tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126228252024-03-13T09:16:52.089-05:00The Well Being 2.0Care, Connection, and Community in a Digital AgeBarbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-29461865164977248412011-09-04T19:08:00.004-05:002011-09-07T20:45:23.330-05:00It's that time of year againBreast Cancer Awareness Month officially takes place in October, but the power of pink is already starting to emerge in the media and online. Sort of like how there's already Halloween candy for sale even though the holiday is almost two months away. So far, I've see some Yoplait lid commercials, a letter to the editor in our local newspaper, and the newest Facebook Breast Cancer Awareness Month meme. This time, instead of being asked to slyly post your bra color or where you like to put your purse (I like it wherever), women are supposed to post about their "fake" pregnancies. The basic gist is that you take the number of the month in which you were born (7 in my case) and match the day of your birth to a list of candies. I haven't seen the list, but whatever candy is given to the number 31 would be mine. So let's just say 31=Valrhona 71% dark chocolate. In my status I would write, "I'm 7 weeks and craving Valrhona 71% dark chocolate." And then your readers are supposed to be all surprised and like " I didn't know you were pregnant!" And then I'd say, "I'm not! It's a joke. LOL."<br />
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Um, go Breast Cancer Awareness go? Sigh. I don't know. Maybe I'd find find the game more funny if my first miscarriage didn't take place when I was 7+ weeks pregnant. Or if sugar consumption wasn't linked to breast cancer. Or if October wasn't also Pregnancy Loss and Infertility Awareness Month. Or if many young breast cancer survivors weren't also infertile due to their treatment. Or if the game mentioned its breast cancer awareness purpose in the actual status posts and not just in the emails that friends sent to one another telling them to play the game.<br />
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There's been lots of good critiques written about the various FB breast cancer memes.I have nothing to add to them. I will link to some of them as I continue to edit this post. <br />
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But I do want to think a bit more about this whole "awareness" concept. What constitutes awareness? What are we supposed to become aware of? Who is supposed to become aware? And is awareness the end-all-be-all? What comes next after we are all aware? More awareness? Or action? So much of the BCAM rhetoric blurs the line between awareness and activism that it's probably hard for many folks to recognize that there is more they can do than collect yogurt lids, wear a pink ribbon, or post their bra color or fake pregnancy status on FB. Awareness is supposed to expand one's field of vision--not shrink it. And maybe BCAM did expand the collective field of vision at one point in time, but almost twenty years later, it's just repeating the same old stuff and not focusing on some of the newer and more radical forms of breast cancer action that seek to prevent breast cancer rather than just detect it, expose the link between environmental toxins and breast cancer, and challenge the industry, corporate, and policy practices that contribute to environmental exposures. How much many messages about prevention, toxins, and corporate accountability do you come across when you turn on your TV or read your magazines and see cause marketing ads asking you to collect Yoplait lids or test drive a BMW? How often does BCAM raise awareness about the fact that many of its corporate partners produce products that may increase the risk of breast cancer or at the very least have a financial stake in the disease's continued existence? Now THAT would be good fodder for a national breast cancer awareness campaign.<br />
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And I'm sure you could develop some FB memes based on it, too. Let's see what I can come up with on the top of my head: "Hey there! It's National Breast Cancer Month! Look over this list of household products, foods, and personal care products that include ingredients linked to breast cancer. Then search your house to see if you have any of these products. Post those products in your FB status with the statement "I use X, Y, and Z--all of which I just found out contain chemicals linked to breast cancer. This is an outrage. Breast cancer causing chemicals should not be found in our everyday products. Go to http://breastcancerfund.org to see how you can help to change this. And go to Skindeep.org to find safer alternatives."<br />
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See? That was pretty easy. With just a little bit of group brainstorming, I bet that we could come up with some really cool FB games. Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-85386367085971019032011-04-19T14:24:00.003-05:002011-05-06T15:45:50.339-05:00smartphone app projectI've received over a dozen informal responses to my various online queries about the use of health apps. So far, the women who have responded use apps for tracking their period, their ovulation/fertility, pregnancy developments, and their contractions. One also uses an app to keep her parenting life organized. When it comes to other types of health apps, several women said that they use diet, fitness, and weight-loss related apps. I'm not surprised about that given our culture's focus on those particular issues.<br />
