Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Better Orgasms. Better World.

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The US Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a task force to study mammograms.  Their findings: women don't need mammograms until their 50s and even then we only need a mammogram every two years.  The cherry on top: we don't need to do self breast exams either.  Why would you discourage people from examining their own bodies - something that takes no time and no money - when it could mean the difference between life and death?

And they're promoting their findings all over the place - The Today Show down the line.  The argument is that for every 1900 women who undergo a mammogram only 3-4 will have breast cancer.  In other words, 3-4 female lives aren't worth the expense.

It's fascinating that these findings have been released as we're reforming our health care system.  The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology and other experts condemned these findings, saying the benefits of routine mammography have been clearly demonstrated and play a key role in reducing the number of mastectomies and the death toll from one of the most common cancers.  Again, we've taken a scientific question and made it a political question that can be answered by government bureaucrats ala the Meese Commission.

Here's my tally of women's healthcare so far:

Contraception     LIMITED ACCESS/LIMITED COVERAGE

Abortion             LIMITED ACCESS/NO COVERAGE         

Mammograms     NO ACCESS/NO COVERAGE