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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: women's health

women's health stories: 54 news summaries

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eye of the beholder

 Men Prefer 
 'Normal' Weight Women 

Pictures of faces give info about subjects' health, too

Oct 29, 09 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - Celebrity culture and body image issues aside, women of “normal” weight are by far the most attractive to the opposite sex. College-age men asked to rate headshots of their counterparts judged women in the normal weight range more attractive. “This sends a strong message to all the girls... More »

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women's health • fat • weight • overweight • scientific study • underweight • thin • attractive

Death Penalty for Virginity- Faking Kit:
Egypt Scholar

Said to spread vice, violate Islamic law

Sep 29, 09 9:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - An Egyptian scholar wants the death penalty for anyone importing a device that helps women fake virginity—claiming it violates Islamic law by spreading perversion in society. The gadget releases a liquid that looks like blood, allowing a new bride to make it appear her hymen has been ruptured. The... More »

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women's health • Egypt • Islamic Sharia law • scholar • virginity • premarital sex • hymen • virginity-faking device

China Reports 13M Abortions Annually

Health officials blame lack of birth control for unmarried women

Jul 30, 09 7:06 AM CDT
(AP) - China performs about 13 million abortions every year, mostly for single young women who experts say know little about contraception, according to a rare disclosure by government health officials. China imposed strict birth controls in the 1970s, limiting most couples to just one child, but the policy tends to overlook... More »

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China • abortion • contraception • women's health • women • sexual health • Chinese officials

 For HIV, Women the Weaker Sex 

Hormone leads to higher immune activity, faster progression

Jul 14, 09 12:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Women may be the weaker sex when it comes to HIV. The virus progresses faster in women, and a new study published in Nature Medicine finds that may be due to the hormone progesterone, the BBC reports. The research team is continuing work on the findings to see if... More »

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women's health • AIDS • HIV • HIV/AIDS • health research • health study • progesterone

(Newser) - Slain abortion doctor George Tiller’s clinic will permanently close its doors, his family announced today. They said they would not be involved in another clinic, instead honoring Tiller through private charitable activities. “We are proud of the service and courage shown by our husband and father,” they... More »

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abortion • women's health • clinic • George Tiller

OPINION

Once a Pro-Lifer, She'll Soon Perform Abortions

Med student details what changed her mind

Jun 7, 09 1:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rozalyn Farmer Love grew up Catholic, taught that abortions are categorically wrong. But the third-year medical student delved into women's health, meeting women in agonizing situations along the way, and realized that although "ending an unwanted pregnancy is a tragedy," it's far worse to deny "safe, competent... More »

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reproductive rights • abortion • women's health • abortion rights • Catholic • medical students

Push to Use HPV Vaccine on Boys Stirs Debate

Is pricey STD prevention necessary?

Mar 26, 09 8:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - Merck is pushing the FDA to approve its HPV vaccine for men, and that’s raising a whole new set of controversies, the Washington Post reports. When the human papillomavirus vaccine was originally marketed for girls, many questioned whether or not it would encourage young girls to have sex.... More »

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women's health • Merck • HPV • vaccine

(Newser) - Maternity leave benefits in the EU are set to triple if a new proposal goes through, the Telegraph reports. New moms would see a bump from 14 to 18 weeks of paid leave under the plan and would get a full paycheck during that time—rather than lower sick-pay rates.... More »

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women's health • European Union • United Kingdom • veto • maternity leave

 Alcohol Linked to Women's Cancer

Massive study finds even moderate
drinking raises risk

Feb 25, 09 1:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, has been linked to an increased risk of cancer for women, reports the Washington Post. Consuming an average of just one drink a day of any kind of alcohol was found to result in a higher risk of breast, liver and rectal cancer. The study... More »

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cancer • breast cancer • women's health • alcohol • drinking

Vatican Blasts Obama Policy
on Abortion

Backers say plan promotes women's health, fights AIDS

Jan 25, 09 2:24 PM CST
(Newser) - The Vatican today condemned President Obama's move to give federal funding to international groups that include abortions and abortion counseling with health care, the BBC reports. A Vatican official said the policy dealt a blow to those fighting "the slaughter of the innocents." Supporters of the move say... More »

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Barack Obama • abortion • women's health • Vatican • Obama administration • President Obama • gag rule • family planning

