CDC Recommends SIX Vaccines During Pregnancy But Fewer Women are Complying
Fewer women in the U.S. are complying with CDC recommendations to get vaccinated during pregnancy according to a report about an Internet panel survey published on Sept. 29, 2023 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). CDC officials analyzed data from the survey assessing the uptake […]
First Postpartum Depression Drug Fast Tracked and Licensed by FDA
On Aug. 4, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast tracked licensure of the oral prescription medication Zurzuvae (zuranolone), manufactured by Sage Therapeutics, Inc. as a treatment for postpartum depression. Postpartum affects roughly one in seven women and typically begins after childbirth but, for some women, it can begin during later stages of […]
First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Approved by FDA
On July 13, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ever non-prescription birth control pill. The progestin-only oral contraceptive known as Opill (norgestrel) is expected to be available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and convenience stores by early 2024. Opill claims a 93 percent efficacy rate in pregnancy prevention.1 Norgestrel Originally Approved in […]
FDA Issues New Warning of Cancers Linked to Breast Implants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication on Sept. 8, 2022 warning that certain cancers may develop in scar tissue “capsules” that form around breast implants. Cancers cited in the report include squamous cell carcinoma and various lymphomas. The malignancies are not exclusive to a certain type of implant and have […]
FDA Reports Systemic Health Problems in Women With Breast Implants
Breast implant surgery is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States, with more than 313,000 surgeries performed in 2018—a 48 percent increase since 2000.1 Silicone implants are the most common reconstructive breast surgery. In 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported 101,657 breast reconstruction procedures, of which 78,814 used silicone […]
California Offers Reparations to Survivors of Forced Sterilization in the Name of Public Health
Jan. 1, 2022 marked the beginning of a $7.5 million California state program which is paying reparations to survivors of the state’s forced sterilization program that were performed between 1909 and 1979 under a state eugenics law. The California eugenics law, which spanned seven decades, allowed forced sterilization of women in hospitals, homes, or institutions […]