Category: Women’s Health
Cytomegalovirus lies dormant in most US adults and is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, but few have heard of it
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this virus?” is a frequent response I hear from parents upon learning their newborn is infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV. Although more than half of the U.S. population will be infected with CMV by the age of 40 and the disease is common worldwide, few people have ever heard of it.
Hospitals in Two States Denied an Abortion to a Miscarrying Patient. Investigators Say They Broke Federal Law.
After her water broke too early, Mylissa Farmer was denied abortion care at emergency rooms in Missouri and Kansas. The Biden administration says the hospitals violated federal law.
Risk of rehospitalization in younger women after heart attack nearly double that of men
Higher rates of risk factors such as obesity, heart failure, and depression among women most likely contributed to the disparity.
After Idaho’s Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus
Later this month, the hospital, founded in 1949 near the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, will stop providing services for expectant mothers, forcing patients across northern Idaho to travel at least an additional hour for care. In June, a second Idaho hospital, Valor Health, in the rural city of Emmett, will also halt labor and delivery services. Those decisions came within months of Idaho’s abortion ban, one of the nation’s strictest.
Emergency contraception is often confused with abortion pills – here’s how Plan B and other generic versions work to prevent pregnancy
There are two types of emergency contraception pills. The most widely known is levonorgestrel, which is sold in the U.S. under the brand name Plan B, along with numerous generic versions. The second type of emergency contraception pill is ulipristal acetate, which is sold under the brand name ella. Both Plan B and ella work by delaying ovulation
Anti-mifepristone court decisions rely on medical misinformation about abortion and questionable legal reasoning
All the risks associated with medical abortion – and therefore the time and resources doctors must spend caring for patients – will be higher if pregnant people are compelled to have surgical abortions or to give birth.
Planning for a baby? Why both men and women should consider quitting alcohol before and during pregnancy
While the focus tends to be on a woman’s use of alcohol before and during pregnancy, an increasing amount of evidence indicates that men’s alcohol use also plays a role when it comes to the health of the baby. Indeed, alcohol can affect sperm DNA, in some cases reducing fertility and the potential to conceive.
The FDA’s rule change requiring providers to inform women about breast density could lead to a flurry of questions
Breast density matters for two reasons. Most importantly, dense breast tissue can hide cancer on a mammogram. About 40% of breast cancers will go unseen on mammography in the densest breasts, labeled “extremely dense breasts,” and about 25% will go undetected in heterogeneously dense breasts.
Eating disorders are deadly: What are they, who’s at risk, and what can be done about it
Adolescence is also when eating disorders have the greatest negative effects on health. Five per cent of the general population in North America will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime, but few people seek treatment. The prevalence of eating disorders and struggles to access help highlight the need to increase awareness and decrease stigma.
Federal Study Calls U.S. Stillbirth Rate “Unacceptably High” and Recommends Action
Although many people, including some medical providers, believe that stillbirths are inevitable, research shows that as many as 1 in 4 may be preventable.
Is menopause making me put on weight? No, but it’s complicated
When it comes to menopause and weight, it’s weight redistribution – not weight gain – that is actually a symptom. Research has confirmed menopause is linked to an increase in belly fat but not an increase in overall weight.
Pregnancy nose isn’t the only weird change your body may go through when you’re expecting
There are certain changes people expect to experience when they get pregnant. Whether that’s unconventional food cravings, a “glowing” complexion or morning sickness. But some of the changes the body goes through during pregnancy can be a tad more unconventional.
Texas Abortion Ruling Nears, But Blue States Aren’t Waiting to Protect Pill Access
A federal judge in Texas soon could make one of the two pills used in medication abortions harder to come by, even in blue states that support abortion rights. Officials and advocates in those states aren’t waiting for the judge to rule. They’re trying to ensure continued access to the drugs that a growing number of Americans are using to end their pregnancies at home.
Sexual and reproductive telehealth services now available in Washington state.
Available telehealth services include birth control refills, pregnancy options counseling, emergency contraceptives, and screenings for sexually transmitted infections.
Surprise-Billing Law Loophole: When ‘Out of Network’ Doesn’t Quite Mean Out of Network
Referred to Swedish Maternal & Fetal Specialty Center – First Hill for pregnancy complications, Danielle Laskey, a registered nurse, was surprised with a $120,000 hospital bill.