89.3 KPCC

Feb. 1, 2012 | By Stephanie O’Neill |

Daniel Hulshizer/AP

Obese women who take long-term birth control injection Depo-Provera may be at greater risk for developing diabetes, according to a new USC study.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine found that obese women who received the Depo-Provera injection become more resistant to insulin. That means they were less able to lower their blood sugar levels, which leaves them more susceptible Type 2 Diabetes.

Researchers compared the effects of the drug on 10 obese women and five women of healthier weight. Both groups became more insulin resistant after the injections, but the obese women stayed that way. The others were better able to compensate, by producing more insulin.

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Read the complete article and related information at USC study: Depo-Provera birth control may increase diabetes risk for obese women

Huff Post
Women

February 4, 2012

Yashar Ali
Writer at The Current Conscience

Earlier this year, I was watching a repeat episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The guest on this particular episode was Dr. Oz, who was tasked with answering a series of health questions, many of which were related to women’s reproductive health.

After Dr. Oz answered a question about douching, Oprah turned to a gentleman who was sitting in the audience and (with some humor) apologized to him for being stuck listening to all the conversation about “women” stuff and being seen on TV for participating in an episode that dealt with, among other topics, menstruation and menopause.

The gentleman turned out to be Major League Baseball player Jim Thome, who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He had brought his wife to the Oprah show as a gift, as Oprah Show tickets were nearly impossible to come by.

Oprah’s interaction with Jim Thome left me fuming. Why should we feel bad for him? Why would Oprah feel bad for him? I am an Oprah fan, but her apology was uncharacteristic for someone who spends her life advocating for and helping women.

I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t feel sorry for Jim Thome because he’s a wealthy, famous baseball player.

What I am saying is that we shouldn’t feel sorry for him because he’s a man and he doesn’t have to deal with the reality of any of the problems addressed on the Oprah show he sat in on. And instead of Oprah offering that Dr. Oz episode to Jim as an opportunity to learn more about a woman’s body — perhaps allowing him to be more supportive of his wife and female family members — he was offered an apology for having to sit in on a conversation about issues that are so central to a woman’s life.

Why is our culture so intent on protecting men from hearing about or discussing a woman’s reproductive health?

I’ve written about this phenomena in some of my previous posts. When some of the women in my life start talking about their menstrual cycles or anything else reproductive related, they stop themselves and warn me to stop listening, “But you don’t want to hear about this …”

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Read the complete article and related information at If Men Had Periods, Women Would Know All About It

re: Cycling

Read the complete article and related information at Alongside Scientists Exploring Why Women Menstruate

Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

re:Cycling

January 20th, 2012 by Laura Wershler

Photo credit: Ceridwen, Creative Commons 2.0

Is there a woman over the age of 18 anywhere who doesn’t know that taking the birth control pill can make her periods lighter and less painful? Most women know this, but not many know why. The news stories swirling around a new study about the pill and period pain will not enlighten them.

A 30-year longitudinal Swedish study has finally proved the worth of what is accepted practice in North America and Europe: the prescribing of combined oral contraceptives (COCs), or birth control pills with synthetic estrogen and progestin, to treat painful periods known clinically as dysmenorrhea.

Of course, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture COCs are probably eager for this research, as prescribing the pill for dysmenorrhea is still an off-label use in the U.S. (unlicensed use in the U.K.). Pill manufacturers may be able to use this finding to lobby the FDA (or equivalent agencies in other nations) to approve the pill as treatment for menstrual pain, leading to increased sales and insurance coverage. Perhaps that’s why news media have been treating this discovery as breaking news.

Take this headline: Yes, the Pill CAN ease the agony of period pain: Scientists confirm what millions of women already know, or this one: The pill ‘does ease period pain’, or this one: Combination oral contraception pills cut menstruation pain, or, really, any of these.

You can read the abstract of the study by Swedish researchers Ingela Lindh, Agneta Andersson Ellström and Ian Milsom, published this week in the journal Human Reproduction, here: The effect of combined oral contraceptives and age on dysmenorrhoea: an epidemiological study. The conclusions are simple: “COC use and increasing age, independent of each other, reduced the severity of dysmenorrhoea. COC use reduced the severity of dysmenorrhea more than increasing age and childbirth.”

