Approach-a-drug-for-Down-Syndrome.html The New York Times has an encouraging article on Dr. Alberto Costa.  He is a man on a mission to discover a drug to treat the cognitive issues associated with Down Syndrome.  He has proven results in mice and now he is moving to patients:Now Costa has taken the next step: he is completing the first randomized clinical trial ever to take a drug that worked in mice with Down and apply it to humans with the disease, a milestone in the history of Down-syndrome research.“This was a disorder for which it was believed there was no hope, no treatment, and people thought, Why waste your time?” says Craig C. Garner, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and co-director of the Center for Research and Treatment of Down Syndrome at Stanford University. “The last 10 years have s... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077934 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:04:45 +0100 5077934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069822&cid=t_91830_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F8WFD_ZbuCB4%2F Hello, everyone, and top of the morning to you. Another shiny day is unfolding on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we have much to do. You know, the drill - reading documents, making phone calls, finding interesting tidbits. To prepare, yes, we are downing that mandatory cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Wild Mountain Blueberry. So please join us. Meanwhile, here are some items from around the world. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Pfizer’s Zyvox and Antidepressants May Cause Fatal Reaction (Bloomberg News) Valeant Approaches Swedish Drugmaker Mada About A Takeover (Bloomberg News) Abortion Pill Given Via Telemedicine Is Safe And Effective (Reuters) Vertex Says Hepatitis C Drug Combo Works (Reuters) Naeja Pharmaceutical R&D Facility Catches Fire (Cal... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069822 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:41:22 +0100 5069822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960243&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1034-Empowering-women-code-for-devaluing-and-controlling-them.html Has anyone else noticed that the newspeak about "empowering women" that just is code for devaluing and controlling women's lives?  Liberals talk a good game about giving women "reproductive rights" and "education" but it is really a front for misogyny.  Case in point, abortion.  What is championed as the liberator of women is now estimated to have killed 163 million girls all over the world just because they were female.  From the Wall Street Journal's book review of Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men:In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. This ratio is biologically ironclad. Between 104 and 106 is the normal range, and that's as far as the natural window goes. Any other number is the resul... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960243 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:41:23 +0100 4960243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952734&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F19%2Fwhy-a-fertilized-egg-is-not-a-baby-a-gardeners-analogy%2F With blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and the like, I think we all have a tendency to surround ourselves with people like us, who share many of our core beliefs. In the feminist blogosphere, we can feel like we’ve already had a discussion 100 times, already settled a matter, and we’re all kind of operating with the same definitions and understandings (even if that isn’t really the case). I know I can feel like, “I’ve already covered that topic” – like whether “life begins at conception” – but a comment thread at Kat Coble’s* made me want to revisit an issue when a commenter all-caps declared a fertilized egg to be “a BABY.” Medical people do not consider having a fertilized egg alone to mean that you are pregnant. Pregn... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952734 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 06:12:07 +0100 4952734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934652&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1030-India-paying-to-save-its-girls.html It was recently reported that in the last thirty years, 12 million of India's girls were aborted simply because they weren't males.  India has tried to remedy this egregious situation.  First they made sex selection abortion illegal.  Then in 2002 they made the simple act of finding out the sex of a fetus illegal.  The preference for boys is so strong that parents are finding ways around the law.  None of the laws against sex selection has helped.  Now India is resorting to giving out cash to increase the number of girls born.  From The Christian Science Monitor:  Not long ago, Mullahera, a village on what was then the outskirts of New Delhi, was the kind of place where families wanted a boy. Their reasoning was simple: A boy could inherit farmland, work the fields, and provide spa... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934652 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:28:00 +0100 4934652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921342&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F10%2Fat-obos-abortion-access-as-a-health-disparity-the-reel-grrls-take-on-comcast-vermonts-new-law-and-more%2F I haven’t been very good recently about linking from here to my posts at Our Bodies Our Blog, where I write about twice a week. Here are some recent posts there: Access to Abortion as a Health Disparities Issue – Highlighting a recent commentary in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, in which the authors call for not just expanded access to prevention of unwanted pregnancies, but the treatment of them – and access to that treatment through reducing barriers to abortion access. “Reel Grrls” Empowers Young Women to Create Videos, Take on Corporate Giants – a bit about what happens when Comcast picks on a bunch of girls learning media skills Vermont Passes Law Providing for Insurance Coverage of Home Births and Midwives, Birth Certificate Cha... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921342 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:12:19 +0100 4921342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921372&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2Faccess-to-abortion-as-a-health-disparities-issue A recent Guttmacher piece reported that from 2000 to 2008, abortion rates in the United States declined – except among poor women, who “accounted for 42% of all abortions in 2008, and their abortion rate increased 18% between 2000 and 2008, from 44.4 to 52.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44.” A commentary in the May issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved focuses on the barriers faced by poor and minority women in obtaining abortions and other reproductive health care. The authors call not just for better access to services to prevent unintended pregnancy, but for increased access to abortion itself. In Access to Abortion Services: A Neglected Health Disparity, authors Christine Dehlendorf and Tracy Weitz identify the Hyde amendment, provi... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921372 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:15:50 +0100 4921372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902397&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2Fjudge-set-to-hear-arguments-in-indiana-planned-parenthood-funding-case Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (R) recently signed a bill into law that would prevent any clinics that also provide abortions from receiving Medicaid funds for non-abortion services such as family planning. In response, the federal Department of Health and Human Services sent state officials a letter stating that “Medicaid programs may not exclude qualified health care providers from providing services that are funded under the program because of a provider’s scope of practice.” In other words, states can’t refuse to let a clinic take Medicaid money for birth control and cancer screenings just because they also provide abortions – the law is intended to give patients a free choice of providers. A U.S. district judge will hear arguments today on possibly halti... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902397 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:16:46 +0100 4902397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902384&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2Fsunday-news-round-up-if-this-is-may-edition%2F The local newspaper is covering genetic tests for breast cancer, privacy, gene tests patents, cost, and the fears some people have about getting tested. Iris Carmen at Jezebel has a piece, “The Fight For Abortion Access For Military Women,” that is really about barriers in the military that prevent women from reporting sexual assault, the institutional difficulties faced by women servicemembers who become pregnant, and their lack of access to abortion coverage and providers. Via the CDC’s National Prevention Intervention Network (@cdcnpin) Follow @CDCNPIN@CDCNPINCDC NPIN #30years ago today, @CDCMMWR reported on 1st cases of what became known as #AIDS. http://ow.ly/59vq3 about 23 hours ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite The link in the tweet goes to the actual June 5, 1... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902384 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:49:56 +0100 4902384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883527&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F30%2Fi-am-a-giant-whiner-about-the-heat-and-attempts-to-defund-planned-parenthood-in-tennessee%2F Ugh. The air conditioner at my place has been broken for the last few weeks, and it’s been a pretty constant 85 degrees in here. I have no idea how people tolerate the south without a/c on a regular basis – the persistent heat is making me whiny and angry and just generally unpleasant. It also has the effect of making it less pleasant for me to focus the energy to post about whatever nonsense our state legislature is up to related to women and their bodies. If the heat didn’t make me cranky enough, Senator Stacey Campfield (R, duh), added an item to the state budget to “cut off $747,900 a year in federal money for non-abortion family-planning and women’s health services to Planned Parenthood in Memphis and $335,000 to Planned Parenthood in Nashville.” No... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883527 Mon, 30 May 2011 15:05:25 +0100 4883527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883812&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1025-How-abortion-magnifies-our-prejudices.html Sam and the Perfect World by David Lenz, father of Sam who has Down SyndromeHumans are a predictable species.  The more we know about something, the less it scares us.  The more we interact with different people the less prejudice guides our words and actions.  From people of another color, to the elderly, to the sick and dying, the more we engage, the less we judge on preconceived notions.  What does this have to do with abortion?  Everything.  When 90% of babies with Down Syndrome are aborted, it means a 90% less chance of ever meeting someone with Down Syndrome.  90% less chance of understanding how wonderful a person with Down Syndrome is.  90% less chance of understanding that an extra chromosome 21 does not define or negate a person. Instead we have a world that is nearly Dow... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883812 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:58:10 +0100 4883812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862800&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1022-Abortion-kills-12-million-girls-in-India.html Just wondering when the feminists are going to figure out that abortion kills women...lots of them.  From Reuters:Up to 12 million girls were aborted over the last three decades in India by parents that tended to be richer and more educated, a large study in India found, and researchers warned that the figure could rise with falling fertility rates.The missing daughters occurred mostly in families which already had a first born daughter. Although the preference for boys runs across Indian society, the abortions were more likely to be carried out by educated parents who were aware of ultrasound technology and who could afford abortions."The number of girls being aborted is increasing and may have reached 12 million with the lower estimate of 4 million over the last three decades,&quot... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862800 Tue, 24 May 2011 18:52:00 +0100 4862800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852818&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2Fmaddow-contrasts-republican-stances-actions-on-abortion%2F Rachel Maddow put together a montage of videos featuring Republicans talking about two things – 1) not wanting bureaucrats between people and their doctors, and 2) wanting less regulation overall – and contrasted that with what they’ve been up to on abortion, including legislature-driven, medically inaccurate consent scripts and TRAP laws. WordPress won’t let me embed it, but it’s online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#43103392 (with a transcript). Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Government (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852818 Sun, 22 May 2011 16:05:03 +0100 4852818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852819&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2Ftennessee-constitutional-amendment-on-abortion-to-go-to-voters-planned-parenthood-responds%2F SJR127, a joint resolution in the Tennessee legislature to “provide that nothing in Constitution of Tennessee secures or protects right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion,” has passed through the legislature. It will go to a public vote on the 2014 state ballot. The resolution has been raised for years, but never made it through both arms of the legislature until now. Supporters argue that the change would Tennessean’s abortion rights in line with those in the rest of the country by making our state Constitution neutral on the matter. Voting in the change could allow further restrictions, and in the (presumably unlikely) event of a total Roe overturn, it would allow a state ban on abortion. Naturally, I’m not too enthused about this move to make th... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852819 Sun, 22 May 2011 16:00:58 +0100 4852819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841415&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fnew-guttmacher-video-tackles-misconceptions-about-women-who-choose-abortion There are plenty of stereotypes about women who have abortions, and things most people don’t realize – such as that the majority of women having abortions are already mothers. The true picture is apparent in the CDC abortion surveillance data, but let’s face it – these detailed reports aren’t exactly catchy or easy reading. The Guttmacher Institute has put out a much simpler version of the facts about women who have abortion in the United States, with clear information about who has abortions, and a call for better access to prevention, comprehensive sex education, and abortion coverage through insurance and for low-income women. [hat tip to ema] (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841415 Thu, 19 May 2011 16:33:59 +0100 4841415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829168&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1021-India-Man-Beats-Pregnant-Wife-to-Death-for-Carrying-a-Girl.html Abortion was supposed to be so liberating for women.  Turns out it just makes it easier to make sure there are less of us.  And if we refuse to have one?  Well read this from Asia News:Mumbai – A man has been accused of beating to death his six-month pregnant wife after finding out she was carrying another girl. The crime took place in Shankarmut, C Bellagal Mandal, in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.The couple already had two daughters. After tests revealed she would have another one, Prakash Chari told his wife last Tuesday to have an abortion. When she refused, he beat her.Neighbours rushed the seriously injured woman to a nearby hospital, but she died of her injuries the next day.The two were married six years ago, police said. A first information report has been filed and an investigation... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829168 Mon, 16 May 2011 16:52:44 +0100 4829168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813233&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fstirring-the-pot-how-has-obama-done-on-choice We’re all pretty used to hearing about anti-choice, anti-reproductive justice Republican proposals that do little to promote the health of all women, but how is our current Democratic President doing on these issues? That is the theme explored by the current issue of Conscience, the magazine of Catholics for Choice, which explores the question of President Obama’s record of pro-choice action. In the first essay, Jodi Jacobsen of RH Reality Check asks, “Is Obama Prochoice?” and focuses on the topic by looking at the President’s actions related to the stimulus package, healthcare reform debates, the murder of Dr. Tiller, and other events. Her conclusion? “Is Obama Prochoice? Not by my definition.” Other authors discuss the need for a true “cham... