U.S. government readies new contraceptives language

Reuters – Sat, Mar 17, 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday is expected to propose official language laying out its plan to accommodate the moral concerns of religiously affiliated institutions that oppose birth control, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The announcement of a new

View the Original article

Greek heroin addicts to get free condoms amid HIV spike

View the Original article

Utah governor signs law mandating 72-hour wait for abortion

"background-image:url('http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6x4GINAN90AhaYO8uPUc0Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzE0O2NyPTE7Y3c9NDUwO2R4PTA7ZHk9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0xMzM7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-03-21T032722Z_1_CBRE82K09LU00_RTROPTP_2_USA-GOLDMANSACHS-UTAH.JPG');" width

View the Original article

Funding cuts put 3.4 million TB patients at risk: NGOs

Reuters – Thu, Mar 22, 2012 Article: TB infections drop to record low: CDC

Thu, Mar 22, 2012

LONDON (Reuters) - A $1.7 billion funding shortfall to fight tuberculosis (TB) over the next five years means 3.4 million patients will go untreated and gains made against the disease will be reversed, three non-governmental (NGO) agencies said on Friday.

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which has helped prevent 4.1 million deaths from TB, no longer has the resources to expand its work against the infectious disease, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Stop AIDS Campaign and anti-poverty group Results UK said in a joint statement.

"We are facing some huge challenges, particularly in that over 80 percent of the external funding that is going into tuberculosis control is going through the Global Fund' and the Global Fund is facing a funding crisis," Aaron Oxley, executive director of Results UK, told reporters in a telephone briefing.

"The problem is that infectious diseases don't slow down when the money slows down - they keep infecting and that's building up a bigger problem for us to deal with in the future."

TB is a worldwide pandemic that kills around 1.5 million people a year and is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The infection destroys patients' lung tissue, causing them to cough up the bacteria, which then spread through the air and can be inhaled by others. In 2010, 8.8 million people had TB, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The three NGOs who issued their statement ahead of World TB Day on March 24, called on governments to scale up funding of TB, HIV and malaria programs at a G20 meeting in Mexico in June in an effort to replenish the Global Fund with $2 billion.

The public-private Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the world's largest financial backer of the fight against the three infectious diseases, said in November it had been forced to cancel new grants and would make no new funding available until 2014.

Oxley said the effect of that decision was to create a funding shortfall of $1.7 billion for work on treating TB over the next five years.

Since it was founded in 2002, the Global Fund says it has helped detect and treat 8.6 million cases of TB.

The international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said the lack of Global Fund money put the fight against TB at risk and would leave countries "unable to aggressively tackle their TB epidemics."

MSF also warned in its World TB Day statement that the spread of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) is much greater than previously estimated.

"Wherever we look for drug resistant TB we are finding it in alarming numbers," said MSF president Unni Karunakara. "And with 95 percent of TB patients worldwide lacking access to proper diagnosis, efforts to scale up detection of MDR-TB are being severely undermined by a retreat in donor funding

View the Original article

US breast cancer fundraising lags after abortion dispute

Reuters – Fri, Mar 23, 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure is feeling a pinch on donations following a controversy over its funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birth-control and abortion services.

A few of the group's flagship "Race for the Cure" fundraising events have failed to meet targets, a Komen spokeswoman said on Friday. Separately, at least five of the group's leaders have stepped down in recent weeks.

Komen, the world's biggest breast cancer charity, provoked uproar over its decision to cut - and later restore - funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birth control, abortion and other women's health services. Komen supports Planned Parenthood's efforts to provide access to breast-cancer screening.

The initial move to cut Planned Parenthood's funding became public in late January, and was viewed by some Komen supporters as a capitulation to political pressure from anti-abortion groups. Within a few days, the charity reversed course.

Komen said it had had problems meeting targets in about half of the five fundraising events it has staged since the blowup.

One in Lafayette, Louisiana, raised less than $400,000, below its $500,000 goal, and another, to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, is also struggling.

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the lower numbers appeared to stem from the controversy over Planned Parenthood.

