Latest news with #ReproductiveHealth
The Sun
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Doctors gaslit me into thinking I wasn't ill – experts failed me & now I may never be a mother, reveals Vicky Pattison
HER fiery temper on Geordie Shore won over an army of fans – but even though Vicky Pattison has smoothed out her rough edges, she has still managed to become an unfiltered voice on issues that matter. And now she's tackling a cause that is close to her heart. 3 3 In an exclusive chat with The Sun — which comes as she presents Vicky Pattison Investigates: Medical Misogyny today on Good Morning Britain — the former I'm A Celebrity winner tells us why the UK healthcare system is failing women, including herself. Vicky, 37, says: 'Women are so often the punching bags. 'At the moment, the healthcare system is telling women that their pain, suffering and debilitating conditions do not matter.' Shocking statistics revealed today by GMB show three in five women have experienced reproductive health issues, yet a third have had to wait over a year for a diagnosis. Meanwhile, over half of them received a misdiagnosis, and 51 per cent said they had felt dismissed by a medical professional. It's a feeling that Vicky knows all too well as it took five years of being made to feel like she was overreacting before she was finally diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. In the meantime, she was suffering from anxiety, depressive moods, rage, crippling cramps, and a feeling of hopelessness. Her GP told her it was nothing unusual — she was just a bit more 'sensitive' than the average woman. 'When I hit my 30s, my period symptoms started becoming increasingly heightened,' she says. 'In some of my more intense and darker moments, I had suicidal thoughts. I'm A Celeb winner set to join Strictly after wowing bosses while supporting pal in audience last year 'I knew what I was experiencing couldn't be right — it was just so debilitating. 'But for five years, I was repeatedly dismissed by my doctors. "I was told everything from, 'This is just PMS, everyone experiences it, other women can just handle it better' to, 'This is psychological — you need antidepressants.' 'I was told by one doctor, 'Maybe it'll be better if you lose weight.'' Her voice breaks when she reflects on the battle she still faces. Vicky says: 'Every month, you lose yourself — and as I've gotten older, it's gotten worse. "It used to last a few days, but now it's seven to ten days before my period. 'I'm anxious, I'm emotional, I'm exhausted, and I'm completely unrecognisable from the woman I am the rest of the time. 'The things that bring me joy don't bring me joy.' It was only three years ago, after hitting countless dead ends, that she went to a private doctor — a step she knows many women can't take. 'SPICY MOMENTS' 'I broke down when she said I had PMDD,' Vicky says. 'I'd had five years of being gaslit.' Yet sadly for Vicky and so many other women, diagnosis is just the first step. She is still on the quest to find treatment that works. She explains: 'I've read all the blogs, I follow all the accounts, I've got some great premenstrual supplements that I swear by. 'But even if you exercise, your diet is good and you're doing all those things you know help, you can't control the uncontrollable and the PMDD symptoms will rage. 'The only thing that helps me is communicating. "Whether it's to my agent, to the people I work with, or to my family, I say: 'I know what's about to happen. "There will be some spicy moments where I'm raging. Please know that's not me.'' So much of her personal healing has come from her husband of almost a year, Ercan Ramadan, 31. The pair had only just started dating around seven years ago when Vicky's PMDD first emerged. She recalls: 'It did initially put a huge strain on our relationship. 3 'Now I help him understand. "I'll go to him: 'I think I'm coming into my spicy week' — where you can't remember names, you can't remember where you're supposed to be, you're practically narcoleptic. 'He'll just handle me with kid gloves. I am very lucky that I have a man who understands. 'I know everyone's not in that position, but they can't give you empathy if they don't understand, so do try to explain it.' Vicky's now written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to deliver news of GMB's findings. She wants to see education on women's health improve in schools, get GPs more informed and give greater support to women in the workplace when they are in pain. Vicky says: 'I know Wes Streeting is a busy man, and I don't think for one second he's going to see a letter from Vicky Pattison and think, 'Ooh I should make time for her.' 'But it's not about ignoring me. It's about what ignoring me says to women in Britain. "You are saying to half the population that our pain, our suffering, our quality of life doesn't matter. That is inexcusable.' Appearing alongside Vicky on GMB today are three women who have also been fobbed off by the healthcare system. I think people wrote me off a long time ago, but I'm really grateful that I parlayed a stint on reality TV to where I am now Vicky Pattison Kelly Swingler, 44, from Cambridgeshire, waited 34 years for a diagnosis of adenomyosis, and it took two years for Rachael Twimasi-Corson, 35, from London, to get a call from a mental health nurse after identifying her PMDD symptoms through social media. Meanwhile, Manika Kaur, 27, from Newcastle, received an endometriosis diagnosis after ten years of debilitating pain. Vicky adds: 'I'm hoping that the Government realises this can't be ignored anymore.' As for her personal journey, PMDD is still a battle — and it's one affecting her plans to become a mum after freezing her eggs in 2023 and making embryos with Ercan. She wells up as she says: 'I am a woman of a certain age who would love to have kids. "But my fear is that my condition will make it very difficult to be the mum that I want to be. "You want to be this lovely, patient mother, but I do worry what I'll be like with PMDD — because you're short-tempered, you're exhausted." Yet having opened up in previous years about her body image issues, her struggles with alcohol and finding herself in toxic relationships, she is used to showing her vulnerable side. She says: 'I think people wrote me off a long time ago, but I'm really grateful that I parlayed a stint on reality TV to where I am now, and that I'm able to use my platform to champion issues that are so important to me. 'I'm going to be a thorn in the side of people making decisions, because I believe it's important. 'I hope they're ready, because I'm fired up.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood sues Trump admin, saying it is targeted by provision in megabill
