There are girls as young as 7 and 8 that are reaching puberty according to a new study.

The study shows that at 7 years old, 10.4% of whites, 23.4% of blacks and 14.9% of latin girls were developing breasts.

The study also shows that at 8 years old, the numbers increased to 18.3% of whites, 42.9% of blacks and 30.9% of latinas.

Read The Complete Post

A gel used in the vagina is capable of blocking the aids virus and it can significantly lower the risk of a women getting genital herpes as well.

The Hansford Sentinel has more details on this story.

The shocking question came from a respected spine surgeon tracked down by Keith Swenson, who was still in severe pain after an earlier back operation.

He didn't know what to believe. Two other surgeons had urged more operations, different ones.

And Swenson, who's from Howard Lake, Minn., is far from alone. Even though only a fraction of people with back pain are good candidates for surgery, complicated spine operations are on the rise.

So is the hunt for any relief.

By one recent estimate, Americans are spending a staggering $86 billion a year in care for aching backs - from MRIs to pain pills to nerve blocks to acupuncture. That research found little evidence that the population got better as the bill soared over the past decade.

Please read the rest of this very informative post by the AP because it speaks to the untold number of Americans opting for back surgery based on a doctor's opinion when back surgery is not the best available option for the patient. Surgery is invasive and can be painful when it does not cure. It is also costly whether the patient pays out of pocket or a health insurance company has to pay.

How can a company drop women from their health insurance plans because of breast cancer? This kind of situation shouts no moral compass and maximizing profits at all costs.

What is worse is the fact that the head of Wellpoint is a woman. One would think that the benefit of having women as the top executive of the company would eliminate this kind of discrimination.

I guess this is similar to an African American man owning a very popular cable music network that years ago allowed too many music videos of drive by shootings and lawlessness in the hood to be showed on an endless loop everyday.

What will it take for these kind of Executives to find a balance between making profits for the business and the greater good for society when structuring their business policies?

Reuters reported on Thursday that WellPoint, the largest U.S. health insurer by enrollment, was using a computer algorithm that automatically targeted patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a letter dated April 22 to Angela Braly, WellPoint's chief executive, Department Of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she was "surprised and disappointed" to learn from a Reuters report that the company has specifically targeted women with breast cancer for aggressive investigation with intent to cancel their policies.

Update: WellPoint, based in Indianapolis, is the company that became a focal point for debate in February after complaints spread about planned rate hikes that average around 25 percent for individual insurance policies sold by the insurer's Anthem Blue Cross subsidiary in California.

As soon as health care passes, the American people will see immediate benefits. The legislation will:

1.Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans.

2.Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool.

3.Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans.

4.Lower seniors prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole.

5.Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage.

6.Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans.

7.Require plans to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26.

8.Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing.

9.Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions.

10.Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

Information supplied by the House Democrat's website.

The Health Care Reform bill will be voted on this weekend. The CBO has projected that the health care bill will save $138 billion in the next decade while expanding coverage to 32 million uninsured.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government. It is a government agency that provides economic data to Congress. The CBO was created as an independent nonpartisan agency by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

When the Republicans or Democrats argue against the CBO findings, it generally means that the political party is not in support of a bill being proposed by the other party.

Many thought that President Obama and the Democrats were not up to the task of moving Health Care Reform forward. This is a big moment in the U.S. It is probably the equivalent of passing Social Security and Medicare which Republicans also opposed decades ago.

The Democrats still do not have all of the votes needed but they are fairly close. Since African Americans and Latinos are typically at the bottom of the economic ladder in this country, this bill if passed will be good for both groups.

Health Care Reform will also benefit those individuals who find themselves without a job because they have been laid off due to their company going bankrupt or when the company simply decides to down size. Furthermore, reform will make it easier for someone to leave a job for another one without having to worry about losing health care coverage.

Too many small business' have not been able to buy health care insurance because of the prohibitive costs. Health Care Reform is suppose to lower the costs for business owners in this situation.

Women are increasingly turning to vaginal rejuvenation to correct issues developed during childbirth. Other women are using this fairly new procedure to correct what they believe Mother Nature made imperfect.

