Women Blog

Majority Support Capps Compromise on Abortion

A new poll released today shows strong voter support for women’s health provisions included in health care reform packages currently moving though the U.S. Congress. Highlights of the poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted by The Mellman Group for the Moving Forward initiative of the Women Donors Network and the Communications Consortium Media Center, show:

SUPPORT FOR REQUIRING MATERNITY COVERAGE IS NEARLY UNIVERSAL.

The vast majority (86%) of Americans believe that insurance companies should be required to cover maternity care, while just 10% oppose such requirements.

ALLOWING INSURANCE COMPANIES TO CONTRACT PREVENTIVE CARE AND SCREENINGS TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, INCLUDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD, IS UNCONTROVERSIAL.

The vast majority of voters (82%) support this proposal regardless of party affiliation, region, age, gender and religious attendance.

AMERICAN VOTERS SUPPORT EFFORTS TO KEEP HEALTH CARE REFORM ABORTION-NEUTRAL.

A majority (52%) of voters support the “Capps compromise” which would prohibit federal dollars, including partial subsidies, from being used to pay for abortions, although abortions could be paid for using private funds generated by patients’ premiums. Just 39% oppose this language. This language garners more support from anti-abortion voters (64%) than pro-abortion rights voters (47%). A majority of Catholic voters (58%) also support the language.

“For several years we have been tracking strong support for reproductive and other health issues,” notes Donna Hall, president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Women Donors Network based in San Francisco.

“We have found that voters see individual decision-making as the overarching value on these issues and they want respect, prevention, planning and personal responsibility to be part of the conversation. This is true whether it is about family planning, maternity care or other reproductive health issues, including abortion,” added Hall.

“Over the years, opponents of abortion have used the issue to hijack a whole host of policies by focusing the conversation exclusively on abortion. This is what has been happening with health care reform. Let’s resolve the issue with the compromise developed by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D?CA) and move forward with needed reforms,” commented Wendy Wolf who leads the Moving Forward initiative for the Network.

“The Capps Amendment IS a compromise. It keeps the health insurance reform legislation ‘abortion neutral’ and neither expands nor contracts current federal laws, a view supported by a majority of American voters,” Wolf added.

For more information on women and health care reform, go to a new website: www.womenandhealthcarereform.org

Kaiser Permanente study finds association between diabetes and atrial fibrillation

Diabetes increases by 26 percent the likelihood that women will develop atrial fibrillation (AF), a potentially dangerous irregular heart rhythm that can lead to stroke, heart failure, and chronic fatigue. These are the findings of a new Kaiser Permanente study, published in the October issue of Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

While other studies have found that patients with diabetes are more likely to have AF, this is the first large study–involving nearly 35,000 Kaiser Permanente patients over the course of seven years–to isolate the effect of diabetes and determine that it is an independent risk factor for women.

“The most important finding from our study is that women with diabetes have an increased risk of developing this abnormal heart rhythm,” said the study’s lead author, Greg Nichols, PhD, investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. “Men with diabetes are also at higher risk, but the association between the two conditions is not as strong. For men, obesity and high blood pressure are bigger risk factors from diabetes.”

“AF is the most common arrhythmia in the world, and diabetes is one of the most common and costly health conditions. Our study points out that there is a connection between these two growing epidemics–one we should pay closer attention to, especially among women,” says Sumeet Chugh, MD, co-author and associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles. “The gender differences need to be looked at more closely because they could have significant implications for how we treat diabetes in men and women.”

Atrial fibrillation occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly and too fast, causing blood to pool and clot. If the clot travels out of the heart and becomes lodged in an artery or in the brain, it can cause a stroke. About 2.2 million Americans are diagnosed with AF; however, many more people have the condition but don’t know it. Diabetes affects more than 23 million Americans–and, according to the study, nearly 4 percent, or 1 million, have atrial fibrillation.

