4A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 20D7
GAY MARRIAGE
Mike Derer/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kevin Pilla, left, and his partner Thomas Mannix sit with their buddy, Buddy, at their home in Asbury Park, N.J. Monday, Mannix and Pilla were among the first to fill out civil union applications at Asbury Park City Hall Moon. The first day to get a license for civil unions in the city was
New Jersey joins group of states granting civil unions
BY GEOFF MULVIHILL ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEANECK, N.J. — Hundreds of gay couples were granted the same legal rights, if not the title, as married couples Monday as New Jersey became the third state to offer civil unions.
More than a dozen other couples applied for licenses for ceremonies later in the week.
The civil unions, which offer the legal benefits but not the title of marriage, were granted automatically to the hundreds of gay New Jersey couples who had previously been joined in civil unions or married in other states or nations.
Couples who had not been joined previously could apply for licenses but must wait 72 hours before they can hold civil union ceremonies, the same waiting period for weddings.
Several, like Marty Finkle and Michael Plake, plan to exchange vows Thursday.
"This is as close to marriage as we're going to get for right now." Finkle said after he and Plake applied for their civil union license.
at the town hall in South Orange early Monday.
A few dozen friends and local officials cheered as they filled out the requisite form.
New Jersey lawmakers hastily created civil unions in December, less than two months after a state Supreme Court decision held that gay couples had a right to the same benefits as married couples.
Supporters of gay marriage say they may sue, contending that civil unions do not create the equality the court ordered.
Some social conservative groups, meanwhile, are pledging to block same-sex marriage by pressing for an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits such unions. Forty-five states have laws or amendments that ban same-sex marriage.
Among the hundreds of benefits under the civil unions law, gay couples get rights dealing with adoption, child custody, visiting a hospitalized partner, making medical decisions and getting the same access to health insurance coverage that employers offer spouses of workers. Civil union partners also now have the right not to testify
against a partner in state court.
However, the federal government and most states do not recognize the unions. That means, for instance, that a surviving member of a civil union would not be entitled to his deceased partner's Social Security benefits. And if a partner is hospitalized in another state, the other may not be allowed to visit.
Only one state — Massachusetts — allows marriage for same-sex couples. Connecticut, Vermont and California have laws similar to New Jersey's, though California calls its system domestic partnerships.
Despite the Presidents Day holiday, a handful of town halls around the state opened to accept license applications for the unions. At least 20 couples applied in Asbury Park, Collingswood, Lambertville and South Orange.
Thomas Mannix and Kevin Pilla arrived at Asbury Park City Hall at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday so they could be among the first to fill out the application.
Critical Conversations Series Books, Briefcases and Diapers: How does our campus climate measure up for parents?
Wednesday, February 21st 12 noon-1 p.m. Big 12 Room, Kansas Union
Panelists:
Ola Faucher
Director, Dept. of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity
Sarah Frazelle
Graduate Student, Economics
Dr. Donna Ginther
Associate Professor, Economics
Dr. Mary Lee Hummert
Vice Provost for Faculty Support
Dr. Lisa Wolf-Wendel
Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Campuses across the country have been challenged to examine their policies and practices related to creating a "family-friendly" climate as parents are citing this as an important recruitment, retention and success factor. What are the current national trends? How does KU measure up? What changes are needed? Join our expert panel to discuss these issues.
>> WELLNESS
Brought to you by the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, a program within the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and Student Success
Aspirin plays key role in women's health
BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCATED PRESS
Nearly all American women are in danger of heart disease or stroke and should be more aggressive about lowering their risk — including asking their doctors about daily aspirin use, the American Heart Association said Monday in new guidelines.
It is the first time guidelines have urged all women to consider aspirin for preventing strokes, although specialists warn that it can cause ulcers and dangerous bleeding. They said it is probably not a good idea for young women with no big health problems.
"We do not want women to go to the drugstore and just start taking this themselves. It is critical that every woman talk to her doctor," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and chair of the expert panel that wrote the guidelines.
The guidelines also advise daily exercise and less fat, and declare vitamins C and E, beta carotene and folic acid supplements worthless for preventing heart disease.
The guidelines were published in the Journal Circulation with related studies on women's health, including one suggesting that hormone skin patches may be safer than pills for menopause symptoms.
In general, the guidelines aim to get women and doctors to focus on the long-term risk of high blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise or being overweight — even if a woman's current health seems fine. Even a single risk factor at age 50 greatly raises the chance of heart disease or stroke later, and only about
10 percent of American women are free of these problems.
The evidence shows that many more women than thought are at risk of heart disease and stroke even those whose only weakness was failure to exercise every day. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women worldwide.
Aspirin did prevent strokes in women, but again, the benefit was substantial only among older ones, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, a Harvard University women's health expert who helped lead that study.
"We do not want women to wait until they develop symptoms to begin to take action," Mosca said.
Aspirin is recommended now to prevent heart disease in men 45 and older; but in women, a large study found it prevented heart disease only for those 65 and older.
"This is a really good gathering of evidence in women," after years of studies done mostly on men, said Dr. Sidney Smith, heart disease chief at the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and past heart association president.
The guidelines were drafted by dozens of groups worldwide, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the U.S. government. Of the 33 people who wrote the advice, 13 have financial ties to heart drug makers, only three of them to a large degree.
Putting young women on aspirin for stroke prevention is not justified by the evidence, Manson warned. In the 10-year study, aspirin prevented only one additional cardiovascular problem among roughly 35,000 women under 65 and led to 20 cases of bleeding requiring transfusion, she said.
EXERCISE.
Advice
DIET.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise on most days.
DON'T SMOKE.
Eat mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grain and high-fiber foods, fish at least twice a week, and little salt. Limit alcohol to one drink or less a day.
Use nicotine replacement products if needed to stop.
USE SUPPLEMENTS
Keep LDL or bad cholesterol under 100 if at high risk of heart disease and under 70 if at very high risk.
WATCH WEIGHT.
Keep body-mass index under 25.
USE SUPPLEMENTS.
Consider omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) if you already have heart disease.
MAINTAIN LOW BLOOD PRESSURE.
USE ASPIRIN.
Daily use is already urged for women at high risk, and the guidelines now say the dose can go up to 325 milligrams. All other women should consider 81 milligrum "baby aspirin" daily or 100 milligrams every other day for stroke prevention.
Associated Press
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