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Cervical cancer, Gynecological cancer, Hpv, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Cervical Cancer Prevention
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Cervical Cancer PreventionMedically reviewed by Nancy Berman, MSN, ANP-BC, NCMP, FAANP Cervical cancer has steadily become less and less common. “It’s a preventable cancer because we do a lot of effort in screening to find precancer and treat or remove those precancerous cells so they don’t progress to cancer cells,” said Nancy Berman, a nurse practitioner and…
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Access, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health policy, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs In
Read More: Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs InBy Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington Should countries that can afford COVID-19 booster vaccines offer them to residents if scientists recommend them? The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has made his position clear, calling for countries to impose a moratorium on boosters until 10% of people in every country are…
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Forceful Vaccine Messages Backfire With Holdouts – How Can It Be Done Better?
Read More: Forceful Vaccine Messages Backfire With Holdouts – How Can It Be Done Better?By S. Shyam Sundar, Penn State With the FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the continued surge of the delta variant, governments across the world have renewed their push to increase the number of vaccinated individuals by persuading the holdouts. On Sept. 9, 2021, President Joe Biden announced sweeping vaccine mandates, expressing frustration at…
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Who’s Covered by a Vaccine Mandate? Here’s a Quick Guide to America’s Patchwork of COVID-19 Shot Requirements
Read More: Who’s Covered by a Vaccine Mandate? Here’s a Quick Guide to America’s Patchwork of COVID-19 Shot RequirementsBy Debbie Kaminer, Baruch College, CUNY President Joe Biden’s orders requiring vaccinations for about two-thirds of the U.S. workforce add to a patchwork of vaccine mandates aimed at pushing more people to get their shots and bring the pandemic under control. The president had largely resisted issuing federal mandates, but in recent months, many states,…
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Fast Facts: What You Need to Know about Shingles
Read More: Fast Facts: What You Need to Know about ShinglesMedically reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Liotta If you associate shingles with old age, that’s a common misconception. But anyone who has had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine can get shingles — including young adults. In fact, shingles infection rates have been steadily rising among younger and middle-aged adults over the past few years. Shingles isn’t…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Prevention, Preventive care, Preventive health
The Next Attack on the Affordable Care Act May Cost You Free Preventive Health Care
Read More: The Next Attack on the Affordable Care Act May Cost You Free Preventive Health CareBy Paul Shafer, Boston University and Alex Hoagland, Boston University Many Americans breathed a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court left the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in place following its third major legal challenge in June 2021. This decision left widely supported policies in place, like ensuring coverage regardless of preexisting conditions, coverage for…
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At My Hospital, Over 95% of Covid-19 Patients Share One Thing in Common: They’re Unvaccinated
Read More: At My Hospital, Over 95% of Covid-19 Patients Share One Thing in Common: They’re UnvaccinatedBy Nicholas Johnson, University of Washington The Conversation is running a series of dispatches from clinicians and researchers operating on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. You can find all of the stories here. As an emergency medicine and critical care doctor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, I’ve lost…
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New gene therapies may soon treat dozens of rare diseases, but million-dollar price tags will put them out of reach for many
Read More: New gene therapies may soon treat dozens of rare diseases, but million-dollar price tags will put them out of reach for manyBy Kevin Doxzen, Arizona State University Zolgensma – which treats spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disease that damages nerve cells, leading to muscle decay – is currently the most expensive drug in the world. A one-time treatment of the life-saving drug for a young child costs US$2.1 million. While Zolgensma’s exorbitant price is an…
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Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Genetics and Breast Cancer Risk
Read More: Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Genetics and Breast Cancer RiskMedically reviewed by Dr. Kristen Zarfos About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary, meaning they come from gene mutations (changes) passed on from a parent. But even if you have a family history, that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get cancer. Here’s a breakdown of the basics about genetics and breast cancer. Most…
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What Happens When the Covid-19 Vaccines Enter the Body — a Road Map for Kids and Grown-ups
Read More: What Happens When the Covid-19 Vaccines Enter the Body — a Road Map for Kids and Grown-upsBy Glenn J Rapsinski, University of Pittsburgh Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How does a COVID-19 vaccine work in the body? – Wixy, age 12, New York The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus,…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Family planning, Fertility, Pregnancy, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations
Pregnant or Worried About Infertility? Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19
