Readings 2nd Exam

Question 1

Male And Female Hormones Revisited

by: Mariamne H. Whatley

Answer 1

• male hormones = androgens

• female hormones = estrogens

*both hormones appear in both men and women, but in different amounts - and the amount and proportions of each vary across individuals

• adrenal glands (ovaries and testes) produce the hormones
• both hormones are needed for normal development, and both increase during puberty
• estrogen does not disappear after menopause (an androgens are actually converted to estrogen in fat cells during menopause)

Question 2

Female Adolescence “Puberty and Growing up”

by: Rose Frisch

Answer 2

• a girl’s growth spurt always occurs before menarche
• this depends largely on body weight (and peak weight gain takes place before menarche) - but menarche occurs after weight gain starts to slow down
• girls being growth spurt at about 9.5 y/o and boys at 12.8 y/o
• at first, no one believed her that weight was realated to menarche
• the age of menarche is earlier now than a centruy ago
• things that delay menarche: environmental factors, high altitiude, undereating, overexercising, diseases
• a certain amount of body fat is needed for reproduction
• when girls have 1st menarche, their ovarian cycles do not being immediately/consistantly –> but once boys hit genarchy, their sperm production is at the adult level

Question 3

Dont Just Go with the Flow

from: Teen Voices

Answer 3

• some menstrual products are better for you and the environment
• in tampons and pads in stores - they contain dioxin which could be cancerous
• alternatives: cotton pad, cloth pad, menstrual cup (diva cup) - reusable, sponge, organic tampons
• ways to prevent TSS: change tampon every 4-5 hours, wash hands before inserting, alternate between pads and tampons, do not sleep with tampons in

Question 4

The selling of Premenstrual Syndrome “Who profits from marketing PMS?”

by: Andrea Eagan

Answer 4

• estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) - controversial
• PMS varies widely–> appears after ovulation and disappears at the beginning of the menstrual period
• we still don’t know what exactly causes PMS
• but doctors still treat it – and some of it is caused by medical treatment (ex: after going off of the pill)
• could be negative long term effects of progesterone treatments for PMS

Question 5

To Bleed or Not to Bleed

“New options at the birth control arsenal”

by: Kiesha McCurtis

Answer 5

• complete menstrual suppression products are being marketed today- so women never have to have a period
• pretty safe
• same risks as regular birth control - except more risks of break-through bleeding
• women may be concerned because they can’t use a missed period as a pregnancy indicator
• pharmaceutical companies promote these products saying they’re healthier – but not true

Question 6

A Gendered Epidemic “Women and the Risks and Burdens of HIV”

by: Peter Piot

Answer 6

• women represent an increasing proportion of of people infected with HIV
• age mixing (espec. in Africa) leads young girls more likely to get HIV than boys (b/c young girls have sex with older men)
• also immature genital tracts make young girls more suseptible to infection
• affects minority, disadvantaged people/women the most
• need more voluntary counseling and testing, more info and help preventing passing HIV from mother to child

Question 7

Cervical Cancer Vaccines in Contect

by: Adriane Fugh-Berman

Answer 7

• an abnornmal Pap does not equal cervical cancer, but a follow-up colposcopy is needed —– but its not that afforable and some insurance may not cover it
• Pap smears help prevent cervical cancer - but women need access to follow ups
• HPV is very common and cures itself 90% of the time
• Gardasil = vaccine against HPV (don’t know to what extent these cover yet, or if boosters are needed)

Question 8

Hold the Hype on HPV

by: Alicia Bell

Answer 8

• Gardasil’s manufacturer tried topass a law to require the vaccine for school-aged girls but there was a lot of controversy around this
• for parents, the vaccine reminds them that their kids will have sex
• Gardasil is approved for females 9-26 —- but it really depends on your level of sexual activity (vaccine works best beofre you’ve had sex or if you’ve had very few sex partners)
• the types of HPV that cause genital warts are not the types that cause cervical cancer
• HPV can be transmitted through skin

