Medical Monday: Breaking News from the World of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Correction 

We start first this week with a correction. The error was late in last week’s section on policy. In it I reported that ProPublica reported that the “ US is the most dangerous country in which to give birth”. That should have read, “the US is the most dangerous affluent country in which to give birth”. That’s still an awful distinction and one of the reasons why I write. 

Policy News

Title X funding has been denied to clinics in Nebraska who proved abortions. No surprise there. However, what is more noteworthy is that the new law restricts the speech of the caregivers in clinic. In particular, caregivers, when behind closed doors and under patient confidentiality, are prohibited to “ counsel in favor of or refer patients to abortion services”. Does it make anyone else nervous that a state government is attempting to restrict what is said in a private medical visit ? 

Enrollment in the ACA this year in 2018 did not plummet as was expected. Enrollment dipped slightly by 400,000 to 11.8 million Americans, which represents a drop of a little more than 3%. This was despite the fact that advertising and the time frame for enrollment were slashed. This drop was noted primarily in the 39 States who’s ACA is run but the Fed. The remaining 11 States manage their own ACA programs, and they did not see this drop in enrollment. Of note, among all enrollees, 27% were new enrollees. The average pre credit premium did go ip in 2018 compared to 2017, at $621 versus $476. 

In the latest turn of events regarding detained pregnant teen immigrants, a Federal Judge has ruled that HHS ( The Department of Health and Human Services) must allow pregnant detainees the right to obtain an abortion. The current policy of the the HHS Department of Refugee Resettlement has sought to block their right to do so. Under the Obama administration, such patients had the right to obtain elective abortion at their own expense, though they were able to get it paid for if it had been as a result of rape or incest or if was a threat to life. 

Medical News

Huffington Post interviewed physicians on the subject of hair dyeing during pregnancy. The panel’s conclusion was that “ there is just not enough conclusive evidence or research to suggest they dyeing …hair while pregnant will cause fetal harm”. While this statement is true, it bears examination. Insufficient evidence of harm does not constitute sufficient guarantee of safety. Insufficient evidence of harm does not even rule out the possibility of harm. It does not even rule out the probability of harm. It simply means that there is not enough evidence to say one way or another. The article goes on to says that there is a general consensus that it safe. While this too, is true, it is a weakly based consensus. It is based on the notion that a large number of pregnant women dye their hair and that no one has noticed any disturbing patterns emerging among their offspring. And yet, our notice has not been particularly attentive, since no one has bothered to do even an population based study of pregnant women who dye their hair complete with meaningful follow up of their offspring. I belabor this point to hone the readers' understanding of what the statements they read actually mean. 

Apparently younger patients typically like to pick younger doctors. This makes some sense to me in that the patient has someone to whom she can relate. However, there is also a shortage of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in many places in the country, especially rural areas. The older Ob/Gyns are still in place, with ever increasing work loads, especially in the underserved areas, while the younger docs want to be in the city with more partners, city lifestyle and higher pay. Services are strained in the areas least likely to bear it, and this may be impacting maternal mortality rates. 

Every generation thinks teens are worse than they were. Turns out they are wrong. By several metrics, todays teens are quantifiably different than the teens of yesteryear. The incidence of many high risk behaviors among teens have dropped considerably. For example, cigarette use and alcohol have dropped sharply compared to past generations. Teen pregnancy rate are at an all time low. Teens are delaying sex more and even teen driving fatalities are down. It is interesting to note that while most authorities are reassured by these changes, others point out that teens may be less mature, age for age, than their predecessors. In other words, perhaps teens are more immature than they used to be. I was initially dismayed by this assessment. But I suspect they do not mean immature in the sense of irresponsible or silly. I suspect they mean more dependent on parents and more risk averse.  This observation which point to kids behaving “younger” longer, may go along with what some have noted to be a modern extension of adolescence. In the “olden days” perhaps even  75 years ago, a 19 year old male was expected to have a job and a career direction. He could be thinking about marrying once he was settled. Certainly a 19 year old girl, which in those days was in fact, a young woman, would typically be thinking about marriage and independence from family. These days most families are concerned about thier 19 year olds continuing their education or training, for at least another 4 years. 

