Reproductive Health
Manufacturer Pushes for Sponge Return to U.S.
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The current manufacturer of the contraceptive sponge remains hopeful the popular over-the-counter contraceptive will return to the U.S. market in a matter of months.
Health & Science
Women Go Blind Twice as Often as Men
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Of the 40 million people affected by blindness worldwide, two-thirds are women. If the gender-related causes of the disease aren’t better addressed, the number of blind around the world could double in 25 years.
Health & Science
Weight Probed as Factor in Birth-Control Failures
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A woman’s weight can affect her birth-control options. Weight is being studied as a factor in the reliability of birth-control pills, while women over 198 pounds face higher failure rates with the contraceptive patch.
Cancer
New Techniques May Reduce Cervical Cancer’s Toll
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Pap tests and new technologies have dramatically reduced cervical cancer deaths in the United States. Future decreases may come from a vaccine, but testing those who are inadequately screened can help now.
Health & Science
Incontinence Often Undiagnosed, Overlooked
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Stress urinary incontinence–an all-too-common problem among women–is often assumed to be an inevitable part of aging. But the condition can be treated with a range of therapies, and by no means affects older women exclusively.
Health & Science
Infertility Therapy Fraught with Health Risks
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Assisted reproductive technologies have become mainstream in the United States, where close to 10 percent of the population is infertile. But techniques used and the lack of insurance coverage has exacerbated health risks for women.
Reproductive Health
Common Female Complaint Gains Medical Attention
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When a recent conference at the National Institutes of Health addressed a common, painful and often misdiagnosed condition in women, a longtime activist took it as a welcome sign that vulvodynia sufferers are starting to get medical attention.
Equality
Biologists Rethink Darwin’s Theories on Sex Roles
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New findings about the diversity of sexual behavior and gender expression in animals are causing some biologists to rethink a Darwinian theory that neatly categorizes male and female roles and the role of sex itself.
International Policy
U.N. Election Raises Questions about Women’s Health
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An unusual election involving secret ballots will elect the new director-general of the World Health Organization. Activists worry about who will replace the outgoing woman-friendly director and what the impact on women’s health will be.