The study involved 17,372 patients in Kaiser Permanente’s diabetes registry in Oregon and Washington and an equal number of non-diabetic patients, matched for age and sex. Researchers used Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, the world’s largest civilian electronic health records system, to identify the non-diabetic patients. The two groups were followed for an average of 7.2 years until Dec., 31, 2008 or until they died or left the health plan. At the start of the study, 3.6 percent of the patients with diabetes had AF, vs. only 2.5 percent of the non-diabetic patients–a difference of 44 percent. During the study period, diabetics were more likely than non-diabetics to develop AF. But after controlling for other factors like obesity, high blood pressure and age, the increased risk was only significant among women. Women with diabetes were 26 percent more likely than their non-diabetic counterparts to develop AF.

Authors include Gregory A. Nichols, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research; Kyndaron Reinier, PhD, and Sumeet S. Chugh, MD, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles.

Source: Kaiser Permanente

Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Member Water Advocates is building its ongoing advocacy efforts to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation for women and girls. As a water advocacy organization, one of the main themes emphasized by the group is the impact that the lack of safe water and sanitation has on women and girls and how investing in water and sanitation programs is, in fact, an investment in women and girls.

“Water Advocates applauds President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative for addressing this vital issue through the Water and Sanitation Action Networking Session which attracted over 40 participants from the foundation and nonprofit communities. We are confident this will help catalyze more CGI commitments to provide safe drinking water and toilets to millions of girls and women,” said John Oldfield, Water Advocates’ Executive Vice President.

With all of the critical issues that advocates for women and girls have to consider, the most basic requirements for life and livelihoods — water, sanitation and hygiene promotion — are sometimes forgotten. Women and girls are marginalized, in part, because they are forced to spend their time fetching water or caring for family members who are sick from water- and sanitation-related diseases. On average in rural Africa, women spend 26% of their time collecting water, which often means walking five miles or more to the nearest water source.

This makes improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene one of the key investments to improve the lives of women and girls. If water and sanitation are not part of the equation, the other goals — health, education, job training, improving agricultural production and encouraging entrepreneurship (all important investments) — risk failure. A study in Bangladesh indicated that a single gender toilet could increase the number of girls in school by as much as 15%.

Yet time and time again getting sustainable access to water and sanitation is a glass ceiling for women and girls in the developing world and it remains a serious health risk. According to a 2007 WaterAid report: “The burden of constantly carrying heavy water containers, that weigh up to 45 lbs., on the head, hip or back, has severe health implications. In extreme cases curved spines and pelvic deformities can result, causing problems in childbirth.”

Water and sanitation benefit both women and girls and their families and communities. Women with even a few years of basic education — enabled by safe water — have smaller, healthier families, are more likely to be able to work their way out of poverty and are more likely to send their own children, girls and boys, to school. Each additional year of female education is thought to reduce child mortality by 5-10%.

In addressing the multiple challenges facing women and girls it is critical to not forget the basics. “The message from Clinton Global Initiative participants is twofold: the global safe drinking water and sanitation problem is serious, and more importantly it is solvable today, and will have an enormous positive impact on girls and women around the world,” said John Oldfield.

Source: Water Advocates

I always look forward to the weekends. I believe many work at home moms do too. It is a time where I can do things a little differently, go out for a walk in the mall, visit a park, catch up with some friends over dinner, read a parenting book or just spending precious moments with my family.

For the work at home dad, he will spend time in front of his television set and these days, he would take our boy to the playground to mingle with some new friends. It is also a bonding time for both father and son. Last weekend, he took out his old motorcycle covers and gave them a good wash. For me, I started looking at the Jumpstart Educational Programs which are know for their fantastic award winning educational games. This is a good start if you want to expose your child to the online learning world and equip them with the right skills and learning. Most importantly, it is fun!

Personally, I find it helpful as I can keep an eye at my boy while doing my stuff in the home office. At times, I would participate in some of the games and learn together with him. It’s a great time of bonding, teaching, learning and fun too. For the work at home moms, it is a good educational tool if you need to get things done in the home office while keeping your children near to you.

