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Why We Need to Talk About Pain During IUD Insertions Post & News admin October 4, 2024 Introduction: The intrauterine device (IUD) has long been hailed as one of the most reliable and convenient forms of birth control. With over 99% effectiveness and the convenience of long-term use, it’s no wonder that millions of women around the world have opted for this form of contraception. But despite its many benefits, a growing conversation is taking place in both medical circles and online communities about a crucial aspect that’s often overlooked: the pain associated with IUD insertion.What is an IUD and Why Use It? An IUD is a small, T-shaped device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. There are two main types available in the United States: one that is made of copper and another that releases the hormone levonorgestrel (LNG). Both types are known for being long-acting, reversible, and highly effective, offering a nonsurgical option that’s as reliable as permanent sterilizationThe Problem: Pain During Insertion However, there’s a side of IUD use that’s gaining attention for all the wrong reasons. The process of inserting an IUD can be painful, sometimes excruciatingly so. This is a reality that many women aren’t adequately prepared for, and it’s an issue that’s often dismissed or downplayed in medical settings.In recent years, social media has amplified this conversation, with numerous women sharing their harrowing experiences of IUD insertions. Videos and stories of women enduring intense pain during the procedure have gone viral, sparking outrage and raising questions about why more isn’t being done to manage this pain.Why is Pain Management Important? The insertion of an IUD involves a series of steps that can cause significant discomfort, including a pelvic exam, the use of a speculum, and the placement of the device through the cervical canal into the uterus. For many, the most painful moment comes when the IUD is actually inserted, causing cramping and sharp pain as it passes through the cervix.This pain isn’t just a fleeting discomfort; for some, it can be severe enough to cause long-lasting anxiety about future gynecological procedures. Unfortunately, this fear and anxiety may deter some women from choosing the IUD altogether, despite its many benefits.Recent Changes in Guidelines Acknowledging this issue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their guidelines to better address pain management during IUD insertions. For the first time, federal health officials are emphasizing the importance of discussing pain management options with patients before the procedure. This shift towards a more patient-centered approach recognizes that pain is a highly individualized experience, influenced by factors such as previous trauma and mental health conditions.The updated guidelines recommend that healthcare providers offer a range of pain management options, including local anesthetics like lidocaine. This is a significant step forward in ensuring that women’s pain is taken seriously and managed appropriately.The Way Forward As the conversation around IUD insertion continues to grow, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure that all women have access to pain management during the procedure. Medical professionals must be proactive in discussing potential pain and offering solutions that can make the experience less traumatic.For women considering an IUD, it’s important to be informed about both the benefits and the potential discomfort associated with the procedure. Ask your healthcare provider about pain management options, and don’t be afraid to advocate for your comfort and well-being.In a time when women’s health issues are finally getting the attention they deserve, addressing the pain associated with IUD insertion is not just about improving patient experience, it’s about ensuring that all women have equal access to safe, effective, and comfortable contraception.Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., is the creator and head of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, located at Temple University‘s College of Science and Technology in Philadelphia. Stay connected with him through his various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

Can The U.S. Learn From Italy, Where Antibody Test Makers Are Fighting For A New Market? Post & News admin August 13, 2024 Originally published on: Forbes Diesse Diagnostica Senese’s lab for COVID-19 antibody tests.Diesse Diagnostica Senese. After eight weeks of national lockdown in an effort to defeat a deadly outbreak of COVID-19, Italy began to tentatively reopen certain businesses and put millions of citizens back to work on May 4. As part of that gradual reopening, Italian national and local authorities are undertaking extensive antibody testing campaigns to determine how many people may have developed immunity to the coronavirus. At the same time, the companies that make these tests — ranging from global players Abbott Laboratories and DiaSorin to local outfits such as Diesse Diagnostica and TechnoGenetics — are racing to win a share of an emerging market for tests that detect COVID-19 antibodies in the bloodIt’s not clear that all of these tests will provide solidly useful information. The WHO has warned against using them to issue so-called “immunity passports” — which would allow those who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to resume a normal life — because experts still don’t know how long immunity lasts, or even whether antibodies can protect from reinfection. In the absence of a vaccine, Italy’s regional governments are using antibody tests — also called serological or blood tests — to gauge how many residents have been infected and allow certain employees to return to work if they test positive.One issue here, notes Dr. Antonio Giordano, the founder and director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, is that it’s not clear whether current tests can tell the difference between antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and antibodies for the already circulating coronaviruses that cause the common cold.Faced with the choice of multiple tests offered by dozens of different companies, authorities are struggling to decide on a coherent strategy for testing. To make matters worse, many tests on the market are unreliable — researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeleymeasured the efficacy of twelve different antibody tests and found that many kits had high rates of false positives. Regulators have grown increasingly cautious about certifying tests: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on May 4 that it would ask test manufacturers to provide validation data within 10 business days or risk having their emergency authorizations revoked. In Italy, at least three regions — roughly the equivalent of U.S. states — initially