Critics Rip Gender Gap in Health Insurance Charges

Advocates call for an end to higher premiums for women

Oct 30, 08 3:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Health advocates and some politicians are crying foul over the huge price difference between men's and women's health insurance, the New York Times reports. Healthy young women are regularly charged up to 50% more than their male counterparts, even when maternity care is excluded. The practice is prohibited under job-based... More »

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health insurance • women's health • health insurance premiums • gender gap

 Heart Disease 
 Linked to Depression 

Young, female heart patients at highest risk, study discovers

Sep 30, 08 2:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - People suffering from heart disease are three times more likely to be depressed, according to a study that found young women particularly at risk. Researchers urged doctors to monitor heart patients for depression, reports the San Francisco Chronicle, noting that it not only affects quality of life but can adversely... More »

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women's health • depression • heart disease • heart attack • scientific study

Gender Influences Effectiveness of Antidepressants

Men, women respond differently to drugs

Sep 9, 08 7:34 PM CDT
(Newser) - The results of the largest-ever federal study of depression are in, and the link between gender and treatment is clearer than ever before, Newsweek reports. Men and premenopausal women respond differently to different formulations of drugs, suggesting the strong influence of estrogen and reinforcing the gap between two commonly prescribed... More »

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women's health • depression • estrogen • medical study • National Institute of Mental Health • citalopram

Ovarian Cancer Test 'Premature,' Critics Worry

Early screening's false positives may cause unneeded surgeries

Aug 26, 08 10:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Though a new ovarian cancer test gives hope that the 21,000 new cancer cases expected this year may be detected at a treatable stage, the FDA is worried OvaSure may do more harm than good, the New York Times reports. If the unregulated test detects cancer where there... More »

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cancer • FDA • women's health • public health • ovarian cancer • medical research • OvaSure

Gene Test
May Rewrite Breast Cancer Screening

Mouth swab will offer more precise measure

Jun 25, 08 7:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists say they will soon be able to take a simple mouth swab from women to better determine their risk of breast cancer, the Guardian reports. Researchers at Cambridge University have zeroed in on several genetic variants—with more to come—that offer a far more precise measure of a... More »

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cancer • medical breakthrough • breast cancer • women's health • genetic testing

Breastfeeding May Boost
IQs of Kids

Study of 14K children reports modest gains
in intelligence

May 6, 08 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Kids who are breastfed tend to be smarter than their formula-fed peers, a major new study says. At age 6, children who were breastfed longer scored higher on IQ tests, though researchers couldn't say whether it was the breast milk itself or stronger interaction with mothers that caused the modest... More »

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parenting • women's health • mothers • baby • breast feeding

Fertile Women Sound Sexier, Study Says

Voices found
to be most alluring
during ovulation

May 2, 08 1:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barflies take note: A woman's voice is sexiest when she's most fertile, a new study says. Scientists recorded women counting from 1 to 10 and found that their voices were rated most attractive when they were closest to ovulation, the BBC reports. What gives? Researchers aren't sure, but they speculate... More »

MORE ABOUT:
gender • fertility • women's health • women • hormones • biology

No Such Thing as 'Fit but Fat'

Even active overweight people face increased risk of heart disease, study contends

Apr 29, 08 12:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you’re overweight or obese, exercise alone doesn't appear to reduce risk of heart disease, according to a study that pokes a hole in the “fit but fat” theory. The study followed nearly 39,000 women over 11 years, and found even active overweight women were 54% more... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • women's health • heart disease • overweight

Test Counts 'Good Eggs'
to Track Fertility

Offers $350 check-up
of biological clock; some docs skeptical

Apr 24, 08 12:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Women wondering how much time is left on their biological clocks have a new option, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new test called Plan Ahead, on the market for $350, claims to measure how many high-quality eggs a woman has remaining and thus some indication of childbearing potential. But some... More »

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fertility • women's health • reproduction • children • fertility treatment • biological clock

 For Women,
 Big Belly Is Big Trouble 

Wider waists may increase risk of early death, study finds

Apr 8, 08 10:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Wider-waisted women may have an increased risk of premature death—even if they’re not obese. In a 16-year-long study of 44,636 women, those with waists at least 35 inches wide had a 79% higher chance of premature death, compared with those with waists of 28 inches or less.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • women's health • health study • waistline

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