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☆ Contraception Is Free by Law. So Why Are a Quarter of Women Still Paying for It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Some experts estimate that those practices could affect access to birth control for millions of women. Since 2012, the Affordable Care Act has mandated that private insurance plans cover the “full range” of contraceptives for women approved by the Food and Drug Administration, including female sterilizations, emergency contraceptives and any new products cleared by the F.D.A. The mandate also covers services associated with contraceptives, like counseling, insertions or removals and follow-up care. That means that consumers shouldn’t have any associated co-payments with in-network providers, even if they haven’t met their deductibles. Medicaid plans have a similar provision; the only exception to the mandate are plans sponsored by employers or colleges that have religious or moral objections.

Persons: Bernie Sanders of, —, haven’t Organizations: Office, Affordable, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Bernie Sanders of Vermont

☆ Is Delaying Menopause the Key to Longevity?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In March, the first lady, Jill Biden, announced a new White House women’s health initiative that highlighted a seemingly obscure research question: What if you could delay menopause and all the health risks associated with it? The question comes from a field of research that has started to draw attention over the last few years, as scientists who study longevity and women’s health have come to realize that the female reproductive system is far more than just a baby-maker. The ovaries, in particular, appear to be connected to virtually every aspect of a woman’s health. Once that happens, a woman enters menopause, which accelerates her aging and the decline of other organ systems, like the heart and the brain. While women, on average, live longer than men, they spend more time living with diseases or disabilities.

Persons: Jill Biden, ”, Renee Wegrzyn, “ It’s Organizations: House, Advanced Research, Agency for Health Locations: midlife

☆ The Pill Makes Some Women Miserable. But Are They Really Quitting It en Masse?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The woman in the video looks resolute, and a little sad, as she cuts up a pack of birth control pills. “These silly little pills have literally ruined me as a person,” reads the caption. Anecdotal reports from news outlets have suggested that women are quitting the pill in large numbers because of this type of online post. But, according to initial data, prescriptions for the birth control pill are not actually declining at all. Even among those aged 15 to 34, who would be most likely to see negative social media posts, Trilliant found prescriptions had increased.

Persons: “, ”, Deborah Bartz, Trilliant Organizations: Brigham, Women’s, Trilliant Health Locations: United States

☆ Too Racy for Times Square? An Ad for Lactation Cookies Is Replaced.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An ethereal-looking image of Molly Baz, the cookbook author, with her pregnant belly exposed and her breasts covered with not much more than a rhinestone bikini top and two oatmeal cookies, floated high above Times Square. It was a digital billboard, measuring 45 feet tall, for Baz’s lactation cookies — a recipe to stimulate milk production that she developed in partnership with the breastfeeding start-up Swehl. Brex, a company that helped Swehl get the ad up on a billboard powered by Clear Channel, was told by a Clear Channel representative that the ad violated “guidelines on acceptable content,” according to an email reviewed by The New York Times. Brex later clarified that the original artwork was “flagged for review” and that it was replaced with another image from the campaign. The new creative does not feature Ms. Baz’s breasts as prominently; she is perched on a kitchen counter top in jeans and a crop top, eating one of her cookies.

Persons: Molly Baz, Swehl, Brex Organizations: Clear, Clear Channel, The New York Times

Women going through menopause raise concerns about weight and body changes almost as often as they do about hot flashes and night sweats, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the Menopause Society and a director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health. Some estimates suggest that roughly 70 percent of women gain up to 1.5 pounds per year during the menopause transition, which can last as long as a decade. This weight gain can affect women’s self-esteem and quality of life and can also increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other health issues. Excess weight is also correlated with more hot flashes and night sweats; the Menopause Society recommends weight loss as an effective nonhormonal treatment for those symptoms. Now, some women going through menopause are seeking drugs like Ozempic, despite the steep costs: Without insurance coverage, the drugs can run around $1,000 a month.

