Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Expensive, Risky IVF Add-On Procedures Don't Always Improve Pregnancy Odds, Study Finds
The New York Times: Services Sold To Boost I.V.F. Odds Backed By Little Evidence, Study Finds
Every year, patients undergo millions of in vitro fertilization procedures worldwide. Only a minority result in a live birth. In an effort to improve the odds, scientists have developed an array of “add-ons” that could in theory identify the most robust eggs, sperm and embryos or make the uterine lining more hospitable. Some patients pay thousands of dollars for these procedures, on top of the high costs of I.V.F. But a study published Tuesday found no indication that most of these add-ons work. (Astor, 6/23)
Undark: Advocacy Groups Express Mixed Views On Embryo Editing
As Edward Donnell Ivy remembers it, many of the sickle cell episodes he endured in his 20s were akin to headaches or colds: They hurt, but he could still get up and go. Every so often, though, he would be gripped by pain that left him unable to function. “I can’t go out the house. I can’t leave the bed,” he recalled. Then a college student, he would often wind up in the emergency room and miss weeks of classes at a time. The disease was taking a toll. (Smart, 6/24)
NPR: Crisis Pregnancy Centers Questioned About Ectopic Pregnancy Tactic
On Mother's Day, the Trump administration launched the website Moms.gov, which directs "expecting parents who are navigating difficult or unexpected pregnancies" to crisis pregnancy centers around the country. "Many centers offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STD/STI testing and treatment, parenting support, childbirth classes, medical referrals, and material goods like clothes and diapers — at no cost to you," Moms.gov explains. (Simmons-Duffin, 6/24)
KFF Health News: A Ban Won't Stop Abortion Pill Access, Telehealth Providers Say
Angel Foster had a backup plan.It was the first weekend in May. A federal appeals court had just made it illegal to mail mifepristone, a pill that’s part of the most widely used abortion method in the U.S. But Foster, a doctor who specializes in reproductive health, was prepared. As leader of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, which ships abortion pills to some 3,500 patients a month nationwide, including in states with abortion bans, she told patients they had three options. (Wells, 6/24)
CIDRAP: Device To Mix Baby Formula Contributed To Infant’s Legionnaires' Disease, Report Finds
When a 10-month-old girl arrived at a hospital in November 2025, she had spiked a fever and was breathing rapidly and shallowly. She recently had been diagnosed as having a rare autoinflammatory disease, and doctors learned she had been fed formula mixed using a device that blended powdered formula with warmed water stored in a reservoir. Both the water in the device and the home tested positive for Legionella pneumophila, according to a case report published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The infant’s experience with Legionnaires' disease highlights the danger of drinking resting warm water. (Holohan, 6/23)
In other public health news —
ABC News: Cervical Cancer Deaths 49% Higher For Women Living In Poverty: Report
Cervical cancer deaths are 49% higher for women living in poverty, a major report released on Thursday finds. Women living in poverty were also 23% more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to those living in higher-income areas, according to the report from the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR). "The disparities in this situation arise from an access to care issue," Dr. Paul DiSilvestro, division director of gynecologic oncology at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, who was not involved in the report, told ABC News. (Bojko, 6/24)
NBC News: As Cancer Death Rates Plunge, Clear Disparities Remain, New Report Says
Cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped dramatically in the past 35 years, falling by 35%, according to a report from the American Association for Cancer Research published Wednesday. The decline, which translates to nearly 5 million fewer cancer deaths since 1991, has been driven in large part by increased screening and advances in cancer treatments. But the progress has not been seen equally across the country. (Alvino, 6/24)
MedPage Today: Higher Daytime Light Exposure Linked To Lower Dementia Risk
People exposed to higher levels of daytime light had a lower risk of dementia, prospective data from 88,000 U.K. Biobank participants showed. (George, 6/24)
Axios: Millions In U.S. Travel Abroad For Cheaper Dental Care
Nearly 9.6 million American adults may have traveled abroad to get dental care, according to a new report from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Oral health procedures are generally more expensive in the U.S. than in other countries, making medical tourism a more viable option for some people. (Goldman, 6/24)
