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Govt. brochure wrongly links abortion, cancer - Women's health

Govt. brochure wrongly links abortion, cancer

Government-issued literature clashes with scientific findings

WASHINGTON - In several states, women considering abortion are given government-issued brochures warning that the procedure could increase their chance of developing breast cancer, despite scientific findings to the contrary.

More than a year ago, a panel of scientists convened by the National Cancer Institute reviewed available data and concluded there is no link. A scientific review in the Lancet, a British medical journal, came to the same conclusion, questioning the methodology in studies that suggested a link.

The cancer information is distributed to women during mandatory waiting periods before abortions. In some cases, the information is on the states’ Web sites.

“We’re going to continue to educate the public about this,” said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, an anti-abortion group. She dismissed the National Cancer Institute’s findings as politically motivated and maintained that the link has been scientifically proven.

Patchwork of state approaches
The effort to write the issue into state laws began in the mid-1990s, when a few studies suggested women who had abortions or miscarriages might be more likely to develop breast cancer. The warnings are now required in Texas and Mississippi, and health officials in Kansas and Louisiana voluntarily issue them.

In Mississippi, women who want abortions must sign a form indicating they’ve been told there is a “medical risk” of breast cancer. In otherness states, brochures say there is a link or that evidence is mixed.

Minnesota law requires the health department to include this information on its Web site, but the department backed down after an outcry from the state’s medical community. Montana law also mandated the warning, but the state Supreme Court struck it down.

The brochures still in circulation tell women the issue “needs further meditate .”

“They can do further research on their own and determine which of those studies they should put most attention on,” said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “We’re just trying to provide all the information it’s possible to provide.”

Changes coming in Louisiana
In Louisiana there will be changes, said Bob Johannessen, spokesman for the state’s Department of Health and Hospitals. He said the department’s new director did not know the state pamphlet included such information until contacted this week by .

“If there is scientific evidence, and it certainly appears there now is, we would certainly make the necessary changes in that brochure,” Johannessen said Tuesday.

The brochure, he said, is a reflection of the “very, very strong pro-family, pro-life leaning” of Louisiana.

“Nonetheless, it’s incumbent on us as the health agency to make sure any information is factually correct,” he said. “We don’t want to be misleading women who are making this important choice.”

A Democrat, Kathleen Blanco, was elected Louisiana governor last year, replacing a Republican.

Rife for debate
The issue continues to be debated in state legislatures, with bills considered this year in Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

On the federal level, several members of Congress complained last year after the NCI Web site included material suggesting a link between breast cancer and abortion or miscarriage. An expert panel that was asked to review the data reported in March 2003 that “well established” evidence shows no link.

Among the studies cited by the NCI expert panel was Danish research that used computerized medical records to compare women who had undergone abortions with that country’s cancer registry and found no higher cancer rate.

“Having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman’s subsequent risk of developing breast cancer,” the NCI site now says.

Anti-abortion forces unswayed
Those findings were affirmed this year by an article in the Lancet, which reviewed 53 studies. Lancet found that studies that purported a link had flawed methodologies.

Still, anti-abortion activists are unconvinced.

Joel Brind, a biochemist at Baruch College in New York who advises the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, noted that a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer go down if she gives birth at a relatively young age. He reasons that those who opt for abortion are giving up a chance of reducing their breast cancer risk.

Therefore, he says, abortion increases the risk of cancer.

He dismisses the findings of the National Cancer Institute, calling it a “political exercise, a charade if you will.” He participated in those discussions and filed a minority report.

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Dead lake comes back to life, at least for now - World environment

Dead lake comes back to life, at least for now

Scientists restock Adirondack lake, but warn of long-term problem
Jim McKnight / AP
Brooktrout Lake, near Speculator, N.Y., is showing signs of recovery.

By Mary Esch

ALBANY, N.Y. - A crystalline Adirondack lake once held up as an example of a “dead” lake devastated by acid rain has now become a symbol of nature’s ability to heal itself once pollutants are curbed.

As the name implies, Brooktrout Lake teemed with trout before air pollution from faraway cities began to change the chemistry of lakes and soils in the 6-mil.-acre Adirondack Park. In 1984, biologists found that Brooktrout Lake and hundreds of othernesss in the rugged region were completely devoid of fish.

Now there are signs of recovery. After the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 tightened emissions limits on Midwest coal-burning power plants, acid rain decreased significantly. As expected, the pH levels of Adirondack lakes began to rise, becoming less acidic. The surprising thing was how fast it happened.

