🔍 When Women Get Dismissed (Again): ADHD, Vaginal Pain, and Why WHI Still Matters

✨ Good Morning!

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend. I know this is a time to celebrate, but it also comes with mixed emotions, family dynamics, possible infertility, or even losing your mom. I’ve lived all those, so I empathize, and I hope you can find a way to enjoy the day in a way that serves you most.

It’s been a big week in women’s health—from a disturbing new study on how often vulvovaginal pain is dismissed, to a win for science with the Women’s Health Initiative funding getting reinstated. Plus, what does ADHD look like across the female lifespan? We’ve got you covered.

👇 Here’s what’s inside:

• 🧠 Why ADHD often gets missed in women (and what to do about it)

• ⚕️ Gaslighting and gynecology — shocking new research

• 💵 WHI funding drama: what happened and what’s next

• 🥄 The plastic spoon in your brain

• 💪 A mom schools politicians on why NIH funding matters

• 🏆 A special giveaway from some of our favorite authors

• 🧠 AI Prompt of the Week

Let’s dive in.

📌 When ‘Everything Looks Normal’ Isn’t Reassuring

A new JAMA study—co-authored by many experts, including Drs. Jill Krapf & Chailee Moss—found that more than half of women with chronic vaginal pain considered giving up on care because they felt dismissed or unheard.

If you've ever been told “it's all in your head” or left an appointment with more doubt than answers—this will help you understand why it keeps happening and what can actually make care better.

👉 Read the full breakdown

🙌🏼 Let’s Talk: Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling dismissed—even when your symptoms were real? How do you stay persistent when the system makes you feel invisible? We’re unpacking this in the Fempower Health Slack channel—join the conversation and share your story. Haven’t joined yet? Learn more about the Slack Community.

🧠 Women, ADHD & Hormones: What We’re Getting Wrong

Did you know most women with ADHD report their worst symptoms between ages 40–60—and many don’t even know they have it? I recently spoke with Dr. Maggie Sibley, a psychologist, researcher, professor, and author who specializes in ADHD and strengthening attention, motivation, and executive functions, who speaks about:

• Why ADHD isn’t just for boys—or just for kids

• How declining estrogen impacts executive function

• What really helps: meds, therapy, structure, and self-understanding

• Why hormone therapy isn’t a common ADHD treatment—yet

• How social and emotional struggles often hit women hardest

👉 Read the full breakdown

🎧 Listen to the episode with Dr. Maggie Sibley, a psychologist, researcher, professor, and author who specializes in ADHD and strengthening attention, motivation, and executive functions in individuals across the lifespan.

🙌🏼 Related: Learn about Navigating ADHD in Families. Real Talk with Dr. Tamara Rosier on the Fempower Health Podcast.

 🥳 Finally. Good News! Funding Restored: Why the Women’s Health Initiative Still Matters

Since the April 21 announcement that funding for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) would be cut, those of us who follow women’s health research closely have been holding our breath.

The WHI had been informed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would terminate Regional Center (RC) contracts by the end of fiscal year 2025. The Clinical Coordinating Center (CCC) would remain active through January 2026—after which its funding was uncertain.

Why would this be such a loss?

Launched in 1991, the WHI has enrolled more than 160,000 postmenopausal women and is one of the largest and longest-running studies of women’s health in U.S. history. Its findings have shaped our understanding of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other leading causes of death and disability in women. The loss of ongoing data collection would have been a massive setback at a time when we need more research on aging and chronic disease in women—not less.

In the days after the announcement, media outlets reported that funding might be restored, yet the WHI website remained unchanged. No confirmation. Just a banner noting no official word from the federal government. Like many of you, I kept checking.

Then came the update.

On May 6, WHI posted this statement:

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) investigators are pleased to report that last night we learned through our official NIH channel that WHI will be allowed to continue. Specifically, we learned from our NIH acquisitions officer that "the previous decision to not renew has been rescinded and we can move forward with new task orders in September."

We want to thank Secretary Kennedy and NIH Director Bhattacharya for their support for this landmark study. Their timely actions will allow us to continue the important work of the WHI uninterrupted.

We also want to thank the large number of individuals and organizations who have reached out to offer their encouragement and support. To hear so many people describe the value of WHI from diverse perspectives has encouraged and strengthened us.

This funding restoration ensures that decades of valuable data won't be lost—and that future generations will continue to benefit from evidence that centers women’s health across the lifespan.

It is also a powerful reminder: advocacy works.

🙌🏼 Keep Me Posted: If you hear of any women’s health related news, please send them my way. Thank you to Caitlyn for posting this amazing update on the Fempower Health Slack Channel!