Missionary hostages escaped Haiti kidnappers: church organization


People protest against the country’s spike in kidnappings and gang-aggravated fuel crisis in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in November 2021 (AFP/Richard PIERRIN)

Mon, December 20, 2021

Twelve North American gang hostages held for months in Haiti orchestrated their own escape last week, hiking for miles under cover of darkness carrying young children, their church organization said Monday.

Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), which had provided little information on the 16 Americans and one Canadian who were kidnapped in mid-October, on Monday detailed the hostages' ordeal and the mid-December escape of the final 12 hostages, a group that included a 10-month-old, a three-year-old and two teenagers, along with eight adults.

"They walked for possibly as much as 10 miles... traveling through woods and thickets, working through thorns and briars" under cover of darkness to safety, said Weston Showalter, spokesman for the Ohio-based missionary group, in a streamed press conference.

"Two hours were through fierce brambles. We were in gang territory the whole hike," Showalter quoted one of the escapees as saying.

The group broke out of the blocked door and slipped past guards on December 15, after several stalled attempts at planning an escape.

Showalter said they packed water in their clothes, wrapped the baby in blankets and carried the other two young children as they traipsed through difficult terrain, noting the children kept quiet despite being scratched by briars.

Five other hostages had been freed separately in November and in early December before Haitian police and CAM confirmed the final 12 hostages were free on December 16.

The group said it had raised funds for ransoms to continue negotiations but added they could not provide further details. It remained unclear if ransoms were paid.

The group was kidnapped as they were returning from an orphanage in an area east of the capital Port-au-Prince. The kidnappers, one of Haiti's most powerful gangs known as "400 Mawozo," had originally demanded a ransom of one million dollars per hostage, sources told AFP.

Previously confined to the poorer districts of the capital, gangs have recently extended their reach and increased the number of kidnappings in Haiti, as the country struggles with a prolonged social, political and economic crisis.

Showalter said that the gang members did not physically harm the hostages, though they threatened them, and added the group was fed and provided with hygiene products and fans to battle the Caribbean heat, though the contaminated water provided for bathing caused sores and they endured hunger, close quarters and sleepless nights.

After two months in captivity and having walked through the night to escape, at dawn on December 16 the former hostages found someone to help them call for aid and that day were transported to the US state of Florida.

"They were finally free," Showalter said.

sw/md

Families block road after bloody Guatemala village attack


Grieving family members on Monday blocked a major road in Guatemala with the coffins of victims of a weekend massacre by a rival group to draw attention to violence plaguing their indigenous community.

© Johan ORDONEZ

 A K'iche community leader has called for those responsible for the massacre to be investigated and punished

Thirteen people, including four children were killed in the attack near the Mexican border, part of a long-running land feud between members of the Mayan K'iche community from the neighboring municipalities of Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtahaucan

.

© Carlos ALONZO Relatives blocked a major road in Guatemala with the coffins of victims of a weekend massacre by a rival group to draw attention to violence plaguing their indigenous community

President Alejandro Giammattei called an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday and asked ministers to approve a state of siege in the two municipalities.

© Johan Ordóñez Soldiers stand guard close to a dirt road leading up to the village of Chiquix in western Guatemala where 13 people were killed in a massacre

Women in traditional indigenous clothing wept as the coffins of seven victims were lined up along the Interamericana highway, which links the area to the capital Guatemala City. Each coffin bore a photo of the victim inside.

"There are no words to describe what these people did," Alonzo Guarchaj, 30, told AFP as he stood next to a coffin containing the remains of his father, an evangelical pastor.

"All we can do is leave everything in the hands of God and vengeance will be his."

Dozens of family members and neighbors of the victims demanded justice and called on the government to bring the conflict to an end.

Jordan Rodas, Guatemala's human rights prosecutor, said the massacre in the village of Chiquix began late Friday when several families from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan went to gather corn and were "ambushed by a group of men carrying high caliber weapons."

The Santa Catarina Ixtahaucan families were killed and then "burnt inside the truck they were traveling in," according to Rodas. Four children, aged 5 to 16, "were chopped up with machetes."