Forget the age factor for the purposes of this discussion. The fact that COC use reduces the severity of dysmenorrhea is not astounding. This is old news. So says Dr. Steven Goldstein, an obstetrician/gynecologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, quoted in a USA Today story:

“The study results are not surprising. It’s gratifying to see researchers documenting scientifically what practitioners have been seeing for a very long time. The amount of discomfort from a woman’s period with a combination birth control pill is a fraction of what it is without the Pill. There is a diminution of pain from the Pill.”

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Read the complete article and related information at The pill, reduced period pain and the ongoing delusion

Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

re:Cycling

Guest Post by Holly Grigg-Spall

January 12, 2012

“Less stressed, thinner and more interested in sex.” – but not buying magazines.

Photo Credit: Anthony Easton // CC 2.0

In a recent issue of the UK’s Stylist magazine — a weekly women’s glossy that is available for free at tube stations and selected clothing stores — there was an article headlined ‘What does 10 Years On The Pill Do To You?‘ As a result of my on-going blog, Sweetening the Pill, which documents my experience of coming off the contraceptive pill, I was contacted by the writer to provide some quotes for this piece. Unfortunately, I was edited out. As a journalist myself, I understood this situation has little to do with the writer’s choice of content and more to do with the magazine editor’s final say on what was most fitting for the feature. Yet the title question is the very crux of my blog: having taken the Pill for 10 years, stopping as a result of discovering the answer to this very question.

According to the Stylist piece the answer is that the Pill changes your memory skills, lowers your libido, makes you attracted to the wrong kinds of men for you, changes weight distribution, prevents you building muscles, make you retain water, make you depressed and jealous…and how can you tell if this all is just you or the Pill? You can’t and you shouldn’t try to find out, is the message here. We are advised to not take a break from the Pill, not even for a week, and if you are concerned, just ask for a different brand from your doctor. There is no discussion of non-hormonal alternatives. There is also no discussion of the benefits of not taking the Pill, of allowing your body to ovulate once a month.

My answer to this question was: “The Pill has a whole body impact. Taking the Pill shuts down a woman’s hormone cycle — and the ovulation and menstruation that is an essential part of this cycle — and replaces it with a low stream of synthetic hormones. This has an affect on every organ in the body — the impact is wide-reaching and crudely administered. The peaks, troughs, and plateaus of a woman’s ‘natural’ cycle are wiped out. The monthly hormone cycle is integral to many of the body’s central functions, including the metabolic, immune, and endocrine systems. This changes everything — from your sense of smell to your libido to your ability to absorb vitamins from your food.

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Read the complete article and related information at Off the Pill, Off the Magazines

The onset of menstruation is called menarche. There are a variety of intervals between periods. That 28-day cycle you have heard about is really a myth because few woman have a perfectly regular cycle. The interval between periods may change many times during a woman’s life-time. There are many circumstances that may affect the menstrual cycle, such as: illness, abrupt change of climate, or severe emotional stress. The menstrual cycle is particularly irregular just after puberty and again at menopause.

Some women may experience premenstrual tension, exhibiting symptoms such as: headache, bloating of the abdomen, fullness and pain of the breasts, increased irritability, depression, and emotional instability. These symptoms may occur 10-14 days prior to the onset of the menstrual period and usually disappear hours after the menstrual flow starts.

The pituitary gland, also called the master gland, produces and stimulate the growth hormones. It is through the blood that this information is carried to the bones and tissue. This gland is about the size of a pea at menarche and is located at the base of the brain. It is the pituitary gland that notifies the gonads that it is time to start functioning. The pituitary sends a follicle-stimulating hormone to stimulate the growth and development of follicles in the ovaries. The ovaries secrete estrogen which aid in the maturation of the follicle.

The ovaries are two glands containing thousands of follicles or egg sacs on either side of the uterus. Once a month ovulation occurs. In one of the 2 ovaries an egg or ovum matures and breaks out of its sac or graafian follicle and out of the ovaries. Luteotropic hormone (LTH) secrete progesterone which aid in follicle growth and maturation.

