In a January 26 press release, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) outlined the disturbing results of a preliminary report on HIV rates in the state. According to the report, there were 368 HIV cases reported in 2009, compared with 326 cases in 2008. This represents a 13 percent increase for 2009 – a 17-year […]
Author: anderslj@umn.edu
EC in Minnesota: some facts for minors
A recent comment from a visitor prompted this blogger to wonder–how accessible is emergency contraception in Minnesota, anyway? The short (and uninformative) answer is, it depends. For women and their partners who are 17 and older, emergency contraceptive (commonly known as “the morning after pill,” branded as “Plan B” or “Next Choice”) is available over-the-counter. […]
Concern about young male veterans
An Associated Press article earlier this month raised concern about the high rates of suicide among young male veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the article, preliminary data from the Veterans Affairs Department suggests that the suicide rate among 18- to 29-year-old male veterans has increased significantly (26 percent) from 2005 to 2007. […]
Good news for servicewomen
Today’s Airforce Times describes a new bill sponsored by Senators Al Franken and Olympia Snowe that would make emergency contraceptives available to women serving overseas. The Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act also mandates that patients “not be required to get prior approval” before recieving care. It is similar, the article notes, to legislation sponsored by […]
NYT poll: nearly half of unemployed do not have health insurance
Nearly half of the unemployed Americans surveyed in a recent New York Times/CBS News poll indicate that they do not have health insurance. The survey, conducted in December via telephone interview, sampled 1,650 U.S. adults, 708 of whom are unemployed. Of those, more than half “have cut back on doctor visits or medical treatments,” 25% […]
*NEW* Healthy Generations: Early Childhood Mental Health
Hot off the presses! https://mch.umn.edu/index.php/Page/View/Resources. The Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota is very pleased to announce the release of the winter 2010 issue of Healthy Generations. Each Healthy Generations focuses on a significant MCH topic and includes articles written by leaders in the field. The […]
Federal Funding for Comprehensive Sexual Education
In the United States, the federal government has historically been a supporter of abstinence-only funding. Since 1982, the government has spent over $1.3 billion on abstinence only funding, with $800 million being spent during the Bush administration alone. However, even though huge amounts of tax payers money have been issued for these programs, research has […]
Precious
Posted by Clarence Jones Have you seen “Precious?” I haven’t. At least not yet, but I plan to see it this week. If the movie is half as intense as the buzz that I have been hearing, it is a movie to put on your public health must see movie list. However, a small warning […]
1 in 3 toys still contain toxic chemicals
Just in time for the holiday season, healthystuff.org released its third annual report on toxic chemicals in children’s toys. As the press release notes, 32% of the 700 toys that researchers tested this past year contained one or more hazardous chemicals (including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and bromine). On the list of toxic toys? A […]
Brief Examines Access to Abortion Coverage and Health Reform
A new brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines issues surrounding abortion coverage in the ongoing debate over health care reform. The brief explains current federal and state laws regarding coverage of abortion by Medicaid and private insurance companies, discusses the treatment of coverage for abortion services under the major health reform bills in the […]
World AIDS Day: December 1
December 1st marks the twenty-second anniversary of World AIDS Day. Here in Minnesota, the occasion will be commemorated with dozens of events, educational exhibits, and free screenings, as well as a lecture on “Why HIV Still Matters” by Peter Carr, director of the STD and HIV Section, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). When: December 1, […]
Infant Mortality – the lifecourse in Dane County, WI
We often say that if *public health* is working, you don’t even notice it. In Madison, WI and the surrounding area the disparity between black and white infant death is shrinking – the infant mortality rate for blacks declining steeply since the early 1990’s – reaching parity with whites. This is good news – but […]
Increasing HIV Incidence in Minnesota in 2009: Third quarter data from HIV surveillance analysis by MDH
In a letter to colleagues on November 4th, the Minnesota Department of Health described their preliminary analysis of this year’s data (January – September) showing an increase in the overall number of new HIV diagnoses in Minnesota and highlighting a few trends of particular importance: 1) The number of cases diagnosed among adolescents and young […]
Ken doll controversy
Mattel is raising eyebrows! The toy manufacturer, who has repeatedly come under fire for Barbie’s unrealistic dimensions, and who has experienced controversy surrounding some of their other dolls, such as Teen Talk Barbie, who uttered the words “math class is tough”, is at it again. Introducing, “Sugar Daddy Ken.” While Mattel defends the doll, stating that it is named […]