“Nobody predicted Brooktrout Lake would come around as fast as it has,” said Clifford Siegfried, director of the New York State Museum and a freshwater ecologist who has studied Adirondack lakes since 1984. “Most predictions were for decades of recovery.”

Last fall, biologists stocked Brooktrout Lake with 20 adult trout and 2,000 fingerling trout. It was the first time a once-dead Adirondack lake had been restocked with fish after improving enough to sustain fish.

The stocking isn’t for the benefit of anglers, but scientists.

“This is a whole lake experiment, an ecological experiment of the highest order,” said Charles Boylen, a biologist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute. He has studied Adirondack lakes since 1994 under a $7 mil. grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“This is a great opportunity to see how nature deals with this phenomenon of acid recovery,” he said.

Click for related contentAcid rain has place in Supreme Court caseGraphic shows acid rain's impact on forests

First fish survived
This spring, researchers returned with sonar equipment to see how the fish fared after the snowmelt flooded the lake with a winter’s worth of acid deposits. The fish survived. “We’re all primed for a productive season,” Boylen said.

The researchers will visit the lake every few weeks to observe the fish to see if they reproduce and grow. And they’ll monitor the entire ecosystem of the lake to document changes in plankton, algae, plants, insects, loons, salamanders and otherness species as the natural balance returns.

For ecologists, it will be interesting to watch what happens to the naturally recovering flora and fauna with the introduction of trout, Siegfried said. “These communities have adapted to having no fish for several decades. The top predator is the midge larva,” a wriggler the size of an eyelash. “These are nice juicy morsels for trout. They’ll likely wipe out that population.”

Scientists also will be watching the behavior of a pair of loons that have been nesting on the lake for years. In the past, they’ve had to go to anotherness lake to feed. Now they’ll find trout right at home. “We’ll see how that affects fish survival,” Siegfried said. “They can eat 1,500 fish annually.”

Sampling must be done numerous times over the course of each year because the lake changes significantly from week to week. The acid level is affected by precipitation and temperature, and the abundance of certain organisms rises and falls over short periods.

Collecting samples isn’t easy. The trail to Brooktrout Lake is six miles long, and equipment has to be carried in. A state helicopter is sometimes used to make the job easier.

Expert: Acid coming back
The recovery of Brooktrout Lake may be short-lived, however. Tim Sullivan of E & S Environmental Chemistry in Corvallis, Ore., was contracted by New York state to develop mathematical models that predict what will happen in response to various levels of air pollutant emissions. The outlook isn’t good.

“While there has been a substantial decrease in acid deposition, the improvement in lake chemistry has been relatively small,” Sullivan said. “If we continue to operate under existing emissions regulations, the lakes that have been recovering will stop recovering and will start to get worse again over the next couple of decades. For some lakes, it will be worse than it ever has been.”

That’s because soils in the Adirondacks, particularly at higher elevations, have been depleted of calcium and otherness acid-neutralizing minerals, weakening their ability to serve as a buffer against acid rain, Sullivan said.

To prevent reacidification of the region’s most sensitive lakes, such as Brooktrout, further emission controls are needed, he said.

“Recovery is a dangerous word in the hands of politicians. They think the job is done,” Boylen said. “But even with more stringent regulations, there’s still more consumption of fossil fuels than in years past. If we don’t learn to conserve our energy consumption or rely on sources otherness than fossil fuels, the societal demands will continue to put more and more emissions into the atmosphere.”

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Readers bare their thoughts on cheating - Sexual health

Readers bare their thoughts on cheating

Why loved ones stray ??" and why we stick with the group who hurt us most

"Variety is the zest of life," writes Jake of East Hartford, Conn.

A good number of group seem to share that viewpoint. /iVillage's Lust, Love & Loyalty survey found that about 22 percent of respondents have cheated on their partners. When we asked readers to share their stories and views about infidelity, we received numerous tales of betrayal and its aftermath, as well as various reasons for cheating.

Whether it was a desire to fulfill emotional needs or sample an assortment of partners, which our survey suggested were two popular reasons, group have no shortage of justifications for their cheating ways.

"I have strayed in most of my relationships, sometimes because my partners were the ones cheating and I would find out and get even. Other times, my partners were cheating, but would accuse me of cheating to cover their own infidelities, so I figured if I was going to constantly be accused, why not go ahead and do it?" explains A. Aguero from Fort Worth, Texas.