The two fallopian tubes, with fringed open ends near the ovaries, are less than 5 inches long. These tubes provide passageway to the uterus. It is also through these tubes that the egg travels to the uterus after ovulation. The uterus or womb is a hollow organ. The lining is called the endometrium, from which the menstrual flow comes. Every month the lining of the uterus (endometrium) builds up into a spongy mass of tissue containing blood to form a bed for the fertilized egg. If the egg is unfertilized itwill disintegrate and will shed.

The vagina or birth canal is the passageway from the uterus to the outside of the body. It is through this channel that the menstrual flow leaves the body by way of the cervix.

The menstrual cycle is divided into four phases:

1. the menstrual phase – the actual shedding of the endometrium

2. post menstrual phase – this is resting stage immediately following menstruation. During this time, the pituitary sends out hormones to the ovum and another egg begins to ripen

3. intermenstrual phase the ovaries releases a hormone which stimulates the endometrium and causes it to thicken. Ovulation occurs (a mature egg breaks out of the graafian follicle) the mature egg enters the fallopian tube, and the endometrium provides a nesting place for its development

4. premenstrual phase – the lining of the uterus continues to grow and thicken in preparation for the fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone and the egg disintegrates.The lining is shedded and a new cycle commences. If fertilization and implantation does take place the corpus luteum continues secreting progesterone and menstruation does not occur.

The proliferative phase includes the postmenstrual phase and the intermenstrual phase. It is during this phase that the hormone estrogen that is produced by the ovaries prepares the uterus and the walls begin to thicken.

The secretory phase which is the premenstrual phase. It is during this phase that ovulation occurs and the portion that remains in the ovary is called the corpus luteum. The corpusluteum secretes progesterone that prepares the lining of the uterus to receive and nurture the fertilized egg.

During the normal menstrual flow, the individual discards 1-1/2 to 5 ounces of blood over the several days. This loss of blood is quickly replaced and does not cause weakening.

Read the complete article and related information at Menstruation: The Basics

Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

re: Cycling

November 16th, 2011 by Laura Wershler

Of the growing list of reasons why women might want to reconsider using birth control pills, this could well be the strangest.

Researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto published a study on Nov. 15  in the BMJ Open Journal in which they found a “strong correlation” between the use of birth control pills and the incidence of prostate cancer worldwide.

One of the possible explanations of how the two are related is the potential impact of the estrogen compound – ethinyloestradiol – that women using the pill secrete in their urine. It has been speculated elsewhere that these endocrine-disrupting substances could end up in our drinking water or get into the food chain.

The Pill, introduced in the 60’s, has been widely used for decades. The study suggests that exposure to these substances over 20 to 30 years could have a clinically significant effect. Researchers said further study of this link is needed.

In 2010 the media was full of stories marking the 50th anniversary of the birth control pill. The Pill at 50: Sex, Freedom and Paradox, rang the headline of a Time Magazine article by Nancy Gibbs. Could rising rates of prostate cancer be part of this paradox?

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Read the complete article and related information at Does the Pill Cause Prostate Cancer?

Health News Digest

By Staff Editor
Nov 15, 2011 – 9:37:55 AM

The most common reason U.S. women use oral contraceptive pills is to prevent pregnancy, but 14% of pill users—1.5 million women—rely on them exclusively for noncontraceptive purposes. The study documenting this finding, “Beyond Birth Control: The Overlooked Benefits of Oral Contraceptive Pills,” by Rachel K. Jones of the Guttmacher Institute, also found that more than half (58%) of all pill users rely on the method, at least in part, for purposes other than pregnancy prevention—meaning that only 42% use the pill exclusively for contraceptive reasons.

The study—based on U.S government data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)—revealed that after pregnancy prevention (86%), the most common reasons women use the pill include reducing cramps or menstrual pain (31%); menstrual regulation, which for some women may help prevent migraines and other painful “side effects” of menstruation (28%); treatment of acne (14%); and treatment of endometriosis (4%). Additionally, it found that some 762,000 women who have never had sex use the pill, and they do so almost exclusively (99%) for noncontraceptive reasons.

