Tuesday 9/27

I found today's paper full of variety and I was easily drawn in. The article about fighting cervical cancer in Thailand was a great read, not only because I'm a woman, but because its good to see lesser developed countries making useful medical advances. What doctors in Thailand have done is create a more affordable version of the pap smear using vinegar. The procedure was developed at Johns Hopkins in the 1990s. If you brush vinegar on a woman’s cervix, the precancerous spots turn white so they can be immediately frozen off with a metal probe cooled by carbon dioxide. I'm glad more women can now be protected cervical cancer. As an interesting follow up, the story about the female activist in Saudi Arabia on trial for driving was summoned the same day King Abdullah made the announcement that women can vote and hold office. Perhaps this new action will give female activists more of a voice and keep this particular one away from trial and harm.