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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 women’s 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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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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Capitol Conversations
Read More: Capitol ConversationsIntroducing a series of women’s health breakfast briefings to delve deeper into how a broad range of policies are impacting and supporting women’s health. May 1, 2025Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) Reform We focused on the urgent need for comprehensive PBMs reform. Panelists shared insights from the patient, federal legislative, media and ethical PBM perspective —…
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Access, Affordable care act, Health insurance, Health policy, Maternity care, Medicare, Policy, Women’s rights
Where Do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Stand on Women’s Health Issues?
Read More: Where Do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Stand on Women’s Health Issues?There’s a lot at stake in this presidential election, and women’s health policy will be impacted by our new commander in chief and their administration, no matter who wins. So, as the 2024 presidential election fast approaches, make sure you know where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on important issues related to women’s health…
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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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The White House Launched Its First-Ever Initiative on Women’s Health Research
Read More: The White House Launched Its First-Ever Initiative on Women’s Health ResearchThis Thanksgiving, HealthyWomen is grateful to President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council for launching the first-ever Initiative on Women’s Health Research. At HealthyWomen, we know women’s health is more than gynecological or reproductive health. It is the head-to-toe health of all women — who represent more than half…
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Despite Challenges, Clinical Research Must Include Women of Reproductive Age
Read More: Despite Challenges, Clinical Research Must Include Women of Reproductive AgeHealthyWomen hosted a congressional briefing, “Women in Clinical Trials: The Challenge of Research During the Reproductive Years,” on June 1, 2023. Clinical trials have long been focused on white men, leaving women woefully underrepresented. Lack of diversity in clinical trials means that healthcare providers (HCPs) often don’t have enough data about how certain conditions affect…
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In an Aging America, Osteoporosis Is a Looming Public Health Crisis
Read More: In an Aging America, Osteoporosis Is a Looming Public Health CrisisThis op-ed originally appeared in The Hill on October 20, 2022. To learn more about how you can raise awareness about the importance of DXA scans for all women, visit our YesYouScan page. America has a bone health crisis. More than 50 million Americans are at risk of developing osteoporosis, and 10 million already have…
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You Can Now Buy Hearing Aids Over the Counter
Read More: You Can Now Buy Hearing Aids Over the CounterIn August, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy change opened the door for hearing aids to be sold over the counter (OTC), and as of October 17, 2022, consumers can now purchase hearing aids directly, without consulting a healthcare provider. The Biden-Harris administration said the move will lower healthcare costs for consumers. Medicare provides…
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Will Omicron-Specific Booster Shots Be More Effective at Combating Covid-19? 5 Questions Answered
Read More: Will Omicron-Specific Booster Shots Be More Effective at Combating Covid-19? 5 Questions AnsweredBy Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina and Mitzi Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina On Sept. 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the use of updated COVID-19 booster shots that are specifically tailored to combat the two most prevalent omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. The decision comes just a day after…
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Conservative Blocs Unleash Litigation to Curb Public Health Powers
Read More: Conservative Blocs Unleash Litigation to Curb Public Health PowersBy Lauren Weber and Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Kaiser Health News Through a wave of pandemic-related litigation, a trio of small but mighty conservative legal blocs has rolled back public health authority at the local, state, and federal levels, recasting America’s future battles against infectious diseases. Galvanized by what they’ve characterized as an overreach of covid-related…
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A Recap: HealthyWomen’s Webinar, “CURES 2.0: Leading Women’s Health Forward”