Persons: sweats, Stephanie Faubion, “, they’re, ”, “ We’re, Faubion, Daniela Hurtado Organizations: Mayo Clinic’s Center, Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic Locations: United States

If left untreated in the long term, iron deficiency can deplete healthy red blood cells in the body, causing anemia. During pregnancy, iron deficiency and anemia can have an adverse effect on the mother and the fetus. In annual checkups, most doctors will test only for hemoglobin levels, he said, but that is an indicator of anemia, not iron deficiency. Getting your ferritin levels tested is usually covered by insurance, he added. “It’s not some fancy test.”For women who are not pregnant, ferritin levels should be at least 15 micrograms per liter, and hemoglobin levels at least 12 grams per deciliter, according to the World Health Organization.

Persons: Malcolm Munro, “ It’s Organizations: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, World Health Organization Locations: United States, Los Angeles

☆ More Than a Third of Women Under 50 Are Iron-Deficient
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If the body uses up its stores, iron deficiency can lead to a reduction in hemoglobin and the number of healthy red blood cells, called anemia. So someone with normal hemoglobin levels might still have low levels of iron, Dr. Munro said. There are other forms of anemia, including inherited red blood cell disorders like sickle cell disease, but anemia caused by iron deficiency is the most common type in the U.S. During pregnancy, when the demand for iron in the mother, the placenta and the growing fetus increases, so too does the risk that iron deficiency turns into anemia. Complicating matters, there is debate among medical institutions about what is considered a healthy amount of iron in the blood.

Persons: Munro, Angela Weyand, Michael Georgieff, Weyand Organizations: U.S, University of Michigan Medical, Masonic Institute, University of Minnesota, World Health Organization

☆ What to Do About Painful Sex After Menopause
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The hormonal changes alter acidity levels of the vagina, Dr. Streicher said, which can lead to recurrent urinary tract infections among menopausal women, creating discomfort in the area whether or not they are having sex. And some common health conditions among older people, like diabetes or cardiovascular disease, can also dry out the vagina, she added. Dr. Streicher recommends warming the lubricant because “cold is a vasoconstrictor, which will make you have even less natural lubrication, whereas heat is a vasodilator and will help the muscles relax,” she said. Vaginal moisturizers: These creams and gels can be found over the counter. Estrogen creams: Studies have repeatedly found that this prescription option is highly effective at reducing pain, including in the vestibule area.

Persons: Streicher, “, I’m, ”, Goetsch

☆ Aparna Nancherla Is Looking for Comic Relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A few hours before the comedian Aparna Nancherla was scheduled to perform at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles last month, she was at home tapping. With her index and middle fingers, she was tapping the crown of her head, tapping her chin, tapping her chest and reciting affirmations. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Her nerves were also why, I was told by her publicist, I could not meet Ms. Nancherla before her performance.

Persons: Aparna Nancherla, I’m, Nancherla, She’s “, ” Organizations: Elysian Theater, showtime Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Menopause Is Different for Women of Color
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This means that women of color often go without adequate care during menopause, signaling to them that their suffering is insignificant, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the Menopause Society and a director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health. Researchers have followed a group of more than 3,000 women in perimenopause and menopause for decades and have found a few key differences: Black and Hispanic women reach menopause earlier than white, Chinese and Japanese women. They also experience certain menopausal symptoms for 10 or more years — almost twice as long as do white, Chinese and Japanese women. But researchers have found that Black women are more likely to experience more intense and more frequent hot flashes; Black women also endure them for more years than those of other races. When Anjum Shah, a 55-year-old city planner in Orlando, Fla., started having hot flashes at 48, she knew it was connected to menopause.

Persons: Stephanie Faubion, “, ”, —, Anjum Shah, I’d, Ms, Shah Organizations: Mayo Clinic Center, Women’s Health Locations: perimenopause, Orlando, Fla

☆ The Next Frontier for Corporate Benefits: Menopause
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After switching to a new gynecologist, at 48, she learned that these changes were related to her transition to menopause, known as perimenopause. And that the stress of the job was only making them worse. Ms. Chen says her doctor told her, “‘your body is screaming for you to stop.’”“I hit a wall,” Ms. Chen said. Eventually, Ms. Chen changed her lifestyle and, after a few months, switched to working as a consultant, which allowed her to control her hours and stress levels. Symptoms associated with the transition to menopause, which can last a decade, are often a drag on women’s careers and arise at a time when they may be stepping into larger executive roles.

