Every so often- you run into a resource guide that stands above the rest. I discovered one of those awhile back called the Guide to Community Preventive Services – and it’s a free resource to help you choose programs and policies to improve health and prevent disease in communities. The easy-to-read resource guide answers questions [...]
A new report from the CDC shows some good news for older adults in Arizona. According to the report, people in Arizona have a life expectancy of more than 20 years after the age of 65, with 15 of those years healthy. This places Arizona as one of the top states in the nation for [...]
As spring blooms in AZ, the change in seasons also comes with milestones for our state’s teenagers. In the next few weeks many of them will be attending proms and graduations. While proms and graduations can have positive memories, the experiences can turn tragic when alcohol is part of the mix. Alcohol impairs judgment… potentially [...]
Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day of romance, flowers and candy. The CDC Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative launched a campaign asking all women of childbearing age to Show Your Love by taking good care of themselves. It’s a national initiative to educate women and couples on the importance of preconception health. Preconception health [...]
Several prevention-related health services will be covered without cost sharing in new health plans as of a couple of weeks ago as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The changes are designed to help lower costs and outcomes for a variety of preventative women’s services. Previously, some insurance companies didn't cover some of the [...]
Last week we awarded 4 community-based contracts for the new Personal Responsibility Education Program funds to prevent teen pregnancy in AZ. The funding we’ll be passing through to our new contractors is part of the Affordable Care Act- and requires programs educate adolescents on both abstinence and contraception as ways to prevent pregnancy and STDs. All [...]
The vast majority of deaths among kids and young adults in the US are preventable- and many involve the choices theymake. Car crashes are responsible for 30% of deaths, unintentional injuries 16%, murder 16%, and suicide 12%. Teen pregnancy causes a wide range of social problems, and there are more than 9 million cases of [...]
A study published this week in the journal BMC Immunology suggests that being vaccinated for smallpox triggered by the smallpox vaccine may inhibit the growth of the HIV. The researchers extracted white blood cells from subjects and exposed them to HIV in a culture dish. The results showed that HIV replication was slowed by about [...]
The Legislature passed (and the Governor signed) a new law this past session that expands the number of reportable fields for abortion procedures that occur in Arizona. There are about 17 reportable fields and new reporting requirements for complications that occur as a result of the procedure. All of the data is confidential and there are no personally [...]
Perhaps nothing in public is more controversial than the question of what is the best way to delay sexual activity in youth. Some say abstinence education is the best way. Some say it’s a more broad approach and boosting self esteem. Some say it’s keeping kids involved in sports and other activities. Some people say [...]
