Hear are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:
A randomized trial in JAMA found scheduling mammograms for women ages 40-74 based on a woman’s individual risk was just as effective as yearly mammograms.
The FDA expanded approval for pill to treat low sex drive in women, increasing the age from premenopausal women to postmenopausal women up to age 65.
Ever wonder what happened to the $10 million in birth control the Trump administration said it was going to burn, instead of sending to countries in Africa? Well, it’s still sitting in a warehouse in Europe, and one group is suing to get all the info on their plans.
JUMP TO…
FERTILITY
What: A New York Times investigative piece followed Thai women recruited for surrogacy work who ended up confined in Georgia, facing debt, coercion, and unsafe medical conditions. Over six months and more than 100 interviews, reporter Sarah Topol uncovered a network run largely by Chinese operators that trapped women in overcrowded houses and forced some to sell their eggs to escape. The piece shows how global fertility markets can exploit and abuse women across borders.
Key Line: “When Russia invaded Ukraine in the middle of the night in February 2022, leaving foreign parents stranded far from their infants, the tiny former Soviet state of Georgia experienced an avalanche of interest. The rush was overwhelming. The country simply did not have enough wombs, so clinics and agencies began importing them.”
Source: The New York Times
BIRTH CONTROL
What: The Center for Reproductive Rights sued the State Department for refusing to release records outlining plans to destroy at least $10 million in unexpired contraceptives purchased for low-income countries. The stockpile, stranded in Belgium after U.S. foreign aid cuts, included pills, IUDs, and injectables meant for distribution in five African nations. The group says the delay and potential destruction could cause hundreds of thousands of unintended pregnancies and preventable deaths and called the government’s actions wasteful and cruel.
Key Line: “…the administration has incorrectly referred to the supplies as ‘abortifacient birth control,’ even though the stockpile does not contain any abortion-inducing drugs. The Center’s FOIA request seeks records containing information about the decision to destroy the contraceptives; the costs of storage, transportation, and destruction of the supplies; details of offers that were made to purchase the supplies; and any communications on the mischaracterization of the stockpile contents as so-called ‘abortifacient birth control.’”
Source: Center for Reproductive Rights
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
What: A systematic review of 81 studies involving nearly 43 million women found postpartum hemorrhage rates were much higher when blood loss was measured using tools (such as drapes that funnel blood into a special bag) compared to estimates done by sight. Objectively measured postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal birth occurred in over 12% of cases versus 4% with visual estimation; severe hemorrhage was 3% versus 2%. Researchers said objective methods better reflect the real burden and can guide stronger prevention and treatment policies worldwide. Postpartum hemorrhage is a major cause of maternal mortality.
Key Line: "In a subgroup analysis looking at the prevalence of objectively diagnosed postpartum hemorrhage and severe postpartum hemorrhage by income setting, postpartum hemorrhage rates after vaginal birth were similar between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries (12.9% vs 12.2%), as were severe postpartum hemorrhage rates after vaginal birth (3.9% vs 2.4%).”
Source: MedPage Today
MENOPAUSE
What: The FDA approved Addyi, a daily pill that acts on brain chemicals affecting mood and desire, to for postmenopausal women up to age 65. The drug was first approved in 2015 for younger women but faced criticism over its modest impact and side effects like dizziness and nausea. Its new approval broadens access but doesn’t erase ongoing debates over whether low libido in women should be considered a medical condition.
Key Line: “Sprout CEO Cindy Eckert said in a statement the approval ‘reflects a decade of persistent work with the FDA to fundamentally change how women’s sexual health is understood and prioritized.’“
Source: ABC News
ONCOLOGY
What: A randomized study of about 46,000 women ages 40 to 74 found scheduling mammograms based on a woman’s individual breast cancer risk detected tumors just as effectively as yearly mammograms. The risk-based approach slightly reduced the number of cancers found at more advanced stages, though the difference was not statistically significant. Researchers say tailoring screening using genetic tests, medical history, and lifestyle factors could make mammograms more precise without missing cases.
Key Line: “After the results were unveiled on Friday, Dr. Eric Winer, the director of the Yale Cancer Center, who was in the audience but had not been involved in the research, stood up and said the work was ‘probably the most important study that’s been presented at this meeting.’ ‘It is practice-changing,’ Dr. Winer said in an interview later.”
Source: The New York Times