Association of Reproductive Health Professionals

The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) extends our condolences and wishes for recovery to everyone impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ARHP is particularly concerned about access to reproductive health care for women and their families in the affected areas and has compiled this summary list of relevant health services that have been set up in light of this tragedy:

Clinics in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama are offering free abortion services for women from the affected regions; go to http://www.gynpages.com and click on one of these states for more information and contact information for making an appointment or donation.
The Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project has set up a special fund for victims; call (323) 223-7727 or visit http://www.wrrap.org to donate or to request funding.
A special fund and case management services are available through the National Network of Abortion Funds; call (617) 524-6040 or visit http://www.nnaf.org to donate or to request funding.
The Ms. Foundation for women has set up a Women’s Response Fund, which aims to raise $500,000 to help local organizations that are serving the women affected by Katrina, particularly poor women of color. For more information, visit http://www.msfoundation.org.
Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeastern Texas is offering a free one-month supply of birth control pills or package of emergency contraception to women in the Louisiana and Mississippi Delta; for information, call 1.800.230.PLAN.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is directing its obstetrician members willing to volunteer their services to member Dr. Alfred Robichaux; he can be contacted at arobichaux@ochsner.org.
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has established a list of members who have volunteered to see displaced maternal-fetal medicine patients; for information, go to http://www.smfm.org.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed a fact sheet to help beneficiaries and providers handle this situation; for information, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/katrina. If you wish to volunteer your medical services, visit the HHS Health Care Professionals and Relief Personnel Volunteer Page at https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov, or call (866) 528-6334.
The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a Web site with information on important health and safety advice at http://www.dhhs.gov/katrina/.

Other related resources and information:

Helping Children After a Disaster from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
List of state and local health departments
Managing Traumatic Stress: After Hurricane Katrina from the American Psychological Association
Protect Your Health and Safety After a Hurricane from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Psychosocial Issues for Children and Families in Disasters: A Guide for the Primary Care Physician

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Dr. Andrew Kaunitz Receives ACOG�s Award for Excellence in Resident Education

In June 2005, Dr. Andrew M. Kaunitz, former ARHP board chair, received the Award for Excellence in Resident Education from ACOG’s Council on Residency Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Kaunitz is professor and assistant chair at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville.

Also this year, Florida Monthly Magazine named Dr. Kaunitz one of Florida’s best doctors for 2005.

Member Spotlight: Patricia Murphy, CNM, DrPH, FACNM

“I think ARHP is one of those rare professional organizations that is truly multidisciplinary and inclusive of all who work in the field of reproductive health,” says Patricia Murphy, CNM, DrPH, FACNM, newly elected member of the ARHP board. An ARHP member for almost 10 years, Dr. Murphy has served on the planning committee for the annual meeting and as a faculty presenter for many of ARHP’s educational programs. Her four-year term on the board begins in January.

“I wanted to participate on ARHP’s board because I think that really great organizations achieve success because of members’ efforts to keep the organization focused on the mission. I feel that I get so much from ARHP, and I want to give back in terms of my time and effort,” she said.

Dr. Murphy became interested in women’s health when she worked part time in an emergency room and volunteered at a women’s health clinic while obtaining her undergraduate degree in French and Arabic. “Through these opportunities, I became very interested in women’s health and considered going to medical school; however, I went into midwifery because I valued the midwife’s focus on keeping things normal, patient education, and patient empowerment.” She worked for many years as a midwife. After becoming interested in the broader spectrum of reproductive health, she obtained a doctorate in public health.

An associate professor in the University of Utah’s College of Nursing, Dr. Murphy also holds the Annette Cumming Endowed Chair in Women’s and Reproductive Health. “This chair was created to bring someone into Utah who would play a role in developing educational opportunities in reproductive health and who would provide contribute to policy issues. The chair position is an opportunity to work with many groups and people to improve reproductive health in the state.” Doing just that, Dr. Murphy worked with other faculty from the medical school and health sciences campus to secure demonstration project funding for the university as a Center for Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE). The CoE program, an initiative of the Office on Women’s Health in the US Department of Health and Human Services, implements a national model for comprehensive, integrated, multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches to women’s health care.

Dr. Murphy looks forward to her service on the board. “As a board member, I hope to expand ARHP’s membership to groups that are underrepresented in the organization. I would love to see more midwives as members. The reproductive health arena faces many challenges; it has become far too politicized. I think it is important to realize that first and foremost, reproductive health is health care. I hope to work with the board and ARHP to help health care professionals and consumers focus on the commonalities between reproductive health and health care in general.”

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Member Feedback with Dr. Jordan

Q:What is the Stewart Scholarship, and how can I nominate someone?