The extension of adolescence is a critical topic right now, and I am scarcely qualified to address it. However I am the mother of three grown children including two sons and have shepherded countless women into motherhood. That and the formal literature I have read indicates extended adolescence is real in biologically, developmentally and sociologically measurable terms. We may begin adolescence sooner in terms of menstruation and puberty, but our brains are remaining plastic much longer. Our health and nutrition are better. As implausible as it sounds, society is actually safer, our parenting is actually better, and children are kept from harsher stresses compared to the past. We are more affluent than before. The age of information has made its debut. There is far more novelty in our environment and with our added relative affluence we can extend education until the mid twenties and afford children the opportunity to travel, all of which keeps the brain in a far more plastic and youthful state. This brain “metaplasticity” is based in neurons and their activity and can be measured. As a side note, a new post mortem study published in Cell Stem Cell has confirmed that neurogenesis (the making of neurons) continues in older people, even through the 70s. However in most older folks, they tend to be more poorly vascularized. 

Extended adolescence can go wrong. It has been credited with the hapless directionless young adult, deadbeat dads, kids who drop out of college, the 40 year old gaming in his mom’s basement, etc. Some say this is related to changes in our economy with a shift more to information based work than labor based work. With extractive industries and jobs with manual labor on the wane, men are less likely to get a job not requiring years of higher education. Acknowledging the breadth of these factors can help us understand why the blame game is fruitless. The bottom line is that older adolescents need parental support which they tell me is a foundation of unconditional love combined with a clear set of reasonable expectations and consequences. 

All of this bears very much into the work of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as we help women through the phases of their lives. We counsel women on risks to their health everyday. We support them through pregnancies where they may be on their own or poorly supported. We encourage them to move forward with their lives even after their children are born. We support women as they struggle with parenting their own adolescents. 

Here is some more reading for those of you who are interested. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/well/family/teenagers-generation-stoneman-douglas-parkland-.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/metaplasticity/506390/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extended-adolescence-when-25-is-the-new-181/

Whole genome DNA sequencing has become popular for adults. Antenatal genetic screening has become standard prenatal care. Now the two can be combined though amniocentesis and whole genome sequencing. I wonder how long it will be before this can be done with a single maternal blood draw. 

Mayo Clnic is studying a streamlined form of home based prenatal care. A pilot group of patients is using home monitoring for baby and vital signs. They also have 8 actual clinic visits which is fewer than standard. Motivation for this study is to determine a valid protocol for women in remote areas. 

Last week I reported that boys were receiving Gardisil vaccine against HPV at a fraction of the rate of girls. Good news this week: that these rates of vaccination for boys are increasing rapidly. from 8 to 26% between 2011 and 2016. Girls’ rates went from 38 to 46 percent in the same time interval. 

ACOG has created a document called a Committee Opinion and thereby formalized something that most of us have always done. Ob/Gyns play a role in ensuring that women are protected from workplace discrimination. They do so by writing notes for work as documentation for specific health related work restrictions. They can help enforce sick leave, postpartum leave or parental leave for fathers. They can also help patients identify workplace abuses and refer them to the correct authorities. This behooves all providers to familiarize themselves about local laws and local labor offices. Workplace stress is a real health hazard and it is part of the Obstetrician Gynecologists responsibility to help deal with it. 

Many PCO (polycystic ovary) patients need to take Metformin to get pregnant. They are also advised to stay on it or related medications to prevent gestational diabetes. However, some are concerned about taking it in pregnancy. The available evidence indicates it is safe. Newer research has shown it reduces miscarriage and preterm labor. 

Vices taxes work. The Lancet has reported that taxing known harmful substances like cigarettes alcohol and soda steers consumers toward healthier choices. This study was a meta-analysis of 5 internal national studies from around the world. Concerns have been raised that these taxes disproportionate burden the poor, but this study examined this question and found that there was no disproportionate harm to this group. Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary and emeritus professional at Harvard wrote an analysis for the study, confirming that “ taxes are an underused instrument for the prevention of premature death and disease….” and “ consistently raise prices, reduce consumption, and save lives, while generating additional revenue to support public services. 

Vegetables work too. A new study confirms that lots of vegetables help older women keep blood vessels healthy. Of note, the ones that worked the best were the cruciferous vegetables, aka the brassica family which include cabbage, brussels spouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and the like. On that note, for northerners, I will recommend purchasing and planting spring seed. Those of you in the southern hemisphere can cultivate and plant now for a prompt spring germination. 

