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Widespead And On The Increase - Vitamin D Deficiency
A new report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and published in the scientific journal Osteoporosis International1, shows that populations across the globe are suffering from the impact of low levels of vitamin D. The problem is widespread and on the increase, with potentially severe repercussions for overall health and fracture rates.
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Obama"s Plan Isn"t The Answer The Washington Post
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Singer Elton John Calls For Increased HIV/AIDS Education, Care
Singer Elton John on Tuesday at the 2009 Bio International Convention in Atlanta called for renewed efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, addressed an audience that included CEOs of organizations working to develop HIV/AIDS therapies and vaccines. He called on governments and institutions to increase their focus on education, especially among young people; access to medical treatment; and needle-exchange programs (Poole, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/19)."There are long-standing stereotypes and prejudices that inhibit our efforts to combat AIDS," John said, adding, "I am asking for your leadership." According to John, CDC estimates that one in every three new HIV cases occurs among people younger than age 30, a statistic that he said has not received adequate attention. "It is unfathomable and unconscionable that we are not making a bigger effort to educate this demographic about HIV/AIDS with creative materials and up-to-date information," John said, adding, "Our failure to do so is costing lives" (Turner, AP/PennLive.com, 5/19). John also noted a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that the number of Americans who believe HIV/AIDS is an urgent health problem has declined to 6% currently from 44% in 1995. Bob McNally, CEO of GeoVax Labs, said John"s message is that "just not enough is being done" and that "people continue to die from the disease." He added that John "spurred the audience towards being advocates" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/20).
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Washington, D.C., Officials Expand STI Testing Program To All Public High Schools

Washington, D.C., officials are planning to make testing for sexually transmitted infections available at all public high schools in the coming school year, adding D.C. to a growing list of cities that test students for STIs, the Washington Post reports. All 50 states and the district allow minors older than age 12 to be tested for STIs without parental consent.The new program requires all students to attend a lecture about STIs, after which they are escorted into restroom areas in groups of 15 to 20. They are then given paper bags with urine collection cups and go into the stalls, at which point they can decide whether to provide a sample. All students return the paper bags, regardless of whether they provided samples. Students give a password and can call a week later to receive their confidential results and, if necessary, treatment at the school or an STI clinic, which is paid for by the city. The district first offered the program two years ago at two charter schools, and eight high schools were included during the past school year.A 2007 study by the D.C. public school system found that 60% of high school students and 30% of middle school students reported having sex. According to the study, 20% of high school students reported having sex with four or more partners and 12% of middle school students reported having three or more partners.According to the D.C. Department of Health, the program at eight high schools last year found that 13% of 3,000 students tested positive for an STI, most commonly chlamydia or gonorrhea. Fifty percent of the chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in the district are among teenagers.According to the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the new program is an important step toward curbing the district"s HIV/AIDS rate, which is among the highest in the U.S. Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, said, "If 13% of these students are testing positive for [STIs], those same kids could get HIV," adding, "A lot needs to be done to get the message out to the schools, ... and this very high [STI] rate is an indication that what we"ve been doing is not effective" (Fears/Hernandez, Washington Post, 8/5). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women"s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women"s 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.


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