Younger Women

Low libido can not only ruin a women's sex life but could also cause her to miss out on some key health benefits. Dr. Valerie Omicioli, a certified menopause practitioner and clinical assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said that low sexual desire is something that women should not ignore. What are some of the common causes of low libido in women? The word libido refers not only to the desire for sex, but also sexual thoughts, fantasies, responsiveness and willingness to engage in sexual activity.

Researchers who conducted one of the world's largest studies of mammograms said yesterday there was no truth to reports, circulating at medical conferences and among oncologists, that the results concluded women under 50 were more likely to die of breast cancer after they receive the tests.Data from the study have not yet been published, but preliminary results from the large Canadian study suggest that women between the ages of 40 and 49 do not benefit from routine mammograms."We have been telling people for two years that there is as yet no benefit observed for women in this age group," said Dr. Cornelia Baines, deputy director of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study.

Time was when you could take one look at an African-American quilt and see your whole family.You saw grandpa's necktie. You saw the baby's old pajamas, with the faded red and blue balloons, and the shirt with the tiny ducks. You saw mama's best church frock of years ago, deconstructed, torn into strips and sewn in with the rest of the clothes that had touched all of your bodies, touching you again now as it warmed you at night.When members the African American Quilters of Baltimore unveiled their works for their second show and sale this weekend at a Forest Park church, the message was clear: These are not just your grandmother's quilts.

It was a few days after Christmas when 16-year-old Amanda Custer and her mom made a rare stop for a takeout burger. The indulgence ended badly for Amanda. Soon after, she said, "I felt real nauseous. Food was, like, gross. I got really bad cramps, a whole bunch of heartburn and an upset stomach. " And it didn't go away. "I would feel OK and try to eat something, and then I'd regret it," she recalled. "The pain afterwards was horrible. A couple of hours after I ate, I'd be going to the bathroom, feeling nauseous.

Ellen Carpenter delayed marriage until she found Mr. Right, but by that time she was 38 years old, making it much more difficult to have children. After getting pregnant with the help of hormone injections, the Frederick County resident lost the baby — a girl with severe body malformations — in the first trimester. She explored other options and chose to use frozen eggs from a donor. Today, Carpenter is the mother of a rambunctious 18-month-old named Zachary. A growing number of women are turning to frozen eggs to solve their fertility problems as the controversial procedure that long raised safety concerns slowly gains acceptance.

When it comes to changing diapers, breastfeeding and swaddling, 40 is the new 30. A recent national report found birth rates falling in virtually every age group of women in their childbearing years — except for those between 40 and 50. The group aged 40 to 44 had its largest birth rate since 1967. Benefiting from improvements in reproductive technology and the fact that most Americans are living longer, more women 40 and over are choosing to have children in later life, particularly after they've accomplished career goals.

Q: I am 42 and have always been concerned about developing breast cancer as my mother did when she was 65. I asked my internist and gynecologist about scheduling a mammogram, and they each gave me different advice about its value. Could you resolve the conflict between the two?A: About one in eight women in this country will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, and roughly one-third of those with breast cancer will die of the disease. In women 50 years of age or older, there is universal agreement about the value of mammograms, which can detect early breast cancers before they can be felt on examination.

In a major reversal, the National Cancer Institute is announcing plans to change its own guidelines on recommending mammograms for premenopausal women.Instead of urging that all women aged 40 to 49 be screened every year or two with mammograms, a position the institute has held since 1987, the NCI, citing inconclusive evidence from eight randomized trials and controversy among specialists, is now proposing that women under 50 get the X-rays only when advised to do so by their doctors.The institute is not saying that younger women should not have regular mammograms, nor is it suggesting that mammograms are dangerous.

BETHESDA -- An advisory board to the National Cancer Institute has voted to drop federal guidelines urging that women under age 50 get routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer.Yesterday's ground-breaking decision, opposed by many medical groups, reinforced a growing consensus among experts who say that the test does not save lives for women under 50.The recommendation of the Cancer Prevention and Control Advisory Board, expected to be upheld in coming months by the entire NCI, is not binding on doctors and their patients.

SYDNEY, Australia - Disappointed that the U.S. women's gymnasts failed to win a medal in the team competition last night? You should have seen what happened after they were finished tumbling and vaulting at the Olympic Park Superdome. The world got a glimpse of the ego problems, turf wars and turmoil that have troubled the team for several years, leaving the unmistakable impression that, if anything, a fourth-place finish in the team event was a major accomplishment. Yes, it was a far cry from the gold medal won in Atlanta four years ago in a moment that turned a nation of television viewers into gymnastics fans.