News

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Supports Women’s Health Care Champion, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan,

August 19, 2010

Washington, DC — The Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of John Callahan, mayor of Bethlehem, PA, in Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District race. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "John Callahan has been a strong advocate of expanding health care access for women and families during his tenure as mayor of Bethlehem," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund....Read More >

US approves new, 5-day emergency contraceptive

August 13, 2010

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials approved a new type of morning-after contraceptive Friday that works longer than the current leading drug on the market. The pill ella from the French maker HRA Pharma reduces the chance of pregnancy up to five days after sex. Plan B, the most widely used emergency contraceptive pill, begins losing its ability to prevent pregnancy within three days of sex. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug as a prescription-only birth control...Read More >

Why sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise for those 45 and older

August 9, 2010

When the late Marvin Gaye crooned his 1973 hit, “Let’s Get It On,” many young couples swooned to his sultry overtones. Fast-forward to 2010, and those same people — now in their 50s, 60s and up — continue to fuel love’s flames with a healthy sex life. Some of that can be attributed to erectile dysfunction-thwarting drugs, such as Viagra, that made lovemaking more possible in one’s later years. But increasingly, there’s a price to pay for later-in-life romance, said Dr. Russell Lampen,...Read More >

Philadelphia Reports Jump in Gonorrhea Cases After Several Years of Decline

August 4, 2010

Reported cases of gonorrhea rose 26 percent in the first six months of 2010 compared with the same period last year, the city Department of Public Health said. It is possible that the higher numbers reflect more testing, the city said in an advisory sent Monday to health-care providers. Still, after several years of modest declines through 2009, the increase - to 2,876 cases in the first half of this year - is a public health concern, Caroline C. Johnson, director of the department's...Read More >