Gynecology Medical News

Cases of cervical cancer will be reduced by up to 70 per cent with
the introduction of a new vaccine into the national immunisation
programme.

The Department of Health has agreed, in principle, to accept JCVI
advice that HPV vaccines should be introduced routinely for girls
aged around 12-13 years, subject to independent peer review of the
cost benefit analysis.
Funding for this will be considered in the context of the
Comprehensive Spending Review.

Human Papilloma Viruses cause 99 per cent of invasive cervical
cancer. The vaccine protects against the viruses responsible for
about 70% of cases.

Routine vaccination of girls could start as early as autumn 2008.
Details of the programme will be finalised over the next few months,
following further advice from JCVI and discussions with the NHS on
the implementation of the programme.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said:

“Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women worldwide.
In the UK alone, the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer is
one in 116.

“It is great news that vaccines have been developed that protect
women against this form of cancer and I am delighted to announce that
we intend, in principle, to introduce an HPV vaccine into the
national immunisation programme.

“The benefits of introducing this vaccine will be felt by women and
their families for generations to come. In England, 2221 new cases of
invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2004 alone. In addition
around 200,000 women in England are identified through the cervical
screening programme (smear tests) as having a pre-cancerous change.

“This vaccine will prevent many women from catching the HPV virus in
the first place, potentially saving hundreds of lives.

“A significant amount of planning is required before we can introduce
the immunisation into our programme. We are still working on the
details and logistics, and will work closely with the NHS to ensure
the vaccination can be delivered effectively. However, we are hoping
that girls will start being vaccinated from as early as 2008.”

The highly successful and comprehensive cervical screening programme
(smear tests) will continue after an HPV vaccine has been introduced.
This is because of the gap between the age of vaccination and age of
first screening. Also, screening will be required as the vaccine
does not protect against all HPV types that may cause cervical
cancer.

1. The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has
advised that HPV vaccines are clearly beneficial. It has commissioned
a cost-effectiveness analysis which will be the subject of an
external peer review. The JCVI is expected to make their formal
recommendation to the Government at their next meeting on 17 October
2007.

2. The JCVI provides the Department of Health with independent
expert advice on all vaccine issues.

3. Human papilloma virus is a sexually transmitted virus that causes
99 per cent of invasive cervical cancer.

4. To ensure maximum benefit and protection from this vaccine, it
would be necessary to administer it before the onset of sexual
activity.

Department of Health, UK Continue reading →

The Salem Women’s Clinic in Salem, Ore., earlier this month filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Ore., against Salem Hospital alleging that the hospital is using its monopoly in the local health care system to drive the clinic out of business, the Salem Statesman Journal reports. In the suit, the clinic claims that hospital officials are restricting the clinics midwives from practicing by removing access to backup physicians, who are required to be present in case a medical emergency occurs during labor, according to the Statesman Journal.

The suit seeks an emergency injunction to reinstate hospital privileges for Elizebeth Harmon, director of the clinic, until an appeals hearing takes place. The hospital on Jan. 25 sent a letter to Harmon that said her privileges were suspended because she had violated hospital requirements for reappointment to the medical staff. The letter also cited “concerns regarding quality of patient care, behavioral issues and interpersonal relationships with members of the health care team” as reasons for the suspension. Harmon has requested an appeal hearing with the hospital to have her privileges reinstated, but a hearing has not been granted, according to the Statesman Journal.

According to the Statesman Journal, the clinic’s midwives have continued to practice because physicians from the hospital’s in-house obstetric group have provided backup. However, the obstetricians on April 23 told hospital officials that after the end of May they will no longer provide backup to clinic midwives because the additional patient load is placing too much strain on their practice. Sherryll Johnson Hoar, a spokesperson for the hospital, said the hospital will bring in temporary physicians to provide backup.

Harmon in the lawsuit also alleges that the hospital has refused to grant privileges to three new physicians hired by the clinic to take on some of her patients and alleviate the burden on Kimberly Eltzroth, the clinic’s other physician with privileges. Eltzroth has said she will resign on June 24 because of the additional patient load resulting from Harmon’s suspension.

