First Edition: May 3, 2023

KFF Health News: Federal Rules Don’t Require Period Product Ingredients On Packaging Labels. States Are Stepping In.
Tens of millions of Americans use menstrual products, and while manufacturers contend they are safe, most disclose little about the chemicals they contain. Now, amid calls for more disclosure and research into the health effects of these products, some states require more transparency. The manufacture and sale of period and related products is a big business, with revenue expected to top $4.5 billion in the United States this year. On average, a person uses up to 17,000 tampons or pads in their lifetime, and they might also use rubber or silicone cups, or absorbent period underwear. The FDA regulates and classifies menstrual products as medical devices, meaning they are not subject to the same labeling laws as other consumer items. But companies can voluntarily disclose what’s in their products. (Zurek, 5/3)

KFF Health News: Ask A Chatbot: ‘What’s For Dinner?’
Olivia Scholes, 28, of Vancouver, British Columbia, has polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. She is among the estimated 1 in 10 women globally who are diagnosed with this hormonal condition, which can cause multiple ovarian cysts, infertility, weight gain, and other issues. After being diagnosed with PCOS about 10 years ago, Scholes managed her condition in part by trying to consume — or abstain from — certain foods and drinks. But at times, transferring her knowledge from her brain to her plate proved complicated and time-consuming. “Just because I know that information doesn’t mean that I’m planning my meals with that information all the time,” Scholes said. (Lofton, 5/3)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’ 
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: the dangers behind fad weight loss drugs and what’s getting in the way of the United States’ goal to reduce HIV infections. (5/2)

Politico: Covid-19 Inflamed The Opioid Crisis, Particularly For Black Americans
White House officials for years warned that opioids were becoming rampant in Black communities. Then came Covid-19. In 2020, the rate of drug overdose deaths among Black Americans skyrocketed, increasing faster than that of any other racial or ethnic group in the country. Fentanyl, which had become more ubiquitous, drove the rising toll. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report showing that more Black Americans died from fentanyl overdoses than from any other drug in 2021 and at far higher rates than whites or Hispanics. (Mahr, 5/3)

AP: Washington State To Decriminalize Drugs Unless Lawmakers Act 
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling lawmakers back to work after they rejected a bill setting out a new statewide drug policy — a development that has put the state on the brink of decriminalizing possession of fentanyl and other drugs while also depriving it of much-needed investments in public health. Lawmakers adjourned their regular session late last month after voting down a bill that would keep drug possession illegal and boost services for people struggling with addiction. Many liberal Democrats objected to criminalizing drugs, while conservative Democrats and Republicans insisted they must be to provide incentive for people to enter treatment. (Johnson, 5/3)

The New York Times: Vermont Removes Residency Requirement For Medically Assisted Deaths
Vermont has become the first state to remove a residency requirement from its law on medically assisted death to allow terminally ill people from out of state access to life-ending care. The law, which for a decade has permitted doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill people 18 or older, was amended Tuesday, when Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill scrapping the residency requirement. (Albeck-Ripka, 5/2)

The Washington Post: N.C. Republicans Unveil 12-Week Abortion Ban After Secret Negotiations
Republicans in North Carolina introduced a plan on Tuesday to ban abortion in the state after 12 weeks of pregnancy, a move that would significantly narrow the window for legal abortions but stop short of the more-restrictive bans that have been enacted in other Southern states. The new measure was unveiled just days after proposed bans fizzled last week in two other conservative states — a near-total ban in South Carolina and a six-week ban in Nebraska — with opposition coming from some Republican women and others in the party amid fears of a growing political backlash prompted by the fall of Roe v. Wade. (Kitchener and Roubein, 5/2)

The New York Times: Judge Allows Abortion Clinics To Remain Open In Utah For Now 
A Utah state judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a new law, one day before it was scheduled to take effect, that would have banned abortion clinics and potentially put a halt to most abortions in the state. Abortion is legal in Utah up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, and after that only in limited circumstances. But legislators have been trying in recent years to further restrict the procedure. A state law which would ban nearly all abortions is suspended while the Utah Supreme Court considers whether abortion is protected in the Constitution. (Chen, 5/2)

