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MENSTRUATION
Menstrual Data Key to Health, Not Just Reproduction
What: The Guardian breaks down a Lancet analysis that pointed out something that should be obvious but hasn't been: we should be using menstrual blood to track overall health...beyond just reproduction. From cycle length to intensity, this information can point to bigger health issues, including diabetes or thyroid problems.
Key Line: "The authors of the study concluded: 'The menstrual cycle is an underused but powerful tool for understanding gynaecological and general health. It functions as a vital sign across the lifespan, providing crucial information that can be used to guide and monitor clinical treatment and symptom management and inform screening and preventive care.'"
Source: The Guardian
ABORTION ACCESS
Anti-Abortion Centers Prey on Immigrant Women
What: Kylie Cheung reports that the massive expansion of "crisis" pregnancy centers in abortion ban states often target pregnant immigrant women, advertising to Spanish-speaking communities to get women to share personal data with authorities. That data could then get shared with ICE or other immigration authorities.
Key Line: "When Abortion, Every Day reviewed intake forms from CPCs enrolled in Texas’ “Thriving Families” program, for example, we found they asked for an alarming amount of personal information—including citizenship status. ...Texas CPCs only receive state funding if they report client information to the government."
Source: Abortion, Every Day
Planned Parenthood Battles Federal Medicaid Funding Ban
What: Planned Parenthood is fighting a ban on federal Medicaid funding after Republicans' recent spending bill cut off payment to family planning clinics that provide abortions and received over $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in 2023. The measure essentially targets Planned Parenthood directly.
Key Line: "Planned Parenthood contends that the law targets them and does not prohibit other for-profit entities or providers that are not 'essential community providers' from receiving federal Medicaid funds. The district court is still reviewing Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction...Meanwhile, the majority of Planned Parenthood clinics will not be able to receive federal Medicaid funding for non-abortion services, such as contraceptive care, STI screening and treatment and other preventive care, provided to Medicaid patients."
Source: KFF
MENOPAUSE
Stopping HRT Increases Fracture Risk for Women
What: A study looking at data from 6 million women found that the bone fracture protection brought on by menopausal hormone therapy fades within a year of stopping treatment.
Key Line: “Our comparative illustration of observed patterns of fracture risk for short and long use can help doctors and patients when discussing MHT treatment options, and to consider how fracture risk may change after stopping MHT use. Anticipating periods of increased risk might prompt doctors to check patients’ bone health at discontinuation, particularly for patients most at risk with other fracture risk factors such as smoking or inactivity."
Source: University of Nottingham
ONCOLOGY
Defining Breast Cancer Prevention Thresholds with Surgery
What: A study looking at a "simulated cohort" of 100,000 women found proactive mastectomy (i.e. before cancer is found) could be "cost effective" for women ages 30 to 55 with a lifetime breast cancer risk of 35% or higher. Or in other words, doing the surgery proactively in that group could prevent 6,500 cases of breast cancer from occurring in this model, extending many patients' quality of life.
Key Line: "These results could have significant clinical implications to expand access to RRM beyond BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 pathogenic variant carriers. Future studies evaluating the acceptability, uptake, and long-term outcomes of RRM among these women are warranted."
Source: JAMA Oncology
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