Suzanne Somers isn't famous because she goes along with conventional wisdom on important health topics. She doesn't have her very own CafeMom Studios show on YouTube for that reason either. The former Three's Company star commands attention by being forward-thinking ... and yes, sometimes, controversial. Personally, I really respect that about her. Though I realize others aren't as keen on it.

Admittedly, I could see how Suzanne's latest soundbyte will likely raise more than a few eyebrows. She was on The Rosie Show last week discussing mammograms. As it turns out, she falls into the camp that believes they're not all they're cracked up to be.

Amazingly, Rush Limbaugh has apologized for the deplorable drivel he spewed almost all of last week, bashing the Georgetown student, Sandra Fluke, who testified on behalf of birth control coverage. He posted a statement on his website yesterday, half-heartedly noting, "My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

Rush's mea culpas have always been few and far between, so on one hand, it's encouraging to see one at all. But unfortunately, the apology itself reads as compulsory and defensive. In fact, it only served to highlight how little he seems to understand the ignorance he's demonstrated or the way he's polluted the political discourse with blatant misogyny. Here, five reasons Rush's apology doesn't warrant forgiveness.

Every month, for about a week, millions of women cope with debilitating menstrual cramps. Whenever they strike, most of us reach for NSAIDs, maybe some caffeine, and sometimes a heating pad -- rinse, repeat. But that routine can get old, sometimes it doesn't even help, and who knows what kind of toll it might be taking on your long-term well-being? Plus, wouldn't it be so much better to preempt the cramps before they begin?

Enter a new, small study from Italy, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found a single, high-dose (300,000 IU -- whoa!) of cholecalciferol -- aka vitamin D3 -- was linked to a marked reduction in menstrual cramps. (In two months, the average pain scores dropped 41 percent for women on vitamin D vs. no difference in pain for a placebo group.) Also interesting: All the women in the study had blood levels of vitamin D measuring in the lowest 25 percent of normal at the study's outset. A clue, perhaps?

Last week, the country looked at Virginia with wide eyes and jaws dropped to the floor as their state House passed two dangerous, anti-abortion bills. But yesterday, the Senate's vote on one of the bills -- which would mandate an ultrasound for every woman planning an abortion -- was delayed! Women everywhere, and especially there in VA, are feeling like a major bullet has been dodged. Whew!

Although the turn of events may only offer a temporary sigh of relief, it's still a victory. After all, the bill was, in the words of which Delegate Kaye Kory, "an assault on the freedom and liberty of women in the commonwealth of Virginia." Now, it seems thanks in part to the people's protests, it's one step further from becoming the law.

Let's cut to the chase: Any form of bladder and vajayjay infection is the absolute worst, right? Even just your random, run-of-the-mill urinary tract infection (UTI) is a total pain -- literally. In fact, they can cause excruciating pain that has you wondering how the hell you got cursed with the "honeymoon cystitis" (great spin, huh? Making it sound real cute! Ha!). Well, don't necessarily chalk it up to lots of rollin' around in the hay. That UTI may have more to do with what you're chowing down on ... as in, chicken. Yum!!

A new report in the March issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases links the E. coli that causes UTIs to E. coli from chicken. Apparently, the infections probably came directly from the chickens, not from contamination during food processing. However, that doesn't mean we humans aren't at fault.

Roe v. Wade ensures American women at the federal level with the right to a safe and legal abortion, but that is by no means stopping states from attempting to chip away at -- or in this most recent case, take a chainsaw to -- that right. The most recent offending state: Virginia, where the GOP supermajority "muscled [through] two of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in years," according to the AP. 

The first, like many that have been floated and gone back and forth in other southern states, would require that doctors give women a transvaginal ultrasound (which, if you're not familiar, involves insertion of a condom-covered probe into the vagina to obtain an image during the very early stages of a pregnancy) before they can have an abortion. The second -- also familiar -- basically asserts that a person's rights should begin from the moment the sperm meets the egg. INSANE.

For what seems like always, that ubiquitous pink ribbon has meant one thing: Breast cancer awareness. And it's popped up on just about any product you can think of, from hair dryers to lipstick to clothing and U.S. postage stamps. You figure you can safely assume that by buying said product, part of the proceeds will go to help fund breast cancer research. Personally, when faced with a "pink" purchase, I'd think, "Oh yeah, I'm donating to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Cool." And I wouldn't bat an eyelash about making a donation in that direction. Until now.

Ever since Komen announced their split from Planned Parenthood -- initially due to a "disqualifying federal investigation," then because they supposedly were "looking to back groups that offer direct breast health services, like mammograms" -- that little pink ribbon will never be the same. Not even now that Komen has apologized, backtracked, and said they'll restore funding to the family planning clinics.

Nothing short of a total firestorm has arisen from the news that the Susan G. Komen Foundation is cutting their funding to Planned Parenthood. Uber-conservatives have been acting like it's their very own New Year's Eve, turning the Susan G. Komen Facebook page into their celebratory HQ. And anyone who cares at all about women's well-being has had a perpetual scowl painted across their face for the past 48 hours. But I'm here to tell you that those of us here on the sane side of the road mustn't mourn any longer, because there's a sweet upshot to all of this! No, really.

Donors who were totally P.O.'ed by the Komen decision have donated $650+K to Planned Parenthood over the past day or so, which is nearly enough to replace last year's Komen funding, say PP execs. Amaaaaaazing!