News and Blogs – Page 15 – Global Reproductive Health at Duke

New South Wales Opening First Breast Milk Bank

December 24, 2018December 24, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Karina Moreno Bueno, T'21 New South Wales (NSW), Australia has opened it’s the first ever Breast Milk Bank this month in order to aid the survival of premature babies. This is great, as donated human breast milk has not always been accessible in NSW. It relies on human donor breast milk, milk originating from lactating women in a center run by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and NSW Health. The bank is designed to provide nutritious milk for premature babies. The premature babies have access to this nutrient-rich milk to fight off life-threatening infections and disease. This breast milk bank is very important because around 1000 babies are born before premature or with low birth-weight in NSW. Many are calling this milk “liquid gold” because the milk contains all of the nutrients that are essential for growth and for fending off diseases. Research has shown that breast milk reduces the risk of potentially life-threatening bacterial infections in premature babies,...

Yale implements Plan B in its vending machines

December 24, 2018December 24, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Amelia Steinbach, T'21 Yale University recently announced that it would make emergency contraception, or Plan B, available in its school vending machines for $49.99 – a comparable price at local pharmacies. While emergency contraception is available through Yale Student Health, including it in vending machines is meant to make it more accessible to students, as well as remove some of the stigma surrounding the product. While emergency contraception is free to Yale students, no matter their health insurance plan, that fact on campus is plagued with rumors and misinformation. Even staff at student health are often unaware of the policies and regulations surrounding emergency contraception at the school, meaning that the majority of students are unable to take advantage of these services. As is the case with emergency contraception handed out by the school’s pharmacy, if a student purchases Plan B more than three times, they will be required to meet with an OB-GYN to discuss effective forms of birth...

Egyptian women participant in run to show to campaign for end to Gender Based Violence

December 21, 2018December 24, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Amelia Steinbach, T'21 In late November 2018, hundreds of women participated in a race in Cairo, Egypt in support of a campaign to end sexual violence. The race was planned after Cairo was ranked as the most dangerous megacity in the world for women. This was determined from a variety of factors, including sexual violence, cultural practices, healthcare, and financial abilities. Women in Egypt often do not engage in athletic activities in public spaces, as they are oftentimes subjected to harassment or assault. The goal of this race was to encourage women and girls to feel safe running and exercising in public spaces in the country. The third-place winner of the race, Amany Khalil, said “I came to this race today so that all women can run in the street without any fears or worries.” The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights has classified violence against women committed by state institutions, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and structural violence as...

Minimally invasive surgery for cervical cancer is a higher risk than the abdominal surgery

December 21, 2018December 24, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Suzanna Larkin, T'19 Cervical cancer screening has greatly reduced its incidence in the United States, resulting in about 13,000 cases a year and 4,000 deaths. It remains the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide, however, causing over 300,000 deaths per year. Cervical cancer develops after persistent infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common STD. While later stages are treated with radiation, early stage cervical cancer is commonly treated through surgery. An increasingly popular method is a minimally invasive surgery performed through small cuts in the abdomen, using either laparoscopy or a robot. This surgery technique is regarded as a medical advancement that lets patients recover faster. Unlike drugs, which are heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, surgery is more adaptive. As long as the hospital allows it, surgeons are able to try new approaches with unconventional tools. Two recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that in comparison...

Study in Sweden shows 3D mammograms detect over a third more breast cancers than standard mammograms

December 20, 2018December 20, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Suzanna Larkin, T'19 A large clinical study in Sweden found that 3D mammography is able to detect at least 30% more cancers than traditional mammography, most of which are invasive cancers. 3D mammography, otherwise known as breast tomosynthesis, also reduces the compression on the breast during examination, which may encourage more women to reach out for screening. Traditional mammographies capture all breast tissue in one image. With breast tomosynthesis, the final result is 3D, with several low-dose x-ray images at different angles constructed on the computer to show a model of the breast. This allows for a more precise ability in detecting tumors. On the other hand, 3D mammography also captures more structures in the breast in general, so some women need to be re-examined to ensure there are no tumors. Misdiagnosis remains a risk with traditional mammographies as well. An additional challenge in using 3D mammographies is the lack of radiologists who are able to read the greater...

