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EVERYTHING
“I’m an OBGYN and No One Believed Me When I Was In Labor”
What: Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell from New Orleans’ Ochsner Medical Center shares the story of when she went into pre-term labor but was out-of-town and got dismissed as having constipation.
Why it matters: “I didn’t want to be seen as that angry Black woman,” Gillispie-Bell explained, “when they weren’t listening to me. …Even as an OBGYN my voice was not heard.” The doctor flew home and got an ultrasound, only to find out she was 9mm dilated and had to go on bed rest immediately.
Source: NOLA Now
The Black OBGYNs Educating Millions on TikTok
What: Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions than white women in the United States. That has inspired these Black OBGYNs to get on social media (TikTok, specifically) to give their patients the education they can’t provide in a typical 15-minute visit.
Why it matters: “Their videos on reproductive health aren’t just changing how women understand their bodies, they’re aiming to overcome the racial disparities and mistrust faced by women of color in the U.S. healthcare system.”
Source: Reckon
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Frida (Uncensored) Shows You How to Actually Use That Perineum Massager
What: The New York Times digs into a new educational website launched by Frida, which makes items for pregnant/postpartum women and babies. The company hired a porn actress and mother of two, Asa Akira, to demonstrate exactly how to use the company’s perineum massager (some studies say this can help reduce the risk of tearing during childbirth.)
Why it matters: The company had to launch a separate website to educate users on this product and others in part because of restrictions on social media advertising – which don’t always apply to men’s health: “Chelsea Hirschhorn, Frida’s founder and chief executive, said she often sees sexualized images of the same female body parts when scrolling through Instagram, primarily on accounts geared toward men. ‘But theirs is allowed,’ she said. ‘Ours is censored.’”
Source: New York Times
It’s Not Paid Leave, But It’s Better Than Wedging Pregnancy Into Disability
What: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission made it official on Monday: employers with at least 15 employees must offer “reasonable accommodations” to workers for pregnancy and childbirth. That includes “time off for recovery from childbirth, prenatal or postnatal appointments and postpartum depression and accommodations related to seating, light duty, breaks for food, water and restroom needs, breastfeeding and miscarriage.”
Why it matters: Employers are still *not* required to offer paid leave. But before this law was passed, employees had to claim pregnancy-related disabilities, even though “most pregnancy-related conditions are not considered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Source: CNN
ABORTION ACCESS
The Details on the Comstock Act and Abortion
What: The Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest briefing breaks down how yet another zombie law from before women could vote—in this case, 1873’s Comstock Act—”could be used by a future presidential administration opposed to abortion rights to sharply restrict abortion nationwide.”
Why it matters: “A literal interpretation of the Act could potentially also apply to materials used to produce all abortions, not just medication abortions; would not have exceptions; and could affect other medical care, such as miscarriage management.”
Source: KFF
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
Fake Botox Product Spreads To Nine States, Doctors To Be Alerted Nationwide
What: The fake Botox scandal has spread, sickening 19 people in at least nine states according to the FDA. The counterfeit products came from unlicensed sources, and cases have been reported in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Washington. Those affected have had vision problems and difficulty breathing and swallowing.
Why it matters: On Monday, the CDC said the fake botox shots were given in “non-healthcare settings,” including homes or spas. Nine patients have been hospitalized; no deaths are reported. The CDC is expected to notify doctors nationwide this week.
Source: NBC
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