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EVERYTHING
Biden: Wait Until You See How Mad Women Are
What: President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address tonight, and women’s health featured prominently in the speech. A fiery Biden called for a federal law to protect IVF, the restoration of Roe vs. Wade, and gave a shoutout to First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
One of his most memorable lines of the night was when he referred to a sentence from the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe that “women are not without electoral power or political power.” The he told the Justices: “You are about to realize just how much.”
Why it matters: Tens of millions of Americans watch this speech – it is one of the biggest audiences the president will have before November’s election.
Source: Time
MENSTRUATION
The Path to Taking Menstrual Blood Seriously
What: A fascinating, in-depth podcast with Dr. Sara Naseri on her journey to developing the first FDA cleared diagnostic menstrual pad, Q-Pad. Naseri explains that when the idea to look at menstrual blood as a diagnostic first came to her, it was “shocking honestly to learn how little information had been published by the clinical and scientific community on the utility, the clinical utility of menstrual blood.”
Why it matters: The company has shown that menstrual blood can have the same diagnostic capabilities that a blood draw produces, and can give women the ability to take control of their own health.
Source: Axios
BIRTH CONTROL
Will States Guarantee Birth Control Access?
What: Alabama’s IVF mess and the concept of “fetal personhood” has shown the threat that birth control could face – especially IUDs. The American Prospect looks at the state-level efforts to enshrine access to birth control into law.
Why it matters: “…specific contraception rights only exist in 13 states. New state proposals bear watching.” For example? Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has a bill protecting the right to use contraception on his desk, but even in the trending-blue-state, it’s not clear he will sign it.
Source: American Prospect
MENOPAUSE
OBGYN Responds to Lancet: Don’t Tell Women How to Feel
What: ABC chief medical correspondent and OBGYN Jennifer Ashton breaks down the Lancet message on menopause. The British medical journal said in a special edition that menopause was being “overmedicalized.” Ashton argues they had good intentions but poor execution.
Why it matters: As Ashton said: “It’s actually telling women how to think about menopause. Guess who’s allowed to tell you how to feel about menopause? No one.”
Source: ABC News
METABOLISM + WEIGHT
Oprah Special on Weight Loss Drugs Coming
What: Shortly after leaving Weight Watchers’ board, Oprah announced a primetime special on ABC about weight loss drugs. In a statement she said: “It is a very personal topic for me and for the hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe who have for years struggled with weight and obesity…This special will bring together medical experts, leaders in the space and people in the day-to-day struggle to talk about health equity and obesity with the intention to ultimately release the shame, judgment and stigma surrounding weight.”
Why it matters: Oprah can bring accurate information to this issue and actually be heard.
Source: Variety
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