Death rates among women with AIDS are increasing
The number of women in the world infected with the AIDS virus continues to increase daily, an article in the December issue of Marie Claire reports. Thirty-five hundred women are infected daily, and 1,000 infected babies are born daily to women with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) around the world. In the United States, 20% of all people with AIDS are women, and 45% of those women are under age 19. The number of new cases per year in America has remained constant since 1991, with numbers in the range of 40,000 to 50,000; at the end of 1997, some 15,000 of those cases will be women who have been diagnosed or newly infected with HIV, the magazine reports.
AIDS mortality in women increased 3%
Women also are dying faster than men, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The report says that rates for AIDS mortality in women rose 3% in 1996.
There are several reasons why mortality rates are rising among women. One is that few clinical studies have focused on women, so physicians do not know how much medicine to prescribe and what side effects may come with the medicines. Another reason is that women are less likely than men to be tested for HIV, and they are less likely to have insurance to cover the costs of expensive treatment drugs.
Poverty-stricken women are more likely to spend money on feeding their children instead of buying needed drugs for treatment. Women’s emotional health also may play a role; treatment drugs could trigger hormonal shifts that cause severe mood swings and depression.
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Researchers have found that fertility can last for a shorter time and happen earlier in the menstrual cycle for women.
An article in the December Glamour discusses fertility and the best times for women to get pregnant. According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, all of the healthy women subjects conceived within a six-day period ending on ovulation day. Previous research had found the female fertile period to last as long as 10 days.
The most important thing for women to know is exactly when their fertile period is so they can apply the six-day method. Because menstrual cycle lengths can vary from 24 to 36 days, women can track their own ovulation periods using different methods. Women can look for changes in cervical fluid and position of the cervix and keep track of their waking body temperature. Ovulation predictor kits can help as well.
Stress, body weight, infections, heavy drinking, and drug abuse are some factors that can cause a woman’s cycle to fluctuate.
Conception chance ranges from 5-25%
The average couple takes four to six months to conceive. If the woman is over age 35, it can take longer. The average couple in their 20s has a 25% chance of conception per month, compared with 5% of couples in which the woman is over 40.
Healthy women in their 20s trying to get pregnant with no fertility problems are advised to wait a year before seeking medical help. Women over age 35 with any of the following risk factors should obtain help from a fertility specialist sooner: a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted disease, or endometriosis; erratic menstrual cycles; or a determination that they are not ovulating.
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New drugs, research, and herbal remedies are bringing relief to women who suffer from the symptoms associated with their periods.
An article in the December Redbook highlights some of the new methods being used to treat menstrual symptoms. Up to 75% of all women experience some premenstrual symptoms such as moodiness, bloating, and food cravings; but some have such extreme symptoms that doctors are calling it premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). They are treating PMDD with some success by using antidepressant drugs such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil.
Women also are finding relief from natural products such as St. John’s Wort, an herb found to relieve premenstrual depression by stabilizing brain levels of serotonin. PMS formula nutritional supplements, made up of vitamins and minerals, have been found to work in research done by Diana Taylor, PhD, director of the PMS Symptom Management Program at the University of Calif-ornia at San Francisco.
She also found PMS tea, a natural diuretic, to work well. A carbohydrate-rich drink called PMS Escape, can help with impulsive eating and boost serotonin levels. Available in major drugs stores nationwide, PMS Escape is manufactured by Internutria in Lexington, MA.
The article recommends the following tips for helping relieve PMS symptoms:
• Eat five to six small healthy meals a day to stabilize blood sugar and curb cravings.
• Exercise to release endorphins and ease cramping in the muscles.
• Get enough light by taking a walk outside or use an artificial light box. t
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