The following highlights recently released journal articles on women's health issues.
Pregnancy & Childbirth
"Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use," American Journal of Public Health: John Santelli of Columbia University and colleagues from the Guttmacher Institute used data from the National Survey of Family Growth to examine sexual behavior and contraceptive use among girls and women ages 15 to 19. The researchers found that pregnancy rates among the girls and women declined by 38% from 1995 through 2002 and that 86% of the decrease was because of increased contraception use. The study also found that reduced sexual activity contributed to 14% of the decrease in pregnancy rates. According to the researchers, use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives increased during the study period, and more young people are using more than one contraceptive method. The study's findings call into question federal funding for abstinence-only education programs, the researchers said (Moritz, New York Daily News, 12/1).
NPR's "Day to Day" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS' Administration for Children and Families; and Santelli (Trudeau, "Day to Day," NPR, 12/1). Audio of the segment is available online.
"Impact of Increased Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Obstetrics and Gynecology: Elizabeth Raymond of Family Health International and colleagues randomly assigned 749 women and girls ages 14 to 24 to receive two packages of Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- and randomly assigned 744 women of the same age to only receive information on where they could obtain EC. The women who received the packages of Plan B, called the "easy access" group, after one year had a pregnancy incidence of 9.9 per 100-person years, compared with an incidence of 10.5 for the other women, called the "standard access" group. The difference in pregnancy incidence was not statistically significant, according to the study. Women in the easy access group used more EC and were slightly less likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection than the standard access group, although the STI difference was not statistically significant. The researchers recommend targeting easy access to plan B at women with the highest risk of pregnancy (Reuters Health, 11/23).
Bioethics & Science
"Prevention of BRCA1-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis in Mice by a Progesterone Antagonist," Science: Eva Lee of the University of California-Irvine and colleagues surgically implanted pellets of the medical abortion drug mifepristone in 14 mice with the BRCA1 genetic mutation to determine if a sustained dose of the drug would prevent the development of breast cancer tumors, the Los Angeles Times reports (Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are believed to increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/3). The pellets released the drug over a two-month period. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and the Breast Cancer Research Fund (Los Angeles Times, 12/1). According to the study, mice treated with the drug survived without developing tumors for more than one year. The untreated mice with the BRCA1 mutation all developed tumors within eight months, the study found (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 11/30). "It is a greater effect than I would have expected," Eliot Rosen, a cancer researcher at Georgetown University, said, adding, "It is a little surprising that it completely prevented the tumors." Lee said the drug would not be the best candidate for a human treatment because in addition to blocking progesterone, the drug binds with receptors that are associated with immunity and other important functions (Los Angeles Times, 12/1).
Pregnancy & Childbirth
"Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use," American Journal of Public Health: John Santelli of Columbia University and colleagues from the Guttmacher Institute used data from the National Survey of Family Growth to examine sexual behavior and contraceptive use among girls and women ages 15 to 19. The researchers found that pregnancy rates among the girls and women declined by 38% from 1995 through 2002 and that 86% of the decrease was because of increased contraception use. The study also found that reduced sexual activity contributed to 14% of the decrease in pregnancy rates. According to the researchers, use of condoms and hormonal contraceptives increased during the study period, and more young people are using more than one contraceptive method. The study's findings call into question federal funding for abstinence-only education programs, the researchers said (Moritz, New York Daily News, 12/1).
NPR's "Day to Day" on Friday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS' Administration for Children and Families; and Santelli (Trudeau, "Day to Day," NPR, 12/1). Audio of the segment is available online.
"Impact of Increased Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Obstetrics and Gynecology: Elizabeth Raymond of Family Health International and colleagues randomly assigned 749 women and girls ages 14 to 24 to receive two packages of Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- and randomly assigned 744 women of the same age to only receive information on where they could obtain EC. The women who received the packages of Plan B, called the "easy access" group, after one year had a pregnancy incidence of 9.9 per 100-person years, compared with an incidence of 10.5 for the other women, called the "standard access" group. The difference in pregnancy incidence was not statistically significant, according to the study. Women in the easy access group used more EC and were slightly less likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection than the standard access group, although the STI difference was not statistically significant. The researchers recommend targeting easy access to plan B at women with the highest risk of pregnancy (Reuters Health, 11/23).
Bioethics & Science
"Prevention of BRCA1-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis in Mice by a Progesterone Antagonist," Science: Eva Lee of the University of California-Irvine and colleagues surgically implanted pellets of the medical abortion drug mifepristone in 14 mice with the BRCA1 genetic mutation to determine if a sustained dose of the drug would prevent the development of breast cancer tumors, the Los Angeles Times reports (Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are believed to increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/3). The pellets released the drug over a two-month period. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and the Breast Cancer Research Fund (Los Angeles Times, 12/1). According to the study, mice treated with the drug survived without developing tumors for more than one year. The untreated mice with the BRCA1 mutation all developed tumors within eight months, the study found (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 11/30). "It is a greater effect than I would have expected," Eliot Rosen, a cancer researcher at Georgetown University, said, adding, "It is a little surprising that it completely prevented the tumors." Lee said the drug would not be the best candidate for a human treatment because in addition to blocking progesterone, the drug binds with receptors that are associated with immunity and other important functions (Los Angeles Times, 12/1).
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