A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a temporary restraining order against a provision in President Donald Trump's recently passed tax and policy megabill that would deny Planned Parenthood and its member organizations Medicaid funding for one year for non-abortion health services. Planned Parenthood, the largest reproductive health provider in the United States, and two of its member organizations had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier Monday over the provision, which the groups said was meant to target Planned Parenthood and its member organizations over abortion access. While the Hyde Amendment already prohibits the use of federal funding for abortions, the provision would prevent providers that offer abortion services and that received over $800,000 or more in federal Medicaid funding in 2023 from receiving Medicaid funding for other kinds of care for one year. MORE: Supreme Court decision bolsters efforts to defund Planned Parenthood Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, wrote in the temporary restraining order that "Defendants, their agents, employees, appointees, successors, and anyone acting in concert or participation with Defendants shall take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed in the customary manner and timeframes to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its members; Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah." The order is set to remain in effect for 14 days, and a hearing has been set for July 21. Planned Parenthood, in a statement on social media on Monday night, wrote, "We're grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients... The fight is just beginning, and we look forward to our day in court!" In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood wrote that the bill's provision was meant "to categorically prohibit health centers associated with Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements… in order to punish them for lawful activity, namely advocating for and providing legal abortion access wholly outside the Medicaid program and without using any federal funds." Mentioning that Planned Parenthood branches serve over a million patients using Medicaid each year, the group wrote, "losing the ability to choose a Planned Parenthood Member health center as their Medicaid provider will be devastating for Medicaid patients across the country." The group also said that Planned Parenthood clinics, services, and staff would likely be eliminated if the clinics can no longer get Medicaid reimbursement. MORE: Justices divided over Medicaid 'right' to choose Planned Parenthood clinics The lawsuit names Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Mehmet Oz, along with their respective agencies, as plaintiffs. ABC News has reached out to HHS and CMS for comment. Multiple groups that oppose abortion access condemned the lawsuit, calling the bill a win for their cause and framing Planned Parenthood as desperate. "Planned Parenthood's desperation is showing as they run to the courts again to fix a crisis of their own making. Time after time they rely on unelected judges to bail them out of trouble, rather than fix deep systemic problems internally... As Planned Parenthood doubles down on lawfare and abortion politics, they prove exactly why the One Big Beautiful Bill is a historic victory for the people, stopping half a billion dollars in forced taxpayer funding of the corrupt abortion industry for the first time," Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America director of legal affairs Katie Daniel said in a statement.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Planned Parenthood sues Trump admin, saying it is targeted by provision in megabill
A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a temporary restraining order against a provision in President Donald Trump's recently passed tax and policy megabill that would deny Planned Parenthood and its member organizations Medicaid funding for one year for non-abortion health services. Planned Parenthood, the largest reproductive health provider in the United States, and two of its member organizations had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier Monday over the provision, which the groups said was meant to target Planned Parenthood and its member organizations over abortion access. While the Hyde Amendment already prohibits the use of federal funding for abortions, the provision would prevent providers that offer abortion services and that received over $800,000 or more in federal Medicaid funding in 2023 from receiving Medicaid funding for other kinds of care for one year. MORE: Supreme Court decision bolsters efforts to defund Planned Parenthood Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, wrote in the temporary restraining order that "Defendants, their agents, employees, appointees, successors, and anyone acting in concert or participation with Defendants shall take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed in the customary manner and timeframes to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its members; Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah." The order is set to remain in effect for 14 days, and a hearing has been set for July 21. Planned Parenthood, in a statement on social media on Monday night, wrote, "We're grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients... The fight is just beginning, and we look forward to our day in court!" In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood wrote that the bill's provision was meant "to categorically prohibit health centers associated with Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements… in order to punish them for lawful activity, namely advocating for and providing legal abortion access wholly outside the Medicaid program and without using any federal funds." Mentioning that Planned Parenthood branches serve over a million patients using Medicaid each year, the group wrote, "losing the ability to choose a Planned Parenthood Member health center as their Medicaid provider will be devastating for Medicaid patients across the country." The group also said that Planned Parenthood clinics, services, and staff would likely be eliminated if the clinics can no longer get Medicaid reimbursement. MORE: Justices divided over Medicaid 'right' to choose Planned Parenthood clinics The lawsuit names Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Mehmet Oz, along with their respective agencies, as plaintiffs. ABC News has reached out to HHS and CMS for comment. Multiple groups that oppose abortion access condemned the lawsuit, calling the bill a win for their cause and framing Planned Parenthood as desperate. "Planned Parenthood's desperation is showing as they run to the courts again to fix a crisis of their own making. Time after time they rely on unelected judges to bail them out of trouble, rather than fix deep systemic problems internally... As Planned Parenthood doubles down on lawfare and abortion politics, they prove exactly why the One Big Beautiful Bill is a historic victory for the people, stopping half a billion dollars in forced taxpayer funding of the corrupt abortion industry for the first time," Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America director of legal affairs Katie Daniel said in a statement.