"We're seeing challenges for races in some of our markets," Aun said. "People are concerned and they've decided not to help Komen. That's unfortunate because it affects women whose lives we're trying to help save."

FIVE MORE OFFICIALS STEP DOWN

Komen has said that in 2011 it screened 700,000 uninsured women for breast cancer, and it spends 83 cents of every donation dollar on research or community services.

Five Komen executives or directors have recently announced they are leaving the organization, although a group insider cited personal reasons for most of the resignations.

Nancy Macgregor, who has been with Komen since 1990, is leaving her role as vice president of global networks in June. Joanna Newcomb, director of affiliate strategy and planning, and Katrina McGhee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, are also stepping down.

Aun said the chairman of Komen's board, LaSalle Leffall would resign his position to focus on a new role as provost at Howard University, though he will remain on the board. His replacement will be Robert Taylor, a Dallas attorney who had retired as Komen's founding board member in 2010.

Of the group's local leadership, Chris McDonald, head of the Komen affiliate in Oregon and Southwest Washington, announced on February 25 that she would resign. She said the controversy over Planned Parenthood affected her decision, but it was not the primary cause, according to a statement on the group's website.

Dara Richardson-Heron, the head of Komen's affiliate for greater New York City, announced on the group's website she was stepping down as "a personal decision."

The recent exodus follows the resignation of Karen Handel, a senior executive charged with spearheading the decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood.

Some of Komen's members have also called for the resignation of founder Nancy Brinker, who created the organization in honor of her sister, who died from breast cancer.

Komen's board said it had "complete confidence" in the group's leadership.

"This isn't about Komen. This is about women," Aun said about the charity's work. "If people understand what's at stake, they'll come back and be supportive."

(Editing by Michele Gershberg and David Brunnstrom)

View the Original article

Most Anal Lesions Don't Cause Cancer in Men, Research Shows

'modId':'mediatabs_nmid_1_conv_prom','isPreLoad':0,'enableMediaTabEvent':0,'pageSize':12,'numFriends':null,'notificationCount':0,'property':'News','learnMorePath':'/activity-learn-more/','moduleConf':YAHOO.Media.Facebook.ModuleConf,'friendIdList':

View the Original article

Breast cancer fundraising lags after abortion dispute

Reuters – Sat, Mar 24, 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure is feeling a pinch on donations following a controversy over its funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birth-control and abortion services.

A few of the group's flagship "Race for the Cure" fundraising events have failed to meet targets, a Komen spokeswoman said on Friday. Separately, at least five of the group's leaders have stepped down in recent weeks.

Komen, the world's biggest breast cancer charity, provoked uproar over its decision to cut - and later restore - funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birth control, abortion and other women's health services. Komen supports Planned Parenthood's efforts to provide access to breast-cancer screening.

The initial move to cut Planned Parenthood's funding became public in late January, and was viewed by some Komen supporters as a capitulation to political pressure from anti-abortion groups. Within a few days, the charity reversed course.

Komen said it had had problems meeting targets in about half of the five fundraising events it has staged since the blowup.

One in Lafayette, Louisiana, raised less than $400,000, below its $500,000 goal, and another, to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, is also struggling.

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the lower numbers appeared to stem from the controversy over Planned Parenthood.

"We're seeing challenges for races in some of our markets," Aun said. "People are concerned and they've decided not to help Komen. That's unfortunate because it affects women whose lives we're trying to help save."

FIVE MORE OFFICIALS STEP DOWN

Komen has said that in 2011 it screened 700,000 uninsured women for breast cancer, and it spends 83 cents of every donation dollar on research or community services.

Five Komen executives or directors have recently announced they are leaving the organization, although a group insider cited personal reasons for most of the resignations.

Nancy Macgregor, who has been with Komen since 1990, is leaving her role as vice president of global networks in June. Joanna Newcomb, director of affiliate strategy and planning, and Katrina McGhee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, are also stepping down.

Aun said the chairman of Komen's board, LaSalle Leffall would resign his position to focus on a new role as provost at Howard University, though he will remain on the board. His replacement will be Robert Taylor, a Dallas attorney who had retired as Komen's founding board member in 2010.

