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Statement on FDA Removal of Blackbox Warnings on Estrogen-Based Hormone Therapy Products for Menopause
Read More: Statement on FDA Removal of Blackbox Warnings on Estrogen-Based Hormone Therapy Products for MenopauseAs a leading voice in womenโs midlife health, HealthyWomen recognizes the important step taken by the FDA to improve access to hormone therapy (HT) products for women experiencing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms by modifying the black box warning labels for estrogen products. Since 2003, the blackbox warning on low-dose vaginal estrogen products has had a…
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What Is a Patient Advocate?
Read More: What Is a Patient Advocate?Mallory Frazier, BCPA, a board-certified patient advocate, is something of a medical mystery solver. She used her research skills to get to the bottom of her own rare disease and now helps others navigate the healthcare system. โWomen with chronic illnesses have often been in pain daily for decades by the time they reach midlife.…
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HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Dismissal and Replacement of All ACIP Members
Read More: HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Dismissal and Replacement of All ACIP MembersHealthyWomen shares the concerns of leading medical associations and public health organizations about the recent decision by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to abruptly dismiss all 17 sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the CDC on the use of vaccines in the U.S. The ACIP is…
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HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Recommendations Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy
Read More: HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Recommendations Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination During PregnancyHealthyWomen shares the concerns of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other medical associations about the health and safety of pregnant people and newborns in the United States following the recent announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy. This decision may…
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What Is a PA?
Read More: What Is a PA?When you get a checkup, or see any healthcare provider (HCP), you may see a physician assistant (PA). You might be wondering why youโre not seeing a โdoctor,โ and thatโs a good question. PAs are licensed HCPs that work in every medical and surgical setting across the U.S. PAs can diagnose and treat health conditions,…
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How Shared Decision-Making Can Lead to Better Healthcare
Read More: How Shared Decision-Making Can Lead to Better HealthcareIt may seem strange now, but there was a time when patients werenโt always included in their healthcare decisions. โDoctor knows bestโ was the vibe โ and the practice. Would you believe that it used to be routine for patients to not be told what their diagnosis was? Healthcare providers (HCPs) or family members often…
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Plain Language Summaries Can Give You the Power To Participate in Your Own Care
Read More: Plain Language Summaries Can Give You the Power To Participate in Your Own CareWhen doctors talk to each other about scientific research and medical discoveries, it can sound like theyโre speaking another language. As a patient, you may think, โThis is all Greek to me!โ And it might as well be. When scientists publish their research findings, theyโre not writing for you and me. Theyโre writing for each…
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Coping with the Costs of Cancer
Read More: Coping with the Costs of CancerFinances are not always the first thing people think of when they get diagnosed with cancer. Top questions may be, Whatโs the prognosis? What are the treatment options? And who are the best specialists? But more and more, you also have to grapple with the cost of cancer alongside the physical and emotional aspects of…
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Congressional Briefing: Preventing HPV-Related Cancers Through Vaccination and Screening
Read More: Congressional Briefing: Preventing HPV-Related Cancers Through Vaccination and ScreeningCancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which include cervical, throat, head, neck, anal, penile and vaginal, remain a significant public health problem in the United States. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and an estimated 4,300 deaths from cervical cancer will occur in 2023 in the U.S. Fortunately, in addition…
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Health Insurance 101: How to Choose Health Insurance When Youโre Living with Obesity
