uterine repair no more

• We are highlighting a few more women's health studies that were cut by the Trump administration, which once again went far beyond claims of "deep state" diversity plotting. This group includes research to study uterine repair after labor, how PFAS chemicals in women might affect cardiovascular disease, and the role of a specific antioxidant in the most aggressive form of breast cancer. 
   
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• Katie Couric's media platform has the story of a woman who had extreme treatments--including electroconvulsive therapy--before a doctor realized it was menopause. 
   
• As Republicans work to pass their big Medicaid cuts bill, a Democratic senator introduced legislation to guarantee women will have health insurance coverage a year after giving birth.

-- Over $674,000 to study how specific cells affect "abnormal" uterine repair after labor and other circumstances

-- Over $536,000 to study how exposure to PFAS chemicals, in utero and beyond, could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women

-- Over $412,000 to study how a specific antioxidant might actually *help* triple negative breast cancer grow  

Rural Syphilis Cases Among Moms Exceed Urban

What: Maternal syphilis cases have been on the rise in the United States since 2016, and the rates of increase in rural areas have been *higher* than in urban areas.  From 2016 to 2023, rural areas had a 5x increase in maternal syphilis rates, while urban areas had a 3x increase.

Key Line: "Rural residents face diminishing access to maternity care, and since 2021, rural maternal syphilis rates have exceeded urban rates."

Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology
 

Tennessee Sets Precedent in the South for IVF and Birth Control

What: Tennessee is the first state in the South to guarantee access to fertility treatments and birth control in law. Despite bipartisan support, the legislation faced pushback from some Republicans at the last minute.

Key Line: "The legislation had sailed through legislative committees and earned a unanimous vote from the state Senate. Yet by the time it reached a vote on the House floor in early April, many of its Republican supporters sat silent during debate. 'I was looking out at the House floor and I was thinking, I am standing here as a woman and this is such an important issue for women,” Rudder said. “Most of those men are married. They have wives. They have daughters. They should be able to understand how important all these conversations are to women.'"

Source: Tennessee Lookout
 

Arizona Senator Gallego Proposes Bill to Extend Medicaid Coverage for New Moms

What: Arizona's Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego introduced the Postpartum Lifeline Act, which would ensure a full year of Medicaid health coverage for new moms after giving birth, nationwide. Many states currently offer this coverage, but it could go away as Republicans look to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts which would benefit the wealthiest Americans.

Key Line: "'Republicans are abandoning mothers at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives — the year after giving birth. They say they are pro-family but their actions speak differently,' Senator Gallego stated, drawing from personal resonance as a new father himself."

Source: Hoodline
 

Menopause Misdiagnosis and Medical Gaslighting

What: Katie Couric's media platform has a first-person account from Marian Adams on how it took her "three years, 10 doctors, and 22 medications" before she got adequate menopause treatment.  Adams underwent extreme treatments before finding a physician who recognized the hormonal imbalances causing her symptoms.

Key Line: "But he did hand my husband a card for the best psychiatrist in New York City, the doctor I went to next, who recommended electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), assuring me that 75 percent of patients with severe depression “get their lives back.” “I think you’ll really like the unit,” doctor No. 3 added. And so there I was, an inpatient in the psych unit of a top Manhattan hospital. Every other day, I was instructed to undress, step into a sumo wrestler–size plastic diaper, and wrap myself in a hospital gown. Then, seated in a wheelchair, I was lined up with the other five patients waiting for the same treatment."

Source: Katie Couric Media
 

Infertility Linked to Heart Risks in Women

What: A meta-analysis of 21 studies found infertile women had a 17% higher risk of heart disease and a 16% higher risk of stroke, with the highest risk among younger women and those who had fertility treatments. In other words, infertility could signal future heart problems for women, especially if they are younger or undergo fertility treatments.

Key Line: "'Recognizing infertility as a potential early marker for cardiovascular disease could help doctors identify women who may need closer monitoring or preventive strategies earlier in life,' Armeni said. 'It also raises important questions about the long-term effects of fertility treatments like assisted reproductive technology treatments.'”

Source: HealthDay