Journal of family planning and reproductive health care

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In 2020, the Canadian government made a landmark judgement that permitted four terminally ill Canadians the legal right to use magic mushrooms for end-of-life distress . The compassionate decree was the first of its kind in Canada since 1974 when magic mushrooms (containing the psychoactive substance psilocybin and known to ease end-of-life fears) were made illegal through the Canadian Drugs and Substances Act. One of those initial four people allowed to experiment with the newly legal mental health treatment using psilocybin was Laurie Brooks, who is also the central character of the documentary DOSED 2: The Trip of a Lifetime . The film follows Brooks, who in 2018 was diagnosed with late-stage terminal cancer and given 6 to 12 months to live, as she makes her way through a journey of acceptance of her own mortality, aided considerably by her psilocybin experiences. Growing up in a devoutly religious family — and … [Read more...] about Film ‘DOSED 2’ Explores Legal Psychedelic Therapy, Highlights The Changing Landscape Of Mental Health Care

(CNN) The Biden administration is preparing to move forward with a plan to stretch the limited supply of monkeypox vaccine doses that would allow providers to use one-fifth as much per shot, two people familiar with the plans said. The Biden administration is set to announce a new emergency declaration as early as Tuesday afternoon that would enable providers to inject one-fifth of the currently authorized dose into the skin, rather than a full dose into underlying fat. The move was first reported by the New York Times. Change in monkeypox vaccine injection method could mean more doses but may not be easy, experts say The move comes less than a week after the Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency, which gives the US Food and Drug Administration and other government health agencies more flexibility to fight the spread of the virus. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said last week the FDA was considering a … [Read more...] about Biden administration to move forward with plan to stretch monkeypox vaccine doses

Last August, sorority rush at the University of Alabama exploded on TikTok with Greek letters, glitter, and teenage girls explaining their #OOTD, or outfit of the day. The videos generated millions of views as people watched new college students share carefully curated ensembles for each round of the recruitment process--name-dropping well-known brands like Shein, Target, Kendra Scott, Kate Spade, and Steve Madden. But one unfamiliar name kept getting mentioned: the Pants Store. Founded as a wholesale warehouse for pants in 1950 in Leeds, Alabama, the Pants Store is a third-generation family business run by Michael Gee, whose grandfather started the company out of the trunk of his car. Not being a TikTok user, Gee had no idea his business had gone viral on the platform last year. It was his then-14-year-old daughter who told him. In just one week, online sales soared by more than 600 percent year-over-year. Orders from out of state--particularly from other college … [Read more...] about How this Family-Owned Retailer Capitalized on RushTok

(CNN) Data obtained by CNN from New York's largest health-care provider indicates you're very unlikely to become severely ill with Covid-19 if you're under age 60, up to date on your Covid-19 vaccines and don't have underlying health problems, backing up a government plan expected to be announced this week that will ease up on coronavirus restrictions . If you're young, healthy and vaccinated, "you're going to be in a pretty good place," said Dr. William Schaffner, a vaccine adviser to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "You're going to be well-protected." CDC expected to ease Covid-19 recommendations, including for schools, as soon as this week The data from Northwell Health shows that of the nearly 2,000 people hospitalized there for Covid-19 in May, June and July, about 80% were over 60. Nearly 90% had an underlying health problem such as hypertension or diabetes. Vaccination status was also critically important. … [Read more...] about Under 60, healthy, vaccinated and boosted? ‘You’re in a pretty good place’ with Covid-19

(CNN) With nearly 9,000 confirmed monkeypox cases nationwide, there is growing concern that US college and university campuses could become monkeypox "hotspots" this fall. Educators are working to reduce the public health risk while some students worry about how their campus experiences might be affected by the virus -- a virus that the nation is still trying to control and that was recently declared a national public health emergency . JUST WATCHED CNN goes inside clinic treating monkeypox as outbreak grows Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CNN goes inside clinic treating monkeypox as outbreak grows 05:32 "As we head into the fall, I'm concerned about outbreaks on college campuses as they are often a place where individuals engage in higher risk sexual activity and are in close contact with many different people," Dr. Rachel Cox, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the Mass … [Read more...] about To prepare for possible monkeypox spread, colleges focus on educating students

