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According to a recent investigation, doctors in rural areas of India may be performing unnecessary hysterectomies (the surgical removal of the uterus) on women in an attempt to make additional money. While it is difficult to obtain exact statistics regarding hysterectomies in rural Indian villages, local reports and anecdotal information suggest that private doctors are frightening a number of women into receiving the procedure.
One woman, whose experience is similar to others who have been interviewed, recalls going to a private doctor initially for heavy bleeding during menstruation. After performing a single ultrasound, the doctor told her that she might develop cancer in the future, and needed to undergo surgery immediately. Although she wanted to wait and discuss the possible surgery with her family, the doctor pressured her into receiving the procedure a few hours later. Independent doctors have come to the consensus that a single ultrasound cannot justify a hysterectomy, and that biopsies and other tests are better indicators of cancer or pre-cancer. However, a doctor at the clinic where the woman received the operation admitted that he doesn’t always schedule biopsies prior to performing hysterectomies, so if the uterus or biopsy material is discarded afterwards, there is no way to prove whether the procedures were necessary or not.
Unfortunately, the case highlighted above is not unique in India. There are reports of large numbers of women receiving hysterectomies in some Indian states, and in one village it’s reported that around 90% of women have received a hysterectomy. As these procedures can be costly, women often have to sell some of their own assets to pay for them. Hysterectomies also lead to additional health risks inherent to any surgical procedures.
There are organizations currently working to make changes that will improve the health of women in rural India. Since health clinics are necessary and helpful, campaigners are focusing on improving oversight and regulation of the doctors working in these clinics to ensure that women are not tricked or scared into unnecessary procedures. There has been legislation passed in India to regulate private health care, but it is still in the process of implementation, and is not yet effective. For now, it’s important to raise awareness about this issue, and continue to work to improve women’s health everywhere.
Source: McGivering, Jill. “The Indian Women Pushed Into Hysterectomies.” BBC News Magazine. 5 February 2013
To learn more about hysterectomy, check HERE.   If you are considering a hysterectomy you might want to read this article about decision making.
 

As today’s cancer treatments increase survivorship, many young cancer patients now look at their potential for parenting children. The decision to have children, if fertility is sustained, is complicated and filled with legal, ethical and financial considerations.  The Oncofertility Consortium based at Northwestern University hosts a monthly webcast that explores a variety of reproductive options for individuals who have been treated for cancer and everyone is welcome.   Tomorrow’s CME lecture will discuss: Contraceptive Options during and following Cancer Treatment.    It will begin on March 7, 2013 at  9:50 AM Central US Time and last for one-hour.
To view a detailed flyer on this event including  how to connect, click HERE

A common misconception about teen pregnancy is the belief that it is a problem mainly among the urban poor teenagers.  Not true.  The teen birth rate in rural areas is nearly one-third higher than in the rest of the U.S., according to a study released on Thursday by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
The study examined county-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 2010 and defines rural counties as those with populations under 50,000 and metropolitan counties as those with populations of 50,000 or more.
Key Findings from the Report
•In 2010, the teen birth rate in rural counties was nearly one-third higher compared to the rest of the country (43 per 1,000 girls age 15 to 19 vs. 33).

•The teen birth rate in rural counties surpassed that in suburban counties and even that in major urban centers.

•The teen birth rate was higher in rural counties than in other areas of the country regardless of age or race/ethnicity.

•Even so, rural counties accounted for a minority of teen births (20%), which is not surprising given that only 16% of teen girls live in rural counties.

*Between 1990 and 2010, the birth rate among teens in rural counties declined by 32%, far slower than the decline in major urban centers (49%) and in suburban counties (40%)
Factors Behind Variation in Teen Birth Rates
So what does this all mean?   While teen pregnancy risk is dropping overall nationally,  it is dropping at slower rates among rural teens.   The report suggests that there is a need for more teen pregnancy prevention efforts in rural communities and that perhaps rural teens should be considered as a particularly high risk group among those who set health priorities.
In addition, rural teens’ ability to access birth control “lags far behind availability for teens living in urban and metro areas,” said Julia De Clerque, a research fellow and investigator at the University of North Carolina who was not involved in the study (Healy, USA Today, 2/21).
To view the whole report, click HERE.

Are electronic toothbrushes better?  When I first started using an ‘electric’ toothbrush with an automated shut-off system,  it surprise me how long it ran (about 2 minutes per use).   I had gotten into the habit of brushing my teeth in 30 seconds or less during my morning rush to get to work.   So when I asked my dentist if the electric ones were ‘better’ she told me it probably had a lot to do with how long one brushed.
However, a new research paper was release this month in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, that studied this very question.  Dental health is ultimately related to the plaque that builds up on your teeth. When there is excessive plaque build-up, there is increased risk for caries and inflammatory gingival and periodontal disease.  Daily tooth brushing and using other oral hygiene aids is the best way to control plaque.  The researchers compared overall plaque scores for  manual vs. powered toothbrushing in a small randomized clinical trial.  They concluded that “powered toothbrushes offer an individual the ability to brush the teeth in a way that is optimal in terms of removing plaque and improving gingival health, conferring good brushing technique on all who use them, irrespective of manual dexterity or training.”