Significant decrease in rate of abortion in the United States

December 20, 2018December 20, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Amelia Steinbach, T'21 Data that were recently released from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicate that the number of abortions in the United States has decreased by 24% over the last decade. In reporting the data through 2015, the CDC noted that this drop was almost certainly related to a lower number of unintended pregnancies, the largest contributor to induced abortion, as well as increased use of effective contraception methods. The overall trend is not consistent for women of different demographic groups, such as race, class, and marital and motherhood status. While white and black women together make up the vast majority of abortions, black women account for nearly 20 more abortions per 1000 women than their white counterparts. Women who were not married accounted for the majority of those seeking an abortion, as do women who already have children. Over 90% of abortion occur before the 13-week mark and abortions that do not occur during the first trimester...

New findings show that pregnant women are increasingly likely to be addicted to opioids and methamphetamines

December 19, 2018December 20, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Amelia Steinbach, T'21 A study recently released in the American Journal of Public Health shows a significant increase in the use of methamphetamines and opioids by pregnant women in recent years. Usage more than doubled from the 2008-2009 period to the 2014-2015 period, with the greatest increases seen in rural areas. Worse health outcomes, longer lengths of stay, and higher delivery costs are all more common in deliveries relating to amphetamine and opioid use. Additionally, deliveries affected by amphetamine usage were also disproportionately affected by preeclampsia, placental abruption, preterm delivery, and extremely high maternal morbidity. While there is a correlation between opioid usage and these negative outcomes during pregnancy and delivery, the drugs may not be the only factor. Women who are substance-abusers also generally attend fewer prenatal appointments and only receive prenatal care later in the country. This trend of increased amphetamine and opioid usage in the United States is far more common in rural areas of the...

Canada Reaffirms Commitment to Gender Equity through Action

December 19, 2018December 20, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Alex Lichtl, T'19 Canada is emerging as a world leader of gender equality and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), according to Sandeep Prasad, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. The country hosted the 7th International Parliamentarians’ Conference (ICPI) in October and also launched a Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) in June 2017. Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian Minister of International Development, has been a strong advocate for women’s rights and said that since FIAP launched, 93% of Canada’s humanitarian assistance has involved SRHR or women’s empowerment. Minister Bibeau also announced in October that Canada will provide up to $50 million to Palestinian refugees, along with providing International Assistance to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Although Canada’s official development assistance (ODA) of 0.26 to gross national income is below the 0.7 commitment, Minister Bibeau replied that Canada continues to lead in policies advocating for the most vulnerable populations and in investments for educating women in conflict...

New UN Report shows global scope of intimate partner violence

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Alex Lichtl, T'19 A report released on Nov. 25, 2018 by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that nearly 50,000 women were killed last year by an intimate partner or family member and that the Americas were the third-worst globally. A 2017 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that in the United States, about 50% of all female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner, family member, or friend. This indicates that many women are being intentionally killed by people they know and trust. Women who leave their partner are also at higher risk for domestic violence, according to a CDC study. The UNODC report called for increased access to services provided by the police and justice department and stressed the importance of education. Rachel Goldsmith, Vice President of domestic violence centers at Safe Horizon, also advocated for restricted access to firearms. Shortly following the release of the report, thousands...

Over 100 women elected to House of Representatives for the first time and the impact that is expected to have on laws regarding women’s healthcare

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 by Megan HuchkoNo Comments

Story by Amelia Steinbach, T'21 The 2018 Midterm results from Election Day on November 6th resulted in historic numbers of women elected to the House of Representatives. For the first time in American history, more than 100 women will be serving as congressional representatives in January of 2019. The elections included several “firsts” – the youngest woman, the first Muslim women, the first Native American congresswomen, and the first black women elected from Connecticut and Massachusetts. Additionally, while the proportion of the Republican caucus that is white men increased, that same proportion in the Democratic caucus decreased to 38%, which is relatively close to the representation of that demographic group in the overall population. Tennessee and Arizona also elected female Senators for the first time in history. Several studies have shown that female legislators are more likely than their male counterparts to sponsor and vote for legislation relating to the needs of families, women, and children. They are generally more liberal about...

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