Amidst a series of blows to reproductive rights in the U.S. following the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, the midterm elections yielded a much-needed victory for sexual and reproductive health in Michigan. Proposal Three, a statewide proposal codifying the right to abortion in the Michigan Constitution, passed on November 8th by a 13-point margin. This victory was a critical one in Michigan, which is historically known as a swing state, and where the fate of abortion rights in light of the Supreme Court decision remained unclear. Temporary legal action prevented the state’s 1931 abortion ban from going into effect following the Dobbs decision. The breakdown of Michigan votes in favor of Proposal Three offers compelling insights into the profile of Michigan voters. A Michigan Advance article found that Michigan voters living in abortion deserts played a critical role in passing the proposal, with several northern counties demonstrating overwhelming support. It is not uncommon for Michigan residents living in the Upper Peninsula to...
Effective family planning is critical for women’s empowerment and improvement in child and maternal health, yet nearly half of the world’s pregnancies are unintended(1), representing a clear unmet need for contraception. Hormonal contraceptive regimens offer high efficacy but may induce a systemic side effect profile that reduces compliance. New research into contraceptive development has stagnated since the 1980s, due to the exit of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry from the arena. Consequently, existing pericoital non-hormonal contraceptives, such as spermicides and gels, are unsatisfactory, suffering from high failure rates in typical use as well as high discontinuation rates, which partially stem from vaginal irritation and discomfort. To solve these issues, Schimpf and colleagues, reporting in Science Translational Medicine(2), proposed a novel mechanism that could represent the next generation in contraceptive design. They developed a formulation of chitosan mucoadhesive polymers that can be topically applied to physically reinforce the cervical mucus barrier against sperm penetration. Their vaginal gel formulation decreased average uterine sperm...
Pictured above: People marching in Boulder, Colorado for Reproductive Health Rights in May of 2022 with signs that say “Your right to abortion should not depend on your zip code.” Unfortunately, though, zip codes shaping access to abortions may very much be more of a reality with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The New York Times reveals how the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Mississippi law could weaken or even overturn Roe v. Wade which could ultimately lead to legal abortion access dramatically decreasing, particularly in the American South and Midwest (Bui et al., 2021). This geographic discrepancy is even more reinforced through social class differences and communities that are “disproportionately Black, Latina, teenagers, uninsured, and undocumented immigrants” (Miller & Sanger-Katz, 2022). Ultimately, leading not only to be a social justice issue and human rights issue, but also a racial justice issue. Bui et al. quotes Caitlin Knowles Myers saying, “A post Roe-United States isn’t one in which abortion isn’t...
Although stigma surrounding menstruation exists around the world, this stigma manifests in a way that has a deeply negative effect on the lives of menstruators in some communities in India. In these communities, periods are treated as dirty and impure. Many menstruators are not allowed to pray, go to the temple, or enter the kitchen while on their period. Due to the negative stigma surrounding menstruation, menstruators in these communities do not discuss menstruation. Many men do not even know what menstruation is. Menstruators feel ashamed buying sanitary pads from male workers at health stores and are thus forced to use unsanitary cloth rags during their cycles. As a result of the lack of access to proper menstrual hygiene products and community support, in some Indian communities, young menstruators are forced to end their education after they get their period. Despite how pervasive this taboo is in many Indian communities, there are a variety of efforts to combat this detrimental stigma....
Today, March 8, marks International Women’s Day which is also the fourth anniversary of the Center for Global Reproductive Health at Duke. This year’s theme for IWD is #BreaktheBias, challenging people to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. The United Nations is convening a series of events to highlight the link between gender, social equity and climate change, and call for more women’s voices to call for gender transformative solutions to the climate crisis. The UN published a series of articles and resources about this year’s theme, and ways in which people everywhere can get involved and have their voices heard. The Economist has compiled a series of articles on women around the world, Twitter is alight with stories about how organizations are working toward equity and celebrated women, and Duke highlighted the work of leading women around campus. Happy International Women’s Day—add your own voice to this important day!...
