AMA Disagrees with USPSTF on Mammography
Comstock/Jupiterimages(CHICAGO) — After a heated debate Tuesday, the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates has come to a consensus that “every woman should get routine screening mammograms every year starting at age 40,” …
Childless by Choice: Why Some Americans Pass on Parenthood
File photo. iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Shannon Chamberlain doesn’t want kids, but most people think she’ll get over it. “They keep telling me I’ll change my mind,” said 29-year-old Chamberlain from Alameda, Calif. “Or they assume you’re inf…
Breast Milk Blocks HIV Transmission in Mice, Study Finds
George Doyle/Thinkstock(CHAPEL HILL, N.C.) — Women with HIV are often told by health care providers to refrain from breastfeeding for fear their breast milk will transmit the virus to their infants. But a new study released Thursday in the journal PLo…
Women Having Better Sex Through Breast Surgery?
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Most women who undergo breast enhancement surgery do so to feel better about themselves.One of the fringe benefits, according to a survey conducted by RealSelf.com, is that many women with implants or breast lifts …
Woman’s Hormone Defense to Explain Rampage Falls Short
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) — A Scottish woman, who blamed a driving rampage that included plowing into a man and then speeding off with him attached to her car on pregnancy hormones, has been sentenced to jail.Lawyers for Suzanne Gilchrist, from E…
New Baby Genome Mapping to Detect Disorders in the Womb?
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — A new, noninvasive procedure may one day allow women to test their unborn babies for more than 3,500 genetic disorders. It could perhaps replace amniocentesis, in which a probe is inserted through a woman’s abdome…
Breast Cancer: Blood Test Spots Wayward Tumor Cells
Photodisc/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) — A simple blood test can help predict the recurrence of breast cancer, a new study has found. The question is: Will it save lives?The test detects cancer cells in the blood that have broken free from a tumor in the breas…
Alcohol Consumption Boosts Breast Cancer Risk
Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Should women stop drinking alcohol altogether? Not quite, but maybe they should stop after that first drink.A new study by the National Cancer Institute of 1,900 post-menopausal women found that consuming seven to…
‘Hair Tattoos?’: Consider the Pros and Cons Before You Commit
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Nearly one-third of men are bald, while nearly 30 million American women are losing some of their hair too. Good Morning America investigated an innovative new “hair tattoo” treatment that can help hide thinning ha…
Men’s Offices Germier Than Women’s, Says Study
Ciaran Griffin/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Men’s offices harbor significantly more bacteria than women’s, according to a new study published in the online journal PLoS ONE.The types of bacteria are the same, and come mostly from the skin, nose,…
Menopause Hormone Therapy Benefits Hit in Government Report
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Hormone replacement therapy may provide relief from the hot flashes, night sweats and other oppressive symptoms of menopause, but when it comes to preventing chronic health problems, a panel of experts for the fede…
Birth Control: New Research Gives Boost to IUD Effectiveness
Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Twenty-seven-year-old Julie Vonder Haar of St. Louis describes herself as a smart and responsible person, but like many women, she found it difficult to remember taking her birth control pills while juggling four jobs….
‘Gummy Bear’ Breast Implants: The Future of Breast Augmentation Surgery?
Dr. Grant Stevens, a plastic surgeon in Marina Del Rey, Calif., coined the term, “gummy bear breast implant” for a type of silicone implant. (ABC News)(LOS ANGELES) — Like kids in a candy store, more women are seeking out a type of silicone breast imp…
Moderate Weight Loss Can Decrease Breast Cancer Risk
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — Could moderate weight loss lower your chance of developing breast cancer? Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center think it’s possible.The connection between obesity and breast cancer risk in women …
‘Obese & Expecting’: Weight Ups Risks for Mom, Baby
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — One more worry in the country’s obesity crisis: a new documentary highlights the perils of extra pounds during pregnancy.The TLC special, Obese & Expecting, follows four obese women through complicated pregnancie…
Egg Yolk, Soybean Oil Drip to Treat Infertility?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) — Four rounds of in-vitro fertilization couldn’t help Sara Conyers conceive, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.But the fifth time was the charm for Conyers, 33, who now has twins. Conyers says the only…
Early Results Promising for Breast Cancer Vaccine
Comstock/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) — A vaccine may be able to keep an aggressive type of breast cancer from returning in women who have a history of the disease, according to early results of a new study. The vaccine still needs further research, but breast…
FDA Still Cautious About Bone Drugs
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says doctors need to reassess which women are likely to benefit from popular bone-building drugs, given the lack of evidence showing that taking them for the long term really…
1 in 5 White Women Have Smoked While Pregnant
Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — One in five white women have smoked cigarettes while pregnant, according to a new government study released Thursday.The report, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, show…
“Time” Cover Shows 3-Year-Old Breast-Feeding
TIME(NEW YORK) — Should a mom continue nursing her child even after he’s too big to be held in her arms? For mothers who practice what’s known as “attachment parenting,” the answer is an emphatic “yes” — and s…