Women's Health

Writer and health educator Marni Sommer is co-author of A Girl's Guide to Puberty & Periods, which aims to help young people ages 9 to 14 understand the changes that happen in puberty and what to expect when.

Opinion: With abortion bans on the rise, kids need to know more about menstruation

11:50am September 17, 2022

by Marni Sommer

Today, even one missed period could have serious implications for a young person's life. But how late is late, and when is pain or a heavy period a medical concern? Many preteens don't know.

Protesters march outside the Indiana state Capitol building on July 25, 2022, in Indianapolis as activists gathered during a special session.

The first abortion ban passed after Roe takes effect Thursday in Indiana

5:00am September 14, 2022

by Sarah McCammon

Thursday, nearly all abortions must cease in Indiana after state lawmakers passed a full ban in August. Since Dobbs, Indiana has been a destination for those in surrounding states seeking abortions.

A room in a Planned Parenthood of Illinois clinic in Waukegan, where abortion providers from Wisconsin are helping to provide access to more patients from their home state now that abortion is nearly banned there.

Abortion is legal in Illinois. In Wisconsin, it's nearly banned. So clinics teamed up

6:06am August 11, 2022

by Kristen Schorsch

After Wisconsin left an 1849 near-total abortion ban in place, some providers began commuting to Illinois to treat patients. These Planned Parenthood partnerships could be a model for the future.

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Dr. Nicole Scott, the residency program director at Indiana's largest teaching hospital, is worried what the near-total ban on abortion in the state means for her hospital's ability to recruit and retain the best doctors.

Their mentor was attacked. Now young OB-GYNs may leave Indiana

5:00am August 10, 2022

by Farah Yousry

Dr. Caitlin Bernard was publicly vilified for providing abortion care to a 10-year-old rape victim. And that's got some medical residents who were open to practicing in Indiana thinking again.

Elizabeth and James Weller at their home in Houston two months after losing their baby girl due to a premature rupture of membranes. Elizabeth could not receive the medical care she needed until several days later because of a Texas law that banned aborti

Because of Texas abortion law, her wanted pregnancy became a medical nightmare

1:58pm July 26, 2022

by Carrie Feibel

New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications. That's led to life-threatening delays, and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness.

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Drugmaker HRA Pharma has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve an over-the-counter birth control pill called Opill. The agency's review process is estimated to take about 10 months.

Over-the-counter birth control pills are available worldwide. The U.S. may be next

5:00am July 14, 2022

by Allison Aubrey

Birth control pills are available in the U.S. only with a prescription. Now a drugmaker is asking the FDA to approve a progestin-only contraceptive that would be available without one at pharmacies.

Supporters of abortion rights rally at the Minnesota State Capitol Building in downtown St. Paul following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Three things to know about health insurance coverage for abortion

5:00am July 13, 2022

by Julie Appleby

Even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, whether a health plan paid for abortion varied widely. Now it's become even more complex, with conflicts and court challenges on the horizon.

Worried about future access to abortion, more women are asking to get their "tubes tied," doctors say. But there are a lot of barriers to actually getting this procedure.

Why this key chance to getting permanent birth control is often missed

11:24am July 12, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Doctors say they're seeing a surge in the number of women who want their "tubes tied." But hospital capacity, paperwork, religion and personal opinion are just some of the reasons requests get denied.

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Emergency contraception: How it works, how effective it is and how to get it

5:00am July 08, 2022

Emergency contraceptives and abortion pills are not the same thing, though people often confuse them. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, it's vital to know the difference — and your options.

A Planned Parenthood of Montana clinic in Helena is among those that recently changed its policies to restrict its distribution of abortion pills only to patients from states without abortion bans in effect.

Montana clinics preemptively restrict out-of-state patients' access to abortion pills

5:00am July 07, 2022

Montana is an island of legal abortion, but four of the state's five clinics now restrict abortion pills from people in states with trigger bans to shield themselves and patients from legal attacks.