- 100 years of conflict -

A police officer was killed and two others were injured in the attack, which continued into Saturday, and a police car was riddled with bullets.

Three men in their 20s armed with M16 rifles were arrested in the area on Sunday, according to authorities. Police said the suspects were from one of the two rival communities and that forensic tests would be conducted to determine if those weapons were used in the attack

.

© Johan ORDONEZ

 Women hold signs as they block a road during a ceremony in tribute to those killed in the weekend incident in the Guatemalan village of Chiquix

The two communities have fought for control of the forests and water sources in their region for many decades.

"These events are no longer the product of an ancestral land conflict. They are the direct consequence of an illegal armed and organized group that acted against civilians and security forces through an ambush in which many men, women and even children were murdered," said Giammattei.

© Nicolas RAMALLO 

Map of Guatemala locating the village of Chiquix

"I want to be categorical in assuring Guatemalans that the forces of order will pursue those responsible for the attack until they are arrested and brought to justice."

Besides the victims' coffins, protesters also used tree trunks and rocks to block the highway and a line of cars piled up.

Soldiers and police were guarding the approach to Chiquix, some 170-kilometers west of Guatemala City, as fears grew of a new wave of violence in the area.

"We're humans not animals, we have the right to life. These children had a great future," said community leader Catalina de la Cruz.

"There must be justice, those responsible for all of this must be investigated and punished."

Giammattei already declared a state of siege in May 2020 following a previous escalation of violence between the two municipalities, and also set up a commission to try to resolve the conflict.

He said at the time that the conflict had lasted more than 100 years and "cost the lives of many people involved in the supposed defense of their lands."

In August, authorities vowed to increase police presence in the two towns.

Indigenous people, many living in poverty, make up more than 40 percent of Guatemala's almost 17 million population, according to official statistics.

hma/ob/yow/bc/bgs

Scientists discover brain region that responds to clitoris

Lucie AUBOURG
Mon, 20 December 2021


Cortical surface mapping of stimulation of the clitoral region -- a new study has identified the brain region linked to genital touch in women 

(AFP/Handout)

A new scientific study published Monday has identified the brain region linked to genital touch in women, and found that it was more developed in volunteers who reported having more sex.

The research involved stimulating the clitorises of 20 adult females while their brains were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The researchers clarify that the paper, published in the journal JNeurosci, does not answer questions like whether having a larger area devoted to genital stimulation makes women more sensitive to touch.

It also doesn't tell us whether having a more developing brain region devoted to genital touch prompts more intercourse, or whether more intercourse expands the region, like working out a muscle.

But the results could be used in future to target treatments for people who have, for example, been impacted by sexual violence, or have sexual dysfunction.

"It's completely under studied, how the female genitals are represented in the somatosensory cortex in humans, and whether it has at all the capacity to change in relation to experience or use," co-author Christine Heim, a professor of medical psychology at Charite University Hospital in Berlin, told AFP.

- Body map -

The somatosensory cortex receives and processes sensory information from across the body. Each part of the body corresponds to a different area of the cortex, forming a representational map.

But until now, the part of the map that corresponds to the female genitals was a subject of debate.

Previous studies had sometimes placed it under the representation of the foot, others near that of the hip.

The reason was imprecise stimulation techniques -- for example, during self or partner delivered manual stimulation, other parts of the body were touched at the same time, or the process triggered arousal, which blurred the results.

In 2005, other researchers were able to develop a technique that caused very localized tactile stimulation for penises, allowing them to find the precise region devoted to this area in males. But there was no similar breakthrough for females.

For the new study, 20 women in good health between the ages of 18 and 45 were selected.

For stimulation, a small round object specifically designed for the task was applied above the underwear at the level of the clitoris. Air jets caused the device's membrane to vibrate slightly.

The approach was designed to be "as comfortable as possible" for the volunteers, said co-author John-Dylan Haynes of the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging at Charite.

They were stimulated eight times, for 10 seconds each time, interspersed with 10 seconds of rest. The same device was used on the back of the right hand as a control.

