In a day and age of information, including health and wellness information, being abundantly available to the human race, mammograms have become quite a focal point when it comes to preventive female health.
And with good reason. Many women’s lives have been saved because they have gotten a mammography screening and their doctors have been able to catch breast cancer before it spreads and becomes potentially more lethal. The longer breast cancer goes undiscovered, the more likely it will not slip into remission and be treated successfully for the patient.
This is why mammograms are stressed as vitally important to women over forty years old, when breast cancer risk goes up statistically higher. They are especially emphasized as important for women of all ages who have a history of breast cancer in the female side of their immediate family since breast cancer has specific gene markers that can be passed down from female generation to female generation.
A perfect example of this are the recent entertainment news stories of Christina Applegate having a double mastectomy at the young age of 37 years old because she had the genetic markers and a small spot of breast cancer in one breast, and the write for Gossip Girl going through the same procedure because of genetic markers.
More and more women are choosing to have these considerably radical procedures done if they even have the genetic markers because their chances of getting the cancer are so much higher than if they did not possess the specific predisposing gene characteristics.
Even with all of this knowledge, and perhaps even a bit of hysteria surrounding the disease, many women are still deciding to skip their annual mammograms, even women in the higher risk groups because of age or family history, which is a bit unsettling considering the potential for their life saving benefits.
Reasons cited for these women foregoing breast screenings are many. Some women feel that they cannot afford these screenings because either their insurance does not pay for them or does not pay enough for them.
Let’s not forget that many people are also still uninsured here in the US, which means that any medical expenses come right out of their pockets, making these tests hard to afford.
Some women dislike the whole process and aspect of discomfort associated with mammography screenings. The process is an uncomfortable one whereby a woman’s breast is squeezed together so that accurate readings of the breast tissue can be taken and scanned, creating a very uncomfortable sensation, as well as some embarrassment and loss of modesty.
Another reason cited by those gathering the statistics that the percentage of women in risk groups getting their screenings has declined is that there is simply a shortage of qualified staff (radiologists, technicians) that can perform and read their results, making it difficult to get an appointment sometimes.
I’m not sure if this applies everywhere, but I’m sure it does apply in some more heavily populated areas. A good point was brought up that if a woman calls in and makes an appointment and is booked far in advance, she may end up canceling and losing her motivation to get the screening, making it harder for them to get back in.
Whatever the reasons are for mammograms declining, it is clear that there must be some changes made to both our healthcare system as well as the way these tests are performed to make it a system that is accommodating and easy. This way, women will be getting the preventive care they need, and breast cancer can be nipped in the bud, making advanced treatment less necessary, and focusing more on the front end, which is prevention.
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Why are More Women Skipping Mammograms?
Sunday, March 14th, 2010Need More Clients for your Alternative Medicine Practice?
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010If there is one complaint I hear over and over when I talk to complementary health practitioners, it’s that they can’t find enough new patients for their practice to grow in the way they intended.
Given that there are around 250,000 complementary therapists in the UK alone, it’s not surprising that they can’t all find enough work to keep themselves busy. But the biggest issue most of them face has nothing to do with their skills as a therapist. Most have been well trained, have the interests of their clients at heart and are able to do a brilliant job for them.
The problem is that, when they decided to make the change from a regular job to being an alternative practitioner, they forgot about one thing. They were also leaping from a secure job to the uncertainty of self employment. That is a HUGE change, even if you stay in the same line of work. But when you factor in a change of profession, it’s no wonder that this double whammy catches out so many therapists.
Now that you are self employed, it’s up to you to get the telephone ringing on a regular basis. To make that phone ring, you may have to spend many weeks promoting yourself and your new practice. The right level of marketing could mean that you spend all your time on it for the first few months and 50% plus for the another three or four months. Many therapists would rather eat nails than spend all their time marketing. They don’t like doing it, and they need some cash now to start paying off their college bills.
People don’t always feel comfortable coming to your home, so it improves your credibility if you can find a clinic and rent a room by the hour or session. If their services are complementary to yours, all the better as you can cross-refer clients to each other. Once you have a base, use notice boards in cafes, adverts in shop windows and fliers in any local businesses that will take them.
