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PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Most Americans Think Leaking Urine After Birth Is Normal
What: A whopping 71% of Americans think it is *normal* for women to leak urine after giving birth, according to a national poll conducted by Ipsos.
Why it matters: The poll was paid for by a rehab institute from an Orlando health system, so they have a service to sell (pelvic floor therapy). That being said, the pollster is legitimate, and a quote from one of Orlando’s occupational therapists sums up so much in women’s health: “When we say it’s not normal, what we mean is it’s not something you should have to live with. It’s something you can rehabilitate and improve.”
Source: Orlando Health
Rural Hospitals and the ‘Baby Bust’
What: As the fertility rate/population drops, especially in Rust Belt states, so does the need for maternity services. KFF Health News covers the shutdown of maternity departments in rural areas, where more than half of hospitals lack OBGYN treatment.
Why it matters: “Hospital leaders who close obstetrics units often cite declining birth numbers, along with staffing challenges and financial losses. The closures can be a particular challenge for pregnant women who lack the reliable transportation and flexible schedules needed to travel long distances for prenatal care and birthing services.”
Source: KFF Health News
ABORTION ACCESS
Trump’s VP Pick Will Risk Women’s Lives for Power
What: Donald Trump announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his pick for VP candidate Monday afternoon. Vance’s record on women’s health is a bit like his positions on Trump. While he once said Trump was “America’s Hitler,” he also has said he opposes abortion, even in the case of rape or incest. But then he recently said he wouldn’t get rid of abortion pills.
Why it matters: When it comes to Vance, bet on whatever position will give him more power. And unfortunately, in today’s GOP, that means putting women’s lives on the line to get anti-abortion votes.
Source: The 19th
More Americans Support Abortion After Fall of Roe
What: A majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban, and the number of people who support access to abortion for any reason is rising, according to a poll from the Associated Press.
Why it matters: “Around 6 in 10 Americans think their state should generally allow a person to obtain a legal abortion if they don’t want to be pregnant for any reason, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s an increase from June 2021, a year before the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure, when about half of Americans thought legal abortion should be possible under these circumstances.”
Source: Associated Press
ONCOLOGY
A Breast Cancer Story That Resists Platitudes
What: The Washington Post reviews a memoir about a breast cancer patient’s journey. What makes this one unique? It was written by a writer from Hong Kong in 1992, but just translated to English.
Why it matters: “’Mourning a Breast’ resists the conventions of the breast cancer memoir. Rather than plotting a singular, heroic journey between biopsy and remission, punctuated by platitudes and metaphors of war, Xi Xi learns to listen.”
Source: Washington Post
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