The results of the brain imaging confirmed that the somatosensory cortex represented the female genitals next to the hips -- as they are in males -- but the precise location varied for each woman tested.

- Plasticity -

The researchers then investigated whether this area had different characteristics depending on sexual activity.

The 20 women were asked about the frequency of their intercourse over the past year, as well as since the beginning of their sexual life.

Then, for each of them, the researchers determined the ten most activated points in the brain during stimulation, and measured the thickness of those areas.

"We found an association between the frequency of genital intercourse and the thickness of the individually mapped genital field," said Heim. The more sex, the bigger the region.

The authors are hesitant to say more sex drives that expansion, until future study confirms it.

But there are hints from past research. First, it's well established that the more certain parts of the brain are used, the bigger they become: this is known as brain plasticity. The hippocampus region of the brain in London taxi drivers expands with navigating experience.

Second, prior animal studies showed that the stimulation of the genitals of rats and mice effectively led to an expansion of the area of the brain corresponding to these organs.

That research also did not determine whether a larger area resulted in better perception.

But Heim herself had previously shown in a 2013 study that people who have suffered traumatic sexual violence had a thinning of the brain areas devoted to genitals.

"We speculated back then, that this could be the response of the brain to limit the detrimental perception of the abuse," she said.

She hopes her research will help inform future therapies aimed at rehabilitating this region among abuse survivors.

la/ia/bgs

Thousands of Argentines mark 20th anniversary of 'great crisis'


A demonstrator holds a banner denouncing the International Monetary Fund at a protest to mark the 20th anniversary of the 'great crisis' (AFP/JUAN MABROMATA)

Mon, December 20, 2021, 2:04 PM·2 min read

Tens of thousands of protesters filled the center of Buenos Aires on Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of Argentina's "great crisis" when a social outbreak over an economic meltdown saw 39 people killed in a government crackdown.

At around midday, dozens of trade unions, social movements and left-wing parties descended on the Plaza de Mayo square in front of the presidential palace to mark the events from 2001.

On Sunday night, the same groups held a vigil late into the night

Monday's protest was taking place in a very similar economic context to that of 2001: large scale debt and a deal with the International Monetary Fund -- this time worth $44 billion -- that has Argentines fearing austerity is heading their way once again.

"December 20 is a very important anniversary in Argentina," Gabriel Solano, a Worker's Party supporter, told AFP.

"But, 20 years later, we see a situation that is more or less the same: large scale poverty, misery and another pact with the IMF that is threatening the people with an adjustment plan.

"We have come back here to Plaza de Mayo to say we don't want another adjustment for the people."

Demonstrators held up banners denouncing the IMF and hitting out at "adjusters" -- those politicians that favor austerity measures to solve the country's economic woes.

In December 2001, years of increasing debt and austerity collided in a cash crisis sparked by a capital flight that resulted in lootings, riots and within 48 hours, president Fernando de la Rua resigning and escaping by helicopter.

His successor, Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, lasted just one week but still had time to decree the largest default in history: $100 billion.

The "great crisis" has left a lasting trauma amongst Argentines, and a constant fear of what financial horrors could befall them next, in a country with one of the highest inflation rates in the world and poverty reaching 42 percent of the 45 million population.

On Sunday, President Alberto Fernandez received parents, friends and family of the 2001 event's victims at the presidential palace for a tribute and unveiling of a plaque with the 39 victims' names, which was affixed on entrance gates.

The government also announced this week that a bill would soon be presented to parliament to provide compensation for victims of police repression.

pbl-vid/tho/bc/jh

'TEAR DOWN THAT WALL' R.REAGAN

Texas breaks ground on wall along border with Mexico

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a section of a border wall paid for with state and private funds at an event held Saturday in Rio Grande City. Photo courtesy of Texas Governor's Office

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Work crews in Texas have begun work on a wall paid for with private donations and state funds on the border with Mexico, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Saturday.

Abbott made the announcement in a press conference near the construction of the first phase of the border wall Rio Grande City. He said the first phase of the wall is being built on state land managed by the Texas General Land Office.

