Feb
02
Posted by Administrator on
February 2, 2009
Teen pregnancy less likely in S.F.
San Francisco teens are getting pregnant at nearly half the rate of their peers statewide, but Hispanics give birth eight times as often as whites, according to a new report.
The City’s adolescents are also less likely to be s*xually active — and more likely to use condoms — than others in California, according to “A Snapshot of Youth Health and Wellness,” issued this month by San Francisco-based Adolescent Health Working Group.
San Francisco teens 15 to 19 gave birth at a rate of 20 per 1,000 between 2003 and 2005, well shy of the 34 per 1,000 average reported across the Bay Area and 37 per 1,000 statewide.
However, Hispanic teens in San Francisco gave birth at a rate of 55 per 1,000 in 2004 compared to 7 per 1,000 for white adolescents and 5 per 1,000 for Asians.
“Overall, we’re terrific,” said Marlo Simmons, adolescent health coordinator for The City’s Department of Children, Youth and Families. “But when you boil it down, you can’t help seeing the disparities.”
In general, the lower birth rates — along with heightened s*xual responsibility among San Francisco teens — can be chalked up to schools’ insistence on teaching kids about s*x early and often, according to Charlene Clemens, who works with teen moms at the Family Service Agency of San Francisco.
Students in the San Francisco Unified School District begin learning about HIV and AIDS prevention in kindergarten, get their first lessons in puberty by fourth-grade and by sixth-grade are learning about s*xuality, according to Meyla Ruwin, director of district health programs. The education continues through senior year.
Every piece of the curriculum is approved at state and local levels. Among San Francisco high school students polled for the recent report, only 28 percent reported that they have had intercourse, compared to 48 percent nationwide.
The high birth rate among Hispanic teens in The City, however, is lower than the national average of 82.6 per 1,000 in 2004, according to Clemens.
To reach out to those girls, the Family Service Agency sponsors a program in which teen moms meet with seventh- and eighth-grade students, including at Balboa High School and Visitacion Valley and Horace Mann middle schools. In those talks, the young moms dispel myths about pregnancy and child rearing, according to program director Wave Geber.
Common Chemicals May Delay Pregnancy
Chemicals known as perfluorinated chemicals, which are pervasive in food packaging, pesticides, clothing, upholstery, carpets and personal care products, may delay pregnancy, a new study suggests.
These chemicals are being phased out in the United States because of their toxic effects, and are expected to be completely gone by 2010. However, they remain in the environment and in the body for decades, and have been linked to developmental problems.
“These widespread chemicals apparently lower the fertility in couples trying to get pregnant,” said lead researcher Dr. Jorn Olsen, chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at UCLA’s School of Public Health.
Danish women in the study who had with high levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) took longer to get pregnant, Olsen said.
“If this finding can be replicated, one would have to look for other chemicals to replace these,” he said.
The report is published in the Jan. 29 online edition of Human Reproduction. And it follows on the heels of a report linking another common plastic chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), to developmental problems in fetuses and infants.
For the study, Olsen’s team collected data on 1,240 women who participated in the Danish National Birth Cohort. The researchers took blood samples from the women and interviewed them on how long it took them to become pregnant.
The researchers found that blood levels of PFOS ranged from 6.4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) to 106.7 ng/ml. For PFOA, levels ranged from 1 ng/ml to 41.5 ng/ml.
Olsen’s group then divided the women into four groups, depending on how much of the chemicals was in their blood.
Women in the three groups with the highest levels of PFOS took from 70 percent to 134 percent longer to get pregnant than women with the lowest PFOS levels, the team report. It took women with the highest PFOA levels 60 percent to 154 percent longer to get pregnant compared with women with the lowest levels of this chemical.
Why these chemicals would delay pregnancy isn’t known, Olsen said, but they may affect hormones involved in reproduction.
Recent animal studies have found these chemicals may have a variety of toxic effects on the liver, immune system and developmental and reproductive organs, he noted.
Nov
27
Posted by Administrator on
November 27, 2008
EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS
Although a lot of women experience pregnancy symptoms, and find signs of being pregnant, other’s don’t “feel” pregnant. Certain signs and symptoms of being pregnant can be confused with other illnesses. The following list are some telltale symptoms of pregnancy. Morning sickness is one of the most common signs of being pregnant, but you also might be one of the lucky ones who never experience this pregnancy symptom. Missing a period is another sign and symptom of being pregnant. We’ll go into greater detail below, and you can read below.
