what happens when 3 million people lose birth control?

Hear are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:

  • KFF Health News has a detailed piece on one of the most overlooked stories in women’s health: the backdoor shuttering of federally-funded clinics that serve nearly 3 million Americans with family planning and basic care.

  • PCOS can be a catch-all diagnosis for women. This JAMA Oncology study finds four subtypes that could lead to more precise treatment.

  • The New York Times chronicles perimenopause treatment that required a whisper network.

JUMP TO…

• Everything

• Birth Control

• Menopause

EVERYTHING

America’s Family Planning Network Is Quietly Falling Apart

What: KFF Health News has a deep dive on how the country's reproductive health safety net is collapsing. The federal office for Title X family planning programs has effectively shut down, cutting a funding lifeline for clinics serving millions of low-income patients. Maine Family Planning recently closed three rural sites, and experts warn that combined funding freezes across Medicaid, the CDC, and HRSA will leave many without contraception, STI testing, or basic preventive care. The article traces how a bipartisan public-health success built over 50 years is now unraveling through neglect and stalled federal action.

Key Line: "Marcella, the former OPA leader, warned of a “backdoor dismantling. 'If there aren’t people to administer the grants, then the administration can later argue the program isn’t working and redirect the funds elsewhere,' she said. 'This is a functional elimination, done quietly.'”

My Take: This is an excellent piece that on what is likely one of the biggest issues in women's health in America and is getting lost in the shuffle.

Source: KFF Health News

Four PCOS Subgroups Identified for More Tailored Care

What: A study of nearly 12,000 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) found four distinct subgroups based on hormone and metabolic profiles, confirmed across five global cohorts. Each subgroup showed different risks for issues such as miscarriage, metabolic disease, or IVF complications, suggesting the need for more individualized treatment. The team also developed an online tool, PcosX, to help classify patients into these groups for better care planning.

Key Line: "This international collaboration has provided robust evidence that could change how we diagnose, treat, and follow up on women with PCOS. It also emphasises that treatment can be tailored to the PCOS subtype to better capture the biological variation in PCOS,“ says Elisabet Stener-Victorin."

My Take: Women's health deserves precision!

Source: Nature Medicine

BIRTH CONTROL

Different Hormonal Contraceptives Carry Different Breast Cancer Risks, Swedish Study Finds

What: A large observational study tracked more than two million women ages 13–49 from 2006–2019 and found that some hormonal contraceptives were tied to a higher risk of breast cancer than others. Products with the hormone desogestrel showed the greatest increase—about 50% higher with long-term use—while others, such as drospirenone-containing pills and certain injections, showed little or no increase. The study emphasizes that hormonal contraception remains effective and beneficial but understanding risk differences helps people and clinicians choose safer options.

Key Line: “'Not all hormonal contraceptives have the same effect on the risk of breast cancer,' says Professor Åsa Johansson, research group leader at Uppsala University and SciLifeLab and the study’s senior author. 'Our results indicate that some progestins – particularly desogestrel – are linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, while others, such as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injections, showed no increase.'”

My Take: This information is important and certainly warrants more investigation but will almost certainly be weaponized to scare more women about contraceptives. (That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, though!)

Source: JAMA Oncology

MENOPAUSE

How Women Rely on Word-of-Mouth for Perimenopause Care

What: The New York Times has a deep dive into the challenges women face getting treatment for perimenopause symptoms. One woman profiled had symptoms around age 40, but found her doctors dismissive, saying she was too young. She eventually turned to an herbalist who listened but recommended an expensive specialist who didn’t take insurance. The story highlights how many women rely on informal networks and personal referrals to access care for hormonal changes that mainstream medicine often overlooks.

Key Line: "It was not until her friend, an art gallerist, shared Ms. Ellenberg’s story on a WhatsApp group chat, that Ms. Ellenberg learned of a medical practice that offered comprehensive hormonal consultations, took insurance and did not make patients wait more than a year to be seen. 'Perimenopause is firmly in the cultural zeitgeist,' Ms. Ellenberg said — but the care does not feel like it’s caught up."

My Take: This is why we need a good, evidence-based guide for women to understand the basics and work the system we've got now, not the one we may have in 10 years. (More on that.)

Source: The New York Times

Influencers Overstated a Study Linking Estrogen in Perimenopause to Lower Disease Risk

What: A recent study reviewed over 120 million patient records and found that people who used estrogen during perimenopause for at least 10 years had roughly 60% lower rates of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke compared with other groups. The 19th talks with the lead author on what more information is needed -- and how some in the media exaggerated the findings.

Key Line: “Pope said she’s excited about the online conversations about her research but noted that the amount of misinformation about it gets at what is so complicated about the menopause content landscape right now. 'I love that awareness of perimenopause and menopause is happening through social media. I appreciate seeing physicians and health care providers out there giving people information and empowering women to come in and seek care,' Pope said. 'What I try to caution people about is that you should not stop there. You can’t take advice for your individual health care from a social media post.'”

