TB and smoking

Not that you need one, but here's another reason why you shouldn't smoke--it increases the risk of tuberculosis infection.

The health benefits of Spam

And no, I'm not talking about the food product, silly. I'm referring to the email kind.

Same sex marriage in Spain

Go Spain, for being the most recent country to legalize same sex marriage. Two other European countries--The Netherlands and Belgium--have already legalized it, and it appears that Canada will join this list later this summer. (Click here to read more about same sex marriage laws in these countries)


As you can probably tell, I fully support same sex marriage. I hold this position because I not only believe that all people, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the right to marry and obtain the legal benefits that such unions provide, but also because discrimination based on sexual orientation can be psychologically, emotionally and physically damaging to gays and bisexuals. The American Psychological Association also holds this position, and has written a press release explaining its stance. Here's a snippet of it:

This seven-member team of psychologists with a combination of both scientific expertise in family and couple relations and professional expertise with lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations summarized the research that discrimination and prejudice based on sexual orientation detrimentally affects the psychological, physical, social and economic well-being of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals, that same-sex couples are remarkably similar to heterosexual couples, and that parenting effectiveness and the adjustment, development and psychological well-being of children is unrelated to parental sexual orientation.

To see the full text of APA's statement, click here.

Eczema resources

Because I have chronic eczema, I am always on the lookout for new information and resources about the disease. Here's a great eczema website that I came across a few days ago. The Eczema Voice website, which is based in the UK, has an array of information, discussion boards, medical resources, and other good stuff for people suffering from this disease.

Reproductive rights in Wisconsin, Part Two

Last week, I wrote a post about a bill passed by the Wisconsin State Assembly that would prohibit all University of Wisconsin campuses from advertising, dispensing, and prescribing emergency contraception to students (read: female students). Well, here's a terrific column written about the topic by Amanda Leisgang, a Journalism & Mass Communication major at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ( I teach in this department). Also, congrats to Amanda for getting her column published in WisOpinion.com, an on-line site devoted to Wisconsin politics.

Overweight and obesity: Idaho and beyond

The most recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found that almost 60 percent of adults in Idaho are either overweight or obese. Overweight is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-29.9, and obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or above (To calculate your own BMI, click here). Evidently, rates of overweight and obesity in adult Idahoians (is that a word?) have skyrocketed since 1990, when 29.5 percent were overweight and 12 percent were obese.

These increasing rates of overweight and obesity among adults in Idaho are definitely a cause for concern. Yet sadly, these high rates not unusual when viewed in a national context. Currently, about 2/3 of all U.S. adults exceed the "healthy" weight range, with 30 percent of U.S. adults meeting the clinical definition of obesity. In addition, the dramatic increase in overweight and obesity rates among adults in Idaho over the past decade is on par with the dramatic increase in these rates nationwide (To see a CDC PowerPoint slideshow demonstrating increases of obesity each year since since 1985, click here. I recommend viewing this presentation because it's quite information and quite shocking).

When 2/3 of the country's population is afflicted with a particular health condition, and when nationwide incidence rates of the disorder increase so dramatically over a relatively short amount of time, clearly the problem is not simply an individual one but a public health one. Yes, overweight and obesity occurs when individuals eats more food than their bodies need. But when these health conditions are afflicting the majority of the American public, there's more to the problem than just individual dietary and food consumption choices. You can't solve the problem simply by telling individuals to eat less. You also have to understand and disentangle the multiple of social, cultural, economic and political factors that have enabled overweight and obesity to flourish to such a large extent.

So what are these assorted social, cultural, economic and political factors? Let's see, where do I even begin? There are many. Moreover, although some of these factors are affecting the nation's population more generally, other factors are more relevant to particular regional, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other types of demographic groups. In an earlier post, I discussed one factor that was at play for inner city residents--lack of access to grocery stores and the healthy foods that such businesses provide. Too often, inner city residents only have access to corner shops that sell junk food because larger grocery stores will not set up shop in inner city neighborhoods. Over the course of the following week or two, I will discuss some of the other factors. Stay tuned.

Restarting my yoga and meditation practice

I've practiced yoga and meditation on and off for the past eight years. I have found both practices very beneficial to my physical and emotional health. Both practices ease my stress and anxiety, keep me feeling centered and connected to myself, and help my body stay strong, flexible, and less susceptible to illness.

