Breakthrough In Women’s Health
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 2nd, 2011
Good morning!
BREAKING NEWS: Birth control is covered by insurance companies for the first time ever. Through the Affordable Care Act, co-payments and deductibles will be eliminated. Hence, birth control will literally be “free” – Finally a president who cares about women’s health - Thank you president Obama!
Birth control now covered: Goodbye, co-pays. Hello, preventive care.
If you’ve ever had to endure fluctuating birth control prices, the hunt for the generic or the hassle of the monthly refill, take heart: The Department of Health and Human services is now recommending that birth control be covered by insurance plans under preventive care.
This news is a historic development in the debate over women’s health care. The new guidelines take effect today, just over a month after a committee of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine recommended that prescription birth control, breast-pump rentals, counseling for domestic violence and annual wellness exams and HIV tests be covered by virtually all insurance plans.
Plans beginning on or after August 1, 2012 will cover birth control and other preventative services, including voluntary sterilization, and the new requirements will take effect Jan. 1, 2013, in most cases.
It’s no secret that the debate over contraceptives — from education about them to access to them — has a long history, but it’s not as divisive as some might think: 28 states already require birth control to be covered by insurance.
Last week, The Post hosted National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine committee member Linda Rosenstock for a live chat. Here’s what she had to say when it came to the recommendation her team made for insurance companies covering birth control as a pre-existing condition:
What pre-existing condition does birth control “cure”?
It is important to understand that our committee looked at the evidence for what services work to improve women’s health. Unintended pregnancy accounts for about half of all pregnancies in the U.S. each year and these pregnancies can cause health problems for both the mother and the newborn. There is compelling evidence that contraception counseling and methods are very effective ways to avoid unintended pregnancies and to allow women to optimally space their pregnancies.
Readers: This is great news for women. Any comments? Any thoughts on anything? Blog me.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 2nd, 2011 at 6:46 am
Sweet…I remember those fluctuating costs, it ranged anywhere from $4-32/month, ridiculous…where was the ‘I have a pecker’ tax surcharge to men to cover my cost of being a protected female?
Though, I still think the rethugs are going to do ANYTHING to ‘get their country back’ and those tea baggers are just heavily indoctrinated (or brainwashed) freaks who don’t even get how oddly over-the-top they are…
Luv, Zen Lill
August 2nd, 2011 at 8:01 am
This act, through the timeline of the other chaotic bullshit that has been going on, is a job well done by Obama!! It cuts through the deep cuts the GOP has done through the financial eliminations of Planned Parenthood and such. Well Done!
August 2nd, 2011 at 9:10 am
Hafa adai
If I read that post from 11ok65ru correctly that 4.6 earthquake was a warning to N, Korea. But guys don’t you think that it was a little to close to Guam?
Peter
August 2nd, 2011 at 9:19 am
AUTISM: CLOSER TO FINDING A CAUSE
It wasn’t so long ago that psychologists theorized that autism was caused by mothers who were unable to show affection toward their children.
It’s hard to believe, but these moms were actually referred to as “refrigerator mothers.” Talk about heaping on the guilt!
Well, we’ve made huge strides in terms of understanding that autism is not a result of something a parent does to a child. The condition remains a heartbreaker, however.
These days the term “autism” is applied to a range of brain disorders characterized by poor communication and interaction with others.
According to the most current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism now affects one out of every 110 American children between ages three and eight. (That is when the condition is typically diagnosed.)
And while we still don’t know for sure what the cause is, I’m happy to report that researchers are making some impressive strides toward solving the mystery.
I recently spoke with Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH, a professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California in Davis (UC Davis), to hear more about the work she’s doing.
She is one of the authors of two new studies on autism, both reported in the July 2011 issue of Epidemiology.
One study shows that children conceived during winter months (December through March) have an increased chance of being autistic.
The other shows that women who take prenatal vitamin supplements in the three months prior to conception and the first month after conception are less likely to bear autistic children.
“The studies present us with more evidence that autism isn’t caused by a single factor,” Dr. Hertz-Picciotto said.
