Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Of Country's Most Trusted Health Websites Have Outdated, Misleading Information For Pregnant Women
ProPublica: Trusted Health Sites Spread Myths About A Deadly Pregnancy Complication
Preeclampsia, a dangerous form of hypertension that can develop during pregnancy or in the days and weeks after childbirth, is one of the most common causes of maternal death and severe complications in the U.S. ...But you’d never know it from the incomplete, imprecise, outdated and sometimes misleading information published by some of the most trusted consumer health sites in the country. (Martin, 8/14)
Denver Post: Colorado Seventh Best State To Have A Baby
The holiday season was about nine months ago. Thus, it’s now baby season. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that August is the most popular birth month. And Coloradans are in luck, because the state was recently ranked by WalletHub as the seventh best state to have a baby. WalletHub’s study compared 26 key measures across the 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine the most ideal place to give birth. Factors included birthing costs, health care accessibility and family friendliness. (Fries, 8/14)
The Washington Post: The FDA Approved An App To Prevent Pregnancy. Can An App Do That?
Contraception? Yes, there’s an app for that. And an FDA-approved app at that. Last week, Natural Cycles became the first app approved by the government to prevent pregnancy. The Swedish-based company had been cleared in Europe in 2017 and is an emerging name within the “Femtech” industry — a catchall for “female health technology” that has reaped an estimated $1 billion of investment worldwide in the past three years. (Siegel, 8/14)
California Healthline: Battle Lines Drawn As Abortion-Rights Activists Leave Their Mark Outside Clinics
Haley Pollock carries a box of chalk in her car, ready for action. In her spare time, she and fellow community activists convert the sidewalks outside of crisis pregnancy centers into political canvases, scrawling phrases such as “Fake Women’s Clinic Ahead” and “End the Lies.” Her team soon plans to carry out nighttime sorties — guerrilla-style — so people living near these centers find the pink, blue and yellow messages first thing in the morning. (Ibarra, 8/14)
Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Abortion Clinic The Women's Center Closing Its Doors
One of only two abortion clinics in Nashville is closing its doors, and it remains unclear when or where it will reopen. The Women’s Center, which has operated in the city since 1990, stopped taking new patients over the weekend and is now referring women to clinics in Knoxville and Bristol, said clinic attorney Thomas Jessee. The center is closing because the owners have agreed to sell the building and the details of the sale are being finalized, Jessee said. The Women's Center intends to reopen and is now searching for a new location, he said. (Kelman, 8/14)
