Pill could alter mate bonding

As Mugatu said in the movie “Zoolander” — “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

Oral contraceptives can make women have clearer skin, reduce cramps, cause weight gain and mess with our emotions. I’ve heard many women tell me that they felt more emotional than usual and a bit crazy when they were on the pill. Ingesting a daily dose of estrogen and/or progesterone will produce both physical and emotional effects on the body.

I know this because I’ve been on oral contraceptives for about three years, trying various brands and doses. Sometimes I will blame some of my actions and moods on the pill, and a recent study helped me — somewhat — justify that blame.

A study has shown that oral contraceptives can negatively alter the process by which a woman chooses her mate through her sense of smell. The aromatic molecules that both men and women send out can actually show genetic compatibility.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes produce an odor that invokes a response from those around you. According to an article on MSNBC, the best mates are individuals who have a different MHC scent that you do.

The recent study on how oral contraceptives effect the reception of MHC odors shows that those women on the pill choose individuals who have MHC smells that match theirs.

The reason experts are saying this isn’t good is because MHC cells also produce a substance that informs the body whether a cell is native or an invader. When people with different MHC genes mate their children’s immune systems are stronger because they can identify a broader range of foreign cells, which makes them more fit.

Odor perception also plays a part in maintaining attraction between partners, and lead researcher Stewart Craig Roberts, an evolutionary psychologist from the University of Newcastle in England, said the way that oral contraceptives alter a woman’s perception can ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships while on the pill.

Past studies have indicated that couples with opposite or dissimilar MHC scents are more satisfied in their relationships and more likely to be faithful to their mates.

The study involved about 100 women between the ages of 18 and 35. At the beginning of the study, the women were given six male body-odor samples and were asked which they preferred. Some of the women were not given oral contraceptives, while the rest started taking the pill for about three months.

Afterward, the women who weren’t on oral contraceptives didn’t show a noteworthy preference for similar or dissimilar MHC odors, while the odor preference for the women who were on the pill changed. The results showed that those women were more likely to prefer similar MHC odors than the non-pill users.

I posted the MSNBC article online and asked my peers whether or not they thought this study was legitimate. Interestingly, two men completely agreed with the study. I wonder if they are agreeing because of their personal experiences with women on the pill.

Women aren’t crazy for taking the pill; choosing to delay pregnancy is a valid choice and I can’t say that, if I learned about this years ago I would stop taking it because I might be sniffing out the wrong mate. Women who are considering taking oral contraceptives, or are already on them, should talk to their doctor about more serious side effects of the pill than how it changes who you choose as a mate, so they know what they’re getting themselves into.

Note: I have chosen to stop taking the pill. My next entry will discuss whether or not I feel a change from not taking the pill.

Science shows how men objectify women

A recent article by CNN explained how men view bikini-clad women as objects, according to new scientific research by Susan Fiske, a professor of psychology at Princeton University.

The research concluded that when men view images of women in bikinis, their brain areas associated with handling tools and intention to perform actions become more active.

"This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," Fiske told CNN.

The article says that the way men depersonalize sexual or revealing images of women is a byproduct of human evolution.

"They're not fully conscious responses, and so people don't know the extent to whichttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifh they're being influenced," Fiske said in the CNN article. "It's important to recognize the effects."

The study was done at and involved 21 male heterosexual undergraduate students. They were provided with questions, and their answers would show whether they are sexist, and to what degree. A "benevolent" sexist would believe in sexist traditions like how the woman's place is supposed to be in the home. A "hostile" sexist would believe women attempt to dominate men.

While viewing images of women in next to nothing, the area in their brains associated with analyzing thoughts and feelings was inactive in those men who were rated as hostile sexists. Also, Fiske said that men seem to remember those scantily-clad women better than fully-clothes women, even though each image shown was displayed for only a second or shorter.

