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FERTILITY
White House Cuts Deal on IVF Drugs, Asks Companies to Think About IVF Insurance Coverage
What: The Trump administration announced an effort to encourage employers offer in vitro fertilization and infertility coverage as a separate benefit, similar to dental or vision plans. The proposal includes no subsidies or mandates, and it is unclear whether it will change how many companies offer such coverage. They also announced a deal with a German drug manufacturer to reduce drug prices by up to 84% for patients who buy from them directly.
Key Line: “’I think it is a whole lot less than he promised in the campaign,’ said Sean Tipton, the chief advocacy and policy officer at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the leading medical group for I.V.F. ‘On the other hand, it’s a whole lot more than we had feared was going to happen. It’s not restrictive in any way, and it doesn’t promote bad science in any way.'”
My Take: The employer guidance seems pretty toothless in its current form, so it reads like another Trump show with little substance. The drug price cuts could be meaningful, but the overall cost of IVF will still be out of reach for most Americans seeking it.
Source: New York Times
BIRTH CONTROL
Trump Administration Guts Federal Birth Control Office During Shutdown
What: The Trump administration laid off nearly all staff in the Office of Population Affairs at HHS, which manages the $300 million program providing contraception and related care for millions of low-income women. The layoff came during the ongoing government shutdown and is part of a broader purge of federal employees that has drawn legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked further layoffs, but it remains unclear who is protected by the order.
Key Line: “[This] threatens a program that has existed for over 50 years and also offers testing for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, as well as basic infertility care. The layoffs targeting the office represent one of the most striking examples yet of Mr. Trump’s vow to fire people in an effort to purge the government of what he has called ‘Democrat programs’ during the shutdown, a stark departure from past practice that has raised major legal and constitutional questions.”
My Take: It is complete madness to fire the very people who could help low-income Americans access the infertility drug price cuts Trump just announced.
Source: New York Times
ABORTION ACCESS
Banning Abortion Signals Democratic Decline
What: Seda Sulak is a University of Michigan professor who studies the connection between reproductive rights and political regimes. She writes that restricting abortion is a common move by authoritarian regimes in an effort to control populations and silence dissent, tracing patterns from 20th-century dictatorships to current leaders in Hungary, Poland, and the U.S.
Key Line: “From Benito Mussolini’s Italy in 1926 and Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1936 to Francisco Franco’s Spain in 1941 and Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Romania in 1966, the first move most 20th-century dictators made after seizing power was to criminalize abortion and contraception.”
My Take: This isn’t an angle many democracy advocates talk about, but they should be.
Source: The Conversation
MENOPAUSE
Early Menopause Linked to Dementia Risk
What: Researchers from the University of Galway and Boston University looked at data from over 1,300 women and found that earlier menopause was linked to greater dementia risk. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause was linked to a lower risk, and longer lifetime estrogen exposure corresponded with stronger cognitive performance and larger brain volumes. The authors say the findings suggest hormonal factors may shape brain aging, though further confirmation is needed.
Key Line: “Women have a higher risk of dementia compared to men, with women accounting for almost two thirds of those living with Alzheimer’s disease.”
My Take: This gets the regular newsletter award for “why wasn’t this studied sooner?”
Source: EurekAlert
METABOLISM + WEIGHT LOSS
States See Small Drop in Obesity for First Time in a Decade
What: An analysis of CDC data shows 19 states have adult obesity rates of 35% or higher, down from 23 the previous year—the first national dip in more than ten years. The Trust for America’s Health report calls the shift encouraging but warns that federal budget cuts could stall progress. Experts say it’s too early to call it a trend.
Key Line: “It’s not clear exactly what may be driving the apparent improvements in obesity. Wider use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound — which target appetite and slow digestion — could be starting to show up in reported data, said Aviva Musicus, a science director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. Increased support for nutrition assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic might also be a factor, she suggested.”
My Take: Women are more likely than men to be obese in the US, and obesity makes heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer more likely. Whatever is causing this, it’s good for women’s health.
Source: PBS NewsHour
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