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Anyway, these are very preliminary findings. It was interesting to put some informal questions out there and see how many people responded and what they use apps for.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-64797907539420519272011-04-18T13:41:00.016-05:002011-04-18T21:03:47.385-05:00Online Pregnancy and Mothering Forums: A Feminist PerspectiveI've been researching and writing about online pregnancy and mothering cultures for the past four years. I've had other research projects going on during that time so the online pregnancy and mothering culture project has been a side project of sorts. Now, as my other research projects are coming to a close, I am able to devote more time to it, which I am excited about.<br />
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One facet of my research deals with online pregnancy and mothering discussion forums. I've published <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00378.x/abstract">one article</a> about them, and I have a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/How-The-Internet-Saved-My-Sanity/172893899403859">book chapter</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/How-The-Internet-Saved-My-Sanity/172893899403859"> </a>on the topic coming out soon. Whereas the 2007 article focused on the social and cultural aspects of a particular online forum, the book chapter examines how members of this same forum increasingly connect with one another and the group more generally via mobile phones, social networking sites, and blogs. This "transmediated support" culture, as I call it, is becoming increasingly common among many online pregnancy and mothering groups.<br />
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A few weeks ago, I presented the book chapter at a women's studies colloquium. About a dozen people showed up, mostly professors and grad students affiliated with the women's studies program. The talk went very well, and it generated a lot of interesting discussion that is helping me refine my understanding of these sorts of online groups. Two sets of comments from the audience especially stood out to me.<br />
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The first set of comments related to the very existence of such groups. Online pregnancy and mothering forums have been the focus of a growing body of research during the past decade. Plus, I not only research these groups but also participate in a few of them, including the group that is the topic of both publications. For both of these reasons, I take the existence of online pregnancy and mothering forums for granted, as if "everybody" knows about them and "gets" them. For me, the interesting part (as well as the focus) of my talk was not the groups or the forums themselves but the ways in which they are becoming increasingly transmediated. For many of the audience members, however, the very fact that such groups exist was the interesting part of talk. Many of the women in the room didn't know much about these groups, and some seemed very surprised that such groups existed.<br />
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The second set of commented related to what some audience members thought about these groups and the women who participated in them. I received various questions expressing sentiments such as "Why would women participate in these sorts of groups?" "Why would these women share such personal information with strangers?" and "Who ARE these women?"<br />
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On the one hand, it was good for me to hear these comments, as it made me realize that I should not take the existence of these groups for granted and that the forums themselves are still a compelling topic in their own right. When I present this chapter in the future, I now know to spend more time setting up the context of the forums and some of the research regarding online pregnancy and mothering groups more generally.<br />
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On the other hand, I found the comments a bit surprising given that I was presenting at a women's studies colloquium. Since the 1970s, feminism and the women's movement more generally have emphasized celebrating women's bodies and sexuality, encouraging women to be proactive about their health and well-being, and "ending the silence" around taboo topics such as women's sexuality, reproductive health, and women's health more generally. During this time, women formed and joined consciousness raising groups, women health activism emerged, and women began to speak publicly about their breast cancer, among other things. In more recent years, feminist scholars have critiqued the cultural silence and social stigma surrounding infertility (female and male) and pregnancy loss.<br />
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Certainly, there are facets of online pregnancy and mothering culture that are problematic from a feminist perspective. For example, online forums can perpetuate problematic biomedical discourses regarding pregnancy and women's bodies, as well as hegemonic norms regarding gender, race, class, and heterosexuality. Thy can also be sites of social conflict among women who join them. At the same time, though, online forums bring women together to share their experiences, to learn about their bodies, to take charge of their reproductive health and health more generally, and to trust their intuition and their right to challenge their doctors. Online forums also provide women with a space to talk about taboo subjects such as sexuality, infertility, and miscarriage.<br />
