Read the rest of this entry »

Warning: lengthy post follows.

A bill has been introduced in Tennessee entitled the "Pregnant Women Support Act" [SB2161, HB2146] The bill is essentially a state version of the Pregnant Women Support Act introduced in the federal legislature last year and currently winding its way through committees and such. The national bill was introduced by another Tennessean, Representative Lincoln Davis. The national bill began as an effort to reduce abortion, and the state bill will likely be touted in the same terms.

As Sean Brainsted points out, it's difficult for advocates of reproductive rights to find much in this bill to be strictly against, and it's certainly a more reasonable approach to abortion than Stacey Campfield's monstrosity. However, criticism of the bill is likely to address what it does not include. As has been pointed out with regards to the national bill (posts 1 and 2), this bill does nothing to actually reduce unwanted pregnancy in the first place. Some of the language provides for informing women about how to prevent future pregnancies, which is great, but a bill attempting to reduce abortions might at least pay lip service to well-woman care (when reproductive health education can occur), comprehensive sex education, and access to contraceptives.

The bill in full:

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, and to enact the "Tennessee Pregnant Women Support Act".

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, is amended by inserting Sections 2 through 6 below as a new chapter thereto to be designated as Chapter 59.

Read the rest of this entry »

The UCLA Lousie M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special Collections Division has launched its AIDS Posters collection online, which consists of images of and information about posters that were issued by a variety of institutions in numerous countries (including the United States) to educate people about HIV/AIDS. Users may search this digital library by keyword, perform an advanced search for keyword, title, description, creator, country, and/or subject, or browse by country, subject, creator, or title. Users may also register with the site in order to create a virtual collection of saved poster images for later reference. Each image is accompanied by a record with details on the above-listed search fields, as well as the current location of the poster, dimensions, date, subjects, notes, and inscription. Copyright status is also provided to inform how a poster image may be used. The only addition I'd like to see is an option to search/browse by year and decade, which might be useful for examining how this type of material has changed over time.

(found via Our Bodies, Our Blog)

Stacey Campfield's proposed legislation to issue death certificates for abortion has come to the attention of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has an online form set up for Tennessans to send a letter to their Representative and State Senator. The text of the letter is as follows, although you can personalize it as desired:

As your constituent, I'm writing to ask you to oppose HB 982, which would require a death certificate be filed for every abortion in Tennessee.

Read the rest of this entry »

We have posted frequently about questionable financial links between commercial firms that produce health care goods and services (for example, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies) and not-for-profit organizations and government agencies that provide or regulate health care (for example, hospitals, academic medical centers, and government agencies). The latest example of such links, and one with global implications, comes from one of my now favorite outlets for investigative journalism, the British Medical Journal. [Day M. Who's funding WHO? Brit Med J 2007; 334: 338-340).

Serious questions have been raised about whether the World Health Organization is using patient groups as a conduit for receiving proscribed donations from the pharmaceutical industry. Email correspondence passed to the BMJ seems to show that in June 2006 Benedetto Saraceno, the director of WHO's department of mental health and substance abuse, suggested that a patient organisation accept $10 000 (

Original source here ...

There are a few posts in the works, but it has been a crazy week and I want to take time to do the topics justice. Coming this weekend:

-Two new studies on emergency contraception availability and knowledge

-The Tennessee Pregnant Women Support Act

-The APA and sexualization of girls (maybe)

-Any truth to a breast cancer myth?

-Rhythm method as effective as the pill? - a new study

-Women + fish + babies + mercury

-Your Saturday news roundup

The Daily Mail has an article about a promising new flu vaccine. The vaccine which has been dubbed as the "holy grail of flu vaccines" would work on all types of flu. You wouldn't have to get your flu shot every year either because the new vaccine would also work for many years longer than today's flu shots. The vaccine is being developed by the Cambridge biotech firm Acambis. This new vaccine could work because it focuses on a more stable influenza protein called M2 that other flu vaccines do not target. M2 can be found in all strains of Influenza A which allows the vaccine to protect people from all strains of flu.

Current flu vaccines focus on two proteins on the surface of the virus. However, these constantly mutate in a bid to fool the immune system, making it impossible for vaccine manufacturers to keep up with the creation of each new strain.

The universal vaccines focus on a different protein called M2, which has barely changed during the last 100 years.

Read the rest of this entry »

The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that two Princeton scientists have discovered a genetic "switch" that could theoretically turn off HIV.

Scientists have long known that HIV can go dormant, only to emerge again later and run rampant through the body.

"We know the virus can hide out," Weinberger said. "How does it hibernate? We wanted to look at the basic components of the virus."

Read the rest of this entry »

The 32nd Carnival of Feminists is up at Bumblebee Sweet Potato, and the post about Rep. Stacey Campfield's proposed legislation to issue death certificates for abortion got a nod. Check it out for links to discussion of the Edwards blogger flap, policy issues, and other topics.

This post is not for the squeamish. *evil grin* I'm sure my buddy Ceeelcee will love it.

I went for a blood donation this morning. I do this as often as possible/I remember, and this week the workplace is competing with another Big University in Tennessee to collect the most blood. I had an appointment, I quickly scanned the information sheet, signed in, and waited my turn for processing. I was taken back in less than 2 minutes, and checked in by a nice woman who actually told me my BP, pulse rate, temperature, and iron level as she measured them. So far, so good, and a big improvement over previous experiences.

Next it was time to wait in the glorified lawn chair to start the donation. I waited, and waited a little more, but took the time to read the latest issue of MLA News. There was a little wiggling involved with getting the giant needle properly placed, but this is not terribly uncommon. Then we just tick down the 4-5 minutes it takes to fill the bag, and wait for the attendant to come over to collect the tubes of blood for testing and disconnect everything. No fuss, no muss.

Read the rest of this entry »