Read More: Health Insurance 101: How to Choose Health Insurance When Youโre Living with ObesityApproximately 4 out of 10 American adults live with obesity, a medical condition that can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. There are treatments, like weight loss medications and surgery, that can help, but they can also be expensive. For example, medication prescribed for weight loss can cost around $1,000…
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5 Steps to Take When Your Healthcare Provider Wonโt Listen to You
Read More: 5 Steps to Take When Your Healthcare Provider Wonโt Listen to YouIt happens time and time again. Women are told their health concerns are “nothing to worry about” for one reason or another. It’s just part of being a woman. It’s just part of perimenopause. It’s all in your head. And if you’re a woman of color, studies show, you’ll be dismissed even more often. But…
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Gender-Affirming Care Is Important
Read More: Gender-Affirming Care Is ImportantJune is Pride Month. By the time she was 12 years old, Erin Reed knew she was transgender. But the Louisiana native didnโt have access to the medical care she needed to transition, so it would be another 17 years before medical intervention would allow her to feel at home in her body. โI went…
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Taking Control: Our Recent Survey Says Women Want Regular Periods, No Hormones and More Communication About Contraceptives
Read More: Taking Control: Our Recent Survey Says Women Want Regular Periods, No Hormones and More Communication About ContraceptivesBirth control has come a long way, baby. Today, millions of women in the United States rely on contraceptives for many reasons, such as regulating periods, preventing pregnancy and improving health conditions. But the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion has sparked discussion about access to…
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The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Is Ending Soon
Read More: The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Is Ending SoonAt the first hint of a sore throat or sniffle, my instinct is to reach for a rapid Covid-19 test, especially if Iโm going to be around other people. It helps that I have a large stash of free Covid tests thanks to a federal public health emergency (PHE) requirement that health insurers pay for…
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Contraception, Health care, Hormone health, Hormone therapy, Hormones, Menopause, Reproductive health
New Survey, New Insight
Read More: New Survey, New InsightAt HealthyWomen, we pride ourselves on providing expert health information you can trust. We also strive to listen and take note of the important issues and valuable information you share with us. In our recent survey of women ages 35-64, we found particularly interesting results regarding oral contraception, menopause and hormone therapy. Turns out, more…
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Overall Preterm Birth Rates in the United States Increased Last Year โ And They Rose for Women of Color
Read More: Overall Preterm Birth Rates in the United States Increased Last Year โ And They Rose for Women of Color+ Infographic text Preterm or premature birth means childbirth before the 37th week of pregnancy. 10.5% of babies in the U.S. are born preterm. Around 384,000 babies were born preterm in 2021 The earlier in pregnancy a baby is born, the more likely they are to have health problems. Babies born before 34 weeks of…
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What Do Doctors Do? A List of 10 Common Medical Specialties
Read More: What Do Doctors Do? A List of 10 Common Medical SpecialtiesWhen you need basic healthcare services, you can usually start with your primary care provider (PCP). PCPs give you regular checkups, recommended vaccinations and provide care when youโre not feeling great. But if you have a more complicated health issue or concern, you may need to see a specialist. Specialists are healthcare providers with extra…
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Why Diversity in Clinical Trials Is Important
Read More: Why Diversity in Clinical Trials Is ImportantBy harming people of color and women more than other groups, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed a cruel reality: Factors such as gender, race and income can greatly affect access to healthcare, rates of disease, overall health and even life expectancy. A key to reducing such health disparities is making sure to include diverse groups of…
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Access, Health care, Health disparities, Labor, Labor & delivery, Newborn, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & parenting
Can Living in the U.S. Increase Your Risk of Preterm Birth?