The clinic, which is the only provider of midwife services at the hospital, delivers about 70 infants annually, according to the Statesman Journal. According to the suit, the clinic could close late next month if the midwives are not given access to backup physicians. Johnson Hoar said the hospital is “surprised” by the lawsuit, adding that it will take steps to ensure backup physicians are provided (Thompson, Salem Statesman Journal, 5/18).

Antiabortion Groups Concerned That Language in Bill Would Allow Midwives, Nurses To Perform Abortions
In related news, some antiabortion groups, including Missouri Right to Life and the Missouri Catholic Conference, have expressed concern over language in a bill (HB 818) passed last week by the state House that they say could be interpreted as allowing any certified health professional, including nurses and midwives, to perform abortions, the AP/Columbian Missourian reports (Lieb, AP/Columbian Missourian, 5/17). A provision of the bill would allow any person holding “ministerial or tocological certification” to provide pregnancy-related services (Wagar, Kansas City Star, 5/17).

According to the AP/Missourian, lawmakers did not realize that state Sen. John Loudon (R), who opposes abortion rights, had added the language to the bill until after it had passed, and they are now trying to pass a second bill that omits the language before the end of the legislative session. Loudon said that he does not think his amendment would allow people who are not physicians to perform abortions but added that he would support an amendment to clarify the language (AP/Columbian Missourian, 5/17). According to the Star, the House has added a provision to the other bill that states that only a physician can perform an abortion, even if another law states that other health care providers, such as nurses or midwives, can provide pregnancy-related care (Kansas City Star, 5/17).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved. Continue reading →

Interlace Medical, Inc., announced that it has received 510K clearance from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the MyoSure Hysteroscopic Tissue Removal System for the removal of submucosal fibroids and polyps.

The MyoSure System enables physicians to quickly remove fibroids in a single step, avoid risks associated with energy-based devices, and will provide women with an incision-less treatment alternative that preserves uterine form and function. The easy-to-use device provides gynecologists with confidence, control and a minimally invasive care option for their patients.

“An increasing number of gynecologists and their patients are choosing less invasive treatment options which preserve uterine form and function and fewer life interruptions. With the MyoSure System, a 3cm fibroid (about the size of a walnut) can be removed in less than 10 minutes,” said Bill Gruber, President and CEO of Interlace medical. “In addition, the MyoSure device’s small outer diameter minimizes the need for cervical dilation often associated with other hysteroscopic procedures thereby reducing the risk of cervical perforation and trauma.”

“The availability of the MyoSure System allows me to offer a clinically effective front line solution vs. traditional drug therapy which has proven to be ineffective in the treatment of my symptomatic patients”, said Kelly Roy, M.D. of Phoenix Gynecology Consultants, Phoenix, AZ .

About Fibroids

Nearly 80% of all women will develop fibroids in their lifetime. The economic impact of fibroids is considerable. With an estimated 200,000 hospital admissions, costing more than $2 billion per year, fibroids clearly have a significant public health impact. These estimates do not include medical costs incurred in outpatient settings, or nonmedical costs such as time lost from work, according to data reported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The need for better solutions that reduce the economic burden associated with treating and managing fibroids continues to increase. Hysteroscopic Myomectomy is recognized by the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), as a safe and effective treatment of Abnormal Uterine Bleed (AUB) caused by fibroids and polyps and is clinically proven to relieve AUB symptoms by greater than 90% with a less than 20% chance of recurrence at five years.

By developing cost effective, technologically advanced devices that improve patient care, reduce cost and provide procedural convenience to physicians, Interlace Medical addresses an ongoing need for safer, less invasive gynecology procedures.

Source
Interlace Medical, Inc. Continue reading →

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing to examine the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recently revised breast cancer screening guidelines, including the recommendation that women begin biennial mammograms at age 50 instead of annual mammograms beginning at age 40, CQ HealthBeat reports. USPSTF is an independent panel sponsored by the HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of 22 senators sent a letter to HELP Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) asking that the committee assess the recommendations and try to dispel any confusion over when women should be screened for breast cancer. “These recommendations, which have been widely criticized by patients and doctors alike, could prove devastating for women at risk for breast cancer,” the letter said. It continued, “The American people deserve to know more about how this task force came to its controversial findings” (Norman, CQ HealthBeat, 11/24).