Of the group's local leadership, Chris McDonald, head of the Komen affiliate in Oregon and Southwest Washington, announced on February 25 that she would resign. She said the controversy over Planned Parenthood affected her decision, but it was not the primary cause, according to a statement on the group's website.

Dara Richardson-Heron, the head of Komen's affiliate for greater New York City, announced on the group's website she was stepping down as "a personal decision."

The recent exodus follows the resignation of Karen Handel, a senior executive charged with spearheading the decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood.

Some of Komen's members have also called for the resignation of founder Nancy Brinker, who created the organization in honor of her sister, who died from breast cancer.

Komen's board said it had "complete confidence" in the group's leadership.

"This isn't about Komen. This is about women," Aun said about the charity's work. "If people understand what's at stake, they'll come back and be supportive."

(Editing by Michele Gershberg and David Brunnstrom)

View the Original article

Cheney gets heart transplant, in intensive care

"background-image:url('http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kYSUL99.ZMiY82N5nGf9JA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9Mjg3O2NyPTE7Y3c9NDUwO2R4PTA7ZHk9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0xMjI7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-03-25T000940Z_1_CBRE82N1TC800_RTROPTP_2_USA-POLITICS-REPUBLICANS.JPG');" width

View the Original article

Afghan killing spree suspected to occur in two stages

Reuters – 16 hrs ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army sergeant accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians is believed to have carried out the rampage in two stages, returning to base after the first shootings and then going out to kill again, a U.S. official said on Saturday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details about the investigation into the March 11 shooting spree in southern Afghanistan, which has further eroded U.S.-Afghan relations already frayed by a decade of war.

But the disclosure points to an extended timeline for the alleged killing rampage by Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated 38-year-old veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bales, who is being held at Leavenworth military prison in Kansas, was charged with 17 counts of murder on Friday for killing eight adults and nine children. He was also charged with six counts each of assault and attempted murder for attacking two other adults and four children.

Bales is charged with going off-base under cover of darkness and opening fire on civilians in their homes in at least two different villages in Panjwai district in Kandahar province. It was not immediately clear which village Bales is suspected of attacking first but his ability to repeatedly leave the base on a rogue killing spree raises questions about base security.

Defense officials have said four men, four women and nine children were killed. A man, a woman and four children were wounded or shot at.

The killings seriously strained relations between Kabul and Washington, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanding that NATO forces leave Afghan villages and withdraw to major bases.

Karzai also demanded foreign combat troops, most of whom are due to leave the country by the end of 2014, stop carrying out controversial night raids of Afghan homes, seen by NATO commanders as one of the most effective anti-insurgent tactics.

Taliban insurgents vowed to take revenge on NATO forces for the killings, saying they had no faith in any court proceeding.

Premeditated murder is a capital offense under the U.S. military justice code, so Bales could face the death penalty if convicted. He would face a mandatory minimum sentence, if convicted, of life imprisonment with eligibility for parole.

(Reporting By Phil Stewart; editing by Todd Eastham)

View the Original article

Afghan killing spree suspected to occur in two stages

Reuters – 16 hrs ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army sergeant accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians is believed to have carried out the rampage in two stages, returning to base after the first shootings and then going out to kill again, a U.S. official said on Saturday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details about the investigation into the March 11 shooting spree in southern Afghanistan, which has further eroded U.S.-Afghan relations already frayed by a decade of war.

But the disclosure points to an extended timeline for the alleged killing rampage by Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated 38-year-old veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bales, who is being held at Leavenworth military prison in Kansas, was charged with 17 counts of murder on Friday for killing eight adults and nine children. He was also charged with six counts each of assault and attempted murder for attacking two other adults and four children.

Bales is charged with going off-base under cover of darkness and opening fire on civilians in their homes in at least two different villages in Panjwai district in Kandahar province. It was not immediately clear which village Bales is suspected of attacking first but his ability to repeatedly leave the base on a rogue killing spree raises questions about base security.