Next, you need to start building your online presence. There are lots of low cost packages around where you can use a template design and have control of the content without having to go to a programmer each time. Focus on the benefits that you offer, include some testimonials from early clients and learn about Google adword campaigns to send targeted traffic to your site. Then look at some of the latest
Women’S Sexual Desire – A Natural Way To More Desire And Sexual Satisfaction
Monday, March 8th, 2010Women’s sexual desire and satisfaction can fall for a number of reasons which we will look at in this article. We will also look at some natural herbs which can rejuvenate libido and ensure greater sexual satisfaction… First let’s look at some common problems which cause low libido. A major problem is sluggish blood circulation to and into the sex organs. Sexual desire and satisfaction rely on the sex organs filling with blood quickly on arousal, if this does not occur low libido is the result. Two chemicals which are crucial to sexual health are estrogen and testosterone; if either is lacking in the body sexual desire falls and intercourse can become painful. Overall body energy also plays a role in sex drive and if energy levels are low, you simply will not have enough energy to focus on sex. The above are common physical causes – but the mind and spirit also play a role in libido. Stress, anxiety and worry, are all major problems that cause low libido, so its important, your mind is free from worry and has correct hormonal balance.All the above problems can be solved, by taking a combination of herbs which have been used for centuries to increase not just libido but to enhance overall health. Let’s take a look at the herbs which you will find in all the best natural sex pills for women. Satavri Extract (Asparargus Recemosus)Shatavri strengthens and increases muscle tone and increases overall strength and stamina, it also moistens the dry tissues of the female sexual organs and finally, helps increase levels of testosterone in the body. Avena Sativa Avena Sativa helps the body relax and enhances sensitivity in the vagina area.Shunthi (Ginger) Ginger acts as a heart tonic and also improves blood flow around the body and to the sex organs. Choraka (Dong Quai)One of the most popular herbs for women and with good reason, it has numerous health benefits which include – it balances blood sugar and estrogen levels, increases blood flow, increases body energy and finally, reduces stress which improves mood. Schisandra Schisandra chinensis fruit is often taken to treat cardiovascular symptoms associated with the menopause. Schisandra increases blood flow to the pelvic region, as well as acting as a phytoestrogen.Ginseng Ginseng helps to promote overall wellbeing and increases sexual desire and satisfaction. Ginseng stimulates the area of the brain known as the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, which secretes adrenal corticotropic hormone (ACTH), which binds to the brain cells, reducing stress and improving mood. Ginseng also boosts blood circulation to the pelvic region and helps the body produce more testosterone.Kumari (Aloe) Aloe facilitates digestion improves blood and lymphatic circulation, and helps keep the kidneys, liver and gall bladder healthy.Ashwagandha – Extract “Indian Ginseng” Ashwagandha is one of the best tonic herbs you can take and is packed with nutrients for better health. Ashwagandha helps to minimize the effects of stress, increases energy and promotes sexual and reproductive balance. Get them ALL in the Best Natural Sex Pills You can get all the above herbs in the best natural sex pills and you will rejuvenate libido, increase sexual satisfaction and improve overall health.
Women more vulnerable to HIV infections
Monday, March 8th, 2010Women more vulnerable to HIV infections
The view of poor and developing countries is that women and adolescent girls are more vulnerable to HIV infection on each sexual encounter because of the biological nature of the process and the vulnerability of the reproductive tract tissues to the virus, especially in adolescent girls.
For example, young women are generally disadvantaged by gender disparities in terms of food intake and access to health care. Growth patterns of girls are often worse than that of boys. The inequalities become evident soon after the birth, and by adolescence many girls are grossly underweight. Social, cultural and economic forces make women more likely to contract HIV infection than men. Women are often less able to negotiate for safer sex due to reasons such as their lower status, economic dependence and fear of violence.
Adolescent girls in poor families in developing countries often do not have the option to make real choices about their sexual and reproductive lives, such as when and whom to marry, whether and when to have children and how many to have, and whether to use contraceptives. Women tend to marry very young: nearly two thirds of adolescents in most South Asian countries marry before 18 years of age, and many even before 15 years, despite laws prohibiting such early marriage.
The âRainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation’ identified four major approaches in a groundbreaking study on spread out HIV in Bangladesh. This study undertook by comparing of social-economic norm, family pattern, economic dependency, cause of mounting sex industries, gender discrimination status & global analysis fact. There are four factors that appear to play a crucial role in HIV transmission in Bangladesh: Injection/ intravenous drug use (By sharing needle), female sex work (Due to lack of safe sex knowledge), gender discrimination (which indirectly force females commercial or non-commercial sex), Same sex/ homosexually/ Hizra (Due to lack of HIV/AIDS information, because they act invisible in this society). Poverty & illiteracy fueled it proportionally.
In many poor regions women’s limited economic opportunity and relative powerlessness may force them into sex work in order to survive through household financial disaster. This exposes them to HIV infection and they in turn transmit HIV to their clients. In those areas girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV infections because of intergenerational sexual relationships, violence, and limited access to information. In addition, discrimination and stigma obstruct adolescent girls’ access to health services. Poverty causes increased migration to look for work.
Gender analysis in relation to HIV/AIDS has tended to focus on women of reproductive age, and infrequently on young girls, because young women and girls are increasingly being targeted for sex by older men seeking safe partners and also by those who erroneously believe that a man infected with HIV/AIDS will get rid of the disease by having sex with a virgin. So HIV/AIDS epidemic has been fuelled by gender inequality or discrimination. Unequal power relations, sexual coercion and violence are widely faced by women of all age-groups, and these have an array of negative effects on female sexual, physical and mental health.
In many developing countries poverty and gender discrimination between women and men are both strongly linked to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Gender and age analysis shows the ways in which women and girls of different ages are vulnerable to the infection, and it requires support to help the survivors overcome the financial and social effects of the epidemic. The approach for checking HIV/AIDS and that of poverty alleviation are interconnected. Therefore health and development workers should work on a set of integrated policies and programmes to reduce poverty and address HIV/AIDS. They should emphasise the need for special efforts to protect women and girls exposed to the risk of HIV/AIDS and ensure that the legal, civil and human rights of those affected and infected are duly protected and that women have access to treatment, counselling and support on an equal footing with men.
References: Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation, UNAIDS, ARDS