banned private laboratories from offering antibody tests to the public. Because of this variance between tests, Giordano suggests instead using only one, so at least any errors would be consistent, and therefore easier to account for. “It would be better to apply the same serological test in the whole country, to have a better picture of the diffusion of the virus throughout Italy,” he says. An antibody rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 following a finger prick blood sample at the Tor … [+]AFP via Getty Images While Italian regions are cautiously reopening thanks to a steep decline in the country’s curve of new infections, new cases have ticked up in U.S. states that have already reopened. On April 22, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security published a report calling for a national antibody testing campaign, warning that many of the tests currently available on the U.S. market have either not been validated or produce results that can’t be compared with each other. Meanwhile, the National Institutes for Health has begun a large-scale study that would give antibody tests to a large part of the U.S. population to both gauge coronavirus spread and research immunity. There are several types of antibody tests currently in use, which are different from the nasal swab tests used to diagnose whether someone is currently infected with the virus. The two most widely used types of antibody tests are rapid diagnostic tests, which can detect the presence of antibodies — but not the quantity — in under half an hour and typically use blood samples from a finger prick; and lab-based ELISA tests, which take two to five hours and provide data on the number of antibodies present in the blood or plasma of patients.Weeks before the Italian government announced a contract on April 25 with Illinois-based healthcare firm Abbott Labs for the delivery of up to 4 million antibody tests by the end of May, most of Italy’s twenty regional governments had already forged ahead with their own plans to begin antibody testing. Just as competition built up between American governors bidding for much-needed ventilators in the U.S., regional officials in Italy are now facing a similar situation with antibody tests, forced to navigate a new market with little guidance from the national government.In the central region of Marche, home to about 1.5 million people, Governor Luca Ceriscioli was among the first in the country to begin antibody testing of healthcare workers at major hospitals. Now that Italy is reopening, he is concerned by what he views as a slow response from the national government and a lack of clarity on antibody testing. “In theory, the national health institute said a few weeks ago they would decide on the most effective tests,” Ceriscioli told Forbes. “Since this still hasn’t happened, we decided to go ahead…with our own campaign. Even in an emergency, the response that we needed yesterday always arrives a week later.” A healthcare professional performs a serological test for COVID-19 in Cisliano, Italy.Getty Images In Lombardy, Italy’s richest and largest region and the one hardest-hit by the virus, the battle to provide antibody tests is taking place in the courts. On March 25, the regional government announced an ambitious campaign to test all residents who had been told to quarantine at home after reporting COVID-19 symptoms, starting on April 23. The contract for the antibody tests was awarded to Italian biotech firm DiaSorin, part-owned by billionaire Gustavo Denegri, which… Continue reading Can The U.S. Learn From Italy, Where Antibody Test Makers Are Fighting For A New Market?

KAMALA HARRIS AND THE POWER OF Laughter Post & News admin August 10, 2024 The laughter of a woman has in itself an incredible subversive power as in fact it calls into question the social order and it is the greatest political strategy, as in Aristotle’s comedies, and, over the centuries, it has always been contained and limited to a smile because “a woman who laughs is a free woman.” “Laughing is a political act”, strong and destabilizing for the opponent who is forced to resort to old gender stereotypes, associating laughter with madness, sloppy externalization, or an indication of hysteria.Although women constitute more than half of the world’s population, they are still under-represented, both in politics and biomedical research. One example is the fact that in the past scientific protocols have always been based on male models. Thus, the laughter of women is part of the dispute about right of expression, as in fact laughing, for some, is a male appearance that denotes strength, pride, self-determination, and power control.A laugh is likely to “bury prejudices” rooted for centuries, which considered a woman laughing dangerous. There are several written treatises on how to laugh. For example, Aristotle, the second book of his “Poetica,” is focused on comedy and laugh. Laughing is a terribly serious thing. Kamala Harris knows it. Hers is a laugh that has already “conquered” many hearts and her laughter is surely destined to write an important page for all openminded women, who laugh. Freedom passes through the power of a woman’s bright smile.*Director Sbarro institute for cancer Research Temple University of Philadelphia Prof. Anatomy and Histology University of Siena Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., is the creator and head of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, located at Temple University‘s College of Science and Technology in Philadelphia. Stay connected with him through his various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

Imane Khelif Unfairly Attacked: What is Swyer Syndrome? Post & News admin August 5, 2024 The boxing match between the Algerian and the Italian boxer in Paris 2024 has become a political affair. Originally published on: La Voce Di Newyork Imane Khelif of Algeria (Red) Angela Carini of Italy (Blue) in action during their women’s 66kg preliminary round of 16 bout of the Boxing competitions in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the North Paris Arena in Villepinte, France, 1 August 2024. ANSA / CIRO FUSCO Swyer syndrome, or pure gonadal dysgenesis, affects patients who present a discrepancy between karyotype and sexual phenotype. Basically, they present with external female genitalia, which have not completely developed due to the absence of ovaries and the presence of a small uterus. This very rare condition belongs to the group of “disorders of sexual development.” Patients affected by Swyer syndrome, after a thorough gynecological examination and tests on sexual hormones, present with altered sex hormones due to the absence of the SRY gene and experience intersexuality, socializing as women.They can also have children after therapy and egg donation, although with all the difficulties associated with a small uterus and other hormonal implications. Being