In June, the Republican governor announced plans for the wall and that he had signed off on $250 million to begin construction. Last month, he signed a bill providing another $1.8 billion in state funding for the wall.

"Today not only represents the first phase of the Texas border wall, but it also serves as a major milestone in our efforts to combat illegal immigration, stop the smuggling of drugs and people, and keep our communities safe," Abbott said in a statement.

Building a wall along the U.S.'s southern border with Mexico was a key priority for former President Donald Trump, which he and his supporters said was necessary to stop the flow of drugs and crime.

Immigration enforcement agents reported 1.7 million encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border for the 2021 fiscal year, reports KSAT. That exceeds a previous high of 1.6 million encounters in fiscal year 2000. Encounters are counted as the number of times a migrant has been stopped by agents.

Although Trump is no longer in office, the idea of a border wall has persisted in Republican politics. The state attorneys general for Missouri and Texas went to court in October seeking to force the Biden administration to resume construction of the wall.

RELATEDTexas creates 'steel wall' of shipping containers to block migrants

Abbott has prioritized border security as he prepares to run for a third term for governor and has criticized the Biden administration for what he's characterized as an inadequate response. In November, Abbott said he had lined up about 20 shipping containers next to the international bridge that connects Eagle Pass with Mexico.

Abbott told reporters that the barrier is being built using the same materials used by the Trump administration, which oversaw the completion of 17 miles of the wall in Texas, reports the Austin American-Statesman.

The governor was unable to provide a figure for how much the wall will cost, the paper reports. He said the state has raised $54 million in private donations for the wall. However, the paper pointed to an investigation that found that 98% of those donations came primarily from one out-of-state billionaire Timothy Mellon.

French bulldogs at higher risk for numerous health problems
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News

French bulldogs have significantly higher odds than other dog breeds of being diagnosed with 20 common canine disorders and illnesses. 

File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo

French Bulldogs are incredibly cute, sporting adorable snub snouts, big round heads, bright wide eyes and large bat ears.

Unfortunately, the physical traits that make them one of the most popular breeds in the United States and United Kingdom also saddle them with a host of health problems, a new study shows.

Frenchies have significantly higher odds than other dog breeds of being diagnosed with 20 common canine disorders and illnesses, researchers reported Dec. 16 in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics.

French Bulldogs are 42 times more likely to have narrowed nostrils, 30 times more likely to suffer from obstructed airways, 14 times more likely to have ear discharge, 11 times more likely to suffer from skinfold dermatitis and 9 times more likely to suffer a difficult birth because of the shape of their pelvis than other breeds, the researchers found.

These dogs are also three times more likely to have respiratory tract or spinal cord disorders, more than twice as likely to have brain or skin disorders, and nearly twice as likely to have ear or reproductive disorders, the results showed.

The most troubling health issues "are related to the extreme body shape of the French Bulldog," said lead researcher Dan O'Neill. He is a senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom. "These include breathing difficulties, skinfold infections, difficulty giving birth, eye ulcers, dermatitis and slipping kneecap."

The French Bulldog has been around for centuries, and was recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1898.

But in recent years they've undergone an astonishing rise in popularity, with a 20-fold increase in U.K. Kennel Club registrations between 2009 and 2019, making it the second most common breed in Britain, the researchers said in background notes.

The problem is that such heavy breeding has caused the genetic problems inherent in the breed to become even more pronounced, said Helio de Morias, hospital director of Oregon State University's Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital, in Corvallis.

"We are actively selecting for an appearance that is interfering with the welfare of the animal," especially the flat face that makes breathing difficult, de Morias said. "That, to me, is a problem. I think we should reverse that trend."

RELATED Thought to be extinct for 50 years, New Guinea singing dog was thriving all along

Worse off for nearly half of issues studied

To get a handle on how bad off the breed has become, O'Neill and his colleagues compared health records for nearly 2,800 French Bulldogs against more than 21,800 dogs from other breeds.

The investigators compared diagnoses for 43 specific disorders and found that Frenchies were much worse off for nearly half of the health problems tracked.