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Is India Prepared For A PCOS Crisis? Poor Lifestyle And Stress Could Be The Culprit
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a complex hormonal disorder has emerged as a significant health concern in India, affecting an increasing number of women. Typical symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, acne, weight gain, excessive hair growth, mood fluctuations, and sleep-related problems. PCOS is a leading cause of infertility, raising alarms among healthcare professionals. It is also the commonest cause of anovulation. Understanding PCOS requires a closer look at its multifaceted nature and the factors contributing to its rising prevalence. PCOS in India According to a study published in the journal Reproductive Health, a high 17.40% prevalence rate of PCOS among young women in Delhi (NCR), with 70.30% already diagnosed and 29.70% newly diagnosed during the study. Another study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research found that 1 in 5 young Indian women suffer from PCOS. This high prevalence has led to widespread infertility in several parts of the country. Understanding PCOS PCOS causes hormonal imbalances that disrupt a woman's normal reproductive cycle. As the name suggests, multiple small cysts can form on the ovaries, hindering ovulation and leading to infertility. Hormonal imbalance due to PCOS further contributes to insulin resistance and increases the risk of diabetes as well as heart disease. Additionally, the psychological impact of PCOS, ranging from anxiety and depression to body image issues, adds another layer of complexity to its management. The impact of poor lifestyle and stress Studies highlight that poor lifestyle choices and uncontrolled stress are two major contributors to PCOS in India. With growing dependence on the internet and instant services, a sedentary lifestyle is increasingly prevalent. Sedentary lifestyle choices coupled with unhealthy eating patterns contribute to a significantly higher risk of obesity and conditions like diabetes and PCOS. Additionally, increased consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods further increases the risk. Moreover, stress has become an omnipresent aspect of modern life. Chronic stress can lead to alterations in hormonal levels, further complicating the symptoms of PCOS. It can also fuel unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices which can result in weight gain and worsen insulin sensitivity. Other risk factors for PCOS include: Genes: Studies suggest that women with a family history of PCOS are more susceptible. Obesity: India's increasing rate of obesity is one of the prominent risk factors for PCOS Hormonal disruptors: Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly found in plastics, pesticides, and personal care products can interfere with hormonal balance. Increasing awareness about the condition among women and healthcare providers is crucial to address the growing concern in India. Eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly are essential for managing symptoms effectively. Additionally, stress management techniques, such as yoga, mindfulness, and therapy, can also play a pivotal role in improving overall well-being and mitigating some of the psychological impacts associated with PCOS.
