Birth Control Choices for Women 35 and Older
-ARAB GAZETTE
It used to be that most women were finished having children by age 35. Not anymore. Many women are delaying having children longer than they used to. For this reason, many women in this age group are exploring their birth control options for family planning. If you’re a woman 35 or older, what’s the right birth control method for you?
Are There Concerns to Worry About?
The main concern for women 35 and older has had to do with birth control pills. For decades, studies showed that birth control pills were risky for women of that age. The belief was that these pills raise the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease as women grow older. There is evidence that the risks of breast, cervical, and liver cancer appear to be slightly increased in women using oral contraceptives.
However, given the current research, common birth control pills are thought to be safe in women into their 50s. There are a few exceptions. You might not want to choose birth control pills if you smoke or have a history of certain cancers or blood clots. Otherwise, modern birth control pills seem quite safe. Women older than 35 can choose this birth control method with few worries about health risks.
Any concerns about other birth control options have nothing to do with age. The reality today, then, is that birth control choices for women older than 35 are about the same as for those younger than 35. One possible difference is that older women may be more certain about being finished with having children. That means they might be more likely to choose a permanent type of birth control rather than a temporary method.
What Are the Temporary Options?
You can choose from several temporary methods of birth control. These include:
Barriers: These include sponges, diaphragms, and male or female condoms.
Birth control pills: The pill, as it's called, is now considered safe for most women older than 35. Those who shouldn't use this option are women who smoke, have a history of blood clots, or have a family history of heart disease or cancer.
Rings or patches: You use these hormone-based products for three weeks at a time. You remove the device the week of your period and replace it with a new one. You can put the patch on several areas of your body. The ring is inserted in the vagina.
Injections: For this type of birth control, you get a shot of the female hormone progestin every three months. However, you should not use this method for more than two years in a row. That's because it can decrease bone density over time. This makes it not the best choice for older women.
Implantable devices: You have an operation to put this device (that can contain hormones) into your body. Implantable devices can prevent pregnancy for several years.
What About More Permanent Methods?
After age 35, most women decide at some point that they're finished having children. You then could choose a permanent method of birth control. These include:
Surgical sterilization (tubal ligation): This procedure involves cutting and sealing the fallopian tubes. This prevents eggs from traveling to the uterus.
Nonsurgical option: A spring-like device that blocks the fallopian tubes is implanted in your body. Scar tissue forms around the spring to block the passage of eggs.
Vasectomy: This would be a procedure for your male partner. It prevents pregnancy by blocking sperm from entering his ejaculate.
Moscow's drawdown in Syria sends a strong message
..(ARAB GAZETTE - BEIRUT (AP
Russia's plan to withdraw forces from Syria is sending a strong message to President Bashar Assad, whose hard-line stance is diverging from Moscow's interest in declaring its intervention in the country a success while also accelerating peace efforts.
Having dramatically turned the tide of war in Assad's favor with five months of intense bombardment of his foes, President Vladimir Putin is pressuring the Syrian leader to engage them in more meaningful dialogue in talks that have begun in Geneva.
"There was an overlap in interests in the last few months. Now they (the Russians) are telling Assad, 'this is where we start to diverge, and you've got to step up to your responsibilities, you can't rely on us forever,'" said Maha Yahya, acting director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
With an announcement that appeared to take even senior Russian commanders by surprise, Putin ordered most of the estimated 3,000 to 6,000 personnel to begin withdrawing from Syria on Tuesday, a step that raised hopes for progress at newly reconvened U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva.
Still uninsured for your Latin American event? Then expect a Zika
..ARAB GAZETTE - LONDON
Organizers of rock concerts and conferences in Latin America or fringe events at the Rio Olympics beware: if you still need insurance to cover cancellation due to the Zika virus, it's probably too late.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should be fine. It took out cancellation insurance for this August's games in the Brazilian city years ago, long before the mosquito-borne virus spread from the country through the Americas.
Anyone else who acted early is probably also safe. "Existing policies are unaffected and cover is provided," said Gary Flynn, at insurance broker JLT Specialty.
But organizers still seeking protection are finding clauses that block any payout, should their event be called off due to the Zika outbreak. "Insurers are now excluding this peril from any new cancellation policy for events in an affected area," said Flynn, who is JLT's practice leader for sport federations.
Insurers said they were unaware of any events being canceled because of Zika, but underwriters are not taking any chances about the possible impact on sponsors or hospitality providers, as well as on other events in the region.
Much about Zika remains unknown and a link with microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems, has yet to be proved.
Nevertheless, the World Health Organization has advised pregnant women against traveling to areas affected by the outbreak, due to the potential risk of birth defects.
Some organizations and countries have gone further. The United States has told sports federations that athletes and staff concerned for their health should consider not going to the 2016 Olympics.