MISSING A PERIOD
One of the most common signs and symptoms of being pregnant, missing a period can also be caused by other reasons. Although missing a period is one of the most common of the pregnancy symptoms, stress, illness, weight fluctuations or coming off the oral contraceptive pill can also be the cause of this. Irregular periods are a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which periods can occur several months apart. If you still feel like you are experiencing other pregnancy symptoms, continue reading the other signs of being pregnant.
TENDERNESS OF THE BREAST
Another sign and symptom of pregnancy is the changing of size and feel of your breast. As early as a few days after conception, this pregnancy symptom may occur. Your breast is beginning to enlarge, as it gets ready for breastfeeding. Many women claim that their breasts are very sensitive and that they experience a very sharp, tingling sensation as well. Being one of the signs and symptoms of being pregnant, the tenderness of the breast often disappears a few weeks later.
NAUSEA AND VOMITING
Considered another one of the classic sign and symptoms of being pregnant, nausea and vomiting, (aka morning sickness) has become one of the most feared of all pregnancy symptoms. Feeling sick is a common complaint and is experienced by most women from weeks 5 to 6 of their pregnancy. However, morning sickness can also be felt as early as two weeks after conception. Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day, and can vary from an occasional faint sensation to overwhelming vomiting and nausea. By and large, morning sickness is one of the pregnancy symptoms that tends to disappear towards the end of the first trimester.
TIREDNESS
Many women experience fatigue as one of their pregnancy symptoms. Although this might be a sign of being pregnant, it can also indicate other things as well.
DARKENING OF THE AREOLA
Being one of the first physical symptoms of pregnancy, the darkening of the areola can occur throughout your entire pregnancy. If you notice the darkening of the areola, this could be considered one of the signs and symptoms of being pregnant.
FREQUENT URINATION
If you experience that you are urinating more frequently, this might be another of the pregnancy symptoms that confirm that you are pregnant. As early as two weeks after conception, you might find yourself experience this pregnancy symptom. The pressure of the literally reducing size of your bladder is the cause of this. Your uterus beings to rise up into the abdomen, and this annoying pregnancy symptom is the result. Rising levels of the pregnancy hormone progesterone stimulate the bladder muscles, so that it feels full, even though you might not need to urinate. Of all of the pregnancy symptoms, and signs of being pregnant, women sometimes find this to be the most annoying.
CHANGES IN TASTE AND SMELL
Don’t be surprised if you experience this pregnancy sign and symptom. Many women claim that certain foods make them feel queasy – while others experience a craving for other foods. Another sign of this pregnancy symptom, is a strange metallic taste.
CONSTIPATION
Another of the annoying signs and symptoms of being pregnant, constipation occurs.
CONFIRMING YOUR PREGNANCY
Two weeks after conception, your baby is no bigger than a pinhead, comprised of a few balls of cells. As it begins to develop in the lining of the uterus, the placenta begins to form and produce necessary pregnancy hormones. Below are some ways to confirm that the pregnancy symptoms and signs of being pregnant that you have noticed are accurate, and that you will be having a baby.
HOME PREGNANCY TESTS
Being very accurate, these tests can be purchased at a local drugstore, and can confirm pregnancy by detecting the level of HCG in your urine. Your health care provider may rely on this test, and may only repeating testing if complications arise. If you receive a positive result, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor so that they can confirm you are pregnant and begin follow-up.
OFFICE URINE TEST
Similar to that of a home pregnancy test, and office urine test confirms pregnancy by also detecting the level of HCG in your urine. Being nearly 100% accurate, this test does not require you to urinate first thing in the morning. This type of test also can determine that the signs and symptoms of being pregnant hold true, and that your pregnancy symptoms are right.
PREGNANCY BLOOD TEST
In order to assist dating your pregnancy, your healthcare provider may also perform a pregnancy blood test. This particular pregnancy test can give you a positive or negative result, and once again detects the level of HCG. This time, it detects that level in your blood, and depending on your pregnancy symptoms, helps them determine what kind of care to give you. Pregnancy blood tests are useful if there are any concerns about miscarriage, or if there are indications that an unusual pregnancy is occurring.
INTERNAL EXAM
Four to six weeks after conception, your doctor can receive indefinite proof by examining you internally. Certain signs like the thickening of vaginal tissues and the softening of your uterus will confirm that the pregnancy symptoms are right on!
About The Author
Brian Gardner is the Founder of PregnancyEtc.com – An Online Pregnancy Resource For 9 Months & Beyond. Having recently experienced pregnancy firsthand with his wife Shelly, Brian has dedicated his efforts towards pregnancy research. The development of http://www.pregnancyetc.com was to ensure that expecting parents had a place to find information on pregnancy and babies.
info@pregnancyetc.com