Persons: Celia Chen, Chen, “, ”, Ms Organizations: Mayo Clinic

As valuations for National Basketball Association and National Football League teams have leaped beyond the reach of even some billionaires, pickleball offers, by comparison, a more affordable opportunity. Valuations of pickleball teams reportedly range anywhere from $1 million to $10 million. Pickleball proponents say the sport will eventually develop its own celebrity players. He pointed out that while pingpong has long been played by millions of people in multiple countries, it hasn’t become a commercial success. “I think that pickleball is going to confront some of the same issues,” he said.

Persons: pickleball, ”, Patrick Rishe, St . Louis, it’s, David Levy, Levy, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, ” Andrew Zimbalist, DealBook, pingpong, hasn’t, “ Organizations: National Basketball Association and National Football League, Washington, Washington University, Turner, Horizon, ESPN, Smith College Locations: St .

☆ The Persistent Confusion Around the U.T.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

can occur anywhere along the urinary tract, which includes the urethra, bladder, the kidneys and, in men, the prostate, Dr. Kim said. For an issue to be considered a U.T.I., a patient must show some symptoms and have confirmed bacteria in their urine. might be in the kidneys, which would make it a more acute case that can lead to sepsis and kidney damage, though those outcomes are “very, very rare,” Dr. Kim said. “I don’t have a study to quote you that says peeing after sex or before sex reduces infections,” he said. But some women never develop U.T.I.s with increased sexual activity, even if they don’t urinate before or after.

Persons: Kim, Dr, Gupta, U.T.I.s, Benjamin Brucker, ” Organizations: NYU Langone

☆ Women React to News About an Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

An over-the-counter pill would eliminate a lot of barriers, she said. For young people, accessing birth control can be “really challenging,” she said. The New York Times interviewed 18 women and girls about the F.D.A. “My mom does not approve of birth control” because of her more conservative Sri Lankan heritage, said Tharushi Samarasinghe, a 19-year-old student at Hunter College. “I took birth control once for hormonal issues as I was going through puberty.

Persons: greenlight, Elise Berlan, ”, KFF, Tharushi Samarasinghe, “, ’ ” Elizabeth, I’m Organizations: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, New York Times, Hunter College Locations: United States, Columbus , Ohio, Sri Lankan

☆ Do Hormone Treatments for Menopause Increase Dementia Risk?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | More About Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A large new study in Denmark suggested that hormone therapy — which women use to manage menopausal symptoms — was associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The study found that the heightened risk was even present in women who started the therapy at 55 or younger and in short term users. The study found that women who used hormones had a 24 percent higher rate of dementia (including Alzheimer’s) than the women who didn’t use hormones. The findings echo previous studies that have identified some associations between taking hormones for menopause symptoms and dementia, some of which had limitations that were similar to the current study. In 2003, the Women’s Health Initiative in the U.S. found that women aged 65 and over on hormone therapy had a greater risk of developing dementia than those who took a placebo.

Persons: — Organizations: Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Health Locations: Denmark, U.S

☆ How Much Do You Know About the Menstrual Cycle?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Posts on social media and several surveys underscore just how pervasive the knowledge void is. A 2016 survey suggested that women of reproductive age also had notable gaps in their understanding of the menstrual cycle. The problem is partly rooted in the quality and depth of sex and health education in schools, which varies dramatically from state to state, Dr. Bobel said. In the fall, Washington, D.C., will become the first jurisdiction in the country to roll out mandatory, standardized classes on menstrual health starting in the fourth grade. In Florida, a new bill limiting education around the menstrual cycle for certain age groups will go into effect on July 1.

Persons: Tampax, Chris Bobel, Bobel, Ed, “, she’s, ”, Jennifer Lincoln, ” “ Organizations: University of Massachusetts, D.C Locations: University of Massachusetts Boston, Washington, Florida

☆ What to Know About Eclampsia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The report identified complications of childbirth as the cause of death, listing eclampsia and respiratory distress as possible factors. “Eclampsia occurs in somewhere between one to 10 in 10,000 pregnancies,” said Dr. Joanne Stone, the head of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Research has suggested that rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy — including pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and gestational hypertension — have been on the rise, and increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. What is eclampsia? There can be other causes of seizures during pregnancy, but it’s considered eclampsia “until proven otherwise” through lab tests, including neurological tests, Dr. Longo said.

