A review in the November 2001 issue of Clinician Review emphasizes the risks to women associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), a treatable sexually transmitted infection (STI) once thought to be benign. BV is connected to an increased risk of contracting HIV and other STIs including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. BV can also lead to […]
As the 2002 elections draw near, women throughout the nation are beginning to line up to run for seats in the Senate and House. The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) has identified 13 women who are considering bids for places in the Senate. Of these women, nine are challenging current seat holders and […]
A study published in the December issue of the British Journal of General Practice suggests that women who delay reporting of breast cancer symptoms to physicians may not recognize certain symptoms as potential indicators of cancer. The study’s lead author explains that, “Symptoms which fail to match expectations of breast cancer may contribute to the […]
The Vermont Supreme Court rejected claims made by legislators and town clerks that the state’s civil union laws, which grant gay and lesbian couples the most comprehensive package of domestic partner benefits in the nation, were unconstitutional. Among the plaintiff’s arguments was the claim that the law requiring town clerks to issue civil union licenses […]
In March, San Francisco will decide whether to use instant runoff voting to elect city officers in the upcoming November 2002 elections. This is the first major test of the instant runoff voting system in the country. Faced with costs of up to $2 million per election cycle for traditional runoff voting, the San Francisco […]
The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled yesterday that children who were artificially conceived using sperm or eggs from a deceased parent are legally entitled to inheritance benefits if the genetic relationship between the deceased parent and the child can rightfully be identified, if the deceased parent agreed to the conception before death, and if the deceased […]
A study published in yesterday’s Journal of the National Cancer Institute identifies the hormone progestin as one of the potential causes for the lower risk of ovarian cancer in women who use oral contraceptives. The study reviewed and compared data on almost 3,000 women, including contraceptive users and non-users, between 20 and 54 years old. […]
Prize-winning writer Judy Mann retired her column in the Washington Post last week by calling for more women in news media commentary. In her farewell column, Mann declared her “fervent hope that more and more women will be given space in our newspapers so that women’s voices will be heard.” She continued, “We do have […]
Women’s Enews honored Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal in 2001 for her “extraordinary contributions to durable change on behalf of women.” Featured as one of the 21 leaders for the 21st century, Smeal was acknowledged by Women’s Enews staff and readers primarily for her work to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan and restore Afghan women’s […]
U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon of the Southern District of Illinois ruled that 4800 women would be allowed to file a class action sex discrimination lawsuit against Rent-A-Center, a nationwide retailer of rent-to-own appliances and furniture. The women are seeking $410 million in damages claiming that company executives methodically fired female employees and made […]
According to Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), “There will be no famine in Afghanistan this winter.” This conclusion comes after an infusion of humanitarian food supplies into the country over the past four months. The WFP alone has supplied Afghanistan with 165,000 tons of wheat since September. Most […]
A community health bill was dropped late Wednesday night after anti-choice lawmakers added language that would have allowed hospitals and health plans to adopt a “conscience clause” to opt out of providing abortion services and referrals based on religious or moral objections. After being contacted by several Catholic groups, the rider was initiated by House […]
Women’s Enews, an online news service featuring stories of particular interest to women, has announced that it will be breaking away from NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (NOW LDEF) on January 1, becoming an independent news outlet. Women’s Enews began in June 2000 as a project of NOW LDEF and is now read nationwide […]
As the Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children came to a close, a senior Interpol official estimated that worldwide trafficking of people, including women and children for prostitution, is worth $9 billion a year. According to officials, however, this number is only the “tip of the iceberg.” Sex trafficking is the third […]
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that oral contraceptives have no increase of significant risk for heart attack in young women. The study compared women taking birth control with different hormonal combinations. The pills were classified as being first-, second-, or third- generation, signifying different types of progesterone in combination […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) this month voted to retract its support for mandatory HIV testing of pregnant women. The vote came after concerns that women, fearing the mandatory testing, were opting not to see their doctors for pre-natal care visits. Women were also not being offered counseling services as part of the HIV screening, […]
This week marks the 22nd anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the first treaty to comprehensively address women’s rights within political, cultural, economic, social, and family life. This convention, which guarantees women equal rights to work, pay, benefits and safe working […]
Planned Parenthood of South Africa, the Reproductive Health Research Unit, the Society of Family Health, and the South African Department of Health will supply the female condom free of charge to South African women. The female condom offers some protection against contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted disease (STDs), which is especially needed in South […]
Following recommendations from the ultra-conservative anti-women’s rights Heritage Foundation, the Bush Administration has proposed to eliminate ten regional offices in the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. The Heritage Foundation published “A Budget for America,” asking the White House to “Phase out the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the Women’s Bureau, and the Civil Rights […]
U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher argues in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association (JAMWA) that women, especially women of color and poor women, are particularly burdened by inequalities in the health care system that must be addressed with “reinventing health care delivery,” from addressing language barriers to other […]