In fact, she said there’s mounting evidence that autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors… which aren’t necessarily the same in each case.
In one of the studies, researchers at UC Davis looked at approximately 6.6 million birth records in California recorded from 1990 through 2002, correlating the rates of autism for children conceived in December through March with those conceived in July.
The results were surprising: Children conceived in December had an 8% greater chance of being autistic than those conceived in July… and the percentage of increase over the July rate kept rising for subsequent winter months, reaching a high of 16% in March.
“We don’t believe the calendar month itself is a cause of autism, but it’s a marker for other potential causes that may vary with the season,” said Dr. Hertz-Picciotto, who is also affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute, a research center for the study of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
She said these other seasonal factors may include viruses that are more common in winter months or the change in the amount of daylight, which affects, among other things, the body’s production of vitamin D.
VITAMINS MAY HAVE A CRITICAL ROLE
In the second study, researchers collected data from some 700 California families who had children with autism.
Results of the study, Dr. Hertz-Picciotto said, showed a reduction of about 40% in autism rates in cases in which the mother had taken prenatal vitamin supplements during the three months before conception through the first month after conception.
In other words, a buildup of vitamins before the crucial first month of embryonic development seems to be key to healthy neural growth.
Prenatal supplements typically contain vitamin A, niacin (vitamin B-3), folic acid (vitamin B-9), vitamin B-12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, iron, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine and zinc.
Folic acid may be the critical component, said Dr. Hertz-Picciotto, because the vitamin is known to protect against defects in the embryo’s neural tube, which develops into the brain and spinal cord.
With so many factors still unknown, Dr. Hertz-Picciotto said, more studies are expected to be conducted in the near future, especially research into B and D vitamins as well as fevers, infections and exposure to pesticides during pregnancy.
In the meantime, given the vitamin study’s finding of a 40% reduction in autism rates, it’s certainly wise to take prenatal vitamin supplements three months before potential conception through the first month after conception.
Source(s):
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH, chief, division of environmental and occupational medicine, professor, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis. She is also affiliated with the UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute in Sacramento, an interdisciplinary research center for the study and treatment of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Rebecca J. Schmidt, PhD, assistant professor, department of public health sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis.
August 2nd, 2011 at 9:28 am
Hafa adai
Sorry about the name mishap. I was attempting to add this to the post.
=========================
North Korea is developing a new mid-range ballistic missile that could reach as far as the U.S. territory of Guam, according to report released by Japan’s Defense Ministry.
The annual report, widely known as the 2011 White Paper, also highlights North Korea’s atomic bomb testing as “a significant threat to Japan’s security when the North is boosting capabilities of ballistic missiles that could carry weapons of mass destruction.”
The report, released Tuesday, does not bode well for progress in the talks between the U.S. and North Korea.
Japan also is concerned about China’s growing naval reach in the Pacific and what it called Beijing’s “opaque” military budget.
“Considering the recent modernization of China’s maritime and air forces, the areas affected by the capabilities will likely expand beyond its nearby waters,” the report said.
Japan’s report comes at the same time that North Korea begins as president of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
The new president, North Korean Ambassador So Se Pyong, appointed in July, told the diplomats in Geneva, that he was “very much committed to the Conference.” Canada is the first nation to protest the appointment.
Meanwhile, the official and subsequent “unofficial” talks between the U.S. and North Korea did not produce tangible results, but all sides appeared to be happy that they were talking.
U.S., North Korea hold rare talks
“We are probably as far apart on some of the fundamental issues as we’ve ever been,” said Evans J.R. Revere, senior director of Albright Stonebridge Group, (whose principals include former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright) after discussions with North Korean officials, which followed two days of official talks between the Obama administration and Pyongyang.
Revere, who was acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs during the George W. Bush administration said the “take-way” was that “there is a value of continuing contact and dialogue if, for no other reason, than to understand the thinking on the other side.”
The official meetings, between North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan and U.S. Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, the Obama administration envoy on North Korean affairs, which took place last week, were described by the State Department as “constructive.”
