Michelle Wise, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
COVID vaccines have no effect on fertility, do not impact the chance of a miscarriage, and are safe and effective while pregnant. Here’s what the science shows.
Nearly 100 scholars and health care professionals are urging women to limit their use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.
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Tylenol has long been considered a go-to medication for low to moderate pain and for fever reduction, even during pregnancy. But mounting evidence suggests that it is unsafe for fetal development.
A panel of experts has urged caution regarding paracetamol during pregnancy. But that doesn’t change current advice to discuss pain relief with your doctor or pharmacist.
Banning abortion can have health consequences for pregnant people.
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Interviewees describe ‘scrimping and saving’ to make ends meet.
People protest in Texas after the governor signed a bill to outlaw abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.
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‘Heartbeat’ abortion laws like the one enacted in Texas are often based on particular Christian views, but there are many religious perspectives on abortion. What do Jewish texts say?
Science can observe these various phases of fetal development but cannot determine when human life begins.
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Some people seeking to influence public opinion about abortion rights claim the science is clear. It’s not, and that means abortion remains a political question – not a biological one.
During pregnancy, the body’s specialized immune cells must learn to recognize the fetus as part of the self so that they don’t attack it.
Raja Segar via Wikimedia Commons
How the immune system learns not to attack a developing fetus and placenta is important to understanding pregnancy and its common complications, like miscarriage.
Despite rampant misinformation, studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for both the mom and baby.
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A COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infertility – but it can protect you from the dangerous complications of contracting the virus.
Measures to combat COVID-19 have affected sexual and reproductive health care around the globe, including maternal and newborn care, birth control and access to abortion.
Université de Sherbrooke, Centre interdisciplinaire de développement international en santé (CIDIS)
The exceptional measures deployed around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic have impeded access to urgent services like birth control, abortion and maternal and newborn care.
Exclusion from clinical trials, lack of data and inconsistent information made it difficult for pregnant and breastfeeding people to make decisions about COVID-19 vaccines early in the rollout.
American sprinter Allyson Felix celebrates with her daughter Camryn after finishing second in the women’s 400-metre race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 20.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
While past studies have placed the proportion of child-free American adults at somewhere between 2% and 9%, a study found that in Michigan, over 1 in 4 adults don’t want kids.
Many pregnant women who request planned caesarean deliveries are simply told no, despite guidelines advising doctors who disagree to offer referral or transfer care.
The physical and psychological symptoms experienced during and after pregnancy loss can be profound, including trauma, heavy blood loss, fatigue, poor concentration and severe abdominal cramping. Workplaces need to treat pregnancy loss seriously.
(Shutterstock)
Research shows women who have experienced miscarriage are at twice the risk of experiencing depression and anxiety and four times the risk of suicide. That’s why workplaces need to step up.
What is a ‘blue acceleration’ doing to our oceans?
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Catesby Holmes, The Conversation e Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, why Brazilian women who lived through Zika are avoiding getting pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen to episode 18 of The Conversation Weekly podcast.
Induction of labour can be life-saving in some situations. But women are increasingly induced for non-medical reasons, and earlier in their pregnancies.