A: The Gary Stewart Scholarship for Research in Public Health was established in honor of Gary Stewart, MD, MPH (1940–1999), a leading international public health educator who was instrumental in promoting the concept that basic health and family planning are fundamental rights for everyone. Dr. Stewart, a long-term ARHP member and former board member, was a mentor to many public health professionals, particularly students, and strongly encouraged their growth in the field while nurturing their passion for family planning and reproductive health.

ARHP’s board of directors, through the organization’s Fund for the Future of Reproductive Health^® , has made it possible for ARHP to fund educational research projects for graduate students studying public health through the Stewart Scholarship . An award of $2,500 is provided each year at ARHP’s annual meeting.

The application is designed for public health faculty to nominate students, but anyone may submit a nomination for this award, and self-nominations are encouraged. To access the nomination form, go to www.arhp.org/rh2006. If you have questions, contact Amy Swann, ARHP’s director of education, at (202) 466-3825 or aswann@arhp.org.

Beth Jordan
Medical Director

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ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY

Another Successful Annual Meeting: Reproductive Health 2005

ARHP’s 2005 meeting, hosted in St. Petersburg, FL, in early September, was a success by every measure. Evaluations from the more than 500 attendees were highly favorable, with positive comments about the meeting’s content, presenters, and high level of onsite “energy.”

One highlight was the presentation of ARHP’s Preserving Core Values in Science Award to Dr. Susan Wood just one week after her resignation as assistant commissioner for women’s health of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (See News section, Update on Over-the-Counter EC.) The award was presented to honor her commitment to evidence-based science, advocating for more transparency in decision-making at government agencies, and long-term commitment to women’s health.

The meeting also featured the following awards:

Guttmacher Lectureship: Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, FAANP
Cushner Lectureship: Allan Rosenfield, MD
Burnhill Lectureship: Rev. Ignacio Castuera
Stewart Scholarship: Francie Likis, MSN, FNP, CNM
Preserving Core Values in Science: Susan Wood, PhD

Two awards were also given for best oral abstract presentations. David Hubacher, PhD, received the Outstanding Researcher Award for his presentation, “Preventing early copper IUD removals among first-time users: placebo-controlled randomized trial to study the effect of prophylactic ibuprofen.” The Outstanding Researcher in Training Award went to Rameet Singh, MD, MPH, for her presentation, “Is there a need for speculum and bimanual examinations in STD clinic attendees?” Abstracts for both presentations appear in the September issue of Contraception: An International Reproductive Health Journal. ARHP thanks Ortho Women’s Health for supporting the abstract awards.

Speaker slides and handouts from the meeting are available at http://www.arhp.org/rh2005.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

ARHP and PPFA Launch New Program on Medical Risk

ARHP and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) are pleased to introduce Putting Risk into Perspective: Making Informed Health Decisions About Hormonal Contraceptives , a new comprehensive, multiyear educational approach to improving health care providers’ and consumers’ understanding of risk related to hormonal contraception . ARHP and PPFA will work together and with key consumer and health care professional organizations to improve how health care providers communicate risk to patients; improve women’s understanding of risk; and improve how women use information about risk when they make decisions about contraception.

To meet health care providers’ and patients’ needs for education, the program will have many components, including printed materials, a program Web site, and visiting faculty sessions. To schedule a Putting Risk into Perspective session, contact Cynthia Lopez at (202) 466-3825 or clopez@arhp.org.

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NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

New Patient Education Brochure Available
ARHP announces the availability of a new patient education brochure in English and Spanish: A Woman’s Guide to Understanding HPV and Cervical Cancer. This brochure aims to educate women about human papillomavirus and cervical cancer, including new technologies, with focused information for women currently undergoing screening.

The brochure is posted on ARHP’s Web site in HTML and PDF format at http://www.arhp.org/WomansGuideHPV_en or http://www.arhp.org/WomansGuideHPV_sp. If you would like to receive printed copies of the brochure, visit http://www.arhp.org/store to place an order.

Special thanks to ARHP members Nancy Berman, MSN, APRN, BC, and Evan Myers, MD, MPH, for serving as the special clinical advisors for the brochure.

To help women understand the results of screening tests, ARHP created a complementary Web site at http://www.arhp.org/PapResults.

Get Ready for Reproductive Health 2006
It’s not too early to begin thinking about ARHP’s 43 rd annual meeting, Reproductive Health 2006. This meeting, hosted by ARHP with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Society of Family Planning, will take place September 6–9, 2006, in La Jolla, California.

Visit http://www.arhp.org/rh2006 for information about how to propose an educational session or to submit a nomination for the Gary Stewart Scholarship for Research in Public Health.

2006 Abstracts
ARHP’s Call for Abstracts is also posted at http://www.arhp.org/rh2006. The deadline for abstract submissions is April 21 st at 5:00 pm EDT.

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Contraceptive Pearls

Q: While there is no ideal contraceptive method mix, it is a concern that in many countries contraceptive use is dominated by one or two methods. However, one country has a method mix that is remarkably balanced in that the 5 leading methods (as of 2004) are quite close, as follows:

Oral contraceptive – 15.0%
Condom – 11.9%
IUD – 11.5%
Female Sterilization – 11.5%
Injection – 10.4%

(Overall modern method prevalence is 60.5% and total prevalence is 72.8%)

Can you name the country?

click here for answer (Hint: It is in South America)

A: Paraguay.

References:

Centro Paraguayo de estudios de población CEPEP. Paraguay. Encuesta nacional de demografia Y salud sexual Y reproductiva 2004. Informe final. July 2005. Asunción, Paraguay.

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NEWS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Legal Complaint Filed Against Government for False and Misleading Sex Education
On September 13th, Advocates for Youth and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) filed a challenge to the federal government’s funding of inaccurate and ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Filed with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the guidelines set forth by the Data Quality Act of 2000, Advocates for Youth and SIECUS issued the challenge to the quality of data and information disseminated through abstinence-only programs sponsored by the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) under HHS.

To read more about this challenge, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/news/press/091305.htm or www.siecus.org

Update on EC Over-the-Counter
On August 26th, then FDA commissioner Lester Crawford issued yet another delay on the application for over-the-counter status for the emergency contraceptive (EC) product, Plan B^®. Crawford stated that although the science supports OTC access for women over the age of 17, the dual labeling presents problems with enforceability. The main issue is regulatory barriers in having a product available both OTC and as prescription only, including keeping young women under the age of 16 from obtaining Plan B. The FDA opened a 60-day public comment period in which interested parties may weigh in on the perceived barriers but gave no timeline for a decision on the application. Many proponents of OTC access to EC, including ARHP, were extremely disappointed by another delay and attribute it to politics trumping science. To read ARHP’s statement, click here.

This latest delay prompted Susan Wood, PhD, to resign her post as assistant commissioner for Women’s Health at the FDA. In a letter to colleagues, Wood states: “I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled. The recent decision announced by the Commissioner about emergency contraception, which continues to limit women’s access to a product that would reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions, is contrary to my core commitment to improving and advancing women’s health.”

In honor of her bravery and commitment to women’s health, ARHP presented Dr. Wood with the Preserving Core Values in Science Award at Reproductive Health 2005.

On September 23rd, Lester Crawford resigned his position as FDA commissioner. Crawford had been confirmed only two months earlier in July amid controversy about the continuous delays on the OTC application of Plan B. Reasons for Crawford’s resignation are still unclear.

Update on Lawsuit Against FDA
Within hours of the FDA’s delay on January 21, 2005, the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit against the agency on behalf of ARHP and other groups. According to ARHP and the other plaintiffs, by denying women access to Plan B without a prescription and failing to follow its own procedures and statutory and regulatory mandates, the FDA has violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the US Constitution.

The suit was filed against the FDA’s acting commissioner. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of ARHP, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and individuals from the grassroots group the Morning-After Pill Conspiracy.

The government’s first motion to dismiss was denied, and it has filed a second motion to dismiss, which is pending. The case is in discovery and should move forward in the next few months. To learn more about the lawsuit, visit: www.reproductiverights.org or www.arhp.org/eclawsuit.

For more Reproductive Health in the News, visit the ARHP Policy News and Activities Resource Center.

For more news, visit ARHP’s Web site at www.arhp.org and click on any of the scrolling headlines.

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REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EVENTS CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

November 5-9, 2005
APHA 133rd Meeting: Evidence Based Policy and Practice
Sponsored by: American Public Health Association
Location: Due to the devastating situation in New Orleans wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the APHA 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition has been moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 10-14, 2005.
For more info: visit http://www.apha.org/meetings/

November 15-18, 2005
9th International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI)
Sponsored by: International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), Consortium of Thai Training Institutes for STDs and AIDS (AIDS), Thai Medical Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseased (TMS-STD), Department of Diseases Control, Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, and Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of OB-GYN, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Location: Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
For more info: visit http://www.cottisa.org

November 24-25, 2005
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adolescents
Sponsored by: Obstetric and Ginecology Cuban Society
Location: América Arias Maternity Teaching Hospital, Vedado, Havana City, Cuba
For more info: visit http://www.scog.sld.cu/, or call 537-552741, or email osafora@infomed.sld.cu

Click here to view ARHP’s complete calendar of reproductive health events.

If you have an event you would like posted on this calendar, please click here to submit a request form.

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