Read More: Pregnant or Worried About Infertility? Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19By Matthew Woodruff, Emory University As the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 surges across the U.S., almost 1 in 5 Americans continue to resist getting shots that are widely available, safe and effective – particularly for preventing the most severe outcomes of the virus. While people have many different justifications for not getting the shot, one…
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What You Need to Know About Back-to-School Vaccines
Read More: What You Need to Know About Back-to-School VaccinesMedically reviewed by Janis Hogan, RN, NCSN
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Immunocompromised, Parenting, Parenting teens, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Herd Immunity: What It Is and What It Has to Do With Your Child
Read More: Herd Immunity: What It Is and What It Has to Do With Your ChildTo Chalea Andrejko and her family, herd immunity is not only important. It’s 100% necessary because Chalea’s 14-year-old daughter, Erikah, has a weakened immune system. Erikah was only a few months old when she was diagnosed with biliary atresia, meaning she was born without bile ducts in her liver, which causes blockage of bile from…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Healthy home, Medical tests, Parenting, Parenting teens, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Getting Caught Up on Back-to-School Vaccines
Read More: Getting Caught Up on Back-to-School VaccinesMorgan Aten’s son Isaac was due for his seven-year annual checkup in March 2020 — just as the country was shutting down because of Covid-19. “We ended up missing it,” Aten said. But when Aten’s other son Arthur was due for his three-year checkup in July of last year, their pediatrician let Aten bring Isaac…
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Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Healthy home, Medical tests, mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Tips for a Safe and Healthy Return to School
Read More: Tips for a Safe and Healthy Return to SchoolKate Schultz, a high school teacher from Madison, WI, has made back-to-school preparations many times since she started teaching 20 years ago, but never quite like this. Going back to the classroom looks very different in the age of Covid-19, and Schultz is planning accordingly. She knows her students may be stressed about the virus,…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Can Health Insurance Companies Charge the Unvaccinated Higher Premiums? What About Life Insurers? 5 Questions Answered
Read More: Can Health Insurance Companies Charge the Unvaccinated Higher Premiums? What About Life Insurers? 5 Questions AnsweredBy Kosali Simon, Indiana University and Sharon Tennyson, Cornell University The current COVID-19 wave in the U.S. is mostly affecting unvaccinated Americans, who represent more than 95% of current cases of hospitalization and death. Given the average cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization in 2020 ran about US$42,200 per patient, will the unvaccinated be asked to…
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Cardio workouts, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Heart disease, Heart health, Heart healthy recipes, Medical tests, Nutrition, Obesity, Prevention, Preventive health
Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your HCP About Cardiovascular Disease
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your HCP About Cardiovascular DiseaseMedically reviewed by Dr. Nieca Goldberg Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, accounting for 1 in 3 deaths. Yet, less than half of women recognize that heart disease is their number one killer. Heart disease — including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction (also known as heart attack)…
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healthy aging, Miscarriage, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories, Skin, Skin health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
I Got Shingles at 29
Read More: I Got Shingles at 29As told to Fortesa Latifi I was hiking on a mild winter day in East Tennessee. It was a Saturday, and I was wearing my favorite hoodie — you know, the one that fits so well you keep it for a decade. But that day, something felt weird. It felt like an object was in…
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Why Refusing the COVID-19 Vaccine Isn’t Just Immoral – It’s ‘Un-American’
Read More: Why Refusing the COVID-19 Vaccine Isn’t Just Immoral – It’s ‘Un-American’By Christopher Beem, Penn State Decades ago I helped organize a conference that brought together vaccine skeptics and public health officials. The debate centered on what governments can and cannot demand from citizens, and what behaviors one can rightly expect from others. It took place many years before the current coronavirus pandemic, but many things…
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New White Paper Seeks to Improve Maternal Immunization Rates
Read More: New White Paper Seeks to Improve Maternal Immunization RatesDespite well-documented evidence of the efficacy, safety and benefits of maternal immunization and the recommendations of healthcare providers, many pregnant women do not receive essential vaccines that protect their babies against influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (Tdap). Only 40.3 percent of pregnant women in 2019–2020 received both flu and Tdap vaccines, and rates were…
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When it Comes to Vaccines, Better Data Collection & Coordination of Education Efforts Will Help Close Lifesaving Maternal Immunization Gaps
Read More: When it Comes to Vaccines, Better Data Collection & Coordination of Education Efforts Will Help Close Lifesaving Maternal Immunization GapsVaccines have been saving lives since the first smallpox vaccine was developed in 1798. For most people, vaccines are a routine part of life, starting when we’re newborns, continuing through our pediatric check-ups to attend school, and continuing with annual flu shots and travel requirements. But vaccines have recently been thrust into the spotlight thanks…