The problems directly relate to the physical traits that make the breed so cute, O'Neill and de Morias said. The snub snout is harder to breathe through the skinfolds more easily become infected the big eyes are more prone to corneal ulcers.

"The breed has many intrinsic health issues related to aspects of its conformation such as flattened face, lack of a long tail and short body. But the paradox is that humanity loves the look of these features, and this love is propelling the breed to become one of the most popular dog breeds in the world," O'Neill said. "So the features that we as humans love are precisely the features that are leading to suffering in so many dogs."

These problems aren't limited to the French Bulldog.

A recent genetic analysis in the same journal of 227 breeds revealed an average inbreeding rate of 25%, the equivalent of sharing the same genetic material with a full sibling. That level is far above what would be safe for either wild animals or humans, the researchers noted.

But the explosion in breeding caused by popularity of the Frenchie have caused the specific health problems to which it is predisposed to become even more pronounced.

Take, for example, the short snout.

"As you start to shorten the nose, everything that was inside the nose has to be compressed," de Morias. "There are bones inside the nose, and as you keep shortening, all the bones inside start to fold. It becomes a lot more difficult to breathe," he explained.

"A lot of respiratory problems are because people are selecting for them. If you keep breeding what people want, you're basically making all these problems a lot worse," de Morias continued.

New breed standards needed

Steps are being taken to move the breed away from these health problems, O'Neill noted.

"The Kennel Club breed standard for the French bulldog has recently been revised to emphasize the need to breed towards a longer muzzle and wider nostrils," O'Neill said. "This is a very positive step in a longer road to reduce the extreme conformation of these dogs."

Unfortunately, the gene pool for Frenchies is so small and so extreme that it will be difficult if not impossible to reverse these problems, de Morias said.

"To change some of those traits, you need to have genetic diversity within the gene pool of the breed," de Morias said. "For the English bulldog, they don't think they have enough to reverse those genes. That might be a problem with the Frenchies as well, particularly with the explosion in the last 10 years. You didn't have a lot of dogs to start with, so they're probably all closely related."

There's some reason to hope: Researchers noted that the French bulldog had lower odds of being diagnosed with 11 out of the 43 common disorders tracked in this study, including undesirable behavior, lameness and obesity. That means the breed has the potential to become healthier, they argue.

While vets, breeders and kennel clubs grapple with these issues, the best thing that consumers can do to help is refrain from buying breeds like Frenchies that come with a lot of gene-driven health problems.

"Until the body shape of the French bulldog is changed to a point where the serious health issues of the breed are reduced substantially, the current advice for anyone thinking of getting the breed is sadly to stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog," O'Neill said. "The wider public can resolve this welfare crisis by just deciding to buy a healthier breed - if we choose to."

You also might buy or rescue a mixed-breed mutt, although O'Neill warns that the dog won't necessarily be healthier than a pedigreed pooch.

"All breeds have their own strengths and weaknesses. This is part of what makes each breed unique. But in many breeds, there is a good balance between these strengths and weaknesses, such that the overall health of the breed can be quite good," O'Neill said.

"There are many benefits from deciding to get a puppy of a specific breed, such as the predictable size and temperament of the adult dog that you will later share at least a decade of your life with," he continued. "The important goal now is to identify those breeds with unacceptable health issues and work to mitigate these issues."

More information

The American Kennel Club has more about French bulldogs.

SOURCES: Dan O'Neill, PhD, senior lecturer, companion animal epidemiology, Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom Helio de Morias, DVM, PhD, hospital director, Oregon State University's Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Corvallis Canine Medicine and Genetics, Dec. 16, 2021

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Large spider interrupts Australian official's news conference

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A health official in Queensland, Australia, had her COVID-19 news conference interrupted by a large huntsman spider.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath was conducting an outdoor news conference to discuss the need for businesses to comply with recent vaccination policies when someone point out there was a large spider on her podium.



"Okay, can somebody please get that spider off?" D'Ath asked.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard attempted to shoo the huntsman spider away with some papers, but the officials soon lost track of the arachnid.

