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Opinion: Communications Vital to Success of Vaccine Rollout
Read More: Opinion: Communications Vital to Success of Vaccine RolloutThis article was originally published in Morning Consult. Most of America has just breathed a huge sigh of relief that vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are on track for approval, with both companies having filed for an emergency authorization with the Food and Drug Administration. The good news from these companies is that data shows…
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Go Wash Your Hands
Read More: Go Wash Your HandsWhen I needed to up my handwashing skills due to COVID-19, I turned to the Backstreet Boys. The chorus of their 1999 hit “I Want It That Way” takes 20 seconds to sing, which is the time recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for proper handwashing. Since the pandemic started last…
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The Dark Days Before Vaccines
Read More: The Dark Days Before VaccinesMedically Reviewed by Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP, FAANP, NCMP Emmi Herman was only five when her big sister was hospitalized with measles encephalitis, a rare condition that causes the brain to swell. It was 1960, and the vaccine that could have prevented her 9-year-old sister’s illness was still three years away. After five weeks…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts?
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts?What kind of breasts do you have? We’re not talking size, but density. Nearly half of all women over age 40 who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts, which means there is a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat in the breasts. Glandular tissue produces breast milk, while fibrous…
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Why Scientists and Public Health Officials Need to Address Vaccine Mistrust Instead of Dismissing It
Read More: Why Scientists and Public Health Officials Need to Address Vaccine Mistrust Instead of Dismissing ItBy Sterling M. McPherson, Washington State University; Erica Weintraub Austin, Washington State University, and Porismita Borah, Washington State University Recent polls indicate that more than a third of the country has concerns about a vaccine that in all likelihood will be the only reliable way to end to the COVID-19 pandemic. These results reflect a…
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Osteoporosis Isn’t a Given
Read More: Osteoporosis Isn’t a GivenOctober 20 is World Osteoporosis Day When Sherry Morse fell off a horse in 2015, she broke a lot of bones and suffered a “hanging shoulder injury,” typically the result of a high-speed car accident. An orthopedist said he might expect that level of severity if someone fell out of an airplane. “I came off…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health insurance, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health
Black Doctors Work to Make Coronavirus Testing More Equitable
Read More: Black Doctors Work to Make Coronavirus Testing More EquitableBy Nina Feldman, WHYY, Kaiser Health News When the coronavirus arrived in Philadelphia in March, Dr. Ala Stanford hunkered down at home with her husband and kids. A pediatric surgeon with a private practice, she has staff privileges at a few suburban Philadelphia hospitals. For weeks, most of her usual procedures and patient visits were…
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Fibroids, Heavy uterine bleeding, Hysterectomy, Iron deficiency anemia, Menstrual period, Pelvic health, Pelvic pain, Period, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories
My Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Led to Iron-Deficiency Anemia and Disrupted My Career, but I Took My Life Back
Read More: My Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Led to Iron-Deficiency Anemia and Disrupted My Career, but I Took My Life BackI always knew I had a family history of fibroids and heavy menstrual bleeding. My grandmother and aunt both needed hysterectomies in their mid-30s, and my mother had one at age 40. But because I didn’t experience symptoms as early as my family members, I thought I’d escaped the odds. My heavy bleeding started when…
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Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process Should Be Driven by Science, Not Politics
Read More: Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process Should Be Driven by Science, Not PoliticsBefore a vaccine for measles was developed, I nearly died as a youngster from the disease. That personal experience, along with over 30 years working in women’s health, leads me to believe that vaccines are generally overwhelmingly safe and effective, saving millions of lives around the world every year. Yet, according to a recent survey…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Health disparities, Prevention, Preventive health
The Breast Cancer Burden for Black Women
Read More: The Breast Cancer Burden for Black WomenTwelve years ago, Maiya Hayes discovered a suspicious mass in her breast during a self-exam. She quickly made an appointment with her gynecologist, who helped schedule the tests that revealed she had stage 3 breast cancer. Her oncologist told her that the aggressive nature of her breast cancer, which had spread to the lymph nodes…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer Screening
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer ScreeningAn annual mammogram is an important tool for early detection of breast cancer. When you receive your mammogram results, you might also get a report informing you that you have dense breast tissue. It’s important to pay attention to that status, as women with dense breast tissue are more likely to be diagnosed with breast…
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Why ‘Namaste’ Has Become the Perfect Pandemic Greeting