born with this syndrome is a physical and psychological challenge that is full of uncertainties and often requires psychological support as in fact many of the secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development and menstrual cycle do not appear. The karyotype reveals XY, male chromosomes, while imaging shows the presence of a uterus. This translates into a complex process that affects the missing “sexual differentiation.” A recent publication in the journal “Gynecological Endocrinology” reported for the first time in the scientific literature the case of three sisters with a female phenotype and a male karyotype, all with different implications for general health.To clarify, this syndrome is impactful and present at birth, and there is no talk of “transition” to male sex. Subject are born as woman and asks to express herself and socialize as intersexual individual, presenting others as woman in all cases, including sportsNow this syndrome has come to the fore and gained enormous resonance due to the story linked to the boxing match at the Paris Olympics, which was held for only 46 seconds, despite fierce controversy regarding the alleged unequal performance of the two athletes, one Italian and the other Algerian, who is intersex. The match was authorized by the Olympic Committee based on the intersex athlete hormonal levels, which were within the permitted limits and the parameters of the Olympic rules.The bone structure of a patient affected by Swyer syndrome is stronger, but there are no references associated with physical strength, muscle development, or differences in performance as compared to “normal” athletes. The presence of XY chromosomes is linked to the “malformation and deficiency of the SRY gene.” Thus, the match could be played safely, given that science and the Olympic Committee had considered it “acceptable.”The fact that an athlete with a very rare syndrome cannot participate in an international competition such as the Olympics without being attacked by jokes, political attacks, prejudices, and pseudoscientific theories is very serious. This is even more so if we consider the difficult path that any person with this genetic condition faces from birth. Being intersex is a complex condition, both physically and psychologically, which does not require ideological, cultural, political, or religious implications but the sporting world, which is inclusive, can resolve by providing better clarity.The personal choice of abandoning the match made by Angela Carini, who felt she had to leave because she perceived an unequal match up and danger to her safety, must be respected and understood, especially considering the ferocious controversy, which certainly had a significant influence on her choice and the state of mind in which she arrived at the ring.Anyone who states that “special” categories, are an inconvenience for the Olympic Games, is discriminating. This is not a question of physical issues, but of identity. Born a woman, Imane Khelif has fought in the women’s boxing category since she was a child and won a silver in Istanbul in 2022. However, in 2023, at the World Championships, she was disqualified for high levels of testosterone.Fair competition has always been present in Khelif’s path, which has suffered for the fact that parameters for minimum hormonal values are not aligned between different associations at international level. It may be necessary to intervene and agree upon with a single rule at world, European, or Olympic levels to avoid confusion. The problem of safety in contact sports is a major issue that must be resolved on a case-by-case basis without impeding the rights of expression of an athlete with a syndrome that does not impact the fairness of a competition. Imane Khelif suffered a disproportionate, discriminatory attack for an Hormonal imbalance not strength.Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., is the creator and head of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, located at Temple University‘s College of Science and Technology in Philadelphia. Stay connected with him through his various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

University: The Lure of the Ivy League Post & News admin October 4, 2024 Originally published on: Fortune Health Italia Getting into the Ivy League? For those who can afford it, the choice falls on the most prestigious universities in the world, specifically the American ones belonging to the Ivy League. This expression was first used by Stanley Woodward, a reporter from the New Herald Tribune. Originally conceived in the ’50s and ’60s as a sports association for university athletes, over time, it became the symbolic acronym for powerful universities.Initially, only students from wealthy families were accepted, but following the civil rights movement, these universities, with accredited sports traditions, opened their doors to students from other social classes. Even so, the difficulty of entering one of the Ivy League universities remains undeniable, with a rejection rate of 94% for both American and foreign students.The acceptance process is complex and demanding and often does not take merit into account, as highlighted by numerous publications. Criticisms target the donation mechanism, where wealthiest American families make contributions to these prestigious universities. While this allows universities to recruit the best professors without worrying about finding funds, it favors a system based on family wealth rather than meritocracy.Thus, universities lose their function as a “social elevator,” preventing the best minds from emerging, which detrimentally affects the states of origin of the student and the entire research network. On average, attending an Ivy League university costs approximately $52,000 annually, in addition to housing costs of around $20,000.However, entering an Ivy League school is considered an investment: students can recover what they paid in just a few years through their first post-graduate positions. Many students also value the network of acquaintances formed by alumni of these prestigious universities, which helps them access high levels in the job market.In Italy, Bocconi, Politecnico, and Luiss are comparable to American Ivy League universities. Thanks to a school system that recognizes merit and its benefits, you can graduate in Italy without large economic resources. Italian students often surpass those enrolled in Ivy League universities, confirming that the difference lies in “human capital.”*Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia and professor at the University of Siena. Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., is the creator and head of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, located at Temple University‘s College of Science and Technology in Philadelphia. Stay connected with him through his various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram