Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Admin Shifts Focus Of Title X From Contraception To Conception
Politico: Trump Admin Moves Title X Family Planning Program Away From Contraception, Toward Conception
The Trump administration on Friday took the first step toward reviving and expanding the conservative overhaul of the Title X family planning program that happened the first time Trump was president — changes that previously led to an exodus of reproductive health providers and a steep drop in the number of patients served. (Ollstein, 4/3)
In abortion news —
The Florida Tributary: As Florida Restricted Abortion, State’s Maternal Mortality Committee Went Dark
Florida’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee was created two decades ago to investigate why Florida moms are dying during and after pregnancy – and to stop preventable deaths from happening in the first place. But the secretive panel housed within the Florida Department of Health hadn’t publicly released any annual findings in years until a Florida Trib reporter asked agency officials last week about the committee’s apparent lack of action. (Payne, 4/3)
ABC 4: Utah's Abortion Case Delayed After Groups Challenge Legislature's New Three-Judge Panel
The years-long wait to settle Utah’s abortion trigger law has been delayed as multiple plaintiffs in some of the state’s highest-profile cases challenge new laws with the Utah Supreme Court, which moves their cases to new three-judge panels. (Aerts, 4/3)
WCMH-TV: Doctors Oppose Myriad Of ‘Extremist’ Abortion Bills In Ohio Statehouse
150 Ohio doctors, organized by a national group called the Committee to Protect Health Care, have signed a letter strongly opposing a flurry of what they call “extremist” abortion bills moving through the Statehouse. Of particular concern to those doctors is House Bill 754, proposed just last month by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) that would require every pregnancy and fetal death in Ohio to be registered with the state. (Bethea, 4/3)
Slate: She Was Put In Jail In Texas For An Abortion. Blame The Supreme Court For What Happened Next.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, conservative states have stressed that they won’t prosecute women, whom they describe as abortion’s “second victims.” That was the message Texas hoped to send when prosecutors in Starr County dropped charges against a woman named Lizelle Herrera for ending her pregnancy. But Herrera’s case is now communicating something else entirely: Prosecutors who target women for abortion often won’t face any consequences, even when they ignore the law. (Ziegler, 4/6)
On menopause, IVF, and breast cancer —
AP: Doctors Urge Women To Be Wary Of The Marketing Surge In Menopause Products
Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause — all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of aging — are being bombarded with products. More open conversations about menopause and the period leading up to it — called perimenopause — are happening at the same time that marketing has been supercharged by social media. Women are being confronted by lotions and serums and light masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and necks, dietary supplements claiming to do everything from boost moods to ease hot flashes and gadgets promising to help with symptoms. (Stengle, 4/6)
NBC News: IVF Clinic Accused Of Embryo Mix-Up Closes Amid Legal And Financial Problems
A Florida fertility center is closing several months after a patient alleged the clinic implanted another couple’s embryo in her — a discovery she made after giving birth. The Fertility Center of Orlando announced its closure on its website, saying the decision was made “after thoughtful consideration.” It was not immediately clear when operations would cease. (Chuck, 4/3)
KFF Health News: These Women Had Their Breasts Removed To Thwart Cancer. Then Came The Pain
Three weeks after Sophia Bassan’s mastectomy, she felt a stabbing pain beneath her right armpit. In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back. Her body became so sensitive that at times she couldn’t wear a shirt or lift a fork to her mouth. Bassan slept sitting up because it hurt to lie down, and she would flinch at the slightest touch. (Kelman and Maxmen, 4/6)