"This shows how controlled I can be," D'Ath joked. "I don't like huntsmans, but I'm going to keep going. If he comes anywhere near my face, let me know."

The spider was spotted by D'Ath's feet, but eventually wandered away.

"Well, that was a moment, wasn't it?" she said. "We've got COVID and we've got spiders."

Huntsman spiders are large and can carry a painful bite, but the bites are not considered dangerous to humans.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed declares state of emergency over overdoses
By Jonna Lorenz


Dec. 17 (UPI) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday declared a state of emergency over drug overdoses in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

The declaration applies to areas within the Tenderloin Police District and will allow the city to expedite programs, including waving contract procurement and zoning rules for a temporary linkage center to help people affected by the opioid crisis access behavior health services and other resources.

"The situation in Tenderloin is an emergency and it calls for an emergency response," Breed said in a statement. "We showed during COVID that when we're able to use an Emergency Declaration to cut through the bureaucracy and barriers that get in the way of decisive action, we can get things done and make real, tangible progress."

Matt Haney, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, said drug overdoses kill more than two people a day in San Francisco, mostly in the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods.

"We need an emergency response for drug overdoses, with immediate rapid crisis intervention, outreach and coordination on our streets, with expanded treatment and detox," Haney said. "We have to act now with everything we have to save lives. This official declaration of an emergency will give us the tools we need to respond with the speed and scale required."

Friday's emergency declaration is part of Breed's three-phase Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan to improve the health and safety of the neighborhood. The first phase included defining critical problems, assessing the neighborhood, and engaging community stakeholders, along with infrastructure improvements and targeted enforcement interventions.

The second phase started this week and will focus on connections to social and health services, a coordinated law enforcement response and streamlined infrastructure improvements.

The third phase will focus on transitioning from emergency measures to sustained operations.

Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, pointed to the city's efforts to address the pandemic -- including quickly leasing hotels, hiring staff and establishing testing and vaccine sites -- as an example of how emergency declarations can be used to address crisis conditions.

"In an emergency, people need resources immediately not months from now," Carroll said.

US Postal Service, NAACP reach settlement over 2020 mail delays

A young girl helps her mother deposit her ballot in a drop box for the 2020 general election at the Los Angeles County Registrar in 2020. On Thursday, the United States Postal Service and NAACP reached a settlement over mail delays during the 2020 election.

 File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The United States Postal Service said on Friday it had settled with NAACP over mail delays that the civil rights group alleged were intended to influence the 2020 election outcome.

The settlement stems from a lawsuit brought last year by the NAACP alleging that the Postal Service wasn't doing enough to address delivery delays when large swaths of the country were relying on mail to turn in ballots during the 2020 election.

As part of the settlement, the Postal Service agreed to meet with NAACP in the months before each national primary and general election through 2028. The Postal Service will also provide weekly reports on service performance during the six weeks leading up to general elections. Additionally, the Post Service will post official guidance related to election mail on its website.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement that the agreement will protect the right to vote for all citizens, "including those often suppressed." He called the agreement an "unprecedented victory for civil rights."

"When we fight, we win. Ballot box or mailbox, a vote is a vote, and each vote is sacred," he said. "No one, including the USPS, should ever stand in the way of our constitutional rights."

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta also issued a statement welcoming the settlement saying it "reflects the commitment of all of the parties to appropriately handling and prioritizing election mail."

The lawsuit targeted Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general installed by former President Donald Trump. During the 2020 election, DeJoy faced scrutiny over cost-cutting measures critics worried would slow the delivery of mail-in ballots. Over the summer, it was revealed the FBI was investigating DeJoy over an alleged private sector campaign finance scheme.

Hair, beauty products may interfere with hormones during pregnancy

By Amy Norton, HealthDay News

Pregnant women who use hair dyes or straighteners may have relatively lower levels of pregnancy-supporting hormones, a recent study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 1,000 pregnant women they followed, those who used certain hair products -- dyes, bleaches, relaxers or mousse -- had lower levels of several hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.

