In guidelines that may encourage more women to get screened for cervical cancer, a leading health task force has backed giving women over 30 the option to collect their own vaginal samples for testing. Instead of needing to have a complete pelvic exam, these women can now go to a doctor’s office and collect their… read on > read on >
If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is approved to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he will be free to revisit a long-debunked link between autism and childhood vaccines, President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday. The remarks came during an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press.” “I think somebody has to find out,” Trump… read on > read on >
Women who have had their ovaries removed at a young age and also carry a gene predisposing them to Alzheimer’s disease may face a much higher odds of developing the brain illness, a new study finds. However, the Canadian researchers stressed that any excess risk for dementia among these women can be lessened with hormone… read on > read on >
Many women with epilepsy who are of childbearing age might not realize their anti-seizure drugs can raise the risk of birth defects or dampen the effectiveness of their birth control, a new study warns. Likewise, some birth control methods can cause anti-seizure meds to be less effective, researchers reported Friday in a presentation at the… read on > read on >
Pregnancy can be a trying time for women at best, but new research shows that 1 in every 20 pregnant American women also suffer physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Abuse can take a toll on the mental and physical health of the mom-to-be and her baby, because it’s strongly linked to “delayed prenatal care, depression… read on > read on >
A new AI can help identify women at higher risk for developing breast cancer by tracking changes in breast tissue, a new study shows. The AI compares women’s own mammograms over time, looking for early signs of breast cancer that are tough to see even by a well-trained specialist, researchers said. “Our new method is… read on > read on >
Could a prenatal blood test designed to find abnormalities in a fetus also detect hidden cancer in the mom-to-be? A new study says yes: Scientists report they discovered cancer in nearly half (48%) of expecting mothers with abnormal results on the blood test, known as a prenatal cell-free DNA test. The cancers included colon, breast,… read on > read on >
Hospitals across America are shuttering their obstetric units, and the issue is most acute for women served by rural hospitals, a new study finds. By 2022, a majority (52%) of rural U.S. hospitals no longer had any maternity ward, compared to 36% of urban hospitals, according to a study from the University of Minnesota. Study… read on > read on >
So-called crisis pregnancy centers, often created with an anti-abortion agenda, are providing pregnant women some questionable medical advice alongside potentially helpful services, a new study finds. Nearly a third (30%) of crisis pregnancy centers promote “abortion pill reversal,” researchers reported Dec. 3 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. This is “an unproven and potentially dangerous… read on > read on >
For decades, it’s been known that certain older medications women use to control epilepsy seizures can pose risks to a fetus. However, data now suggests that no such risk exists for newer-generation anti-seizure meds. “We need to balance making sure there is enough medicine on board to protect the mother and her developing fetus… read on > read on >
