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EVERYTHING
Five Things We Now Know About in Women’s Health
What: National Geographic rounds up five advancements made in women’s health in recent years, as science finally starts researching the female body and experience. On the list? How women experience ADHD differently, how menstruation reshapes the brain, the cause of morning sickness (my least favorite misnomer), new tools to reduce maternal mortality, and the fact that frozen shoulder syndrome…is real.
Why it matters: It’s better than nothing!
Source: National Geographic
PREGNANCY
Teen Moms Have a 200+% Chance of Dying Young Compared to Those Who Don’t Have Kids
What: A study of over 2 million teenagers in Canada found that those who carried a pregnancy to term were more than twice as likely to die before their 31st birthday, even after controlling for pre-existing health conditions and other demographics.
Why it matters: Injuries, including assaults and suicide, caused most of the premature deaths. Researchers wrote that suggests the “stigma and isolation that many pregnant teens experience ‘can make it more difficult to thrive in adulthood.’” And in 14 states in America right now, lawmakers have decided these teens must give birth.
Source: New York Times
ABORTION ACCESS
VP Harris Makes History With Abortion Clinic Visit
What: Vice President Harris made history on Thursday as the first president or vice president to tour a facility that provides abortions. Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic between St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, that has been serving many women from other states nearby that banned abortion.
Harris didn’t mince words: “How dare these elected leaders believe they are in a better position to tell women what they need,” Harris said. “We have to be a nation that trusts women.”
Why it matters: Call me naive, but I was surprised that this was the first time a president or VP had made it to an abortion clinic. As we have seen through the stories of Kate Cox and countless other women, abortions are a necessary part of healthcare for women.
Source: Associated Press
MENOPAUSE
Stop Treating Hormones Like They Are All Equivalent
What: Hormone replacement therapy for menopause has been a two-decade long saga, thanks to a 2002 trial that had its results “extrapolated to all estrogen products, all menopausal women, and all delivery mechanisms.” That led two physician experts to call on doctors to give patients a “more nuanced, individualized approach.”
Why it matters: As the authors put it: “All hormones are not equivalent any more than all antiseizure medications or all antihypertensives are equivalent…Consideration of treatment with the right formulation, at the right dose and time, and for the right patient will allow us to recommend safe, effective, and appropriate treatment for people with menopausal symptoms.”
Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology
Drew Barrymore’s Menopause Supplements Lack Science
What: In the absence of comprehensive medical training on how to treat menopause, supplements are always there to fill the void. Drew Barrymore is the latest celebrity to back a “natural” menopause supplement, and USA Today reports that experts “fear that the growing market for ‘natural’ menopause treatments — sometimes called ‘menowashing’ — is deterring women away from hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which rigorous studies show is safe and effective for the majority of women. Most herbal supplements, on the other hand, have not been tested in clinical trials.”
Why it matters: Women end up wasting money and not getting the treatment they might need.
Source: USA Today
ONCOLOGY
You Can Use the Breast Cancer Risk Tool that Helped Olivia Munn
What: Actress Olivia Munn announced that she had a mastectomy after unexpectedly getting diagnosed with breast cancer at age 43. Munn said she had no symptoms, and her mammogram was clear. But her doctor had her get more intensive screening, such as an MRI, because her score on a breast cancer risk assessment test was above 30%. Without that screening, Munn says she likely wouldn’t have caught the cancer until a year later.
Why it matters: You can plug your own information in to the risk assessment calculator here. Keep in mind that it’s giving you probabilities, not hard numbers, and it is recommended to consider along with a doctor.
Source: CNN
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