Surgical mesh implants used to treat weakening in the pelvic region, a particularly common problem after childbirth, may actually do more harm than good, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports Wednesday.
Women’s Health
All Hype: Flaxseed Doesn’t Stop Hot Flashes
It was too good to be true: a study by Mayo Clinic researchers finds that flaxseed doesn’t help prevent hot flashes after all.
After Liposuction, the Fat Returns — Just in a Different Place
Who needs diet and exercise, when you’ve got liposuction? The flab-busting procedure is now the most popular plastic surgery in the U.S., with surgeons siphoning fat from the love handles and saddlebags of nearly half a million …
Newer Birth Control Pills Carry a Higher Risk of Blood Clots
Two studies published in the British Medical Journal confirm that birth control pills increase the risk of blood clots.
Warning: Getting Your Hair Straightened Could Endanger Your Health
Bad news for women who like to get their hair severely straightened with the popular Brazilian blowout technique à la Jennifer Aniston: it may look good, but apparently it’s not good for you.
Making Sense of Hormone Therapy After Menopause
This week a government-sponsored study allayed many women’s fears about the health risks of hormone therapy after menopause, finding that estrogen-only therapy may be less dangerous than previously thought. So, taken together, …
Study: The ‘Morning-After’ Pill Works the Day Before Too
The morning-after pill is approved for use as an emergency contraceptive, meant to be taken the day after unprotected sex, but a new study suggests women might be able to use it as regular birth control as well.
Study: Antidepressants May Relieve Hot Flashes
Menopausal or postmenopausal women may benefit from taking an antidepressant — not because they’re depressed, but because the drug could help reduce the often insufferable hot flashes that characterize menopause, according to …
Study: National Abortion Rates Plateau, While Protests Increase
A new study from the Guttmacher Institute reports that national abortion rates remained steady between 2005 and 2008 after more than a decade-long decline that saw numbers far lower than the country’s highest recorded rate in …
The New-Old Practice of Vaginal Steam Baths
Spas offer treatments for just about every body part these days, so it isn’t terribly surprising that the Tikkun Holistic Spa in Santa Monica is now offering a $50 V-Steam — literally a steam bath for their female clients’ …
Study: Restless Leg Syndrome During Pregnancy May Recur
Of all the conditions that appear during pregnancy — from gestational diabetes and acne to foot growth and intense cravings — transient restless leg syndrome (RLS) doesn’t get a lot of attention. But according to new research …
Are Doctors’ Exams a Barrier to Birth Control?
Physicians usually require an annual pelvic exam before prescribing oral birth control to women, but the two practices have no medical reason to be linked. Indeed, according to a consortium of health-care providers and …
Study: Multiple Miscarriages May Raise the Risk of Heart Attack
Women who experience more than one pregnancy loss — including miscarriage and stillbirth — are at greater risk for heart attack later in life, according to a study of more than 11,000 European women.