My main problem with both practices, however, is that I have never been able to sustain a regular practice over extended periods of time. What tends to happen is that I'll commit myself to these practices, do them daily for a few weeks or so, and then get caught up in my work and wind up pushing them aside for a long time. Then, after I start to feel run down and out of sorts, I realize that I need get back to my practice. So I start it up again, do it for awhile, and then got knocked off course from some life or work-related occurrence.

This summer, my goal is to get back into my daily practice and keep it up for the entire summer. I have a more relaxed work schedule this summer, so keeping up my routine is very possible. It's just a question of discipline and giving myself the time each day to practice.

I recommend yoga and meditation as practices that could benefit all people, and if you are interested in learning more about them, visit Yoga Journal's website. This website is chock full of great information/resources about yoga, meditation, health, spirituality, and other related topics for beginners, advanced practitioners, and teachers. Other yoga magazines that also have great websites include Yoga International and Ascent.


I restarted my practice on Sunday, and I'll keep you posted as to how I'm doing with it.

MIlwaukee's new feminist bookstore

I finally visited Broad Vocabulary the other day, and what a happy day that was. Broad Vocabulary, which is Milwaukee's first and only feminist bookstore, opened ago a month ago in the Bayview neighborhood. The bookstore is a great space in a great location. In addition, although it is a new business, it has already lined up a number of events, including on-going writing circles, reading groups, music performances, direct action workshops, and promos with Bitch and Lip magazines. Here is the full calendar of events. Check it out regularly and for those of you who live in the Milwaukee area, do what you can to help Broad Vocabulary flourish.

What would PETA think?

Have you heard about the "Zombie Dogs" that are the subject of study by medical researchers who are working on suspended animation techniques for humans? Well, now you have. Read on. Thanks to Public Brewery for bringing this story to my attention.

The C.S.I. (and E.R.) Effect

Here's a great post by Public Brewery about the so-called "C.S.I. Effect," which refers to the social impacts of the C.S.I. television series and other forensics shows. One impact of these shows seems to have been an increased interest in forensics as a college major and career. Another impact--albeit an unproven and controversial one--is the influence that these shows have had on juries. There is anecdotal evidence that these shows have led some jurors to have unrealistic expectations about the role that forensic evidence should play in court cases.

Similar types of social impacts--both positive and negative--have also been discussed in relation to medical shows such as E.R. On the one hand, medical professionals have praised the show for raising public awareness about the field of emergency medicine and for leading to an increased public interest in E.R. medicine as a profession. Many nurses have also praised the show for showing their profession in a positive light.

At the same time, some medical professionals have critiqued E.R. and other medical shows for presenting an unrealistic expectations of ER medicine. In fact, several studies have been conducted in both Britain and the U.S. showing that the success rates of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on medical shows such as E.R. are greater than the actual success of this procedure in real life. In light of these studies, some medical professionals (but not all) worry that the public will have unrealistic expectations regarding the extent to which doctors can save patients in such life-threatening situations.

Here's an interesting article about the bioethics of E.R.'s depiction of CPR and other procedures. It was written by medical student Anthony Mazzarelli.

I'm not sure what to think about the effects of shows such as C.S.I. or E.R. They definitely make interesting teaching topics. In my Health and Media class. the issue of E.R.'s impacts always leads to interesting discussions, and in Spring 2006, I'll be discussing the C.S.I. Effect with students in my Science, Politics, and Media class. Public Brewery and I are also considering writing a journal article about the C.S.I. Effect. This summer we have become C.S.I. junkies, so we talk about this issue a lot.

Pet needs? Or human needs? (Part Two)

Following up on my post from last month, here are two interesting articles about contemporary pet culture. The first one examines the latest trends in "pet couture" and interviews fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and his latest fashion line for dogs. This line is clothes is available at Target.

The second article, "Pet Nation: How doggone far (and far out) do we go for our beloved pets?," examines the issue of how our culture is increasingly anthropomorphizing our pets, and whether this is a good or bad thing. The report discusses a recent study finding that 83 percent of pet owners refer to themselves as their pet's "mommy" or "daddy," and highlights another study finding that 73 percent of pet owners would go into debt when it comes to treating their pet's illnesses.

