The Pregnant Worker Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect this summer. Perimenopause and menopause are related to workers’ reproductive lives and capacity for pregnancy. The inclusion of these terms will provide valuable guidance to employers and the millions of affected workers.
Tag: Pregnancy Loss and Miscarriage
As an Obstetrician, I Need Mifepristone to Stay Legal—And Not Just for Abortions
As an obstetrician and gynecologist providing abortion care in the Midwest, I’m fervently hoping mifepristone will remain available—not only for my patients seeking to end a pregnancy, but also for those who have miscarried.
The ‘Anti-Life’ Implications of State Abortion Bans
In rural northern Idaho, Bonner General Hospital announced it had made the “difficult decision to discontinue providing obstetrical services.” Although the press release does not use the word “abortion,” there is no doubt it’s calling out the state’s lawmakers for enacting laws that “criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care.”
Medical providers say they are facing impossible situations that pit their ethical obligation to patients who are dealing with traumatic and dangerous pregnancy complications against the fear of lawsuits, loss of their medical licenses and incarceration.
Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care: ‘Unless I Was Trying to Conceive, No One Cared About Bleeding and Pain’
In Tracey Lindeman’s new book BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care, Stephanie Lepage wonders how different her life could have been if only the doctors had bothered to look for endometriosis before her mid-30s. She had developed constant pain in her right lower abdomen that was so intense that rolling onto her side would shoot her out of a dead sleep on an almost nightly basis. When Lepage finally got in to see a gynecologist about it, that doctor said it was little more than a red herring. She remained in agony for two years without reprieve until it mysteriously subsided.
“The thing that stood out to me the most was like, unless I was trying to conceive, no one even cared about bleeding and pain.”
After Backlash, Walgreens Re-Pledges to Sell Abortion Pill Mifepristone
Walgreens announced Thursday, March 2, that it will not dispense abortion pills in the following U.S. states out of an abundance of caution: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. The list includes several where abortion remains legal—like Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.
Amidst an ever-changing set of laws regarding abortion care, pharmacists say they’re struggling to navigate “blatant contradictions between state and federal law that make it very challenging to identify what is legal and what is not legal.”
As Conservatives Try to Ban the Abortion Pill Mifepristone, New Research Shows Accessible Ulcer Drug Safely Ends Pregnancy Up to 12 Weeks
A Trump-appointed judge in Texas will soon decide whether to force the abortion pill mifepristone off the market in all 50 states.
While mifepristone’s future is shaky, women and pregnant people can still access misoprostol, a highly effective and medically safe method to end an early pregnancy.
U.S. Senators Urge FDA Update to Mifepristone Label for Miscarriage Use: ‘Patients Should Have Access to the Most Effective Medication Available’
For years doctors have prescribed mifepristone off label for miscarriage treatment, a practice allowable by the FDA. But now, new state bans and restrictions on medication abortion has raised concerns that prescribing mifepristone could lead to criminal prosecution of healthcare providers. Reproductive health advocates are now urging the FDA to specifically label mifepristone for miscarriage treatment.
“Patients experiencing an early miscarriage should have access to the most effective medication available.”
February 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us
I’ve written you a column of books that I hope will help you feel your way through the month as you dream of blossoms and sun, springtime and fun. Enjoy these 33 feminist February releases!
The Supreme Court Dobbs Leak Never Really Mattered. They Just Told Us So.
The leak was a distraction meant to shift focus away from where is should have been: the disastrous harm that overturning Roe for the women, trans and nonbinary people who depend on abortion access to obtain the reproductive healthcare they deserve.
The Court cares more about its power than it does this leak—and so should we. Supreme Court reform is essential to protect against the next decision that does such harm to our rights, whether it’s leaked or not.
War on Women Report: Abortion Unavailable in 14 States; Harvey Weinstein Is Guilty; Tucker Carlson Named ‘Misinformer of the Year’
U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.
This month: WNBA star Brittney Griner is home; abortion is unavailable in 14 states, the number of women experiencing police force is rising; Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault; Fox News star Tucker Carlson was named ‘Misinformer of the Year;’ and more.