In a speech Monday on sex education in Texas, Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said that grassroots support is essential to making improvements in reproductive health and education, the San Antonio ExpressNews reports. Richards was a guest speaker during the Faith & Freedom Speakers series, which was cosponsored by the Texas Freedom Network and Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South Central Texas. She said, “Grassroots action is what makes the difference. Weve got to be agents of change in America.” She added that the “country is changing” but that President Obama “can only do so much.”

Richards, the daughter of late Texas Gov. Ann Richards (D), founded the Texas Freedom network 14 years ago. The notforprofit organization promotes public education and religious freedom in a way that counters religious conservatism. The group has lobbied the Texas Legislature in support of comprehensive, medically accurate sex education in public schools.

Kathy Miller, president of TFN, said the group conducted a study this year that found that more than 95% of state schools only offer abstinenceonly education programs. She said, “At the same time, for six years in a row, Texas led the nation in multiple births to teens,” adding, “Weve been in the top three in the nation in teen births.”

As part of her speech, Richards highlighted the status of sex education and teen pregnancy statistics in the state. She also praised the Obama administrations fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, which would cut funding for abstinenceonly sex education. She said abstinenceonly sex education is a “political program, and were only now beginning to see what it has brought us.” To illustrate her point, she held up a textbook used in Texas sex education classes. “Theres absolutely nothing in here about using a condom or anything else that would prevent” a sexually transmitted infection, she said.

Richards said PPFA is collaborating with other organizations, like MTV and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide more teens with information that they might not have access to at school or at home. The collaborations include encouraging more young people to get tested for STIs and using technology, such as a 24hour chat line, to provide information (Fletcher Stoeltje, San Antonio ExpressNews, 9/15).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday announced a $17 million plan to fight sexual violence in eastern Congo, an issue she called “evil in its basest form,” the New York Times reports. Clintons visit to Congo is part of a sevennation tour of Africa that aims to strengthen U.S. relations with strategic African countries, as well as to seek resolutions to Africas wars. According to the Times, the worst conflict on the continent is in eastern Congo, where “various armed groups often vent their rage against women.” The United Nations calls Congo the “rape capital of the world,” and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped in the past 10 years. Various peace efforts and diplomatic visits have thus far done little to stem the violence, the Times reports. Clinton said that it is “almost impossible to describe the level of suffering,” adding that the rape epidemic in the region “is just horrific.”

Clinton said, “This problem is too big for one country to solve alone.” Under the new plan, the U.S. government would train physicians, supply rape survivors with video cameras to document violence and send military engineers to help build facilities. In addition, Congolese police officers, especially female officers, would receive training. “I spoke at length with [Congolese] President Kabila about the steps that need to be taken to protect civilians,” Clinton said, adding, “We believe there should be no impunity for the sexual and genderbased violence, and there must be arrests and punishment because that runs counter to peace.” She said that she urged the Congolese government to do more to protect its citizens and prosecute offenders in the nations military. According to the Times, the rapes are often perpetrated by Congolese soldiers, and the military is “notorious as one of the least disciplined, poorest paid armies anywhere.”

Clinton also met with several rape survivors and toured a refugee camp that houses 18,000 displaced people. She traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday night and is scheduled to talk with Nigerian officials on Wednesday (Gettleman, New York Times, 8/12).

Funding Should Be Used To Prevent Rape in Congo, Advocate Says

NPRs “All Things Considered” on Tuesday included a discussion with Anneke Van Woudenberg, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, about the rape epidemic in Congo and Clintons visit. Van Woudenberg, who spends about half her time in Congo, said that the U.N. estimates at least 200,000 women and girls have been raped since 1998 but that many advocates in the country think the number “probably is the tip of the iceberg.” She noted that the U.N. figures are based on the women “who have come forward, who are coming to health centers, who are seeking medical treatment.”