IOC PREPARED
The IOC says it has bought cancellation insurance worth about $800 million for the Olympics, with a premium of about $13 million.
Cover for such big events is bought at least five years beforehand, underwriters say. But sponsors, hotels and bar owners or people running venues such as fan parks - where sports enthusiasts can watch events on giant TV screens - may not yet have bought insurance, they add.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil had an estimated event cancellation cover including television rights and sponsorship of $1.25 billion, according to underwriter Beazley Plc. Other cancellation cover for hotels or hospitality providers added around $600 million, it said. (bit.ly/1S1QSoP)
With South America a popular destination for international rock bands, concerts are among the events in affected countries which face Zika exclusion clauses, along with trade shows, exhibitions and conferences.
"We do consider applying Zika-specific exclusions when we see events taking place in certain areas of the world like South America," said Jeremy Cooke, contingency underwriter at insurer ProSight.
Theoretically cover may still be available for Zika cancellations, but insurers say customers would have to pay a "significant" premium - meaning the cost would probably be prohibitive.
"COMMUNICABLE" RISK?
The Lloyd's of London insurance market is the global leader in specialist insurance such as event cancellation, or contingency.
The UK contingency class is worth 150-200 million pounds ($215-$290 million) in premiums, according to JLT, with exposure to billions of dollars of losses.
Alan Norris, head of contingency at Talbot Underwriting, said underwriters became concerned about communicable diseases after the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak among farm livestock in Britain.
As the disease spread rapidly, people were discouraged from visiting the countryside, leading to the cancellation of many events and badly hitting tourism in particular.
The insurance industry has since seen claims arising from the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), including from Singapore and Toronto, as well as avian and swine flu.
The result is that contingency policies normally contain a blanket exclusion for communicable diseases - those which are spread between people or from animals to humans.
The only possible element of doubt for existing policyholders is the definition of Zika.
Insurers are divided on whether the virus, being transmitted by mosquitoes, can as yet be classified as a communicable threat, explaining the need for separate Zika exclusion clauses.
"I personally would always view it as a communicable disease, despite some wordings referring to airborne pathogens or other characteristics that do not fit the Zika virus," Cooke said.
As ever, everything will depend in the end on the small print in each policy.
And insurers said that even if companies' policies do cover cancellation due to Zika, cancellation would have to be out of an organizer's control for cover to apply.
"It must be a necessary cancellation," said Elizabeth Seeger, contingency underwriter at insurer Hiscox. "An insured (organizer) can't choose to stop their event."
($1 = 0.6920 pounds)
(Additional reporting by Karolos Grohmann and Richa Naidu; editing by David Stamp)
History of Alexandria, Egypt
- ARAB GAZETTE
Alexandria is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt founded in 331 BCE by Alexander the Great. It is most famous in antiquity as the site of the Pharos, the great lighthouse, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, for the Temple of Serapis, the Serapion, which was part of the legendary library at Alexandria, as a seat of learning and, once, the largest and most prosperous city in the world. It also became infamous for the religious strife which resulted in the martyrdom of the philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria in 415 CE. The city grew from a small port town to become the grandest and most important metropolis in ancient Egypt.
THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY
After conquering Syria in 332 BCE, Alexander the Great swept down into Egypt with his army. He founded Alexandria in the small port town of Rhakotis by the sea and set about the task of turning it into a great capital. It is said that he designed the plan for the city which was so greatly admired later by the historian Strabo (63 BCE-21CE) who wrote,
The city has magnificent public precincts and royal palaces which cover a fourth or even a third of the entire area. For just as each of the kings would, from a love of splendour, add some ornament to the public monuments, so he would provide himself at his own expense with a residence in addition to those already standing.
The palaces and grand homes Strabo mentions did not exist at the time Alexander founded the city. Although he was greatly admired by the Egyptians (and was even declared a demi-god by the Oracle at Siwa), Alexander left Egypt only a few months after his arrival to march on Tyre in Phoenicia. It was left to his commander, Cleomenes, to build the city Alexander had envisioned. While Cleomenes accomplished a great deal, the full expansion of Alexandria came under the rule of Alexander’s general Ptolemy and the rule of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (332-30 BCE) which followed. After Alexander’s death in 323 BCE, Ptolemy brought his body back to Alexandria to be entombed and, following the wars of the Diodachi, began rule of Egypt from Alexandria, supplanting the old capital of Memphis. Tyre had been an important city for trade and commerce in the region and, after its destruction by Alexander, Alexandria filled the void which had been left. Carthage (which largely became so prosperous owing to the sack of Tyre) was still a young port town when Alexandria began to thrive. The historian and scholar Mangasarian writes >
“Under the Ptolemies, a line of Greek kings, Alexandria soon sprang into eminence, and, accumulating culture and wealth, became the most powerful metropolis of the Orient. Serving as the port of Europe, it attracted the lucrative trade of India and Arabia. Its markets were enriched with the gorgeous silks and fabrics from the bazaars of the Orient. Wealth brought leisure, and it, in turn, the arts. It became, in time, the home of a wonderful library and schools of philosophy, representing all the phases and the most delicate shades of thought. At one time it was the general belief that the mantle of Athens had fallen upon the shoulders of Alexandria.