During these difficult economic times for surgeons and many other professionals in America, Sherman Leis who is a Bala Cynwyd, PA based plastic surgeon gives some credit to vaginoplasties and labiaplasties for his practice's success.

Vaginoplasty is suppose to tighten the vaginal canal and muscles stretched out by childbirth. Labiaplasty involves cutting uneven, hanging, beefy, or an discolored labia that a woman might think is uncomfortable or unpleasant to the eyes.

The procedure costs are approximately $4,000 on average. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported fewer than 800 vaginal rejuvenations in 2005. By 2009, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery tallied more than 2,500.

Hymenoplasty or Revirginization are also procedures that are available today. Theses procedures are suppose to restore a woman's hymen. The Lansdale-based Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Philadelphia offers "the G-Shot," in which a doctor injects collagen into a woman's G-spot to enlarge it.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has warned against such procedures. In September 2007, The ACOG urged physicians to advise patients that procedures such as "vaginal rejuvenation, designer vaginoplasty, revirginization and G-spot amplification" have not been scientifically proven as safe or effective. Doctors should inform women about potential complications such as infection, altered sensation and scarring, the ACOG said.

The high-tech device contains a small light that combines with a chemical cream to kill skin cancer cells.

The Ambulight plaster has already been used on 50 patients with a success rate of up to 90 percent. It is suppose to be less painful than surgery and leaves no scar.

The treatment is called photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a drug, called a photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent, and a particular type of light. When photosensitizers are exposed to a specific wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells.

In addition to directly killing cancer cells, PDT appears to shrink or destroy tumors in two other ways. The photosensitizer can damage blood vessels in the tumor, thereby preventing the cancer from receiving necessary nutrients.

You know it is bad when plumbers start doing the work of surgeons. Something serious has to be done about the U.S. economy.

In all seriousness, it has been reported that six women from New Jersey's Essex County had silicone used by plumbers to caulk bathrooms instead of medical grade silicone injected into their butts during enhancement surgery.

The women received a diluted version of nonmedical-grade silicone. The Star-Ledger of Newark reported that the women underwent cosmetic surgery from unlicensed providers.

Gregory Borah, chief of plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, said the incident was "a tragedy."

Using over-the-counter silicone can cause abscesses that he said resemble "a big zit."

Borah, also president of the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the botched procedures underscore the need for patients seeking such enhancement to seek out licensed professionals in a sterile setting, according to the Star Ledger report.

Washington DC's HIV/Aids population is growing too quickly. The numbers in the city are off the charts. The numbers in DC are so bad that they are higher than some African Nations.

The city will be the first in the country to distribute free female condoms. They will target areas in the city where HIV is very high.

The Washington Post has reported that the distribution could begin within the next three weeks in parts of wards 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, where a study showed that large numbers of African American heterosexuals engage in risky sexual behavior that could easily lead to infection.

Since large numbers of African American heterosexual males are engaging in risky sexual behavior, women should be prepared to protect themselves at all costs. There is no reason for a woman or a male to shy away from condom use if they are not in a committed relationship.

It was also reported that HIV/AIDS infection is the leading cause of death for black women 25-34 nationwide. A 2008 report showed the District's HIV/AIDS rate at 3 percent, or about 15,100 adults, a major epidemic.

It is wonderful that women and men can offer their partner a male or female condom today. Having more than one option will give individuals more power to protect themselves.

If these two options are not acceptable to either partner, there is always the option of being tested together for HIV/AIDS as well as other sexually transmitted diseases.

The American Cancer Society has decided to zero in on prostate cancer screenings. They are stating that some people are being screened too often which can cause more harm than good.

African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer. They are also more likely to die from the disease. Screening is a key to choice and change.

The new message from the American Cancer Society will be confusing for many patients. Many individuals have been told that regular screenings and early detection will give one the best chances of beating prostate cancer if it was to ever develop.

According to a report by Fox News, a statement from the American Urological Association said it disagreed with the new guidelines.

The Atlanta-based cancer society is perhaps the most influential group in giving screening advice. Its new guidance released Wednesday on prostate cancer urges doctors to:

- Discuss the pros and cons of testing with their patients, including giving them written information or videos that discuss the likelihood of false test results and the side effects of treatment.

