DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —The leaders of Sudan’s warring military factions have agreed to start preliminary talks in Jeddah aimed at ending the conflict, according to Saudi Arabia and the United States. Clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF erupted in mid-April, since when hundreds have been killed and thousands more injured. The RSF has already fully taken over Omdurman Maternity Hospital, a senior medical employee at a hospital in the state of Khartoum told CNN. However, it has obtained a widely circulated statement reportedly issued by the Omdurman Maternity Hospital administration that says the hospital was “attacked” at dawn on Thursday by RSF forces. CNN has not independently verified these claims, nor has CNN been able to reach the paramilitary RSF for their comments.

☆ Study Shows the Staggering Cost of Menopause for Women in the Work Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Several other studies have arrived at conclusions similar to those of the Mayo Clinic study. A smaller survey by the corporate health benefits provider Carrot Fertility found that roughly 20 percent of women took time off from work because of menopause. (Dr. Williams was not involved with the research.) Women see in their day-to-day lives that their productivity is impacted.”But most Americans don’t have the ability to choose to cut back on work the way some women in the study did, Dr. Williams said. “Many women don’t have the privilege of saying I’m just not going to teach this course — because maybe if you don’t show up, you will not have a job, and that has economic and personal financial impact too.”

☆ The Mysteries of Ovulation Pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That sensation is most likely pain associated with ovulation, or, as it’s known in the medical world, mittelschmerz (the German term for “middle pain”). It’s difficult to pin down just how prevalent ovulation pain is because, in most cases, it’s so mild that women don’t report it, said Dr. Jenna Turocy, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University. “And very little of the research has to do with the day-to-day experience.” It’s still unclear, for example, why some women don’t experience pain with ovulation at all. “Every ovulation is essentially a ruptured cyst,” Dr. Ginsburg said. Ultrasounds have shown that ovulation coincides with a small explosion of fluid and sometimes blood on the surface of the ovary, Dr. Ginsburg said.

☆ Rachel Weisz and the Glorious Horrors of Pregnancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Alexandra Kleeman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

“Why are you wearing my vagina like it’s a [expletive] glove?” shouts one patient at the doctors working busily out of view. In the television world, babies are a convenient way to reinvigorate stale interpersonal dynamics, or a point of narrative pressure that forces characters to make dramatic choices. We’re used to a certain sleight of hand, carefully placed cuts and scenes where fresh-looking mothers in hospital gowns hold clean, swaddled infants in their arms. Real birthing is something more radical: Pregnancy involves a terraforming of the body that might appear terrifying if you were to see it at time-lapse speed. Thinking about all this puts birth in a different generic register depending on how it is framed and depicted.

☆ Abortion pill alternative: The drug that could be used if Texas ban on mifepristone upheld
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge's ruling could take the abortion pill mifepristone off the market — but there is another medication that could provide an alternative for people seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Two states in reaction to that ruling already are stockpiling supplies of misoprostol, the drug that doctors typically prescribe with mifepristone to induce an abortion. That leaves misoprostol available as a safe and effective treatment for women who want to end their pregnancies. Some U.S. abortion providers are prepared to offer misoprostol as a stand-alone treatment, according to Jenny Ma, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy group that represents abortion providers worldwide. A study released in February by abortion researchers at the University of Texas in Austin found that misoprostol was 88% effective at causing an abortion.

☆ Morning after pill brand speeds up retail access, doubles supply per pack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The brand is also introducing a new 2-count pack of its emergency contraception (which has a three-year expiration period). Julie rolled out a new two-count pack of its emergency contraception priced at $70. Cleland said a study done last year by the American Society for Emergency Contraception on access to emergency contraception in stores compared price at retail for branded and generic emergency contraception options. “Every time there is a new development on restrictions to reproduction health care, there’s a run on emergency contraceptive. Our retail partners confirmed this,” said Morrison, adding that news events continue to influence buying patterns for emergency contraceptive.

Small icons of scientific papers are lined up in a grid, each representing a study of medication abortion. Studies of abortion pills Each icon represents one study that reported serious complications after medication abortion. For pregnant women considering medication abortion, the alternatives would be childbirth or procedural abortion. Almost all patients will experience bleeding and pain during a medication abortion, because the pills essentially trigger a miscarriage. But the study itself notes that bleeding is expected, serious complications are rare and medication abortion is safe.

☆ Dramas 'This is Going to Hurt', 'The Responder' lead BAFTA TV nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Cast members attend a premiere for season 2 of the television series The White Lotus in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File PhotoLONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - Medical comedy-drama "This is Going to Hurt" and police series "The Responder" led nominations for Britain's BAFTA Television Awards on Wednesday, receiving six nods each, while live coverage of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee and her state funeral were also recognised. Liverpool-set police drama "The Responder" saw cast members Martin Freeman, Josh Finan, Adelayo Adedayo nominated in the leading actor, supporting actor and supporting actress categories respectively. Gary Oldman ("Slow Horses"), Chaske Spencer ("The English"), Cillian Murphy ("Peaky Blinders") and Taron Egerton ("Black Bird") complete the leading actor category. The BAFTA TV Craft awards take place on April 23, followed by the BAFTA TV Awards on May 14.

