News and Issues

By Judith Siers Poisson

The three previous articles in this series have examined the Politics and PR of Cervical Cancer in the United States. This fourth and final installment will look at how Merck's so-called "cervical cancer vaccine," Gardasil, is being marketed in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Health Canada is advising consumers not to use the sleep supplement product Optimum Health Care Sleep Easy, because it contains the undeclared drug clonazepam, which can be habit forming when used for as little as a few months. Consumers who may still have this product in their homes are advised to consult with a health care professional before they stop taking the pills, because of the risk of serious withdrawal symptoms.   For more information, please visit: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_89_e.html

Dear friends of breastfeeding,

Greetings! The 16 th World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), 1-7 August, is drawing near and we hope that you are as excited as we are on this year's theme, which is Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour - Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for six months can save more than ONE million babies !

• Download Free WBW Materials
• Photo Contest a Success! View the winning photos.
• Witness the Breast Crawl! Every newborn, when placed on the mother's abdomen, soon after birth, has the ability to find her mother's breast all on her own and to decide when to take the first breastfeed. This is called the ' Breast Crawl'.
• What is the Initiation Rate in Your Country?
• What's Happening in your Country?

Joanne Laucius, CanWest News Service

OTTAWA - The Canadian medical system must aggressively treat depression among caregivers to save the long-term costs of institutionalizing dementia patients, concludes a new study.

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They are mothers, daughters, former university students and stay-at-home moms. They have concerns about working conditions, the economy and family life. But because they're sex workers, they're often demonized and not given a voice.

Read the full story at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/848310.html

CTV.ca

Half of elderly Canadian patients who are prescribed the type of sleeping pills called benzodiazepines after being sent home from the hospital are still chronic users of the drugs six months later, finds a new study.

Doctors say the trend is worrisome because benzodiazepines can be addictive. They have also been linked to falls and related injuries such as hip fractures, motor vehicle collisions, as well as cognitive impairment -- particularly when combined with other drugs or alcohol.

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CBC News

The European Union has banned the use of mercury in thermometers and other devices as a part of a larger strategy to end the use of the highly toxic substance across the continent.

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Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre (AAMCHC) in collaboration with Dr. Carles Muntaner, Psychiatry and addiction Nursing Research Cahir at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is intitiating a new research intitiative focuse on exploring mental helath issues for Government Assisted Refugees (GARs).

The preliminary research will involve compiling a literature review on refugee mental health and conducting focus groups and key informant interviews to explore mental health issues related to both pre-migration as well as post-migration experiences for GARs. Mental health of women and youth will be particularly highlighted in this research.
http://www.accessalliance.ca/

Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

At the 2007 meetings of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, members discussed current consumer and medical interest in extended hormonal contraceptives to reduce or eliminate menstruation (cycle-stopping contraception). A number of research papers on this topic were presented. It is the position of the Society that menstruation is not a disease, and that further research on the potential health risks and long-term safety of cycle-stopping contraception is still needed.

To read more: http://menstruationresearch.org/position/menstrual-suppression-new-2007/

Reuters Health
Thursday, July 5, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Black women who feel they've been victims of

racial discrimination are more likely than their peers to develop breast cancer, a large study suggests.

The study, which followed 59,000 African-American women for six years, found that those who reported more incidents of racial discrimination had a higher risk of breast cancer.

Read more: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_51776.html .