July 2014

National Action Plan on Infertility Released

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the final version of its National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention and Management of Infertility.  The National Action Plan developed over the course of seven years and began with an ad hoc working group that included members of the Oncofertility Consortium that started at Northwestern.    A draft National Action Plan was released in May 2012.

Original Article

Microchip contraceptive with on/off switch?

Women may soon bid farewell to birth control pills and welcome a new type of contraception in the form of microchip implants. An MIT startup backed by the Bill Gates Foundation plans to start pre-clinical testing for the birth control chip next year and pave the way for a possible market debut in 2018.
Original Article

Inclusion of women in medical device studies critical!

Most people know that human clinical trials are critical to prove safety and efficacy in new medications.   This is also true for medical devices yet a recent study indicated that only 14% of device studies included sex as a key outcome measure, and only 4% included a subgroup analysis for female participants.    The differences in anatomy and physiology, as well as other factors in men and women,  can lead to devices working less effectively and safely.

Original Article

Having babies later may extend life

Women who had their last child at age 33 years or older were more likely to reach extremes of longevity, according to an analysis published online June 23 in Menopause.
Women who had their last child when they were aged 33 to 37 years were twice as likely to reach the extreme fifth percentile of longevity compared with women who had their last child before that age.

Original Article

Adopting healthy habits in your 30s can decrease heart disease risk.

The heart is more forgiving than you may think — especially to adults who try to take charge of their health, a new Northwestern Medicine® study has found.

When adults in their 30s and 40s decide to drop unhealthy habits that are harmful to their heart and embrace healthy lifestyle changes, they can control and potentially even reverse the natural progression of coronary artery disease, scientists found.

Original Article

The Right to Contraception Coverage

Yesterday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that “requiring family-owned corporations to pay for insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act violated a federal law protecting religious freedom.” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. conceded that the government does have a “compelling interest in making sure women have access to contraception,” but that there are ways of providing that access without “violating the companies’ religious rights.”

Original Article

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