- Stop giving the rectal exam as a standard prostate cancer screening because it has not clearly shown a benefit, though it can remain an option.

- Use past PSA readings to determine how often followup tests are needed and to guide conversations about treatment.

As many Americans reach middle age, they may find themselves talking with a orthopedic surgeon about the constant pain in their hips. It is quite possible that the surgeon will ask the patient to consider a hip replacement.

This is a surgery that has been fairly successful over the years. However, there are those in the medical community that have become critics of metal on metal hip replacements.

If you want to read about some of the concerns related to metal to metal hip replacements being discussed publicly, make sure to click on the link.

There is also a less invasive hip surgery method that is being used today. Those in the position having to think about a possible hip replacement should consider all of their options.

Speaking with a physician about the advantages and disadvantages of the different procedures in the best thing to do.

Newsweek has a great post about HIV in America and how it still is a major problem in black and brown America.

Here are a few staggering numbers.

*1 in 16 black men in DC are affected with HIV.
*1 in 40 black men in NY are affected with HIV.

In the general population, this is the approximate breakdown of Aids/HIV in America.

*33% of new cases are from heterosexual relationships.
*50% of new cases are from anal sex between men.
*17% of new cases are from the sharing of intravenous drug needles.

Even though there are many clean needle programs in the country, many drug users still share needles or use dirty needles.

The Newsweek report also mentions that several Urban areas in the US are experiencing as much as a 30% rate of HIV infection compared to 8% in the general population of Kenya and 17% in South Africa.

Black and Latina women make up more than 25% of the new HIV infected. Many of these women are having unprotected sex with black and Latino men.

In 2010, everyone should consider being HIV tested with their partner before they decide to have unprotected sex. Testing at local clinics is usually free of charge.

It has been reported that an estimated 200,000 people in America are unaware of their HIV status.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has funded a health care study called County Health Rankings which reports on the overall health of those individuals living in each of the 50 American states. It is also possible to go to a particular state on their web site and see a ranking for each county within that state.

Each county is ranked within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are ranked on key factors that affect health such as: smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

After reviewing a few counties in different states, it becomes clear how many of the counties that have the best health are also the wealthiest counties in the state. The poorest counties in the state tend to have the worst health.

It is a travesty that poverty in America is typically associated with poorer health, lower levels of education, higher unemployment, lower income levels, and more crime for all races and ethnicities.

The president is finally stepping up to the plate on health care. His will put forward a proposal on health care that he hopes will bridge the gap between Democrats in the House and Senate. In the name of transparency, the White house bill will be placed online this Monday, February 22nd.

It appears as though the Democrats are now willing to make it happen without any Republican support through a process called Reconciliation. This process will allow a simple majority (51) in the Senate to pass the legislation instead of the super majority (60) which is basically impossible now that Republican Scott Brown has won the Senate seat in Massachusetts.

With Scott Brown, the Republicans now have 41 Senators who can basically stop almost all bills from moving forward with a filibuster. Since the Republicans have filibustered bills by the Obama White House more than any other administration in history, the Democrats are going to try Reconciliation to keep the filibuster from taking place on health care reform.

Americans should benefit tremendously as a country if reasonable and smart health care reform takes place that will ultimately slow down cost increases, reduce waste, and increase access to health care.

The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee access to health care as a right of citizenship. 28 industrialized nations have single payer universal health care systems, while 1 (Germany) has a multipayer universal health care system like President Clinton proposed for the United States.

Here are some facts:

1.The United States spends at least 40% more per capita on health care than any other industrialized country with universal health care.

2.Single payer universal health care is not socialized medicine. Health care providers would be in fee for service practice, and would not be employees of the government, which would be socialized medicine. Single payer health care is not socialized medicine, any more than the public funding of education is socialized education, or the public funding of the defense industry is socialized defense.

3.Studies reveal that citizens in universal health care systems have more doctor visits and more hospital days than in the US.

4.There would be free choice of health care providers under a single payer universal health care system, unlike our current managed care system in which people are forced to see providers on the insurer’s panel to obtain medical benefits.