Read More: A Recap: HealthyWomen’s Webinar, “CURES 2.0: Leading Women’s Health Forward”The 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 HealthyWomen’s CEO Beth Battaglino, RN-C, bipartisan legislation moving through Congress — the Cures 2.0 Act — would do just that. To examine key provisions and implications of the…
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Should You Wear a Mask on a Plane, Bus or Train When There’s No Mandate? 4 Essential Reads to Help You Decide
Read More: Should You Wear a Mask on a Plane, Bus or Train When There’s No Mandate? 4 Essential Reads to Help You DecideBy Daniel Merino, The Conversation On April 18, 2022, a judge in Florida struck down the federal mandate requiring passengers on mass transit to wear masks. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that passengers mask up while on planes, trains or buses, it is no longer a requirement. When asked…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Chronic conditions, Coronavirus, Covid long-haulers, COVID-19, Policy
Long Covid Leaves Newly Disabled People Facing Old Barriers — a Sociologist Explains
Read More: Long Covid Leaves Newly Disabled People Facing Old Barriers — a Sociologist ExplainsBy Laura Mauldin, University of Connecticut Up to one-third of COVID-19 survivors will acquire the condition known as long or long-haul COVID-19. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation estimates that long COVID will add as many as 22 million individuals to the U.S. population of disabled people. I am a sociologist and researcher…
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Salute to Caregivers on National Caregivers Day
Read More: Salute to Caregivers on National Caregivers DayIt is National Caregivers Day, and on behalf of caregivers across the nation, particularly women, HealthyWomen extends a huge thank you for all that you do every day, week in and week out, to help take care of loved ones. Whether you’re a family caregiver or a professional, independent, private, informal or volunteer caregiver, all…
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A Healthcare Lens on Honoring Black History Month
Read More: A Healthcare Lens on Honoring Black History MonthFebruary is Black History Month. Read HealthyWomen’s Senior Policy Advisor Martha Nolan’s latest Op-Ed in the Hill, “Honor Black History Month by supporting lifesaving women’s health research.”
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Ask KHN-PolitiFact: Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough? The 2022 Edition
Read More: Ask KHN-PolitiFact: Is My Cloth Mask Good Enough? The 2022 EditionBy Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News The highly transmissible omicron variant is sweeping the U.S., causing a huge spike in covid-19 cases and overwhelming many hospital systems. Besides urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted, public health officials are recommending that people upgrade from their cloth masks to higher-quality medical-grade masks. But what does this…
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Legislator Toolkit: Resources for Strengthening Families and Communities: Improving Access to Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
Read More: Legislator Toolkit: Resources for Strengthening Families and Communities: Improving Access to Treatment for Substance Use DisordersThis toolkit is intended to help state legislators (and others) interested in addressing the opioid epidemic in the U.S. The toolkit was jointly developed by HealthyWomen and the Legal Action Center and is partially based upon a presentation we made at a Women in Government Conference in June 2018. The opioid epidemic has many components…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordable care act, Health disparities, HIV, Hivaids, Lgbtq, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health
HIV Prevention Pill PrEP Is Now Free Under Most Insurance Plans – but the Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act Puts This Benefit at Risk
Read More: HIV Prevention Pill PrEP Is Now Free Under Most Insurance Plans – but the Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act Puts This Benefit at RiskDecember 1 is World AIDS Day By Paul Shafer, Boston University and Kristefer Stojanovski, Tulane University Since the start of the HIV epidemic in 1981, over 700,000 Americans have lost their lives to AIDS. Being infected used to be a death sentence. But now, 40 years later, the U.S. is on the precipice of eradicating…
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Omicron: Why the WHO Designated It a Variant of Concern
Read More: Omicron: Why the WHO Designated It a Variant of ConcernBy Ed Feil, University of Bath The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the B.1.1.529 lineage of Sars-CoV-2, thought to have emerged in southern Africa, is to be designated as a variant of concern (VoC) named omicron. This decision has already precipitated a broad shift in priorities in pandemic management on a global scale.…
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Here’s Why Rapid Covid Tests Are so Expensive and Hard to Find
