The signed measures include a bill (AB 119) by Assembly member Dave Jones (D) that prohibits health insurance companies from charging different premiums based on gender. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who has sued the state over the practice, said the new law "will end discriminatory treatment of women in the individual health insurance market" (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/13). Schwarzenegger also signed a bill (SB 148) by Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D) to require clinicians who conduct mammograms to publicize any health violations identified in state Department of Health inspections (Sacramento Bee, 10/12).
Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill (SB 674) by Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D) that would have established greater oversight for fertility clinics that offer in vitro fertilization. The governor said that the bill did not go far enough to strengthen regulations and that he hopes to work with medical practitioners to develop even tougher licensing requirements (Bailey/Halper, Los Angeles Times, 10/12). In addition, Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill (AB 98) by Assembly member Hector De La Torre (D) that would have required health insurers to cover maternity services. Schwarzenegger said the bill would contribute to rising health care costs. This is the third time the governor has vetoed such a measure. The governor also vetoed a bill (AB 513) by Assembly member Kevin De Leon (D) that would have required health plans to cover lactation consultation and breast pump rentals. "This, like other mandates, only increases cost in an environment in which health coverage is increasingly expensive," Schwarzenegger said in his veto message (Sacramento Bee, 10/12).
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.
вторник, 27 сентября 2011 г.
Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs, Vetoes Several Bills On Women's Health
On Sunday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed and vetoed several bills related to reproductive health in a flurry of last-minute action before a midnight deadline to address more than 700 measures, the Sacramento Bee reports (Sanders, Sacramento Bee, 10/13). Most of the bills Schwarzenegger approved will take effect Jan. 1, 2010 (Sanders, Sacramento Bee, 10/12).
вторник, 20 сентября 2011 г.
Number Of U.S. High-Risk Pregnancies Increasing, AP/Boston Globe Reports
The number of "high-risk" pregnancies -- which has been used to refer to pregnant women older than age 35 or women who have conditions, such as high blood pressure, that could be dangerous for the fetus -- is increasing in the U.S., the AP/Boston Globe reports. According to the AP/Globe, in 2005 there were more than 104,000 births to women ages 40 to 44 and 6,500 births to women ages 45 and older. The number of hospital admissions for diabetes among pregnant women and new mothers increased from 175,655 in 1993 to 269,861 in 2004 and admissions for high blood pressure increased from 260,222 to 403,271, according to the March of Dimes. Improved medical care and an increase in the number of HIV-positive women, multiple births, cancer survivors and medication use during pregnancy also have contributed to the increase in high-risk pregnancies, according to the AP/Globe. There have been tens of thousands of organ transplant recipients, breast cancer patients and HIV-positive women who have become pregnant in the last several years. The results of pregnancies among women living with "life-threatening conditions that once made a safe pregnancy almost inconceivable" have been "so surprisingly good that they are overturning decades of gloomy dogma about who is medically fit to have a child," the AP/Globe reports. Newer HIV/AIDS drugs have been effective at preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, and about 6,000 to 7,000 HIV-positive U.S. women give birth annually. Mary D'Alton, obstetrics chief at Columbia University Medical Center, said that pregnancy outcomes for women with medical problems "have been better than we would expect" but that complications are more common. She said that about 50% of transplant recipients give birth prematurely, adding that she has replaced the term "high-risk" with a 1-to-10 scale. Vincent Armenti of Temple University, who runs a registry that tracks births of transplant recipients, said that women who want to become pregnant should be given advice based on solid research "instead of an emotional feeling that some people just shouldn't have a baby" (Marchione, AP/Boston Globe, 2/11).
"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.
"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.
вторник, 13 сентября 2011 г.
UN Agencies Unite Against Female Genital Mutilation
Expressing their commitment to the elimination of female genital mutilation, also called female genital cutting and female genital mutilation/cutting, 10 United Nations agencies pledged in a statement to support governments, communities, and women and girls to abandon the practice within a generation, with a major reduction in many countries by 2015, the year the Millennium Development Goals are set to be achieved.
Female genital mutilation violates the rights of women and girls to health, protection and even life as the procedure sometimes results in death.
As the statement indicates, although decades of work by local communities, government, and national and international organizations have contributed to reducing the prevalence of female genital mutilation in many areas, the practice remains wide spread.
"If we can come together for a sustained push, female genital mutilation can vanish within a generation," said UN Deputy Secretary General Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro during the launch. "But this goal demands both increased resources and strengthened coordination and cooperation among all of us."
