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EVERYTHING
White House Announces Expanded Funding, Research, and More in Women’s Health
What: President Joe Biden signed an executive order today that directs federal agencies to track exactly how much money they invest into women’s health research every year, increases NIH funding for small businesses focused on women’s health by 50 percent, and overall directs NIH to spend $200 million on women’s health research. The president announced the executive order at a special event at the White House marking women’s history month.
Why it matters: Maria Shriver, former first lady of California and an inspiration for the effort from the Biden White House put it: “I’m not even a betting woman, but I’ll bet today that this is the first time a president of the United States has ever signed an executive order that mentions the words ‘menopause’ and ‘women’s midlife health’ in it.”
Source: New York Times
FERTILITY
Is It Just Women’s Work? Can’t Business Change, Too?
What: An op-ed from Yale Law Prof. Natasha Sarin, arguing that fertility is dropping because many careers currently require women use their main childbearing/rearing years to build them. As Sarin writes, “addressing declining fertility will require more creative thought about how to preserve women’s economic gains in the workforce while also affording them flexibility to start families if they desire to do so. It is no surprise that young men without children are more likely than young women to report that they want to be parents someday. Women bear the physical cost of childbirth and face greater career interruptions from parenthood.”
Why it matters: This is an important argument that often gets overlooked in favor of science (i.e. egg freezing). Why are we changing our bodies’ processes instead of companies’ changing theirs? It’s a question worth considering.
Source: Washington Post
BIRTH CONTROL
Study: As Abortion Access Decreases, So Does Contraception Care
What: A report from the Guttmacher Institute finds women in Iowa, Arizona, New Jersey, and Wisconsin all reported having less access to contraceptives and lower quality care after the fall of Roe. Guttmacher surveyed women ages 18-44 in the four states in 2021, before the fall of Roe, and after in 2022. The survey showed a decline in the number of women who got contraception care recently in all four states.
Why it matters: Restricting abortion access and the clinics that close after that have a secondary effect on the health care women can access.
Source: Des Moines Register
Prescription-Free Birth Control Now Available Online
What: Online sales opened today for the first ever over-the-counter birth control pill in America, known as Opill. You can buy the pill at Opill.com or on Amazon.
Why it matters: It took nearly a decade to get an OTC birth control pill in America – this could significantly reduce the barriers for women to get the contraception they want (not having to make a doctor’s appointment, pay for it, etc.)
Source: CNN
ABORTION ACCESS
Trump: Banning Abortion via Supreme Court ‘Is Extremely Good’
What: Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told Fox News that the fall of Roe vs. Wade, which led to abortion being banned in dozens of states, “from a lot of stand points is extremely good.” He also said he wanted to make “both sides” happy, as if there is a “side” when you are the one being forced to carry a doomed pregnancy to term, despite risks to your own health.
Why it matters: Trump will try to pretend during this election that he isn’t for a national abortion ban. Don’t believe him.
Source: Huffpost via Yahoo
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
Makeup, Beauty Supplies Now On Demand
What: DoorDash is expanding its delivery empire to now include beauty supplies. The company announced that Sally Beauty and MAC Cosmetics will be added to the platform, as will certain Sephora sales.
Why it matters: It’s not major, but the convenience of on-demand beauty items can be key for those of us who tend to procrastinate…especially right before a big event!
Source: Drug Store News
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