Stay tuned for more breaking news from the world of Obstetrics and Gynecology, next week, here on Medical Monday. 

Medical Monday: Breaking News from the World of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Policy News this week is monumental. President Trump signed an “ executive order” which allows small businesses and individuals to buy cheaper less comprehensive policies which do not met the minimum ACA (Affordable Care Act) requirements. Critics have several issues with this legislation. First, it decreases money in the collective pot used to cover anyone with a catastrophic illness for which a large payout is required. Second, it will drive prices up disproportionately, hurting mostly older Americans. 

Perhaps more impactful is the Administration’s decision to stop making federal subsidy payments to insurers. It is effective immediately. The President has further said that it may continue subsidy payments if a bipartisan agreement is made on health care. This last bit may illuminate the whole issue. When I first heard this announcement about cutting of subsidies, I ascribed it to wholesale lunacy. However now I view it more as blackmail. Without subsidies, the insurers will either bail or fail. Then the economy will follow, according to many analysts. No administration wants this. A bipartisan agreement has been impossible to craft, thus far. However, opposition to this move, and even opposition to the President himself may cause a high degree of motivation to compromise. Leading Republicans have called for continuing payments to insurers. As you read this on Monday, I wager you will be hearing fierce objection from both sides of the aisle. 

Hot off the press is an announcement that the current Administration will allow health insurance sales across State lines. Many of us did not realize that health insurance is sold within a given state. Insurers and their plans must be approved within that State and must answer to that State's Insurance Commissioner. Trump and many other Republicans have endorsed this before. They have asserted that, through increased competition,  premium prices will drop across the board. However, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners has called this a "myth". They have warned that this will start a " race to the bottom" wherein Insurance Companies will choose more lenient State regulators. Such regulators would require less and less coverage to consumers in order to maximize profits. This would result in healthier people getting cheap policies that cover little, and everyone else needing standard coverage getting steep rate hikes to compensate for the insurance company's loss in revenue. 

Unbeknown to most of us, the insurance industry was the Wild West before the ACA came along. Most of us only knew about insurance in their own State. But, it turns out there were different levels of what was covered, different caps on out of pocket, and different limits to premium prices. That all got more standardized with the ACA. That standardization is now being deconstructed bit by bit by changes like this plan of selling across State lines. 

The Department of Health and Human Services has put forth a couple of deeply controversial issuances. They have issued new rules on contraception. Without data or authority they have stated that “ Imposing a coverage mandate on objecting entities whose plans cover many enrollee families who may share objections to contraception, among some populations, affect risky sexual behavior in a negative way.” Importantly, this sentence uses confusing syntax. The subject of the sentence is “ a coverage mandate”. The verb phrase is “would…affect” the object is “risky sexual behaviors”. Thus the gist of the sentence it, a coverage mandate would affect risky sexual behaviors. Perhaps they meant to say the following: contraception WHICH could, among some populations, affect risky sexual behavior in a negative way. I suggest this because they have taken this position before: that contraception promotes sexual activity, particularly teen sex activity. A mass of available up to date and well derived data indicate otherwise.  For example, no-cost contraception is associated with a decrease in the number of partners. Additionally, contraception is NOT associated in a rise in sexually transmitted infections. Available research data clearly show too that rates of abortion and pregnancy fell among teens, when no-cost birth control was provided. ACOG (American College and Obstetricians and Gynecologists) has voiced it’s objections to the weakening of the contraceptive mandate. They have shed light on the patently false claims of the Administration about contraception. Many States have sued the Administration over the weakening of the contraceptive mandate. 

The second controversial issuance by the Department of HHS, Health and Human Services, has been to define life as “beginning at conception”. It has done so through a strategic plan document. This draft reads “HHS accomplishes its mission through programs and initiative that cover a wide spectrum of activities serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception.”. Defining life at conception is not arguable in scientific terms. That is because it is a belief. In fact, it is a religious belief. As such, one might ask whether including this language in the strategic plan document of the HHS violates the separation of church and state. Clearly this language was advanced by those whose religious beliefs preclude abortion. 