Not just another four-letter word

In a recent article by Real Simple magazine, sociologists, psychologists, authors and other experts analyzed the "real meaning of love," by discussing common love sayings. Below is an excerpt from the original article, and below the expert responses I have put my own personal responses.
*This blog entry is different from other entries, but the discussion is relative to healthy relationships and thus still falls under the broad category of women's health.


1. Say "I love you" every day

Barbara De Angelis, personal-development expert: Say it as often as possible. There's no reason to be emotionally stingy with the person you love.

Nancy Kalish, psychologist: I agree that it should be said often, but it should be said sincerely, so it means something. Not just "Good-bye. Love you."

~My Response: As long as you mean it, I don't see why anyone should reserve I love you's for special occasions. Expressing your feelings for someone should evoke happiness. I agree with Kalish that it shouldn't be said in jest to someone you truly care about.



2. Play hard to get

Sam Yagan, dating Web site OkCupid, cofounder: Playing hard to get starts the relationship off on a deceptive foot. If you want your relationship to be based on trust, honesty, and communication, why would you begin it like that?

Greg Behrendt, coauthor of "He's Just Not That Into You": You shouldn't play hard to get; you should be hard to get, because your life is so busy and fulfilling. My wife and I call it being a MOD - a moving object of desire.

My Response: I absolutely love what Behrendt had to say on this. He put it beautifully. Though I have to say, a little bit of playing hard to get doesn't seem like it would be detrimental to a relationship, as Yagan put it. I understand that starting off a relationship by blatantly lying about things is wrong, but saying you're busy one night when you really aren't can't cause too much harm - right?

3. Your spouse shouldn't be your best friend

Pepper Schwartz, sociologist: I agree. I think you're asking a lot of your marriage to have the level of confidentiality, truthfulness, and disclosure that a best friendship has. Your marriage can fulfill only so many roles.

De Angelis: I disagree. If your spouse isn't your best friend, then what is he? I think it's important that you not only love him but like him a lot, too.

John Gray, author of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus": I have no problem with partners who are best friends, but you should have other close friends to confide in as well - especially when you are having relationship difficulties and need time away from your spouse. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

My Response: I think that relationships that take off from friendships tend to work well because you've already gotten to know each other. You can love someone and have sexual chemistry, but if you can't stand to hang out with him or her for too long or feel like you can't confide in your spouse, that's a problem. I like what Gray had to say about not having your spouse as your only best friend - having friends outside of a romantic relationship is definitely important.


I've previously talked about Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, the author of "What Your Mother Never Told You About S-E-X." Her book discusses relationships and the issues that can come up with love. Check out her website HERE.

British study finds more evidence linking alcohol consumption to cancer in women

A recent article by the Associated Press reported that even moderate alcohol consumption will increase the risk of multiple cancers in women.

Researchers from the United Kingdom surveyed about 1.3 million middle-aged British women at breast cancer screening clinics about their drinking habits. The researchers tracked the health of these women for seven years. The data collected concluded that a quarter of the women reportedly did not consume alcohol, and almost all the rest of the women reported consuming fewer than three drinks per day with the average being one drink a day.

The article states the researchers compared those who drank the least, those who drank two or fewer drinks in a week, with those who drank more. The conclusions were astonishing: with each extra drink per day consumed, a woman's risk of breast, rectal and liver cancer increased. The type of alcohol - whine, beer or liquor - didn't matter. This discovery is supported by earlier research done on the subject, but this data also deduced that alcohol consumption was linked to esophageal and oral cancers only when smokers drank.

Many young women who smoke when they drink don't consider themselves "smokers," however this new research may make them think twice about both drinking and lighting up.

Interestingly, the research also revealed that moderate drinkers had a lower risk of thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and renal cell cancer.

According to the AP article, "For an individual woman, the overall alcohol risk is small. In developed countries, about 118 of every 1,000 women develop any of these cancers, and each extra daily drink added 11 breast cancers and four of the other types to that rate, the study found."