Menstrual-related disorders and irregular periods are particularly common during adolescence. Not surprisingly, the study found that teens aged 15–19 who use the pill are more likely to do so for non-contraceptive purposes (82%) than for birth control (67%). Moreover, 33% of teen pill users report using oral contraceptive pills solely for noncontraceptive purposes.

“It is well established that oral contraceptives are essential health care because they prevent unintended pregnancies,” said study author Rachel K. Jones. “This study shows that there are other important health reasons why oral contraceptives should be readily available to the millions of women who rely on them each year.”

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Read the complete article and related information at Many American Women Use Birth Control Pills for Noncontraceptive Reasons

ThirdAge.com

Boomer Health and Lifestyle

Posted by Claire Shefchik on November 12, 2011 1:30 PM

Vaccinating girls for human papillomavirus (HPV) early in life could reduce the need for later screenings, U.S. and Finnish researchers said Wednesday.

“Provided that organized vaccination programs achieve high coverage in early adolescents before sexual debut, HPV vaccination has the potential to substantially reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, probably allowing the modification of screening programs,” Matti Lehtinen from the University of Tampere in Finland told Reuters.

The first study looked at 20,000 healthy women between 15 and 25 years old from 14 countries worldwide. Researchers found GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix vaccine protected effectively against high-grade cervical precancers, early adenocarcinoma, and 12 other types of cancer-causing HPV. The second study showed cross-protection against HPV types 31, 33, 45, and 51. The vaccine partially protects against viruses it is not designed to target, which collectively cause about 85 percent of cases of cervical cancer.

Lehtinen suggested the vaccine could eliminate the need for cervical smear screens every few years in women over the age of 25. In Finland, which implemented an HPV vaccination campaign in 2007, he suggested cutting cervical cancer screening down to just a one test at around age 25.

“You should not have two measures on top of each other if one is already efficient enough,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. “This could certainly mean lots of savings in terms of costs of screening.”

The study appeared Nov. 9 in The Lancet Oncology.

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Read the complete article and related information at Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Could Eliminate Cervical Cancer Screening Need: Study

The Star.com

Malaysia
Sunday October 23, 2011

CIRCADIAN rhythm disorders driven by changes in the sleep-wake cycle has been identified as one of the major causes of depression, the fourth most disabling disease in Malaysia, affecting up to 10% of the population.

Misdiagnosis and/or sub-optimal treatment of depression and the relatively little attention paid to changes to circadian rhythms that control physical, mental and behavioural patterns that follow roughly a 24-hour cycle is further hampering treatment of this malady.

“Up to 82% of depressed patients remain untreated due to social stigma, misdiagnosis, and under-treatment. More depressed patients are seen by primary care doctors than by actual psychiatrists, and a majority of them are not diagnosed. The remaining 18% receive antidepressant medications, but only 10% are adequately treated,” noted Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil, past president of the Asean Federation for Psychiatry and Mental Health (AFPMH) at a media workshop organised by Servier Malaysia on “Circadian Rhythms and Depression” in conjunction with Mental Health Month.

“Hence, it is extremely important to develop a better understanding of the correlation between circadian rhythm disorders and depression to improve the recognition and management of the disease.

“Depression is one of the more common reasons for people to visit their general practitioner, and better diagnosis as well as greater focus on circadian rhythm disruption presents an effective platform for treating mood disorders,” he added.

Circadian rhythm disorders are disruptions in a person’s “internal body clock” that regulates biological processes such as brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to this cycle. Circadian rhythms can change sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions.

The regular rhythm of night and day regulates our lives and associated with this are regular changes in core body temperature, hormonal levels, heart rate, renal output and gut motility. Features of depression indicative of circadian rhythm disturbance include early awakening, a feeling of low mood in the morning, changes in sleep patterns, changes in temperature, and hormonal activity.

According to Prof Dr Azhar Md Zain, consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, circadian rhythm disruption has been found amongst patients with major depression, and although these changes are thought to be a contributing factor to the depression, it is also possible that they may arise as a consequence of the depression.

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Read the complete article and related information at Sleepy and Depressed