In the case of the first study, I admit that I sometimes refer to myself as my golden retriever's "mama," and I often call her my "baby girl." But in terms of the latter study, I'm not sure if I would go into debt for Molly's health or not. It would depend on the situation. If Molly had a condition that was treatable but happened to be very expensive, that would be one thing and I would definitely lean towards treatment. But if she had a condition that were life-threatening and any treatment I would get for her would only prolong her life rather than save it, then I would be more hesitant about going into debt for it. It's not that I don't care for my dog because I do. In fact, I am quite happy to admit say that I love her very much and I can't imagine life without her. It is just that going into debt to prolong her life in the case of a terminal illness seems problematic to me because in such a situation, I would probably be keeping her alive more for my own sake rather than hers.

This is an increasingly common situation, with more and more pet owners willing to do anything to keep their pets alive (including life support), even if their condition is terminal. On the one hand, this pet devotion and care clearly demonstrates some of the positive aspects of our contemporary pet culture, with people viewing their pets as living beings whose lives matter. On the other hand, the desire to keep pets alive at all costs reflects, in my opinion, a potential downside of this new pet culture. People get so attached to their pets that they often lose blur the line between themselves and the pet, between humans and animals, and ultimately lose sight of what may be in the pet's best interest rather then their own.

A final point: Just because I may critique the extreme measures that some pet owners take in order to keep their pets alive when their condition is terminal, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be tempted myself to take such measures when it comes to my own dog. I hope that I would not prolong her suffering just because I wouldn't want her to die, but like many other pet owners, I have been shaped by our contemporary pet culture and find many aspects of it wonderful, both for people and for the pets.

Post-partum depression in men

It turns out that men also suffer from postpartum depression, albeit not as frequently as women do. When it comes to women, researchers believe that the disorder arises from a combination of hormonal factors, emotional and psychological issues that can arise when having to care for a newborn, physical factors such as sleeplessness and exhaustion. When it comes to men, I'm guessing that the latter two issues might be at play more than hormonal changes (although just as some men get "sympathy" pregnancy symptoms, maybe some of them also get sympathy postpartum hormonal changes).

Any thoughts on what might be going on for men suffering from postpartum depression?

The racial politics of health

The U.S. FDA recently approved Bidil, a drug used to treat heart failure among African Americans. This is the first time a drug has been approved by the FDA for use in a specific racial/ethnic population.

Why just African Americans? Research conducted over the past decade or so has demonstrated that people of African descent might have a particular biological/genetic predisposition towards heart disease and cardiovascular problems. Drugs such as Bidil are aimed at addressing the problems arising from such a disposition.

I have mixed feelings about the production of drugs that target ethnic groups who have supposed genetic predispositions towards health problems such as CVD. On the one hand, if it is indeed the case that such ethnically-based genetic predispositions exist, then drugs to address them can be very good things. There are numerous examples of genetic-based disorders that are more common in some ethnic populations than in others, such as Sickle Cell Anemia (African Americans), inherited breast cancer (Ashkenazi Jewish women), and possibly diabetes (people of Hispanic and Mexican descent).

On the other hand, such genetic research and drug production for many of these supposed ethnic-based disorders are fraught with all kinds of scientific, social and political problems. First, the very idea that certain racial populations are at genetic risk for CVD and diabetes is controversial. Not all health care researchers agree with this position. In addition, even if a racially-based genetic predisposition exists for disease such as CVD and diabetes, having the gene itself does not guarantee that one will get the disease. After all, a predisposition is just that. To get the disease, other environmental factors have to be at play as well. In case of CVD and diabetes, these other factors include dietary habits, exercise patterns, weight, smoking and drinking habits, emotional and psychological stress, etc. And as epidemiological research has shown, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to suffer from overweight and obesity, poor dietary habits, stress, etc. than their white counterparts.

When viewed from this environmental angle, then, the problem of CVD and diabetes among African Americans and Hispanics is not so much a genetic problem as much as it is a social, political, cultural, and economic problem. Individuals from these populations suffer disproportionately from poverty, job loss, racism, lack of access to healthy food, crime ridden neighborhoods, and other socioeconomic problems--problems that can facilitate poor eating habits, lack of exercise, smoking, obesity, high stress, inadequate medical care, etc. From a public health perspective, then, the way to address CVD and diabetes in these population is to take a structural approach and work to improve the lives of these disadvantaged communities.