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Here’s Why the CDC Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors Even if You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Read More: Here’s Why the CDC Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors Even if You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19By Peter Chin-Hong, University of California, San Francisco Vaccinated people need to mask up again, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On July 27, 2021, the CDC recommended that everyone in areas with high COVID-19 infection rates wear masks in public indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. It’s a reversal from…
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Should Fully Immunized People Wear Masks Indoors? An Infectious Disease Physician Weighs In
Read More: Should Fully Immunized People Wear Masks Indoors? An Infectious Disease Physician Weighs InBy Peter Chin-Hong, University of California, San Francisco With the highly infectious delta coronavirus variant spreading at an alarming rate, the World Health Organization in late June 2021 urged people to again wear masks indoors – even those who are fully vaccinated. And on July 15, Los Angeles County, California, announced that it would again…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Science, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Delta Variant Makes It Even More Important to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine, Even if You’ve Already Had the Coronavirus
Read More: Delta Variant Makes It Even More Important to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine, Even if You’ve Already Had the CoronavirusBy Jennifer T. Grier, University of South Carolina As someone who studies immune responses to respiratory infections, I’ve watched news of the emerging coronavirus variants with concern. I wondered whether vaccination or previous infection would provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 strains, especially the new, highly transmissible delta variant, which has rapidly spread to at least 70…
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Benjamin Franklin’s Fight Against a Deadly Virus: Colonial America Was Divided Over Smallpox Inoculation, but He Championed Science to Skeptics
Read More: Benjamin Franklin’s Fight Against a Deadly Virus: Colonial America Was Divided Over Smallpox Inoculation, but He Championed Science to SkepticsBy From its first edition, The New-England Courant covered inoculation. Wikimedia Commons One article from August 1721 tried to guilt readers into resisting inoculation. If someone gets inoculated and then spreads the disease to someone else, who in turn dies of it, the article asked, “at whose hands shall their Blood be required?” The same…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research
Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII
Read More: Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWIILiz Szabo, Kaiser Health News Although James Toussaint has never had covid, the pandemic is taking a profound toll on his health. First, the 57-year-old lost his job delivering parts for a New Orleans auto dealership in spring 2020, when the local economy shut down. Then, he fell behind on his rent. Last month, Toussaint…
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Being Vaccinated Doesn’t Mean You Must Go Maskless. Here’s Why.
Read More: Being Vaccinated Doesn’t Mean You Must Go Maskless. Here’s Why.Bernard J. Wolfson, Kaiser Health News For more than a year, public health officials have repeatedly told us that masks save lives. They’ve warned us to keep our distance from our neighbors, who’ve morphed into disease vectors before our eyes. Now they are telling us that if we’re vaccinated, we no longer need to wear…
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Cervical cancer, Gynecological cancer, Hpv, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
It’s Baaaack: An Old HPV Infection Can Become Active Again as You Get Older
Read More: It’s Baaaack: An Old HPV Infection Can Become Active Again as You Get OlderMedically reviewed by Nancy Berman, MSN, ANP-BC, NCMP, FAANP When Tracy Jimenez was 45, she experienced excruciating back and leg pain that sent her to the emergency room, where a doctor diagnosed her with a sciatic nerve issue. Jimenez continued to suffer for almost a year and rushed back to the emergency room after passing…
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Cervical cancer, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Gynecological cancer, Hpv, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
The Importance of Cervical Cancer Screening During COVID-19 and Beyond
Read More: The Importance of Cervical Cancer Screening During COVID-19 and BeyondMedically reviewed by Nancy R. Berman MSN, ANP-BC, NCMP, FAANP Even though she was having symptoms like pelvic pain and bleeding for almost a year before she finally saw a doctor, Lily Taylor wasn’t expecting bad news. Never mind that she hadn’t been getting regular Pap tests, HPV tests or other recommended screenings. She figured…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Financial health, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Prevention, Preventive health, Telehealth
Health Is Infrastructure, Too
Read More: Health Is Infrastructure, TooDuring opening remarks at HealthyWomen’s recent webinar, “Health is Infrastructure, Too: The Impact on Women’s Health Care,” HealthyWomen’s CEO Beth Battaglino said, “As we slowly emerge from the grips of a very long and difficult pandemic, we are at a pivotal moment for women’s health in this country.” Women, she said, continue to face mental…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Pandemic, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Vaccinations, Vaccines
An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False Information
Read More: An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False InformationBy Will Stone, Kaiser Health News When a filmmaker asked medical historian Naomi Rogers to appear in a documentary, the Yale professor didn’t blink. She had done these “talking head” interviews many times before. She assumed her comments would end up in a straightforward documentary that addressed some of the most pressing concerns of the…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medical tests, Parenting, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
I’m Fully Vaccinated – Should I Keep Wearing a Mask for My Unvaccinated Child?
Read More: I’m Fully Vaccinated – Should I Keep Wearing a Mask for My Unvaccinated Child?By Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington Fully vaccinated adults are celebrating their new freedom and removing their face masks. Yet for parents of children under age 12, the rejoicing might be short-lived. Since children that age do not yet have access to vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are better…
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COVID-19, HIV, Hivaids, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Science, Vaccinations, Vaccines
HIV/AIDS Vaccine: Why Don’t We Have One After 37 Years, When We Have Several for COVID-19 After a Few Months?
Read More: HIV/AIDS Vaccine: Why Don’t We Have One After 37 Years, When We Have Several for COVID-19 After a Few Months?By Ronald C. Desrosiers, University of Miami Smallpox has been eradicated from the face of the Earth following a highly effective, worldwide vaccination campaign. Paralytic poliomyelitis is no longer a problem in the U.S. because of development and use of effective vaccines against the poliovirus. In current times, millions of lives have been saved because…
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Aging well, Alzheimer’s, Brain health, Fitness, healthy aging, Lifestyle, Menopause, Nutrition, Obesity, Perimenopause, Prevention, Preventive health, Weight Loss, Weight management
Keep Your Brain Healthy at Every Age
Read More: Keep Your Brain Healthy at Every AgeMedically reviewed by Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D. In honor of Women’s Health Month, we’re exploring the importance of brain health for women of all ages. Join HealthyWomen’s CEO Beth Battaglino and Dr. Gayatri Devi of Park Avenue Neurology for a Q&A on all things related to brain health on Instagram Live today at 11:45 am EDT.…
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Adolescent, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Parenting, Parenting teens, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Science, Teen, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Can Schools Require COVID-19 Vaccines for Students Now That Pfizer’s Shot Is Authorized for Kids 12 and Up?
Read More: Can Schools Require COVID-19 Vaccines for Students Now That Pfizer’s Shot Is Authorized for Kids 12 and Up?By Kristine Bowman, Michigan State University With the first COVID-19 vaccine now authorized for adolescents, ages 12 and up, a big question looms: Will students be required to get the vaccine before returning to their classrooms in the fall? As a professor of education policy and law and a former attorney for school districts, I…
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15 Minutes With Jessica Malaty Rivera
Read More: 15 Minutes With Jessica Malaty RiveraJessica Malaty Rivera wears many hats. Her official title is infectious disease epidemiologist and science communication lead at the COVID Tracking Project, but that’s just the beginning. Malaty Rivera rose to prominence during the pandemic, when she began debunking Covid-19 conspiracy theories and vaccine misinformation online. She soon became an Instagram star for her level-headed…
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What Are the Blood Clots Associated With the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine? 4 Questions Answered
Read More: What Are the Blood Clots Associated With the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine? 4 Questions AnsweredBy Mousumi Som, Oklahoma State University Two vaccines – the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the U.S. and the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe – have been linked to an increased chance of a rare type of blood clot. Researchers are investigating what causes these clots and are starting to propose some answers. Dr. Mousumi Som,…
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Gynecological cancer, Medical tests, Ovarian cancer, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories
Ovarian Cancer Is Not a Death Sentence
Read More: Ovarian Cancer Is Not a Death SentenceAs told to Jackie Froeber May 8 is World Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day. I was 44 years old when I began feeling a pulsating pain on the left side of my lower back. The pain lasted about a day and started around the time I was supposed to start my period. When I didn’t start…
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cancer, caregiving, Head and neck cancer, Hpv, Prevention, Preventive health, Sexually transmitted diseases, Stds, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Head and Neck Cancer
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Head and Neck CancerMedically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Grandis If you’ve recently received a diagnosis of head and neck cancer, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure about what to do next. HealthyWomen asked Dr. Eleni Rettig, a head and neck surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School, to suggest questions…
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Nearly 60 Million Americans Don’t Drink Their Tap Water, Research Suggests – Here’s Why That’s a Public Health Problem
Read More: Nearly 60 Million Americans Don’t Drink Their Tap Water, Research Suggests – Here’s Why That’s a Public Health ProblemBy Asher Rosinger, Penn State Imagine seeing a news report about lead contamination in drinking water in a community that looks like yours. It might make you think twice about whether to drink your tap water or serve it to your kids – especially if you also have experienced tap water problems in the past.…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pandemic, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Science, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Suspension – What This Means for You
Read More: Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Suspension – What This Means for YouBy William Petri, University of Virginia The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration on April 13, 2021 halted use of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine that has been given to 6.8 million people in the U.S. The pause is due to reports of blood clotting in six…
