Tonight in women’s health: the (good) HRT data keeps stacking up, risk-based mammograms spark pushback, early prenatal care declines, bed rest faces new scrutiny, and the wellness industry meets infertility desperation.
HORMONE THERAPY NOT DEADLY // Another large study adds to the now-consistent evidence: an analysis of more than 800,000 women found women who used it were no more likely to die from heart disease or cancer than those who didn’t. Hormone therapy remains nuanced, but the accumulating data are steadily challenging the idea that it broadly shortens women’s lives.
FERTILITY RETREAT ENEMAS // After four years of trying to conceive (and many rounds of IVF), Annie Daly went to a “fertility enhancement” retreat in the Himalayas, where she got Ayurvedic oil baths, enemas, yoga, the works. She left with lower blood cortisol levels and a sense of peace; whether it helps her get pregnant is TBD. It’s a well-done take on what we will do when conventional medicine offers limited answers.
MORE SKIPPING EARLY PRENATAL CARE // Prenatal care rose from 2016 to 2021, but a CDC study found that number dropped from 2021 to 2024. Researchers found a three-percentage-point drop in early checkups and a two-point rise in women getting late or no care at all. With over a third of U.S. counties now considered “maternity care deserts,” access may be the more urgent variable.
BED REST BAD FOR PRETERM PREVENTION? // A small study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found that bed rest or limiting activity for pregnant women didn’t help prevent preterm birth…it might have made things worse. Of the randomized group of women (who joined between 16 and nearly 24 weeks pregnant), those who took fewer than 3,500 steps per day ended up delivering earlier. It’s a reminder that some standard pregnancy advice was adopted before strong evidence existed.
PERSONALIZE, DON’T SKIP // After suggesting breast cancer screening should be more personalized, Leana Wen heard from readers who worried she was telling women not to get mammograms at 40. She says that’s not the message: the argument is for risk-based screening, not skipping care. If you’re high risk, annual screening may not be enough; if you’re low risk, you may be over-screened. The shift is about matching screening intensity to actual risk.