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FERTILITY
Why People Aren’t Having Kids (It’s Not Sociopathy)
What: Republican VP candidate JD Vance has repeatedly criticized people and politicians for not having children, saying it was “sociopathic” and implying people without kids are irresponsible. The New York Times talks to researchers who study birth rate trends, and they see “a more nuanced picture.”
Why it matters: “The decision to forgo having children is most likely not a sign that Americans are becoming more hedonistic, they say. For one thing, fertility rates are declining throughout the developed world. Rather, it indicates that larger societal factors — such as rising child care costs, increasingly expensive housing and slipping optimism about the future — have made it feel more untenable to raise children in the United States.”
Source: New York Times
MENSTRUATION
Olympic Athletes Competing with Periods
What: Female athletes at the Olympics can have an extra challenge ahead of them: competing on their periods. Self magazine rounds up stories from athletes in the past who have taken on the competition while menstruating.
Why it matters: “A 2023 survey found that about 66% of 195 Australian female athletes training for the Tokyo Olympics or Paralympics said that their periods affected their performance, with most of them reporting pain, bloating, and low energy.”
Source: Self
ABORTION ACCESS
Banning Abortion Makes Fake Clinics Millions
What: A report from Equity Forward finds states have increased funding for antiabortion centers (which lie about health care options) by $500 million since Roe vs Wade was overturned.
Why it matters: “From 1995 to 2024, researchers found, states collectively put more than $1 billion into backing these centers. Some solely used state funds while others also repurposed federal funds allocated through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Specifically since Roe’s fall in 2022, state funding has risen: $489 million was allocated in the last two years, as 19 states poured funding into anti-abortion centers. The largest increases are clustered in the southern states of Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, all of which have tight abortion restrictions.”
Source: The 19th
OBGYNs Report Sicker Patients and Less Training
What: An investigation from the congressional Democrats in charge of heath policy found OBGYNs “are seeing more pregnant patients with dangerous medical complications two-plus years after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, while at the same time receiving less training as residents about how to perform abortions.” To get the information, Democrats interviewed leaders with 20 OBGYN residency programs.
Why it matters: “’I don’t think people realize how dire the situation has become so quickly,’ said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., of New Jersey, the committee’s ranking Democrat. Several residency program directors interviewed for the report recalled dangerous, sometimes tragic, situations in states with abortion bans. One director described a patient who died from sepsis after she wasn’t able to get an abortion.”
Source: NBC
MENOPAUSE
Menopause May Cause Vaginal Lining Breakdown
What: One researcher breaks down why menopausal women might be at greater risk for contracting an STI, with “studies [showing] there is a loss of integrity in the vaginal lining after menopause.” And that means those women are more susceptible to infection.
Why it matters: STIs among older adults are on the rise. But this research suggests “estrogen-containing compounds used to relieve vaginal irritation and other symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause can also reduce susceptibility to STIs among older adults.”
Source: The Conversation
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