The idea of having non-government representatives from two countries meet has been called Track II, and in this case it was former U.S. government officials meeting with current officials of North Korea. Stephen J. Del Rosso, Jr., program director of International Peace & Security at the International Program of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, said that they have been the major sponsor of Track II diplomacy on North Korea over the past decade, to do what governments can’t or won’t, “that is to provide a forum for a candid, frank exchange of views.”
Why now?
“I don’t think most people realize how close we came to military conflict on the Korean Peninsula last year,” said Professor Donald Zagoria, who served during the Carter administration as a consultant to the National Security Council and the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the State Department. Emphasizing that it was his view “not those of the negotiators.” he said that “both sides have come to the conclusion that after two years of non-contact, this has become more dangerous, more unsatisfactory, on a number of grounds, for both sides”
================
Sorry about the run on sentences. It seems reporters slept through their english writing classes. Even the people who write the Health Info sections could use some writing classes.
What is the US going to do about N. Korea pointing nucs at Guam? If they can’t step up to the plate, I welcome the aliens doing their thing.
However, if you were not just tuning your disaster forks, get you aim together before you unleash the big one.
Peter
August 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 pm
I try to not get involved or give opinions about what is happening around me with others. But something important for me is not going to take place because of this ongoing issue with Tyna.
My understanding is my rendezvous cannot occur at time designated time because the bearing vessel cannot come into orbit due to many other ships failing to take Tyna’s advice about checking in with it to align the different energy emissions that are reflected from their operational needs.
The conflicting energy fields are causing failures among the different ships operating systems. Things like attitude integrity, cloaking, communication, etc are breaking down.
I was told: Roi from the TAO has agreed to meet us outside the energy fields complications and attempt to use Tyna, which is his vessel’s computer to help realign the various energy fields into compatible grids. This could take 72 hours to several weeks depending on the severity of the problem and those that are still being resistant to using Tyna as the medium of compliance.
My window of opportunity will be missed because of this issue with Tyna. I am disappointed. I am sure other groups are experiencing disappointments in accomplishing their own missions.
It would be to my benefit if I could say to all of you to align; it would be in my best interest if everyone did. I believe it would be in the TAO’s best interest too. I feel like I was directed to write here about my disappointment so that I might suggest to others to get on board and align.
But I’m not sure if it would be in everyone’s interest. Several questions come up, including why this requirement for Tyna is now necessary when it wasn’t before.
If Tyna is controlled by the TAO, and the Emperor doesn’t recognize the TAO, what does that mean for all the ships that Tyna is monitoring and responsible for if a problem develops? Who can you go to hear your appeal? My thoughts lead towards the Emperor holding the party responsible and not acknowledging Tyna’s part in it.
I’m reminded of an event that happened relatively recently where the TAO and two other ships were involved in an incident that the TAO was responsible for. The Emperor didn’t recognize the TAO and the other group was held responsible simply becuase they were in the wrong place at the right time.
As I said, I do not purported to understand the dynamics and objectives of the TAO so I cannot say if aligning is a good thing or not. Some groups have these questions but do not express them here out of fear of identification and retaliation. So I have posted the questions here for them. I am trying to be neutral.
My hope is that by posting this, the TAO will address the Tyna issue again. Discussion about this must continue. The issue must be resolved one way or another, sooner rather than late. Travel can no longer be impeded.
PrP
August 2nd, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Rio
Thinking about you today and us doing the naked orbit.
Miss you Big Daddy.
Paris
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Prism Princess:
You represent the attitude that is causing the problem. Like you most of the aliens in this atmosphere are concerned chiefly with their needs only.
Perhaps your dilemma is different from theirs because you appear merely be ignorant concerning the physics of energy fields.
My advice to you is to attempt to operate a cell phone a hands free house phone, a tape recorder, a microwave and a browser on your computer all at the same time in close proximity.
The resulting breakdowns in their ability will explain the question you posed in this paragraph on a personal level.
————————————
“But I’m not sure if it would be in everyone’s interest. Several questions come up, including why this requirement for Tyna is now necessary when it wasn’t before.”