Question 9

A Dangerous Combination “Direct-to-Consumer Advertising, Abstinence-Only education, and young women’s health”

by: ronna popkin

Answer 9

• explosion in contraceptive advertising (especially birth control pills to women) is due to a larger overall increase in DTC (direct to consumer) prescription drug ads
• often contain vague, misleading, or unbalanced info and messages
• teens get a lot of their info about sexual health and birth control from media (especially teens who were taught abstinence only – the only way they seek out and get info is through media)
• some birth control was advertised manly as a way to clear up skin – beauty effects rather than contraceptive effects (and the risks were hidden or hard to read)
• many teens don’t know that the Pill doesn’t protect against STDs (because its not advertised as strongly)
• Pills just to get fewer periods - misleading that its “safe” or reccommended
• some hormonal ads are targeted at women of color but don’t comply with their skin tone (the patch) – also enforced stereotypes about black women needing birth control more to prevent reproduction while white women use it more for beauty, cramps, etc
• scare tactics used in abstinence only programs are ineffective to preventing sex – and may lead teens to mistrust other info they hear about risks

Question 10

The Pill may not mix well with other drugs

by: judith willis

Answer 10

• combinations of the pill and other drugs can either diminish the effectiveness of the pill, but also increase or decrease the potentcy of the other drug
• some drugs decrease contraception effects because they increase the metabolism of contraceptives – so they no longer suppress ovulation
• types of drugs that may decrease effectiveness of the pill: antibiotics, barbiturates, anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatories
• dosages of other drugs may need to be adjusted, (ex: people with diabetes)

**** drugs, in general, usuallu don’t interfere with the Pill though*****

Question 11

Acquiescene in the Contrceptive Marketplace

by: claudine isles wallace

Answer 11

• hormones used in the pill are much more potent than those naturally occurring in our bodies
• only 2 significant non-hormonal contraceptives: the cervical cap and the female condom
• cervical cap = diaphragm with spermacide –but many women are allergic
• female condoms = more expensive than male condoms, offer less protection and decrease sexual functioning

Question 12

Next Target: Birth Control

by: barbara miner

Answer 12

• Pro-Life WI, claims birth control is murder and wants to ban all hormonal birth control (EC, the pill, IUD, the patch, and the shot) - but not barrier methods
• argue that hormonal BC might act on a fertilized egg to prevent implantation = “abortifacient”
• BC pills work by preventing ovulation, and EC is just a highly concentrated dose of the pill
• american medical association defines pregnancy as when the fertilized egg implants in the womb (not egg meets sperm)
• people also believe that “contraceptive mentality” promotes promiscuity

Question 13

Eight New Nonhormonal Contraceptive Methods for Men

by: Elaine lissner

Answer 13

1. no-scalpel vasectomy–gently poking and stretching a small opening in the scrotal skin rather than cutting the skin– sperm ducts are blocked —bleeds less and heals faster
2. permanent contraceptio by injection – injection of chemicals to seal off vas deferens
3. potentially reversible contraception by injectable vas deferens plug – 98% effective, reversible
4. potentially reversible contraception by surgically implanted vas deferens plug– plug is implanted in vas deferens (two plugs in one - makes it more leak-free)
5. temporary injectable contraception – vas deferens coated with sperm-killing solution —easily reversible
6. wet heat method – testes are bathed in VERY hot water every night for three weeks (116 F for 45 min/day) – use in conjunction with sperm count checks
7. artificial cryptorchidism “Jockey Method” – shorts are worn during the day to hold testes in inguinal canal – causes heat effect
8. ultrasound method – ultra-short sound waves are applied to testes for 10 minutes once every 6 months
   - all non-hormonal — research bias plays a role in why they are more developed (believe men dont care about contraception)

Question 14

Beyond Condoms “Years in the Making, Male Hormonal Contraceptives May Finally Be on Track”

by: Regina Nuzzo

Answer 14

• hormonal contraceptives for men are beng develpoed – implants, gels, injections
• its much more difficult to suppress sperm production (millions, every day) than egg production (one, once a month) – makes it difficult
• male hormonal methods work by adding testosterone to the blood stream - haults production of sperm cells and also blocks normal production of testoserone (but added male hormones make up for this)
• side effects can be similar to steroid use in short term
• even if a drug is effective, it needs to be convienient too
• many men are willing to use hormonal methods