When asked how the funding from Clintons plan “would be best spent,” Van Woudenberg said there is an “increasing amoun[t] of aid money going into helping the victims of sexual violence,” which is “good, and these are people who definitely need assistance.” However, Human Rights Watch believes that “a lot more money needs to go into stopping rape,” including “ensuring that theres justice” and providing “better protection mechanisms for women and girls.” Van Woudenberg added, “We shouldnt just be helping the victims. We need to ensure that there are less victims in the future” (Block, “All Things Considered,” NPR, 8/11).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

The Kansas City Star on Sunday examined a national petition signed recently by several local organizations requesting that CVS Caremark unlock condoms in all of its CVS pharmacy stores. “The petition, sponsored by the labor coalition Change to Win, said CVS stores tended to lock up condoms, especially in lowincome neighborhoods with high numbers of minorities,” the Star reports. CVS has said the practice is “a defense against shoplifters in stores where large numbers of condoms were stolen,” according to the Star. CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis said not all condoms are locked in display cases. “DeAngelis also said the group behind the condom petition … was mounting a smear campaign against CVS because of a labor dispute,” the article states (Erickson, 7/12).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted 291 to pass a $48.69 billion draft bill to “fund the State Department and foreign affairs activities in fiscal 2010,” CQ reports. “Global health programs would receive $7.8 billion, which is $434 million more than fiscal 2009 funding and $178 million more than the administration request. The bill would provide $5.7 billion to fight HIV/AIDS and $700 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,” CQ writes. The amount allocated to the Global Fund exceeds Obamas request by $100 million but is “in line with fiscal 2009 funding,” according to the news service.

The bill would provide $628.5 million for family planning programs, including $50 million for the U.N. Population Fund. The Senate panel also adopted an amendment by Rep. Frank Lautenberg, DN.J., that “would make permanent Obamas decision earlier this year to revoke a policy prohibiting U.S. aid to overseas organizations that promote or perform abortions,” CQ reports (Webber, 7/9).

“The policy in effect under President George W. Bush had banned U.S. taxpayer money … from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion as a family planning method,” according to AP/Google.com. This amendment would give the Obama policy “the force of law. That means the next Republican president would not be able to put the ban back in place with the stroke of a pen as has been recent practice,” writes the newswire (Taylor, 7/9).

The Senate Appropriations Committees press release includes a break down of the bills funding (7/9).

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a “$48.8 billion spending bill to bolster U.S. foreign policy and aid efforts,” the Washington Post reports (Pelofsky & Cornwell, 7/9).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Men can now take control of their sexual health and confront any concerns without embarrassment using NHS Directs new online symptom checker.

The symptom checker, which will be available at nhsdirect.nhs.uk from 15 June, is suitable for all males over the age of 12 and covers problems with the penis, testicles and genital area.

Pain, swelling, injury and infection are just some of the areas covered. Sensitive topics, which may be difficult to talk about, are also covered such as sexual assault or abuse and sexual dysfunction.

The symptom checker works by asking the user a series of questions. Depending of the information provided, it may suggest a number of options including a visit to a GP, (either routinely or urgently), A&E or a sexual health (GUM) clinic, or to seek further advice from a pharmacist. In some cases, a further assessment can be suggested, with a call back from an NHS Direct nurse advisor. The user can choose to remain anonymous for the call back.

Users could be given advice that enables them to treat themselves at home. In these cases, instructions are always given explaining what to do if the problem persists or worsens.

NHS Direct is a partner in National Mens Health Week (commencing 15 June), which is focused on improving mens access to health services. The male sexual health symptom checker is key to improving mens engagement with sexual health issues, enabling NHS Direct to reach men who may be less comfortable using the telephone or talking about sensitive issues facetoface.

Helen Young, NHS Direct Clinical Director and Chief Nurse, says “NHS Direct is delighted to be partnering Mens Health Week, helping to raise the level of awareness amongst men about the range of health services available. NHS Direct is for everyone and its important that our services are easily accessible and appealing to a male audience too.”

NHS Direct deals with fewer men than women 40 per cent of callers to NHS Direct are male, while around 20 per cent of the calls specifically about sexual health are from men. Last month, 30 per cent of online enquires on all subjects were initiated by men.

The most common enquiries received from male callers are dental, abdominal pain and rashes. Common subjects of enquiry specifically relating to sexual health include rectal bleeding, urinary retention and penile pain or swelling.

Helen Young adds “Sexual health is unfortunately often a low priority for men and the subject can be viewed as embarrassing and uncomfortable to talk about. The new symptom checker encourages men to take the reins when it comes to their concerns and seek confidential advice. Its vitally important that anyone with a concern about their sexual health seeks advice at the earliest opportunity. Often problems can be dealt with easily if picked up early but the longer something is left the more chance there is of further complications.”

The new symptom checker has been developed to reflect the same protocols used by NHS Directs telephone advisors, making it much more effective than other self help guides and symptom checkers that are not integrated with NHS Direct contact centres.

Notes

NHS Direct handles over 25,000 calls a day. Thats over 9 million calls a year.

The NHS Direct Online website (nhsdirect.nhs.uk) receives around 21 million visits a year.