Between 100 and 140 million women and girls in the world are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation and 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk of undergoing the procedures every year.
According to the ten UN agencies behind the statement, "The ambitious goal of eliminating female genital mutilation within a generation can be achieved by building on the progress of existing programmes and working hand in hand with communities. We have seen great success in people turning away from this harmful practice. To take these efforts to scale, we also need to see strong leadership on female genital mutilation at all levels."
The statement highlights the damaging effect of female genital mutilation on the health of women, girls and newborn babies. While excessive bleeding and shock are some of the immediate consequences, long-term health effects can include chronic pain, infections, and trauma.
Recent studies show that women who have undergone female genital mutilation have higher risks for caesarean sections, longer hospital stays, and postpartum haemorrhaging. Their newborn babies have higher death rates during and immediately after birth as well.
The UN agencies said, "We are becoming increasingly concerned about the medicalisation of female genital mutilation. This is where the mutilation is performed by health professionals in health facilities. The argument that a mild form performed by medically trained personnel is safer is commonly heard in countries where female genital mutilation is practiced. But this should never be considered as an option."
The statement also points out that female genital mutilation is a manifestation of unequal relations between women and men with roots in deeply entrenched social, economic and political conventions.
The practice is believed to enhance a girl's chastity and chances of marriage by controlling her sexuality. As such, it not only infringes on women's sexual and reproductive health; it also perpetuates gender roles detrimental to women.
"We recognize that traditions are often stronger than law, and legal action by itself is not enough," said all the agencies involved. "Change must also come from within. This is why it is critical for us to join hands and work closely with communities and their leaders so that they can bring about sustainable social change."
The statement stresses that because female genital mutilation is a social convention, it can best be changed through working with the communities where it is practiced.
v
Within these communities, the decision to abandon the practice must be collective, explicit and widespread to bring about a positive change - and end female genital mutilation within a generation. There are a growing number of examples in countries around the world where this is happening, but this joint initiative is to support the scaling up of good examples to become common practice.
Notes
The 10 agencies are: The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR), The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
unicef
Female genital mutilation violates the rights of women and girls to health, protection and even life as the procedure sometimes results in death.
As the statement indicates, although decades of work by local communities, government, and national and international organizations have contributed to reducing the prevalence of female genital mutilation in many areas, the practice remains wide spread.
"If we can come together for a sustained push, female genital mutilation can vanish within a generation," said UN Deputy Secretary General Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro during the launch. "But this goal demands both increased resources and strengthened coordination and cooperation among all of us."
Between 100 and 140 million women and girls in the world are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation and 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk of undergoing the procedures every year.
According to the ten UN agencies behind the statement, "The ambitious goal of eliminating female genital mutilation within a generation can be achieved by building on the progress of existing programmes and working hand in hand with communities. We have seen great success in people turning away from this harmful practice. To take these efforts to scale, we also need to see strong leadership on female genital mutilation at all levels."
The statement highlights the damaging effect of female genital mutilation on the health of women, girls and newborn babies. While excessive bleeding and shock are some of the immediate consequences, long-term health effects can include chronic pain, infections, and trauma.
Recent studies show that women who have undergone female genital mutilation have higher risks for caesarean sections, longer hospital stays, and postpartum haemorrhaging. Their newborn babies have higher death rates during and immediately after birth as well.
The UN agencies said, "We are becoming increasingly concerned about the medicalisation of female genital mutilation. This is where the mutilation is performed by health professionals in health facilities. The argument that a mild form performed by medically trained personnel is safer is commonly heard in countries where female genital mutilation is practiced. But this should never be considered as an option."
The statement also points out that female genital mutilation is a manifestation of unequal relations between women and men with roots in deeply entrenched social, economic and political conventions.
The practice is believed to enhance a girl's chastity and chances of marriage by controlling her sexuality. As such, it not only infringes on women's sexual and reproductive health; it also perpetuates gender roles detrimental to women.
"We recognize that traditions are often stronger than law, and legal action by itself is not enough," said all the agencies involved. "Change must also come from within. This is why it is critical for us to join hands and work closely with communities and their leaders so that they can bring about sustainable social change."
The statement stresses that because female genital mutilation is a social convention, it can best be changed through working with the communities where it is practiced.
v
Within these communities, the decision to abandon the practice must be collective, explicit and widespread to bring about a positive change - and end female genital mutilation within a generation. There are a growing number of examples in countries around the world where this is happening, but this joint initiative is to support the scaling up of good examples to become common practice.
