Tonight: what happened to federal food programs after states banned abortion, why pregnancy complications can haunt your heart for years afterward, botox at Planned Parenthood (plus more).

— Meghan McCarthy

ABORTION BANS INCREASE SPENDING // A study found states that had fully banned abortion at the start of 2023 saw birth rates rise nearly 2%, with around 14,500 additional births that year. At the same time, enrollment in WIC, a federal food program, increased over 4% for postpartum women and more than 2% for infants in those states, adding nearly $7 million in food costs across 13 states that year. The catch? The WIC budget is not set to absorb everyone who qualifies — meaning increases can lead to waiting lists.

PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS CAN HAUNT THE HEART // Another reminder that pregnancy can shape long-term health: A study finds women who had complications like preterm birth or hypertensive disorders and who reported higher stress during and after pregnancy had slightly higher blood pressure two to seven years later, compared to women with lower stress. The effect was modest (about a 2 mm Hg difference), but researchers say the findings highlight the need for cardiovascular monitoring after complicated pregnancies, not just care during pregnancy itself.

BOTOX SAVING PLANNED PARENTHOOD? // The New York Times digs into life at a Planned Parenthood clinic that’s pivoting to aesthetic procedures to keep the lights on. Reporter Alisha Haridasani Gupta covers a clinic in Sacramento that has started offering Botox injections and IV hydration treatments — pricing Botox at about $9 per unit, roughly 25–40% cheaper than many nearby medical spas.

WHY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE TURNING TO CANNABIS // A study analyzing national data found that just under 4% of pregnant women report using cannabis, and most say they’re trying to manage symptoms — especially mental health issues (83%) and nausea or gastrointestinal distress (77%). The findings suggest cannabis use during pregnancy may often reflect untreated symptoms like anxiety, nausea, or pain, raising questions about whether the health system is offering pregnant patients enough safe and effective alternatives.

A BLOOD TEST THAT SEES DEMENTIA COMING — DECADES OUT // A JAMA Network Open study found a blood biomarker linked to Alzheimer’s disease could flag women at higher risk of dementia up to 25 years before symptoms appear. Researchers analyzed blood samples from nearly 2,800 women collected in the late 1990s and found that higher levels of p-tau217, a protein fragment tied to early Alzheimer’s changes, were strongly associated with later dementia.

Tonight: how a White House press conference kept a trusted medication from thousands of pregnant women, what your mammogram might already know about your heart, (yet) more data showing abortion ban states are losing future doctors, and more.

— Meghan McCarthy

THE PRESIDENT IS A BAD PRESCRIBER // Last September President Trump told pregnant women at a White House briefing to avoid Tylenol, claiming without evidence that it causes autism. A new Lancet study tracked what happened next: ER acetaminophen orders for pregnant patients fell 10%, while orders for non-pregnant women didn’t change. Untreated fever in pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, neural tube defects, and preterm birth; the researcher who led the study called it “thousands of women not getting pain control or fever reduction when they need it.”

YOUR MAMMOGRAM IS DOING MORE THAN YOU THINK // A study of over 120,000 women found AI analysis can identify “arterial calcification” in routine mammogram images, helping them accurately predict heart attack, stroke, and heart failure risk (even in women under 50.) Nearly 70% of American women have had a mammogram, but fewer than 40% know their own cholesterol levels. Researchers are pushing for FDA review to make this a standard dual-purpose screen.

PERIMENOPAUSE TREATED LIKE AN AFTERTHOUGHT // Nature has a deep dive on how the vast majority of research on hormone therapy was conducted on postmenopausal women — not perimenopausal ones, whose hormones are still fluctuating. The resulting knowledge gap has been filled by an unregulated market of supplements, testosterone protocols, and other treatments with no long-term safety data.

BLOOD PRESSURE, NOT AGE // Life-threatening conditions caused by pregnancy, such as eclampsia, acute kidney failure, and sepsis, increased in the US between 2016 and 2022. The driver isn’t older mothers, but high blood pressure, either during pregnancy or before, and obesity. High blood pressure alone accounted for nearly a third of the total increase. The researchers’ conclusion: if you want to prevent these crises, the time to act is before a woman gets pregnant, not when she’s already on the delivery table.

STATES THAT BAN ABORTION ARE (YET AGAIN) LOSING FUTURE DOCTORS // After Dobbs, applications to residency programs in abortion ban states dropped sharply, particularly for specialties like OBGYN, family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. The study looked at 24 million applications across more than 4,000 programs and found states with the strictest bans are making themselves harder to staff.

Here are the trends we spotted this week in women’s health, and as always, scroll for the top clicked stories.

• 💉 Women lose more weight on GLP-1s than men. It’s probably biology. A review of nearly 20,000 people found women on GLP-1 drugs lost more weight than men, and sex appeared to be the most meaningful differentiator. Age and race didn’t explain the gap.

• 🔬 ACOG told doctors to stop waiting for surgery to diagnose endometriosis. The nation’s largest OBGYN group updated its guidance, saying symptoms and imaging are enough and a diagnosis doesn’t require surgery. For patients who’ve spent years being dismissed, this is a big deal.

• 🏥 The body that decides which preventive screenings your insurance will cover hasn’t met in a year. The USPSTF has now missed three consecutive meetings, and five members had terms that expired in January, with no replacements. On hold: finalized guidance on self-collected HPV testing, mammogram updates, and colorectal screening guidelines.

TOP CLICKED STORIES THIS WEEK

• Women on GLP-1s lost more weight than men — and it’s likely biology — MedPage Today

• Estrogen patch shortages leave menopause patients without basics — New York Times

• ACOG releases updated endometriosis guidance — Medical Dialogues

• 911 calls from ICE detention center document pregnant women in crisis — ABC News

• Oregon eliminates surprise bills for cervical cancer care — Axios

• Louisiana mifepristone lawsuit could end telehealth abortion nationwide — News from the States

• Hypertensive pregnancy disorders linked to long-term cardiac risk — JAMA Internal Medicine