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wrote the letter. She said, “These recommendations have caused great confusion among women,” adding, “Women are seeking answers and are asking their elected representatives whether the task force’s finding will put them at increased risk for this deadly disease” (Brady, Roll Call, 11/24). Murkowski continued, “And to compound that confusion, [HHS] Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said afterwards that women in their 40s should continue to get mammograms.” Sebelius said that the recommendations will not alter insurance coverage for mammograms under federal programs. The American Cancer Society also continues to recommend that women begin annual mammograms at age 40 (CQ HealthBeat, 11/24).

Controversy Shows Challenges of Controlling Health Costs, Post Columnist Says

The “uproar” surrounding the USPSTF guidelines “is proof of the blindingly obvious: Health care reform that actually controls costs — rather than just pretending to do so — would be virtually impossible to achieve,” Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson writes. None of the current versions of health reform legislation in Congress “even tries to address a central factor that sends costs spiraling out of control, which is that each of us wants the best shot at a long, healthy life that medical science can offer,” he continues. The “honest solution is a word that cannot be spoken: rationing,” he argues, adding, “Our system already rations health care based on the individual’s ability to pay.” Likewise, insurance companies “ration some tests and procedures based on age, risk factors and what often seems like whim,” Robinson writes. Such “ad hoc rationing doesn’t work very well,” he says, concluding that “nothing in any of the reform bills even tries to address the basic consensus that makes spending continue to rise: Put a lid on everybody else’s costs, but don’t touch mine” (Robinson, Washington Post, 11/24).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Continue reading →

Girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier. One recent study found that more than 10 percent of American girls have some breast development by age 7. This news has upset many people, but it may make evolutionary sense in some cases for girls to develop faster, according to the authors of a new paper published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Girls who physically mature earlier tend to start dating, have sexual intercourse at a younger age, and have more sexual partners than girls who develop later. That puts them at risk of sexually transmitted diseases and makes them more likely to have a child while they’re still teenagers. These are generally seen as bad things, says Jay Belsky, of Birkbeck University in London, given that many psychologists and doctors think there are right and wrong ways to develop. But he says it makes more sense to look at development the way nature does – from an evolutionary perspective. This leads to the expectation that growing up in a risky, unstable environment – the kind that fosters an insecure rather than secure attachment of infant to mother – should accelerate pubertal maturation thus increasing the chances that one could reproduce before they die.

To test the relationship between a risky, unstable environment, as reflected in an insecure infant-mother attachment bond, and early puberty, Belsky and his colleagues used data on 373 white females from a large study of early child development sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Girls in the study were followed from birth until the age of 15. At 15 months, security of attachment to mother was evaluated using a standard procedure involving separating and reuniting the baby with her mother in a university laboratory. Babies who smiled, vocalized, reached, or otherwise demonstrated appreciation that their mother was back were considered to be secure; those who avoided their mother following the separation or could not be comforted by her return were considered insecure. Pubertal development was evaluated by means of annual physical exams administered by nurses or physicians starting when girls were 9.5 years of age. Results revealed, as predicted, that girls who were insecure as babies started their pubertal development sooner – by about two to four months – than girls who were secure as babies. They also completed pubertal development sooner and had their first period earlier than girls who were secure as infants.

A risky, unstable early environment, as reflected in an insecure attachment, is not the only reason girls mature early; it’s also partly due to genetics. Environmental chemicals may also have some effect. Also, there’s been a trend over the last 150 years of girls maturing earlier, possibly because of improved nutrition. But the early rearing environment and the infant-mother attachment relationship are important influences and should not be ignored, says Belsky. He cowrote the study with Renate Houts of Duke University and Pasco Fearon of the University of Reading.

“An evolutionary biology perspective says, ‘look, the thing that nature most cares about – with respect to all living things, humans included – is dispersing genes in future generations,’” says Belsky. “Thus, under those conditions in which the future appears precarious, where I might not even survive long enough to breed tomorrow, then I should mature earlier so I can mate earlier before that precarious future might get me.” This is the evolutionary logic, according to Belsky, which led to the prediction – and now evidence – that early insecurity should be related to earlier pubertal development.

