Family Planning Cooperative Purchasing Program
A non-profit purchasing collaborative for health care & community organizations
August 06, 2008
Six-Week Postpartum Visit Should Be Changed to Three-Week Visit To Consider Contraception
Public Release Date: 31-July-2008
Summary of "The Postpartum Visit: It's Time for a Change in Order To Optimally Initiate Contraception," Speroff, L., and Mishell, D.R., Contraception, August 2008.
Traditionally, women are advised to receive their first postpartum pelvic examination six weeks after childbirth. However, Leon Speroff of Oregon Health and Science University and Daniel Mishell of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in the commentary write that scheduling the traditional postpartum visit for six weeks after delivery is an "anachronism" that is "based upon statements in old textbooks and teachings from a time when infection was prevalent and before modern methods of contraception were available."
July 31, 2008
HIV/AIDS in America Called 'Black Disease'
Public Release Date: 30-July-2008
LOS ANGELES -- If Blacks in America made up a separate country, the number of people living with HIV would rank 16th in the world, according to the Black AIDS Institute, an advocacy group here.
In a report that dramatized some well-known statistics, the institute said that mainly because of the HIV epidemic the hypothetical Black America would be below 104 other countries in life expectancy.
Continue reading "HIV/AIDS in America Called 'Black Disease' "
July 29, 2008
Health Partnership Expands Cancer Screening Services
Public Release Date: 15-July-2008
The Health Partnership of Monroe County, which evolved from the Women's Health Partnership, has expanded its free cancer screenings for women and men and now offers coverage for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.
Continue reading "Health Partnership Expands Cancer Screening Services "
July 24, 2008
Researchers Urge Combined War on TB, HIV
Public Release Date: 22-July-2008
SAN FRANCISCO -- Tuberculosis care and prevention must become an integral part of the battle against HIV/AIDS, researchers here said.
The "catastrophic and intersecting epidemics of HIV and TB" in resource-limited settings need a "bold approach to TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment," according to Diane Havlir, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues.
Continue reading "Researchers Urge Combined War on TB, HIV "
July 03, 2008
STD Rates Escalate for British Boomers in Middle Age
Public Release Date: 30-June-2008
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 30 -- When it comes to sexually transmitted disease, aging baby boomers here appear to think erroneously that they are well past the hazards of their youth.
For example, the combined rate of chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, and syphilis among patients 55 to 59 years old increased by a factor of 3.18 (95% CI 2.15 to 4.70) from 1996 to 2003, reported Babatunde Olowokure, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., of the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency, and colleagues online in Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Continue reading "STD Rates Escalate for British Boomers in Middle Age "
June 30, 2008
New York Teens Lobby State Lawmakers to Pass Comprehensive Sex Education Bill
Public Release Date: 24-June-2008
Teenagers throughout New York state recently urged State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R) and other senators to pass the Healthy Teens Act, which would make funding available for schools to provide comprehensive sex education, Long Island Newsday reports.
Intensive lobbying efforts to bring the legislation to the Senate floor before the session ended on Monday included calls and visits to senators, phone call campaigns to residents, petitions and roadside signs.
Continue reading "New York Teens Lobby State Lawmakers to Pass Comprehensive Sex Education Bill"
June 27, 2008
Herpes Virus Linked to Ketosis-Prone Diabetes
Public Release Date: 17-June-2008
PARIS -- A herpes virus is associated with an atypical form of type 2 diabetes found in people of African origin, researchers said here.
Ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes mellitus, first observed in the late 1960s, is an acute-onset form of the disease that requires insulin treatment and is followed by long periods of remission, according to Jean-François Gautier, M.D., Ph.D., of the Saint-Louis University Hospital here, and colleagues.
Continue reading "Herpes Virus Linked to Ketosis-Prone Diabetes "
June 26, 2008
HIV Screening Can Be Cost-Effective at an Advanced Age
Public Release Date: 17-June-2008
DURHAM, N.C. -- As more and more older Americans remain sexually active, HIV screening should be considered for some until age 74, researchers here said.
Screening in older adults can make economic sense if the HIV prevalence in the population to be tested is 0.1% or greater, according to Gillian Sanders, Ph.D., of Duke University's clinical research institute and colleagues.
Continue reading "HIV Screening Can Be Cost-Effective at an Advanced Age "
June 25, 2008
New York City Health Department Approves $2M Contract To Distribute 2M Female Condoms
Public Release Date: 17-June-2008
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently approved a $2 million contract to purchase two million female condoms that will be made available in health clinics and organizations, the New York Daily News reports.
June 19, 2008
HIV Progression Linked to Apolipoprotein E
Public Release Date: 16-June-2008
SAN FRANCISCO, June 16 -- HIV progression is accelerated by a protein long associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers here.
