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EVERYTHING
National OBGYN Group Steps Up Where Feds Fail On Vaccine Recommendations
What: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists announced they are partnering with a vaccine expert group at the University of Minnesota to offer recommendations on COVID and other respiratory vaccines for pregnant women. The Trump administration announced in May that they'd no longer recommend the COVID vaccine for pregnant women.
Key Line: “'All of ACOG’s recommendations for maternal immunization are based on the available evidence, and that science hasn’t changed,' said Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG, president of ACOG. 'We have made the commitment to join the VIP because we want to ensure that absent the historically robust government-led annual review of data and subsequent evidence-based recommendations, our patients and our colleagues across the health care system are able to make maternal immunization decisions that are founded on science.'”
Source: ACOG
Early Diagnosis of Endometriosis: Screening Tools Review
What: A review of studies examined the screening tools available to identify endometriosis, a painful condition that affects 6-10% of women but takes an average of 11 years to diagnose. They found two tools were more promising than others.
Key Line: "In conclusion, twelve studies featured validated endometriosis screening tools. ENDOPAIN-4D [28], developed with patient input, and the MLA tool [27] were the highest rated for validity and effectiveness."
Source: BMC Women's Health
BIRTH CONTROL
Birth Control Access: Cost Matters Most
What: A report from the Population Reference Bureau found that just one third of US states have policies that aim to ensure affordable access to contraception, impacting women's ability to obtain vital birth control. The report analyzed state-level policies to highlight disparities in affordability, availability, and overall birth control access.
Key Line: "“'Affordability policies [ed. often Medicaid coverage] had the biggest weight on access, that was bigger than the access policies,' Power said. Power said she was surprised by how many states scored poorly, not necessarily because they’re highly restrictive toward family planning care, but because they 'simply haven’t acted at all.'”
Source: NBC
ABORTION ACCESS
West Virginia’s Abortion Pill Ban Upheld
What: A federal appeals court allowed West Virginia to restrict access to mifepristone, the abortion pill. The decision sets a precedent, giving states more power to ban FDA-approved medications for abortion (or anything else.)
Key Line: "The ruling is unlikely to spark new restrictions on medication abortion because the states most likely to enact them have already done so, said Greer Donley, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. But it could change how states regulate other FDA-approved medication, including vaccines, contraceptives and treatment used in gender transition care, Donley said. 'In some ways, this case is green-lighting the state to be political in how it regulates medications,' she said."
Source: Washington Post
CARDIOVASCULAR
Using Mammograms to Identify Heart Disease Risk in Women
What: Mammograms aren't just for detecting breast cancer--doctors can use them to spot signs of heart disease in women, such as thin white lines and spots that show up on the x-rays. Research shows that these breast arterial calcifications are linked to a significant increase in the risk of heart disease and stroke for women.
Key Line: "'Every radiologist sees breast arterial calcification. It's very obvious, but there are no guidelines about including it in your report. A mammogram report doesn't have to include whether you have signs of heart disease,' said Dr Nina S. Vincoff, Division Chief of Breast Imaging at Northwell Health. Right now, reporting BAC on mammograms is not the standard of care."
Source: ABC 7
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