When I hear about drugs being produced to treat complex and multifaceted, racially-based health problems such as CVD, I worry that this pharmaceutical approach will overshadow the public health approach by medicalizing health problems that are also--and perhaps even more so--social, political and economic problems. Emphasizing the genetic factors at will just enable our racist and classist society to flourish. And given that we live in an age where genetics and biotechnology are the new big sciences, and researchers are looking for genetics links to all kinds of disorders and personality traits, the possibility that genetic understandings of disease will overshadow social, political and economic causes of disease is very real and in my opinion, ethically problematic.

What kind of dog are you?

If you are interested in learning more about your inner self from the perspective of what type of dog you are most like, go to the following site and click on the "what dog are you? link:

http://www.gone2thedogs.com


This is another fun way to procrastinate (as I have been doing this afternoon) while simultaneously learning something new.

In case you are interested, I am a Shiba Inu.

Thanks to Public Brewery for bringing this site to my attention.

Geographical health?

Some people may argue that how well we know world geography has implications for societal health. If you embrace this sentiment, or if you just like playing games, check out the following link:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm

This is a very fun game. Goto the geography section/intermediate level for each world region. This is where you have to drag and drop each country into the appropriate location without the help of boundary lines. I played this version.

Here are my scores: Europe: 71% correct; Africa: 79%; Asia: 72%; Middle East: 92%; United States: 96% (I missed RI and MS by hairs); South and Central America: 85%; Canada: 92%; Mexico: 84%.

Note: The Caribbean, Oceania, and the World Continents games aren't as fun. You can't do the drop and drag thing with them.

Thanks to JoJo for introducing me to this game.

Women's reproductive rights: There is hope...

Wisconsin lawmakers should take some lessons from their counterparts in New York. NY state Senators just passed a bill that would make it legal to sell emergency contraception over the counter. The bill passed the senate 34-27. I do not know what else needs to happen for this bill to become an official law, but I will do some digging to see what I can find. More soon.

New studies on fertility

Two studies have recently been published that may shed new light on the fertility process. The first study, conducted by British scientist Lynn Frasier, found that soy consumption by both men and women might make sperm less fertile. Whereas soy consumption by men directly seems to affects sperm production, soy consumption by women appear to cause changes in the vaginal environment that can harm sperm. The research on this topic is premliminary at this point, but researchers suggest that women and men who are tying to conceive might want to reduce their consumption of soy products during ovulation. In addition, this study, while interesting, further complicates our understanding of the role that soy plays in human health. There is still much debate about the role that soy plays in the prevention and promotion of breast cancer. And in the case of fertility, scientists have not found fertility problems among populations--mainly Asian ones--who consume high amounts of soy.

The second study, which was conducted by a team of Israeli researchers, have found evidence that genes might by the reason why some women are able to conceive naturally over the age of 45. The scientists hypothesize that these genes slow the aging of the ovaries. Because the study focused solely on Ashkenazi Jewish women, the investigators said that further research needs to be done to see if this gene also exists among women from other ethnic backgrounds.

Women's reproductive health politics, Part II

More attacks on women's reproductive health rights: Several days ago, the Wisconsin State Assembly narrowly passed a bill that would ban the University of Wisconsin system (which consists of 26 schools, including the one at which I teach) from prescribing and dispensing emergency contraception (a.k.a. the morning-after pill). To become a state law, the bill has to pass the state Senate and be approved by Governor Jim Doyle. Doyle has said that if the bill comes to his desk, he will veto it. If the bill does eventually does become a law, it will be the first of its kind in the nation.

The bill was introduced by Representative Dan Le Mahieu (R-Oostburg) after he learned about the UW-Madison Health Center's efforts encouraging students going away for spring break to bring this pill with them. The Health Center's goals were to prevent unwanted pregnancies that could arise from condom breakage, date rape, and other alcohol-induced sexual mishaps. In contrast, LeMahieu believed that the Health Center's efforts promoted promiscuity by providing students with a way to have lots of sex without having to face the consequences. This logic is similar to the logic used by religious conservatives opposed to the HPV vaccine: If students know they can take a pill to prevent unwanted pregnancies, then they will just make like bunnies the whole time they are away on break. And given that most of these students are unmarried, LeMahieu believes it is morally wrong for the UW system to promote immoral behavior such as premarital sex.