As many Americans reach middle age, they find that their bodies are starting to break down. Sometimes the breakdown occurs in the hips and surgery is required to replace a hip.

After living with a deteriorating hip for a period of time, many cannot take the pain and the discomfort any longer. These individuals will need an orthopedic surgeon to replace a hip which has been a successful medical procedure over the years.

There is a less invasive hip surgery method that is being used today. Those in the position having to think about a possible hip replacement should consider all of their options. Speaking with a physician about the advantages and disadvantages of the different procedures in the best thing to do.

Federal and state watchdogs opened a new front in the campaign to keep poisons out of Chinese imports, launching inquiries into high levels of cadmium in children's jewelry while Walmart pulled many suspect items from its store shelves.

The jewelry and accessories store Claire's, with nearly 3,000 locations in North America and Europe, joined Walmart Stores Inc. in saying it would stop selling any item cited in an Associated Press investigation of the presence of cadmium in cheap bracelets and charms.

A day after The Associated Press documented the contamination in an investigative report, the top U.S. consumer safety regulator warned Asian manufacturers not to substitute other toxins for lead in children's charm bracelets and pendants.

Regulators and lawmakers reacted swiftly to the AP report, which found that some Chinese manufacturers have been using cadmium, sometimes at extraordinarily high levels. Congress clamped down on lead in those products in 2008, but cadmium is even more harmful.

Cadmium is attractive to Chinese manufacturers because it is cheap and easy to work with. But, like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young, recent research shows.

Health Care reform appears to be headed for passage. The Senate and House must now come together to negotiate and combine their separate bills into one. At this moment, it appears that the Public Option is out. The same is true for reimporting drugs from places like Canada which would lower drug prices in America. The proposal to lower the age limit for those who could access Medicare is also out at this time.

Many people are saying that it is better to have a flawed bill instead of no bill at all. The argument goes that a flawed bill will be fixed just like Social Security was fixed over the years. Social Security was basically for orphans and widows and basically excluded African Americans in the beginning. The counterargument is that politicians said the same thing about No Child Left Behind which was very flawed when it passed. Many said that it would also be fixed and resources would be allocated with time. This has not happened and most politicians today see it as a disaster.

With all of the lobbyists working to defeat real Health Care reform and the money spent in the process, it is clear that this group has major influence over the government in America.

From start to finish, the insurance and drug industries -- and their army of lobbyists had control over the process that resulted in a bill that is reform in name only at this point. A study by Northwestern University's Medill News Service and the Center for Responsive Politics found that 13 former congressmen and 166 Congressional staffers were actively engaged in lobbying their former colleagues on the bill. The companies they were working for -- some 338 of them -- spent $635 million on lobbying.

The U.S. Senate is preparing a vote on health care reform which includes a public option. It is being reported that President Obama is not supporting the public option which is strange because he is on record saying that the public option is the best way to bring competition to the health care insurance industry and ultimately lower costs for Americans.

It has been reported that the Obama administration is concerned the votes are not available for the bill with a public option. They are instead quietly pushing for a trigger that would include a public option only if the industry does not meet specific targets.

The intellectual father of the public option, Yale Professor Jacob Hacker, told Huffington Post that the trigger proposal is a betrayal.

"The trigger is an inside-the-beltway sleight of hand that would protect private insurers from the real competition that a strong public health insurance option would create," he said in an e-mail. "It is unworkable in the current Senate bills, unwise as public policy, and unwanted by the substantial majority of Americans who say they want a straight-up public option."

Brothers Connected members and family would benefit greatly from lower health insurance costs as well as more access. The public option would go a long way in dealing with the health care disparities faced by people of color when compared to white Americans.

Christina Turner was drugged and raped by two men in 2002. After taking anti-HIV drugs prescribed by her doctor as a preventative measure, Turner was denied health insurance. The HIV drugs, Turner was told, raised too many health questions for her insurer.

As health insurance reform nears passage, it's stories like this that remind us why we need health care insurance reform in America. The executives and managers of this industry have brought it upon themselves with their practices which never have been accepted in a Developed Society like America.