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Brooke Shields Got ‘Vaginal Rejuvenation’ Against Her Will

What: In a new book, Brooke Shields shares that when she had a labia reduction after years of chafing, her surgeon also performed a “vaginal rejuvenation” procedure without her consent. The surgeon then revealed this to Shields during a post-op appointment and presented it as an exciting surprise. Vaginal rejuvenation can take many forms but is generally viewed as tightening the vaginal cavity.

Key line: “Brooke added that her doctor seemed ‘legitimately proud’ to throw in the extra procedure—even though she didn’t want it—noting that the surgery was ‘irreversible.’ ‘Nothing pointed toward this need to be tighter or smaller or firmer or younger, especially there,’ she said. Brooke and her gynecologist were ‘enraged’ about the news.”

Source: Women’s Health
 
How Lack of Good Information Leads to Scams

What: The New York Times’ Jessica Grose has an essay on her experience being misdiagnosed with PCOS—and how the dearth of good information led to years of unnecessary infertility fears.

Key line: “When there is a gap in knowledge on any women’s health issue, it leaves the door open for all manner of scams. ‘Because traditional medicine is not meeting women’s needs, they’re particularly vulnerable to these sorts of things online,’ said Dr. Tessa Copp, a research fellow at the University of Sydney School of Public Health who studies the overdiagnosis of PCOS. ‘And it kind of stems back to the whole underrecognition, underappreciation and underfunding of women’s health more broadly.’”

Source: New York Times

FERTILITY

Wildfire Smoke and Fertility Treatments

What: In light of the horrific fires that have hit Los Angeles, Wired republished a piece reminding us on how wildfire smoke negatively affects fertility treatments. A study from Oregon after 2020 fires found patients undergoing fertility treatments and exposed to smoke produced fewer blastocysts (cells that develop into embryos).

Key line: “Most of the patients still got pregnant, but the study’s lead author said she is worried about how smoke may affect fertility treatments. She told the Idaho Capital Sun that, as an extra precaution, fertility providers may want to delay IVF or embryo transfer for higher-risk patients during times of poor air quality.”

Source: Wired

PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM

Racism Associated with Increased Postpartum Blood Pressure

What: A study in the American Heart Association’s journal, Hypertension, found an association between higher blood pressure postpartum and Black, Asian, and Hispanic women who experienced racial microaggressions while being treated. Examples of microaggressions measured in the study include women saying they were disrespected, told to calm down or accused of being angry when speaking assertively.

Key line: “Structural racism and interpersonal racism are associated with increased postpartum BP, potentially contributing to inequities in postpartum morbidity and mortality and lifecourse cardiovascular disease.”

Source: Hypertension

Emergency C-Section Linked with PTSD

What: A meta-analysis found that emergency C-sections are associated with increased risk of postpartum PTSD, compared to women who had elective C-sections or delivered vaginally.

Key line: “The findings of the current systematic review and meta-analysis also underscore the need for targeted psychological support and interventions for women undergoing emergency C-sections. Prompt psychological interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling, can significantly reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms in postpartum individuals.”

Source: BMC Psychology