Women's Health

Anne Logan Bass, a clinician at Planned Parenthood in Roanoke, Va., fears that misinformation and inaccurate information will make it harder for the nonprofit organization to do its job providing women's health services, including abortions.

At A Virginia Planned Parenthood Clinic, Practitioners Worry For Their Patients

12:07am January 20, 2017

by Ari Shapiro

After Donald Trump's inauguration, Republican lawmakers once again plan to try to end federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood. Abortions are among the health services the nonprofit provides.

Queue Listen Now

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President-elect Mike Pence plan to include defunding of Planned Parenthood in a budget reconciliation bill intended to also defund the Affordable Care Act.

That Vow To Defund Planned Parenthood: Easy To Say, Hard To Do

6:00am January 15, 2017

by Julie Rovner

Federal funding for the group that helps supply women's reproductive health care is built into multiple places in the budget, and stripping it out is not as simple as it may sound.

Folic acid in food might not be enough to prevent birth defects, a federal advisory panel says. Thus the recommendation for supplements.

Women Still Need Folic Acid Supplements To Prevent Birth Defects

4:23pm January 10, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

Taking folic acid while pregnant reduces the risk of birth defects. But there may not be enough of the vitamin in enriched grain products, a federal advisory panel says.

Morning sickness treatments range from steady consumption of dry crackers to a pill not much better than a placebo.

Morning Sickness Pill Gets Second Look From Persistent Researchers

4:19pm January 06, 2017

by Richard Harris

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says pregnant women with morning sickness shouldn't reach hastily for the pill bottle. Controversy over one medicine called Diclegis continues.

Mothers of middle schoolers reported higher levels of depression compared to moms of children at other ages.

Being Mom To A Middle Schooler Can Be The Toughest Gig Of All

5:00am December 29, 2016

by Juli Fraga

Everyone knows about postpartum depression, but depression is actually most common among moms of middle schoolers, a study finds. Think surly kids, hormonal changes and skimpy support networks.

A Houston grand jury investigating undercover footage at this Houston Planned Parenthood clinic found no wrongdoing by the clinic and instead indicted anti-abortion activists involved in making misleading videos about the handling of fetal tissue.

Texas Moves To Block Planned Parenthood From Medicaid Funds

7:38pm December 21, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

State health officials say they will cut off millions of dollars of federal funding in 30 days. Federal courts have struck down similar moves in at least three other states.

Florida Department of Health workers package a urine test, part of the state's effort to provide free Zika tests to pregnant women.

Study Offers Clues To Risk Of Zika Birth Defects In The U.S.

6:41pm December 14, 2016

by Rob Stein

Women who were infected with Zika virus while abroad and then came to the U.S. had complications about 6 percent of the time, a study finds. First-trimester exposure was linked to more birth defects.

Be the sunflower and you may live longer.

A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life

4:25pm December 07, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

This study doesn't prove that optimism actually causes better health or postpones death. But it joins a growing body of evidence suggesting that they're fellow travelers.

Women Could Pay More Than Men For Health Care Under Trump

6:53pm November 29, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover maternity services, birth control and screening such as mammograms. Trump administration plans to repeal Obamacare could end that.

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover birth control with no copay. It's unclear what will happen to coverage if the act is repealed or amended.

Spike In Demand For Long-Acting Birth Control Strains Clinic Budgets

12:49pm November 23, 2016

by Erin Ross

Family planning centers funded by the federal government are straining to meet a post-election surge in demand for contraceptives. And it's unclear if the new Congress will continue support.