/oss/taxonomy/term/99/all en /oss/article/you-asked/does-wearing-bra-make-your-breasts-sag <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em> <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-facts-and-fiction-of-physiological-phenomena-volume-ii/"><em>The Skeptical Inquirer.</em></a></p> Fri, 22 Sep 2023 17:31:09 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9650 at /oss /oss/article/medical-you-asked/how-soon-too-soon-breast-cancer-screening <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the</em> <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-how-soon-is-too-soon-for-breast-cancer-screening"><em>Montreal Gazette.</em></a></p> Fri, 19 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9510 at /oss /oss/article/health/link-between-alcohol-and-breast-cancer <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-the-link-between-alcohol-and-breast-cancer">The Montreal Gazette</a><span>.</span></p> Wed, 10 Jul 2019 19:04:33 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7823 at /oss /oss/article/health/dissecting-american-heart-associattions-go-red-women-campaign <p>You are probably familiar with the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" campaign. Its goal is to raise awareness about heart disease among women. They have a series of add campaigns that use infographics, like the one below, to inform the public. Recently, someone asked me whether those numbers and statements are true (we live in skeptical times) so I thought it would be useful to examine some of the claims in that infographic (seen below).</p> Thu, 04 Oct 2018 17:28:49 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7382 at /oss /oss/article/health-videos-quackery/cracked-science-18-goop-medicine-show <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-cv-gk-gyh70" width="640" height="390" title="The Goop Medicine Show (CS18)" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Cv-gK-gyH70?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-cv-gk-gyh70&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="The Goop Medicine Show (CS18)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of The Goop Medicine Show (CS18)</iframe> </div> </p> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 16:26:51 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7354 at /oss /oss/article/health-history/can-women-ejaculate-depends-who-you-ask <hr /> <p class="note"><strong>Take-home message:</strong><br /> -Women have an organ analogous to the male prostate that is able to produce a liquid that can be ejaculated upon orgasm. Not all women produce ejaculate.<br /> -The scientific study of female ejaculation and the female prostate has been greatly hindered by bad science, cultural taboos and sexism.</p> Tue, 11 Sep 2018 15:45:40 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7345 at /oss /oss/article/history/left-brain-was-logical-it-was-male <p>I recently threw a softball math problem at one of my friends and her response was: “I don’t know, I was never any good at math. I’m more of a right-brain thinker than a left.” The idea that some of us have a dominant left brain – and thus excel at logic, math, and factual information – while others are right brained – better at creative and intuitive tasks – is a widely held public belief, but is completely inaccurate.    </p> Tue, 07 Nov 2017 15:18:40 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 6810 at /oss /oss/article/history-quackery/history-hysteria <p>Today, when we say someone is hysterical, we mean that they are frenzied, frantic, or out of control. Until 1980, however, hysteria was a formally studied psychological disorder that could be found in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Before its classification as a mental disorder, hysteria was considered a physical ailment, first described medically in 1880 by Jean-Martin Charcot. Even before this, hysteria was thoroughly described in ancient Egyptian and Greek societies. So what was hysteria? How did it just go away?</p> Mon, 31 Jul 2017 15:15:22 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2585 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/there-risk-heart-attack-women-taking-calcium-supplements <p>The calcium issue was raised by Dr Ian Reid of New Zealand. He and his colleagues re-analyzed data from the Women Health Initiative (WHI) which looked at calcium and vitamin D supplements.  The initial study of 36,000 women showed no increased risk for heart disease among those who received 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day, compared with those who were randomly assigned to receive a placebo. However some of these women were also taking calcium supplements, which may have affected the results.</p> Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:05:30 +0000 OSS 1859 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/women-worried-about-using-estrogen-menopausal-symptoms-are-resorting-various-alternative-therapies <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=5168"><img alt="" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/05/black-cohosh-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>Black cohosh. This plant native to North America has traditionally been used to treat menopausal symptoms with mostly anecdotal evidence for efficacy. Dr. Katherine Newton of the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle decided to put black cohosh to a scientific test and enlisted 351 menopausal women between the ages of 45-55 who experienced at least two hot flashes a night. The women were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: 160 milligrams of black cohosh daily; a multi-botanical supplement containing 200 milligrams black cohosh and 9 other herbal ingredients including alfalfa, pomegranate and Siberian ginseng; a multi-botanical supplement plus increased soy consumption; hormone therapy; or placebo capsules. After 3, 6, and 12 months, black cohosh was no better than placebo in reducing the frequency or severity of hot flashes or night sweats. The same was true for the other herbal products. Women who were given hormone therapy had significantly fewer hot flashes and night sweats than women given placebo. Another issue with black cohosh is its potential to interfere with the effectiveness of drugs used in cancer therapy. <a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/05/06/women-worried-about-using-estrogen-for-menopausal-symptoms-are-resorting-to-various-alternative-therapies-what-popular-treatment-has-recently-been-shown-to-be-ineffective">Read more</a></p> Mon, 06 May 2013 21:40:06 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1930 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/herbal-treatment-menopause-may-actually-work <p>I don’t know what a hot flash feels like, but by all accounts it isn’t pleasant. About three quarters of women going through menopause know all about hot flashes which may occur several times a day for years. From what I’ve been told, the sensation may just mimic standing close to a fireplace, or it may feel as if the gates of hell have been thrown open. The misery is caused by declining levels of estrogen due to a winding down of ovarian activity. This decline is sensed by the hypothalamus, the tiny organ in the brain that controls our body temperature.</p> Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:21:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1624 at /oss /oss/article/quackery-you-asked/what-are-bioidentical-hormones <p>Who would you think knows more about menopausal symptoms and their treatment: an actress of very questionable scientific pedigree, or a Professor of medicine who has carried out and published a plethora of studies on the subject? I would think that University of New South Wales professor Dr. Barry Wren’s opinion would be more respected than that of Suzanne Somers, whose main claim to fame is that she once played a ditzy blond on the television show “Three’s Company.” But that’s my opinion.</p> Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:49:34 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1813 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/women-smokers-are-more-risk-men <p>Ladies, want another reason to quit smoking? A study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America suggests that women who smoke are twice as likely as male smokers to develop lung cancer. Sounds puffed up? Read on. The long believed erroneous assumption that women have a lower susceptibility to lung cancer then men was likely based on their lower consumption of cigarettes. Not surprisingly, their changing consumption patterns are well reflected in the more recent lung cancer statistics.</p> Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:33:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1593 at /oss