Here are the top things to know in women’s health and wellness so far this week:
CBS looks at the growing number of Americans joining the fertility “global tourism” market, which grew by $50 billion last year. They are typically seeking lower costs.
One place where women have a leg up over men? How much exercise is needed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Consumer Reports looked at the amount of lead in protein shakes and other products. It has actually gone up in the past 15 years.
JUMP TO…
EVERYTHING
What: A study on over 80,000 people in the UK Biobank and found women needed about half as much exercise as men to lower their risk of heart disease by the same amount. Women saw a 30% drop in risk with about 250 minutes of weekly activity, while men needed 530 minutes for that effect. Researchers say the results show the need for sex-specific exercise advice.
Key Line: “The most striking result emerged from data on more than 5,000 men and women who already had coronary heart disease. Here, the researchers found that the risk of dying during the follow-up period was three times lower for women who met the weekly exercise target than for similarly active men.”
My Take: Another entry in the log that studying women in addition to men can be good for both sexes.
Source: The Guardian
What: Consumer Reports tested 23 popular protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes and found that about 70% contained more than 120% of the organization’s daily safety limit for lead, with some plant-based versions exceeding it by over tenfold. Lead contamination was highest in pea protein–based products, while dairy and beef varieties had lower levels but were still concerning. They also added that using the products occasionally would lead to levels "far below" the amount needed to cause harm.
Key Line: “For more than two-thirds of the products we analyzed, a single serving contained more lead than CR’s food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day—some by more than 10 times. 'It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,' said Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the testing project."
My Take: A good reminder that the US does not review or test any supplement products, from protein powders to vitamins.
Source: Consumer Reports
FERTILITY
What: A CBS News segment follows a Florida couple who went to Colombia for lower-cost fertility treatments, showing how high US prices are driving patients abroad. The piece notes the global fertility tourism market grew by over $50 million in the past year and could hit $800 million by 2030. The story highlights cost barriers and how international options are becoming a practical choice for many.
Key Line: "At the clinic, called Inser, the couple met with Dr. Juan Luis Giraldo, who treats patients from around the world. He said nearly half of his clients come from outside Colombia, and about 15% are from the United States. 'From the U.S., they mainly come for two things,' Giraldo said. 'The first is cost, and the second is personalized treatment. It's really common that patients there feel they don't have a close relationship with their doctor.'"
My Take: That market projection for global fertility tourism isn't going to budge, even with the recent cuts to some fertility drugs in the US.
Source: CBS News
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
What: A JAMA study found 21,000 families in the US face stillbirth each year, with a rate of nearly 6 per 1,000 births. But that rate is nearly twice as high among Black families. Nearly half of stillbirths at full term are thought to be preventable, yet national rates have barely improved in decades. In response, the federal government created a Stillbirth Working Group in 2023 to address the gap.
Key Line: "Moreover, no clinical risk factors were identified in 27.7% of all stillbirths and in 40.5% of stillbirths at 40 or greater weeks’ gestation. This suggests a need to improve risk stratification and screening beyond current paradigms for all patients, especially for later-gestational-age deliveries.”
My Take: For a country that supposedly cares so much about babies, the authors don't note if any new screenings for stillbirth are being funded.
Source: JAMA
ABORTION ACCESS
What: After an influx of state funding, anti‑abortion pregnancy centers are adding services like STI testing, basic medical care, and even family medicine amid Planned Parenthood closures tied to Medicaid funding changes. Supporters say they’re filling health‑care gaps, while critics argue the centers often reject birth control, lack medical oversight, and promote unproven treatments. Their growth—now more than 2,600 centers nationwide—comes as abortion clinics shrink in number and some states channel millions in taxpayer money their way.
Key Line: “'We ultimately want to replace Planned Parenthood with the services we offer,'” said Heather Lawless, founder and director of Reliance Center in Lewiston, Idaho. She said about 40% of patients at the anti-abortion center are there for reasons unrelated to pregnancy, including some who use the nurse practitioner as a primary caregiver.
My Take: State subsidies for anti-abortion pregnancy centers could be the end of abortion access (and for many, contraception access), even in states where there aren’t full out abortion bans.
Source: Associated Press