the resurrection of the women's health initiative 👀

• After lots of criticism the Trump administration told the New York Times this evening that they will no longer cut funding for the Women's Health Initiative. 
   
• And on that note: it's hard to keep track of all these cuts! We started a database to see it all in one place, but we need your help to track down any further reductions. You can submit any info here (anonymous unless you choose otherwise!) 
   
• FDA Commissioner Makary said he has "no plans" to restrict access to the abortion pill...but added that there is an "ongoing set of data" headed to the FDA that he would examine, despite the medication's long safety record. 

Why the Women’s Health Initiative Matters

What: The Trump administration now says it will restore funding to the Women's Health Initiative, a landmark study on over 160,000 women in America over 30 years. The plan to shut down the study sparked broad criticism.    

Key Line: "The lessons learned from the hormone study have resulted in enormous savings in health care costs, researchers have found — about $35 billion between 2003 and 2012, according to one study, because of the number of cancer and cardiovascular disease cases that had been averted. For every dollar spent on the W.H.I., $140 was saved."

Source: The New York Times
 

Don’t Neglect Women’s Health Research, NIH

What: Sarah Temkin, a former clinical research director at NIH, has an op-ed explaining how several recommendations from the National Academies report on women's health are still feasible, despite the government slashing science funding. Some of those things include "a home within the NIH for research on female physiology and genetics" and that "women’s health evaluation criteria can be incorporated into the NIH scientific review process within the agency."

Key Line: "Leadership is required to make transformative change in NIH’s approach to women’s health research. The new NIH director will need to identify the opportunities to advance the health of women that align with his vision and direction for the organization....We cannot afford to continue treating women’s health with a 19th century mindset: as a niche issue within the biomedical research ecosystem."

Source: The Hill
 

Women's Health Funding Cuts in 2025

What: We rounded up all the cuts to women's health that we know about (so far) and we're updating as more information comes in. Cuts include the Women's Health Initiative (now supposedly reversed), the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, the Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance Team, and Title X Clinics.

Key line: "To submit any tips on funding cuts, fill out our form (no log-in required) here." 

Source: Maternie
 

Optimal Number of Oocytes to Fertilize for Successful IVF

What: A study of nearly 10,000 donor egg recipients found that seven to nine eggs were the ideal number to fertilize to achieve a live birth, while also reducing excess embryos. They found that after that number of eggs, adding more did not improve live birth rates.

Key Line: "These results suggest that fertility clinics and patients should consider limiting the number of fresh donor oocytes exposed to sperm to minimize the creation of excess embryos."

Source: JAMA Network Open
 

FDA Leader Awaiting Data on Abortion Pill Despite Long Safety Record

What: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a conference Thursday that he has "no plans to take action” to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. But he also said he was awaiting more safety data, even though mifepristone is considered safer than common drugs like penicillin or Viagra.

Key Line: “'There is an ongoing set of data that is coming into the FDA on mifepristone,' he said. 'So if the data suggests something or tells us that there’s a real signal, we can’t promise we’re not going to act on that data.'”

Source: Semafor