That's a concern because during pregnancy, levels of those hormones should rise, said lead researcher Zorimar Rivera-Nunez, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, N.J.

Past research, she noted, has linked disruptions in pregnancy hormones to an increased risk of problems such as impaired fetal growth, preterm birth and low birth weight.

RELATED BPA exposure may cause fertility problems, miscarriage

How would hair care fit in? Personal care products, including lotions, cleansers, makeup, shampoo and nail polish, often contain many chemicals. And they include so-called "endocrine disruptors" -- chemicals that can interact with the body's hormonal system.

Endocrine disruptors are everywhere, and people can be exposed through food, water or even the air they breathe, according to the Endocrine Society.

When it comes to personal care products, some of the common hormone-disrupting chemicals include parabens, phthalates, bisphenol-A and toxic metals.

Researchers are still trying to figure out how exposure can affect human health, Rivera-Nunez said. It's complicated, in part, because people are habitually exposed to numerous chemicals.

But studies have found, for example, that when expectant women have high levels of certain endocrine disruptors in their bodies during pregnancy, their offspring are more likely to become overweight, or go through early puberty.

Similarly, there is evidence tying personal care products, specifically, to health risks.

RELATED Smart shopping can reduce exposure to chemicals called endocrine disruptors

A U.S. government study found that women who frequently used chemical hair straighteners had a higher breast cancer risk than nonusers. Hair dyes were also tied to an increased risk of the disease, particularly among Black women.

As for pregnancy, one recent study of pregnant women in China found that those who frequently used makeup or skin care products were more likely to have a baby who was small for gestational age -- a sign of growth restriction in the womb.

The new study "fits in well" with that overall body of research, said Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C.

It links hair product use to hormonal differences that are consistent with some of the health effects that have been tied to such products, according to Temkin.

The findings -- published in the journal Environmental Research -- are based on 1,070 pregnant women in Puerto Rico who made up to three study visits over the course of their pregnancy.

They completed questionnaires on personal product use and gave blood samples to have their hormone levels measured.

Overall, levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone were lower among women who reported using "other" hair products, versus nonusers. That category included dyes, straighteners, bleaches and mousse, but not shampoo, conditioner, hair spray or hair gel.

It's not clear, according to Rivera-Nunez, whether women who use those hair products might be exposed to particular chemicals that are problematic, or have a higher level of exposure to endocrine disruptors.

Beyond that, there are many factors that might sway pregnancy hormones.

The researchers factored in the variables that they could -- such as women's pre-pregnancy body weight, income and education levels, as well as their smoking and drinking history.

But it's not possible to account for everything, Rivera-Nunez said.

For now, she recommended that women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy read labels and be aware of what they are putting on their bodies. At the same, she acknowledged that those labels are not necessarily consumer-friendly.

"The lack of good labeling is a problem," Rivera-Nunez said.

Temkin advised looking out for the word "fragrance" -- a harmless-sounding term that actually includes a broad range of undisclosed chemicals, some of which may be endocrine disruptors.

More information

The Environmental Working Group has more on personal care products' ingredients.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

P&G recalls dry shampoo, conditioner sprays 

over cancer-causing chemical

Procter & Gamble said there haven't been any reports of issues related to the recalled products, and it's making the move "out of an abundance of caution." Photo courtesy Procter & Gamble

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Procter & Gamble has issued a voluntary recall involving some of its conditioners and shampoos in the United States and Canada due to the presence of a potentially cancer-causing chemical.

The recall covers nearly three dozen products that were found to have increased and "unexpected" levels of the carcinogen benzene.

The recall affects dry shampoo spray products from Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences and Waterl<ss.

The company warned that exposure to benzene through inhalation, orally and through the skin could result in leukemia and blood cancer in the bone marrow.

Procter & Gamble said there haven't been any reports of issues related to the recalled products, and it's making the move "out of an abundance of caution."

"While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can," the company said in a statement.

The company produces mousses, hairsprays, liquid shampoos and conditioners and styling products.

Last month, the conglomerate recalled Old Spice and Secret aerosol sprays after similarly detecting a presence of benzene.