Since June 2012, this has been Farmington attorney Kristen Garlans’ life: her boss died, which eventually resulted in her losing her job; a drunk driver killed a close friend; and a beloved aunt died. And then a nagging health concern turned out to be non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Without a job, Garlans, 33, qualified for Medicaid. She’s still waiting to hear about SSI. Meanwhile, she’s received notice that she could lose her house to foreclosure, and while she finishes her multiple rounds of chemo and follows up with radiation, she can’t work. Continue Reading →
Women’s Health
Recent stories
New Benefits, Taxes Under The Affordable Care Act
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For consumers, the new year brings changes in the Affordable Care Act ranging from limits on itemized deductions and flexible spending accounts to Medicare-related tax increases and standardized forms that describe benefits in plain English. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Disparities, Women's Health, Affordable Care Act, Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, Connecticut Insurance Department, Connecticut Office Of Healthcare Advocate, Flexible Spending Accounts, Medicaid
Women’s Longevity Falling in Some Parts of U.S., Stress May Be Factor
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It’s one of the most disturbing trends in American public health: women’s life spans are shrinking in many parts of the U.S., and no one knows why. Women’s longevity took an unprecedented nosedive during the past decade, researchers recently discovered, with their life expectancy tumbling or stagnating in one of every five counties in the country. In Connecticut, where women’s life expectancy exceeds the national average, New London County saw a drop in longevity, while Fairfield and Hartford counties saw significant jumps. The last time life expectancy fell for a large number of American women was in 1918, due to Spanish influenza. While many scientists believe that smoking and obesity are driving the downward spiral, a growing chorus of experts contends that chronic stress may be a key culprit, too – especially the stress of juggling work and family. Continue Reading →
Filed under: I-Team In-Depth, Women's Health, Carolyn Mazure, Chloe Bird, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation University of Washington, James S. House, Rand Corporation, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research
Each Baby: Wanted, Loved And Planned
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We’re doing something wrong, but it’s fixable now. For years, researchers have said that among industrialized countries, the U.S. has the highest rate of unintended pregnancies, at 49 percent. Such pregnancies are even higher among poor, low-income, and less-educated women. Intended pregnancies tend to signal a family’s readiness for the huge transition brought by the addition of a new member. Intended pregnancies tend to be healthier, and require less public funds outlay. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Women's Health, Affordable Care Act, Guttmacher Institute, Mary Jane Minkin, Washington University's Contraceptive CHOICE Project
Breast Cancer Gene Patent Suit Heads Back To High Court
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate patents for two genes used to test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer held by a Utah Company. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Women's Health, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genes, Patents
A New Health Care Landscape For Women
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Editor’s note: C-HIT debuts a monthly column by writer Susan Campbell. Susan, who worked at the Hartford Courant for more than 25 years, is an accomplished author having published two books including, “Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl,” which won the 2010 Connecticut Book Award for memoirs. We are pleased she’s joining us – writing on issues of health and safety. You’re welcome to weigh in. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Women's Health, Affordable Care Act, Domestic Violence, gender rating, Health Care Costs, Preventive Health Care
FDA: Enroll More Women In Medical Device Trials
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Hundreds of thousands of women at risk for irregular heart rhythms have a battery-powered, iPod-sized gadget embedded in their chests. The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can be a lifesaver, shocking a dangerously fast heartbeat back to normal. Yet the actual benefit to women is uncertain, because ICDs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on clinical trials made up mostly of men. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Disparities, I-Team In-Depth, Women's Health, FDA guidelines on women, ICDs, medical device trials
Minority, Young Women Avoid Yearly Checkups
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Many Connecticut women aren’t getting annual preventive health care, and the problem is worse among minorities and young adults, according to a new survey. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Disparities, Women's Health, American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer, Domestic Violence, Pap Smears, Preventive Health Care, Young Adults
Breast Cancer Gene Patent Case Heads Back To Appeals Court
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The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered a federal appeals court to review its decision to grant patents to Myriad Genetics for two genes that are predictive for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Women's Health, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genes, Patents
Is Myriad’s Patent On Breast Cancer Genes Valid?
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As Myriad Genetic Laboratories nears its one millionth predictive genetic test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, the cost of the test has more than doubled, and the company’s 15-year patent monopoly is being challenged by critics who contend it is stymieing other potentially life-saving screening. Continue Reading →