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To be sure, not all forums are necessarily explicitly feminist in their outlook (although some are). Nor do all women who participate in online pregnancy and mothering forums personally identify as feminists (although some do). That said, many women who participate in these groups find them personally, medically, and socially empowering. In that regard, online forums may, in certain respects, function as contemporary versions of the consciousness raising groups of the 1970s. A few examples from my research: Although forum participants aren't sitting around in circle examining their cervixes together, they do share tips for how and when to check one's cervix position to determine whether one is about to ovulate or may be pregnant. They also discuss the politics of public breast feeding and encourage their fellow members who want a VBAC (a vaginal birth after a cesarean) but whose doctor is wary of performing one (usually for liability/convenience reasons and not for bona-fide medical reasons) to stand up to the doctor or find a new one who will perform it.<br />
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A final point: Please note that I said that online forums are similar to consciousness raising groups "in certain respects." For numerous reasons, it would be far too simplistic to equate the two types of groups. The social, historical, political, and technological contexts of both groups differ, and as I've already mentioned the relationship between feminism and the online support groups is complicated. Even though there are facets of these groups that embody feminism, other facets don't. And although I need to think more about this, my guess is that post-feminism would be a relevant framework for understanding the complex relationship between feminism, on the one hand, and online pregnancy and mothering groups, on the other.<br />
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And aside from the feminist politics of the groups themselves, I also want to think more about why the women studies professors and grad student seemed surprised that women would want to participate in such groups. Does their surprise reflect a type of generational digital divide? Is the contemporary feminist context for thinking about the politics of women's socialities, biosocialities, and reproductive health different than it was in the 1970s? Are social stigmas surrounding women's bodies and sexuality still pervasive, even among feminists? Are sexuality, pregnancy, and mothering still topics that feminists grapple with personally and politically? I'm sure their surprise reflects a number of factors, and perhaps their responses provide insights to broader social, cultural, and political issues regarding intersections as well as tensions between feminism, digital technology, mothering, and women's health. It's all very fascinating, and there is much to think about.<br />
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I'll write more about this topic soon.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-41057666274107582842011-04-15T12:28:00.004-05:002011-04-18T15:25:52.677-05:00New research project: fertility/pregnancy/adoption/parenting smartphone apps<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">I am starting a new research project examining smartphone apps related to fertility, pregnancy, adoption, and mothering/parenting (including apps for dads and prospective dads). If you have personal experience with such apps, please send me an email. I'm trying to get a general sense of who's using what types of apps and what they think about them. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Also, if you use other types of health (physical, emotional, spiritual) apps, I would be interested hearing about them. I'm especially interested in apps related to mindfulness, buddhism, meditation, breathwork, and yoga. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Thanks!</span>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-50874510307553478202011-04-03T22:49:00.000-05:002011-04-03T22:49:10.936-05:00A Facebook test.A quick test...Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-26334063680972231832010-12-11T18:00:00.005-06:002011-04-03T21:15:56.842-05:00The Well Being is Back!I may not post very regularly, but I am reviving the blog. But first, I will upgrade it. Stay tuned.<br />
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In the meantime, check out the link to my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Green-Prevention-Environmental-Movement/dp/0813545315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292112234&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">From Pink to Green: Disease Prevention and the Environmental Breast Cancer Movement</span></a> (Rutgers University Press, 2009. It came out last summer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Green-Prevention-Environmental-Movement/dp/0813545315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292112234&sr=8-1"><br />