Appraisal Value

Women’s Day magazine had some great ideas about what to do if you are afraid to throw something away because it could be valuable. Here they are:

Check online - A woman who was worried about selling her mint-condition, in-the-box action figure went online to check prices for it. After seeing it didn’t even get bids, she had no qualms about selling it in a garage sale.

Hire an appraiser - Take your item to a local appraiser. You’ll typically pay at least $75.00 or more; find one at appraisers.org.

Outsource the Job - When you can’t find the time to list it on eBay or cragslist.org, sell your stuff to a middleman like an antiques buyer, a consignment store or an eBay drop-off franchise such as iSold It (i-soldit.com) or Auction It Today (auctionittoday.com) For a 30% to 40% commission you’ll save yourself the hassle.

Donate to Charity - Donate and save money on taxes. To find out what amount is appropriate to deduct, access up-to-date lists of fair market values at TurboTax’s itsdeductible.com and use the free online software to track your donations all year.

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A free “See, Test and Treat” breast and cervical cancer screening program sponsored by the NorthPoint Heath & Wellness Center, the College of American Pathologists, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) – Minnesota Affiliate, will be held at the North Point Health and Wellness Center in Minneapolis, Minn. on October 6, 7, and 8. Appointments are being scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day by area community health representatives and other staff members.

Language interpreters will be onsite to help patients on Wednesday, October 7 (Spanish) and on Thursday, October 8 (Hmong.) To register, call 612-767-9164 (English,) 612-767-9162 (Spanish,) and 612-767-9168 (Hmong.) Walk-ins are also welcome.

“Cancer survival rates are directly related to the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis, so it’s important to remove all barriers to early diagnosis and treatment for all women,” said Bradley M. Linzie, MD, FCAP, a pathologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. “This ‘See, Test and Treat’ program will provide immediate breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and follow-up treatment, as needed, for local women who are uninsured or underinsured.”

This is the fourth See, Test and Treat event at the North Point Health and Wellness Center. The first was held in McLaughlin, S.D., in October 2001.

During the visit, women will be given a pelvic exam, along with a Pap test to detect any potential early signs of cervical cancer, and a mammogram for early detection of breast cancer. They will then receive their results in a private setting that same day, and appropriate information or treatment during the same visit.

Traditional screening procedures would have women visit health care professionals twice – once to get examined and once for follow-up care. Factors such as poor access to transportation, lack of child care, inability to take time off from a job, and other issues present barriers to women in getting the care they need.

“By removing these barriers and using a one-stop, See, Test and Treat model of cancer screening, we hope to reduce the rate of cervical and breast cancer in women in this area,” Dr. Linzie said.

Pathologists recommend that any woman who is older than 21 or who is sexually active should have regular Pap tests. The Pap test is a quick and simple procedure that could change a woman’s life. In addition, the CAP agrees with the recommendations of the American Cancer Society that all women 40 years and older should have annual mammograms, based on their physician’s recommendation.

While all women 20 and older should conduct a breast self-exam every month, women between the ages of 20 and 39 should have a clinical breast exam every three years and should begin having clinical breast exams every year when they turn 40.

The College of American Pathologists supports efforts to expand cervical cancer screening programs to include currently underserved populations of women in the United States. The College also recognizes that the lack of access to health care for low income adults and children is a significant societal problem, especially as it relates to important diagnostic and screening tests and tests related to disease treatment. As an organization of physicians acutely interested in the well-being of patients, the CAP supports efforts, such as the See, Test and Treat events, to find balanced, realistic and achievable means to expand health care coverage to uninsured Americans.

See, Test and Treat is sponsored by the College of American Pathologists, the North Point Health and Wellness Center, Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) – Minnesota Affiliate, the Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, and a coalition of pathologists, cytotechnologists, obstetricians/gynecologists, health care providers and other medical professionals in the Minneapolis area. The goals of the program are to encourage healthy behavior, and to have both testing and follow-up done in a single visit.

The “See, Test and Treat Single Visit Cervical and Breast Cancer Prevention Program” is funded by the College of American Pathologists, North Point Health and Wellness Center, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) – Minnesota Affiliate.