This research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

To check out a YouTube video on this article by the BBC, go HERE.

Experimental vaginal gel may offer hope in fight against HIV/AIDS

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, studies of a vaginal gel shows encouraging results in the fight against HIV.

Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Lexington, Mass. has created microbicide PRO 2000, a gel compound that has proved to be safe and 30 percent effective in preventing the AIDS virus from infecting women.

The NIH said that 33 percent effectiveness is considered statistically significant, according to an Associated Press article.

"Although more data are needed to conclusively determine whether PRO 2000 protects women from HIV infection, the results of this study are encouraging," said National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci in a statement to the AP.

The NIH, which includes the NIAID, said that it was suggested through the institute's first large clinical study of a microbicide that the microbicide gel is to be applied topically to the vagina or rectum. The study involved more than 3,000 women in six African cities and one in the United States.

The results of the clinical trials were revealed on Feb. 9 at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Montreal, Canada, by the NIH.

"An effective microbicide would be a valuable tool that women could use to protect themselves against HIV and one that could substantially reduce the number of new HIV infections worldwide," Fauci said in the article.

According to the article, Women make up 50 percent of all HIV-infected people worldwide, but nearly 60 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, NIH said.

Web MD also has an article on the subject here.

Women are burning for a chance at an education, career

Up until 2001, Afghanistan was ruled by the former Taliban government. And under that government, young women and girls were not allowed to attend school. These women were also not allowed to leave their homes without a male family member to escort them.

But for the past seven years women have no longer been controlled by the Taliban government and no longer have to live in fear of death for pursuing an education or a career, right?

Wrong.

The recent attack on at least 15 Afghan female students and teachers from Mirwais Nika Girls High School in the Kandahar province are likely to have been carried out by members of the Taliban, who oppose the education of women, according to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

In November, two men on a motorcycle using toy squirt guns sprayed the young women with battery acid. The men fled the scene as soon as people came to help the injured women. Some of the women were shielded from the acid by their Islamic burkas or veils, but most of the victims suffered severe burns. At least one of them will need reconstructive surgery on her face and neck.

These women are literally risking their lives to better themselves in a world where the odds are stacked up against them. These women want to be doctors, educators, and have careers – and lives – of their own. At what cost must women pay for basic rights and freedoms?

Ten Taliban insurgents are currently in custody as suspects in the attack. The New York Times reported that Afghanistan officials are saying that the Taliban militants, who were citizens of Afghanistan, confessed to their involvement in the attack on November 12 and that someone high in the Taliban ranks paid the insurgents the equivalent of $1,275 for each girl they managed to burn.

According to the BBC News reports, only two million girls attend school in Afghanistan. Although the government in Afghanistan continuously pushes to encourage the education of women, many conservative families in the country prefer to keep women and girls at home and uneducated.

There have been hundreds of schools and female students attacked by those opposed to female education in recent years. The Taliban strongly opposes women in school and in the workplace, and have protested by torching schools, murdering school employees and distributing leaflets to warn parents not to send their children (specifically girls) to school.

Less than a third of Afghan children actually go to school, and that rate is even lower in the Kandahar province, where the acid attack occurred. Girls make up 17 percent of Kandahar’s students, and women’s literacy rate in the province is only 5 percent.

Acid attacks on female students are happening all over the world, with most recent reports of these types of crimes in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

MSNBC News did a report in August of this year on Saira Liaqat, a Pakistani woman who’s right eye was melted and her hands were severely damaged in an acid attack years before. Liaqat is one of Pakistan’s female victims of acid and arson attacks.

According to the article, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan found that in 2007, at least 33 women were burned in acid attacks and 45 women were set on fire. However, these numbers are well under the actual number of attacks because so many women don’t report incidents out of fear of their attackers are simply unable to pay legal bills.

If you want to learn about how to help some of these women, check out RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, at www.rawa.org.

