Hear are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:
Democrats swept the elections Tuesday night, defending abortion access in states and nationwide. (But keep an eye on the filibuster talk…)
A randomized clinical trial found women with early-stage breast cancer don’t survive any longer if they get radiation treatment.
Another potential women’s health casualty of the Republican’s reconciliation package? Extending Medicaid coverage for women a year after they’ve given birth.
JUMP TO…
EVERYTHING
What: Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum filed a police complaint after a man groped and tried to kiss her on a Mexico City street, an incident caught on video. She said she did so to set an example for other women and called for consistent national laws making sexual harassment a crime. The man, identified as Uriel Rivera Martínez, was arrested, sparking debate in Mexico about everyday harassment and safety for women in public spaces.
Key Line: "'We need to make this visible and say no — a firm no,' Ms. Sheinbaum said. 'Women’s personal space must not be violated. How do we address this? Through awareness campaigns, through schools — because this is also about educating men. And we must make sure that when women file complaints, they are taken seriously and not made to waste a whole day, which discourages them from reporting.'”
My Take: It's not straight women's health news, but a remarkable reminder of a women's place in the world too often.
Source: The New York Times
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
What: A systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry looked at 16 human studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy and found no evidence it causes autism or ADHD in children. They said that while a small initial link to ADHD appeared, it likely stemmed from bias and genetics, not the drug itself. The authors conclude current evidence supports continued acetaminophen use in pregnancy, in line with CDC and ACOG guidance.
Key Line: "In the resulting novel systematic review and meta-analysis, the investigators applied rigorous systematic review methodologies to determine the extent to which current data can support an association between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and the risk of NDDs in children. They also used quantitative bias analysis to provide an estimate of the direction, magnitude, and uncertainty arising from systematic errors when assessing acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of ADHD in children and performed sensitivity analyses."
My Take: This likely won't make it into the discourse now, but might be useful in court cases.
Source: EurekAlert
What: An analysis looked at the relatively new development that nearly all states extended Medicaid coverage for new mothers to a full year after childbirth. Interviews with state officials, providers, and Medicaid enrollees show the policy keeps women in the health care system, but faces administrative errors, provider shortages, and looming federal funding cuts. The authors warn that new budget restrictions could slow or reverse progress unless states protect postpartum benefits and fix eligibility issues.
Key Line: "Moreover, the [Republican budget] law will reduce federal Medicaid spending by about a trillion dollars over 10 years and redirect much of state Medicaid agencies’ capacity and resources to implementation of new policies, which could lessen focus on maternal health."
My Take: This is another slow-rolling but substantial hit to women's health care in America under the Trump administration, just like the backdoor destruction of Title X clinics.
Source: Milbank Memorial Fund
ABORTION ACCESS
What: Democrats scored major victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, securing governors’ offices and state courts that will protect abortion access. These wins, plus California’s approval of a redistricting measure favoring Democrats, strengthen abortion rights after years of restrictions since Roe v Wade was overturned.
Key Line: “In Pennsylvania, voters decided to retain three liberal supreme court justices, maintaining Democratic control of a bench that could decide the future of abortion rights in the deeply purple state. The sweeping support for California’s Proposition 50, a redistricting measure that will help Democrats pick up extra seats in the US House, will also likely defend national access to abortion."
My Take: The next thing to keep an eye on? What happens to the 60-vote threshold (aka the filibuster) in the Senate. Trump is pushing that, and if Senate Republicans don't tell him no...we could see a national abortion ban by the end of next year.
Source: The Guardian
ONCOLOGY
What: A randomized clinical trial of 1,600 women with early-stage breast cancer found no survival difference between those who received chest-wall radiation after mastectomy and those who did not. After nearly 10 years of follow-up, survival rates were 81.4% with radiation and 81.9% without it. The findings suggest some women can safely avoid radiation if other treatments are working well.
Key Line: “'It was clear for low-risk cancer that you did not need radiation after mastectomy and that for high-risk patient you did need radiation and still do it after mastectomy,'” said Dr. Harold Burstein, a medical oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and a professor at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. 'That left open the question of the intermediate group of patients — there was still a question of whether adding radiation therapy would be helpful,' he said. The study results suggests that radiation is not necessary for these women."
My Take: Science at work -- it's still happening!
Source: The New York Times