Washington Post Publishes Several Women's Health-Related Articles

The Washington Post on Tuesday in its health section published several articles related to women's health. Summaries appear below.
"Drinking and Breast Cancer; Studies Show a Link, Though Alcohol Has Benefits, Too": Women who consume alcohol have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to a Kaiser Permanente study released last week at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona, Spain, the Post reports. Several other studies also have found modest but statistically significant increased breast cancer risk among women who consume alcohol. However, small amounts of alcohol can reduce women's risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the Post (Squires, Washington Post, 10/2).

"Who Needs a Gynecologist -- and When?": The article examines whether annual gynecological exams and Pap tests should be performed by gynecologists or primary care physicians and at what age girls and women should begin undergoing such exams (Ganguli, Washington Post, 10/2).

"Not Her Mother's Hysterectomy": The article examines supracervical laparoscopic hysterectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that removes the uterus through a one-quarter inch incision near the navel, and traditional abdominal hysterectomy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, of the 617,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. in 2004, 75% were abdominal procedures and 25% were laparoscopic or another minimally invasive procedure (Weiss, Washington Post, 10/2).

"More Info About Hysterectomy": The article lists several Web sites and a book that provide information about hysterectomy (Washington Post, 10/2).

"No One Way To Hold Sway; Women Drive Online Health Traffic, but Use Varies": Women are more likely than men to use the Internet to research specific diseases or medical problems, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project survey released last year, the Post reports. The survey found that 82% of women who have Internet access conduct health research online, compared with 77% of men (Huget, Washington Post, 10/2).

John George, director of gynecologic endoscopy at Washington Hospital Center, will discuss laparoscopic hysterectomy on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET in a washingtonpost online chat (Washingtonpost, 10/2). Questions can be submitted online before or during the chat. A transcript will be available online after the chat.

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