</a>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1132072444620820822005-11-15T10:27:00.001-06:002011-04-03T21:17:03.897-05:00A case of really bad scienceI don't use the term " bad science," lightly, as it implies that "good science" is always pure and politics-free, which I don't think it the case. All science is political, whether it is "good" or "bad." But in the case I discuss below, the scientific evidence was clearly overlooked because of politics.<br />
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What is the case I'm talking about? The FDA decision to not make the morning-after pill available over-the-counter. It turns out FDA administrators made their decision to ban it before they had read all of the scientific evidence about the efficacy and safety about the drug.<br />
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Here's a CNN story about the case. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/14/morningafter.pill.ap/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/11/14/morningafter.pill.ap/index.html</a><br />
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Given the current administration's track record when it comes to matters of women's health, I can't say I am surprised by this report.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1122645665296409922005-07-29T08:56:00.000-05:002005-07-29T09:01:05.303-05:00Go Frist!I never thought I'd hear myself utter those words, but stranger things have happened.<br /><br />Conservative Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) has broken away from Bush to come out in support for embryonic stem cell research. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050729/ap_on_go_co/frist_stem_cells">Click here </a>to read all about it.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1122482095255197822005-07-27T11:33:00.000-05:002005-07-27T11:34:55.263-05:00I'll be back soonI just wanted to let you all know that I will be blogging again soon. I have had a writing deadline to meet for work so I haven't had much time to blog. The article will be sent off on Friday, so stay tuned.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1122172893710596682005-07-23T21:40:00.001-05:002011-04-03T21:18:30.461-05:00The Real CSIPaul and I finished watching the first four seasons of <em>CSI</em> on DVD last week. Out of the 92 episodes that we saw, only one episode dealt with a case that the CSIs couldn't solve. <br />
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<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20050723/ts_latimes/trackingjaneandjohndoe">Here's a story</a> about two real life crime scence investigations--one case is solved and the other is not. In real life, there's probably a lot more unsolved cases like the latter one than what <em>CSI </em>depicts. However, the type of work that the criminalists do on <em>CSI</em> is very much like the work described in this article.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1121807585799420152005-07-19T16:01:00.000-05:002005-07-19T16:28:44.773-05:00Good news for chocolate lovers, sort of<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/07/19/heart.chocolate.reut/index.html">Another study has come out </a>demonstrating that the flavanoids in cocoa may are good for your heart. When it comes to chocolate products, the dark variety has the highest concentration of these flavanoids (In fact, the aforementioned study actually used dark chocolate to measure the positive benefits of flavanoids). Milk chocolate has fewer flavanoids, and white chocolate has virtually none.<br /><br />So what does this mean for chocoholics like myself? Researchers aren't sure, since even dark chocolate is high in fat and sugar, both of which are certainly not good for your heart. So while researchers try to figure this one out and determine what healthy amounts of dark chocolate would actually be, let's hope that the news media doesn't do their usual oversimplified and hyped up reporting, as this would inevitably makes chocolate consumption seem like the next magic bullet when it comes to heart health. Because then we may have to worry about the "dark chocolate diet" becoming the next low carb or low fat fad. Can you imagine?Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1121797173846274282005-07-19T13:11:00.000-05:002005-07-19T14:33:48.200-05:00Are scientists really that uncool?<a href="http://blog.bioethics.net/2005/07/why-cant-scientists-be-cooler.html">It appears </a>that Americans don't think that scientists are very cool. Go figure. My guess is that the people who were surveyed just haven't watched much <em><a href="http://thewellbeing.blogspot.com/2005/06/csi-and-er-effect.html">CSI,</a> </em>a forensics drama show that features a number of very beautiful science geeks (both men and women). In addition, through the use of these beautiful people, artful lighting, and edgy ambient music, the show is able to make DNA sampling, footprint measuring, and even dust collecting look like sexy and intriguing work.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1121793314586654842005-07-19T12:14:00.000-05:002005-07-19T12:15:14.593-05:00Racism in biomedicine...Yes, <a href="http://health.yahoo.com/news/122267;_ylt=Ai0p7k.7c3SNHJxxov1yk76z5xcB">it does exist. </a>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1121219525921276962005-07-12T20:49:00.000-05:002005-07-13T11:32:32.216-05:00Another reason to avoid HRTTwo years ago, a landmark study called the Women's Health Initiative found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was not the wonder drug that the pharmaceutical industry and many doctors made it out to be. The drug was found to increase the risk of not only breast cancer but also heart disease (The latter finding was particularly troubling because HRT makers had been touting for years how the drug <em>protected </em>women from this condition). When these health risks began to emerge during the multi-year study, researchers told the study participants who were taking HRT to stop their treatment. And that ended the HRT portion of the study.