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EVERYTHING
The $1 Trillion Women’s Health Opportunity
What: Women live longer than men, but all of those years aren’t necessarily in great health. According to this McKinsey analysis, women spend 25 percent more time in “poor health” compared to men. And fixing that gap would “improve the health and lives of millions of women but also could boost the global economy by at least $1 trillion annually by 2040.”
Why it matters: Money talks and this seems like a win-win proposition.
Source: McKinsey
POSTPARTUM
Feds Give Texas Moms Health Insurance Coverage
What: Half of babies born in Texas will now have a mom who gets healthcare for a full year after birth. The federal government approved Texas’ Medicaid expansion application, which allows new moms to stay on the health insurance program for 12 months postpartum.
Why it matters: Half of all births in Texas are covered by Medicaid, meaning this move could improve the lives of millions of Texans now and for generations to come.
Source: The Texas Tribune
MENSTRUATION
Book Review: Blood by Jen Gunter
What: A review of famous-for-Instagram OBGYN Jen Gunter’s latest book, which “takes an unapologetically scientific approach to the menstrual cycle, written for anyone who wants to understand its often mystified ways and what medicine can do to help.”
Why it matters: Information can empower women to get better care…and this reviewer memorably opened her piece with a flash back from medical school, when the veterinarian teaching about human reproduction pointed out that they knew more about sheep menstrual cycles – because those drove a profit.
Source: The Guardian
ABORTION ACCESS
States That Restricted Abortion the Most Also Had Highest Number Infants Die
What: A study looking at abortion access before Roe was overturned found that states with the most restrictive abortion access laws had a 16% increase in infant mortality rate, compared to states with states with the least number of restrictions.
Why it matters: The relationship isn’t causal but claims about “protecting life” ring hollow in the face of these facts. Researchers theorized that it was lack of prenatal care that drove higher rates.
Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
ONCOLOGY
Another Study Shows Cancer on the Rise, And at Younger Ages
What: Yet another study showing that Americans are getting cancer at higher rates, and at younger ages. This time the findings come from the American Cancer Society. Colon and uterine cancer saw some of the biggest jumps.
Why it matters: We are getting better at treating cancer, but not necessarily improving prevention of cancer.
Source: CBS
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
Baby Botox: Does It Actually Work?
What: There have been many stories about tweens fixated on expensive skincare, but this one looks at another trend among the (slightly less) young – “preventive” Botox. Data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that between 2019 and 2022, “the number of people 19 and younger receiving neuromodulator injections increased 75%” and “71% in adults 20 to 29.”
Why it matters: At least one dermatologist in the story says there’s no such thing as preventative Botox, and the piece points out that the FDA didn’t approve Botox for preventive measures.
Source: CNN
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