Women in the US are having more "unwanted" pregnancies, but it is unknown if the shift indicates a change in views toward abortion, federal researchers said on Monday, the AP/Baltimore Sun reports. The National Center on Health Statistics recently released a 2002 and early 2003 survey that asked 7,643 women ages 15 to 44 questions regarding family planning and reproductive health, including the question, "Right before you became pregnant, did you yourself want to have a baby at any time in the future?" According to Anjani Chandra, lead author of the study, women who responded "no" were categorized as having "unwanted" pregnancies, and women who responded that the pregnancy was sooner than they had wanted were categorized as having "mistimed" pregnancies. According to the survey's parameters, 14% of participants' recent births were defined as "unwanted" at conception. A similar survey in 1995 found that 9% of respondents' recent births were defined as "unwanted" at conception. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the surveys are consistent with of the decreasing abortion rate. In 1995, for every 100 pregnancies that ended in either abortion or a birth, 26 ended in abortion. In 2002, 24 of every 100 pregnancies that ended in either abortion or a birth ended in abortion. "The two statistics together suggest -- but don't confirm -- that a greater percentage of unintended pregnancies resulted in births rather than abortions," Lawrence Finer, associate director for domestic research at the institute, said. Finer also said the data might be associated with the drop in the number of abortion providers in the U.S., which fell from 2,400 in 1992 to 1,800 in 2000. At least one antiabortion group said the shift is associated with a change in views on abortion. Susan Wills, associate director for education for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said the data "sho[w] a real pro-life shift." The Guttmacher Institute currently is conducting a study on unplanned pregnancies in relation to the number of abortions in the U.S. (Stobbe, AP/Baltimore Sun, 12/20).
"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, 28 февраля 2012 г.
вторник, 21 февраля 2012 г.
Research On The Balance Of Bacteria In Women's Bodies Holds Key To Improving Women's Health
A team of Canadian researchers are examining the delicate balance of bacteria and viruses in women's bodies in order to optimize women's health through their lives.
Dr. Deborah Money at the Women's Health Research Institute in Vancouver is leading the initiative, called the Vaginal Microbiome Project, which will examine the communities of microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) in the vagina in order to determine what a healthy bacterial balance is for women. "We know that a healthy balance is critical to preventing vaginal infections, protecting against sexually transmitted infections and preventing pregnancy loss and preterm birth." says Dr. Money. "To date, we have not been able to study this ecosystem adequately because it is difficult or impossible to grow some of the bacteria in the lab, and we currently have poor methods of assessing the population of microbes."
Genomics is making it possible to crack this mystery. Thanks to the latest tools, Dr. Money's team can rapidly sequence up to hundreds of thousands of the bacteria. "What's important about this approach is that we are not looking at a single bacteria in isolation," says Money. "We are able to look at whole communities and how they interact with each other, which is critical to understanding how a woman keeps healthy, and to identifying when something is going wrong with her reproductive system."
The project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), through their Canadian Microbiome Initiative, and Genome BC, each contributing $1,745,341 and $581,781 respectively for a total of $2,327,122 over five years. "This project puts Canadian researchers on the forefront of microbiome research," says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. "The fact that the research team includes people from all over Canada is a testament to how effective collaboration is in addressing key health issues."
One of the major consequences of abnormal bacterial balance in the vagina is preterm birth. Preterm birth rates are increasing for Canadian women, now at rates of almost 8%, and are responsible for 70% of newborn deaths and 50% of long-term adverse health consequences for infants. This project will study the bacterial populations associated with preterm birth and develop diagnostic tests in order to prevent preterm birth. "Studies to prevent preterm birth are of importance not only for Canadian women but for women worldwide where preterm birth has even more serious consequences," says Money.
The project will be lead by Dr. Money at University of British Columbia, based at the Women's Health Research Institute, with her co-leads, Drs. Janet Hill at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Sean Hemminsgen at the National Research Council, Dr. Gregor Reid at the University of Western Ontario, and Dr. Alan Bocking at the University of Toronto and many other collaborators across Canada.
Source:
Rhian Walker
Genome BC
Dr. Deborah Money at the Women's Health Research Institute in Vancouver is leading the initiative, called the Vaginal Microbiome Project, which will examine the communities of microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) in the vagina in order to determine what a healthy bacterial balance is for women. "We know that a healthy balance is critical to preventing vaginal infections, protecting against sexually transmitted infections and preventing pregnancy loss and preterm birth." says Dr. Money. "To date, we have not been able to study this ecosystem adequately because it is difficult or impossible to grow some of the bacteria in the lab, and we currently have poor methods of assessing the population of microbes."