<br /><br /><a href="http://health.yahoo.com/news/122037;_ylt=AsezAbgLXNoY1T9dDNBFecez5xcB">But not quite</a>. Researchers then realized that by telling women to stop taking HRT, they would be able to ask a new research question: when women went off HRT, would their menopause symptoms return or not? It turns out that they did return. Rather than eliminating menopausal symptoms in these women, HRT just delayed them. As Dr. Judith Ockene, lead investigator of the study stated, "You can't necessarily expect to just skip that stage."<br /><br />These findings reinforce the notion that menopause is not so much a disease--as makers of HRT often want women to believe--but rather a normal process of aging that all women go through and perhaps need to go through. After all, menopausal symptoms are signs that the body is trying to adjust to its lower hormone levels.<br /><br />To see the full study, which was published in this week's issue of the <em>JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)</em>, <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/294/2/183">click here.</a>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1121099984193231722005-07-11T11:23:00.000-05:002005-07-11T12:47:31.250-05:00Milwaukee's proposed smoking banMilwaukee's city officials are currently considering <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul05/338629.asp">whether to ban smoking in all public places</a>, including restaurants, bars, and office buildings. If it passes, the ordinance will be the most stringent one in the nation.<br /><br />Not surprisingly, the bill faces some opposition, <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul05/338887.asp">particularly from restaurant and bar owners </a>who fear that such an ordinance would hurt business.<br /><br />If proponents of the bill need further ammo to bolster their case, however, <a href="http://time.blogs.com/daily_rx/2005/07/new_evidence_on.html">here's a new study that shows the dangers of secondhand smoke.</a>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120915392659237372005-07-09T08:10:00.000-05:002005-07-13T13:31:30.873-05:00U.S. HIV/AIDS policy and sex workHere is a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/07/08/aids.prostitution.ap/index.html">follow-up article </a>to my <a href="http://thewellbeing.blogspot.com/2005/05/politics-of-us-hivaids-prevention.html">earlier post</a> about Brazil's decision to reject AIDS prevention funding from the U.S. because the country's officials refused to comply with the Bush Administration's stipulation that for foreign countries to receive this money, Brazilian officials must condemn sex work. Brazilian officials took this position because sex workers play key roles in the country's AIDS prevention and education programs. This follow-up article explores in some depth the Bush Administration's rationale for this funding stipulation, as well as reactions to the policy from international public health officials.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120754015182967372005-07-08T11:32:00.000-05:002005-07-11T14:19:55.263-05:00The politics of prescription drugs, Part OneHere are two recent news stories about prescription drugs. The <a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07224381.htm">first story </a>discusses a recent study finding that 15 million U.S. citizens--many of them teenagers--abuse prescription drugs. The <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/07/health/main707184.shtml">second story </a>reports on research that has found that many doctors and pharmacists have limited training when it comes to knowledge about and the prescription of these drugs.<br /><br />Although each story is disturbing in its own right, they are especially disturbing when put together. We may have a situation where health care professionals are unable to deal effectively with this prescription drug abuse and/or a situation where health care professionals' lack of training regarding these drugs have helped to facilitate this abuse.<br /><br />Given that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable business sectors globally, and given that it is very difficult for health care professionals to keep up with the large and ever-increasing array of prescription drugs on the market, it is no wonder that many of these professionals lack proper training.