Sexual trauma affects female veterans

One in seven female military veterans are distressed and suffering after enduring sexual trauma during their service, a recent study presented to the American Public Health Association shows.

Those veterans, both men and women who are victims of sexual trauma, from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who sought Veterans' Administration (VA) medical assistance were found to have depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders and substance-abuse disorders, according to an article from the Feminist Daily News, part of the Feminist Majority Foundation. Post-traumatic stress disorder was found to be much more common in women than men in that group.

According to the article, this is the first research study done that has focused on linking sexual trauma to post-traumatic stress disorder in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Men and women veterans who reported sexual trauma, including rape or threatened sexual harassment, were three times as likely to be diagnosed with a mental disorder than those veterans who didn't report any sexual trauma, as found by researchers at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The data collected for the research involved screening 89,960 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who sought medical care at any VA hospital or health clinic over a six-year span, according to an article by the Washington Post. According to the article, 14.5 percent of women and .6 percent of men reported having experienced sexual trauma during their service. Of those women who reported, 76 percent were diagnosed with a mental disorder.

According to the Veterans Health Administration policy, all female and male veterans that visit a VA hospital or clinic are required to be screened for experiences of military sexual trauma, and treatment for victims of military sexual trauma is to be provided for free at all VA facilities.

I can't image why someone would think it's right to abuse someone in any way. These women chose to serve the United States, and they come home feeling abused and traumatized from the experience. Military service isn't supposed to be all fun and smiles, but it should definitely not be a breeding ground for the sexual abuse of anyone.

Edna B. Foa, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, studies sexual violence and told the Washington Post that if victims of sexual trauma get treatment, many of them can recover.

Foa said that about 20 percent of women who are raped in the general U.S. population develop post-traumatic stress disorder. "Even if they don't meet the criteria of the disorder, many of them will have symptoms that will cause them distress, difficulties having sexual relationships, etc ... Having a sexual trauma is serious," she said.

This issue is real and is beginning to get the media attention it deserves. Women are truly affected by sexual trauma afflicted upon them during military service. "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq,"by Helen Benedict, a professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, focuses on this very issue. Her nonfiction book will be published in April 2009 and will likely be a collection of stories of abused military women and their personal experiences.



Image from www.helenbenedict.com.

Reconstruction surgery an option for survivors

Breast cancer is a disease affecting millions of women across the globe. Many of those women diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer choose to have a mastectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of the breast.

My mother is a breast cancer survivor, and because of her aggressive breast cancer and her family history of breast cancer she decided to have a double mastectomy.

The process of my mom’s breast reconstruction surgery began immediately after her double mastectomy. The surgeons removed both of her breasts, then inserted expander implants under the remaining skin. These implants had a small amount of saline in them and have ports that allow doctors to gradually fill up the implants over time to the desired size.

The expanders slowly stretch the skin as it heals from the surgery to make room for the implant she had put in later. The expander implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate to the woman’s body type. My mom went in multiple times to get hers filled to the size she wanted. She says now that she liked the way her breasts looked with the expander implants in and she wishes that they could have been left in.

Once the expander implants have done their job, they are removed and permanent implants are put into place. My mom chose to have saline implants because she heard horror stories of women who had silicone implants leak and poison the body. Before she even had cancer, my mom had a breast augmentation and learned about the costs and benefits of both saline and silicone. This helped her with her decision on her current implant.

Today’s options for reconstruction help make reconstructed breasts look close to normal. Breasts can be reconstructed using either saline or silicone gel implants, with tissue from your own back, belly or butt, and can be reconstructed to have a smooth surface and even nipples. Nipples are created through tattooing or from your own transplanted tissue, or a combination of both.

After healing from those surgeries, my mom decided to have skin taken from her upper inner thigh to create nipples. Once the nipples were created, they were tattooed to give the look of an actual areola.