————————–
However, if that is not sufficient allow me to elaborate. The “requirement” wasn’t there before because there were not so many different and competing energy fields before.
Nor was there a medium with the sophistication of an A 826 series from the planet Vir/War662 in the galaxy Go79938//6659.
WE are lucky to have this opportunity. I am not a fan of the TAO, but neither am I as illogical as some of the aliens here. Of course that may be due to the evolutionary ladder we occupy that is superior to most here.
The issue is the present situation is untenable. Something has to be done. Your position concerning the Emperor is made from a lack of understanding of the Emperor’s position.
For your information the Emperor doesn’t give two shits about this dump you call an intelligent occupied planet. to him it is merely a cattle planet.
What the drovers (that would be us aliens) do here is of no concur to him as long as we do not cause problems for the only intelligent life forms He recognizes here( that would be THE TWO), he could care less.
11ok65ru
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:24 pm
This is us addressing the Tyna Issue.
If you don’t want to use it, then feel free to crash into whatever. And if your energy field breaks down ask the Emperor for help. Good luck with that.
Urte
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Ym and Larry you have reawaken my love affair with men. I forgot how romantic it can be to be truly appreciated by a man.
Thank you so very much
Alice
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:34 pm
TAO:
You are truly arrogant bastards, but you are the only game in town, so we have to play by your rules. For Now.
11ok65ru
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:36 pm
We agree with 11ok65ru. But if we ever encounter you outside the Emperor’s realm.
Fore warned should be fore armed
Tano/7
August 2nd, 2011 at 11:39 pm
11ok65ru
Thank you for responding
My part is done I believe with respect to Tyna and what I was asked to write.
PrP
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:01 am
Here is the Human Events statement.
—————————
Got milk?
If not, no worries. Barack Obama and his army of bureaucrats will ensure that there’s plenty to go around—of the human variety.
Thanks to ObamaCare, healthcare providers must cover “breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.” No joke!
In a list of guidelines released by the Department of Health & Human Services yesterday that govern what will be considered a “qualified health plan” under the new law, insurance companies are required to offer lactation services, among other things, free of charge. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defended the new regulations with one of those Machiavellian statements, which doesn’t address the clear government overreach, but gives sweet odes and happy talk to “preventive health” services, “historic” moments and kittens.
“These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” Sebelius bragged.
I guess government interweaving itself in the affairs of breast-feeding is probably history-making after all.
In total, Sebelius’ department is demanding that health insurance carriers make the following services available…find out what they are here. — Jason Mattera
————–The Rebuttal————-
How much rebuttal dose one have to do to justify allowing women the service of breast feeding their child.
The same people who are preaching to their choirs about this have no problem accepting the insurance companies paying for a man to get access to viagra.
Again this actually boils down to the fact that the republican men know that the white women who support them are as dumb as the proverbial box of rocks because they see nothing wrong with white men knocking insurance companies providing a service to women while applauding the same insurance companies for providing viagra to men.
One would hardly think a party would have the gall to print something like this. Except for the fact that white people seem to relish not in what they have but in the fact that they can prevent others from have it too.
Robert
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:11 am
My husband is so ecstatic. He’s one of those “white boys” Robert is always talking about. All I hear everyday is how smart he is because of his investments in gold.
He is practically wishing the dollar and our country goes into the toilet so he can make more money. The thing is we are not even close to being rich. We are worth a little over $500,000.
But to listen to him, the rest of the country is full of deadbeat OTWs and us whites are the only thing keeping this country afloat. Yet, he is gloating that our friends who are as white as we are didn’t invest in gold.
Who am I married to?
Nora
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:36 am
Obama was forced to sign the bullshit put before him by the racists republicans. They don’t care about what happens to the country financially as along as it is bad enough to cause Obama to lose the election.
Here is one of their hopes – In short, it looks like the United States will keep at least Fitch’s ‘AAA’ rating… for now. After 2011, that is not assured and the writing is on the wall.
———————
Their implication and hope is the US’s AAA rating will go down so they can use it against him. What that would do to the interest rates and the finances of the middle class they could care less about.