The second reason why LeMahieu and other Representatives support the bill is because they believe that emergency contraception does not simply prevent pregnancy but instead ends pregnancy. This misguided belief is based on the controversial claim that pregnancy begins at conception rather than at implantation, which is when most medical professionals view pregnancy to begin. Although the morning-after pill can in some instances cause an implanted embryo to become disimplanted, the pill was developed to prevent implantation--and even conception itself --from occurring in the first place. This is why a woman is supposed to take the pill up no later than 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse, because it takes about 24 hours after sex for conception to occur, and another a 5-7 days after that for implantation to occur.

In a recent edition of the sex column Savage Love, columnist Dan Savage argued that the religious right is attacking not simply gay rights anymore but also--and perhaps even more so--heterosexual rights. His evidence? The recent efforts by religious conservatives to block plans to make emergency contraception available without a prescription, to limit access to abortion, and to speak out against an HPV vaccine for women. Savage argued that these recent efforts demonstrate that the religious right is not simply against gay rights per se, but sexuality and sex more generally.

Although I do not disagree with Savage, I think the religious right's attacks on heterosexuals is not aimed at heterosexuals in general but instead at heterosexual women. For instance, you don't hear about the religious right trying to block insurance coverage of viagra for fear that promoting its use may encourage promiscuity and premarital sex among men. Nor do you hear about state representatives trying to block universities from dispensing condoms. As I stated yesterday in my post on the HPV vaccine for women, all these recent measures seem to be primarily geared at controlling and limiting women's sexuality and sexual autonomy. And this is not good.

Women's reproductive health politics, Part I

New threats to women's reproductive rights keep coming out of the woodwork: In April, researchers got one step closer to developing a vaccine that prevents Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women. HPV is a common STD virus that is also one of the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, so preventing HPV could help to reduce the number of women who become afflicted with and/or die from this disease.

Preventing cancer deaths--seems like a good idea, right? Well, not to some religious conservatives. As noted by The Nation columnist Katha Pollitt, several groups, including the Family Research Council, are not on board with the vaccine--not because they have questions about the research itself or about possible long term effects of the vaccine (these would be good questions to ask) but because they fear that such a vaccine would encourage promiscuity among unmarried girls and women. The logic goes like this: if unmarried girls and women know that the vaccine will protect them from HPV and by consequence cervical cancer, then they will all be rushing to sleep with as many people as possible. (As if fear of these diseases is what currently stops unmarried women from engaging in sex in the first place).

Now, with all the religious conservatives' talk about promoting a culture of life and such, I really want to believe that their criticism of the vaccine has something to do with actually protecting life--for instance, perhaps being concerned that the vaccine would do more harm than good to women. But this appears not to be the case. Rather, the criticism seems more like good old fashioned sexism and paternalism because it is all about wanting to control women's so-called wanton sexuality. In fact, given that religious conservatives are more concerned with controlling women's sexual behaviors than with protecting women's health and preventing cancer deaths among women, it seems that they are doing all they can to discourage a culture of life--at least when it comes to women. Scary times, indeed.

Sad news

I found out yesterday that Allison Crews, the 22 year-old creator of Girl-Mom.com, died a few days ago at her home in Austin, TX. The cause of her death has not been released yet. Girl-Mom is a wonderful on-line site for and by younger mothers. The site provides them support from other teen and young adult mothers, information about medical care, financial issues, social services, social gatherings, parenting strategies, and political issues, and a creative outlet for telling their stories.

Here's the obituary that Girl-Mom and its sister website, HipMama, put on their websites.

It is with profound sadness and a wrenching sense of loss that the staff of Hip Mama have learned that our valued colleague Allison Crews has died. Allison was the producer of Girl-Mom for nearly five years. During that time she worked endlessly hard to build a strong, dynamic community. Through her work on the site, her accomplishment in creating the National Day to Support Teen Parents, her writing, and her life, Alli created social change. Alli was brilliant, forceful, and talented. She changed lives; she helped people. We will miss her.

The Girl-Mom moderators are collecting money to be used to help Alli's young family in this profoundly sad time. If you would like to contribute, please send a donation via paypal to: girlmom@gmail.com

I'm back

I'm back from my vacation, and will be posting later today. Stay tuned...