NHS Direct employs over 3,500 staff, over 1,100 of who are trained nurses.

Free to Be, a federallyfunded organization in California that teaches abstinenceonly sex education to students, is at the center of a debate with education officials and others in Sonoma County over whether their curriculum is in compliance with state rules requiring that sexual health education programs in public schools be “balanced” and include information on sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and contraception, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. Sonoma County Office of Education officials in May banned the group from giving any further presentations on public school campuses, citing state law. Free to Be, as well as several school superintendents from around the county, said they are currently reviewing their legal options (Benefield, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 6/7).

This information was reprinted from dailyreports.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily U.S. HIV/AIDS Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at dailyreports.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

“President Obamas push to reenergize the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States led to concern that he was going to allow U.S. global leadership in fighting the disease to languish,” a Washington Post editorial says, adding, “Those fears ought to be calmed after Mr. Obamas announcement Tuesday of an initiative that will sustain” the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

PEPFAR is a “successful” and “groundbreaking program” that a recent study found prevented about 1.2 million deaths, the editorial says. It adds that about $18.8 billion was spent on the program between 2003 and 2008 and that Congress and former President George W. Bush last year authorized $48 billion for PEPFAR over five years. Obamas plan “boosts” global health spending to $63 billion over six years, the editorial says, adding, “PEPFAR would receive the bulk of the funding ($51 billion). The rest would be aimed at averting unintended pregnancies and eliminating some tropical diseases.”

According to the editorial, “[e]fforts to end deaths from AIDS will continue to fail until ways are found to slow and eventually halt the number of HIV infections. This task will fall to Dr. Eric Goosby,” who earlier this month was named U.S. global AIDS coordinator. “For more than 25 years, Dr. Goosby has fought the epidemic,” the editorial says, concluding, “He has helped develop and implement major treatment programs in South Africa, Rwanda, China and Ukraine. Given this vast experience, Mr. Goosby must make it a priority to find ways to bring down the rates of HIV infection” (Washington Post, 5/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

“President Obamas push to reenergize the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States led to concern that he was going to allow U.S. global leadership in fighting the disease to languish,” a Washington Post editorial says, adding, “Those fears ought to be calmed after Mr. Obamas announcement Tuesday of an initiative that will sustain” the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

PEPFAR is a “successful” and “groundbreaking program” that a recent study found prevented about 1.2 million deaths, the editorial says. It adds that about $18.8 billion was spent on the program between 2003 and 2008 and that Congress and former President George W. Bush last year authorized $48 billion for PEPFAR over five years. Obamas plan “boosts” global health spending to $63 billion over six years, the editorial says, adding, “PEPFAR would receive the bulk of the funding ($51 billion). The rest would be aimed at averting unintended pregnancies and eliminating some tropical diseases.”

According to the editorial, “[e]fforts to end deaths from AIDS will continue to fail until ways are found to slow and eventually halt the number of HIV infections. This task will fall to Dr. Eric Goosby,” who earlier this month was named U.S. global AIDS coordinator. “For more than 25 years, Dr. Goosby has fought the epidemic,” the editorial says, concluding, “He has helped develop and implement major treatment programs in South Africa, Rwanda, China and Ukraine. Given this vast experience, Mr. Goosby must make it a priority to find ways to bring down the rates of HIV infection” (Washington Post, 5/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

In recent conflicts, largest notably in Rwanda, women and girls have olden systematically raped as a plan of war. as the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, Hutu leaders ordered their troops to rape Tutsi women as module of their genocidal drive. United Nations officials estimated that a quarter of a million women were raped and subjected to sexual violence on a massive scale. A new study published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship explores the lived judgment of women who were raped all on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and finds bounteous themes unexampled to Rwandan women survivors.

While rape is always a matter of regulating virtue relations interpolated the sexes, some differences exist at intervals rape in peacetime and wartime. Donatilla Mukamana, Head of Mental hardiness area, Kigali healthfulness Institute, Rwanda (and Masters intensity student at the University of KwaZuluNatal, South Africa) and Petra Brysiewicz, Ph.D.,of the University of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa (research supervisor), interviewed seven women who were raped over the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The researchers gathered figures that were focused on what happened in the lives of the women and what was paramount about their experiences.

The participants reported multiplied themes unequivocal to the rape tourists who survived the Rwandan genocide.

The women felt violated by perceived inferiors as well as a loss of dignity and respect. To be a woman in Rwandan society implies respect from all sisters of the community. Women were humiliated by public rape, which was carried out in the community by those who were supposed to respect them.

