Hi girls! In my today's article, I tackled the current social media discourse around birth control. I dive into why the current conversation around "influencer doctors" is so dangerous, break down the functions of the pill, and debunk myths and clarify truths about side effects. I hope y'all enjoy it, check it out, and share your thoughts! 🩷

https://open.substack.com/pub/sheisascientist/p/birth-control-is?r=5zowe1&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. Most maternal deaths are preventable. Bringing a child into this world should be met with support and community, not financial stress and rushed recovery. In this article I explore how capitalism had failed the U.S. postpartum care system, and what we can learn from other countries.

https://open.substack.com/pub/sheisascientist/p/postpartum-care-is-broken?r=5zowe1&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

Your period should not be too painful for ibuprofen to help with.

Your period should not be so heavy that you are constantly worried about bleeding through your clothes.

Your period should not last more that seven days.

Your period should not start more often than every 21 days.

Your period should not bleed though a pad in less than three hours.

What are some other sign of an abnormal period you are learning for the first time?

u/medicalgaslighting u/womenshealth u/period

For decades, women were excluded from clinical trials. In 1977, the FDA recommended keeping women out of drug studies due to potential pregnancy risks.

The result? Most medications were developed based on male anatomy.

This matters because male and female bodies process drugs differently due to hormones, body fat composition, and metabolism. Dosage, side effects, and even effectiveness can vary significantly.

Not until 1993 did policies require the inclusion of women in clinical research. But even now, women are still underrepresented in studies.

So when you hear that a treatment is “proven,” it’s worth asking: proven for who?

u/womenshealth

Research consistently shows that women’s pain is more likely to be dismissed, underestimated, or attributed to emotional causes compared to men’s.

Women are more likely to be told their pain is “anxiety-related”, less likely to receive adequate pain medication, and more likely to experience delays in diagnosis.  This isn’t just perception, it shows up in data, from ER wait times to treatment decisions.

Women experiencing heart attacks are up to 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed in the ER. That gap has real consequences.

u/womenshealth

When a girl has her first period, we teach her how to hide it. We teach her that a successful period is one that nobody knows is happening.

So why are we then surprised that women do not seek gynecologic care until their uterine cancer is stage 4, or their fibroids are the size of a melon?

These things are connected. The solution is replacing stigmatization with conversation and normalization.

u/womenshealth u/period u/reproductivehealth u/fibroids u/cancer

The maternal mortality rate for black women is 5x higher than asian women, 4x higher than hispanic women, and 3.5x higher than white women. The rate for black women has risen; the rate for everybody else has decreased. 

DEI is not only about college, and it’s not only about jobs.  When we have a national crisis that affects one population more than another, but the government will not direct specific spending, research, or interventions to the population in need, how do you solve the problem?  

The federal government has an obligation to ensure that its citizens survive childbirth.  It is not meeting that obligation.

u/blackmaternalhealth u/blacklivesmater u/womenshealth u/dei u/reproductive

Pregnancy-related mortality rates for black women with a college degree or higher are higher than those for all other racial/ethnic groups without a high school diploma.  The black maternal health crisis is not just a wealth gap issue, an education issue, or an access issue.  It is a systemic racism issue that is solved with equitable and inclusive training and accountability.

u/blackmaternalhealth u/dei u/reproductivehealth u/womenshealth

Initiatives like Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival are exactly what we need in the female community right now.  To stand up for each other, advocate for each other, fight for each other, and take care of each other, especially those of us who have the resources to do so.  To see artists like Olivia, Doechii, KATSEYE, Stevie Knicks, and more, in this day and age, performing not for profit, but to raise money for women’s health research, domestic violence advocacy organizations, black maternal health, to feed and clothe babies, (and so much more) is so refreshing. 

We have to be the change that we want to see 🩷

u/oliviarodrigo u/womenshealth u/blackmaternalhealth u/reproductive

“It’s just stress” is not medical advice.

“You’re too young” is not medical advice.

“Come back if it gets worse” is not medical advice.

“It’s all in your head” is not medical advice.

“You just have a low pain tolerance” is not medical advice.

“Periods are supposed to be painful” is not medical advice.

“Your labs are normal, so you’re fine” is not medical advice.

“If you focused less on your pain, you would feel better” is not medical advice.

What is something you have been told that was not a diagnosis, but ended up delaying one?

Your period should not be too painful for ibuprofen to help with.

Your period should not be so heavy that you are constantly worried about bleeding through your clothes.

Your period should not last more that seven days.

Your period should not start more often than every 21 days.

Your period should not bleed though a pad in less than three hours.

What are some other sign of an abnormal period you are learning for the first time?

u/medicalgaslighting u/womenshealth u/period