Tonight: the NC personhood bill's IUD problem, Washington on menopause at work, and more.
— Meghan McCarthy
NORTH CAROLINA'S PERSONHOOD BILL HAS AN IUD PROBLEM
North Carolina Republicans filed a constitutional amendment in May that would define life from the moment of fertilization and grant anyone the right to use “deadly force” in defense of human life. A labor and delivery nurse's viral video — 193,000 likes — argued that IUDs, which prevent implantation rather than fertilization, could expose users to criminal liability under the bill. The backlash was significant enough that one of the two primary sponsors removed his name; Rep. Keith Kidwell of Beaufort is now the sole sponsor.
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR ORDERS STATE AGENCIES TO ACCOMMODATE MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS
Washington is the latest state to require agencies to accommodate employees with menopause symptoms, including considerations like flexible scheduling, temperature control, and access to cold water among the measures. A state commission has a year to develop guidance for both state agencies and private employers; a progress report is due to the governor by April 2027. Rhode Island enacted a broader mandate in 2025 covering all employers statewide.
TWO IN THREE PREGNANT WOMEN TAKE TYLENOL. OB SPECIALISTS SAY KEEP TAKING IT.
After Trump and RFK Jr. warned earlier this year against acetaminophen in pregnancy without strong evidence, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine reaffirmed June 1 that it remains the first-line treatment for pain and fever. SMFM's review found no causal link between prenatal acetaminophen and autism or ADHD; RFK Jr. has since walked back to calling the evidence merely "suggestive." Two in three pregnant women use the drug at some point; untreated first-trimester fever is linked to birth defects and miscarriage.
SOME HIGH-RISK BREAST CANCER PATIENTS MAY NOT NEED CHEMO AFTER ALL
A trial for over 4,000 women found that 68% of those classified as clinically high-risk for early breast cancer had low genomic scores and could safely skip chemotherapy, doing well on hormone therapy alone. Results were presented at the ASCO annual meeting, and the trial offers the strongest evidence yet that women may be pushed toward chemotherapy their tumor biology doesn't require.
FOUR IN TEN ABORTION PATIENTS HIT A CATASTROPHIC SPENDING THRESHOLD
Out-of-pocket abortion costs vary so widely that 42% of patients exceed what researchers classify as the “catastrophic spending threshold,” i.e. more than 40% of household income after basic needs. The analysis tracked direct care costs plus travel, childcare, and lost wages. For patients who crossed state lines, 65% hit the catastrophic mark.