Notes
The 10 agencies are: The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR), The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
unicef
вторник, 6 сентября 2011 г.
Combination Tests Could Distinguish Between Malignant Tumor Or Benign Cyst
The results of a study presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology's 39th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer offer a promising development on the path toward better management of ovarian cancer. Researchers say testing women suspected of having ovarian cancer for a combination of proteins, or biomarkers in the blood called HE4 and CA 125, could be the key to predicting a woman's risk for the disease dubbed the "silent killer." Currently there is no adequate diagnostic test for ovarian cancer.
"Roughly 20 percent of women will be diagnosed with an ovarian cyst or tumor at some point in their life, and only a small percentage of these women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer," said Lead Researcher Richard Moore, M.D., assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a gynecologic oncologist in the Program in Women's Oncology at Women & Infants' Hospital of Rhode Island. "The problem is that current methods for distinguishing benign ovarian tumors from malignant ones are limited and as a result, women must undergo surgery without an accurate assessment as to their risk for having ovarian cancer prior to their surgery."
Dr. Moore notes that fewer than half of all ovarian cancer patients have their initial surgery performed by a gynecologic oncologist or surgeon with specialized training in the management of ovarian cancer. "Our research is aimed at identifying patients at high risk for harboring an ovarian cancer so that they receive the right care from the right physician."
Currently, CA 125 is the only blood test that can be used to help predict a woman's risk for ovarian cancer and to help with the clinical management of the disease. However, CA 125 alone lacks the sensitivity required for the detection of ovarian cancer prompting researchers to look at the ability of combinations of biomarkers to predict the presence of ovarian cancer. Earlier this year, Dr. Moore published results of a pilot study in the Journal of Gynecologic Oncology evaluating nine potential biomarkers and the ability of multiple marker combinations to predict the risk for ovarian cancer in women. His findings showed the combination of HE4 and CA 125 provided the highest level sensitivity and specificity out of all marker combinations for predicting the presence of ovarian cancer.
In a prospective, double-blinded, multicenter clinical trial, Dr. Moore and his team studied 496 women presenting with pelvic mass or ovarian cysts to determine if tests targeting multiple markers utilizing HE4 and CA 125 and a predictive algorithm could accurately assess the risk for epithelial ovarian cancer prior to surgery. Researchers measured levels of the biomarkers within the women's blood and then compared the results with biopsies of their tumors. The combination of biomarkers performed well in both pre- and post-menopausal women, accurately stratifying 95 percent of patients with epithelial cancer as high risk and 75 percent of benign cases as low risk.
"Studies suggest women with ovarian cancer have better outcomes and increased survival when treated by surgeons trained in the management of ovarian cancer and at institutions specializing in the care of women with this disease," adds Dr. Moore. "By using the combination of HE4 and CA 125 as a model to assess a women's risk for ovarian cancer, physicians can better triage patients for care and refer them to the appropriate specialist - whether at a community hospital or large academic institution."
"Together, HE4 and CA 125 offer a powerful combination that could dramatically change the way ovarian cancer is managed at all stages of care," said Dr. Olle Nilsson, vice president and chief scientific officer of Fujirebio Diagnostics, the developers of the CA 125 test. "As research continues to progress, it is our hope that a test for HE4 and CA 125 could eventually lead to a plausible screening tool."
Fujirebio Diagnostics has developed a manual test for HE4 and will be developing automated formats of the test for Fujirebio instruments. The HE4 test is CE marked in Europe. The company has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and hopes to see availability of the test in late 2008.
About Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc.
Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. is a premier diagnostics company and the industry leader in biomarker assays. Fujirebio Diagnostics specializes in the clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of in-vitro diagnostic products for the management of human disease states, with an emphasis in oncology. Fujirebio Diagnostics is one of the group companies of Miraca Holdings Inc. in Japan, set up in July 2005 to combine Fujirebio Inc., the leading in-vitro diagnostics company, and SRL, Inc., the top provider of clinical laboratory testing services in Japan. Fujirebio Diagnostics has a worldwide distribution network, which enables physicians and patients to access its diagnostic products. For more information about Fujirebio Diagnostics, please visit fdi/.
About Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation's leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The primary teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, Women & Infants is the ninth largest obstetrical service in the country with more than 9,000 deliveries per year. In 2003, Brown University and Women & Infants were named a National Center of Excellence in Women's Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women & Infants has been named one of the best hospitals in gynecology in the 2000, 2001 and 2004 editions of America's Best Hospitals in U.S. News & World Report. For information about Women & Infants, log on to womenandinfants/.
Source: Stephanie Euler
Fujirebio Diagnostics
"Roughly 20 percent of women will be diagnosed with an ovarian cyst or tumor at some point in their life, and only a small percentage of these women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer," said Lead Researcher Richard Moore, M.D., assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a gynecologic oncologist in the Program in Women's Oncology at Women & Infants' Hospital of Rhode Island. "The problem is that current methods for distinguishing benign ovarian tumors from malignant ones are limited and as a result, women must undergo surgery without an accurate assessment as to their risk for having ovarian cancer prior to their surgery."
Dr. Moore notes that fewer than half of all ovarian cancer patients have their initial surgery performed by a gynecologic oncologist or surgeon with specialized training in the management of ovarian cancer. "Our research is aimed at identifying patients at high risk for harboring an ovarian cancer so that they receive the right care from the right physician."
Currently, CA 125 is the only blood test that can be used to help predict a woman's risk for ovarian cancer and to help with the clinical management of the disease. However, CA 125 alone lacks the sensitivity required for the detection of ovarian cancer prompting researchers to look at the ability of combinations of biomarkers to predict the presence of ovarian cancer. Earlier this year, Dr. Moore published results of a pilot study in the Journal of Gynecologic Oncology evaluating nine potential biomarkers and the ability of multiple marker combinations to predict the risk for ovarian cancer in women. His findings showed the combination of HE4 and CA 125 provided the highest level sensitivity and specificity out of all marker combinations for predicting the presence of ovarian cancer.
In a prospective, double-blinded, multicenter clinical trial, Dr. Moore and his team studied 496 women presenting with pelvic mass or ovarian cysts to determine if tests targeting multiple markers utilizing HE4 and CA 125 and a predictive algorithm could accurately assess the risk for epithelial ovarian cancer prior to surgery. Researchers measured levels of the biomarkers within the women's blood and then compared the results with biopsies of their tumors. The combination of biomarkers performed well in both pre- and post-menopausal women, accurately stratifying 95 percent of patients with epithelial cancer as high risk and 75 percent of benign cases as low risk.
"Studies suggest women with ovarian cancer have better outcomes and increased survival when treated by surgeons trained in the management of ovarian cancer and at institutions specializing in the care of women with this disease," adds Dr. Moore. "By using the combination of HE4 and CA 125 as a model to assess a women's risk for ovarian cancer, physicians can better triage patients for care and refer them to the appropriate specialist - whether at a community hospital or large academic institution."
"Together, HE4 and CA 125 offer a powerful combination that could dramatically change the way ovarian cancer is managed at all stages of care," said Dr. Olle Nilsson, vice president and chief scientific officer of Fujirebio Diagnostics, the developers of the CA 125 test. "As research continues to progress, it is our hope that a test for HE4 and CA 125 could eventually lead to a plausible screening tool."
Fujirebio Diagnostics has developed a manual test for HE4 and will be developing automated formats of the test for Fujirebio instruments. The HE4 test is CE marked in Europe. The company has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and hopes to see availability of the test in late 2008.
About Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc.
Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. is a premier diagnostics company and the industry leader in biomarker assays. Fujirebio Diagnostics specializes in the clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of in-vitro diagnostic products for the management of human disease states, with an emphasis in oncology. Fujirebio Diagnostics is one of the group companies of Miraca Holdings Inc. in Japan, set up in July 2005 to combine Fujirebio Inc., the leading in-vitro diagnostics company, and SRL, Inc., the top provider of clinical laboratory testing services in Japan. Fujirebio Diagnostics has a worldwide distribution network, which enables physicians and patients to access its diagnostic products. For more information about Fujirebio Diagnostics, please visit fdi/.
About Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation's leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The primary teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, Women & Infants is the ninth largest obstetrical service in the country with more than 9,000 deliveries per year. In 2003, Brown University and Women & Infants were named a National Center of Excellence in Women's Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women & Infants has been named one of the best hospitals in gynecology in the 2000, 2001 and 2004 editions of America's Best Hospitals in U.S. News & World Report. For information about Women & Infants, log on to womenandinfants/.
Source: Stephanie Euler
Fujirebio Diagnostics
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