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Discrimination against pregnant workers appears to be increasingly common, a new report issued by National Women’s Law Center, Washington, DC, reveals. The report indicates that pregnant workers do not garner the same breaks as workers with disabilities or those who were injured on the job.

A large multicenter study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provides new evidence that four lifestyle changes recommended by the American Heart Association can reduce risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality.

Prolonging treatment with adjuvant tamoxifen from 5 years to 10 years decreases risk of breast cancer recurrence (15% reduction over 5 years of therapy) as well as mortality (25% reduction at year 10) for women in the initial stages of breast cancer. Richard Gray, MD, MSc, of the University of Oxford, UK, presented this finding from results of the aTTom trial (Adjuvant Tamoxifen: To Offer More?) at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago in early June.

The Obama administration on Monday abandoned its attempt to restrict access to the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication-a decision that’s being celebrated by some groups.

A test for cervical cancer that uses ordinary vinegar--and that can be performed by trained laypersons--holds promise for poor countries where cytology-based screening is not easily implemented. This low-cost, innovative solution to a pressing women’s health problem was presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

Positioning sutures away from an intervertebral disc at the promontory may help reduce the risk of disc-related sequelae after sacrocolpopexy, concluded a review of spinal MRIs of women undergoing surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse.

What you need to know about recent research on genetic causes and prevention. An editorial by Editor in Chief Charles J. Lockwood, MD.

Legally Speaking

Excessive traction blamed for brachial plexus injury; bowel injury after laparoscopy; prolonged second stage blamed for CP; failure to perform timely cesarean blamed for child’s developmental delay; uterus perforated during hysteroscopy; severe IUGR not detected in high-risk pregnancy

A commentary on ACOG Practice Bulletin Number 131: Screening for Cervical Cancer, November 2012