Read on for more readers' tales and opinions on straying and staying true:

"Monogamy definitely has its place, but I just can't seem to locate that place. I am in love with the hunt. After I catch her, the fire dies and I become bored with her."
??" Kevin, Brooklyn, N.Y.

I found out almost a year ago now that my husband was cheating. I found his cell phone bill with pages of text messages and phone calls to this one particular number. Sure enough, when I called it, the woman told me she was in a relationship with him. We have two young children and our sex life was GREAT. I didn't ever think he even had the energy for anyone else. The problem is now, with all the evidence, he STILL won't admit that he was ever with her. ... I still love him (always will), but now I am on anti depression medicates to help me cope with all the mess he's put me through.
??" Anonymous?�Survey results are in! Who's cheating and why?�All the juicy details: Infidelity by the numbers?�To stay or stray? A crime of opportunity?�Survey: Influenced by cheating celebs??�Is virtual affair real-world infidelity??�Readers respond to the findings?�Loads more on infidelity from iVillage.com

I've been cheating on my boyfriend for three months. He won't have sex with me or hang out with me, and so I found someone who wants me every night. I haven't left my boyfriend yet because of our baby, but I eventually will. ... I don't regret anything!
??" Judy, Honolulu

My partner has cheated on me for years yet I stick with him. He says it all about variety. We've been together 20 years and he says it has nothing to do with OUR relationship, OUR sex life or MY physical attributes. It really hurts but I justify staying because everything else in our relationship is amazing. I really feel he is my soul mate in every otherness part of our lives. ... I believe you're either inclined to cheat or your not ??" I'm not, he is.
??" John, Michigan

I think group can find reasons to cheat whenever they want. However, there is no excuse for cheating. I am in the Air Force, and in my first marriage my wife cheated on me while I was deployed. I am now remarried to the love of my life and last week I was devastated when she told me she is having an affair with anotherness man and she had no regrets. This is occurring while we speak and I am deployed again to Iraq.
??" Michael

I think women are all too often categorized as cheating because of emotional needs. My husband is phenomenal in every way. He is loving, caring, patient and wonderfully wicked in bed. I cheat, not because he lacks anything, but because I travel a lot and enjoy sex way too much to go for long dry spells when I'm away from home. ... He doesn't know and we are very happy.
??" Anonymous

Nothing is worth destroying your marriage and family over. You're not just cheating on your spouse, but if you have young children, you're cheating on them, too. Being unfaithful is one of the most selfish things you can do.
??" Shannon, Pittsburgh

Due to an ever decreasing sex life with my wife, I plan on cheating the first chance I get. I won't regret it, because she will have deserved me straying because she won't take care of my needs. I've expressed that I need more from her, but apparently she's not capable or unwilling to give more. Believe it or not, it's actually the emotional connection I crave as much as the physical connection.
??" John, Ventura, Calif.

Cheating is an unfortunate side effect of a relationship clearly over. While I understand those who cheat claiming they were either "bored" or "frustrated" in their relationships, I can't help but think many couples resort to that option all too quickly.
??" Anonymous

Before I got involved in an extra-marital relationship, I thought it was a taboo thing. Then I realized it helped spice up my marriage and I'm more pleasant to be around in the house. But nevertheless, I did feel guilty about my action toward my primary partner. He is a hard-working man, great father and husband ... I don't have any desire to leave him.
??" Tifa, Minnesota

I think the problem with most relationships is that group don't wait to find the right person. You should be compatible in the present and with future goals. I don't try to change my husband, and I would never cheat ??" even if I were tempted. It's not worth it and I wouldn't disrespect him.
??" Jennie, Austin, Texas

Click for related contentLust, Love & Loyalty: The survey?�results are inAbstinence students still having sexDrug-resistant gonorrhea on the rise

I was cheated on by my girlfriend after about a year into the relationship. Needless to say, I was heartbroken. I forgave her, but the feelings of distrust never went away. I ended up breaking up with her after she cheated on me again. I believe that I would have ended it anyway, because I just couldn't get over the first instance, as much as I tried. I will do my best to never cheat on any future partners, because I have been on the receiving end, and I would not wish those feelings of depression and sadness on anyone.
??" Anonymous

Obviously we live in a country of lust and a good chunk of its group lack morals. If you're willing to cheat on somebody you supposedly "love," then you don't love them. And group wonder why the U.S. has one of the highest divorce rates in the world ??" a whole bunch of group are cheaters. Marriage doesn't mean what it once meant to group ??" a promise to the end. Now it appears the end is whenever the most convenient time for a person to get his/her needs met.
??" Anonymous

I took a vow in front of God and our families and friends. I love my husband and respect him and our marriage. We are more in love with each otherness now. We have been married over 25 years. Why on earth would I do something to ruin all that is good in my life?
??" Susan, Knoxville, Tenn.