My maternal grandmother also had breast cancer and had one of her breasts removed. Her doctor gave her the option to have reconstructive surgery after healing from her mastectomy. She decided to go through with it and have the procedure done immediately rather than waiting.

After the surgery she knew there was something wrong, and she says that her doctor told her that her skin wasn’t healing because of the implant. She decided to have the implant removed. She says now that she regrets not listening to her doctor originally because now she deals with a prosthetic breast. She wears the prosthesis in her bra to make her feel more confident and balance out her chest.

For more information about breast reconstruction, check out www.breastreconstruction.org. The site breaks down the process of breast reconstruction surgery in a way that’s easy to understand.

Image courtesy of mentorcorp.com.

Regular Pap tests can help prevent cervical cancer

by Tiffany Rider

The small room, the cold stirrups, the dreaded speculum. Some women are afraid of getting pelvic exams, but the twice-a-year trip is necessary to help keep women – and their gynecologists – familiar with their genitalia. It really isn’t all that scary and only takes about five minutes.

Most gynecologists suggest that young women should begin having pelvic exams when they turn 18 or become sexually active. However, there are no defined reasons for a woman to begin getting pelvic exams.

There are some guidelines that can help young women determine when to start getting checked out, including if a woman has unexplained pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding that lasts for more than 10 days or vaginal discharge that causes burning or itching.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or whether or not you are sexually active if you have any of these symptoms. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, it is important to talk to a health provider as soon as possible.

Gynecologists recommend that you not have sex, use vaginal creams or douche for 24 hours before the exam.

Pelvic exams can be embarrassing to some. It’s a good idea to consult your gynecologist before the exam and let her or him know if you are feeling nervous.

During a pelvic exam, a gynecologist will check your sex organs for any gynecological problems. There are usually three parts to the exam: an external exam, a speculum exam and a bimanual exam.

During the external exam, your doctor will look at your vulva (clitoris, labia and vaginal opening) and rectum for anything out of the ordinary.

The speculum exam is just that – a look at your internal sex organs using a speculum to dilate the vaginal opening. The bimanual exam is when the gynecologists use one or two gloved fingers to feel the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus for any abnormalities.

A pelvic exam is basically a checkup but can sometimes involve a Papanicolaou (Pap) Test.

A Pap test is a microscopic examination of cells taken from the cervix. During a routine cervical screening, a gynecologist will swab the cervix with a small brush or “broom” to collect a cell sample. The sample is then examined for signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) and other cancer-causing or cancerous cells.

According to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, because there is a vaccine and a screening test available. It also is highly curable when found and treated early.”

According to youngwomenshealth.org, in the United States there are about 2 million to 3 million abnormal Pap test results found each year. Most of the abnormal tests show the early stages of diseases like cervical cancer.

The CDCP emphasizes the importance of getting tested for cervical cancer because “6 of 10 cervical cancers occur in women who have never received a Pap test or have not been tested in the past five years.”

The best way to detect cervical cancer is by having regular Pap tests. Pap tests have been connected to the decline of cancer and death from cervical cancer because getting tested promotes prevention and early detection.

Women should get a Pap test annually, unless they are at a higher risk and their gynecologists suggest getting tested more frequently. Cervical cancer is sometimes symptomless and cannot be detected without a cervical screening.

The image above is from youngwomenshealth.gov

Just to clarify...

In my last blog entry, I said "I believe that if a woman has sexual dissatisfaction, she would most likely be bothered by it, and thus would want to consult a physician for an evaluation."
I think what I meant to say was that I would hope that women would take their health concerns to a physician. I think it is important to tell your doctor if you feel symptoms of sexual dissatisfaction and to discuss them with your partner. The above statement is more of an assumption, and I know that I can't assume that all women who feel symptoms of sexual dissatisfaction will do anything about it.

I just thought I'd clarify that. By the way, check out the new links on my page!


***Update***
I just found this article from the Washington Post about female sexual dysfunction. Check it out HERE.