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EVERYTHING
Senators Rip into RFK Jr. Over Lack of OBGYN Services. He Claimed He Doesn't Know About It.
What: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) pressed HHS Sec. Kennedy during a Senate hearing on not knowing basic COVID-19 death data, questioned his vaccine stance, and blasted him over proposed Medicaid cuts. Warner tied the issue to real-world fallout in Virginia—including struggles to keep rural hospitals and OBGYN services afloat. Kennedy pushed back on Medicaid concerns but admitted he didn’t know details on key healthcare issues, prompting Warner to call him unprepared for the role.
Key Line: "[Warner] said across Southside Virginia, it's difficult to find OBGYN services. He asked RFK Jr. if he would help make sure there is a process and procedure before OBGYN services are taken from hospitals. 'I am happy to work with you on that, Senator, meet with you and see if we can work with you on it,' Kennedy said. 'I don't know exactly what the issue is.'"
Source: WSET
BIRTH CONTROL
The Right’s Ongoing Push to Undermine Birth Control Access
What: An op-ed from leaders at the Guttmacher Institute says conservative lawmakers and courts are steadily limiting contraception access by cutting Medicaid funding, targeting Planned Parenthood, and gutting Title X funding. Research from the Guttmacher Institute shows other health providers cannot quickly absorb Planned Parenthood’s role, making these cuts especially damaging. These actions, along with state-level attempts to reclassify emergency contraception as an abortion, amount to a coordinated attack on reproductive healthcare.
Key Line: “The cumulative effect is a reproductive health care crisis in slow motion — one that demands urgent attention and action.”
Source: The Hill
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
These Plastic Chemicals Pose a Pregnancy Risk
What: The Washington Post reviewed nearly 50 studies and interviewed experts, finding consistent evidence that phthalates—common chemicals in plastics and personal care products—can harm pregnancies and child development. Research links prenatal exposure to premature birth, reduced sperm counts, birth defects, infertility, and ADHD, with even low doses posing risks.
Key Line: “In one study of more than 6,000 participants, high phthalate exposure in utero was linked to a 12 to 16 percent increase in the likelihood of premature birth. Another study, which built on those findings, found that the chemicals were probably causing around 56,000 premature births every year in the United States. ...'Having an increase of 15 percent in preterm birth is huge for the overall population,' said Kelly Ferguson, a senior investigator at the NIH."
Source: Washington Post
MENOPAUSE
Menopause Linked to Higher Cholesterol Even in the Healthiest Hearts
What: A study found that among the Tsimane, an indigenous group in the Bolivian Amazon known for exceptionally healthy hearts, cholesterol and other blood fat levels were higher after menopause. Five of six markers, including LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, rose by 1.5–11% post-menopause, though still much lower than levels in industrialized countries. Researchers say this pattern suggests that menopause-related increases in heart risk factors may be universal, no matter the lifestyle or diet.
Key Line: “This suggests that these increases in cholesterol around menopause may be a human universal, no matter how or where we live,” Getz said.
Source: Arizona State University
Perry Launches Training Academy for Perimenopause Care
What: Menopause company Perry has launched an accredited education platform to train healthcare professionals in perimenopause care, starting with a new Perimenopause Certificate program. They offer two tracks, an advanced program for prescribing practitioners and a "core" program for allied health workers. Backed by input from more than 500,000 women and medical experts, the curriculum covers topics like hormone changes, mental health, sexual wellness, and communication, aiming to fix the widespread care gap women face in midlife.
Key Line: "'This is the education I wish I had earlier in my career,' said Dr. Suzanne Gilberg, Chief Medical Instructor at Perry Academy and board-certified OB-GYN. 'We’re not just filling a gap—we’re raising the standard.'”
Source: FemTech Insider
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