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813233 Wed, 11 May 2011 18:10:40 +0100 4813233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803005&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F08%2Fsunday-news-round-up-car-freecarless-edition%2F This post is late because I was busy taking the bus to get here.* I wrote several times in 2008 about the case of Juana Villegas, an immigrant in Nashville who was arrested as the result of a traffic stop and ultimately ended up shackled to a hospital bed during labor, separated from her newborn for two days without seeing him, and denied a breast pump or cream for lactating women. This past week, a federal judge ruled in her favor that the shackling during labor and after delivery violated her civil rights. I have a full post up at Our Bodies Our Blog on this topic. I also have a full post up at the OBOS blog on the Skin Deep database, which provides info on the safety and ingredients of skin care and cosmetic products. I spent the last few days at the IHA Health Literacy conference. I... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803005 Sun, 08 May 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4803005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734034&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fcoercive-sterilization-program-tries-to-expand-to-south-africa Project Prevention, a program formerly known as C.R.A.C.K. that seeks to bribe/coerce women with drug addictions into be sterilized or accepting long-term birth control (that may not be medically appropriate) through financial incentives, started out in the United States by advertising quick cash for addicted women who surrendered their reproductive options and control. The program often targeted communities of color. Needless to say, the program is vile and racist — founder Barbara Harris has been widely quoted comparing women to dogs and their children to unwanted animals, saying, “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.” The program has ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734034 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:24:37 +0100 4734034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734441&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1009-The-Blame-Game-Prenatal-Genetic-Testing-and-Abortion.html Amniocentesis (Photo credit: Saturn Stills/ www.sciencesource.com)Do you get that feeling?  You know when you hear about a new prenatal test and you shake your head, let a little grumble escape from your mouth, and then you notice the sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach.  Many pro-lifers get that feeling because they know that a new prenatal test performed even earlier means more innocent babies aborted.  I normally don't talk about something as mushy as feelings, but today, I want to talk about that feeling.A few months ago scientists announced a new way to genetically test a fetus as early as 12 weeks.  Unlike amniocentesis, or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) each with a risk of miscarriage, this new method finds fragments of the fetal DNA in the mother's blood.  This test ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734441 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:41:00 +0100 4734441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723754&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fsunday-news-round-up-not-intended-to-be-a-factual-statement-edition%2F Actually, the round-up is not a joke – but I have been cracking up at Stephen Colbert’s response (and the resulting tweets) to Republican John Kyl’s way, way off statement on the Senate floor that >90% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortion (it’s more like 3%), and his spokesperson’s response, when Kyl was called on the error, that it “was not intended to be a factual statement.” [more via Know Your Meme] At Our Bodies Our Blog, some discussion of “opiate babies” as the new “crack babies,” with all of the problematic media coverage and decentering of women’s stories and experiences that implies. Also, OBOS is looking for individuals who might want to be on the cover of the 40th anniversary edition of the book,... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723754 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:12:13 +0100 4723754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709183&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fnew-debate-over-addicted-mothers-and-their-babies This week, the New York Times ran a piece focused on the babies of women addicted to prescription painkillers. The focus of the narrative – almost exclusively on the babies, with a lack of real interrogation of or accountability for how the system currently fails and demonizes addicted pregnant women – should be familiar to anyone who witnessed media coverage of the “crack baby” in the 1980s.* In fact, the writer explicitly draws this parallel by stating, “Like the cocaine-exposed babies of the 1980s, those born dependent on prescription opiates — narcotics that contain opium or its derivatives — are entering a world in which little is known about the long-term effects on their development.” The same paper ran a piece in December 2009, “The E... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709183 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:22:01 +0100 4709183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696585&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F11%2Fwhat-should-i-do-with-my-uterus-lets-put-it-to-a-vote%2F In this morning’s Nashville, TN newspaper: Tennessee’s abortion protections are scheduled to come up for debate in the legislature today, in a critical vote that could determine whether the issue goes before voters in 2014. What’s meant to go before voters – if/when it clears the state legislature – is an amendment to the state Constitution to say that “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.” Supporters plan to implement waiting periods, legislated scripts for doctors, and other restrictions if the amendment is passed. Naturally pro-choice folks -including me – are concerned about: a) amending the Constitution to suggest fewer rights for women; b) putting it up to a popul... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696585 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:15:25 +0100 4696585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696587&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fsunday-news-round-up-whining-about-the-heat-edition%2F This week I added one more lecture to the list of lectures I need to write up for posts here; this week it was Kevin Pho, better known as KevinMD. I’ll have more detail and commentary later, but I particularly appreciated his closing remark that patients *are* going online for health information, and physicians can either roll their eyes and resist or get on board – I’ve made the same argument in various posts here. One more example of the Tennessee state legislature being up to utter hateful bullshit: Legislature moves quickly to nullify council’s newly adopted nondiscrimination ordinance. Nashville passed an ordinance basically meaning that businesses contracting with the metro government have to have nondiscrimination policies in place that include protections a... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696587 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:40:39 +0100 4696587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677021&cid=t_91830_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fright-to-life-means-you-have-no-rights.html H/T Red Rambler: Is Pro-Life really Pro-Life?Image via Wikipedia  Have you ever noticed that when Social Conservatives use a bumper sticker term like "Right To Life," it often means something entirely different than what ordinary English Usage would suggest? "Right to Life" - you would think - would imply a broad reverence for life and a reluctance to interfere in matters of individual liberty. But in fact, the only real right to life they seem to respect is their right to interfere with your life, and there are two iconic causes here - any chance that a woman might control her own reproduction, even in cases of rape or incest (one is tempted at times to use the word especially)  and of course the gun-culture fetishism. It is not Right to Life when the direct outcome of policy an... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677021 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:28:00 +0100 4677021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676727&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F03%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunny-day-edition-2%2F The New England Journal of Medicine published a freely available Clinical Practice article, “Care of Transsexual Persons.” It covers hormones, surgery, and adolescents. Note that it does use the problematic gender identity “disorder” language as included in the DSM and it also promotes the standard psychological counseling hoops that transgender persons must jump through prior to obtaining treatment – Julia Serano‘s “Whipping Girl” provides a good primer on why those hoops can be problematic. It might be worth checking out what kinds of materials health care providers are seeing regarding these topics, including how they’re problematic. Relatedly, there’s a possibility that “gender identity disorder” will be renamed &... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676727 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:04:37 +0100 4676727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642547&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F27%2Fsunday-news-round-up-5%2F Assorted items of interest collected over the last week or so; as usual, the Sunday round-up is more socially than medically oriented, this week with several items on transgender women and related rights, issues, and prejudices as I’ve been trying to read more about these topics. Scientific American has an excerpt from a new book, Demand Better! Revive Our Broken Health Care System. It’s a pretty clear explanation of how little doctors apply the best, most current evidence to medical treatment, and might be pretty shocking for folks who are not involved in evidence-based medicine issues. For example: Even though clinical guidelines exist…physicians get it right about 55 percent of the time across all medical conditions. In other words, patients receive recommended care ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642547 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:25:47 +0100 4642547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626782&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fupcoming-panel-on-race-and-reproductive-justice Discussion Featuring: Loretta Ross, National Coordinator of SisterSong Reverend Madison Shockley, Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Tiloma Jayasinghe, Executive Director, Sakhi for South Asian Women Elizabeth Barajas – Roman, Director of Policy, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Priscilla Huang, Associate Policy Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum When: Thursday April 7th, 2011, 6:30-8:00pm, followed by RECEPTION (those wishing to attend reception MUST attend Panel). Event will begin on time. Where: Northeastern Law School, Dockser Hall Room 240, 65 Forsyth Street Boston MA, 02115 Co Sponsored by: Northeastern Black Law Students Association, Northeastern Asian Pacific American Law Students Associati... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626782 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:33:37 +0100 4626782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622201&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F22%2Fsouth-dakota-passes-law-requiring-potentially-deceptive-non-medical-counseling-for-abortion%2F HB1217 was signed into law today by the Governor of South Dakota; it will require women to visit crisis pregnancy centers (called “pregnancy help centers” in the bill) in order to effectively get their permission to obtain an abortion. Those centers are known for misleading women about the medical risks of abortion, and exist primarily to try to convince women not to choose abortion. These centers are not staffed by licensed medical or psychological professionals. Women will be required to receive a presentation on “what education, counseling, and other assistance is available to help the pregnant mother keep and care for her child.” This would be fine, if it were intended to help women make an educated choice rather than to sway them to a specific choice (without unduly i... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622201 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:11:27 +0100 4622201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605801&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fstates-continue-attempts-to-restrict-abortion Yesterday, NPR’s Morning Edition ran a story, States’ Abortion Legislation Questioned By Critics. It reviews some of the anti-choice proposals in states like South Dakota, where women choosing abortion would be required to visit a “crisis pregnancy center” prior to having the procedure. They also report: “At least 20 states have passed laws that require doctors either to offer women ultrasounds or to perform one. Seven others are now considering bills that would mandate the ultrasound.” I noticed a couple of additional proposals beyond those mentioned in the NPR piece, such as Idaho’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks, a move that hardly seems necessary. The recent 2007 CDC abortion surveillance data indicates a tiny number of Idaho abortions (only b... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605801 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:54:04 +0100 4605801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592321&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fupdate-on-cdc-abortion-surveillance-data%2F Over at Our Bodies Our Blog, I have a link to the published 2007 abortion surveillance data for the U.S., and some highlights. Not too surprisingly for folks who follow this data over the years, there’s nothing particularly new or worth-hiding there. Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592321 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:04:39 +0100 4592321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592347&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F2007-abortion-surveillance-data-published-surprise-its-pretty-much-what-everybody-expected The CDC has released abortion surveillance data for 2007, and it should come as no real surprise that the overall rate (16.0 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years) was pretty much the same as what it has been for the preceding several years, during which abortion rates have been pretty steady: 16.4 in 2000, 16.2 in 2001, 2002, and 2003, 16.0 in 2004, 15.8 in 2005, and 16.2 in 2006. Earlier this year, conservatives at RedState attempted to portray the lack of publication of this data in November of last year as a governmental attempt to hide something. In reality, November publication of the abortion surveillance data has been the regular practice just since 1999. I take a more detailed look at when each year’s data was released from 1977 to present here. The 2007 data, however, ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592347 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:31:03 +0100 4592347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560249&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOrBan6QDHlc%2F By David BoazAt the Britannica Blog I write: Many commentators have seen a shift to the right in American politics over the past two years — the reaction to spending, bailouts, and Obamacare; the rise in conservative self-identification in polls; the 2010 elections. But there’s another trend going on as well. I described it in 2009 as a “civil liberties surge.” And this week there’s new evidence. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds long-term growth in support for legal abortion, gun rights, marijuana legalization, and gay marriage. The graphs on all these topics from Pew are pretty impressive, as is another one from the General Social Survey included in the Britannica post. I go on to note: These new poll results should be no surprise. Pa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560249 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:06:57 +0100 4560249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554594&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F06%2Fsunday-news-round-up-now-with-fewer-omitted-gs%2F A few things of interest from the past week: RHRC has a whole series on obstetric fistula. March 3 was International Sex Workers Rights Day. As Naomi shared in the comments of a previous post, Rachel Maddow recently had on two Republican women who are Wyoming state reps and who reject recent state anti-abortion efforts. The two women describe themselves as small government conservatives, and state that they don’t believe government should interfere in such private decisions. The video is here, with a transcript mode option. Book Nerds! Deeply Problematic has an essay, “Hermione Granger and the Failures of Feminism.” It focuses primarily on how Hermione tries to bust in and forcibly “free” the house elves without actually talking to them about what they want... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554594 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:36:11 +0100 4554594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549740&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvPmlMaPLIdY%2F By David BoazIn the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Barton Hinkle notes that the Virginia General Assembly has just passed "tough new regulations on abortion clinics." And Suddenly, outraged liberals are sounding remarkably like libertarian advocates of laissez-faire capitalism and the industries they defend. For instance, abortion-rights supporters already are warning that the heavy hand of government will impose requirements so absurd and so economically burdensome that they will force clinics to close their doors. "What they'll do is put a burden of extra cost that is not backed up by sound science," said one abortion provider who spoke on condition of . . . whoops! Actually, those were the words of Alva Carter Jr., chairman of a New Mexico dairy industry group, who was protesting new groundwa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549740 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:32:46 +0100 4549740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527720&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F27%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunburn-edition%2F A bit of what I’ve been reading this week, when I haven’t been outside getting a mild sunburn. In February. Via fellow librarian Bobbie Newman, I learned of this piece, “The Hazards of Leading Culture Change” (click on the download link for the PDF). It’s kind of oriented toward businesses/organizations instead of movements/activism, but there were a few points I thought were relevant: “When you are up to your backside in alligators,” goes the oft-quoted line, “it is hard to remember you were there to drain the swamp.” Organizations under pressure are fraught with alligators-those seemingly never ceasing crises that keep leaders up at night. But, if all the energy goes into simply fighting alligators, there will always be alligators. Culture change is... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527720 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:34:44 +0100 4527720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517150&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fwalk-for-choice-events-happening-this-weekend Walk for Choice events will be held in cities all across the United States this Saturday to show support for abortion rights in response to recent anti-choice legislation — especially HR 3, The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The walks are expected to take place from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, and are currently planned for more than 50 U.S. cities, plus Melbourne, Toronto and still-to-be-determined cities in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. More information is available at walkforchoice.tumblr.com. There is also a Twitter profile and hashtag (#walk4choice) for the event. Chicago area activist Raven Geary said in a statement that HR3 was the catalyst for Walk for Choice. “While most Americans are demanding jobs, the GOP seems to have made overturning Roe v. Wade it... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517150 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:00:28 +0100 4517150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512371&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fthe-daily-show-takes-on-republicans-defunding-planned-parenthood Jon Stewart: The Republicans have come up with a brilliant idea. What if instead of cutting services for “people,” they cut services for “women”? The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Mother F#@kers www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook For more on the Republicans’ defunding efforts … The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Mother F#@kers – Stork Bucks www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512371 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:15:16 +0100 4512371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507238&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F21%2Fsunday-news-round-up-monday-style-2%2F The Now@NEJM blog posted a new item in its Clinical Practice series, Streptococcal Pharyngitis. This seemed particularly relevant after a worker fixing a light on Friday – after about 20 minutes in my office – told me all about how his current case of strep throat. The NEJM piece doesn’t seem to address people like me, though – I have a penicillin allergy! Acquaintance Ilissa has a diary up at Daily Kos on her first morning as an abortion clinic escort. I particularly liked one of the comments: “There is not room in one skin for two people with full rights.” At the New York Times, Study of Breast Biopsies Finds Surgery Used Too Extensively. This would be the kind of harm people were talking about when they talked about what happens when we do too many m... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507238 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:23:18 +0100 4507238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501573&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fthe-state-level-war-on-choice-updates-from-south-dakota Attention to recent attacks on reproductive rights primarily has focused on the national level, as Congressional Republicans have pushed bills and amendments to defund Title X family planning programs and eliminate federal support for Planned Parenthood, limit the ability to obtain health insurance covering abortion, and possibly provide protection for hospitals refusing to provide abortions, even in life-threatening situations. We hope and expect, of course, that these measures will fail to make it through the Senate, or that they will be vetoed by President Obama should the Senate fail to put on the brakes. But it may be more difficult to hold back anti-abortion legislation at the state level, where concentrated efforts to block women’s access to abortion are underway. Let’s... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501573 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:24:37 +0100 4501573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489625&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fupdate-on-anti-choice-legislation Last week, we wrote about current federal legislative attempts to restrict women’s access to abortions. Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce committee voted 33-19 to pass one of those pieces of legislation on to the House for a full vote, HR 358 (the ironically named “Protect Life” Act). The bill would limit women’s ability to buy their own insurance coverage for abortion and could potentially mean that women seeking emergency care might be denied medically necessary abortions even if their lives are in danger. Further reading: ‘Protect Life Act’ puts women’s lives at risk – The Hill’s Congress Blog Statement from NARAL Pro-Choice America (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489625 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:27:48 +0100 4489625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472937&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F13%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attacks-on-reproductive-rights-edition%2F Three things this week that I think are important to focus on for advocates of reproductive rights and justice: HR3, HR358, and proposed cuts to Title X family planning funding and other women’s health services. I wrote about HR3 and HR358 at Our Bodies Our Blog this week. There, I note that I particularly appreciated the succinct explanations provided by Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times, excerpted below. 1) On HR3: One bill, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” would eliminate tax breaks for private employers who provide health coverage if their plans offer abortion services, and would forbid women who use a flexible spending plan to use pre-tax dollars for abortions. Those restrictions would go well beyond current law prohibiting the use of federal money for ab... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472937 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:36:07 +0100 4472937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464452&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F11%2Fi-get-to-choosewhen-and-if-i-give-birth%2F Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy performed a song about abortion at a NARAL Pro-Choice luncheon yesterday. You know I have to love a song that includes the line, “But I make the rules/For my uterus.” brightcove.createExperiences(); [I haven't seen a transcript for it yet] Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Funny (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464452 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:29:13 +0100 4464452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455244&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fenergycommerce.edgeboss.net%2Fwmedia-live%2Fenergycommerce%2F11991%2F100_energycommerce-2322_060901.asx Yesterday and today House committees are holding hearings on two controversial pieces of proposed legislation, HR3, and HR358, both of which attempt to reduce access to abortion. Jennifer Steinhauers’s piece in the New York Times has the most succinct explanations of the two bills I’ve seen anywhere. On HR3, for which the hearing was held yesterday: One bill, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” would eliminate tax breaks for private employers who provide health coverage if their plans offer abortion services, and would forbid women who use a flexible spending plan to use pre-tax dollars for abortions. Those restrictions would go well beyond current law prohibiting the use of federal money for abortion services. HR3 is the same bill that included the “forcible... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455244 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:42:36 +0100 4455244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441965&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F06%2Fsunday-news-round-up-everything-is-miscellaneous%2F Via Siobhan, a project intended to train volunteer interpreters to provide services to survivors of torture, trauma, and sexual abuse. Lyon-Martin Health Services in San Francisco, which serves a lot of people of color, gay and lesbian and transgender people, is raising money to try to stay open. Vivir Latino is going to be tweeting on Monday from a media breakfast hosted by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Latina Magazine, on issues and inequalities in reproductive health care affecting Latinas. I’m not terribly familiar with abortion laws in Mexico, but the Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health network reports on the case of a woman apparently sentenced to a 23-year jail term for murder/abortion for what she states was a miscarriage. The Ovarian Canc... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441965 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:29:31 +0100 4441965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438878&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F04%2Fon-the-timing-of-cdc-abortion-data-publication%2F If the Obama administration were deliberately hiding abortion rate data in order to obscure the effects of his presidency or health reform legislation (as the National Review suggested) you’d think he would wait until it was time for data from *after he was actually elected* to be released. 2008 data? Before he was elected (mostly) or health care reform had been voted on? Unless you are positing the existence of time travel, that’s a serious flaw in logic. It’s not even truly accurate to characterize the annual reports as though they have nearly always been published in the November three years after the data year, for as long as the reports have been released, as RedState did in their “breaking” story. RedState avoided this truth by saying, “The Mortal... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438878 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 02:52:17 +0100 4438878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419067&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F30%2Fsunday-news-round-up-still-here-edition%2F Some things that caught my eye this week; for new folks, the Sunday news round-up tends to focus more on social issues than research or resources, including whatever I’ve noted for later reading from my RSS feeds or Twitter. First, the English-language site for Al Jazeera has the most complete coverage I’ve seen of what’s going on in Egypt for those who need it in the English language. I’m woefully behind on the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” proposed by House Republicans, so this first chunk is catching up. It seems to me to be completely unnecessary political posturing on the backs of women (and especially rape victims, as we’ll see), given that there are existing restrictions preventing federal funding for abortion. I know it includes... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419067 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:31:37 +0100 4419067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414522&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fabortion-doesnt-cause-mental-illness%2F2011.01.29 Here’s yet another study showing that abortion does NOT lead to future psychiatric problems. From The New York Times: The New England Journal of Medicine has taken on one of the pillar arguments in the abortion debate, asking whether having the procedure increases a woman’s risk of mental-health problems and concluding that it doesn’t. In fact, researchers found, having a baby brings a far higher risk. The study, by Danish scientists (and financed in part by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which supports research on abortion rights), is the most extensive of its kind to date. It studied 365,550 Danish women who had an abortion or gave birth for the first time between 1995 and 2007. Of those, 84,620 terminated their pregnancies and 280,930 gave birth. In the year after an a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414522 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:00:53 +0100 4414522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405718&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Fat-obos-breast-implants-cancer-early-births-breastfeeding-promotion-and-more%2F Some of my recent posts at Our Bodies Our Blog: Breast Implants and Possible Risk of Rare Cancer – links to FDA information on the possibility of a link between breast implants and a rare cancer. Leapfrog Group Releases Data on Early Elective Births – rates of early (37-39 weeks) induction and early cesarean without a medical indication from hospitals around the U.S. Surgeon General Releases Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding – link to the call to action and a brief overview of its contents, which include not only encouraging women to breastfeed, but a call for workplaces, fathers, grandmothers, and communities to work to reduce barriers to breastfeeding. Upcoming Event: EQUAL/OBOS House Party in Palo Alto – in three days, OBOS’s Judy Norsigian will be... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405718 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:27:07 +0100 4405718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386257&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F22%2Fblog-for-choice-day-2011-concerns-about-congress%2F Yesterday was the sixth annual Blog for Choice day – officially, I missed it, but I think the issues raised in yesterday’s post on the Kermit Gosnell abortion clinic atrocities are important ones to discuss. Today (the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade), I’m getting with the official program to attempt to answer this year’s theme question: Given the anti-choice gains in the states and Congress, are you concerned about choice in 2011? Of course. Of course. Of course I’m concerned at the national level. Efforts to change provisions of health care reform or penalize people and companies when their health insurance covers abortion may have serious effects, and represent further anti-choice efforts to mislead people about “federal funding for abortion.”... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386257 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:40:10 +0100 4386257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382718&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F21%2Fin-response-the-kermit-gosnell-abortion-clinic-case%2F Dr. Kermit Gosnell was a Philadelphia abortion provider, and has been charged with several counts of murder after one patient died and several infants born alive were allegedly murdered. The grand jury documents [PDF] related to this case describe horrors encountered by patients who were ostensibly in the care of Dr. Gosnell. Let me be perfectly clear: it is an abomination when women cannot receive safe, legal abortion services. What happened at Kermit Gosnell’s “clinic” is unacceptable at any time, in any place. I also believe that this horrific story is not a case study in why abortion should be further restricted. The situations described in news reports are a violation of the women who trusted Dr. Gosnell and his staff to provide safe, good quality, abortion procedu... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382718 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:14:01 +0100 4382718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382752&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFVYrMmB5sPk%2F By Michael F. CannonNow that a bipartisan coalition in the House has voted to repeal ObamaCare, an even larger bipartisan coalition has approved a Republican resolution directing four House committees to “replace” that ill-fated law.  