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EVERYTHING
JAMA Network Launches JAMA+ Women’s Health
What: JAMA has launched JAMA+ Women’s Health, a platform to highlight peer-reviewed research and resources that specifically address women’s health. The site will be managed by Dr. Linda Brubaker and will include studies, reviews, podcasts, interviews, and features highlighting less-recognized approaches in women’s care. The initiative aims to expand visibility and access to rigorous scholarship on women’s health beyond reproduction and cancer, making it easier to find and use.
Key Line: “There’s been so much conversation about personalization of medicine, getting down to a single individual” says Brubaker. “But if we even made the big step forward to understand the differences in genetic and physiology that women have, we will improve health care outcomes.”
Source: JAMA Network
Recurrent UTIs: Time to Look at More That the Gut
What: An article in Obstetrics & Gynecology reviews new clinical thinking on recurrent urinary tract infections in nonpregnant women, especially moving beyond viewing recurrent UTIs as a gastrointestinal issue. It highlights the role of the bladder and vaginal microbiome and shifting toward prevention with tools like vaginal estrogen, methenamine salts, and careful antibiotic use. Future therapies—including vaccines and bacteriophage-based drugs—are under study to lessen the need for antibiotics.
Key Line: "This clinical update underscores the need for individualized care plans that balance effective infection management while minimizing antibiotic-related harms, emphasizing a holistic, microbiome-centered approach to recurrent UTI prevention and treatment."
Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
The Baby Died, and the Surrogate Pays
What: Wired has an *insane* deep dive into the lengths venture capitalist Cindy Bi went to punish her surrogate after her baby was stillborn. The surrogate, Rebecca Smith, ended up facing legal battles, online harassment, and ruinous medical bills. The story highlights how the $5 billion US surrogacy industry has little regulation, leaving surrogates vulnerable to exploitation and intended parents quick to litigate when tragedies occur.
Key Line: “Many of the issues Bi and her surrogate encountered on their 'journey' are likely far more common than you’d ever imagine. But you haven’t heard about them. They won’t influence policy or case law, because they tend to unfold in private, shrouded by confidentiality clauses and handled in closed arbitration proceedings. A stark power differential means that intended parents often have the means to file lawsuits and wage yearslong campaigns, while surrogates who feel screwed are forced to rely on free legal help and GoFundMe. The case of Bi and her surrogate shows how, in an environment with little regulation and extreme inequality, the miracle of life can mutate into a death sentence."
Source: Wired
ABORTION ACCESS
States Head Toward Court Fight Over Abortion Shield Laws
What: Texas and New York are set for a constitutional showdown over abortion shield laws, which protect doctors in states like New York when they prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients in states with bans. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a New York doctor, and New York Attorney General Letitia James has now stepped in to defend the case. The fight is over whether one state must honor another’s abortion laws, a clash that may ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Key Line: "Targeting shield laws is also part of the larger anti-abortion strategy to restrict nationwide access to abortion pills. Shield laws are highlighted in a revised version of a lawsuit in which Republican attorneys general are seeking to compel the Food and Drug Administration to sharply curtail access to the abortion pill mifepristone."
Source: New York Times
MENOPAUSE
WeightWatchers Bets on Menopause Care and Bold Ads After Bankruptcy
What: WeightWatchers is newly out of bankruptcy and focusing on menopause treatments--hormone therapy alongside GLP-1 weight-loss drugs--to win back members. The company unveiled a new ad campaign led by Queen Latifah, deliberately breaking from their previously calm, “soft piano music” approach.
Key Line: "WeightWatchers last month said it had acquired the assets of Peoplehood, a GLP-1 community support app, and named Peoplehood co-founder Julie Rice as its chief experience officer. Rice, who is best known for co-founding the workout brand SoulCycle, said the new focus on women in midlife will help WeightWatchers find its place in weight loss as GLP-1s take the lead, given how weight gain is often a symptom of menopause."
Source: Wall Street Journal
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