Read More: Can Living in the U.S. Increase Your Risk of Preterm Birth?If youโre a woman giving birth in the United States, youโre more likely to have a preterm delivery than women in most developed nations. If youโre Black or Native American, the chances of experiencing preterm birth are even higher, along with the risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes. In 2021, a little over one in…
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Access, Access to health care, Health care, Health disparities, Racial disparities, Skin, Skin health
The Importance of Black Dermatologists: Skin Care Must See Color
Read More: The Importance of Black Dermatologists: Skin Care Must See ColorThe dentistโs office was the last place I expected to be warned about skin cancer. When my hygienist lifted my hair off my ears during a head and neck exam, she noticed a mole that hadnโt been present six months ago. โIโm not an expert on skin conditions, but just to be safe, you might…
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Obesity Is a Complex Disease With a Variety of Treatments
Read More: Obesity Is a Complex Disease With a Variety of TreatmentsMedically reviewed by Dr. Holly Lofton
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Survey Says: Insurance Providers May Put Up Barriers to Care
Read More: Survey Says: Insurance Providers May Put Up Barriers to CareLike most parents, Jenna Gay would pretty much do anything to protect her kids. She just never expected โanythingโ would include battling a health insurance company. Gay has two boys, both of whom have Noonan Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that can affect the way kidsโ bodies use growth hormone (GH). This means they…
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Women Having Surgery Get Better Results if Their Surgeon Is a Woman
Read More: Women Having Surgery Get Better Results if Their Surgeon Is a WomanGoing into surgery is daunting, no matter who you are. Thereโs a lot to consider, from how you prepare and what your insurance covers to what hospital you choose and your relationship with your healthcare provider. You might be surprised to hear that even the gender of your surgeon may factor into whether you have…
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A Recap: HealthyWomenโs Webinar, โCURES 2.0: Leading Womenโs Health Forwardโ
Read More: A Recap: HealthyWomenโs Webinar, โCURES 2.0: Leading Womenโs Health ForwardโThe United States Congress has the power to give women resources, tools and treatments to improve their own health and the health of their families. According to HealthyWomenโs CEO Beth Battaglino, RN-C, bipartisan legislation moving through Congress โ the Cures 2.0 Act โ would do just that. To examine key provisions and implications of the…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Fertility, Fertility & family planning, Health care, Infertility, Keep the care, Reproductive rights
Even When IVF Is Covered by Insurance, High Bills and Hassles Abound
Read More: Even When IVF Is Covered by Insurance, High Bills and Hassles AboundBy Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News After years of trying to have a baby without success, Brenna Kaminski and her husband, Joshua Pritt, decided to try in vitro fertilization. Only 15 states require insurance to cover fertility treatments, and Florida, where Kaminski and Pritt live, isnโt one of them. Still, the coupleโs insurance, from Prittโs…
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Access, Access to health care, Family, Health care, Health insurance, Healthy home, Parenting, Preventive health
Health Insurance Coverage for Kids Through Medicaid and CHIP Helps Their Moms Too
Read More: Health Insurance Coverage for Kids Through Medicaid and CHIP Helps Their Moms TooBy Sebastian Tello-Trillo, University of Virginia The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea When children get health insurance through Medicaid or the Childrenโs Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, their families benefit too. Thatโs what I found through recent research conducted with two fellow health economists, Daniel S.…
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Obesity Among Black Women: Fighting the Disease Through Community
Read More: Obesity Among Black Women: Fighting the Disease Through CommunityApril is National Minority Health Month. For Michele Tedder, fighting obesity has been a lifelong journey. Despite years of trying numerous diets and exercise fads, Tedderโs weight continued to rise, surpassing 300 pounds on her 5-foot-1 frame. After developing high blood pressure, joint pain and Type 2 diabetes, she decided to pursue weight loss surgery.…
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New Report Finds U.S. Women Have the Highest Rate of Maternal Deaths Among High-Income Countries
Read More: New Report Finds U.S. Women Have the Highest Rate of Maternal Deaths Among High-Income CountriesFrom The Commonwealth Fund The maternal mortality crisis in the United States has been well documented: U.S. women have the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income countries, while Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women are. But maternal deaths and complications may be a bellwether…
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Access, Access to health care, Gender, Gender diversity, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Lgbtq, Preventive care, Racial disparities, Racism, Transgender
Whatโs Sexual Orientation Got to Do With It? LGTBQ People Face Discrimination in Healthcare
Read More: Whatโs Sexual Orientation Got to Do With It? LGTBQ People Face Discrimination in HealthcareMarch 21 to March 25 is National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week. At age 28, Laura Silverstein tripped while running, dislocating her pinky finger trying to break her fall. Now 52, Silverstein said her experience at the emergency room that day still gives her โthe heebie jeebies.โ The doctor probed Silverstein about her birth control method,…
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A Conversation With Janet McUlsky About Patient Advocacy
Read More: A Conversation With Janet McUlsky About Patient AdvocacyJanet McUlsky has been working in patient advocacy for more than four decades. Sheโs a nationally recognized expert and innovator in the field of stakeholder alliance development and programming and is the former senior director of National Alliance Development at Pfizer. McUlsky is this yearโs recipient of the Pinnacle Award: Honoring a Career of Outstanding…
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Survey Says: How Women View Health Care and Access to Health Information
Read More: Survey Says: How Women View Health Care and Access to Health InformationThese days, health-related insight is a click away. Curious about the symptoms of depression? Google it. Need the definition of collagen? Ask Alexa. Want to know more about womenโs reproductive rights? Pick a podcast. But how do women view health care and access to health information? Do age, race and ethnicity play a part? What…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Preventive health, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
The ACA guarantees full contraceptive coverage. Why are women getting denied?