My Take: Ditto to my last take above. :)

Source: The 19th


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Here are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:

  • CBS looks at the growing number of Americans joining the fertility “global tourism” market, which grew by $50 billion last year. They are typically seeking lower costs.

  • One place where women have a leg up over men? How much exercise is needed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

  • Consumer Reports looked at the amount of lead in protein shakes and other products. It has actually gone up in the past 15 years.

JUMP TO…

• Everything

• Fertility

• Pregnancy and Postpartum

• Abortion Access

EVERYTHING

Men Need Twice the Exercise for Same Heart Gains

What: A study on over 80,000 people in the UK Biobank and found women needed about half as much exercise as men to lower their risk of heart disease by the same amount. Women saw a 30% drop in risk with about 250 minutes of weekly activity, while men needed 530 minutes for that effect. Researchers say the results show the need for sex-specific exercise advice.

Key Line: “The most striking result emerged from data on more than 5,000 men and women who already had coronary heart disease. Here, the researchers found that the risk of dying during the follow-up period was three times lower for women who met the weekly exercise target than for similarly active men.”

My Take: Another entry in the log that studying women in addition to men can be good for both sexes.

Source: The Guardian

Protein Powders Still Contain High Lead Levels, Consumer Reports Finds

What: Consumer Reports tested 23 popular protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes and found that about 70% contained more than 120% of the organization’s daily safety limit for lead, with some plant-based versions exceeding it by over tenfold. Lead contamination was highest in pea protein–based products, while dairy and beef varieties had lower levels but were still concerning. They also added that using the products occasionally would lead to levels "far below" the amount needed to cause harm.

Key Line: “For more than two-thirds of the products we analyzed, a single serving contained more lead than CR’s food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day—some by more than 10 times. 'It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,' said Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the testing project."

My Take: A good reminder that the US does not review or test any supplement products, from protein powders to vitamins. 

Source: Consumer Reports

 

FERTILITY

Americans Head Overseas for Cheaper Fertility Care

What: A CBS News segment follows a Florida couple who went to Colombia for lower-cost fertility treatments, showing how high US prices are driving patients abroad. The piece notes the global fertility tourism market grew by over $50 million in the past year and could hit $800 million by 2030. The story highlights cost barriers and how international options are becoming a practical choice for many.

Key Line: "At the clinic, called Inser, the couple met with Dr. Juan Luis Giraldo, who treats patients from around the world. He said nearly half of his clients come from outside Colombia, and about 15% are from the United States. 'From the U.S., they mainly come for two things,' Giraldo said. 'The first is cost, and the second is personalized treatment. It's really common that patients there feel they don't have a close relationship with their doctor.'"

My Take: That market projection for global fertility tourism isn't going to budge, even with the recent cuts to some fertility drugs in the US. 

Source: CBS News


PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM 

Stillbirths in the United States Still a (Underfunded) Mystery

What: A JAMA study found 21,000 families in the US face stillbirth each year, with a rate of nearly 6 per 1,000 births. But that rate is nearly twice as high among Black families. Nearly half of stillbirths at full term are thought to be preventable, yet national rates have barely improved in decades. In response, the federal government created a Stillbirth Working Group in 2023 to address the gap.

Key Line: "Moreover, no clinical risk factors were identified in 27.7% of all stillbirths and in 40.5% of stillbirths at 40 or greater weeks’ gestation. This suggests a need to improve risk stratification and screening beyond current paradigms for all patients, especially for later-gestational-age deliveries.”

My Take: For a country that supposedly cares so much about babies, the authors don't note if any new screenings for stillbirth are being funded. 

Source: JAMA

ABORTION ACCESS

Anti‑Abortion Pregnancy Centers Expand as Planned Parenthood Clinics Close

What: After an influx of state funding, anti‑abortion pregnancy centers are adding services like STI testing, basic medical care, and even family medicine amid Planned Parenthood closures tied to Medicaid funding changes. Supporters say they’re filling health‑care gaps, while critics argue the centers often reject birth control, lack medical oversight, and promote unproven treatments. Their growth—now more than 2,600 centers nationwide—comes as abortion clinics shrink in number and some states channel millions in taxpayer money their way.

Key Line: “'We ultimately want to replace Planned Parenthood with the services we offer,'” said Heather Lawless, founder and director of Reliance Center in Lewiston, Idaho. She said about 40% of patients at the anti-abortion center are there for reasons unrelated to pregnancy, including some who use the nurse practitioner as a primary caregiver.

My Take: State subsidies for anti-abortion pregnancy centers could be the end of abortion access (and for many, contraception access), even in states where there aren’t full out abortion bans.

Source: Associated Press


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