☆ Clinics are trying to sell trendy weight-loss injections by flooding TikTok with videos about semaglutide
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The video, which has nearly 60,000 likes, is among a proliferation of TikTok posts tagged with the names of semaglutide weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic. "What drives the video to go viral is if you can generate some kind of discussion," he told Insider. Unlike official ads, partnerships, or promotions, TikTok posts receive little oversight from government agencies or medical boards. All four said the TikTok posts are driving an influx of patients to their clinics. Oden told Insider that her videos are "drumming up quite a bit of new business" among patients of all ages.

The richest Black mothers and their babies are twice as likely to die as the richest white mothers and their babies. Yet there is one group that doesn’t gain the same protection from being rich, the study finds: Black mothers and babies. The researchers found that maternal mortality rates were just as high among the highest-income Black women as among low-income white women. The richest Black women have infant mortality rates at about the same level as the poorest white women. Generally, rates for Hispanic mothers and Asian mothers track more closely with those of white mothers than Black mothers.

☆ Viral TikToks about IUDs portray distrust of doctors, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Viral TikToks about intrauterine devices (IUDs) tend to portray negative experiences more often than positive ones, recent research found, and often focus on physical pain and mistrust of doctors. Just under 28% mentioned distrust of health care professionals, while around 24% contained “moderately or highly inaccurate scientific claims,” according to the researchers. Wu said she perceives a "communication gap between health care providers and patients on this topic," which can contribute to distrust in the health care system. "From my own experience as a resident physician, I do have patients talking to me more about pain," Wu said. Her team's research also demonstrates that "there is a space for health care professionals, or health care professionals working with influencers that people trust and love" to talk about birth control options, Wu said.

☆ Fact Check-There is no proof ultrasounds harm babies or mothers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There is no evidence to suggest that ultrasound examinations during pregnancy are dangerous to fetuses, as some social media posts have falsely said. Experts contacted by Reuters said there were no signs of any increases in deaths or distress among babies or mothers who had standard ultrasounds or the more powerful Doppler ultrasound under medical supervision. A Doppler ultrasound also uses sound waves, but can also check blood flow. “Animal studies cannot be used as evidence as the ultrasound effects cannot be scaled and a small animal will suffer from much greater effects than human babies,” he said. Studies of ultrasounds used in human pregnancies have not found evidence of danger to the health of babies or mothers.

“I was just so thirsty to get a BBL,” Velasco said. 7Q Spa also has positive reviews on Yelp and Google, where it averages a 4.5 star rating. The front door of 7Q Spa is side-by-side with Vitality Medical Center, which, according to California business registration documents, has the same CEO as 7Q Spa. After the surgery, Velasco said she felt great and, at first, she couldn’t feel her stitches at all. The California Medical Board revoked her license as part of the settlement, but stayed the revocation and granted her a 35-month probation.

☆ Covid vaccine trials didn't monitor menstrual changes. Researchers say it's part of a bigger problem.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Although they made up around half the participants in Covid vaccine trials, women were not asked about any menstrual changes as part of that process. Since then, several studies have revealed that Covid vaccines can indeed induce short-term changes in menstrual cycles. A 2021 study found that just eight out of 45 clinical trials that tested Covid vaccines and therapies separated results based on sex. In the past, menstrual changes have also been reported among those who received vaccines for typhoid, hepatitis B and influenza. Researchers don't know why post-vaccine menstrual changes occur.

☆ Effects of Supreme Court abortion ruling: Longer travel time, more requests for pills
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Infants born as a result of an unintended pregnancy, meanwhile, face a higher risk of low birth weight or preterm birth. Ashana's article asserts that every hour of delayed care increases a patient’s risk of adverse outcomes or death. But in some cases, abortion restrictions require waiting until a person is hemorrhaging or develops sepsis before performing a lifesaving abortion. Hassan said medication abortion presents "a lot of opportunity to be able to expand into places that are geographically difficult for people to access abortion." "There are a lot of things within the health care system environment that could change, including the way we think about where abortion care can be accessed," Hassan said.

☆ FDA expresses concern about providers who offer abortion medications before pregnancy, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Medication abortion, also known as medical abortion, is a method by which someone ends their pregnancy by taking two pills, rather than having a surgical procedure. Medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all US abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health. “We’re also proud to offer ongoing, supportive abortion care from our providers as part of our advance provision service to support patients throughout the process,” she said. “Providers are fully able to prescribe medications off-label, and in fact, some prescribe mifepristone up to 12 weeks” into a pregnancy, Upadhyay said. To prescribe the abortion medication, providers have to be certified, and the patient must sign paperwork that says they understand that there is a risk of complications.

☆ It's not just you: Americans everywhere are waiting longer to see a doctor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The average doctor's appointment wait time in 2022 was 26 days, 24% higher than it was in 2004. In 2022, the average appointment wait time in the 15 cities is 26 days, up from 24.1 days in 2017. The specialty with the highest average appointment wait time is dermatology, which has an average wait time of 34.5 days. San Diego had the highest average wait time of 55 days to see an orthopedic surgeon, while Washington, DC, had an average appointment wait time of 5 days. Longer wait times ahead?