<br /><br />There is also the issue of direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads. Although they currently dominate advertising space on TV and in magazines, DTC ads are actually a relatively new phenomenon. In their current incarnation, they were legalized by the FDA in 1997. Such ads, coupled with increased patient participation in health care decision-making, have led to a dramatic increase in patients asking their doctors to prescribe them drugs for all kinds of ailments. And according to a slew of recent studies, many MDs are granting the wishes of these patients, even in cases where the MDs would not necessarily have prescribed the drugs had the patients not asked for the prescription themselves. (For more information about DTC ads, FDA regulation of them, and the studies conducted to determine the impact of DTC advertising on consumer demands and doctors' prescription-writing practices, see this excellent <a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03177.pdf">2002 GAO report</a>)<br /><br />So what does this all his mean for the problem of patient drug abuse? Assuming that doctors are not able to keep up with the ever-increasing number of prescriptions drugs on the market, they may not be fully equipped to deal with the growing number of patients asking them for prescriptions. This situation is only worsened by the fact that due to HMO and other institutional policies, many doctors only have 10-15 minutes to meet with their patients. In most cases, this is not enough time to do a comprehensive examination to determine whether such drugs are necessary and/or if there are alternative medical treatments. Thus, in light of these multiple factors, it may be easier for the MD to just prescribe the drug and move on.<br /><br />To sum up: although patient abuse of prescription drugs is a problem in its own right, it may be also a symptom of a much bigger set of complex problems related to medical training, HMO policies, insurance companies, FDA policies, and the ever-increasing expansion and power of the pharmaceutical industry.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120758304439947192005-07-07T12:30:00.000-05:002005-07-08T11:20:19.796-05:00LondonMy heartfelt condolences go out to the people of London for the bombings they experienced this morning. Although I have not discussed this issue on my blog very much, I do believe that terrorism--not to mention the political and military efforts/strategies undertaken to eradicate it--is just as much a public health issue as it is a social, political, and economic one. Many people are dying, and many more are physically, psychologically, and emotionally injured as a result of terrorism and its counter-efforts.<br /><br />Fortunately, there are advocacy organizations that do view terrorism, war, and geopolitics as public health issues. One organization that I particularly respect and admire is <a href="http://www.psr.org">Physicians for Social Responsibility</a>, a DC-based organization that has local chapters across the country. Physicians, public health advocates, and other health care professionals make up the bulk of the organization's membership and board. Many are also staff members at PSR's assorted offices. Of course, I may be biased towards this organization, as I coordinated the Safe Drinking Program at PSR's DC headquarters a couple of years back.<br /><br />Another health organization that takes on issues of terrorism and war is the <a href="http://www.apha.org">American Public Health Association</a>, which is also based in DC. Members of this organization consist of public health educators, advocates, and researchers who work in non-profit, government, private, and academic sectors.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120673740369927872005-07-06T12:51:00.000-05:002005-07-06T13:21:42.303-05:00Abstinence-only education criticized<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/parenting/07/05/teen.pregnancy.ap/index.html">A leading group of pediatricians from the American Association of Pediatrics just released a report </a>arguing that evidence from numerous studies demonstrates that abstinence-only sex education for teens is not the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies. The group recommends instead that in addition to encouraging teen to put off having sex, sex education programs should educate them about their birth control (including <a href="http://thewellbeing.blogspot.com/2005/06/womens-reproductive-health-politics_22.html">emergency contraception</a>) and safe sex options. According to Dr. S. Paige Hertweck, one of the report's advisors, not educating teens about these latter options increases the likelihood that once they become sexually active, they will have unsafe sex and contract STDs.<br /><br />Although popular and heavily promoted by the Bush administration and other conservative groups, abstinence-only sex education programs are highly problematic. You can read about these programs' other problems <a href="http://thewellbeing.blogspot.com/2005/05/politics-of-us-hivaids-prevention.html">in my post about the Bush Administration's efforts </a>to promote abstinence-only approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention in the U.S. and Africa.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120668282572664632005-07-06T11:31:00.000-05:002005-07-06T11:45:27.353-05:00Two new blogsI've just added two new blogs to my blog roll. The first one, <a href="http://blog.bioethics.net">Blog.Bioethics.Net</a>, is group blog about, well, bioethics, that is run by the editors of <em>The American Journal of Bioethics.</em> It's a very interesting and information blog. Thanks to Karama Neal for telling me about it.<br /><br />The second blog, <a href="http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com/">So What Can I Do</a>?, is run by the aforementioned Karama (who, by the way, is a fellow Swarthmore College alum). This fabulous blog is chockful of resources and information about how to get involved in social and political activism of many kinds.