AP: NY Governor Signs Bill Expanding Access To Contraceptives 
New Yorkers next year won’t have to go through their doctors to get prescription contraceptives under a bill that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law Tuesday as part of her administration’s efforts to expand reproductive rights in the state. Under the law that will take effect in November 2024, trained pharmacists will be able to distribute self-administered hormonal contraceptives including oral birth control pills, vaginal rings, and the patch to New Yorkers, even if patients don’t have a prescription from their doctor or nurse practitioner. (Khan, 5/2)

AP: California Hotline To Provide Legal Help Related To Abortion 
California has joined with law firms and advocacy groups to create a hotline that provides access to information and pro bono services for people who need legal help related to abortion, as the state seeks to become a safe haven for reproductive rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned. State Attorney General Rob Bonta and officials with the Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Justice made the announcement Tuesday, one year since the U.S. Supreme Court draft decision reversing Roe was leaked. (Weber, 5/2)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Man Suing Over Ex-Wife's Abortion Knew About It, New Suit Claims
A Texas man suing three Houston women who helped his ex-wife terminate her pregnancy knew of his wife's plan to take abortion medication and later told her he would have helped if she had told him about it sooner, according to new legal filings. (Wermund, 5/2)

CNN: Because Of Florida Abortion Laws, She Carried Her Baby To Term Knowing He Would Die 
A Florida woman, unable to get an abortion in her state, carried to term a baby who had no kidneys. Deborah Dorbert’s son Milo died in her arms on March 3, shortly after he was born, just as her doctors had predicted he would. “He gasped for air a couple of times when I held him,” said Dorbert, 33. “I watched my child take his first breath, and I held him as he took his last one.” (Cohen, Hassan and Musa, 5/2)

Stat: Biden’s NIH Pick Will Face Slew Of Political Questions
President Biden’s presumed pick to lead the National Institutes of Health, Monica Bertagnolli, will face a slew of questions on the multibillion-dollar agency’s spending and oversight in her upcoming confirmation battle. (Owermohle, 5/3)

The Washington Post: CDC Opens Probe After 35 Test Positive For Covid Following CDC Conference 
Disease detectives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are probing a new outbreak: the roughly three-dozen coronavirus cases linked to their own annual conference last week. “CDC is working with the Georgia Department of Health to conduct a rapid epidemiological assessment of confirmed COVID-19 cases that appear to be connected to the 2023 EIS Conference to determine transmission patterns,” CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said in an email. (Sun and Diamond, 5/2)

The Boston Globe: In A Happy Milestone, A Boston Hospital Reports Zero Inpatients With COVID-19
In another promising sign of the retreat of COVID-19, Tufts Medical Center said Tuesday it had reached the point where zero inpatients are positive for the disease. The number hasn’t been that low since the pandemic began ravaging the state more than three years ago. (Finucane, 5/2)

The Washington Post: Hospital Mask Mandates Are Ending. Not Everyone's Happy About It. 
Doctors’ offices were the last place in Montana where Missoula resident Jenna James, who has long covid and other chronic conditions, had felt comfortable knowing others had to mask. ... “I literally have to choose between lifesaving medical care and exposure to covid, which really isn’t a choice,” said James, 42. “It’s a high-risk situation being forced on me with little to no ability to consent.” (Nirappil, 5/1)

CIDRAP: WHO Survey Finds Signs Of Health System Recovery From Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been tracking health system impacts since the early days of the pandemic, and its latest survey of countries shows that health services are starting to recover, according to new findings released today. ... The WHO said disruptions continue in both the demand and supply part of health services, which reflect lower levels of health-seeking from the public and limited availability of health workers and other resources such as clinics, medicines, and products. (Schnirring, 5/2)

Modern Healthcare: 2023 Leapfrog Group Safety Grades Reflect High Infection Rates 
Rates of infection and hospital performance on safety measures continued to worsen during peak periods of the pandemic in late 2021 and 2022, according to data released Wednesday by the Leapfrog Group. (Devereaux, 5/3)

AP: Georgia To Take Over Health Insurance Market Under New Law
Georgia’s state government will for the first time run its own marketplace for individual health insurance under a law that Gov. Brian Kemp signed Tuesday. The Republican governor said during a ceremony at the state Capitol that the law would create a better way of people “knowing and comparing their health care insurance options” and bring “further competition to the field.” (Amy, 5/2)

