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EVERYTHING
If You Teach (Women’s Health), They Will Come
What: When Biomedical Engineering Prof. Michelle Oyen offered her first “Engineering for Women’s Health” course, she expected only 16 students to sign up. Demand was so high at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis that they expanded it to 48 students. Oyen is bringing FemTech startup engineers into the classroom, so her students are ready for the opportunities the market provides.
Why it matters: This one story captures how great both the demand for better solutions and the desire to improve women’s health are, and how our institutions weren’t previously built to deliver on either front.
Source: Washington University in St. Louis
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
No Link with Tylenol and Neuro Issues
What: A large, NIH-funded study looked at siblings in Sweden and found that taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy was not linked to the risk of developing autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.
Why it matters: Looking at sibling pairs allowed researchers to significantly reduce other variables that could affect the results (such as the home environment), and Sweden had the extra bonus of having a prescribed medicines register that included Tylenol.
Source: NIH
ABORTION ACCESS
The Women Managing Their Abortions Alone
What: The abortion pill is the best option in an impossible situation for millions of American women living in states with strict abortion bans. They are safe and effective, but that doesn’t mean that taking them in a state where they are illegal doesn’t come without great stress. This piece follows several women in states that have banned abortion, and the health care providers on a hotline dedicated to helping them.
Why it matters: These stories are all medically unnecessary–the pain, stress, grief, and anxiety could all be relieved if women had a right to abortion in every state.
Source: Washington Post
The Pedophile Who Led Arizona’s House to Ban Abortion
What: You’ve heard Arizona’s zombie abortion law came back from 1864, but did you know the man who passed it was a pedophile? William Claude Jones, then the speaker of the Arizona House, had a string of brides ranging from ages 12 to 15. As an article from 1990 creepily put it, he was a “pursuer of nubile young females,” as he led the legislative body to ban abortion.
Why it matters: As columnist Monica Hesse writes: “This man’s morals are now the benchmark for the reproductive rights of the 7 million people who live in Arizona.”
Source: Washington Post
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
CDC Warns of Counterfeit Botox Sickening Patients
What: The CDC announced it is leading an investigation in potentially counterfeit Botox used in “nonmedical” settings, which has led to illnesses in several states. The Tennessee Dept. of Health reported four people sick with “botulism-like symptoms”, and Illinois state health officials warned providers of potential cases.
Why it matters: As Dr. Scot Glasberg, president of the Plastic Surgery Foundation, put it: “Do your homework…although Botox seems like a very easy procedure, clearly, as demonstrated, there are risks to it. That’s why you want to know who you’re going to.”
Source: New York Times
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