The city grew to become the largest in the known world at the time, attracting scholars, scientists, philosophers, mathematicians, artists, and historians. Eratosthenes (c.276-194 BCE) calculated the circumference of the earth to within 50 miles (80 km) at Alexandria. Euclid taught at the university there. Archimedes (287-212 BCE) the great mathematician and astronomer may have taught there and was certainly studied there. The greatest engineer and mathematician of his day, Hero (also known as Heron, 10-70 CE) was born and lived in Alexandria. Hero was credited with amazing feats in engineering and technology including the first vending machine, the force-pump, and a theatre of automated figures who danced, among his other inventions.
THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA
The library, begun under Ptolemy I (305-285 BCE) was completed by Ptolemy II (285-246 BCE) who sent invitations to rulers and scholars asking them to contribute books. According to historians Oakes and Gahlin, “There was room for up to 70,000 papyrus scrolls. Most of the items were bought but other means were sometimes used. In order to procure coveted works, all ships entering the harbour were searched. Every book found was taken to the Library where it was decided whether to give it back or confiscate it and replace it with a copy” (230). No one knows how many books were held in the library at Alexandria but estimates have been made of 500,000. It is said that Mark Antony gave Cleopatra 200,000 books for the library but this claim has been disputed since antiquity. Mangasarian writes,
After its magnificent library, whose shelves supported a freight more precious than beaten gold, perhaps the most stupendous edifice in the town was the temple of Serapis. It is said that the builders of the famous temple of Edessa boasted that they had succeeded in creating something which future generations would compare with the temple of Serapis in Alexandria. This ought to suggest an idea of the vastness and beauty of the Alexandrian Serapis, and the high esteem in which it was held. Historians and connoisseurs claim it was one of the grandest monuments of Pagan civilization, second only to the temple of Jupiter in Rome, and the inimitable Parthenon in Athens. The Serapis temple was built upon an artificial hill, the ascent to which was by a hundred steps. It was not one building, but a vast body of buildings, all grouped about a central one of vaster dimensions, rising on pillars of huge magnitude and graceful proportions. Some critics have advanced the idea that the builders of this masterpiece intended to make it a composite structure, combining the diverse elements of Egyptian and Greek art into a harmonious whole. The Serapion was regarded by the ancients as marking the reconciliation between the architects of the pyramids and the creators of the Athenian Acropolis. It represented to their minds the blending of the massive in Egyptian art with the grace and the loveliness of the Hellenic.
When Carthage rose to the height of her power, Alexandria was relatively unaffected as trade had long been established and the city posed no threat to the sea power of the Carthaginians. Even after the fall of Carthage following the Punic Wars (264-146 BCE), when Rome became supreme and Alexandria fell under her sway, the city remained prosperous and continued to attract visitors from all over the world. The increasing tensions in Rome between Julius Caesar and Pompey first impacted Alexandria negatively in 48 BCE. Prior to this date, though the city certainly experienced its share of problems, it remained a stable environment. Following the Battle of Pharsalus, however, at which Caesar defeated Pompey, Pompey fled to Alexandria seeking sanctuary and was killed by the co-regent Ptolemy XIII. Caesar arrived and, whether real or feigned, claimed outrage at the death of his former friend and ally. He then declared martial law, took over the royal palace, and sent for the exiled co-regent Cleopatra VII. In the civil war which ensued much of Alexandria was burned including, according to some scholars, the famous library.
THE CITY UNDER ROME
Following Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, his right-hand man, Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) became Cleopatra’s consort and left Rome for Alexandria. The city became his base of operations over the next thirteen years until he and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian Caesar at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. The next year, Cleopatra and Antony both committed suicide and, with her death, the Ptolemaic line came to an end. Octavian became first emperor of Rome and took the title `Augustus’. Alexandria now became a simple province of the Roman Empire under the rule of Augustus Caesar.
