17. War on Women 1

So Obama and the Democrats have declared that the Republicans and Catholics
are waging a “War on Women”. Let’s review some facts:

In November 2009, an Obama administration-appointed panel of bureaucrats
changed the guidelines for screening mammography. This group of bureaucrats
was one of several US Preventive Services Task Forces. The American Cancer
Society set up guidelines years ago that recommended screening mammograms
for all women over 40, to be done every year. We have many excellent studies
that have shown that screening mammograms under these guidelines decreased
the number of women dying of breast cancer by 30-40%. Somehow, this task
force panel, none of whom are physicians specializing in breast cancer, decided
that only women from 50-74 yrs old should get mammograms, and then only
every other year.

The number of women that will be diagnosed with breast cancer has been
increasing, from 1 in 11 in 1996 to 1 in 7 or 8 today. About 80% of women
diagnosed with breast cancer have no significant family history of it. Let me say
that again because I think it’s so important: About 80% of women diagnosed
with breast cancer have no significant family history of it. To truly understand
the impact of these new guidelines consider that the most aggressive and life-
threatening breast cancers occur in women under 50, and women are more
likely to get breast cancer as they get older. Breast cancer is becoming more
and more common. In addition, most breast cancers are found by screening
mammography, and at a very early stage so that women have a high likelihood of
complete CURE with relatively minimal treatment. Under these new guidelines,
women will be diagnosed later, with more advanced cancer that will require more
aggressive treatments, or it may not even be curable. In other words, WOMEN
WILL SUFFER AND DIE because of government decisions about their healthcare.

The contraception insurance requirements on the Catholic church are NOT about
women—they are about our rights as citizens to religious freedom. The 2009 task
force screening mammography guidelines, on the other hand, are the REAL ‘WAR
ON WOMEN’, and THAT war is being staged by the Obama Administration.

(Note: This commentary is by Dr. Jill Vecchio.)