Happy Hump Day. In recent years, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has undertaken a comprehensive review of guidelines, spanning critical areas such as breast cancer screening, postpartum care, and menopause hormone therapy. What are the new guidelines?

📣 BREAKING NEWS: The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, a decision critics said could have sweeping implications for fertility treatment in the state. According to this AP article, previous Fempower Health guest Barb Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association states: “This ruling is stating that a fertilized egg, which is a clump of cells, is now a person. It really puts into question, the practice of IVF.” The group called the decision a “terrifying development for the 1-in-6 people impacted by infertility” who need in-vitro fertilization.

In this week’s edition.

🎧 Health Beat

🗞 Pulse on Women’s Health

😮 Fun Finds

🧐 Quiz Time

👁‍🗨 Quote of the Week

🎧 This Week's Health Beat

Endometriosis Care, Treatment Options, and Patient Advocacy

This is the second episode in our four-part series on endometriosis, a condition that impacts at least 1 in 10 women, many of whom spend years seeking a diagnosis. In this episode, I speak with Katie Boyce, a Board Certified Patient Advocate with a robust background in biochemistry and astrophysic (yes, really!).

Key Takeaways

• What makes endometriosis a particularly challenging condition to understand, diagnose, and treat

• Pros and cons of popular endometriosis treatments, including the debated use of drugs like Lupron and Orilissa, and what the latest research says

• The critical role of expert surgery for endometriosis and fertility concerns, and why choosing the right surgeon matters for long-term outcomes

• How endometriosis patients can navigate the healthcare system to find the best care for endometriosis, including tips for vetting doctors and making informed treatment decisions.

• Promising new treatments for endometriosis and the future of research in the field, offering hope to those affected by the condition

Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Check out the uncut version on YouTube!

And ICYMI, check out the interview with Margaret Melville last week, where we discussed her plans for optimizing endometriosis diagnosis.

🗞 Pulse on Women's Health

• How our microbiome is shaped by family, friends and even neighbours (Nature)

• Lichen Sclerosus: The Silent Genital Health Concern Often Missed. "I truly believe that we just miss the diagnosis a vast majority of the time because there isn't enough training on [detecting] it," said Winter. (Medscape)

• New Injectable Weight Loss Drugs Pose Ethical Issues, Says Ethicist (Medscape)

• Why forgetting things is a key part of the way your brain works. (New Scientist)

• New evidence finally reveals how male and female brains really differ. (New Scientist)

• Looking after the fungi in your gut could be key to better health. (New Scientist)

• AI can tell a person's sex from brain scans with 90 per cent accuracy. (New Scientist)

Have women’s health news to share? Send me an email!

😮 Fun Finds

💰 A friend just sent me information about a company where you can enter a health brand to determine whether you quality for HSA/FSA reimbursement. Check it out and let me know what you think.

👶🏻 If you or a friend has recently gone through fertility treatments, the NYTimes is hoping to hear from you. Yes, it can be anonymous.

🧐 Quiz Time

Courtesy of MedPage Today.

👁‍🗨 Quote of the Week

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Disclaimer

The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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