Hologic is donating a Thin Prep machine and supplies. Local businesses will provide small gifts for all women who participate in the program.

The College of American Pathologists is a medical society that serves more than 17,000 physician members and the laboratory community throughout the world. It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective medical care.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) promise: to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

Source: College of American Pathologists

Sender and recipients of 1959 Emmaus time capsule meet in Boyertown to compare notes, share memories, connect history

Representatives from Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) will meet 91-year old Mildred Weidner of Boyertown, a past leader of Girl Scout Troop #33 in Emmaus. With her co-leaders, Weidner addressed a personal, hand-written letter to “Girl Scouts of 2009,” and provided a glimpse of Scouting in the 1950s. The Scouts’ account was sealed in a time capsule, created by the Borough of Emmaus as part of its bicentennial celebration in 1959. To the present-day Scouts, the past leaders wrote “we hope we have done our little bit towards world peace and leaving a better world for you.”

Last March, Emmaus officials unearthed the 1959 time capsule and — at an opening ceremony in August to help mark the Borough’s 250th anniversary — volunteers and Scouts from GSEP Emmaus Service Unit #742 accepted the 50-year old package. At the Service Unit’s meeting on September 2, Hagar Malone, a 30-year Girl Scouts volunteer and a GSEP Lights of Loyalty Award (see p.10) recipient, revealed its contents — photos, a hand-written letter, a typed account of an 8-week bus trip to Mexico, two coins and an elfin charm — all carefully folded in aluminum foil and plastic wrap and sealed in a simple #10-envelope.

WHEN & WHERE: 11 am on Friday, September 25
Mildred Weidner residence, Boyertown (call for street address)

WHO: Mildred Weidner (age 91) — leader of Girl Scout Troop #33 in 1959
Georganne Seeley — Membership Manager for GSEP
Karen McGuinness — volunteer PR Coordinator, Emmaus SU#742

INSIDE THE CAPSULE: In 1958, Weidner accompanied four 15-year old Scouts on an 8-week bus trip to Our Cabana in Cuernavaca, Mexico, one of four centers owned by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Across 8,000 miles and through 17 states, the travelers were welcomed at every stop by fellow Girl Scouts. In her post-trip account, Weidner marveled that “when a Girl Scout says ‘a sister to every other Girl Scout,’ they really mean it.”

Source: Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania

Most people can agree that it can be difficult to balance their work and home lives once they get married and have children. Somehow it seems that work life or home life is always encroaching on the other and causing problems at work, at home, and many times both, especially when you are working from home. However the following a few tips are great options to help with balancing work and home.

1) The best thing to do when trying to balance work and home is to make a schedule. Know how much time you have and schedule your work time and your home time. Then, you will know when you need to schedule work and home events. This will make your life significantly easier and you will know which activities fit into which time frame. Just make sure you stick to your schedule.

2) Many times work and home responsibilities can become overwhelming because one person is handling more of the responsibilities than the other. So, learn to share responsibilities at home and each spouse can be responsible for their work. Also, older children should have some home responsibilities as well to help parents balance work and home.

3) A great way to keep home and work separate is to always focus on home activities during weekends, or at least on days off from working from home if you happen to work on weekends. When certain days are home days and other days are work days then it makes balancing work and home considerably easier. Take time off and do things together. Go shopping for discount classroom furniture, have a picnic in the park or just chilling out in front of a good movie.

4) Balancing home and work can be difficult because your home office is just next door. If you really want to balance work and home then you will always leave your work in your home office and keep home a relaxing place for family and home activities.

As women working from home, we not only have to plan our time well to ensure that we get all work done while our kids are at school, we need to ensure that the children are leading a healthy lifestyle. If you are in charge of the cooking at home, you would agree that it isn’t easy to get your kids to eat the healthy meals you place on the table.

To encourage our children to eat healthy food, it takes time and creativity. There are many healthy foods that your kids can learn to enjoy. It’s a matter of making gradual changes and allowing their taste buds to adjust to the changes. These days, kids are used to eating foods high sodium and fat, and need to adjust to eating new healthier foods. As women working from home, you can make small changes to the normal routine for a start.