Persons: Tori Bowie, ”, Joanne Stone, Monica Longo, Eunice Kennedy, Stone, it’s, Longo Organizations: The New York Times, Olympic, Icahn School of Medicine, Research, National, of Child Health, Human, National Institutes of Health Locations: Mount Sinai

☆ Here Come the Flash Periods
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In a regular cycle, the ovaries make estrogen to nurture an egg for release and thicken the uterine lining for its arrival, Dr. Munro said. Think of the uterine lining “like grass in your garden,” Dr. Munro said. Or, for other women, there might be so little estrogen that the uterine lining hasn’t grown much, leading only to some light spotting. One of the telltale signs of endometrial hyperplasia, Dr. Kapoor said, is heavy periods. In cases where women have immensely heavy periods, Dr. Munro said, they might also experience iron deficiency and anemia, which in turn can be connected to other common menopause symptoms, including fatigue and brain fog.

Persons: ”, Malcolm Munro, Munro, Dr, “ It’s, “, Harlow, Ekta Kapoor, Kapoor Organizations: David Geffen School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Center, Women’s Health, telltale Locations: U.C.L.A

☆ Cycle Syncing Is Trendy. Does It Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

According to proponents of cycle syncing, in this phase the body is primed to take on stress and can recover more quickly. And it remains unclear whether cycle syncing makes sense for women using hormonal forms of birth control. The bits of scientific and anecdotal evidence showing fluctuations in performance or energy throughout the menstrual cycle also don’t prove that syncing workouts to the cycle will optimize fitness. One of the main aims of the Empow’her program is to fill that void, Ms. Antero said. She plans to publish the results of the training program after the Olympics.

Persons: Mahalingaiah, Juliana Antero, Antero, Stacy Sims, Clancy, ”, Asima Ahmad, Ms, Scott Organizations: French Institute of Sport

☆ A Birth Control Pill May Soon Be Available Over the Counter. Here’s What to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Food and Drug Administration advisers concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks of making a hormonal contraceptive pill — sold under the brand name Opill and produced by the French company HRA Pharma — available without a prescription. follows the nonbinding recommendation of its advisers — and there is a chance the agency might not — Opill would become the first and only birth control pill to be available over the counter since oral contraceptives were introduced in the U.S. in 1960. A 2022 survey found that 77 percent of more than 5,000 female participants favored the idea of getting the birth control pill over the counter, with many saying it would be more convenient and efficient to get it without a prescription. Progestin-only pills have been widely used in the United States since the first one was approved in 1973. Like other oral contraceptives, they require a prescription from a health care provider or, in some states, a pharmacist.

☆ A New Breast Pumping Law Has Gone Into Effect. Here’s What It Means.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | Catherine Pearson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, expanded protections for nursing mothers, officially known as the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, or PUMP Act, went into full effect, giving more workers the right to break time and a private space to pump. Building on a 2010 law, which compelled employers to provide breastfeeding accommodations, the PUMP Act was introduced in Congress in 2021. Support grew last summer amid the baby formula shortage and after the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidelines that support breastfeeding for two years or more. “Part of the reason for that is that if you’re not emptying your breasts regularly, your milk supply goes down. And if your milk supply goes down, gradually, breastfeeding ceases.”

☆ 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.

☆ Could Certain Foods Help With Hot Flashes?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For a phenomenon that affects roughly 75 percent of menopausal American women, hot flashes are still surprisingly mysterious, with little known about how they work or what to do about them. But what triggers that process and why? How are hot flashes connected with other health issues, like cognitive concerns and cardiovascular disease? Treatment options are limited to hormones and just one non-hormonal drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. All of which, Dr. Sholes-Douglas added, is a clear reflection of the scant attention and little funding devoted to medical research into this phase of a woman’s life.

What to do: Take a breath in for four counts, hold your breath for four counts and then exhale for eight counts. What to do: Close your right nostril and breathe in through your left nostril for a count of four. Now close your left nostril and breathe out from your right nostril for a count of four. What to do: Breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four and hold your breath again for a count of four. You can also try taking the breathing test again to see if you can slow your breath rate down.

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