☆ Sexual assault-related ER visits increased more than tenfold since 2006, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The study authors said their research represents the largest longitudinal study of sexual assault-related visits to emergency rooms in the U.S. That could be because cultural understandings of what constitutes sexual assault have expanded beyond encounters involving extreme physical violence. In 2019, for example, there were more than 139,800 reports of sexual assault to law enforcement compared to 55,296 ER visits. Sexual assault overall makes up just 0.06% of emergency room visits, according to the study. The FBI data, meanwhile, relies on voluntary reports from law enforcement and narrow definitions of sexual assault, according to the study.

☆ FDA panel recommends revoking the approval of controversial drug for preterm births
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The panel voted on three questions: whether the drug is effective, whether trial data support its approval and whether it should remain on the market. The trial found that the drug failed to reduce the risk of preterm births or produce better health outcomes for newborns. When a 2019 trial showed that the drug produced no benefits, the same FDA advisory panel voted to revoke the drug's approval. What's more, "retaining Makena’s approval likely hinders study of more promising treatments for preterm birth," FDA scientists wrote. It also proposed a partial withdrawal of the drug, making the drug only available to women at the highest risk of preterm birth.

☆ Babies born to Black mothers who use fertility treatments die at far higher rates than those born to white mothers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Babies born to Black mothers are twice as likely to die in the first month than infants born to white women. That death rate was 1.6% among babies born to Black mothers, compared with just 0.3% for babies born to white mothers. Death rates were twice as high among newborns of Asian, Pacific Islander and Hispanic mothers who used fertility technologies compared with babies born to white mothers. Black women are also twice as likely to have stillbirths or preterm births than white women, according to Lisonkova's study. Indeed, Black women in the study who conceived using fertility treatments were slighter older on average than white women who did so.

☆ Black infants born through assisted reproductive technology at significantly higher risk of death than White infants born through same means, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Jacqueline Howard Raenu Charles | Jacqueline Howard | Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It has been well-known in research that Black babies are about twice as likely to die as White babies before their first birthday. But when conceived by assisted reproductive technology, neonatal mortality was more than four-fold higher among babies of Black women. Assisted reproductive technology, which is used to treat infertility, includes infertility treatments that involve eggs and sperm. Those rates were four-fold higher in infants of Black versus White mothers who used assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF. Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The doctor sent along the questions and answers and received a resounding “no” from the PR official: “We ask that you do not comment to the NY Times at this time.”“They’re censoring me,” the doctor told CNN. Even when they are permitted to speak about abortion as private citizens, these doctors say, their employers have made it clear that they would prefer the doctors not talk at all, and so they have hesitated to speak up. UT Southwestern isn’t the only medical center that has been hesitant to allow their doctors to speak with the media. About 10 hospitals and medical practices said no, Wade told CNN. And I thought we would use our position as a respected women’s health institution to continue to educate about the impact these laws have on women’s health,” she told CNN.

☆ At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since Dobbs, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to a new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization. The analysis notes that those states had 79 total clinics that provided abortions before the Dobbs decision, compared with 13 today. All of the remaining open clinics are in Georgia, where a law prohibits abortions once a "detectable human heartbeat is present." The most closings were in Texas, where at least a dozen clinics shuttered, the Guttmacher analysis says. Planned Parenthood also provides STD testing, pregnancy testing, transgender hormone therapy and primary care services, according to its website.

☆ Abortion: Clinics in 14 of 15 states have stopped providing services, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The survey found that among 15 states that were enforcing either total abortion bans or near-total abortion bans between the decision and October 2, nearly two-thirds of clinics that once provided abortion care – 66 of 79 – had been forced to stop offering abortion services. That means there are no providers offering abortions in 14 of the 15 states, says Rachel Jones, principal research scientist at Guttmacher. The 15 states included in the survey are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The impacts of these closures are being felt far beyond these 15 states. States where abortions are still legal have seen large influxes of people who are traveling to get the procedure.

☆ Frozen embryos linked to increased risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Kaitlin Sullivan | Kaitlin Sullivan Is A Contributor For Nbcnews.Com Who Has Worked With Nbc News Investigations. She Reports On Health | Science | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Undergoing in vitro fertilization using frozen embryos is linked to a greater risk of hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia, during pregnancy, according to research published Monday in the journal Hypertension. Overall, the risk of hypertensive disorders was low: about 7.4% in women who used frozen embryos, compared with 5.6% in women who used fresh embryos and 4.3% for women who conceived naturally. In addition, they found, there was no significant difference in risk between the women who conceived naturally and those who did IVF using fresh embryos. The group included 4.4 million naturally conceived pregnancies and compared them to just over 78,000 IVF pregnancies conceived using a fresh embryo and about 18,000 using a frozen embryo. Petersen emphasized that the overall risk for preeclampsia was still low and that the results of the new study should not scare women away from using frozen embryos.

Search resuls for: "Obstetrics"

25 mentions found