JUMP TO…

Birth Control
Pregnancy + Postpartum
Abortion Access
Menopause

BIRTH CONTROL

Michigan Latest State to Permit Pharmacist Birth Control Scripts

What: Michigan became the latest state to allow pharmacists to directly prescribe birth control, after Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bills addressing women’s health and maternity care. The legislation also provides a licensing process for standalone birth centers that can provide midwifery care.

Key line: “The press release from Whitmer’s office explains that Michigan currently has a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists who normally issue those prescriptions; and about 1/3 of the state’s Michigan counties have no OB/GYN specialists at all.”

Source: CBS News

PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM

Nearly Zero Pregnant Women Included in Drug Trials

What: Researchers from Brown University looked at over 90,000 drug trials over the past 15 years and found only 0.8% included pregnant women.

Key line: “’We found only 19 trials for non-infectious chronic conditions like anxiety, depression and asthma that have included pregnant participants,’ [Prof. Alyssa] Bilinski said. ‘While it may seem risky to include pregnant people in research, it’s even worse to leave them guessing based on incomplete information.’ Importantly, rates of inclusion of pregnant participants in drug trials have not changed in 15 years, despite calls for greater involvement, the researchers showed in their findings.”

Source: Brown University

What It Feels Like to Have a High-Risk Pregnancy

What: Sue Fletcher-Watson has an essay in the BMJ detailing the downsides of being deemed a high-risk pregnancy for her third child, even though she had a BMI over 35 for her first two (non-high risk) pregnancies.

Key line: “We know that risk operates on a continuum, but my categorisation as high risk during this pregnancy was entirely binary. It defined me for those nine life changing months. I felt helpless. Even if I had wanted to take action to reduce my weight, no one recommends dieting or a blistering new exercise regimen during pregnancy, with good reason. I was condemned to feel shame, and often anger and resentment, with no way out. … I was struck by my total lack of choice when embarking on the intensive scrutiny which was the defining hallmark of the high risk pregnancy pathway. Fitting an additional 19 appointments into as many weeks simply added to my stress and worry. Overall, the mental health effects of being monitored, measured, and judged were devastating.”

Source: BMJ

ABORTION ACCESS

How Trump Could Continue Pretending to Be an Abortion Moderate

What: Vox’s Rachel Cohen explains how Trump might try to maintain the appearance of a “moderate” on abortion access, while still restricting care.

Key line: “Emerging statements from anti-abortion advocates suggest that most are prepared to be lenient with the new president, accepting compromises so Trump can continue to claim that he signed no new federal abortion ban. Activists see it in their interest to accommodate the president so as to stay within his good graces, and influence policy and judicial nominees where possible.”

Source: Vox

MENOPAUSE

Where Is Menopause Research Going?

What: Nature has a deep dive on emerging therapies in the “new science of menopause.” It’s a good overview of where funding and research has been going in the past few years, as this period of women’s lives finally gets attention.

Key line: “Guidance for menopause management around the world remains controversial, inconsistent and changes rapidly, specialists say. Still, there is growing consensus that clinicians should “very seriously consider” hormone therapy for women within ten years of reaching menopause, or before age 60, if they have no contraindications, says JoAnn Manson, a women’s health researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.”

Source: Nature