Posted by 1 In 5 US Abortions Are Now Through Telehealth
More women in the US are seeking abortion care through telehealth than before the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, according to a new report. One in five clinician-provided abortions performed in the first quarter of 2024 were obtained through telehealth services, the analysis from abortion advocacy group the Society of Family Planning showed. That contrasts with the second quarter of 2022, during which only one in 20 abortions were obtained through telehealth. Bloomberg.
Monthly abortions continue to trend up in the US in 2024, new report shows
Despite restrictions and bans that have taken effect in the two years since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbsdecision revoked the federal right to an abortion, the average number of abortions provided each month in the United States continues to rise, a new report shows. There were an average of 98,990 abortions each month in the first three months of 2024, according to the latest data from #WeCount, a research project from the Society of Family Planning. That’s about 14% higher than the average from the same period last year, or about 12,000 more abortions each month. CNN.
The Fallout of Florida’s Abortion Ban Has Been “Chaos,” Experts Say
Two months after going into effect, there has been a 575% increase in Floridians calling the National Abortion Federation hotline. “What we’ve seen in the aftermath of this ban is just devastation and chaos, and it has really impacted the lives of Floridians but also has expanded its impact throughout the southeast,” Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, told Salon in a phone interview. “We have seen a dramatic increase in people being forced to travel outside of Florida, outside of the Southeast, and having to travel further distances to access the essential health care that they need.” Salon.
Too few Seattle-area kids are vaccinated, officials warn
Only 92% of incoming kindergartners in King County last year were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella — about 3 percentage points below what the CDC estimates is necessary to ensure herd immunity, public health officials said this week. Axios.
Scientists Learning How Neighborhood Can Affect Biology of Cancer
Where you live has a relationship to your odds of getting cancer and surviving cancer. Epidemiologists studying this link they see in the data have focused on so-called social determinants of health — poor access to transportation, for example, could make it harder for residents to see a doctor. Places lacking grocery stores with fresh food could mean worse nutrition for locals. STAT.
Health Officials Urge Doctors to Address IUD Insertion Pain
In recent years, the process of getting an intrauterine device, or IUD, has become infamous on social media. Videos of women writhing and crying while the T-shaped contraceptive device is inserted have become macabre online staples. “Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re aware of the issue,” said Dr. Beverly Gray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University. Doctors have been accused of ignoring the discomfort. For the first time, federal health officials recommended on Tuesday that physicians counsel women about pain management before the procedure. NYT.
Kids drink contaminated water at schools, but testing for lead isn’t required
Despite aging pipes and vulnerable children, schools face no national requirement to test for lead
… Many school buildings have aging infrastructure that is more likely to leach lead into the water. And children are the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead poisoning. But despite an increased awareness of the danger posed by lead in water, there is no national mandate that requires testing drinking water in schools and child-care facilities. WashPost.
EPA takes emergency action to stop use of dangerous pesticide
The pesticide, known as DCPA, is known to harm fetuses and “needs to be removed from the market immediately,” an EPA official said.
… Tuesday’s emergency order applies to dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA, a weedkiller used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions. When pregnant farmworkers and others are exposed to the pesticide, their babies can experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, which are linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills later in life. … WashPost.
WHO Weighs Second Mpox Emergency as New Variant Escapes Democratic Republic of Congo
A surge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spilled over to neighbouring countries, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider declaring a new international emergency as several nations report their first-ever cases of the virus. . . . A new variant of the mpox virus, known as clade 1b, is fueling the outbreak in eastern DRC that has spread to neighboring countries. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, which have never reported mpox cases before, are now seeing infections. HealthPolicyWatch.
Summer covid surge hits at least 84 countries and continues to climb
Dozens of athletes at the Paris Olympics have tested positive for the coronavirus.
… The World Health Organization said this week that the virus is increasing in at least 84 countries despite perceptions that the pathogen is a remnant of the past. Disease trackers sounded alarms that diminished testing and low vaccination rates could provide fertile terrain for more dangerous viral variants to take hold. WashPost.
‘It’s happening on the scale of a pandemic’: the drug-resistant infections killing African babies
Illnesses that would once have been easily managed are no longer responding to antibiotics, and the world’s poorest regions are being hit hardest
…Increasingly, infections that would once have been easily managed with antibiotics are no longer responding to the drugs. In 2019, drug-resistant infections were linked to nearly five million deaths globally – more than HIV and malaria combined. More than 20% occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, where the drugs that do exist can be in short supply, incorrectly prescribed and prohibitively priced… Guardian.
How Hearing and Vision Loss Increase the Risk of Dementia
In older adults, even mild impairment can affect the brain. But there are simple ways to reduce the harm.
… People with sensory loss have less input coming into their brains. Brain tissue is “use it or lose it,” so less stimulation could lead to more atrophy, said Gill Livingston, a professor of psychiatry at University College London, who led the dementia prevention commission. The area of the brain that processes auditory information is close to the region most affected by Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting there may be an anatomical connection. Visual information is fed into another part of the brain, but how we use that information activates many different regions. NYT.
Americans’ Struggle with Mental Health
We explore why rates of anxiety and depression are higher than they were before the pandemic.
… Even though politics, law and the economy affect everyone, the young may pay more attention to social conditions, said Ludmila Nunes, who tracks research for the American Psychological Association. So they are both more exposed to the consequences and more aware of them. “These events affect them more than older people,” Nunes said. “So it’s normal that they are going to respond more.” NYT.
More People Are Overdosing on Ozempic Alternatives
Some patients say it’s easy to get the do-it-yourself doses of compounded semaglutide wrong.
… The problem has become so concerning that the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning last month about people overdosing on compounded semaglutide. Some patients have been hospitalized, developed pancreatitis or gallstones, or have fainted or become dehydrated. Some patients had taken 10 or even 20 times more than the intended dose. NYT.
Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley says she has Graves’ disease. What is it?
The British actress, 32, told Women’s Health that she has the autoimmune disorder, which affects the thyroid. Her symptoms have included hot flashes and tremors.
…The autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the lower front of the neck. The disease causes the body to make excessive amounts of thyroid hormone, which in normal amounts helps “the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working appropriately,” according to the American Thyroid Association. WashPost.
Can Stress Really Give You a Round ‘Cortisol Face’?
Online influencers claim the hormone can change the shape of your face. But experts say that misconstrues how cortisol works.
… Dr. Psomadakis said “cortisol face” was only the latest in a line of social media-driven concerns she has seen as a dermatologist. Often, people over-attribute an apparent symptom — or perceived physical flaw — to a single cause, she said. NYT.