Source:
Keri Chiodo
Association for Psychological Science Continue reading →

Most women who have gone through the rigors of pregnancy have a permanent reminder – stretch marks. These marks appear as red or dark horizontal threads along the skin, and can become permanent scars.

Stretch marks occur when skin stretches and expands quickly and beyond its limit. Tiny tears appear in the supporting layers of skin. Pregnancy stretch marks are most common on the abdomen, breasts, thighs or buttocks. The issue is how to get rid of stretch marks?

Factors that influence whether or not a pregnant woman will get stretch marks include:

Heredity: if your mother had them, it is likely you will too.
Ethnicity: women with greater amounts of melanin in their skin are less prone.
Water: ingested during pregnancy, keeping skin hydrated decreases the chance a woman will get stretch marks.
Scratching: as your stomach expands, the skin may become scratchy. Do not scratch; instead, rub lotion or powder on to alleviate the itchiness.
Exercise: daily to keep your skin supple and free from toxins. This will help by toning the skin of your body and increasing its elasticity.

Prevention is Better than Treatment or Removal
The best remedy for stretch marks, and the primary way to avoid them is to be careful during pregnancy. Keep your body well hydrated by drinking plenty of water. This will increase the elasticity of your skin and prevent stretch marks from appearing. Apply generous amounts of rich moisturizing cream on your abdomen, thighs and breasts (cocoa butter cream is a favorite among expecting mothers). This saturates your skin with moisture.

Eat proper nutritious food so that you do not gain more weight than is necessary. Rapid, uncontrollable weight gain is a primary cause of stretch marks. A balanced diet also ensures that you get adequate amounts of Vitamin A, E and C, which help to maintain the suppleness of the skin. Follow a regular exercise routine that will help in maintaining your weight.
Stretch Mark Treatment and Removal
Among the temporary solutions for stretch marks is the application of specially formulated stretch mark creams. These creams contain cocoa butter, wheat germ oil and lanolin. They help to heal stretch marks by rebuilding the structure of your skin. The use of concealing or camouflaging cosmetics on the affected area will reduce the visibility of the stretch mark scars.

One of the permanent solutions that have come up in recent times is laser therapy. This is typically a simple procedure and usually requires little or no recovery time. Using lasers to remove stretch marks works because it repairs the skin’s natural synthesis of collagen. Collagen is a protein rich compound occurring in the body that repairs and rejuvenates skin tissue. Cosmetic laser treatment for stretch marks works to stimulate renewed growth of depleted collagen. It removes damaged skin tissue, seals broken blood vessels and repairs the fibers of the middle skin. This helps in filling the stretch marks. This can, however, be a relatively expensive option. Blue light therapy is another option. This treatment uses gel and light to treat stretch marks. You may also consider plastic surgery for the permanent removal of your stretch marks.

A new treatment is the use of chemical compounds called retinoids – specifically, retinaldehyde, tretinoin or isotretinoin. Under proper medical supervision, they have yielded favorable results in the treatment of stretch marks.

Article By Michelle O’Connor,
weeklypregnancycalendarandstretchmarktreatment Continue reading →

In an effort to help the public make sense of an escalating number of news stories about “designer babies,” genetic engineering and cloning, the Women’s Bioethics Project (WBP) today announced the launch of its first series of podcasts, titled “The Scientist & the Ethicist.”

“The Scientist & the Ethicist” series presents conversations with prominent bioethicists discussing topical ethical issues related to reproductive and genetic technologies and the impact of these growing fields on women and their families. The podcast conversations will help listeners of all ages develop a better understanding of current ethical controversies and the complexities associated with such technologies as genetic engineering and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Each podcast episode in the series is freely available for download or computer listening at womensbioethics.

“The podcasts cover a variety of ethical and legal questions behind the new genetic and reproductive technologies people hear about in the media,” said Emilie Clemmens, Ph.D., a research fellow at WBP and host of the podcasts. “Leading bioethicists from the fields of law, medicine and philosophy provide diverse perspectives on such questions as, ‘Should parents be allowed to choose their children’s genes?’”

