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FERTILITY
Republicans Are Driving Fertility Rates Into the Ground
What: Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell writes that the GOP has played a big part in driving America’s fertility rate into the ground. As always, there is the routine opposition to mandatory paid maternity leave (Rampell points out we are one of three countries globally without it), but there are also the red state abortion bans that make *desired* pregnancies more dangerous. Woman have suffered everything from sepsis to burst fallopian tubes to being airlifted out of state due to these laws.
Why it matters: “Such stories are horrifying and traumatic for the women involved. They also likely discourage women on the fence about having kids from deliberately conceiving, especially if those women have existing medical vulnerabilities.”
Source: Washington Post
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
The Pregnancy Blood Pressure Fix Too Few are Taking
What: A federal task force has been recommending that women at risk of developing high blood pressure during pregnancy take low-dose aspirin for ten years. The problem? “Despite all the data, too few pregnant women at risk are taking baby aspirin, and too few doctors recommend it. A 2022 study found that Black women are less likely to be told to take baby aspirin, even when they meet the criteria.”
Why it matters: Pre-eclampsia is one of the most common pregnancy complications, and low-dose aspirin is an over-the-counter, low-cost way to help prevent it. But it’s not happening. The March of Dimes is launching a campaign to raise greater awareness among both patients and providers.
Source: New York Times
MENSTRUATION
Muscle Injuries in Elite Female Athletes Line Up With Period
What: Researchers in the UK found that elite soccer players were six times more likely to get a muscle injury in the days leading up to their periods. The study followed 26 women over three years—a small sample size, but it is “really rare” say researchers to see long term health data in women’s sports.
Why it matters: Study authors say the findings “should be a ‘call to action’ for further research and investment and reinforces the need to consider the menstrual cycle in elite sports.”
Source: BBC
ABORTION ACCESS
Vice President Harris Marks Trump Abortion Ban Start in Florida
What: Vice President Kamala Harris was in Florida this week to mark the start of the state’s six-week abortion ban. Speaking in Jacksonville, Harris said that “another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida. As of this morning 4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they did last night. This is the new reality under a Trump abortion ban.”
Why it matters: Not only does the Trump abortion ban cut off access to Florida women, it also forces women in surrounding states to travel hundreds of miles further to get basic health care should their pregnancies have complications.
Source: Reuters
Arizona Avoids All-Out Abortion Ban (For Now)
What: Democrats in Arizona got two state Senate Republicans to join with them and vote down the 1864 zombie abortion ban that was about to take effect. One of the Republicans, Shawnna Bolick, gave a 21-minute speech that included stories of women who experienced complications during wanted pregnancies, and how the law could put them at risk. At the end of her speech, she revealed that all the pregnancies she had mentioned were her own.
Why it matters: Millions of women in Arizona will retain access to abortion at 15 weeks…for now.
Source: NBC
MENOPAUSE
Study Finds Hormones Okay for Many Women Under 60
What: A twenty-year update to a massive women’s health study confirmed that fears over the safety of taking supplemental hormones during menopause were “largely overblown.” The analysis released today found that for “many younger menopausal women — typically those under 60 — the benefits of the drugs probably outweigh the risks for the short-term treatment of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats.”
Why it matters: The sudden reversal in taking supplemental hormones happened in 2002, leaving baby boomer and Gen X women to “navigate the vexing symptoms of menopause — including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and mood disturbances — without the benefit of highly effective hormone treatments.” It turned out that the original study design included more older women than younger, which may have skewed the results.
Source: Washington Post
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