House Resolution 9 instructs the committees to “propos[e] changes to existing law” with the following goals: Foster economic growth and private sector job creation by eliminating job-killing policies and regulations. Lower health care premiums through increased competition and choice. Preserve a patient’s ability to keep his or her health plan if he or she likes it. Provide people with pre-existing conditions access to affordable health coverage. Reform the medical liability system to reduce unnecessary and wasteful health care... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382752 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:42:32 +0100 4382752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372021&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fdo-you-trust-women-to-make-their-own-choices-about-reproductive-healthcare The majority of sexually active adolescents and adults in the United States use birth control and are in favor of women being able to make their own reproductive health decisions. Despite this support, opponents of family planning and women’s rights have tried to assert themselves as the true moral voice — and have made political gains that severely threaten women’s health. This year, as women’s health advocates celebrate the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Jan. 22, the Silver Ribbon Campaign to Trust Women for Reproductive Rights and Justice has emerged as an opportunity to show our strength and claim our rights to the legal healthcare to which we are entitled. The Silver Ribbon Campaign is the effort of dozens of organizations — including Our Bodies Ourselves &#8... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372021 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:05:41 +0100 4372021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355702&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F16%2Fweekly-news-round-up-two-day-weekend-edition%2F A few stories that have caught my attention over the last week: Unlike many people, the larger workplace does not have MLK Day tomorrow as a holiday. I’m going to two lectures at work, though – the first is from Robert L. Satcher, Jr., physician and astronaut, on “Fulfilling the Dream: Minorities in Biosciences.” The second will be Julian Bond, civil rights activist, on “The Road to Freedom: From Alabama to Obama.” The Julian Bond talk is free and open to the public but tickets are required; on Friday the Sarratt box office still had tickets. The CDC released their first report on health disparities and inequalities. It provides data on a number of issues and disparities, including exposure to air pollution, health insurance coverage, infant deaths, inadequate... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355702 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:37:25 +0100 4355702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337894&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fquick-hit-new-guttmacher-report-details-u-s-abortion-trends-availability This week, the Guttmacher Institute released a new report, “Abortion Incidence and Services in the United States, 2008,” [PDF] which details rates of abortion around the country, the number of abortion providers, percentages of counties in each state with no providers (87% for the national overall), types of locations (clinic, hospital, or physician offices) where abortions are being performed, cost, accessibility, the number of providers offering medication abortions, and other data. I haven’t read the entire report yet, but from a quick review it seems to have a wealth of interesting data that may be of use to pro-choice advocates. Guttmacher’s news release notes that they detected a leveling off in the trend of decreasing abortion rates, and an increase in the percen... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337894 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:54:35 +0100 4337894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330985&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Flegislation-watch-2011-whats-going-on-in-your-state Not surprisingly, bills to roll back reproductive rights and defund related services are already being introduced in the now-more-Republican House of Representative and in state congresses. Via the Women’s Health Policy Alert, we learned that U.S. Representative Mike Pence has introduced the “Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act” (HR 217) to “to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions.” In other words, clinics such as those run by Planned Parenthood (Pence’s stated target) should not receive any Title X funding in order to provide contraception, reproductive cancer screening, pregnancy testing, STI treatment, and other family planning services to low income people because they also perform abortions, ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330985 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:42:22 +0100 4330985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309687&cid=t_91830_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhy-do-i-have-to-wait-2-weeks-to-do.html Most patients find that one of the most difficult things to manage during an IVF cycle is the dreaded 2 week wait ( 2ww) after the embryo transfer. Time seems to come to a halt and you live in a state of suspended animation - a bit like Schroedinger's cat ! Am I pregnant ? Am I not pregnant ? Every ache and twinge sends you scurrying to the bathroom to check if your periods have started - and you over-interpret every signal your body sends you. Am I feeling nauseous ? Is this a good sign ? Do my breasts feel fuller than usual ? Is this just PMS ? You try to prevent your mind from playing games with you, but this is surprisingly hard to do. Every hour seems to stretch on like a day ! You obsessively compare notes with all your online IVF friends - and drive your husband batty with your inte... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309687 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:28:00 +0100 4309687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272260&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F19%2Fsunday-news-round-up-4%2F First things first: the Senate voted on Saturday to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Hurray! The roll call vote for all of the Senators is here, reflecting the 65 votes for repeal and 35 votes against. The votes for repeal came almost exclusively from Democrats, with just eight Republicans voting yes. My own Senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, were unsurprisingly among the Republicans who voted against repeal; I’m disappointed in them for voting their party and their prejudice to be on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of human rights and dignity. The repeal will not become active for at least 60 days; HRC has a Pathway to Final Repeal document [PDF] that explains the necessary next steps, and warns service members about the interim: The Human Rights Campaign i... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272260 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:59 +0100 4272260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4259097&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F997-You-wanna-live-Be-convenient..html First it was the fertile, 30-something St. Lawrences that made 5 embryos with IVF to save for later as a "project" to "insure" themselves against possible future infertility.  They have no idea if they will ever "use" their frozen offspring.  The St. Lawrences just like to know their 5 children are there, waiting.  You know, just in case it is ever convenient enough to fit kids into their busy lifestyle.Next are the couples that kill one twin, not for medical reasons, but because 2 children at the same time is just too inconvenient.  From the National Post: Like so many other couples these days, the Toronto-area business executive and her husband put off having children for years as they built successful careers. Both parents were in their 40s — and their... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4259097 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:30:46 +0100 4259097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258798&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F13%2Fsunday-monday-news-round-up-way-overdue-edition%2F Some items that have caught my interest recently – I haven’t done one of these in a long time because of work and life and other ponderings about the best current use of the blog, but here are some news items, issues, and commentary of potential interest to readers, on women’s health, feminism, and miscellaneous topics: The CDC provides Consider Cholera: Information for U.S. Healthcare Professionals for clinicians who are asked to be on the lookout for U.S. cases, with info on diagnosis, treatment, and reporting. Aunt B has an excellent commentary in Self-Avowed Feminist, Gail Kerr, Has some Opinions about Emily Evans on the message sent when one female newspaper columnist attempts to trash a female councilperson using language like “shrill” and “class k... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258798 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:12:21 +0100 4258798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245277&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Fnew-report-takes-on-injustice-of-the-hyde-amendment The Center for American Progress has released a new report, “Separate and Unequal: The Hyde Amendment and Women of Color,” that seeks to draw attention to how policies such as the Hyde Amendment (which restricts federal funding for abortion) disproportionately affect low-income women, women of color, and young women. Toni M. Bond Leonard of Black Women for Reproductive Justice explains the consequences and injustice of such funding restrictions n the preface: The Hyde Amendment is, perhaps, the most punitive and inhumane regulation imposed upon the reproductive lives of low-income women. Each day, scores of low-income women are forced to make a choice between using scarce resources to take care of themselves and their families or use those dollars to pay for an abortion. The la... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245277 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:28:03 +0100 4245277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225171&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2Fcommentary-on-the-princeton-abortion-conference-new-u-s-sti-data-and-more%2F Over at Our Bodies Our Blog, I have compiled some commentary from the recent “common ground” abortion conference at Princeton, including my own annoyance at William Saletan’s proposal to achieve common ground by having women simply surrender some more of their access to abortion. I also have links to info on SisterSong’s upcoming “Let’s Talk About Sex” conference (with a focus on women of color and reproductive justice), pointers to the Center for Reproductive Rights’s renewed efforts to expand access to emergency contraception, and a bit about new data on U.S. sexually transmitted infections from the CDC. Short version: yay, data!, but women and infants are two separate things. Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Contracep... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225171 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:20:13 +0100 4225171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219716&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Ffollow-up-on-the-princeton-abortion-conference Earlier this year, we noted that Princeton University would be hosting a conference on abortion, “Open Hearts, Open Minds and Fair Minded Words,” with the goal of approaching the topic from different sides and looking for common ground. Frances Kissling has written a piece for Salon, How to Think About Abortion, on her experience of the event (Kissling was one of four organizers, and is the former President of Catholics for a Free Choice). She writes: The singular focus of each side, one on women and the other on fetuses, was a complicating factor in achieving understanding at the Princeton meeting. It is perhaps an eternal divide, but it is becoming a richer and less polarized division as more partisans recognize that there are blind spots on both sides of the divide. Kissling, es... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219716 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:35:57 +0100 4219716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214062&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fupcoming-lets-talk-about-sex-conference-from-sistersong Next July, SisterSong – an organization that focuses on women of color and reproductive justice – is hosting a Let’s Talk About Sex Conference in Miami, FL. The conference announcement explains that the program will include: workshops and plenary sessions on topics such as birth control, senior sexuality, STDs, microbicides, gynecological health and wellness, erotica, militarism, youth sexuality, and more, all through a reproductive justice lens. Discounted early registration is open through January 31. The call for papers/workshop proposals is open through January 30, and the scholarship application is open through March 1. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214062 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:12:55 +0100 4214062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190123&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fnew-developments-in-efforts-to-expand-emergency-contraception-access Earlier this year, we wrote about the Center for Reproductive Rights’s efforts to bring attention to young women’s continued lack of over-the-counter access to emergency contraception, despite a lack of evidence for the current age-based cutoff. In March of 2009, a judge ordered the FDA to extend over-the-counter access to 17-year-olds, and also to reconsider these age restrictions in general. Last week, the Center filed a motion for civil contempt against the FDA arguing that the agency has failed to reconsider the age restrictions for women younger than 17. The Center has background materials and more information at http://reproductiverights.org/en/feature/the-center-takes-the-fda-back-to-court. The group is encouraging supporters to contact the FDA asking the agency to &#822... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190123 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:28:45 +0100 4190123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151735&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Felection-related-repro-rights-round-up A few good commentaries on what last week’s midterm election results mean for reproductive rights: Ms Magazine: Election 2010: Pro-Choice Sustains Big Losses; Abortion Not Deciding Factor notes that 13 of the Democratic house losses were anti-choice Democrats defeated by anti-choice Republicans; “Perhaps more telling, 24 House Democrats who lost had voted yes on the Stupak/Pitts Amendment.” Lisa Hymas at Grist: What does the election mean for population and reproductive rights? points out that at least 10 governorships have flipped from pro-choice to anti-choice. Miriam at Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz: 2010 Elections showed Latino/a impact, particularly in key Western races explains that: In the aftermath of the election, the National Latina Institute will focus on saving th... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151735 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:22:09 +0100 4151735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139431&cid=t_91830_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F11%2F05%2Fis-tweeting-ihadanabortion-a-political-act-or-just-more-oversharing%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Is Tweeting #ihadanabortion a Political Act? Or Just More Oversharing? McQueen & Wood in "Love With the Proper Stranger," 1963 A few days ago #ihadanabortion was trending. In other words, it broke into the top ten topics on Twitter. Tracy Clark-Flory of Salon writes that tweeting #ihadanabortion is a “provocative act,” and the purpose of such an exercise is to make it less so. Although the “complexity of women’s varying experiences is lost” when reduced to 140 characters, “political slogans are not about nuance, and after Tuesday’s election we’re especially in need of some bold rhetoric.” Indeed, especially considering that the abortion tweet is really just an echo of a t-shirt cam... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139431 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:56:16 +0100 4139431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124980&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fget-out-and-vote Former Democratic Representative Patricia Schroeder gave one of the plenary speeches at the recent Cochrane/Campbell meeting I attended. Her speech addressed the question, “Can Democracy survive?” Schroeder spoke about the growth of angry rhetoric and of corporate funding in campaign advertising, as well as of some people’s apparent lack of belief in facts and science. She encouraged everyone to get MAD. But she’s not interested in inciting more shouting: Schroeder asked instead that we all work hard to Make a Difference. That said, tomorrow’s election day. Get out there and vote. It’s the easiest starting point for engaging with democracy and making a difference! While in Colorado, I heard a lot about the fetal personhood amendment on the ballot in tha... