Women

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

On Monday, May 6, the Harford Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) held its fourth annual Food Fight, bringing together four chefs from around the region to compete in a cooking competition - one wherein each chef prepared, in one hour's time, an appetizer and entree from a basket of secret ingredients. For the first time, the event took place at the Vandiver Inn in Havre de Grace, where Susan, the inn's chef, offered her own version of the secret ingredients for viewers to purchase and enjoy.

A cabal of corrupt corrections officers and members of the Black Guerrilla Family gang enjoyed nearly free rein inside the Baltimore City Detention Center, federal authorities allege, smuggling drugs and cellphones into the jail and having sexual relationships that left four guards pregnant. An indictment unsealed Tuesday names 25 people - including 13 women working as corrections officers - who face racketeering and drug charges. Twenty of the accused also face money-laundering charges.

Et cetera Spirit's 2-0 loss to Thorns is first shutout Christine Sinclair scored in the 41st minute and Alex Morgan added a late goal as the Portland Thorns defeated the visiting Washington Spirit, 2-0, in a National Women's Soccer League match before an announced 12,474 at Jeld-Wen Field. The Spirit (1-3-3), which scored four times at Seattle on Thursday, suffered its first shutout. Chantel Jones made her first start in goal for Washington, replacing Ashlyn Harris (sore knee)

Bob Baffert strode into the Preakness stakes barn Friday morning, shouting toward Orb's trainer Shug McGaughey loud enough so all could hear. "OK, Shug, I'm here to take away that media spotlight for you," he said. Baffert, indeed, is one of the few people in the sport who could have swiped some of the attention from McGaughey and his heavily favored colt this week . Baffert has won the Preakness five times, and on three occasions he's moved on to Belmont with a chance at the Triple Crown.

For many folks headed to Preakness, the focus of the afternoon isn't the race. It's the fashion — and we don't just mean hats. If you're in the grandstands, the Jockey Club area or Corporate Village, you'll want to dress the part. Betsy Dugan, owner of Bettina Collections in Cross Keys and former co-owner of Octavia in Pikesville, has been dressing women for Preakness for years. "This is the time ... to dress up," she said. If there's one rule of thumb, it's that ladies and gentlemen at Preakness should look like ...well, ladies and gentlemen.

Actress Angelina Jolie's decision to have a double mastectomy rather than risk developing breast cancer hit close to home for Melissa DeSantis, a Bel Air mother of three children. As DeSantis read about Jolie's experience, she began to feel a sense of kinship to the Hollywood star. DeSantis also made the tough decision to have her breasts removed in a February surgery. Like Jolie, she had one of the inherited gene mutations that leaves many women more likely to develop cancer.

It is well known that HPV (human papillomavirus) can lead to deadly cervical cancer in women, but the virus is causing cancer in men as well. Throat cancers caused by HPV are showing up typically in men with little or no history of smoking, said Dr. Kevin J. Cullen, an oncologist who specializes in treating head and neck cancers. Cullen, the director of the University of Maryland's Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, talks about the growing cases of HPV-related throat cancers.

A Congolese native who had diligently cared for her comatose husband for more than a dozen years needed $1,000 to restore electricity to their home. Another woman, whose son had been murdered a year earlier, finally found employment and housing after recovering from a nervous breakdown and needed $650 for a security deposit on an apartment. When $1,000 or less prevents a woman in dire circumstances from taking a major step toward reversing the downward spiral of her life, the Response Network of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County comes alive.

Sports apparel maker Under Armour is launching its third "What's Beautiful" online fitness competition for women, the company said Wednesday. Women compete by setting fitness goals and chronicling the journey in an online forum. Under Armour will select the three most inspirational women, who will win all-expenses-paid fitness retreats to Costa Rica. The competition will be hosted through a mobile app and a microsite  where women can share videos, photos and diary entries and view content featuring Under Armour athletes and professional trainers.

