There is no abortion law in Canada. It is neither legal nor illegal, it is simply a medical procedure and covered by universal health care. Universally, abortions performed at hospitals are free. Whether abortions at free-standing clinics are covered varies by province/territory. Some provinces and territories with limited providers pay travel costs when women have …
Continue reading "What happens when there is no abortion law…"
Prenatal testing during pregnancy is offered with the goal of identifying medical conditions that affect a fetus. Some of these medical conditions can be treated, other times knowing about the diagnosis in advance will affect how or even when the delivery occurs, and sometimes a condition is identified that leads a woman to choose an …
Continue reading "9 states have legalized malpractice against women. Arizona hopes to be the 10th."
Today is world kidney day. We hear a lot of about cancer and heart disease in the press, but kidney disease doesn't seem to trigger much thought, unless it is an article about transplantation (especially when it involves the kindness of a virtual stranger giving up a kidney so that another person can lead a …
Continue reading "My name is Dr. Jen Gunter and I have kidney disease"
In the wake of the discussion about contraception and whether insurers should have the right to deny coverage based on religious or moral beliefs many newspapers and bloggers have jumped on the cost of generic birth control pills at Target and Wal-Mart: $9 a pack. Someone even posted, in reference to Sandra Fluke at Georgetown, …
Continue reading "Birth control pills may be $9 a pack at Target, but that’s not the point"
In the wake of the failure of the Blunt amendment, Rick Santorum (and many of his ilk) are is still on about government and employers paying for services that Saint Santorum deems morally and religiously wrong. This of course still means contraception and prenatal testing, because apparently morally and religiously objectionable only applies to women’s …
Continue reading "With prenatal testing I’d still have 2 kidneys"
The hypocrisy of the ever-increasing state government attacks on choice is simply appalling as laws have no bearing on whether a woman has an abortion or not. For example, in Africa and Latin America where abortion is largely illegal the rate is 29 and 32 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age (respectively). In Western …
She knew she was supposed to be careful about getting pregnant, although truthfully she didn’t think it could happen because of her blood pressure and kidney problems. The nurses at the county clinic started her on the pill, but her blood pressure went all crazy. They asked her to come back on a Wednesday night …
Continue reading "A dispatch from Texas, the front line of the war against women"
Gov. Bob McDonnell backed off on the Virginia abortion ultrasound bill. His requested amendments to the House of Delegates took vaginal ultrasound off the table and the bill passed in a vote of 65-32. It is important to put this change in perspective. The initial wording of the bill did not mention vaginal ultrasound, it …
Continue reading "The Virginia abortion ultrasound law is still wrong, but there is a silver lining"
Okay, I admit I threw up a little in my mouth when I conceived that title, but it's sadly fitting. Despite his complete lack of medical education, Mr. Santorum is now qualified to tell us that amniocentesis should not be a covered benefit because he believes an amnio leads to abortion. For the record, my …
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the virus that causes most cervical, vaginal, and anal cancers. It also causes cancer of the vulva, and penis. More recently, HPV has been identified as an increasing cause of head and neck cancers, especially for men. From 1984 to 2004 the percentage of head and neck cancers related to …
Continue reading "How common is HPV in the mouth and can you get it by kissing?"
Dr. Jen Gunter 