World

Imagine that you are told by a doctor that you have a breast cancer. A mastectomy is recommended. You agree. The procedure is done. A few weeks later, you find out that you never had breast cancer at all. It was a mistake. Horrible nightmare? For two Canadian women, it's much worse than a nightmare. It's their reality.

When it was introduced, Yasmin (and its sidekick, Yaz) was not just a birth control pill, but a girl's best friend. I mean, other pills have clinical names, like Necon 7/7/7 (my pill) or Lo-Ovral (my former pill) or Ortho TriCyclen (my former former pill) or Alesse (my former former former pill), so it's clear that they are just medicines. I didn't think I was going to hang out and talk about boys with Lo-Ovral, but I might with Yaz. Yaz is a person's name. It's kicky. I can trust my friend Yaz.

By: Maria Suarez ToroThe Global Fund for Women On the grounds next to an epidemiological hospital destroyed by the earthquake, Dr. Jean Pape has set up two laboratories and an emergency medical center for wounded victims. This Haitian doctor received worldwide fame for inventing a method of halting the advancement of HIV/AIDS to help those without the ability to buy expensive medicines continue to live with the infection.

You might have seen it on a T-shirt. Or perhaps you've heard a Canadian woman declare it. We now have proof, though -- Canadian women really do kick ass. To date in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canadian women have won 13.5 of Canada's 17 medals.

Censorship is a dirty word in my house. There are many things in this world I disagree with, but the same protections that allow people to say or write those things allow me to speak out against them. Something that is sure to push my buttons is any attempt to ban books. Each February during Freedom To Read Week, I am reminded that my freedom to choose what I want to read is something that is frequently threatened and that I must continue to be vocal.