Common Sense Prevails
The federal advisory panel looking at the HPV vaccine has recommended, unanimously, that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated, with vaccinations for girls as young as 9 up to the discretion of parents and doctors. ATLANTA – Taking up a sensitive issue among religious conservatives, an influential government advisory panel Thursday recommended that 11- [...]
...read moreNo Vaccines For Me, Thanks, I’ve Got Jesus As My Co-Pilot
We’ve all heard the story before: The religious right is all up in arms about an HPV vaccine that could prevent cervical cancer and save the lives of thousands of women because they think it might encourage pre-marital sex. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will determine whether [...]
...read moreSo, What Were You Planning on Doing in the DR With That Viagra, Rush?
So Rush Limbaugh was caught at the Palm Beach airport on the way back from the Dominican Republic with Viagra in his suitcase, for which he did not have a prescription (it was made out by his doctor to another doctor, probably to hide the fact that he’s using it). And while it’s fun to [...]
...read moreCondoms Block HPV
Well there goes that anti-condom talking point. The consistent use of condoms protects against human papillomavirus, a cause of warts and cervical and other female cancers, researchers are reporting today. In the study, which independent experts said was the most conclusive to examine the role of condoms in preventing infection with the virus, women whose [...]
...read moreThe Swimming Gap
I grew up in affluent suburbs where backyard swimming pools were common. My parents swam, and made sure my siblings and I could swim; we were dropped off several times a week for lessons at Mrs. Heath’s pool, practicing our strokes while Mrs. Heath sat on the edge of the pool with her Virginia Slims. [...]
...read moreAn Added Bonus To Avoiding Cancer: Get Skinny!
The basic story is this: Stomach cancer runs in the Bradfield family. Upon learning that they possessed the defective gene that would likely lead to cancer and eventually kill them, eleven cousins decide to undergo surgery to completely remove their stomachs. Stomach removal means that now they have to digest all their food in their [...]
...read moreThe Weaker Sex
I have to admit, this article made me shake my head, if only because it’s a nice reversal of centuries of “medical fact” which proved that women are weak and naturally inferior to men. The difference, of course, is that those misconstrued “facts” were (and still are) used to justify and reinstate oppression and misogyny, [...]
...read moreThe Trials and Tribulations of the Too Thin and Too Rich
What’s an already-fit, already-thin woman to do when she lives in a society that demands unreasonable thinness and unattainable physical perfection from women? Get micro-liposuction to get rid of “bra fat” and “back fat.”
...read moreCue the Drive-By Mommies!
I think we can all agree that breastfeeding, if possible, is a better option than formula. But, cripes, does DHHS have to be so damn alarmist about it? Warning: Public health officials have determined that not breast-feeding may be hazardous to your baby’s health. There is no black-box label like that affixed to cans of [...]
...read moreCan You Spot the Issue Here?
Headline in the LA Times: Less Sex and Alcohol for Today’s Teens. Headline in Yahoo News/AP: Hispanic Kids More Prone to Suicide. Same study.
...read moreHPV Vaccine Approved!
Reuters reports that the FDA has approved the HPV vaccine. This is great news. However, the approval process does not end the controversy. Individual states need to decide whether to make HPV vaccination mandatory for admission to public schools, which is where the religious-right opposition to the vaccine, called Gardasil, will be felt the most: [...]
...read moreCan We Quarantine the Christianists?
Because they’re really causing a lot of public health problems. See: Abstinence-only education, emergency contraception, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and the HPV vaccine. The latest news is on EC and HPV. Disappointingly, my home state of Washington is considering allowing pharmacists to opt out of doing their jobs via a “conscious clause” which would enable them [...]
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