In a cohort study, HIV-positive volunteers carrying two copies of the gene for apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) had twice the risk of death from AIDS as those with other genotypes, according to Robert Mahley, M.D., Ph.D., of the Gladstone Institutes at the University of California San Francisco.
Continue reading "HIV Progression Linked to Apolipoprotein E "
June 12, 2008
Gender Affects Reaction to HIV-Prevention Materials
Public Release Date: 10-June-2008
Both sexes avoided gender-mismatched material, women more likely to choose brochures tailored to their gender
Champaign, IL –Various intervention strategies have been implemented to curb the rise of HIV, and a factor that might affect exposure to interventionsis gender. A new study in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology reviewed the behavior of participants exposed to various HIV brochures.
Continue reading "Gender Affects Reaction to HIV-Prevention Materials"
June 11, 2008
Safety Concerns Over Merck's HPV Vaccine Gardasil Unfounded, CDC Officials Say
Public Release Date: 9-June-2008
Safety concerns over Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil are unfounded, and reports of serious adverse events are unrelated to the vaccine, CDC officials recently said, the Dallas Morning News reports.
According to the Morning News, about 5,000 reports have been filed by the public through a CDC- and FDA-administered database that monitors the safety of vaccines after they are licensed (Meyers, Dallas Morning News, 6/6).
Continue reading "Safety Concerns Over Merck's HPV Vaccine Gardasil Unfounded, CDC Officials Say"
June 09, 2008
National Abstinence Education Association Launches Effort Aimed at Gaining Support of 1M Parents
Public Release Date: 2-June-2008
Last week, the National Abstinence Education Association launched a $1 million nationwide campaign aimed at garnering the support of one million parents to lobby schools for more abstinence-only education programs, the Washington Post reports.
May 22, 2008
For Clinicians: Updated Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening and Treatment
Public Release Date: 14-May-2008
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been in the news recently as new epidemiologic trends emerge:
- Certain strains of gonorrhea are showing resistance to traditional antibiotics.
- Syphilis rates are increasing and disproportionately affect African Americans and men who have sex with men.
- At least one in four teens have an STI.
CFHC has collaborated with staff at the California STD Branch at the California Department of Public Health to highlight important strategies for preventing and treating STIs as recommended by the CDC in their STD Treatment Guidelines.
Recommendations for HPV vaccination and changes in the management of abnormal Pap tests are also noted. Providers are invited to download the 2-page California STD Treatment Summary Table (PDF) and refer to the California STD Clinical Guidelines for further information on the latest recommendations for screening, testing, treatment, and partner management for STIs in California.
Written by: Ina Park M.D., M.S., Clinical STD Fellow, California Department of Public Health-STD Control Branch
Posted thanks to News & Views, a quarterly publication of the California Family Health Council, Inc.
May 19, 2008
Taking the Sex out of Sexual Health Screening
Public Release Date: 9-May-2008
Young women would accept age-based screening for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, but would want this test to be offered to everyone, rather than to people 'singled out' according to their sexual history.
Continue reading "Taking the Sex out of Sexual Health Screening "
August 06, 2007
Uninsured Women Not Getting Regular Pap Smears
Public Release Date: 16-July-2007
One-fourth of uninsured U.S. women between the ages of 18-64 reported not having had a Pap smear within the last three years when surveyed in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
This was double the 11 percent rate for women with private insurance and more than the 15 percent rate for women covered by Medicaid or any other public insurance.
Continue reading "Uninsured Women Not Getting Regular Pap Smears "
July 26, 2007
Gardasil Adopted by Vaccines for Children Program's 55 Immunization Projects, Merck Announces
Public Release Date: 18-July-2007
Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil has been adopted by all 55 of CDC's Vaccines for Children Program immunization projects, the company announced Monday, Reuters reports (Krawskopf, Reuters, 7/16). VFC provides no-cost immunizations to children ages nine to 18 covered by Medicaid, Alaska Native and American Indian children, and some uninsured and underinsured children (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/8).
July 19, 2007
Pence Amendment Threatens Access to Family Planning Services – Action Needed Today!
Public Policy Alert: 19-July-2007
Today, Representative Mike Pence (R- IN) plans to offer an amendment that would deny Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics. This would be an amendment to the House Labor/HHS Appropriations bill that also gives Title X a historic $28 million increase.
July 16, 2007
HIV Testing for All Less Effective Than High-Risk Targeting
Public Release Date: 12-June-2007
BALTIMORE -- The old system of targeting high-risk persons for HIV testing is more efficient than screening all patients routinely, according to researcher here.