The New York Times: Judge Rejects Zooey Zephyr’s Effort To Return To Montana House Floor 
A judge ruled on Tuesday against a Montana legislator who had sought a court order allowing her to return to the House of Representatives after she was barred during an escalating standoff over her remarks on transgender issues. ... Judge Mike Menahan, who served in the House as a Democrat before being elected to the state’s First District Court a decade ago, said in a five-page order issued late Tuesday that he did not have the authority to intervene in the legislative dispute. (Fortin, 5/2)

AP: Transgender Surgery Ban Advances In North Carolina House 
Dozens of transgender North Carolinians and their supporters spoke out against state lawmakers Tuesday as a House committee advanced legislation banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors without allowing members of the public to testify. The audience erupted in chants of “Let us speak” and “Blood on your hands” as the Republican-controlled House Health Committee passed a proposal prohibiting health care providers from performing surgeries on minors to remove or alter features typical of the patient’s sex assigned at birth. If the bill becomes law, North Carolina physicians would also be unable to refer a minor to another provider to receive such procedures. (Schoenbaum, 5/2)

Houston Chronicle: Protesters In Texas House Ousted Over Chants On Transgender Care Ban
Debate over a bill to ban transition medical care for transgender youth snowballed into a dramatic scene Tuesday in the Texas House after protesters began chanting and the speaker called for troopers to clear the gallery. (Goldenstein, 5/2)

The Hill: Half Of Parents Think Children’s Mental Health Worse Due To Social Media, Survey Finds 
Parents are noticing a troubling change in their children after using social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, according to a new survey. The survey of 2,035 American adults found that 50 percent of parents with children younger than 18 years old feel their child or children’s mental health has suffered in the last year because of social media use.  (O'Connell-Domenech, 5/3)

The Hill: Parental Consent Proposal Throws Wrench Into Kids’ Online Safety Talks
New proposals that would require parental consent for teens to use social media are throwing a wrench into bipartisan support for kids’ online safety proposals. Momentum in Congress to tackle concerns raised by the impact of social media on minors has been building over the past year. President Biden urged Congress to take action during his State of the Union Address in February, following a warning from the surgeon general. (Klar, 5/2)

CNN: Regular Internet Use May Be Linked To Lower Dementia Risk In Older Adults, Study Says
If your parents or grandparents ask you how to post on Instagram or how to send a birthday message to a Facebook friend, a new study suggests you might want to help them – not just to be nice but because getting them online may help their brain health, too. (Christensen, 5/3)

Los Angeles Times: Mental Health Apps May Put Your Privacy At Risk. What To Look For
Every second, thousands of people tell their phone or computer something about themselves that they might not want anyone else to know. That’s what happens when people search for medical information online, typically looking for answers to questions about a problem or worry they have. In 2022, Google says, its users searched often for information about diets and supplements, exercise, stress and depression, and various other ailments. Depending on the users’ browser settings, those details may still be found in their Google profiles. (Healey, 5/2)

Stat: Legal Battle Between Apple And Masimo Ends In Mistrial
A California jury was unable to reach a verdict in a messy, drawn-out legal battle between Apple and patient-monitoring company Masimo. James Selna, the judge presiding, announced the case a mistrial on Monday. (Lawrence, 5/2)

Stat: RJ Reynolds Is Threatening To Sue Vape Shops
The tobacco giant RJ Reynolds is threatening to sue small vape shops if they do not stop selling flavored vapes, according to two letters obtained by STAT. (Florko, 5/3)

The New York Times: One Dose Of HPV Vaccine Prevents Infection For At Least Three Years 
A single dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine is highly effective at preventing infections over three years, most likely lowering rates of cervical cancer and other diseases linked to the virus, according to a new study in Kenya. A single-dose strategy would dramatically extend supplies of the vaccine, lower costs and simplify distribution, which would make vaccination a more viable option in countries with limited resources, experts said. (Mandavilli, 5/2)

USA Today: How Does Neurologic Music Therapy Work? Study Reveals Practice's Power
Adults and children with cognitive disorders may have trouble walking – but neurologic music therapy can be a helpful part of their treatment plan, according to growing research. Neurologic music therapy has been shown to help retrain the brain to walk, improving the gait of those with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, stroke and cerebral palsy. (Hassanein, 5/2)