Read More: The ACA guarantees full contraceptive coverage. Why are women getting denied?As Whitney* approached the end of her medical residency more than two years ago, she discovered a new birth control device that seemed like a perfect fit for her needs. The contraceptive โ a one-year vaginal ring โ meant sheโd only need one prescription annually instead of the monthly refills required for most hormonal rings.…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities
Why Millions on Medicaid Are at Risk of Losing Coverage in the Months Ahead
Read More: Why Millions on Medicaid Are at Risk of Losing Coverage in the Months AheadBy Rachana Pradhan, Kaiser Health News The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition. State Medicaid agencies for months have been…
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A Conversation With Nina Coslov About Perimenopause
Read More: A Conversation With Nina Coslov About PerimenopauseIn her early 40s, Nina Coslov started experiencing symptoms of perimenopause, but she was still having regular menstrual periods. When she couldnโt get answers from her healthcare providers, she co-founded Women Living Better, an organization dedicated to improving womenโs understanding of the path to menopause through research and education. She harnessed her science background to…
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The US Doesnโt Have Enough Faculty to Train the Next Generation of Nurses
Read More: The US Doesnโt Have Enough Faculty to Train the Next Generation of NursesBy Rayna M. Letourneau, University of South Florida Despite a national nursing shortage in the United States, over 80,000 qualified applications were not accepted at U.S. nursing schools in 2020, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. This was due primarily to a shortage of nursing professors and a limited number of clinical…
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Access, Health care, Health insurance, Policy, Pregnancy, Premature birth, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Racism
Racism a Strong Factor in Black Womenโs High Rate of Premature Births, Study Finds
Read More: Racism a Strong Factor in Black Womenโs High Rate of Premature Births, Study FindsBy Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Kaiser Health News The tipping point for Dr. Paula Braveman came when a longtime patient of hers at a community clinic in San Francisco’s Mission District slipped past the front desk and knocked on her office door to say goodbye. He wouldn’t be coming to the clinic anymore, he told her,…
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Your Wealth or Your Health?
Read More: Your Wealth or Your Health?Lisa Keller thought she was done with cancer. She’d already survived a rare sarcoma at age 12 and breast cancer at age 28, so she was unprepared mentally โ and financially โ when she was diagnosed with breast cancer again in December of 2017 at age 44. Earlier that year, Keller had filed for bankruptcy…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Prevention, Preventive care, Preventive health
The Next Attack on the Affordable Care Act May Cost You Free Preventive Health Care
Read More: The Next Attack on the Affordable Care Act May Cost You Free Preventive Health CareBy Paul Shafer, Boston University and Alex Hoagland, Boston University Many Americans breathed a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court left the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in place following its third major legal challenge in June 2021. This decision left widely supported policies in place, like ensuring coverage regardless of preexisting conditions, coverage for…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Can Health Insurance Companies Charge the Unvaccinated Higher Premiums? What About Life Insurers? 5 Questions Answered
Read More: Can Health Insurance Companies Charge the Unvaccinated Higher Premiums? What About Life Insurers? 5 Questions AnsweredBy Kosali Simon, Indiana University and Sharon Tennyson, Cornell University The current COVID-19 wave in the U.S. is mostly affecting unvaccinated Americans, who represent more than 95% of current cases of hospitalization and death. Given the average cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization in 2020 ran about US$42,200 per patient, will the unvaccinated be asked to…