Dr. Clemmens, a scientist with training in physiology and bioengineering, has interviewed several prominent ethicists for this series:

* R. Alta Charo, J.D. Warren P. Knowles professor of law and bioethics, University of Wisconsin Law and Medical Schools

* Marcy Darnovsky, Ph.D. associate executive director, Center for Genetics and Society

* Linda MacDonald Glenn, J.D., LLM core faculty at Alden March Bioethics Institute (AMBI), research fellow at the University of Vermont

* Rosemarie Tong, Ph.D. director, Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

* Michael Yesley, J.D. former staff director, National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“The Scientist & the Ethicist” podcast series is funded in part by a grant from Humanities Washington, a nonprofit foundation providing cultural and education programs. The podcasts are an extension of the Women’s Bioethics Project Book Club, which encourages book clubs across America to read popular works of fiction that raise bioethical issues and to use WBP-provided discussion materials to evaluate the various bioethics issues presented.

The Women’s Bioethics Project is an independent, nonpartisan, public-policy think tank based in Seattle. WBP is dedicated to ensuring that women’s voices, health concerns and unique life experiences will be represented in discussions and decisions about ethical issues in healthcare and biotechnology.

Contact: Kathryn Hinsch

Women’s Bioethics Project Continue reading →

The Lancet Conference on Women’s Health in Asia will bring together world-leading experts to review the latest research and to debate the most effective strategies for improved sexual health and the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disorders affecting women. The conference will be held on July 16-17, 2011, in Chang Sha, China.

The Lancet has a vested interest in all aspect of women’s health, as shown by its collaborations with the Women Deliver conferences and its Special Issues dedicated to maternal health. Moreover, in the past 5 years The Lancet has published a wealth of ground breaking research focused on the latest clinical updates in obstetrics and gynaecology. Much has changed in recent years, especially in the care of pregnant women in both developed and developing countries. Examples range from very simple interventions, such as greater access to midwifery care to high tech solutions for infertility and prenatal genetic testing. New surgical techniques have also really improved care in the field of gynaecology along with development of ultrasound diagnostics and better treatments for gynaecological cancers.

This conference on women’s health will be a chance for specialists from all disciplines of obstetrics and gynaecology and those from across all areas of Asia as well as the wider international community to come together and share their knowledge and educate each other about best clinical practices.

The conference is going to be launched in China where obstetrics is a really critical issue at the moment; China has the greatest prevalence of deliveries of any country in the world as well as the highest caesarean section rates, especially for elective sections. Also there are many differences in the reproductive biology of Asian women compared with those in other areas of the world. Public health strategies tailored at women are also increasing in prominence in China’s national health programmes, with new initiatives being promoted such as free cervical cancer screening, which was introduced last year. Additionally there are areas of women’s health in which China’s leaders can learn from developments in other countries, such as nationwide cervical cancer vaccination programmes. A public health initiative like this is a really bold step and the conference will offer Chinese experts the chance to learn from the experiences of other international authorities who have already been involved in implementing similar strategies in their own countries.

This is the perfect time to draw together Chinese and international obstetricians and gynaecologists to discuss clinical and public health issues that are hopefully going to help improve healthcare of women in Asia.

Participants should benefit from:

- A greater understanding of the impact of violence, arranged marriage, contraception, and abortion on public-health strategies in Asia and an insight into fundamental public health and operation strategies for the improved sexual health of women in Asia

- Enhanced knowledge and up-to-date scientific insight into birth defects, genetics, and screening

– An update on multimodal strategies to prevent and treat HPV-associated cancers

- An opportunity to discuss perspectives and exchange ideas for the future management of cancer in women

– An interdisciplinary understanding of comprehensive women’s health-related issues in a global perspective

For more information and to receive regular updates, please visit the conference website .

Source: The Lancet Continue reading →

You may think of your love for your mate as the noble emotion of a pure heart, but some primitive parts of your brain are taking a decidedly more pragmatic approach to the subject, according to Stanford biologists.

In experiments with African cichlid fish, the scientists discovered that when a female shows a preference for a particular male, but then witnesses him losing a fight with another male, her feelings toward him change.

Areas of the female’s brain associated with anxiety showed increased activity after witnessing an altercation.

“It is the same as if a woman were dating a boxer and saw her potential mate get the crap beat out of him really badly,” said Julie Desjardins, a postdoctoral researcher in biology. “She may not consciously say to herself, ‘Oh, I’m not attracted to this guy anymore because he’s a loser,’ but her feelings might change anyhow.”

