|
PREGNANCY
Premature Births Jump in Past Decade
What: Premature births increased significantly between 2014 and 2022, according to data recently released by the CDC. Births before 37 weeks increased 12%, with the largest jump among women age 30 and up.
Why it matters: Before 2014, the premature birth rate had been falling. But the increase wasn’t a shock to some experts, since maternal complications have also been on the rise.
Source: New York Times
Pregnant Workers Due to (Finally) Get *Some* Rights
What: The Hill does a deep dive into the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, covering the decade-long fight to pass the legislation to the regulations that are due out soon governing “pregnant workers’ right to take time off for medical treatment, recovery from childbirth and even the right to travel to obtain abortion care.”
Why it matters: This legislation is the “first federal workplace protections act for pregnant people enacted in 45 years.”
Source: The Hill
ABORTION ACCESS
States That Ban Abortions Get Fewer OBGYNs
What: Applications for OBGYN residency programs in states that have fully banned abortions dropped 4% after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022. States with partial bans saw a 1% drop in applications.
Why it matters: States that have banned abortion already tend to have worse outcomes for pregnant women. Having fewer OBGYNs will only make things worse.
Source: Medscape
MENOPAUSE
We Don’t Know Enough About Testosterone in Women
What: Testosterone isn’t just a male hormone—it is present in female bodies, though levels decrease with time and especially after menopause. Treating menopausal women with testosterone has gained some popularity, but like so much related to treating postmenopausal women—there’s a lack of evidence.
Why it matters: As one OBGYN professor put it: “My specialty is midlife women’s health and menopause management, and I’m shocked at how little data and recognition there is in female medicine on the role of this hormone.”
Source: Stat News
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
What Martha Stewart Has Done to Her Face
What: Martha Stewart is 82 years old, but if you’ve seen her selfies, you know she doesn’t look it. She decided to kick off a new season of her podcast by interviewing her own cosmetic dermatologist about the work she’s had done.
Why it matters: It doesn’t really, but I know we’re all interested! Martha has had a “combination of different procedures, including fillers in her cheeks, muscle-relaxing injections in her jaw and neck and the use of multiple skin-tightening devices.”
Source: Page Six
|