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124980 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:46:02 +0100 4124980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118781&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F29%2Fthe-assassination-of-dr-tiller-msnbc-documentary-narrated-by-rachel-maddow%2F The MSNBC documentary The Assassination of Dr. Tiller aired earlier this week. I don’t think there’s a lot that’s new big picture stuff there if you followed the story closely – most repro rights people likely know why Tiller was targeted and about the history of violence against him and other providers. In broad strokes, I think those of us who follow these things all kind of know the story. The documentary does provide some specifics that may be new or interesting, though. The discussion with members of Tiller’s church and interviews with his staff were interesting, as were interviews with Scott Roeder’s ex-wife proving his backstory on his anti-abortion activities. The material on the ramping up of anti-choice activities beyond the violent act of one... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118781 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:04:02 +0100 4118781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082065&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F81XNKefd6eU%2F Conclusion: “The gutting of Medicare claim goes too far…What this means for seniors is a bit murkier.”  True enough: even if ObamaCare’s implausible Medicare cuts take effect, they clearly would not “gut” Medicare.  (BTW, click here or here for a politically sustainable way to restrain Medicare spending.)  The authors also note that Medicare Advantage enrollees would lose some benefits.  But when the article claims that ObamaCare will not eliminate any “basic” Medicare benefits, it neglects to mention that Medicare’s chief actuary estimates that the law could cause 15 percent of hospitals, home health agencies, and other providers to stop accepting Medicare patients.  If your hospital no longer accepts your Medicare coverage, is th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082065 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:02:13 +0100 4082065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061047&cid=t_91830_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fare-you-willing-to-be-hated.html ...we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure. (I Corinthians 4:12)I think this is an interesting idea: willing to be reviled. I haven't thought about this for a while.  Most of my suffering is physical...like this woman's. Yet, she sees in her suffering a spiritual connection, beauty, and opportunity that I have not noticed in mine. Am I willing to be hated?  I remember reading as a child that for the sins of many, Christ was reviled. He was willing to be hated, willing to humble Himself to the lowest depths this fallen world could offer - to die an unjust but ever so necessary death. In I Peter 2:23-25, it says that when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting hims... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061047 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:29:00 +0100 4061047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053277&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F10%2Fsunday-news-round-up-3%2F A few things of interest: Nikki has notes from a recent Twitter chat on health literacy, including a bunch of suggested resources on the topic. PF Anderson points to a great presentation (embedded there) on using social media for sharing family planning messages. It’s a useful introduction to tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube with examples of how they’re being used by groups like Planned Parenthood. A nice response to the ridiculous “i like it…” statuses on Facebook that are inexplicably supposed to make people feel like they’re doing something about women’s health: I like it without pinkwashing Weight loss drug Meridia was taken off the market, “because of clinical trial data indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053277 Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:10:16 +0100 4053277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002874&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F26%2Fsunday-news-round-up-the-website-is-done-edition%2F A libraryland interlude: we finally launched the new website (the first overhaul in >8 years) for the library where I work, wrapping up months of work. With it, we launched our Twitter and Facebook accounts, chat ref via Meebo, remote access to UpToDate, online payment for document delivery for departments, a PolyMeta federated search tool, and a new WordPress-based news site. Whew. I’m glad that’s done. Now for some things that have flown through my reader and networks while I’ve been buried in work: I can’t believe I missed this: Planned Parenthood clinic in California damaged; California Planned Parenthood Medical Center Firebombed Madera police say someone threw a makeshift explosive through the clinic’s window early Thursday morning, breaking the gla... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002874 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:40:43 +0100 4002874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993792&cid=t_91830_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fabortion-physician-dr-steven-brigham-faces-charges-lateterm-abortions%2F Dr. Steven Brigham is facing additional charges of mistreating patients after new allegations have arisen that he started abortions on women in New Jersey and then completed the procedures after having them drive themselves to Maryland. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993792 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:41:55 +0100 3993792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993856&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fnlirh-explores-barriers-to-abortion-for-latinas The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health released a new report, Latina Immigrant Women’s Access To Abortion: Insights from Interviews with Latina Grasstops Leaders [PDF], a qualitative report describing comments from community activists in Texas, Minnesota and New York. The report includes comments on topics including immigrant youth, access to information and referrals, and program funding. NLIRH describes the following findings in their press release: Far from the stereotype of Latinas being anti-choice, these Latina community health leaders said that Latina immigrants wanted information and in some cases services related to abortion along with other health issues. Some community leaders said that Latina immigrant youth need emotional and practical support in making ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993856 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:37:40 +0100 3993856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3968977&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fnews-flash-pro-choice-doesnt-mean-anti-life%2F photo: Thinkstock Today is Primary Day in New York, Delaware, D.C., Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Rhode Island, and lots of people are having tea parties to celebrate. At the risk of having Blisstree’s office building fire-bombed (because, after all these years, abortion remains the most divisive political issue in the U.S., followed closely by where you can and cannot build a mosque, or cut taxes), I’m going to say something that’s been on my mind for a while, but seems particularly appropriate to voice on an election day when so much is at stake: Being pro-choice doesn’t mean being anti-life. (Blogger waits to be struck by lightning…nothing happens.) I can personally attest to this fact, because, politically, I’m pro-choice, but I also like l... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3968977 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:21:18 +0100 3968977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965393&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVNx7y-rBzqI%2F By Michael F. CannonThe following analogy may help to explain why everyone should be troubled by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ efforts to intimidate insurance companies who say unflattering things about ObamaCare. Last month, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), issued an opinion that state regulatory boards already have the authority to impose additional regulations on abortion clinics.  Critics pounced, claiming that the measure could shut down 17 of the state’s 21 clinics. What if Cuccinelli responded with a letter threatening to investigate clinics that “misinform” the public about the costs of such regulation? (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965393 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:52:58 +0100 3965393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961797&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F12%2Fsunday-news-round-up-catching-up-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a couple of weeks; here are some things that have caught my attention recently. Movin’ Meat is the blog of an emergency physician – it’s hard to succinctly explain what happened as described in this recent post without giving it away, but let’s just say it involves sex and a nitroglycerin patch. Birthing Beautiful Ideas has 30 things about pregnancy and childbirth she never wants to hear again. Someecards, my absolute favorite place to find funny (if sometimes inappropriate) ecards, has an editor’s pick on abortion. I wish I could embed it, but it reads “I bet you one unplanned pregnancy that you are secretly pro-choice.” The Independent has a round-up of some online communities for patients, including Patie... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961797 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:46:42 +0100 3961797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914962&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fmultidisciplinary-abortion-conference-at-princeton-this-fall Princeton University is hosting a conference this fall (October 15 & 16), “Open Hearts, Open Minds and Fair Minded Words,” featuring speakers from around the country on the topic of abortion. The stated goals of the conference are to: Explore new ways to think and speak about abortion. Approach issues related to abortion with open hearts and open minds. Define more precisely areas of disagreement and work together on areas of common ground. Get to know those on multiple sides of the issues more personally. Speakers will include experts in law, bioethics, medicine, theology, and other topics. The full program is available online, and includes panels on topics including morality, prevention of unintended pregnancy, conscience clauses, Constitutionality, and other issues. Ea... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914962 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:41:04 +0100 3914962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914938&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F6-ill-conceived-abortion-methods-from-ancient-times-a-photo-gallery%2F Long before there were surgical instruments, Vera Drake, back alleys, wire hangers, Roe v. Wade, abortion clinic bombings, the March for Life, and the most divisive issue ever to hit the U.S. Congress, ancient (and archaic) medical doctors had their own (often barbaric) ideas about how to perform the ever-controversial abortion. Check out our gallery of 6 of the most primitive and absurd methods used during ancient times to terminate an unwanted pregnancy: Post from: BlissTree 6 Ill-Conceived Abortion Methods From Ancient Times: A Photo Gallery (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914938 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:46:28 +0100 3914938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914922&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F29%2Fan-election-update-pro-choice-candidates-can-almost-win-in-tennessee%2F In July, I wrote about why I planned to vote for Tennessee state senate candidate Jeff Yarbro – because of his explicitly pro-choice position, a rarity around here – over long-time incumbent Doug Henry in the Democratic primary. I did, and others did too, as Yarbro very nearly won. On election night, Yarbo was behind by two(!) votes. And there were two provisional ballots left to count. Those two votes went to Yarbo, but then absentee ballots were recounted, puttin Henry back up by 13 votes. And then there was a recount, and Henry was declared the winner by 17 votes. The point is, it was close. It wasn’t a blow-out in which the incumbent who is more Republican-y on choice easily walked away with it. I know, I know – it’s a small sample in one district and it&... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914922 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:19:08 +0100 3914922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902875&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Frestricting-access-any-way-possible Last night on her show, talk show host Rachel Maddow discussed tactics used by anti-choice activities to restrict women’s access to abortion.  She focused on Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who has issued an opinion [PDF] indicating that the state may impose additional restrictions on providers of first trimester abortions, including allowing the Board of Health to regulate them as “hospitals.” An article in the Roanoke Times explains: Cuccinelli’s opinion notes that health centers specializing in reproductive services are characterized as physicians’ offices that are exempt from state hospital licensure requirements. Forcing those facilities to meet hospital standards would bring more demanding requirements for space, equipment and staffing that... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902875 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:38:17 +0100 3902875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899347&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F196817%2F RU-486 for Depression: The controversial “abortion pill” could be used to treat psychotic depression. (via ABC News) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899347 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:25:13 +0100 3899347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899375&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDzskV9rGlt8%2F All too often, news stories about proposed new regulations mention all the supposed benefits of the regulation while ignoring such potential costs as higher prices, reduced service, or even the demise of the business. Today I’m glad to see journalists noting those costs right up front in their discussions of a new regulation proposed by Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli. Public radio WAMU says: Currently there are 21 abortion clinics in Virginia. Abortion service providers say at least 17 of those might shut down if state officials use their authority to regulate those clinics. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says abortion clinics provide many other medical services beyond abortions, so they’re subject to the same regulations as larger medical facilities. That opinion wa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899375 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:10:44 +0100 3899375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895842&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fsexy-side-effects-of-sex-daily-health-quiz%2F It’s summer, but our school is cool. Let our Daily Health Quiz test your know-how. Answer our question, below, and check back tomorrow for the answer and your next pop quiz. photo: Thinkstock Today’s Question: Sex has some obvious benefits. But what’s a lesser known perk of getting down and dirty? #MicroPollDiv_272190 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Answer to Friday’s Question: So: Abortion and breast cancer. What’s the link? Is there even a connection? Nope. Studies done by the National Cancer Institute concluded that having an abortion doesn’t increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Post from: BlissTree Sexy Side Effects of Sex: Daily Health Quiz (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895842 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:31:12 +0100 3895842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3891653&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F22%2Fweekly-news-round-up-822%2F NPR’s Shots blog points to some foreign body stories. I love foreign body stories. The New York Times has an overview of non-pill contraception. Krafty is talking about PubMed Health and the confusion (and duplication of effort?) it may cause. ScienceBlogging.org is newly helping me to keep up with science-oriented blog posts from around the web. Dave Munger explains it a bit here. In short, they’re displaying headlines from places like ScienceBlogs (from where several bloggers recently vacated due to the Pepsi scandal), Nature, Wired Science, and others in one central location. At RH Reality Check, Pamela Merritt takes on the fetuses=slaves analogy. Molly at FirstTheEgg talks about the attitudes about pregnant women, mothers, and their bodies uncovered by her writing stude... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3891653 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:13:24 +0100 3891653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889066&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fguttmacher-releases-policy-review-calling-for-better-abortion-access-for-servicewomen The summer 2010 Guttmacher Policy Review includes a piece, Off Base: The U.S. Military’s Ban on Privately Funded Abortions, which describes current military policy on abortion, including the existing ban on public funding and debate about lifting the ban on privately funded abortions in military medical facilities. For context, the piece explains: Earlier this year, the Senate Armed Services Committee moved toward restoring abortion rights to some 200,000 active duty women in the U.S. military, by voting to reverse current policy prohibiting the performance of abortions in military facilities, even in cases when U.S. servicewomen pay out-of-pocket for the procedure.The amendment to change the policy was sponsored by Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) and is now attached to the pending Departm... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889066 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:18:42 +0100 3889066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889052&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fabortion-and-breast-cancer-daily-health-quiz%2F It’s summer, but our school is cool. Let our Daily Health Quiz test your know-how. Answer our question, below, and check back Monday for the answer and your next pop quiz. photo: Thinkstock Today’s Question: You might have heard a rumor that abortion is linked to breast cancer. Is this true? #MicroPollDiv_271763 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Vaginismus. That’s a pretty intimidating word. But what is it? Vaginismus is a recurring spasm that occurs in the outer part of the vagina that interferes with sex. It can sometimes be fixed with the use of vaginal dilators or relaxation training. Post from: BlissTree Abortion and Breast Cancer: Daily Health Quiz (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889052 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:07:08 +0100 3889052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872600&cid=t_91830_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F16%2Fodd-side-effects-reduces-homosexuality%2F A particular kind of hormone treatment therapy to treat a rare birth defect is getting unwanted attention for one of its possible side effects — reducing the likelihood that the baby will be homosexual. The treatment is used to prevent genital abnormalities in the baby. Normally, of course, such treatment would be unremarkable and nobody would much care. But some gay and lesbian groups seem to be outraged by this treatment, and want to turn a medical decision and medical issue into a political one. Should such medical therapies be regulated by the government? Or should they be left to the judgment of the patient and the doctor? A hormonal treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia can now be offered to women who may be carrying such infants. It’s not without health risks, but to... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872600 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:05:29 +0100 3872600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3868710&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F15%2Fsunday-news-round-up-hot-tomato-edition%2F Yesterday I went to the Tomato Art Fest here in Nashville. It was almost 100 degrees out, and I was coated head to toe in sunscreen (good thing, because there was practically no shade). I really enjoyed much of the tomato art at the Art & Invention Gallery, especially the handful of pieces that made me laugh out loud. I got to see Whit Hill & the Postcards perform. I love them, and didn’t realize until their show that they have relocated from Detroit to Nashville. I also had the cantelope popsicle from Las Paletas. Yum. On to items of interest from the week: This past week was the first annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice, and Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz has a blog carnival rounding up posts from the week. Joan has had two abortions! They are just wrapping u... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3868710 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:29:03 +0100 3868710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858132&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Ffor-the-new-school-year-medical-and-nursing-students-for-choice As we know, the majority of U.S. counties lack an abortion provider, and ensuring that proper training in the procedure is available to future healthcare providers is one key aspect of making and keeping abortion available. As the new school year approaches and new medical and nursing students are arriving at campuses all over the country, we thought we’d list resources for students interested in organizing to promote and protect abortion training in their programs. Two organizations working hard to provide information and resources on abortion training and availability are Medical Students for Choice and Nursing Students for Choice. Medical Students for Choice provides student organizing resources including tips on curriculum reform and tools for student leaders, a list of U.S. and ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858132 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:22:32 +0100 3858132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848858&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Ffirst-annual-latina-week-of-action-for-reproductive-justice Via @NLIRH, we learned that the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights have teamed up for the first annual Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice, starting today and running until August 15th. As part of the week, the groups are asking supporters to contact their Congressional representatives “to ask the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support comprehensive family planning services that include contraception as a key women’s health service under the Women’s Health Amendment.” As with many online action campaigns, you can put in your zip code to identify your Representative and Senators and send them a letter ex... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848858 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:46:05 +0100 3848858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827322&cid=t_91830_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F08%2F05%2Fhbos-12th-and-delaware-where-pro-choice-and-pro-life-intersect%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. HBO’s ’12th and Delaware’ — Where Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Intersect. Documentary "12th and Delaware" (2010) The title of the documentary, “12th and Delaware,” now showing on HBO, seemed lackluster until I understood its significance. Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady [disclosure: Grady is the daughter of my Politics Daily colleagues Bonnie Goldstein and James Grady] the film tells the story of an abortion clinic that opened at 12th & Delaware in Fort Pierce, Fla. in 1991. Eight years later, a pro-life Pregnancy Care Center opened up directly across the street. Today, 12th and Delaware is where pro-life and pro-choice passions intersect. I have a love-hate relationship with documentaries. Too oft... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827322 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:13:40 +0100 3827322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808644&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F01%2Fsunday-news-round-up-2%2F Some items of interest this week: Following up on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, just a note to check out @Disabilitygov on Twitter, which tweets disability-related news and resources and is tied to the U.S. government site, disability.gov. Also, a new document has been released by the government, Access To Medical Care For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities. It is intended to be an educational tool for health care providers, as it provides standards and answers to frequently asked questions about patient care, but could also be a good tool for individuals who need to raise accessibility concerns with providers. There is also a PDF version that could be downloaded and printed. At Academic Ob/Gyn, Dr. Nicholas Fogelson describes his dislike for the term ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808644 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:41:19 +0100 3808644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805801&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Factivists-protest-anti-abortion-campaign-targeting-women-of-color Earlier this week, the so-called “Pro-Life Freedom Ride” (alluding to the civil rights freedom rides) arrived at the King Center in Atlanta to demonstrate in opposition to abortion rights. The “freedom ride” campaign is being organized by Priests for Life to “build…on a method that the Civil Rights Movement used effectively forty years ago,” and consists of anti-abortion activists taking a bus to cities “with strategic significance for the movement” (such as Atlanta and Birmingham) to demonstrate against abortion. The “ride” to Atlanta follows up on previous efforts in the state targeting women of color with the goal of restricting abortion. Atlanta was the target earlier this year of an anti-abortion billboard campaign targ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805801 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:54:17 +0100 3805801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786973&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2Fsunday-news-round-up-why-is-it-sunday-already-edition%2F Some things that captured my attention or otherwise delighted me this week: Zen Habits has 20 ways to eliminate stress that I should really pay more attention to. Via Siobhan at Bringing Health Information to the Community, I learned about DeafMD, which provides health information in video form using American Sign Language. It includes videos on numerous diseases, understanding laboratory and imaging tests, and a searchable database of doctors they consider deaf-friendly (submitted by readers; no criteria for deaf-friendliness described). Pam’s House Blend has the video and transcript of Dan Choi’s appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show. I have to admit, I teared up a little watching this segment. Pam has been covering Choi’s case pretty extensively, including his appearan... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786973 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:03:15 +0100 3786973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772226&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKj7NW4ZJCRU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA major problem with America’s health care system, both before and after Obamacare, is the fact that consumers very rarely spend their own money when obtaining health care. Known as third-party payer, this problem exists in part because government directly finances almost 50 percent of health care expenditures. But even a majority of supposedly private health care spending is financed by employer-provided policies that are heavily distorted by a preference in the tax code that encourages insurance payments even for routine expenses. According to government data, only 12 percent of health care costs are financed directly by consumers. And since consumers almost always are buying health care with somebody else’s money, it should come as no surprise that this ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772226 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:58:05 +0100 3772226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767013&cid=t_91830_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fsurgeon-general-everett-koop-urging-vote-kagan-supreme-court%2F C. Everett Koop, MD Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has written a letter to the United States Senate urging them to vote against her confirmation to the United States Supreme Court based on her actions over the rewriting and editing of a medical society’s statement on partial birth abortion. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767013 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:09:46 +0100 3767013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767026&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fbook-review-%25e2%2580%259cwilling-and-unable-doctors%25e2%2580%2599-constraints-in-abortion-care%25e2%2580%259d%2F Over at Our Bodies Our Blog, I have a review of Lori Freedman’s new book, “Willing and Unable: Doctors’ Constraints in Abortion Care.” I really enjoyed the book as it covered aspects of the provider equation of abortion access that I haven’t thought much about until reading it. The topic of the book – the reasons why physicians who are not ideologically opposed to providing abortion and are trained to do so are not providing them in the course of their practice – ties in nicely to a recent article in the New York Times, “The New Abortion Providers,” if you read that in this Sunday’s magazine. As a bit of local interest, the book is published by the larger workplace’s Vanderbilt University Press. Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, &am... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767026 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:13:30 +0100 3767026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767051&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fwilling-and-unable-doctors-constrains-in-abortion-care Last week, Christine blogged about a New York Times article, “The New Abortion Providers,” that provides a detailed look at “the struggles of individual medical students and doctors to make abortion an accepted, integrated part of healthcare.” For those interested in an even more thorough exploration of this topic, Lori Freedman’s “Willing and Unable: Doctors’ Constraints in Abortion Care” is a great resource. In fact, the Times piece mentions Freedman, in the context of a study she co-authored. In the study, researchers interviewed 30 OB/GYNs with abortion training who said they wanted to provide abortions after residency. Once they were in practice, though, most of the OB/GYNs were not providing abortions, and the study examines the profess... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767051 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:52:12 +0100 3767051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764122&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F18%2Fsunday-news-round-up-three-videos-one-post-edition%2F A few things that caught my eye this week: Heather at Scarleteen is inviting people to participate in a new series in which people of two generations discuss their experiences, such as of teen motherhood, being trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, HIV positive, or asexual, abortion, surviving rape and sexual abuse, and other topics listed here. See the post and send her an email if you’re interested in participating. Amy at Science and Sensibility recommends Trish Greenhalgh’s book, How to a Read a Paper, and I definitely second that recommendation. Great, clear stuff on understanding study design and interpretation. The New York Times Magazine has a great piece, The New Abortion Providers, on barriers physicians face in providing abortion and integrating it into mainstre... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764122 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:43:43 +0100 3764122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761407&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fthe-new-abortion-providers-and-the-old-political-dilemmas The New York Times has published online an extensive article about “The New Abortion Providers” (it will appear in print in Sunday’s Magazine), which I highly recommend reading. Such detailed reporting from a mainstream publication on the struggles of individual medical students and doctors to make abortion an accepted, integrated part of healthcare is quite welcomed. The story provides both a historical and personal context for understanding the challenges — and the courageous dedication — of women’s health advocates on the frontlines of reproductive health for the past four decades. Unfortunately, this ground-breaking journalism appears the same week in which we learned the Obama administration is denying abortion coverage for women whose pre-existing ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761407 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:24:37 +0100 3761407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761409&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fgloria-feldts-personal-response-to-friday-night-lights Earlier this week, we wrote about the groundbreaking “Friday Nights Lights” episode that dealt more honestly with abortion than most television shows in the past 30 years. We’re pleased to include this reflection by Gloria Feldt, activist, author, blogger and past president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. We hope you’ll follow through on her suggestions to thank NBC for allowing this episode to air. On a personal note, it pleases me no end that this truth-telling episode appeared on “Friday Night Lights.” The show is based on Buzz Bissinger’s book of that same name, a sociology of the very West Texas town (Odessa, TX) where I lived for 20 years and the high school (Permian) from which my three children graduated. Not only do ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761409 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:46:51 +0100 3761409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753755&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F14%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-family-planning-outcomes-of-health-care-reform-and-more-on-friday-night-lights%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog, I have a post on Health Care Reform and Family Planning, including information on the new option for states to provide family planning coverage to low income folks who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, and a provision to cover preventive care and screenings for women, along with discussion of whether contraception might get included as a preventive service. Co-blogger-in-chief Christine has her own post on the recent abortion episode of Friday Night Lights, and more tv talk. And while I’m OBOS-talking, can I just remind people that Our Bodies Ourselves is so much more than just that one, first book from 1970 that you might have been given by your cool mom or aunt back when you were a teenager? There’s the blog, of course, where C and I do ou... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753755 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:41:24 +0100 3753755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750032&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Ffriday-night-lights-scores-with-honest-episode-about-abortion The tube has long had tunnel vision when it has come to portraying women. Recently, though, television shows have been broadening their point of view by addressing previously taboo subjects — abortion and body image — with surprising maturity and subtlety. “Friday Night Lights,” one of my long-time favorite series, has paid attention to women’s health since its inception, from its diverse portrayal of teenager’s sexual lives to its confrontation of sexual violence. And, yes, it even book-dropped “Our Bodies, Ourselves” at the end of its first season. But it truly out-did itself (and almost every other work in the history of television — or film) with an episode that aired last week on NBC that traced one character’s decision to ha... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750032 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:29:33 +0100 3750032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746671&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F12%2Fdelayed-liveblogging-of-the-friday-night-lights-abortion-episode%2F As someone who grew up in the rural south very near the University of Tennessee’s cult of Big Orange football, the idea of spending time watching a tv show centered around small town football is normally about as appealing to me as beating my head against a wall. I seriously would rather take a two-hour math test than pretend to give a crap about a high school football game. Been there, moved away from that. As such, I’ve never seen a single episode of Friday Night Lights. However, there has been plenty of hoopla about an “abortion episode” of the show (see RHRC and Feminsting, for example). I kind of had to watch it, given how – despite the estimated 1/3 of U.S. women who will have abortions in their lifetimes – the issue is usually not presented at a... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746671 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:18:50 +0100 3746671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743505&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F11%2Fweekly-news-round-up-another-three-day-weekend-edition%2F I’m taking Monday off work. Because I have the terrific privilege of paid vacation days, and have enough of them that I’ve actually topped out and will not accrue more until I take some of them. First, a few of my recent posts at Our Bodies Our Blog that I’ve neglected to link up here: Quick Hit: Public Comment Open on Hospital Visitation Rule Change – public comments are being accepted until August 27 on a proposed rule change that would protect patients’ rights to choose and designate their own visitors during a hospital stay and make hospital visitation much easier for LGBTQI patients and their partners HealthCare.gov Provides Tools for Understanding Health Care Options – a bit about a new government website with information on the implementation of th... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743505 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:50:32 +0100 3743505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742232&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F10%2Fwhy-jeff-yarbro-is-likely-to-get-my-vote-a-tennessee-democrate-on-reproductive-freedom%2F Yesterday, I received a mailer from Tennessee State Senate candidate Jeff Yarbro, who is running against incumbent Sen. Doug Henry in the Democratic primary in District 21 – my district. The campaign piece is notable for a Democrat in a state where the TN Democratic Party praises a candidate for his “pro-life” stance in party communications. One side of Yarbro’s mailer clearly states: “Jeff trusts women to make decisions about choice – not government.” (presented as a quote from his wife) Hey, that sounds a lot like what I’ve argued here. And here. And here. On the back side, the mailer includes language that “…Yarbro supports a woman’s right to choose” and that the candidate opposes SJR127 “or any other attempt... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742232 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:10:05 +0100 3742232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721830&cid=t_91830_109_f&fid=34817&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrinkwrapped.blogs.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fabortion-on-demand-reverberations-and-vicissitudes-.html This post was part of a series that I wrote in February 2007.  "Susan" was an angry, miserable, and deeply unhappy woman who was profoundly disappointed in herself and her life.  One of the central issues in her unconscious emotional life involved her relationship to abortion.  Her analysis was an eye opening experience for me that allowed me, in retrospect, to crystalize my thinking about the subject.  As often happens here, a commenter has left a good summary of the issues.  Jimmy J wrote: I am opposed to abortion for the very reason that Gloria pointed out. Life is sacred. The fetus is a life. Abortion ends a life. That said, the problem arises because the fetus is not able to survive outside the womb until a certain point of development. As a sm... ShrinkWrapped blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721830 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:27:37 +0100 3721830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714150&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fkagan-confirmation-hearings-available-on-c-span-site The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee and Solicitor General Elena Kagan is ongoing today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and those of you interested in watching or catching up on the proceedings can check out the C-SPAN website and the C-SPAN video library. It’s a little confusing, because each day’s hearings are split into multiple videos, and I haven’t found good access to complete transcripts. I did find that on the page for each video segment, there is a “search transcript” option to put in a word and see if it was covered in that segment. Most of the abortion discussion seems to be in Day 2, Part 1 — if you do the transcript search and click on one of the results, it will start playing the video right at that bit of the footage. ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714150 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:11:04 +0100 3714150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710734&cid=t_91830_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2010%2F06%2Frape-incest-all-part-of-gods-plan-angle.html Sharon Angle, the Cristo-Republican Senate candadate in Nevada, said this. Out loud. Um... Sharon, dear. You just said out loud that child rape and incest are all parts of your god's plan.Via the Huffington Post: In an segment that has gone unnoticed since it first aired, the Tea Party-backed candidate told the Bill Manders show -- a favorable platform for Republican candidates -- that she opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest. A pregnancy under those circumstances, she said, was "God's plan." Manders: I, too, am pro life but I'm also pro choice, do you understand what I mean when I say that.Angle: I'm pro responsible choice. There is choice to abstain choice to do contraception. There are all kind of good choices.Manders: Is there any reason at all for an abortion?Angle: No... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710734 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:52:00 +0100 3710734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702912&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F27%2Fweekly-news-round-up-new-blog-template-edition%2F Some things that caught my attention this week: A Providence, RI ob/gyn clinic was found to have inserted possibly 400-500 IUDs that are not approved for use in the U.S. and may not be effective. It looks like they’re saying it’s basically the version of the devices approved in Canada, but the investigation is ongoing. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health has The Abortion Provider’s Declaration of Rights, and is asking for sign-ons. It declares the rights of providers to be free from harassment and violence, to give patients complete and accurate information about the procedure (and not give medically inaccurate politically-motivated information), to perform the procedure after obtaining the patient’s consent without proscribed waiting periods, to choose t... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702912 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:47:38 +0100 3702912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676635&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ffilm-review-christy-turlington-tackles-womens-health-issues-with-no-woman-no-cry-documentary%2F This post originally appeared on our sister site TheGloss, and was written by TheGloss Editor-in-Chief Lilit Marcus. During the opening sequence of her documentary No Woman No Cry, Christy Turlington admits that she’s led a pretty charmed life, but something happened the day that she gave birth to her daughter and there were complications: “I went from invincible to powerless.” Though Turlington got medical care and both she and her daughter were fine, she realized how fortunate she was to have access to quality maternity care. The experience sent her on a new kind of journey, not only of motherhood but of a mission to learn about maternal health around the world and try to raise awareness about women’s health issues. Her travels took her from Bangladesh to Guatemal... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676635 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:29:12 +0100 3676635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671976&cid=t_91830_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F06%2F17%2Fabortion-sarah-palin-and-feminism-theyre-complicated%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Abortion, Sarah Palin and Feminism: They’re Complicated. Ah, carry me back to old 1960s. Women’s lib, as many of us called feminism back then, divided women along the same fault lines that divide us today. Decades ago a friend said to me: “I always thought liberation meant the freedom to do what you wanted with your life, even if that was stay home with your children.” Pretty good definition, and it just about summarizes the abortion debate. Freedom to become a mother or not. Freedom to be born or not. When those two freedoms are in direct opposition, whose freedom should be honored? The baby’s, says Sarah Palin. “You thought pit bulls are tough,” Palin said at a recent Susan B. Anthony List breakfast. &#82... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671976 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:22:24 +0100 3671976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658916&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F13%2Fweekly-news-round-up-things-to-unsee-edition%2F I had to look at the Cosmo website for a reason unrelated to my own interests/reading. There are no words for the steaming pile of bullsh*t-distractions-for-women that I found there. Apparently there is an article I might be interested in, but I could not will myself to find it. [warning for implied sexual violence] Something else I want to unsee – B pointed out this ridiculous game called “icing” in which dudes play by presenting each other with an otherwise unpalatable barely alcoholic beverage and being forced to drink it. As she notes in her piece for the Scene’s blog, it’s not so much the game itself, as the language around it, especially on a website for the game. Like, “there is nothing more insulting than being forced to take and knee and public... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658916 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:54:39 +0100 3658916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640963&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fabortion-statistics-england-and-wales-2009%2F Title: Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2009 Skinny: Key facts: In 2009, for women resident in England and Wales: the total number of abortions was 189,100,compared with 195,296 in 2008, a fall of 3.2% the age-standardised abortion rate was 17.5 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44, compared with 18.2 in 2008 the abortion rate was highest at 33 per 1,000, for women aged 19, 20 & 21, each lower than in 2008 the under-16 abortion rate was 4.0 and the under-18 rate was 17.6 per 1,000 women, both lower than in 2008 94% of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, over half (60%) took place in the independent sector under NHS contract 91% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 75% were at under 10 weeks medical abortions accounted for 40% of the total 2,085 abor... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640963 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:55:04 +0100 3640963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640993&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Flive-web-streaming-available-from-women-deliver-conference The Women Deliver 2010 conference is happening in Washington DC today through Wednesday, focusing on global maternal and reproductive health and featuring great speakers from numerous U.S. and international agencies. I just listened to Melinda Gates wrap up and pledge $1.5 billion in new family planning and maternal/child health grants for next 5 years; an archive of these videos is expected to be posted as well. The conference is streaming live at http://www.womendeliver.org/conferences/-2010-conference/webcast/. You can follow tweets using the hashtag #WD2010, which are also streaming on the webcast page. I’ve set up archives at Twapper Keeper and What the Hashtag? to save tweets with this hashtag for later review. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640993 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:58:39 +0100 3640993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635688&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F06%2Fweekly-news-round-up-glad-its-finally-june-edition%2F Over at Our Bodies Our Blog recently, I’ve posted on the CDC’s new guide to contraceptive use safety (with relevant parts linked for easy access, as the guide itself is kind of difficult to navigate), the Defense authorization that would repeal both “don’t ask don’t tell” and prohibitions against abortions in Department of Defense medical facilities, debate about over-the-counter genetic testing, a CDC working group’s outline of a plan to address infertility, and the FDA’s transparency initiative. And, hey! this year’s 2010 Women’s Health Heroes were also announced! Big thanks to everybody who submitted nominations and/or voted – go check out the winners and inductees. Some other things that caught my eye: The Women Delive... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635688 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:47:54 +0100 3635688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621952&cid=t_91830_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmNXqm9NGrP0%2F Any of the commonly used antidepressants was associated with a 68 percent relative increase in the overall risk of a miscarriage, and there were significant associations with the use Pfizer’s Effexor and GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil, according to a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Also worth noting: the use of more than one class of antidepressant doubled the risk. The study examined 5,124 women who suffered miscarriages. A total of 284, or 5.5 percent of the women who had a miscarriage had at least one prescription for an antidepressant filled during pregnancy, compared with 1,401, or 2.7 percent of the matched control group. The authors noted that previous studies yielded inconsistent findings. There have also been lawsuits over links between Glaxo and birth defe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621952 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:51:21 +0100 3621952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621642&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fquick-hit-defense-authorization-would-repeal-dadt-prohibitions-against-abortions-in-dod-facilities According to this release [PDF] on May 28 from the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2011 includes provisions both to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the prohibition on performing legal abortions in Department of Defense medical facilities. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have further commentary. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621642 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:36:05 +0100 3621642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588846&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbest-of-blisstree-our-10-favorite-things-from-the-week%2F If you’ve skimped on your Blisstree reading this week, here’s our top ten list (in no particular order): Nutrition: 26 Ways to Lower Your Bad Cholesterol from Lauren Slayton of NYC’s Foodtrainers Babycakes Gluten-Free, Vegan Brownie Recipe (No, really, it’s good!) Bikini Babes: Bikini Hair Removal 101 To Drink: Eco-Friendly Diet Coke from Sodastream Keep the Weight Off: Fitness Model Jamie Eason’s Favorite App Female Entrepreneurs: Exclusive Q&A with Rachel Weeks of School House Dating Advice: Burn Your Relationship Books (Bonus: if you comment on this, you could win a copy of Giulia Melucci’s memoir, “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti”) Photo Gallery: Blisstree’s Trip To L.A. with Bertolli and Rocco DiSpirito (with photos of one ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588846 Sat, 22 May 2010 13:36:01 +0100 3588846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585574&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbritains-first-abortion-ad-is-threatened-with-legal-action%2F Britain’s first abortion advertisement – a 30 second video from sexual health clinic Marie Slopes International that’s slated to air next Thursday – is causing quite the stir in the UK. Abortion advertisements are banned in the UK by law, but the organization has been able to get around the rules because of their non-profit status, and because they will not make any money from the ad. The ad is slated to air during an episode of “The Million Pound Drop Live”, a new game show, and doesn’t actually mention abortion directly. Instead, it asks “Are you late?” and directs viewers to a help line. The upcoming abortion ad has sparked great debate in the UK. Despite the organization’s technical immunity, opponents of the ad are threatening to ta... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585574 Thu, 20 May 2010 21:00:01 +0100 3585574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577373&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fblisstree-readers-get-25-off-eboost-pink-lemonade-to-fight-breast-cancer%2F Have you or someone you know been affected by breast cancer? If so, EBOOST and Blisstree understand the long road and obstacles ahead. That’s why for every box of pink lemonade that EBOOST sells, they will donate a full $10 of the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Together, we can give hope to millions of women and their families – and help wipe out this terrible disease once and for all. The EBOOST Healthy Energy Drink contains a special blend of vitamins and minerals that activate the four vital elements of performance: ENERGY, IMMUNITY, RECOVERY, and FOCUS, delivering sustained energy that lasts. EBOOST has teamed up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to raise money for breast cancer awareness with an exclusive offer for Blisstree readers. A box of 20 EBO... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577373 Tue, 18 May 2010 17:14:24 +0100 3577373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3569784&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flast-weeks-10-best-posts-from-crushable%2F Image from "Tiny Furniture" trailer on Vimeo Our sister site, Crushable, published some kick-ass posts last week. Here are our top ten faves: 1. Sarah Jessica Parker: “Sex and the City 2″ Cast Grew Closer While Filming in the Middle East 2. Video: Laura Bush Is All for Gays and Abortions Now 3. New Fake Trend: “Gender Disappointment” In Your Baby 4. The Death of “Law and Order” 5. Lines That Won’t Get You Laid: “I Totally Relate to Don Draper” 6. Stars on the Spot: Do You Have an Emergency Escape Plan? 7. Cutegreggator: 23 Adorable Baby Dolphins 8. Would You Post Your Prom Dress Online? 9. Crushable Questionnaire: Elizabeth Spiers 10. Anonymous Celebrity: Lena Dunham Hits Big With “Tiny Furniture” Post from: BlissT... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3569784 Sun, 16 May 2010 18:00:33 +0100 3569784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552192&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F05%2Fa-painful-story.html By PAUL LEVY This is a painful story to write. A close friend of mine, in his 40's, had a persistent light cough for many months. Finally, when he had an X-ray taken, it showed a large tumor on his... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552192 Sun, 09 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3552192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545428&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Ftireless-advocate-for-reproductive-justice-lynn-jackson View all Women’s Health Heroes. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Merritt Tierce Nominee: Lynn Jackson, Intake Director for the Texas Equal Access Fund (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545428 Fri, 07 May 2010 17:40:01 +0100 3545428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542539&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F06%2Ftennessees-governor-elects-not-to-veto-abortion-coverage-ban%2F As the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports today, Governor Phil Bredesen decided not to veto a Tennessee bill that “bar(s) coverage of abortion in any health plan offered through a state-run health insurance exchange to be created under health reform.” In a letter issued yesterday, the Governor wrote: “While I am concerned about potential unintended consequences of this legislation, I have allowed it to become law because the health care exchanges that would be impacted by this legislation will not become operational until 2014, giving the General Assembly time to rethink this issue and address the concerns created by this bill.” In other words, Tennessee will elect a new Governor this fall, and he doesn’t like it, but he’s going to leave it for someon... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542539 Thu, 06 May 2010 23:44:38 +0100 3542539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542553&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FgyvOUPaQPBI%2Fbioethical-perspective-on-oklahomas-new.html The percentage of college educated Americans who support legal abortion seems to have reached a new low among women under thirty and among the population as a whole,  so it should be no surprise that states are passing laws to restrict safe abortions. Before performing any abortion Oklahoma’s new 2010 law requires that the doctor do an ultrasound and describe to the woman the dimensions and gestational age of the embryo, cardiac activity if any, and appearance of external and internal structures.  A vaginal transducer must be used when doing so will display the embryo more clearly than an abdominal transducer.  Oklahoma’s law thus requires doctors to perform an ultrasound that is not medically indicated and likely to be invasive. In this era of skyrocketing medical costs... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542553 Thu, 06 May 2010 16:26:43 +0100 3542553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538067&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fsisters-of-st-joseph-punished-for-supporting-health-care-reform-legislation A group of Catholic nuns who broke with the bishops by supporting health care reform legislation has garnered the wrath of some leaders in the Catholic Church. Earlier this year the nuns signed a letter to members of Congress from the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. The letter stated that: The health care bill that has been passed by the Senate and that will be voted on by the House will expand coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans. While it is an imperfect measure, it is a crucial next step in realizing health care for all. It will invest in preventative care. It will bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will make crucial investments in community health centers that largely serve poor women and children. And despite false claims to the ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538067 Wed, 05 May 2010 17:56:24 +0100 3538067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529861&cid=t_91830_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fempty-arms-lonely-trauma-of-miscarriage.html (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529861 Tue, 04 May 2010 06:45:00 +0100 3529861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526718&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Ftireless-advocate-for-womens-health-wendy-chavkin View all Women’s Health Heroes. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Amanda Davis Nominee: Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH, Professor of Clinical Public and Family Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH, is a tireless advocate for women’s health. As a medical student in Chicago in the late 1960s, Dr. Chavkin occasionally loaned her apartment to the Jane Collective, an underground abortion network. She later said that her experience with the Jane Collective “pushed me towards becoming a doctor.” Dr. Chavkin decided to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. She began practicing medicine shortly after Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, and has advocated staunchly and openly for reproductive rights ever since. In her dozens of publications, she exposes the dispa... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526718 Mon, 03 May 2010 14:46:35 +0100 3526718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524087&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F02%2Fsunday-news-round-up-early-morning-tornado-siren-edition%2F Yikes – here in Nashville we’ve had some intense weather this weekend. I mean, it’s not every day that a portable classroom floats down the interstate. First, check out all of the great posts that were part of Blogging Against Disablism Day. Or maybe do that last, because you will be there for a while. I haven’t read them all, but one post I particularly liked was on the scrutiny of people who need painkilling medications. Info on the Children’s/Infants’ Tylenol, C/I Motrin, and children’s Zyrtec and Benadryl is online at http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com SB 529, the “OB/GYN Criminalization and Racial Discrimination Act” in Georgia (on race and abortion), was killed in committee. SisterSong has a press release [PDF] and Jodi Jacobson... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524087 Sun, 02 May 2010 12:56:19 +0100 3524087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519430&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fproviding-sexual-health-info-promotoras-de-la-salud-sexual-community-educators View all Women’s Health Heroes. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Emilia Gianfortoni Nominee: Promotoras de la Salud Sexual Community Educators The Latino community experiences vast sexual health disparities nationwide. Latinos disproportionately experience high rates of teen pregnancy and STIs compared to other ethnic groups. In Massachusetts, Latinas have a teen birth rate that is six times higher than non-Latinas. The communities of Holyoke and Springfield experience the highest teen birth rates in the state, at 95.4 and 84.3 per 1,000, respectively, compared to 22 per 1,000 for the state as a whole. As studies clearly show, teen pregnancy and birth rates are much related to high school drop out rates. Holyoke and Springfield are no exceptions with the two highest dro... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519430 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:46:09 +0100 3519430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511513&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F176193%2F Is Canada an Abortion Opponent? NPR reports that Canada won’t contribute to international abortion funding at the G8 development summit, according to Bev Oda, Canada’s international cooperation minister. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511513 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:03:40 +0100 3511513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3501488&cid=t_91830_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F24%2Fmusings-on-an-oklahoma-abortion-law-veto%2F This week, Governor Henry of Oklahoma vetoed a piece of abortion legislation; HB 2780, as the Governor’s office’s press release stated, “would have forced women to undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of it before they could obtain an abortion.” I think this bill deserved to be vetoed, and had a high likelihood of being overturned in court, so I think it was correct that it would have resulted in costly legal battles for the state. However, I take issue with the explanation of one other primary rationale as listed in the press release (and expressed in the veto statement): In his veto message, Gov. Henry reiterated his support for reasonable restrictions on abortion, but said HB 2780 had several flaws, including the lack of an exemption for rap... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3501488 Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:24:40 +0100 3501488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499044&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fsaving-and-changing-lives-eugenia-lopez-uribe View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: A friend in Boston Nominee: Eugenia Lopez Uribe, Mexican activist and coordinator of the MARIA Abortion Fund for Social Justice I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Eugenia last November in Boston. She was touring the United States speaking about the MARIA Abortion Fund and social justice issues in Mexico. I was totally blown away by her knowledge and dedication. Eugenia helps women access safe, legal abortion and defends the right to abortion in Mexico. This is no small task. Abortion throughout Mexico has been restricted to cases or rape, life or health of the woman, or fetal malformations. Even when women “fit” within these restrictions, it’s impossible to find safe abortio... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499044 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:01:22 +0100 3499044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494472&cid=t_91830_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FpzS21cduK8c%2F Thirty-seven years after Roe v. Wade, the fight for reproductive rights is still being waged across America. Last month, President Obama’s health care bill just barely passed in the Senate, thanks in part to the support of Rep. Bart Stupak, who came to Obama’s side only after the President signed an executive order confirming the ban on federal funding for abortions. While the National Right to Life movement has had no trouble attracting young women, the pro-choice side that fought for and won abortion rights several decades earlier is seeing its membership age without much new blood coming in, according to National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL) president Nancy Keenan, who was recently profiled in Newsweek. Keenan considers herself part of the “post-menopaus... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494472 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:38:25 +0100 3494472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490610&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fcrisis-pregnancy-centers-continue-to-mislead-women Change.org, partnering with RH Reality Check and the Feminist Majority Foundation, has launched a petition campaign related to “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) – “clinics” that often advertise free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds and are set up with the intent to talk women out of choosing abortion. The centers have often been criticized based on reports that they mislead women about the health and psychological effects of abortion and misrepresent the services they offer. The petition targets members of Congress with a request that they “support legislation that would stop CPCs’ deceptive advertising practices, require that accurate medical information is provided, and eliminate ALL federal funding for CPCs.” In previous years, the “Stop ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490610 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:49:42 +0100 3490610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487018&cid=t_91830_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Ftrust-women-dr-george-tiller View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Zoe French Nominee: Dr. George Tiller Dr. Tiller was an abortion provider, one of only three nationwide who provided abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy. He was murdered at church by an anti-abortion activist on May 31, 2009. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487018 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:50:42 +0100 3487018