“Our intuition is that this response is likely to occur under similar conditions in humans because the brain areas involved are present in all vertebrates and perform comparable functions,” said Russ Fernald, a professor of biology.

Desjardins is the first author of a paper describing the research, to be published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Fernald and Jill Klausner, a recent honors biology graduate whose thesis was on this topic, are coauthors.

Desjardins said that with people, the subconscious change of heart would likely happen in response to a failure in any competitive situation – whether it’s losing at a game or missing out on a promotion at work – not just a brawl. She said that men might also feel differently after seeing a “female of interest” fail at something competitive.

But all is not necessarily lost for the loser – at least not the human one.

All is not lost for the loser

We can take heart, she said, because we have so much more cognitive ability than fish and can reason our way out of these subtle twinges of doubt. And not all pair-bonding relationships are equal.

“Obviously, long-term committed relationships are very different than, say, people who have just started dating, or are in the initial phases of mate choice,” Desjardins said. So losing a game of beer pong may – or may not – have relationship-ending consequences.

Among the fish, the researchers also found that when the preferred male prevailed, the female showed increased excitation in parts of the brain associated with reproduction, as well as some of the brain’s pleasure centers.

“In this case, she is turning on her body to get ready to physically mate with this male that she previously chose,” Desjardins said. The female also appears to be feeling some sort of pleasurable stimulus in her body, she said.

Desjardins said that while humans may reason beyond the sort of gut reactions displayed in the female cichlids, the human version of the brain regions involved in the fishes’ decisions probably play a major role in the snap judgments men and women make.

“You may not know immediately why you are attracted to a certain person, for example,” she said. “But it is these sorts of unconscious internal reflexes that we have that are shared with all vertebrates, including fish, that make us feel one way or another before we’ve even had time to think about it.”

These same areas of the brain also probably play a part in other types of reflexive responses, such as a mother’s instinct to protect her child.

Fishy flirtation

Desjardins and her colleagues conducted their experiments using a fish tank split into three sections by transparent barriers. In the middle section, they put the female, with a male in each tank on either side of her. The males were always of comparable size and weight – as similar as possible.

For two days in a row, for 20 minutes a day, they placed the same three fish in the same three sections of the tank.

The female would typically swim around for a while, then settle down and interact with the male she preferred.

“We know that she prefers a particular male because she will display some mating behavior and he will try to do the same on his side,” Desjardins said. Once a female had chosen, she never wavered – until the fight.

On the third day, the researchers took one of the male fish and put him into the compartment of the other male fish. Cichlid males are highly territorial, so fighting ensued instantly.

Piscine pugilism

“In this fish species, fighting means a lot,” Desjardins said. “When you fight with a neighbor, you not only physically fight with them, you are also displaying your abilities and your prowess to everyone watching.”

The fishy fisticuffs were allowed to continue for 20 minutes, while the female watched. After that time, the researchers knew the female’s brain would show clear evidence of her reaction.

Desjardins said that when they dissected a female’s brain, they invariably found strong evidence of heightened activity that corresponded with whether the fish’s preferred potential mate had won or lost. The researchers ran the experiment with 15 different females.

“I was extremely surprised by how large a difference in brain activity we were able to measure,” Desjardins said. “To an outside observer like me, it always looked like the same thing – two similar fish fighting. But to the females, it meant something very different.”

Because the female fish had to be dissected in order to assess the activity in their brains, the researchers weren’t able to test whether the females’ reactions to the fights carried over into influencing their actual mating behavior.

But, Desjardins said, “Now that we know the females consistently react to the fights so strongly, we should be able to answer the burning question, “Will she really dump the loser she used to like in favor of the winner?”

Source:
Louis Bergeron
Stanford University Continue reading →

The following summarizes selected women’s health-related blog entries.