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120588340865940982005-07-05T13:28:00.000-05:002005-07-06T12:48:05.513-05:00Another health benefit of same sex marriageFollowing up on <a href="http://thewellbeing.blogspot.com/2005/06/same-sex-marriage-in-spain.html">my earlier post about the topic</a>, here's another benefit of same sex marriage--<a href="http://www.swarthmore.edu/news/releases/05/dee.html">it appears to lower syphilis rates</a>. Thomas Dee, a Swarthmore College Professor, examined rates of syphilis, HIV, and gonorrhea in European countries that have introduced national recognition of same sex partnership laws. He found that syphilis rates were 24 percent lower in these countries than in European countries that did have such legislation. (Rates for HIV and gonorrhea were not significantly lower, however). Here's what Dee has to say about the meaning of the study's results:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>The evidence shows these laws could dramatically reduce risky sexual behavior and the social costs of some sexually transmitted infections," says Thomas Dee, an associate professor of economics. "However, the results may be even more important because of what they suggest are the likely effects of gay marriage on the degree of personal commitment in same-sex relationships."<br /></blockquote><br />In other words, legalizing same sex marriage (or at least passing laws that recognize the legitimacy of same sex partnerships) leads to greater personal commitment to one's relationship, which leads to increased monogamy and safer sex, which leads to decreased rates of at least one STD.<br /><br />It seems like a reasonable theory to me, and just reinforces my belief that sex sex marriage is not only a political and ethical issue but also a public health issue. The physical, psychological, and emotional health of gays and lesbians will benefit from providing them with the choice to marry and/or legally recognizing their relationships.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120580088550110082005-07-05T10:55:00.000-05:002005-07-06T10:47:48.523-05:00Yoga and meditation practice updateI had a good first week of returning to my yoga and meditation. My body and mind feel a bit creaky and stiff, but nothing that a few more weeks of practice won't fix. I don't think I'm going to practice them each day, though, becauser I also want to start doing more cardio exercise. In order not to take on too many extracurricular activities and feel time crunched, I'm going to do each type of activity on alternate days. So Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'll do my yoga and meditation, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I'll do my cardio work.<br /><br />I also checked out a meditation center, T<a href="http://www.milwaukeemindfulness.com">he Milwaukee Mindfulness Center</a>, near my house this past Sunday. I liked the space, the people, and the center's philosophy a lot. Here is its mission statement:<br /><br /><blockquote>The Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee is a spiritual community dedicated to the creation of a mindful culture fostering lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. We study and practice teachings from Buddhism and other traditions in order to nurture individuals, families, society, and a healthy planet.</blockquote><br />I look forward to going back. <br /><p></p><p align="left"> </p>Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120271355636268602005-07-03T06:45:00.000-05:002005-07-06T12:41:45.866-05:00Great alternative medicine siteI just came across a great site about alternative health and medicine, <a href="http://www.wholehealthmd.com">WholeHealthMD</a>. It is run by MDs who combine conventional and alternative medicine in their clinical practice. It has tons of useful information about herbs, vitamins and other supplements, alternative/natural approaches to diseases and disorders, healing foods, and alternative forms of disease treatment/prevention such as accupunture, homeopathy, yoga, meditation, etc. I found the site when conducting on-line research about the use of <a href="http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,779,00.html">evening primrose oil for the treatment of eczema</a>. I'll definitely be returning to this site often. I also added the site to my list of on-line health resources (see side bar).Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120242152503946282005-07-01T13:15:00.000-05:002005-07-01T13:22:32.503-05:00Check Your Boobies<a href="http://www.checkyourboobies.org/">Check Your Boobies </a>is a fun, hip, and informative site about breast cancer detection and prevention. Check it (and them) out. Thanks to<a href="http://blondebutbright.blogspot.com/"> BlondeButBright </a>who <a href="http://blondebutbright.blogspot.com/2005/06/check-your-boobies.html">blogged about this site </a>first.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12622825.post-1120236863926845622005-07-01T11:49:00.000-05:002005-07-01T13:11:17.690-05:00Yoga 101New to yoga? <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com">Yoga Journal's on-line website </a>has a great page called <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/newtoyoga/index.cfm?ctsrc=welcome">Yoga 101 </a>for people new to or interested in learning more about the practice. It has information about yoga philosophy, the different styles of yoga practice, poses for beginners, ways to do yoga at the office, and tips for finding a teacher, among other things.Barbara Leyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789344069896854677noreply@blogger.com2