Genomics is making it possible to crack this mystery. Thanks to the latest tools, Dr. Money's team can rapidly sequence up to hundreds of thousands of the bacteria. "What's important about this approach is that we are not looking at a single bacteria in isolation," says Money. "We are able to look at whole communities and how they interact with each other, which is critical to understanding how a woman keeps healthy, and to identifying when something is going wrong with her reproductive system."
The project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), through their Canadian Microbiome Initiative, and Genome BC, each contributing $1,745,341 and $581,781 respectively for a total of $2,327,122 over five years. "This project puts Canadian researchers on the forefront of microbiome research," says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. "The fact that the research team includes people from all over Canada is a testament to how effective collaboration is in addressing key health issues."
One of the major consequences of abnormal bacterial balance in the vagina is preterm birth. Preterm birth rates are increasing for Canadian women, now at rates of almost 8%, and are responsible for 70% of newborn deaths and 50% of long-term adverse health consequences for infants. This project will study the bacterial populations associated with preterm birth and develop diagnostic tests in order to prevent preterm birth. "Studies to prevent preterm birth are of importance not only for Canadian women but for women worldwide where preterm birth has even more serious consequences," says Money.
The project will be lead by Dr. Money at University of British Columbia, based at the Women's Health Research Institute, with her co-leads, Drs. Janet Hill at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Sean Hemminsgen at the National Research Council, Dr. Gregor Reid at the University of Western Ontario, and Dr. Alan Bocking at the University of Toronto and many other collaborators across Canada.
Source:
Rhian Walker
Genome BC
вторник, 14 февраля 2012 г.
Decision-Aid Program Increases Safety For Women Experiencing Abuse
Intimate partner violence results in 2 million injuries among women in the U.S. each year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. University of Missouri researchers are reducing these numbers with a new Web-based program that helps women experiencing abuse develop individualized safety plans and better assess the severity of their situations.
Unlike current Internet resources, the decision-aid program provides women with personalized assessments of the danger of their situations. The program generates a series of initial questions and follow-up questions for each woman, and then creates individualized safety plans based on their responses. A safety plan may include talking with children about what to do if violence suddenly occurs, establishing a safe place to go at a moment's notice, or hiding money and a change of clothes somewhere in or outside the home. Women also receive information about legal processes and community resources.
"The decision-aid provides anonymity and guidance to women who aren't comfortable talking about their situations," said Tina Bloom, assistant professor in the Sinclair School of Nursing. "It helps women think through their decisions, make more informed decisions and decrease decisional conflict - that sort of feeling like they don't know what to do, what their options are or where to look for help."
In the pilot study of the program, the researchers found that women's decisional conflicts were reduced after one use of the decision-aid. Based on the success, the researchers received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to expand the program to four states in the next five years.
The program is designed to help women who don't have access to traditional resources, including shelters and doctors. The decision-aid will be available to women anywhere they have safe access to the Internet. Additionally, kiosks with the program will be located in hospitals, doctor's offices, libraries and mental health care facilities.
"In intimate partner violence situations, there are ongoing patterns of violence - the more exposure that women have to violence, the greater their risk for injuries and negative health consequences, both mental and physical," Bloom said. "The goal of the decision-aid program is to give women more personalized and confidential aid options and prevent extended exposure to violence by changing their safety behaviors. By making help easily accessible, we can improve women's health outcomes."
The second study will be conducted by Bloom and researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Medicine, and the University of Arizona School of Social Work.
Source:
Emily Martin
University of Missouri-Columbia
Unlike current Internet resources, the decision-aid program provides women with personalized assessments of the danger of their situations. The program generates a series of initial questions and follow-up questions for each woman, and then creates individualized safety plans based on their responses. A safety plan may include talking with children about what to do if violence suddenly occurs, establishing a safe place to go at a moment's notice, or hiding money and a change of clothes somewhere in or outside the home. Women also receive information about legal processes and community resources.
"The decision-aid provides anonymity and guidance to women who aren't comfortable talking about their situations," said Tina Bloom, assistant professor in the Sinclair School of Nursing. "It helps women think through their decisions, make more informed decisions and decrease decisional conflict - that sort of feeling like they don't know what to do, what their options are or where to look for help."
