Health, Fitness and Style

Women Veterans who have experienced IPV: “VA can help.” According to the VA Women’s Health Services Office, one third of women Veterans experience IPV in their lifetime, compared with less than a quarter of civilian women. Another story is from VA Officials from the five selected Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers with whom GAO spoke with reported various factors that contribute to providers' mental health treatment decisions, including decisions regarding the prescribing of psychotropic medications and the offering of non-pharmacologic therapy. In addition, a VA study found that a form of brain stimulation that can rapidly improve communication between neurons in the brain helped ease PTSD symptoms. more »

It's Okay to Be Smart has videos exploring all manner of curiosities and scientific topics, such as why cereal tends to either clump together or stick to the edges in your cereal bowl, whether it's true that everyone has a doppelganger, and how fire ants became so widespread in the southern US; Hidden Brain "reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, and the biases that shape our choices;" LGBTQ Materials in the New York Public Library is a super-collection, composed of hundreds of documents, photographs, post cards, and more. The Trevor Project, a national organization whose mission is "to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people." more »

Despite a lower uninsured rate than men (11% vs 14%), women are more likely to skip a recommended medical test or treatment due to cost... cost barriers to contraception have decreased for insured women since the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) coverage requirement took effect. Women without a regular clinician are less likely to receive certain preventive services, such as a mammogram and Pap test. Women are more likely than men to have a preexisting health condition ... Another government study recommends: The USPSTF has found that there isn't enough evidence to recommend screening women over age 75 for certain diseases, particularly breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer. In many cases, there just weren't enough older people in the studies to permit a judgment for or against screening. In other cases, screening was recommended, but the panel couldn't determine how often it should be done. more »

Bills Introduced: A bill to increase transparency and reporting on campus sexual violence; House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is scheduled to mark up H.R. 3362, the Small Airports Mothers’ Room Act; Reauthorizing Vital Health Programs for American Families; A bill to require the comptroller general ... to conduct a study on ways to increase reporting of missing Indians and the effects of substance abuse, including the use of methamphetamine, on violent crime in Tribal communities; “Unprecedented Migration at the US Southern Border: The Exploitation of Migrants through Smuggling, Trafficking, and Involuntary Servitude;” A bill to provide coverage for wigs as durable medical equipment under the Medicare program. more »