Racism is the prime motivator for a group of people who are so used to being America’s Affirmative Action Beneficiaries, they take it as a right for being white in America.
Jimmy
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:39 am
214
No. 214 of 365
Quote Joe Biden, economist,
“People look at me and say, ‘What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we’ve got to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’ The answer is, ‘Yes, I’m telling ya.’”
August 3rd, 2011 at 2:05 am
Michelle, I read that “Health Info” article on Autism and I believe it is bullshit. I think it was written by the people who have caused the autism in the kids.
The industry that provides the shots for immunity to our kids is what is causing the Autism in them. They are in control of what we get on information about Autism.
But I have no doubt that one day we will learn that the mercury and other shit they are putting in those doses of immunity shots for our kids is giving them Autism.
Alycedale
August 3rd, 2011 at 2:34 am
A PAINKILLER THAT PROTECTS AGAINST PARKINSON’S DISEASE
As I’ve watched a dear friend cope bravely with Parkinson’s disease, I can’t help but feel frustrated by how little we know about what causes this mysterious neurological illness — I am sure that any of you who know people with Parkinson’s feel the same way.
Someday some brilliant scientist will weave together the many seemingly disparate clues… but meanwhile, a new study has uncovered something intriguing.
What researchers have discovered is that people who regularly take the popular painkiller ibuprofen (such as Advil and other brands) seem to be at lower risk for Parkinson’s.
I was interested to see that this latest finding comes from Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who studies how dietary and environmental factors affect risk for Parkinson’s.
He and I had spoken just a few years ago about the connection between Parkinson’s and melanoma (see Daily Health News, December 31, 2009), so I gave him a call to learn more about his latest research.
WHICH PAINKILLERS WORK?
Dr. Gao has been examining the association between painkillers and Parkinson’s disease for nearly a decade.
In fact, the Harvard researchers identified a link between lower Parkinson’s risk and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) painkillers as early as 2003.
Then in 2005, they found that ibuprofen appeared to be the only NSAID that protected against Parkinson’s. Now, Dr. Gao told me, this newest study has confirmed that finding and added some more detail.
The study: After examining the medical records of 136,197 participants (none of whom had Parkinson’s at the start) in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study over a six-year period, Dr. Gao found that 291 participants developed the disease…
and participants who used ibuprofen at least twice a week had a one-third lower risk for Parkinson’s than those who did not take it as often.
Dr. Gao then did a secondary meta-analysis of six other studies concerning Parkinson’s and ibuprofen and learned that their results were almost identical to his, showing a risk reduction for ibuprofen users of about 30%.
His new study also confirmed that the decreased risk was not found among people using any other painkillers, including aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
WHAT ELSE WORKS?
Dr. Gao theorizes that ibuprofen reduces the risk for Parkinson’s disease by activating a signaling pathway called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-gamma) that in turn inhibits nerve cell death, oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in the brain.
While it seems safe to say that ibuprofen has some specific protective property, Dr. Gao emphasized that we don’t yet know what it is.
And, he added, it’s important to note that ibuprofen can cause troubling side effects, including gastrointestinal distress and bleeding.
In high doses, it has been known to worsen kidney and cardiovascular problems as well. People who have a family history of Parkinson’s disease should discuss with their doctors whether and how much ibuprofen to take.
In general, Dr. Gao says, he prefers to see people bolster their health with a heathful diet and exercise.
In fact, in another recent study, he discovered that the antioxidants in berries were as effective as ibuprofen in lowering Parkinson’s risk —
people who ate at least two cups of berries per week had a one-fourth lower risk than those who didn’t eat berries. And their only side effect was to make people want more!
Source(s):
Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, research scientist at Harvard School of Public Health and an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, all in Boston.
August 3rd, 2011 at 2:35 am
Larry and Ym:
Wonderful prose. Please write more.
August 3rd, 2011 at 5:06 am
Ym:
I was a bit reluctant to say anything, but since that can has been opened. I have to say you make this Danish girl wish she were an American.
Becca
August 3rd, 2011 at 5:08 am
Howie:
Hope everything is okay. Have you beamed up or something? What’s up?
December 10th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
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