Defense officials have said four men, four women and nine children were killed. A man, a woman and four children were wounded or shot at.

The killings seriously strained relations between Kabul and Washington, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanding that NATO forces leave Afghan villages and withdraw to major bases.

Karzai also demanded foreign combat troops, most of whom are due to leave the country by the end of 2014, stop carrying out controversial night raids of Afghan homes, seen by NATO commanders as one of the most effective anti-insurgent tactics.

Taliban insurgents vowed to take revenge on NATO forces for the killings, saying they had no faith in any court proceeding.

Premeditated murder is a capital offense under the U.S. military justice code, so Bales could face the death penalty if convicted. He would face a mandatory minimum sentence, if convicted, of life imprisonment with eligibility for parole.

(Reporting By Phil Stewart; editing by Todd Eastham)

View the Original article

Showing Patients Images of Their Clogged Arteries a Powerful Wake-Up Call

background: url(http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/a/5b/a5ba32682eb601fb573b57542c19b9c1.png); width:115px; height: 25px; margin-left:50px; margin-top:7px;

View the Original article

Stem-Cell Trial Failed to Treat Heart Failure

HealthDay – 15 hrs ago SATURDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- An innovative approach using patients' own bone marrow cells to treat chronic heart failure came up short in terms of effectiveness, researchers report.

Use of stem cell therapy to repair the slow, steady damage done to heart muscle and improve heart function is safe, but has not been shown to improve most measures of heart function, the study authors said.

"For the measures we paid most attention to, we saw no effect, there is no question about that," said researcher Dr. Lemuel Moye, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.

"Ultimately, this is going to pay off handsomely for individuals and for public health in general, but it's going to take years of work," Moye said. "We are the vanguard looking for new promising lines of research."

While the hoped-for results didn't materialize, there appeared to be a small improvement in some patients, he said. "When we looked at another commonly used measure of heart function called ejection fraction, or the strength of the heart's pumping, that's where all the action was," Moye noted.

It's hard to know which measures of heart function to look at, Moye explained. "We have had some difficulty with that," he said.

Future research will look at other measures of heart function, pay more attention to the characteristics of the cells that are injected and determine which cells are best, he added.

Cardiac cells and other types of specially prepared cells are available now that were not accessible when this study started in 2009, Moye pointed out.

The results of the trial, which was sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, were to be presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in Chicago. The report was also published online March 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Moye and colleagues worked with 92 patients, average age 63 and mostly male, who had heart failure with and without chest pain. They were randomly assigned to receive either an injection of 100 million bone marrow cells from their own bone marrow, or an inactive placebo. Patients in both groups also received aggressive medical therapy.

During the trial, the researchers looked for improvements in blood volume in the heart, oxygen use by the heart and blood flow through the heart.

After six months, the researchers said they saw no difference between the groups in these measures. Nor was any difference seen in the extent of heart damage, heart movement during contractions or overall condition.

Moye's team did find a slight improvement in the heart's ability to pump blood among patients 62 and younger. The improvement was small, only 3.1 percent, but patients in the placebo group declined 1.6 percent in this measure, they said.

It's possible that cells of younger people are more potent, and that's borne out by improvement in heart function seen in younger patients who did not get bone marrow cells, Moye said.

"We have demonstrated that the characteristics of the cells are correlated with heart function, so that the better the cells, the better the response -- so even in patients who did not get stem cells, those younger patients did better," he said.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Gregg Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-University of California, Los Angeles, Cardiomyopathy Center, said there has been "tremendous interest in cell-based therapies" to treat acute and chronic heart disease and chronic heart failure.

Most studies trying delivery of different types of cells have been small and not adequately powered to demonstrate improvement in cardiac function or clinical outcomes, and results have been mixed, Fonarow said.

"While this study failed to meet any of its primary or secondary endpoints, the insights provided will be helpful in designing future trials," Fonarow added. "However, whether cell-based therapies will be of therapeutic value to patients with heart disease and heart failure remains to be seen."

More information

For more information on heart disease, visit the American Heart Association.

View the Original article