Medscape
02-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
HHS Cuts CDC Staff Overseeing Birth Control Safety
For Brianna Henderson, birth control isn't just about preventing pregnancy. The Texas mother of two was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal heart condition after having her second child. In addition to avoiding another pregnancy that could be life-threatening, Henderson has to make sure the contraception she uses doesn't jeopardize her health. For more than a decade, a small team of people at the CDC worked to do just that, issuing national guidelines for clinicians on how to prescribe contraception safely for millions of women with underlying medical conditions — including heart disease, lupus, sickle cell disease, and obesity. But the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, fired those workers as part of the Trump administration's rapid downsizing of the federal workforce. It also decimated the CDC's larger Division of Reproductive Health, where the team was housed — a move that clinicians, advocacy groups, and fired workers say will endanger the health of women and their babies. Clinicians said in interviews that counseling patients about birth control and prescribing it is relatively straightforward. But for women with conditions that put them at higher risk of serious health complications, special care is needed. 'We really were the only source of safety monitoring in this country,' said one fired CDC staffer who worked on the guidelines, known as the US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, or MEC. 'There's no one who can actually do this work.' KFF Health News agreed not to name this worker and others who were not authorized to speak to the press and feared retaliation. The stakes are high for people like Henderson. About 6 weeks after having her second baby, she said, her heart 'was racing.' 'I feel like I'm underwater,' Henderson said. 'I felt like I couldn't breathe.' She eventually went to the hospital, where she was told she was 'in full-blown heart failure,' she said. Henderson was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, an uncommon type of heart failure that can happen toward the end of pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. Risk factors for the condition include being at least 30 years old, being of African descent, high blood pressure, and obesity. The CDC contraception guidelines say that combined hormonal contraception, which contains both estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy, can pose an 'unacceptable health risk' for most women with peripartum cardiomyopathy, also known as PPCM. For some women with the diagnosis, a birth control injection commonly known by the brand name Depo-Provera also carries risks that outweigh its benefits, the guidelines show. Progestin-only pills or a birth control implant, inserted into an arm, are the safest. Henderson said her cardiologist had to greenlight which contraception she could use. She uses a progestin-only birth control implant that's more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. 'I didn't know that certain things can cause blood clots,' Henderson said, 'or make your heart failure worse.' Heart failure is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in the US, with PPCM accounting for up to 70% of heart failure cases during pregnancy. Sweeping HHS layoffs in late March and early April gutted the CDC's reproductive health division, upending several programs designed to protect women and infants, three fired workers said. About two thirds of the division's roughly 165 employees and contractors were cut, through firings, retirements, or reassignments to other parts of the agency, one worker said. Among those fired were CDC staffers who carried out the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a survey established nearly 40 years ago to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by asking detailed questions of women who recently gave birth. The survey was used 'to help inform and help reduce the contributing factors that cause maternal mortality and morbidity,' a fired worker said, by allowing government workers to examine the medical care people received before and during pregnancy, if any, and other risk factors that may lead to poor maternal and child health. The firings also removed CDC workers who collected and analyzed data on in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments. 'They left nothing behind,' one worker said. US contraception guidelines were first published in 2010, after the CDC adapted guidance developed by the World Health Organization. The latest version was published last August. It includes information about the safety of different types of contraception for more than 60 medical conditions. Clinicians said it is the premier source of evidence about the safety of birth control. 'It gave us so much information which was not available to clinicians at their fingertips,' said Michael Policar, a physician and professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. 'If you've got a person with, let's say, long-standing type 2 diabetes, someone who has a connective tissue disease like lupus, someone who's got hypertension or maybe has been treated for a precursor to breast cancer — something like that? In those circumstances,' Policar said, 'before the MEC it was really hard to know how to manage those people.' The CDC updates the guidelines comprehensively roughly every 5 years. On a weekly basis, however, government workers would monitor evidence about patients' use of contraception and the safety of various methods, something they were doing when HHS abruptly fired them this spring, two fired workers said. That work isn't happening now, one of them said. Sometimes the agency would issue interim changes outside the larger updates if new evidence warranted it. Now, if something new or urgent comes up, 'there's not going to be any way to update the guidelines,' one fired worker said. In 2020, for example, the CDC revised its contraception recommendations for women at high risk of HIV infection, after new evidence showed that various methods were safer than previously thought. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard declined to say why CDC personnel working on the contraception guidelines and other reproductive health issues were fired or answer other questions raised by KFF Health News ' reporting. Most women of reproductive age in the US use contraception. CDC data from 2019, the most recent available, shows that more than 47 million women ages 15-49 relied on birth control. About 1 in 10 used long-acting methods such as intrauterine devices and implants; 1 in 7 used oral contraception. The latest guidelines included updated safety recommendations for women who have sickle cell disease, lupus, or PPCM, and those who are breastfeeding, among others. Clinicians are now being told that combined hormonal contraception poses an unacceptable health risk for women with sickle cell disease, because it might increase the risk of blood clots. 'It can really come down to life or death,' said Teonna Woolford, CEO of The Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive, a nonprofit that advocates for improved reproductive health care for people with the disease. 'We really saw the CDC guidelines as a win, as a victory — they're actually going to pay attention,' she said. The 2024 guidelines also for the first time included birth control recommendations for women with chronic kidney disease. Research has shown that such women are at higher risk of serious pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Their medical condition also increases their risk of blood clots, which is why it's important for them not to use combined hormonal contraception, fired CDC workers and clinicians said. The CDC information 'is the final say in safety,' said Patty Cason, a family nurse practitioner and president of Envision Sexual and Reproductive Health. Having only static information about the safety of various types of birth control is 'very scary,' she said, because new evidence could come out and entirely new methods of contraception are being developed. Henderson said it took her heart two years to recover. She created the nonprofit organization Let's Talk PPCM to educate women about the type of heart failure she was diagnosed with, including what forms of birth control are safe. 'We don't want blood clots, worsening heart failures,' Henderson said. 'They already feel like they can't trust their doctors, and we don't need extra.'