There are many ways to teach our kids to lead a healthy lifestyle. You need to first be active before sharing your activity with your kids. You can play with them, cycle or swim with them. Take family walks and hikes together. Being more active as a family will improve physical and emotional health. Help your kids to find activities that they enjoy by showing them different possibilities.

During the weekends, you can spend time with your children and relax in your patio with your outdoor pillows. You can chat and plan games together, enjoy each other’s company and treasure those special times together. These are simple ways all women working from home can do with their children while encouraging them to lead a healthy lifestyle as a family.

Lactose Intolerance Has a Serious Impact on the Health of Latinas

A new Lactose Intolerance in Multicultural Communities Survey sponsored by the LACTAID Brand found that 77 percent of Latinas reduce the amount of milk or dairy in their diet as a way to manage their lactose intolerance. Yet, 63 percent of Latinas who have lactose intolerance worry the condition keeps them from consuming important nutrients, such as calcium and vitamins A and D. Despite their concerns, only 14 percent have talked to a health care professional about lactose intolerance.

The study found that more than half of Latinas are unsure about what foods may cause discomfort and 12 percent remove dairy from their diet completely as a way to control their lactose intolerance. This is concerning as dairy foods and beverages contain key essential nutrients that are important for a healthy lifestyle.

Since 50 to 80 percent of Latinos may have symptoms of lactose intolerance, there is a need for a greater understanding of how to manage the condition. In fact, lactose intolerance is easy to diagnose and easy to manage, without forgoing dairy and the foods Latinas and their families love. That’s why to help educate women about lactose intolerance, the LACTAID Brand has partnered with Angelica Vale, Mexican comedian and actress, who is lactose intolerant and who has learned to enjoy dairy and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Although I am lactose intolerant, milk and dairy products are an important part of my diet. I rely on LACTAID Milk to ensure I drink real, delicious milk everyday and consume the nutrients necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Vale. “I love to make fruit licuados for breakfast, and because I have a sweet tooth, desserts like flan are a perfect ending to dinner. So it’s great that I can manage my lactose intolerance without giving up my favorite traditional dishes.”

The LACTAID Brand recently conducted the Lactose Intolerance in Multicultural Communities Survey to gain insight into how multicultural women, who are more likely to have lactose intolerance, understand and manage the condition. Additional findings include:

– Fifty-eight percent of Latinas feel inconvenienced by their condition.
– Seventy-eight percent want to keep dairy in their diet because of its health benefits – 40 percent because it is a natural source of calcium and nutrients and 38 percent to maintain healthy bones.
– A majority of Latinas are worried about managing their lactose intolerance in social settings.
– Seventy-eight percent worry about experiencing symptoms when enjoying a meal with others.
– Sixty-five percent feel they have to avoid certain foods before or during social events.
– Forty-six percent are uncertain about eating foods prepared by friends or family.
– Sixty-three percent of Latinas do not know that lactose-free products, like LACTAID Milk, Ice Cream and Cottage Cheese, have the same important nutrients found in regular milk and dairy products.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest foods containing lactose, which is found primarily in milk and many dairy products. The condition creates discomfort such as gas, cramping, bloating and diarrhea. The LACTAID Brand is dedicated to helping consumers manage their lactose intolerance by providing information and resources about the condition on their website. Consumers can visit www.lactaidenespanol.com to find facts about lactose intolerance, a Dairy Digestion Test to determine if symptoms are a result of lactose intolerance and recipes to help manage their condition.

Lactose Intolerance in Multicultural Communities Survey

The Lactose Intolerance in Multicultural Communities Survey was conducted on behalf of the LACTAID Brand by Richard Day Research between July 1-31 2009. The online survey interviewed a national sample of 401 African American and 405 Hispanic women living with lactose intolerance, age 18 and older. The sample is balanced according to the age and regional dispersion of this population as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The sample of Hispanic women was also balanced to reflect the nativity of the Hispanic population.

Source: McNeil Nutritionals, LLC