Read More: Why ‘Namaste’ Has Become the Perfect Pandemic GreetingBy Jeremy David Engels, Pennsylvania State University Hands over the heart in prayer pose. A little bow of the head. A gesture of respect. An acknowledgment of our shared humanity. And no touching. As people the world over are choosing to ditch the handshakes and hugs for fear of contracting the coronavirus, namaste is becoming…
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Adolescent, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Parenting, Prevention, Preventive health, Teen, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Your Child’s Vaccines: What You Need to Know About Catching Up During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Read More: Your Child’s Vaccines: What You Need to Know About Catching Up During the COVID-19 PandemicBy Irène Mathieu, University of Virginia This spring, after stay-at-home orders were announced and schools shut down across the nation, many families stopped going to their pediatrician. As a result, kids have fallen behind on important childhood vaccinations. Vaccination rates declined starkly after mid-March, with up to 60% reductions in some areas of the country.…
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Corralling the Facts on Herd Immunity
Read More: Corralling the Facts on Herd ImmunityBy Aneri Pattani, Kaiser Health News For a term that’s at least 100 years old, “herd immunity” has gained new life in 2020. It starred in many headlines last month, when reports surfaced that a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and adviser to the president, Dr. Scott Atlas, recommended it as a…
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Breast cancer, Breast health, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Flu shot, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Rita Wilson Is on a Mission
Read More: Rita Wilson Is on a MissionRita Wilson never expected to get COVID-19. When the actress, producer, singer/songwriter — and breast cancer survivor — and her husband, Tom Hanks, flew to Australia last winter, she says she took every precaution. Nonetheless, Wilson (63) and Hanks (64) contracted the virus soon after arriving and went public with the news on social media…
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The Death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Puts the Affordable Care Act in Danger
Read More: The Death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Puts the Affordable Care Act in DangerWith the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the fate of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans — already hanging in the balance — is under even greater threat. On June 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading across the U.S., the Trump Administration filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court…
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Lessons From How the Polio Vaccine Went From the Lab to the Public That Americans Can Learn From Today
Read More: Lessons From How the Polio Vaccine Went From the Lab to the Public That Americans Can Learn From TodayBy Carl Kurlander, University of Pittsburgh and Randy P. Juhl, University of Pittsburgh In 1955, after a field trial involving 1.8 million Americans, the world’s first successful polio vaccine was declared “safe, effective, and potent.” It was arguably the most significant biomedical advance of the past century. Despite the polio vaccine’s long-term success, manufacturers, government…
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Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Immunizations
Read More: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your ImmunizationsMy teenage son recently went to his back-to-school wellness visit and came home with a sore arm. It turned out he needed two meningococcal vaccines. If my son hadn’t gone for that wellness visit, it never would have occurred to me to make an appointment for the vaccinations. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended just about…
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Vaccines During and After Pregnancy
Read More: Vaccines During and After PregnancyProtect mom and baby with vaccines Did you know a baby gets disease immunity (protection) from mom during pregnancy? This immunity can protect baby from some diseases during the first few months of life, but immunity decreases over time. Get a whooping cough vaccine and a flu shot during each pregnancy Moms, get a whooping…
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New American Cancer Society Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines: Statement from HealthyWomen CEO Beth Battaglino, RN-C
Read More: New American Cancer Society Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines: Statement from HealthyWomen CEO Beth Battaglino, RN-CAt HealthyWomen, we believe that women should be educated and empowered to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families. With this in mind, I’d like to discuss the new cervical cancer screening guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS). While we believe that the ACS had the best of intentions…
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Wondering If It’s Safe to See a Health Care Provider?
Read More: Wondering If It’s Safe to See a Health Care Provider?“Your dental office is now open,” a live person with an automated tone called to inform me. “Would you like to reschedule your appointment?” I know how important dental care is, but no part of me wanted to leave my quarantine cocoon. I certainly didn’t want anyone sticking their hands in my mouth. I politely…
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Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death
Read More: Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or DeathBy John M. Glionna, KHN These days, Los Angeles acting teacher Deryn Warren balances her pain with her fear. She’s a bladder cancer patient who broke her wrist in November. She still needs physical therapy for her wrist, and she’s months late for a cancer follow-up. But Warren won’t go near a hospital, even though…