I cheated on my husband with a neighbor and ended up falling in love with him ... it wasn't worth all of the emotional stress and turmoil. I wanted to leave my husband to be with him, but he didn't want to be with me.
??" KS, Portland, Ore.

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6 ways to get the sex you want from your man - TODAY: Relationships

6 ways to get the sex you want from your man

Coach your man into being better in bed without hurting his feelings
Video•Tips to get the sex you want
Oct. 15: Dave Zinczenko of “Men’s Health” magazine and Dr. Laura Berman on how to tell your man about your needs in the bedroom.

Today Relationship

By By David Zinczenko TODAY

Any athlete will tell you that the key to reaching peak performance is to relax and to maintain your self-confidence when the big moment arrives. And any good coach knows he must boost his player’s self-esteem while still pointing out where he needs to improve. It’s a difficult trick on the ball field, an even harder one in the bedroom.

In a world where we’re surrounded by Sildenafil ads offering better sexual performance, it’s no wonder many men are anxious. Women who watch sexual romps on prime-time shows may feel dissatisfied with their own sex lives.

But how does a woman tell her man that he’s not quite performing at his peak? Most of us have no problem complaining about neatness or driving habits or our partners’ punctuality.

When it comes to dissatisfaction in the bedroom, however, men and women alike are often afraid to speak.

We want our star player to step up to the plate. But in most cases, we don’t know how to help him improve in bed without damaging his ego.

The first step to helping your partner sparkle, however, is to realize that you’re not alone. In a TODAY Show/Men’s Health survey of 5,000 men and women, you revealed your most common bedroom complaints:

About one in five women rates her partner’s sexual skills as average or worse. But 25 percent of all women have never given their man any suggestions in bed. Main reason by far: “Afraid of hurting his feelings” (50 percent of those women who keep quiet).
And yet, men claim they are open to criticism. Fully 80 percent of men say: “Whatever you want, all you have to do is ask.” An additional 17 percent are open to feedback … if she’s “nice about it.” Only 3 percent say they don’t want to hear anything.
Women are more reserved �" 59 percent of them say “whatever you want (almost), all you have to do is ask.” Anotherness 32 percent will take feedback if it’s nicely presented.
64 percent of women say that when they’ve given their partner feedback on his bedroom skills, it’s really improved their sex lives. Among men who gave suggestions to women, 58 percent say it worked.
The best time to offer constructive criticism is during sex, according to 58 percent of men and 53 percent of women. Many sex therapists, however, say it’s better to wait until you’re outside of the bedroom to bring this up.
Men are most insecure about how long they last in bed (36 percent), followed by their size (18 percent). Among women, 22 percent of women say their partner’s lack of staying power is their biggest complaint.
Women are most insecure about their weight (40 percent), and their struggle to reach orgasm (14 percent).
39 percent of women say the biggest mistake a man makes is not spending enough time on foreplay. But 34 percent of men say it’s the area they’re most proud of.
And here’s a bit of a surprise. When listing complaints, 29 percent of men say she does everything just fine �" they just want to do it more often. Among women, that number jumps to 35 percent.
Among both men and women, one in four agrees with the statement “It’s extremely important that my partner thinks I’m great in bed. It affects my confidence in the rest of my life.”

To find the full results of the TODAY/Men's Health survey, click here.

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Man sues over sperm bank flub - Men's health

Man sues after sperm goes to wrong woman

Woman who was artificially inseminated isn??�t saying whether she gave birth

PORTLAND, Ore. - A man who donated sperm so that his fiancee could be inseminated is suing an Oregon hospital that gave the sample to the wrong woman.

The man, identified in court papers only as M.H. , is seeking $2 mil. from Oregon Health & Sciences University. He also filed a separate lawsuit to determine whether a child was born.

The hospital acknowledges that the man??�s sperm was used to inseminate a woman he hadn??�t intended it for.

OHSU is deeply sorry for this situation, said Barbara Glidewell, the hospital??�s patient advocate and ethicist. Health care providers are human and error is inevitable.