In recent research conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham, evidence has been found that suggests that the places where men live have the ability to affect their reproductive health. The study was conducted using dogs as a sentinel species, based upon their common proximity to humans and popularity as pets. The study analyzed the testes of dogs, searching for and evaluating levels of pathologies and irregularities present. Anthropogenic chemicals, those derived from environmental pollutants, have been hypothesized to be associated with an increased risk and prevalence of testicular cancer as well as with declines in semen quality in male reproductive health. Samples for this study were taken from different regions throughout the United Kingdom, [from the West Midlands, East Midlands and South East] as well as from Denmark and Finland for comparison. It was discovered that the samples from the different locations demonstrated varying levels of pathologies, indicating that certain populations were more at risk for experiencing negative effects...
On Thursday, January 14, the Kisumu Cervical Cancer Alliance held a Zoom meeting to review current plans and status of cervical cancer prevention in the region, and to launch their new website: www.kisumucanceralliance.org. The KCCA was started approximately three years ago to harmonize and increase the impact of cervical cancer prevention efforts among health care systems, non-profit organizations and government programs. Their mission is to “create an alliance of partners and stakeholder working to improve cancer screening, treatment and rehabilitation services in Kisumu County.” The website will serve as a resource for people interested in learning more about screening and vaccination and for women diagnosed with cervical cancer. Partners working in cervical cancer can share their work, and learn more about what control efforts in the region. The Kisumu first lady, Dorothy Nyongo, who has been a powerful advocate in cancer control for the region, was in attendance. She lauded the work, stating that “despite Covid, she is proud that...
This November 3rd, voters in Washington will be voting on a law to ensure a comprehensive sexual education curriculum in schools. The new law, called Referendum 90, would require schools districts to adopt a sexual education curriculum consistent with state standards. This new law encourages schools to follow a curriculum approved by the state, although they are allowed to develop their own provided that they are inclusive, age-appropriate, and teach medically accurate information about contraceptives and disease prevention. Parents are allowed to review material and request to excuse their children. The curriculum mandates at least 6 lessons throughout grades K-12, with a minimum of one lesson between kindergarten and third grade, one in grade four or five, two in middle school, and two in high school. In the earlier lessons, content would focus on social-emotional learning such as how to cope with feelings or how to set goals. Proponents of the bills cite rising sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, and...
The latest victory for abortion rights: the supreme court declined to reinstate restriction for patients seeking to obtain a drug used for early pregnancy abortions. With COVID-19 continuing to ravage through the country, the Supreme Court allowed a blocking of FDA rules requiring an in-person visit with a medical professional to pick up mifepristone, the drug in question which is the first of two drugs taken to terminate pregnancies less than 10 weeks. The ACLU argues on behalf of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that the FDA rules served no purpose and forced women to face unnecessary risks with added trips to the doctor during the pandemic. Mifepristone is the only medication that the FDA forced patients to pick up in clinic, despite the fact that women can take the pill without supervision. This comes as a blow to the Trump administration, as he asked the supreme court to reinstate this rule earlier in the year despite the...
Reproductive rights remain a contested and highly debated topic, largely left up to the discretion of states to decide on more or less restrictive policies. However, recent research has provided evidence that states with less restrictive policies see better birth outcomes. In a new study released just a week ago on October 13th, Sudhinaraset and her team compared several reproductive policies across states including, mandatory parent consent for minors seeking abortion, mandatory waiting periods, restrictions on public funding for abortion, percentage of women living in counties with abortion providers, expanded eligibility for Medicaid family planning services, and mandatory sexual education in schools. The results show that women in most restrictive states showed a 7% higher low birth weight risk when compared to women in the least restrictive states. They also showed the less restrictive policies are particularly protective against adverse birth outcomes for Black women. As more restrictive policies are being put in place and status of certain reproductive rights...