Read More: Here’s Why Rapid Covid Tests Are so Expensive and Hard to FindBy Lydia DePillis and Eric Umansky, ProPublica ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Coronavirus The U.S. Response to COVID-19 A few weeks ago, a ProPublica reporter decided to test his kids for COVID-19. They had the sniffles,…
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Fewer Diabetes Patients Are Picking up Their Insulin Prescriptions – Another Way the Pandemic Has Delayed Health Care for Many
Read More: Fewer Diabetes Patients Are Picking up Their Insulin Prescriptions – Another Way the Pandemic Has Delayed Health Care for ManyBy Ismaeel Yunusa, University of South Carolina Insulin is as essential as water for many people with diabetes. Of the more than 30 million Americans with diabetes, approximately 7.4 million rely on insulin to manage their condition. But it is one of the most costly drugs on the market, and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified…
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A New, Lower Threshold for Lead Poisoning in Children Means More Kids Will Get Tested – but the Ultimate Solution Is Eliminating Lead Sources
Read More: A New, Lower Threshold for Lead Poisoning in Children Means More Kids Will Get Tested – but the Ultimate Solution Is Eliminating Lead SourcesGabriel Filippelli, IUPUI The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its blood lead reference value – the level at which children ages 1-5 are considered to have high exposure to lead. Since 2012, this threshold had been set at 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood; children at or above this…
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Unvaccinated? Don’t Count on Leaving Your Family Death Benefits
Read More: Unvaccinated? Don’t Count on Leaving Your Family Death BenefitsBy Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News These days, workers who refuse to get vaccinated against covid-19 may face financial repercussions, from higher health insurance premiums to loss of their jobs. Now, the financial fallout might follow workers beyond the grave. If they die of covid and weren’t vaccinated, their families may not get death benefits…
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Why Vaccine Doses Differ for Babies, Kids, Teens and Adults – an Immunologist Explains How Your Immune System Changes as You Mature
Read More: Why Vaccine Doses Differ for Babies, Kids, Teens and Adults – an Immunologist Explains How Your Immune System Changes as You MatureBy The dose that works for adults might not be appropriate for youngsters of different ages. Some vaccines need to be given multiple times.CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CC BY After 4 years of age and through younger adult life, your immune system tends to be more responsive and less prone to…
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The FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 5 to 11 – a Pediatrician Explains How the Drug Was Tested for Safety and Efficacy
Read More: The FDA Authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 5 to 11 – a Pediatrician Explains How the Drug Was Tested for Safety and EfficacyBy Debbie-Ann Shirley, University of Virginia Elementary school children in the United States will soon have one more layer of protection to keep them safe from COVID-19. On Oct. 29, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The move came days after…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, COVID-19, Health insurance, Obesity, Pandemic, Policy, Weight Loss, Weight management
Celebrating Every Body Requires Access to the Best Weight-Management Care
Read More: Celebrating Every Body Requires Access to the Best Weight-Management CareIf you’ve gained weight during the Covid-19 pandemic, you are not alone. A year into the pandemic, an American Psychological Association survey showed that 45% of women report undesired weight gain, with an average addition of 22 pounds. Gaining weight can make us feel insecure about our appearance or uncomfortable in pants we may have…
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Clinical trials, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medical research and clinical trials, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Science, Vaccinations, Vaccines
How Many Lives Have Coronavirus Vaccines Saved? We Used State Data on Deaths and Vaccination Rates to Find Out
Read More: How Many Lives Have Coronavirus Vaccines Saved? We Used State Data on Deaths and Vaccination Rates to Find OutBy CC BY-ND More than 200 million U.S. residents have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine with the expectation that the vaccines slow virus transmission and save lives. Researchers know the efficacy of the vaccines from large-scale clinical trials, the gold standard for medical research. The studies found the vaccines to be…
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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 Women’s High Rate of Premature Births, Study Finds
Read More: Racism a Strong Factor in Black Women’s 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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Access, Affordability, Health disparities, Health policy, Policy, Reproductive health, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