The women felt a loss of identity, loss of hope for the future, and social isolation. In Rwanda, rape and other genderbased violations carry a severe social stigma. Children resulting from rape were seen as being difficult to integrate into Rwandan society and were a source of conflict since they were a constant reminder of what happened pending the genocide. The genocide in sync with destroyed support networks owing to participants lost multifold posts of their community and progeny.

Bringing rape survivors wellorganized in an association close AVEGA (Association of the Widows of the Genocide of April) allows them to recreate a community for themselves. AVEGA helped participants overcome their sense of isolation and gave them medical, psychological, and material cure.

The results can comfort nurses to understand war and rape, and thus have needed score which can be used to essay assistance to women in these circumstances. “It is hoped that the dope regarding the womens actual experiences will institute awareness and some understanding of what these women endured,” the authors conclude.

blurb adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

that study is published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.

Petra Brysiewicz, Ph.D., is affiliated with the University of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa.

Reaching hardiness professionals, faculty and students in 90 countries, the Journal of Nursing Scholarship is focused on bloom of folk around the terrene. It is the customary journal of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau cosmopolitan, and reflects the honor societys dedication to providing the tools necessary to improve nursing care globally.

WileyBlackwell was formed in February 2007 as a byproduct of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wileys Scientific, Technical, and Medical line. wellbalanced, the companies have constituted a global publishing vocation with deep strength in ever and anon major academic and professional field. WileyBlackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peerreviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more news on WileyBlackwell, please browse blackwellpublishing.com/ or interscience.wiley.com

Source Amy Molnar
WileyBlackwell

In recent conflicts, utmost notably in Rwanda, women and girls have unstylish systematically raped as a the numbers of war. midst the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, Hutu leaders ordered their troops to rape Tutsi women as limb of their genocidal drive. United Nations officials estimated that a quarter of a million women were raped and subjected to sexual violence on a massive scale. A new study published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship explores the lived training of women who were raped when the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and finds multiplied themes single to Rwandan women survivors.

While rape is always a matter of regulating capability relations within the sexes, some differences exist inserted rape in peacetime and wartime. Donatilla Mukamana, Head of Mental fitness area, Kigali salubriousness Institute, Rwanda (and Masters measure student at the University of KwaZuluNatal, South Africa) and Petra Brysiewicz, Ph.D.,of the University of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa (research supervisor), interviewed seven women who were raped midst the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The researchers gathered poop sheet that were focused on what happened in the lives of the women and what was salient about their experiences.

The participants reported sundry themes restricted to the rape gophers who survived the Rwandan genocide.

The women felt violated by perceived inferiors as well as a loss of dignity and respect. To be a woman in Rwandan society implies respect from all pieces of the community. Women were humiliated by public rape, which was carried out in the community by those who were supposed to respect them.

The women felt a loss of identity, loss of hope for the future, and social isolation. In Rwanda, rape and other genderbased violations carry a severe social stigma. Children resulting from rape were seen as being difficult to integrate into Rwandan society and were a source of conflict since they were a constant reminder of what happened mid the genocide. The genocide wellbalanced with destroyed support networks being participants lost several representatives of their community and tribe.

Bringing rape survivors welladjusted in an association approximative AVEGA (Association of the Widows of the Genocide of April) allows them to recreate a community for themselves. AVEGA helped participants overcome their sense of isolation and gave them medical, psychological, and material cooperation.

The results can advice nurses to understand war and rape, and thus have needed knowledge which can be used to presentation assistance to women in these circumstances. “It is hoped that the the latest regarding the womens actual experiences will author awareness and some understanding of what these women endured,” the authors conclude.

exposition adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

that study is published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.

Petra Brysiewicz, Ph.D., is affiliated with the University of KwaZuluNatal in South Africa.

Reaching fine feather professionals, faculty and students in 90 countries, the Journal of Nursing Scholarship is focused on haleness of masses around the macrocosm. It is the sanctioned journal of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau worldly, and reflects the honor societys dedication to providing the tools necessary to improve nursing care globally.

WileyBlackwell was formed in February 2007 as a termination of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wileys Scientific, Technical, and Medical line. stable, the companies have erected a global publishing pursuit with deep strength in from time to time major academic and professional field. WileyBlackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peerreviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more inside fantasy on WileyBlackwell, please explore blackwellpublishing.com/ or interscience.wiley.com

Source Amy Molnar
WileyBlackwell