In the pilot study of the program, the researchers found that women's decisional conflicts were reduced after one use of the decision-aid. Based on the success, the researchers received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to expand the program to four states in the next five years.
The program is designed to help women who don't have access to traditional resources, including shelters and doctors. The decision-aid will be available to women anywhere they have safe access to the Internet. Additionally, kiosks with the program will be located in hospitals, doctor's offices, libraries and mental health care facilities.
"In intimate partner violence situations, there are ongoing patterns of violence - the more exposure that women have to violence, the greater their risk for injuries and negative health consequences, both mental and physical," Bloom said. "The goal of the decision-aid program is to give women more personalized and confidential aid options and prevent extended exposure to violence by changing their safety behaviors. By making help easily accessible, we can improve women's health outcomes."
The second study will be conducted by Bloom and researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Medicine, and the University of Arizona School of Social Work.
Source:
Emily Martin
University of Missouri-Columbia
вторник, 7 февраля 2012 г.
Health Reform Law Reignites Debate Over Health Worker 'Conscience' Protections
"[L]ittle-noticed provisions" in the health reform law (PL 111-148) have "quietly reignited" a debate over balancing patients' rights to receive care with some health workers' moral and religious objections to certain services and procedures, the Washington Post reports.
Supporters of increased "conscience" protections for health workers argue that the new law "leaves vulnerable" those who oppose abortion, emergency contraception, stem cell research and some end-of-life care. Advocates for patients' rights counter that the legislation favors those who oppose such services and creates new hurdles for women seeking abortions and patients who are dying.
The new law mandates that insurance plans offered through the new state-based insurance exchanges do not "discriminate against any individual health care provider or health care facility because of its unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of or refer for abortions." The law also prohibits discrimination against individuals opposed to "assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing." In addition, President Obama signed an executive order affirming that the new law does not negate any previous federal "conscience" protections for health workers.
Renewed Attention on HHS 'Conscience' Rule
The debate has renewed focus on Obama's stated intention to rescind a federal conscience regulation put in place during the George W. Bush administration. The regulation would have increased protections for health workers who refuse to provide care on moral or religious grounds. Shortly after taking office, Obama proposed a new rule that would rescind the regulation, arguing that it could create obstacles to abortion and other reproductive health services.
The health reform debate sidelined a final decision on Obama's proposal, and the outcome is being closely monitored as an example of how the administration will handle related issues stemming from the health reform law, the Post reports.
Jenny Backus, an HHS spokesperson, said, "No matter what decision is made in terms of [the Bush administration's rule], providers will continue to be protected -- as they have been for years -- by the existing conscience-clause statutes that will remain on the books." She added, "Not only are there strong existing protections in current law, but the new health reform law also explicitly demonstrates strong support for the rights of providers and patients."
Jennifer Dalven, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project, said, "We are quite concerned about religious liberty, but we think the current law appropriately balances individual religious liberty and patients' need for access to health care." Dalven added, "What some people are seeking are rules that take patients out of the equation."
According to the Post, some abortion-rights advocates are "alarmed" that the bill did not include specific protections for health workers who provide abortion services. As the number of U.S. abortion providers continues to decline -- and violence and protests continue -- some advocates are concerned that the law will lead health plans to exclude physicians willing to perform abortions. They also argue that the law in some ways expands protections for abortion opponents by shielding providers who refuse to refer women to an abortion provider.
Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that the law contains a "lopsided conscience protection." She added, "In a country where 87% of U.S. counties don't have an abortion provider, where abortion providers are murdered and harassed, you really need protections for those who advocate for both performing and referring for abortions. Not the other way around."
Meanwhile, religious groups argue that the health reform law does not do enough to protect health workers who oppose abortion from discrimination by entities other than health plans, which they claim would permit governments, health facilities and others to compel workers to participate in abortion care.
Some supporters of stronger protections for health workers also argue that the law does not safeguard individuals who object to other aspects of care that the federal government could classify as "essential services," such as contraception, sterilization, genetic testing and in-vitro fertilization.
Matthew Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund said the law "is thousands of pages of new government power, decision-making and funding." He added, "Any government power over health care can be exercised in a way that discriminates against pro-life health providers, especially when officials already support abortion and opposes enforcement of conscience laws."
Jonathan Imbody, vice president for government relations at the Christian Medical Association, said, "At the end of the day regarding the legislation, a pro-life health care professional is left with a weak and limited conscience provision that doesn't even prohibit discrimination by government and institutions" (Stein, Washington Post, 5/11).
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.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
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