Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Female Gulf War Veterans More Likely To Hit Menopause Earlier, Study Finds
Women who served in the Gulf War were three times more likely to experience an early onset of menopause based on exposures to dangerous chemicals, according to a new study and reporting from Scienceline. (Damask, 2/8)
A major study suggests menopause is linked to changes in brain structure, mental health, and sleep. Brain scans revealed grey matter loss in areas tied to memory and emotional regulation, while many women reported increased anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Hormone therapy did not reverse these effects, though it may slow age-related declines in reaction speed. Researchers say menopause could represent an important turning point for brain health. (2/7)
After vetoing a menopause care bill last fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils proposal to improve access to menopause resources and education. (Wingo, 2/6)
In abortion news —
Arizona must stop enforcing abortion restrictions that predate and contradict a 2024 voter-approved constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights, a judge ordered in a ruling released Friday. Maricopa Superior Court Judge Greg Como found that the older laws present unnecessary obstacles to getting an abortion, including barring one if a woman was seeking it because the fetus had a non-fatal genetic abnormality, and requiring patients to see a doctor twice, at least 24 hours apart, before obtaining one. (Mulvihill and Govindarao, 2/6)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a sharply worded — and profane — response after Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced plans to sue California and New York in an effort to force the states to extradite doctors accused of prescribing abortion pills to patients in Louisiana. “Louisiana plans to sue me because I won’t extradite a doctor for providing an abortion,” Newsom wrote on X. Directly addressing Murrill, he added: “Go ---- yourself. California will never help you criminalize healthcare.” (Hilburn and Ward, 2/6)
A bill filed in the Iowa Statehouse would make abortion a crime and expand legal definitions for fetuses in civil and criminal cases. In wrongful-death lawsuits, the bill would expand "death of a child" to include the death of an unborn child. It further defines an unborn child as a human organism from fertilization. (2/6)