A targeted program -- using the same resources -- would identify more people infected without knowing it and avert more new HIV infections, asserted David Holtgrave, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Continue reading "HIV Testing for All Less Effective Than High-Risk Targeting"
July 12, 2007
Requiring HPV Vaccination for School-Age Girls for Upcoming School Year 'Too Soon,' Researcher Says
Public Release Date: 22-June-2007
It is premature to require middle-school age girls to receive Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil for the upcoming school year, Doug Lowy -- head of the National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Cellular Oncology and one of the scientists responsible for the development of the vaccine -- said on Wednesday, CQ HealthBeat reports (Bartolf, CQ HealthBeat, 6/20).
July 05, 2007
GSK's Experimental HPV Vaccine Cervarix 100% Effective in Preventing Precancerous Lesions, Study Says
Public Release Date: 28-June-2007
GlaxoSmithKline's experimental human papillomavirus vaccine Cervarix has shown as much as 100% effective in preventing advanced precancerous lesions caused by HPV strains 16 and 18, according to preliminary data of a phase III published in the online edition of the journal Lancet, the Wall Street Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 6/28).
June 27, 2007
Nine Comprehensive Sex Education Programs Not Focused Enough on Abstinence, Use Misleading Statements on Condoms, HHS Report Says
Public Release Date: 21-June-2007
Six of nine widely used "comprehensive sex education curricula" contain medically inaccurate statements, and all the programs only slightly delayed sexual activity or increased condom use among students, according to a report recently released by HHS, the Washington Post reports. According to the report, eight of the curricula contained no inaccuracies about condom efficacy, but all the programs did have misleading material about condoms and did not focus enough on abstinence.
June 21, 2007
Hepatitis Drug May Generate HIV Resistance
Public Release Date: 20-June-2007
BALTIMORE, June 20 -- When treating hepatitis B and HIV co-infection, physicians should use caution with the antiviral drug entecavir (Baraclude), researchers here said.
Unless a patient is already on a fully suppressive anti-HIV regimen, treating with entecavir runs the risk of generating HIV resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors, according to Chloe Thio, M.D., of Johns Hopkins, and colleagues.
Continue reading "Hepatitis Drug May Generate HIV Resistance"
June 20, 2007
Actions Taken on Women's Health-Related Legislation, Programs in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas
Public Release Date: 19-June-2007
The following highlights recent news of state and local actions on women's health-related issues.
June 19, 2007
FDA To Conduct Surveys About STI, Pregnancy Prevention Language on Condom Packaging
Public Release Date: 18-June-2007
FDA plans to survey 1,200 people in shopping malls nationwide on their understanding of a condom's efficacy in preventing sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unplanned pregnancies based on current labeling, the agency said on Thursday in a notice on its Web site, Bloomberg/Arizona Republic reports. According to the notice, survey responses will be "considered in FDA's condom labeling recommendations to provide important risk/benefit and use information associated with condoms in easily understood language."
June 01, 2007
HPV Vaccine Also Guards Against Vulval and Vaginal Cancer
Public Release Date: 17-May-2007
HELSINKI, Finland, May 17 -- The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil, developed to prevent cervical cancer, also appears to block pre-cancerous vulval and vaginal lesions, researchers said.
Young women given the vaccine had 71% fewer high-grade vulval and vaginal lesions associated with HPV types 16 and 18 than those not vaccinated, regardless of exposure, reported Jorma Paavonen, M.D., of University Central Hospital here, and colleagues in the May 19 issue of The Lancet.
Continue reading "HPV Vaccine Also Guards Against Vulval and Vaginal Cancer"
May 29, 2007
U.S. Parents Not in Favor of HPV Vaccine Mandates
Public Release Date: 25-May-2007
While debate in several state governments continues to grow over school mandates for Gardasil - a vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for girls ages 11 to 12 that is designed to provide protection against human papillomavirus, or HPV, the virus linked to cervical cancer and genital warts - the majority of U.S. parents have already reached a decision on the issue: They do not want the vaccine to be mandated.
Continue reading "U.S. Parents Not in Favor of HPV Vaccine Mandates "
April 13, 2007
Resistance Takes Gonorrhea to Last Line of Defense
Public Release Date: 13-April-2007
ATLANTA, April 13 -- The rate of fluoroquinolone-resistant gonorrhea has become so high in the U.S. that physicians have been urged to switch to the last line of defense, the cephalosporins.
The CDC's assessment of resistance is based on the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, which monitors resistance in isolates from men treated in STD clinics in 26 U.S. cities. The agency usually collects about 6,000 isolates a year.
Continue reading "Resistance Takes Gonorrhea to Last Line of Defense"