A woman was hospitalized Monday morning after being thrown from the hood of a car that she jumped onto after one of its occupants robbed her, police said.  Police said that at about 11:10 a.m., the victim was involved in an "altercation" with two men in the 300 block of N. Gay St., near the Old Town Mall. One of the men grabbed her money and climbed into a car. The woman jumped on the hood of the car, an apparent attempt to stop the vehicle, and the driver "stopped short," causing her to fall off of the car, police said.  The woman, who was age and name were not disclosed, was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The Syracuse women's lacrosse team advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament final four with a 13-9 win over visiting Florida on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Orange (18-3) will make its second straight appearance, and its fourth since 2008, in the national semifinals, facing unbeaten and top-seeded Maryland on Friday at 5 p.m. or 7:30p.m. at Villanova. The Orange extended its winning streak to 13 games. The Gators end the year with an 18-3 record. "We knew it was going to be a tough game against a very good Florida team," said Syracuse coach Gary Gait.

Revenge was oh so sweet for Salisbury's women's lacrosse team, especially when it came with a national championship. The Sea Gulls polished off a 23-0 season with a 12-5 victory and the Division III national championship by avenging last year's title-game loss to Trinity College in a battle of undefeated teams Sunday at Stevenson University's Mustangs Stadium. "We've been cheering 'Redemption' all year and 'Road to redemption' and that word has really meant a lot to us," said Sea Gulls senior attacker Lauren Feusahrens, who scored five goals.

In February, Duke coach Kerstin Kimel said she wasn't sure any women's lacrosse team was better than Maryland. After Saturday's NCAA quarterfinal, she seemed pretty well convinced. The No. 1 Terps (21-0) had their lethal offense rolling and also forced 15 turnovers en route to a 14-9 victory and a berth in their fifth straight NCAA final four. Looking for their 12th national title and their first since 2010, the Terps are in the final four for a record 21st time. Taking their second win this season over their Atlantic Coast Conference rival at Maryland's Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, the Terps continue to make it difficult for defenses to contain an attack that always has seven players ready to score.

The second-seeded Salisbury women's lacrosse team overcame its first second-half deficit of the season as Shelby Nemecek (Liberty) broke a 7-all tie with just over eight minutes to play in an 8-7 victory over third-seeded Middlebury (18-3) in the NCAA Division III semifinals Saturday at Stevenson. The win sends the Sea Gulls to their sixth national championship appearance in program history, where they will face Trinity (Conn.) College, an 8-6 winner over SUNY-Cortland, today at noon.

The Atlantic Coast Conference boasts more teams in the NCAA women's lacrosse quarterfinals than any other conference - No. 1 seed Maryland, No. 3 North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. Those teams have posted a .822 winning percentage against non-conference teams this season. Boston College also made the tournament, but fell in the first weekend as ACC teams went 6-1. Only two ACC teams will make it to the final four, however, since in Saturday's semifinals Maryland will play Duke in College Park and North Carolina will play Virginia in Chapel Hill.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition will sponsor a women's health expo from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Sheraton Hotel, 173 Jennifer Road, Annapolis. Information on medical research advances, skin care, stress management, nutrition and more will be featured, The registration fee is $40 and includes breakfast. To register online go to nocc.kintera.org/centralmd or call 443-433-2597.

There will be a presentation on depression/anxiety and self-defense for women from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Jenkins Memorial Church, 133 Riviera Drive, Pasadena. Program will feature speakers from the Domestic Violence Crises Center, Legal Department, Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman's office and the States Attorneys Office. Information: 410-437-2846.

With Salisbury's offense averaging 16.33 goals per game -- second best in Division III women's lacrosse -- it can be difficult for even the best defense to get much attention. In Sunday's NCAA quarterfinal win over Franklin & Marshall, however, the defense stole the spotlight. If it hadn't, the No. 2 Sea Gulls (21-0) wouldn't be playing in Saturday's NCAA Division III semifinal. The Sea Gulls' attack struggled when the Diplomats put a face guard on offensive leader Katie Bollhorst, but the defense remained its usual stingy self and made sure Salisbury came away with an 8-6 victory in their closest call of the season.