Augustus consolidated his power in the provinces and had Alexandria restored. Scholars who argue against Julius Caesar’s role in the burning of the great library point to the fact that there is evidence it was still extant under the reign of Augustus and that visitors were still attracted to the city as a seat of learning. Alexandria was again ruined in 115 CE in the Kitos War and was again restored, this time by the Emperor Hadrian, who, as a man of learning, took great interest in Alexandria. According to tradition, the Greek Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Bible) was composed in Alexandria, completed in 132 CE, in order that it could take its place among the great books of the library in the city. Religious scholars were said to frequent the library for research and Alexandria had long attracted people of many different faiths who vied for dominance in the city. Under Augustus’ reign there were disputes between Jews and pagans and, as Christianity grew in popularity, the Christians added to the public unrest. After the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 CE) passed the Edict of Milan in 313 CE (decreeing religious tolerance), Christians were no longer liable for prosecution under the law and began to not only demand more religious rights, but more vociferously attack the pagans and the Jews.
Indiana tops Kentucky 73-67 for Sweet 16 berth
..(ARAB GAZETTE - DES MOINES, Iowa (AP
Kentucky had the stars. But Indiana had more toughness — and that's why the Hoosiers are headed back to the Sweet 16.
Freshman Thomas Bryant scored 15 of his 19 points in the final eight minutes, Yogi Ferrell had 18 and fifth-seeded Indiana beat Kentucky 73-67 Saturday to earn a spot in the regional semifinals in Philadelphia.
The Hoosiers (27-7) are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 despite losing starting guard Robert Johnson to an apparent left ankle injury late in the first half.
"When you get into an environment like this, with everything on the line that's on it and the time of year, it's obviously a great feeling when you walk out with a win knowing that they put everything into it under adverse situations," Indiana coach Tom Crean said.
Interview? For Latino players, MLB teams provide translators
..(ARAB GAZETTE - GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP
Having just finished his spring training routine, top Dodgers pitching prospect Julio Urias was approached for an interview by an English-speaking reporter. Befuddled, the 19-year old lefty from Mexico looked around, searching for the right words in a foreign language.
After a scramble in the clubhouse, the Dodgers brought Jaime Jarrin, the team's Hall of Fame Spanish broadcaster from Ecuador, to handle the designated translator duties.
"No doubt about it, it's a bit awkward," the usually outspoken Urias told The Associated Press. "You cannot express yourself with an American the same way you do with a Latino."
These episodes are common in major league clubhouses, and especially in spring training, where young, Spanish-speaking players from Latin America who are still adapting to the United States usually struggle with English. With that in mind, for the first time Major League Baseball instructed its 30 teams this season to hire full-time Spanish interpreters for their Latin players.
Owens shaky but Red Sox beat Orioles 9-5
..ARAB GAZETTE - FORT MYERS, FlA
The Boston Red Sox overcame a rough outing by left-hander Henry Owens to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-5 on Thursday.
Owens, who is competing for a spot in Boston's starting rotation, lasted just 2 2-3 innings in his fourth appearance this spring. He gave up three runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts and two hit batters.
Baltimore right-hander Vance Worley went 3 1-3 innings, giving up six runs, four earned, on eight hits with no walks, one strikeout and one home run.
"Pretty good," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Worley's outing. "He got a little tired at the end. We're trying to stretch him and get him some pitches and innings under his belt. . He elevated very few pitches. One of them was a home run. The rest of them were down pretty good."
Doubling down: Double-digit seeds have trouble following up
(ARAB GAZETTE - DENVER (AP
Remember that wild, unpredictable, bracket-destroying, anything-can-happen first round of the NCAA Tournament?
That's over now.
The second round is starting out like a convention of the been-there-done-that's.
Ten double-digit teams advanced to the round of 32. Four of them played Saturday. Only one of them won — and that was Gonzaga, which is currently looking as much like an 11 seed as North Carolina or Duke.
As old as the war: 5-year-old Syrians grow up away from home
ARAB GAZETTE - BEIRUT
They are as old as the Syrian war: Five-year-old Syrian children growing up as refugees in foreign, unfamiliar places far away from home.
They are the silent victims of a horrific war, innocent of the violence that surrounds them yet already familiar with grown-up words like war, airstrike, militias and refugees.
Some were born in Syria but along with their families fled war and siege soon after. Others were born in neighboring countries. Some are getting ready for the treacherous journey to Europe and others have already made it.
None will have any recollection of what Syria was like before the war.
As old as the war: 5-year-old Syrians grow up away from home
ARAB GAZETTE - BEIRUT
They are as old as the Syrian war: Five-year-old Syrian children growing up as refugees in foreign, unfamiliar places far away from home.
They are the silent victims of a horrific war, innocent of the violence that surrounds them yet already familiar with grown-up words like war, airstrike, militias and refugees.
Some were born in Syria but along with their families fled war and siege soon after. Others were born in neighboring countries. Some are getting ready for the treacherous journey to Europe and others have already made it.
None will have any recollection of what Syria was like before the war.
