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MENSTRUATION
MIT Launches $10 Million Fund to Boost Women's Health Research
What: MIT announced a $10 million donation to create the Fairbairn Menstruation Science Fund, to focus on sex-based differences in human immunology linked to gynecological and inflammatory diseases.
Key Line: "'I’m deeply grateful to Emily and Malcolm Fairbairn for their visionary support of menstruation science at MIT. For too long, this area of research has lacked broad scientific investment and visibility, despite its profound impact on the health, and lives of over half the population,' said Chandrakasan. The fund is set to drive the advancement of initiatives such as the building of a "living patient avatar" facility and the development of physiomimetic models."
Source: Hoodline
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
First Pill for Postpartum Depression Shows Varied Real-World Results
What: The New York Times has anecdotal reports of women taking Zurzuvae, the first pill approved specifically for postpartum depression. Some women report the medication quickly treated their postpartum depression, others said it made them tired and in one case, more depressed.
Key Line: "Clinical trials of the drug found that postpartum depression improved in about 60 percent of patients. 'It’s not everyone,' Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, a leader of the trials and director of the Center for Women’s Mood Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said at a National Institutes of Health conference. 'So, what is it about the people that are going to respond versus those that don’t?'"
Source: New York Time
F.D.A. Panel Debates ‘Black Box’ Warning for Antidepressants in Pregnancy
What: The New York Times has a detailed exploration of the recent FDA panel on antidepressants during pregnancy. Some experts argue that pregnant women need more clear warnings, while others believe that the drugs are necessary to treat maternal depression, and the risks are worth it.
Key Line: "The two-hour panel, which was livestreamed over the F.D.A.’s social media channels, signals a pivot on the question and is likely to add fuel to a grassroots movement that questions the rising use of psychiatric medication. Only one panelist, Dr. Kay Roussos-Ross, an expert in postpartum health at the University of Florida, made the case that antidepressants could be a critical tool in treating pregnant women who may use substances or forego prenatal care if they relapse. 'Not every single woman will need an antidepressant, but for those that do, this is life-changing, and this is lifesaving,' she said."
Source: New York Times
ABORTION ACCESS
The New Strategy to Restrict Abortion Nationwide
What: The 19th reports that anti-abortion groups are shifting focus away from a national abortion ban, opting instead for more piecemeal but still substantive restrictions, like defunding Planned Parenthood and limiting access to abortion medications. Polls show that most Americans, including many Republican women, support abortion rights, making a national ban unpopular.
Key Line: “'Anti-abortion groups and particularly anti-abortion politicians in Congress know that a direct national abortion ban is deeply deeply unpopular,' said Ashlea Phenicie, the chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood of Michigan. 'Instead what they’re trying to do is restrict access by a thousand cuts.'”
Source: The 19th
MENOPAUSE
Rhode Island Becomes First State to Mandate Workplace Accommodations for Menopause
What: Rhode Island's governor signed into law a bill requiring employers to provide workplace accommodations for menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. It is the first state to enshrine those protections into law.
Key Line: "For employers and HR professionals, the new law signals a significant shift in workplace compliance obligations. While many organizations already accommodate pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, the revised Section 28-5-7.4 expands the scope of required accommodations to include a broader range of reproductive health conditions."
Source: Littler
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