~ “U.S. Catholic Bishops: Health Care Bill Funds Abortion,” Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report’s “God & Country”: In a letter to House members released on Wednesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned health care reform legislation HR 3200 proposed by House Democrats, claiming that its “purported prohibition on federal funds for abortion is a ‘legal fiction,’” Gilgoff writes. While the House bill “may not be the last word on abortion coverage in the federal health care plan,” it is “unlikely that the Democrats … will heed the bishops’ and other social conservatives’ call for an outright ban on abortion coverage in health insurance plans that are subsidized with federal funds,” he continues. The issue, “along with mounting Democratic support for the Ryan-DeLauro
bill on abortion and other reproductive health issues, … appears to dim prospects for Obama finding common ground with the American Catholic Church on abortion,” Gilgoff writes, adding that the White House has not yet revealed its “common ground” initiative. However, “abortion coverage in the health care bill may not be a settled matter — so it’s still too early to close the book on the question,” he concludes. Gilgoff also includes an excerpt of USCCB’s letter, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chair of USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities (Gilgoff, “God & Country,” U.S. News & World Report, 8/13).

~ “White House ‘Reality Check’ Site on Health Care Silent on Abortion,” Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report’s “God & Country”: Gilgoff writes that he was “struck” that the White House’s new “Reality Check” Web site on health insurance reform “doesn’t mention abortion.” The site “aims to counter … ‘rumors and scare tactics’ and ‘a lot of the outrageous claims floating around’ regarding the Democrats’ health care reform proposals,” Gilgoff writes, adding that he was “surprised that the White House is mum on the issue” of abortion. He notes that Democrats say “that one of the biggest myths about those proposals is that they’ll use taxpayer money to cover abortions,” adding, “I wonder what’s behind the silence on abortion” (Gilgoff, “God & Country,” U.S. News & World Report, 8/11).

~ “A Tale of Two Polls,” Steve Benen, Washington Monthly’s “Political Animal”: A recently released Gallup poll indicates that the “pro-life lead” shown in a similar May poll — which “found 51% of Americans calling themselves ‘pro-life’ and 42% ‘pro-choice’” — is “evaporating, dropping from nine points to one, 47% to 46%,” Benen writes. It is “hard to say with certainty” what “prompted the shift,” he writes, adding that “it’s likely the May poll was just an outlier.” He continues that the May poll “generated a huge amount of media attention,” but “[m]ajor news outlets ignored [the new poll] almost completely.” The May poll “showing strong ‘pro-life’ numbers [is] a huge story, even though the results were dubious,” but the August poll “showing weaker ‘pro-life’ numbers [is] a non-story, even though the results made sense,” Benen writes, concluding that the “‘liberal media’ strikes again” (Benen, “Political Animal,” Washington Monthly, 8/11).

~ “Aborting Health Reform,” Dana Goldstein, American Prospect: If Congress “acquiesces to abortion opponents and passes a public plan that does not provide reproductive health services comparable to what Americans can purchase in the private market or obtain through their employer, it will be a weaker plan with a smaller constituency,” Goldstein writes. Reproductive rights “have been under constant assault in the health reform debate,” she writes, adding, “At stake is not only whether a potential public plan covers contraception or abortion but also whether existing private health insurers … will be able to continue to do so once they are operating within the new health insurance exchanges.” The “potential upside” is that “many more women will be able to afford good reproductive health care” through a public plan that expands Medicaid and increases competition among private insurers,” Goldstein writes. However, the “potential downside is stark: A politicization of which reproductive health services insurers can cover, meaning that under anti-choice administrations, abortion and even contraceptive limitation or bans could become the norm,” she writes (Goldstein, American Prospect, 8/13).

Antiabortion-Rights Blog

~ “Abortion Coverage Mandates Are Not Health Reform,” Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.), The Hill’s “Congress Blog”: “Mandating abortion coverage and forcing taxpayers to foot the bill of this procedure in a public plan option is an affront to millions of pro-life Americans,” Fallin writes, adding that if Obama administration officials were “serious about passing health care reform that is focused on improving the health of Americans, abortion coverage mandates would not be included in their proposal.” Abortion services “would most likely be considered a ‘minimum benefit’” unless they are “explicitly prohibited by law,” she writes, adding that taxpayers would be “forc[ed] … to foot the bill, employers to extend coverage for this procedure and doctors to carry it out.” Fallin concludes that Obama “should make it clear that his health care plan is focused on improving the lives and good health of our citizens, not on taking the lives of the unborn” (Fallin, “Congress Blog,” The Hill, 8/11).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved. Continue reading →