Archive for the 'Women Health' Category
December 2nd, 2008 -- Posted in Women Health |
BBC health correspondent just filed a report linking cervical cancer to deprivation.
Cervical cancer is more common among women living in the most deprived areas of England than their affluent counterparts, research shows.
Data from the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) found diagnosis levels were twice as high in deprived areas.
Experts believe lower uptake of cervical screening in deprived areas is probably key.
It is hoped a new vaccine programme could cut cervical cancers sharply.
The NCIN analysis, based on more than 25,000 cases of cervical cancer, found that in the most deprived areas 12 women per 100,000 were diagnosed with the disease between 2000 and 2004.
In contrast, in the most affluent areas only six per 100,000 women were diagnosed in the same time period.
The most deprived areas included Newcastle and Liverpool, while the most affluent included parts of Surrey and the south coast.
Lead researcher Professor David Forman, from the University of Leeds, said: “These striking figures show there is still much more that needs to be done to tackle cancer in low-income communities.
“Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease – the national screening programme will pick up most cases before they even develop into cancer.
“Our figures suggest that women living in poorer areas are less likely to attend cervical screening than women who are better-off, so they are more likely to develop the disease.”
Professor Forman said other factors such as higher rates of smoking, and earlier onset of sexual activity might also contribute to raised cervical cancer rates in deprived areas.
You can read the full story here
July 7th, 2008 -- Posted in Beauty, Women Health |
Whenever you switch on the television set there seems to be an advertisement about the ways in which ageing affects a person’s skin, and what the remedy is. As a result there are any number of existing commercial skincare products available on the market, with new ones appearing on almost a daily basis. Most manufacturers of these products promise the user a younger looking skin that is free of wrinkles.
Traditionally skincare products and advertisements have been aimed at women; however, an increasing number of men are also becoming concerned about the signs of aging. Both women and men will pay a lot of money for these products, when there are more natural ways to keep your skin looking its best. However, many trials have shown that most of the cheaper products on the market do just as much good as the expensive ones. Creams will not rid your face of the appearance of lines; however, some beauty serums can smooth the appearance of these wrinkles a little, which means these are worth trying.
One of the most important things that affects the appearance of our skin is that of diet. Those people who eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as they can afford, a good helping of protein and low carbohydrates will have a better and younger looking skin than those who don’t. Fruits such as grapes and cherries have a high level of antioxidants in them and this helps to fight off the effects of free radicals and other pollutants that are in the atmosphere.
Our modern lifestyle means that we do everything at a faster pace than we used to and this has led to a tendency for many people to live on a diet of fast food and ready meals. These things are fine as an occasional treat, but if they become the mainstay of your diet then the effects on your skin and on your health will soon become apparent. You may think that eating well takes more time than you can afford but there are plenty of recipe books on the market that show you how to make a nutritious meal in a matter of minutes. It is worth giving more thought to your diet if you want your skin to look its best
Along with a good diet it is also important for you to incorporate regular skincare as part of your normal routine. You should exfoliate your skin on a regular basis. There are plenty of reasonably priced products on the market and they all do much the same job, clearing away the dead skin cells – this leaves your face and neck looking cleaner and brighter.
When you have exfoliated your skin, the next step is to use a good moisturiser. As we get older our skin loses moisture much more quickly than when we were younger. A moisturiser puts some of that back; you should ensure that the moisturiser you use also has SP15 as this helps to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
June 28th, 2008 -- Posted in Women Health |
Women in the UK are taking contraceptives to stop themselves from getting pregnant, but can it be that there really are no side effects to taking the pills, injections and what not. The medical profession have made such an important and serious issue seem like a child in a candy store choosing sweets. Here in England we have a much laid back approach to sexual health and in many cases trust the words of our doctors without doing any research beforehand.
In England when women visit an NHS clinic they are able to stock up on supplies of pills, have an injection there’s even a contraceptive device that’s inserted in to the uterus to block sperms from being able to fertilise the eggs (the intra uterine device) But just how seriously did the scientist consider side effects of taking the concoctions to prevent pregnancy. Say for instance a woman that was taking the pill to stop getting pregnant became one of the few women that still got pregnant whilst taking the contraceptive, If she falls pregnant whilst continuing to take to pill she will in fact be harming her un born child, she will be faced by the harsh reality of aborting the child or in fact delivering a stillborn, miscarrying and even having a child with birth abnormalities.
With each pill that is popped she will be as a term of speech (destroying the life inside her) There has been research conducted that has proven that the pill form of contraceptive can cause the following side effects in women:
· headaches
· tenderness of the breasts
· nausea
· slight weight gain
· Blood spotting in-between periods.
· heart attacks (coronary thrombosis)
· strokes
· Thrombosis (clotting) in the leg veins – possibly leading to a clot in the lung.
Think back to that visit that you took to your local NHS clinic the very moment that your doctor prescribed you with the contraceptive of your choice did you ever consider that you are putting yourself at risk by taking this prescription. Perhaps your doctor explained with you briefly the benefits and the risks of taking the medication but did the warning signs start to ring enough for you to stop and consider is it really worth taking the medication.
Experts in the NHS say that taking the pill can help to prevent breast cancer in women (feeding your child by the will of nature can do this) Experts say that the pill can help to prevent you getting bowel cancer (sorry to inform you but eating a healthy diet of fruit and vegetables is able to do this)
Another benefit that is said to be true of those women that are taking the pill is that they can reduce their risk of cervical cancer. (Sorry to sound negative however having regular smear tests and maintaining that you only sleep with one sexual partner for life will rapidly decrease your chances of getting cervical cancer)
Forms of contraceptives that are available on the NHS in England are as follows
· The Combined pill(you take daily for 21 days and stop for 7)
· Condoms
· Contraceptive implant (40mm)a flexible tube that contains progestogen is inserted to the upper arm area · The Contraceptive injection Depo-Provera lasts 12 weeks and the Noristerat lasts 8 weeks
· The Contraceptive patch sends oestrogen and progestogen into your blood lasts 1 week
· Diaphragms and caps made of latex silicone inserted to the vagina(each time you have intercourse)
· Emergency contraception (A pill that can be taken within 72 hours of intercourse)
· Intrauterine device (IUD) A T-shaped plastic and copper device that’s inserted into the womb lasts 3-10 years
· Intrauterine system (IUS) T-shaped plastic device lasts for 5 years
· Natural family planning (working out when your cycle is and when you ovulate)
· The Progestogen-only pill contains the hormone progestogen is taken daily.
As you can see there are many types of contraceptive devices, pills etc available but could it be that the old fashioned days of having one partner, marriage before sex could be more effective and healthy? The choice is yours
There are many health scares popping up in the UK and a worrying fact is that the contraceptives have been around for a short period of time. Apart from the condom the more recent types started to be introduced from the late 60s and up. Perhaps it could be that in the years to come more risks of taking them will emerge.