Britney’s Conservatorship Is One Example of How the Legacy of Eugenics in the US Continues to Affect the Lives of Disabled Women
Read More: Britney’s Conservatorship Is One Example of How the Legacy of Eugenics in the US Continues to Affect the Lives of Disabled WomenBy Michaela Kathleen Curran, University of Iowa Britney Spears has been locked in a court battle 13 years in the making. While her father was suspended as conservator of her estate on Sep. 29, 2021, her conservatorship might not be terminated until the next hearing on Nov. 12. During this conservatorship, she was limited in…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Research, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
Read More: Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of UrbanitesBy Lauren Weber, Kaiser Health News Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated. While the…
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Who Qualifies for a Covid Booster? The List Is Growing Longer
Read More: Who Qualifies for a Covid Booster? The List Is Growing LongerOn Friday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said people whose jobs put them at risk of coronavirus infection qualify for a shot to boost the protection of their covid-19 vaccination. That step to include people with “institutional and occupational exposure” overrules the recommendation of her agency’s advisory panel, and the move…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Can Healthy People Who Eat Right and Exercise Skip the Covid-19 Vaccine? A Research Scientist and Fitness Enthusiast Explains Why the Answer Is No
Read More: Can Healthy People Who Eat Right and Exercise Skip the Covid-19 Vaccine? A Research Scientist and Fitness Enthusiast Explains Why the Answer Is NoBy Richard Bloomer, University of Memphis I’m a fitness enthusiast. I also adhere to a nutrient-dense, “clean” eating program, which means I minimize my sugar intake and eat a lot of whole foods for the purpose of optimizing my health. You might wonder how effective such a diet and exercise plan would be in the…
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Evidence Shows That, Yes, Masks Prevent COVID-19 – and Surgical Masks Are the Way to Go
Read More: Evidence Shows That, Yes, Masks Prevent COVID-19 – and Surgical Masks Are the Way to GoBy Laura (Layla) H. Kwong, University of California, Berkeley Do masks work? And if so, should you reach for an N95, a surgical mask, a cloth mask or a gaiter? Over the past year and a half, researchers have produced a lot of laboratory, model-based and observational evidence on the effectiveness of masks. For many…
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Access, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health disparities, Health policy, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs In
Read More: Are COVID-19 Boosters Ethical, With Half the World Waiting for a First Shot? A Bioethicist Weighs InBy Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington Should countries that can afford COVID-19 booster vaccines offer them to residents if scientists recommend them? The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has made his position clear, calling for countries to impose a moratorium on boosters until 10% of people in every country are…
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Who’s Covered by a Vaccine Mandate? Here’s a Quick Guide to America’s Patchwork of COVID-19 Shot Requirements
Read More: Who’s Covered by a Vaccine Mandate? Here’s a Quick Guide to America’s Patchwork of COVID-19 Shot RequirementsBy Debbie Kaminer, Baruch College, CUNY President Joe Biden’s orders requiring vaccinations for about two-thirds of the U.S. workforce add to a patchwork of vaccine mandates aimed at pushing more people to get their shots and bring the pandemic under control. The president had largely resisted issuing federal mandates, but in recent months, many states,…
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Abortion Opponents Are Chipping Away at Reproductive Rights — One State at a Time
Read More: Abortion Opponents Are Chipping Away at Reproductive Rights — One State at a TimeFor Laurie Roberts, helping women access abortion care means seeing them jump through one hoop after another. As co-director of the nonprofit Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund (MRFF), she’s fielding 35 calls per week from people seeking monetary, informational, logistical and emotional support for abortions. She shared a recent example, which she says is all too…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research
Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII
Read More: Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWIILiz Szabo, Kaiser Health News Although James Toussaint has never had covid, the pandemic is taking a profound toll on his health. First, the 57-year-old lost his job delivering parts for a New Orleans auto dealership in spring 2020, when the local economy shut down. Then, he fell behind on his rent. Last month, Toussaint…