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Israel-based Aidoc announced today a $110 million Series D round investment, bringing its total funding to $250 million. The round, co-led by TCV and Alpha Intelligence Capital (AIC), with participation from CDIB Capital, will help the startup expand the reach of its Aidoc AI Care Platform beyond the over 1,000 hospitals and health centers it already serves. With 15 FDA-cleared clinical solutions, the Aidoc platform operates as an intelligent layer on top of hospitals’ IT systems, offering physicians a centralized platform to address all the care points, across the health system. The platform’s AI algorithms deliver actionable insights derived from imaging data and electronic medical records. This allows physicians to manage larger patient volumes by reducing time to treatment, shortening length of stay in the ED and capturing more patients requiring advanced treatments. Hospitals today face growing labor shortages. … [Read more...] about $110 Million In New Funding For AI Helping Hospitals Address Acute Labor Shortage

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The reconciliation bill Democrats in Congress are about to pass will impose price controls on prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries (although they are couched in terms of price negotiation). Critics note that the measure would lead to fewer new drugs , fewer cures, more avoidable deaths, and higher drug prices for the private sector. University of Chicago economist Tom Philipson estimates that because of the price controls there will be 135 fewer new drugs in the next two decades – causing a loss of 331.5 million life-years in the U.S. That is a reduction in life spans about 31 times as large as from Covid-19 to date! Still, public opinion polls show high approval for the proposal. Why is that? In all likelihood it’s because voters realize there are problems that need solving. Here are some better solutions. Give Medicare enrollees access to rational insurance. In a proper insurance … [Read more...] about Better Solutions For Rx Problems

BIDEN DEEPLY UNPOPULAR WITH VOTERS… WSJ: Biden, Democrats Lose Ground on Key Issues, WSJ Poll Finds WASHINGTON—President Biden and his fellow Democrats have lost ground to Republicans on several of the issues most important to voters, a new Wall Street Journal poll finds, a troubling sign for the party seeking to extend its controlling majority of Congress for another two years. The new survey showed that 57% of voters remained unhappy with Mr. Biden’s job performance, despite favorable marks for the president’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a recent State of the Union speech, which provided him an opportunity to directly speak to millions of Americans. Just 42% said they approved of Mr. Biden’s performance in office, which was virtually unchanged from the previous Journal poll in mid-November. Meanwhile, Democratic advantages narrowed over Republicans on issues related to improving education and the Covid-19 response. A 16-percentage-point Democratic edge … [Read more...] about Editor Daily Rundown: Joe Biden Deeply Unpopular With Voters

GAS LINES IN AMERICA… Four Governors Declare States Of Emergency Due To Gasoline Shortage Four governors declared states of emergency in response to gas shortages brought on by the Colonial Pipeline hack. Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Monday due to his state’s gas shortage. Republicans Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared states of emergency on Tuesday. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced that he would not declare a new state of emergency because the state was already in one due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kemp suspended Georgia’s gas taxes, while Cooper eliminated transportation regulations. McMaster instituted anti-price gouging laws. Virginia Republicans called on Northam to suspend the state’s gas tax. CBS NEWS… The South was being hit hardest. Late Monday, almost 6.5% of gas stations in Virginia were out of fuel, … [Read more...] about Editor Daily Rundown: Governors Declare States Of Emergency In Response To Gas Shortages

Soi Dog Foundation has just surpassed the significant milestone of having neutered and vaccinated over 750,000 stray dogs and cats in Thailand and is well on its way to reaching a million animals before 2024. The foundation’s CNVR (Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) program began in Phuket in 2003. After almost two decades of work – and with the support of their generous donors worldwide – it has grown to become the largest programme of its kind anywhere in the world. The main focus of Soi Dog’s mobile programme is in Greater Bangkok and the Southern regions, though they also support projects in more than 16 provinces around the country, including Kanchanaburi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai and Songkhla. As of now, 652,535 dogs and 109,507 cats have passed through the program, preventing the births of millions of unwanted puppies and kittens. Late last year, the foundation announced its collaboration with Animal Rescue Cambodia (ARC) in Phnom Penh – their first animal sterilization … [Read more...] about Soi Dog Foundation Surpasses its 750,000 “Neuter and Vaccinate” Milestone