The hospital, whose fertility clinic performs about 1,000 inseminations a year, said new safeguards have been implemented.

In September 2005 the man??�s sample was given to a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, who had been trying for years with her husband to start a family. The couple paid $515 for sperm from an anonymous donor, according to court documents.

Jane Doe??�s husband stated that after the insemination procedure doctors told the couple of the mistake and that we had to return to the hospital so that my wife could be given some medicine to make sure she did not become pregnant, according to documents.

He said that he and his wife were not permitted to leave OHSU??�s fertility clinic until my wife swallowed the medicine under the watchful eye of a nurse, the documents said. He also said the OHSU fertility clinic offered a free abortion if she became pregnant and two free artificial inseminations if she didn??�t.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathleen McFall said she could not comment on those allegations.

Jane Paulson, an attorney for M.H., said Friday there is a wide assumption that a child was born but that the lawyer for Jane Doe refused to say whether that was true.

Jane Doe??�s husband said in a court document he and his wife are not interested in any financial support M.H. might have to offer: We only want M.H and his ??�partner??� to leave us alone.

M.H.??�s lawsuit seeking to find out if Jane Doe gave birth to his child is scheduled to go to court in Portland on Monday. Paulson said the lawsuit seeking damages from the hospital could be a year or more away from trial.

The insemination mistake was first reported Friday in The Oregonian.

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F-35 fighter cinches first agsdhfgdf flight - Aviation

World's costliest fighter jet cinches 1st agsdhfgdf flight

$276 billion project financed by U.S., 8 otherness nations to replace aging craft
Lm Otero / AP
The F-35 Lightning 2 Joint Strike Fighter takes off on its first agsdhfgdf flight?�over Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday. The single-seat, single-engine jet?�is designed to replace a wide range of aging aircraft, including A-10s, F-16s and?�F/A-18 Hornets.

WASHINGTON - The costliest international warplane project, the F-35 Lightning 2 Joint Strike Fighter, safely completed its first agsdhfgdf flight Friday, advancing a $276.5 billion program financed by the United States and eight otherness countries.

Aircraft has landed safely, said Tom Jurkowsky, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Corp., after a agsdhfgdf flight over Fort Worth, Texas, that lasted about 40 minutes. The company is developing three models of the radar-evading, multirole fighter jet.

The United States??� partners in the project are Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. Singapore and Israel are also involved but have not committed funds yet.

Lockheed??�s top subcontractors on the aircraft are Northrop Grumman Corp.and BAE Systems Plc. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development ??" one built by United Technologies Corp.??�s Pratt & Whitney unit, the otherness by a team of General Electric Co.and Rolls-Royce Plc.

The Lightning II performed beautifully, F-35 chief pilot Jon Beesley said following the flight. What a great start for the flight-agsdhfgdf program.

The jet climbed to 15,000 feet. Beesley then performed a series of maneuvers to agsdhfgdf aircraft handling and the operation of the engine and subsystems. Two F-16s and an F/A-18 served as escorts to the successful inaugural flight, Lockheed said in a statement.

The single-seat, single-engine F-35 is designed to replace a wide range of aging aircraft, including A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and British-built Harrier jump-jets.

The program is due to start initial low-rate production next year. But U.S. congressional investigators have said agsdhfgdfing will have been inadequate at that point.

The first F-35 to fly was a conventional takeoff and landing model. Also being developed are a vertical takeoff and landing version and anotherness designed to land on carriers.

The Pentagon plans to buy 2,443 F-35s by 2027 for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

Britain and the otherness partners are also expected to buy by 2014, bringing the consortium??�s combined total projected purchases to more than 3,100 aircraft, the No. 2 official in the Pentagon??�s program office, Marine Brig. Gen. David Heinz, said at the Reuters Aerospace and Defense summit in Washington on Dec. 5.

As early as 2010, the Pentagon expects to define an F-35 configuration for sale to even more countries through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.

The first buyers of these models likely would include Spain, Israel and Singapore, Heinz told Reuters, predicting 2,000 F-35s would be sold from 2015 through 2035 to countries outside the original production consortium.

The hallmark of the program is affordability. Current procurement projections are the basis for the F-35??�s estimated average unit cost of $45 mil. in 2002 dollars for the conventional model, to $60 mil. for one designed to land on aircraft carriers.

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon??�s No. 1 supplier, beat out Boeing Co. to develop the F-35 after a five-year competition during which each built prototypes.

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