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PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Federal Agency Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Case for Hundreds of Employees
What: Hundreds of female Customs and Border Protection employees filed suit against the agency, saying they were discriminated against once they announced they were pregnant. “No matter the physical demands of their jobs, many were transferred to another post, typically centered on administrative or secretarial work and usually unrelated to what skills they had developed in their existing roles. The policy, they say, hurt their opportunities for advancement, and others add that they weathered pay cuts because light duty meant no more overtime.”
Why it matters: If pregnant employees can’t get the federal government to not discriminate against pregnancy, who can? CPB agreed to settle the case for $45 million, and it “requires C.B.P. to draft a new policy for pregnant women, and lawyers representing the women will monitor the agency’s compliance for three years. C.B.P. will also be required to train all managers and supervisors about the rights of pregnant employees.”
Source: New York Times
BIRTH CONTROL
Should Smart Rings Really Be Used as Birth Control?
What: Scientific American looks at rising use of wearable tech like Oura rings and Apple watches to track periods, reporting that “reproductive health specialists have been regarding smart rings with caution. Other contraception methods, such as intrauterine devices, are widely considered more effective than cycle tracking, particularly for people with irregular periods. Natural Cycles claims its product is 93 percent effective as birth control with typical use. When used perfectly, its efficacy purportedly rises to 98 percent. By comparison, fewer than 1 percent of intrauterine device (IUD) users will get pregnant in a year.”
Why it matters: “It’s an open question whether skin temperature, as measured by smart rings, accurately reflects the core body temperature changes correlated to the menstrual cycle. Thermometers are historically among the least accurate sensors on most wearable devices, says Trisha Andrew, who directs the Wearable Electronics Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”
Source: Scientific American
The Women Who Won’t Get IUDs Removed
What: The Washington Post delves into the other side of IUD pain – women who have the devices inserted and are so scarred from the experience that they do not want to ever get them removed. Some patients have IUDs that expired decades ago.
Why it matters: The CDC recently recommended that clinicians inform patients that IUD insertion may hurt and offer pain relief methods. “’Most patients fare better when their health-care providers are transparent about the procedures, the possibility of pain and any available pain control options, said Nichole Tyson, a clinical professor and division chief of pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Stanford University. ‘Everybody wants to know what’s happening with their body,’ Tyson said. ‘No matter how you look at this, you’re in stirrups, you don’t have your underpants on. It’s a very vulnerable time. I think that’s a legitimate thing we all have to think about and be compassionate about.’”
Source: Washington Post
ABORTION ACCESS
Texas Women Who Lost Fallopian Tubes, Ovary in Ectopic Pregnancies File Complaints
What: The Guardian digs into two specific complaints filed by women in Texas who say they were “denied abortion care for life-threatening ectopic pregnancies” and are “calling for investigations into the hospitals for violating federal law.”
Why it matters: Both women had ectopic pregnancies, and both ruptured or got so close to rupturing that they lost a fallopian tube and in one case, an ovary. Their ability to have children in the future is now compromised, and they were forced into a life-threatening health event for no medical reason.
Source: The Guardian
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
Vitamin Sales Are Booming. Is That Good?
What: The vitamin industry has boomed, with supplements sales increasing a whopping 50% between 2018 and 2020 alone. USA Today looks at whether all those extra pills actually do anything. At least one dietician says those increased sales were driven by influencers on social media.
Why it matters: “Unless your doctor says you’re deficient in a certain vitamin, you’re best off aiming to first get vital nutrients through your food intake, rather than supplements, notes the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements.”
Source: USA Today
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