I do not believe there has ever been a time in history when government has been so intimately involved in matters pertaining to Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

Pap smear frequency is again becoming controversial. As usual, the minimalist and government funded USPTF ( US Preventive Services Task Force) has interpreted the available data to mean the need for less frequent screening. They seem to consistently overemphasize the harms of screening (extra false positives, extra office biopsies) and consistently underweight the harms, i.e. more cancer cases. ACOG, various other cancer organizations, and patient advocacy organizations, give less weight to extra false positives and biopsies, with more concern focus on catching cancer early. ACOG still states that paps and HPV testing should go together from 30 to at least 65 years of age, and that for an average risk patient. Smokers, for example, would be screened, even more often. 

In the we-already-knew-this department, a new study shows that epidurals do NOT prolong second stage (the pushing part) of labor. The study, published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, also show no adverse effects of epidural on mother or fetus. 

Also in the we-already-knew-this department, a new study shows that women who have their fibroids embolized may need additional procedures. In particular, they have a fair chance of still needing a hysterectomy later. These women who go from embolization to subsequent hysterectomy were still better off in terms of complications than those getting myomectomies (removal of the fibroids from the uterus) to begin with. 

Finally for a trifecta in we-already-knew-this department, we feature a new study which indicates that “intensive exercise may attenuate excessive gestational weight gain for obese pregnancy women”. Excessive weight gain in pregnancy increases the odds of gestational diabetes, large for gestational age babies, and need for C sections. Research elsewhere also indicates that exercise in pregnancy also produces many other good effects, such as increased likelihood of vaginal delivery. 

Somewhere between politics and medicine we find people and society, and society has a lot to do with health. This week those in the entertainment industry have been reeling from all the revelations of sexual abuse and misogynistic workplace bullying by Harvey Weinstein. It has been sickening and yet illuminating to read the accounts of the women involved. The victims were abused in various ways. Those that escaped unscathed, had career setbacks by failing to acquiesce. They all suffered the shame and anger associated with such encounters, and even now are having to answer for why they did not disclose sooner, why they acquiesced, why they did not have more sense to begin with, etc. etc. 

see: 

http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/the-harvey-weinstein-sexual-harassment-assault-accusations.html

It is widely believed that Harvey Weinstein is not the only such perpetrator in Hollywood. It is also well known that Hollywood is not the only industry where this occurs. Although Weinstein's victims were generally celebrities, most victims are not. Yet even these celebrity women were caught off guard and were made to feel powerless and vulnerable. How much more so must the average woman feel, working a standard paying job on which they depend. 

Harvey Weinstein’s methods were outrageous. The vaster number of abuses in the workplace today are far more subtle. They are microaggressions. They are just enough to make you uncomfortable, but not enough make you realize it is abuse, much less move forward to report it. All of this adds up over time, and it takes a toll professionally and personally, and on stress levels, which eventually impacts health. I had one patient who developed certain medical problems. In taking care of her and getting to know her better, it turned out she had an extremely hostile workplace environment. We encouraged her to speak to people at the local department of labor. After a lot of effort and gumption on her part, the case went to the courts, where she prevailed. She emerged empowered and eventually healthy. But it had been years that she had suffered before she understood what she had actually been dealing with and where it fit on the spectrum of normal social interactions. 

Sometimes we do not realize that what we live with may not be normative. Our standard for what is acceptable behavior may be skewed due to a rough upbringing, or a innate tendency to think that we ourselves are the problem. If you think you may be living or working in some kind of an abusive environment, reach out to a trusted physician, attorney, local social services agency, community health center or mental health professional. Life is too short to let your quality of life or health suffer. 

Stay tuned for more news from the work of Obstetrics and Gynecology her, next week, on Medical Monday. 

Please remember to contact your elected officials to tell them what you think about all of this. 

Wellness Wednesday: Workplace Bullying

All the data I could find indicates that the vast majority of people, have at one time or another, experienced workplace bullying. As I have become a more careful observer of the years, I have learned to ask my patients questions about their work environment. 

What are the tip offs? When I notice increasing blood pressure, more frequent illnesses, less self confidence, more digestive problems, and hear about increasing stress, depression, anxiety and work problems, I suspect workplace bullying. 

When I ask about work, and get into the particular details, I often hear about a situation which would qualify as workplace bullying. But the surprise is this: Much of the time, the patient doesn't even realize that bullying is what is going on. 

What is bullying ? 

Workplace bullying is a systematic pattern of behavior that harms, intimidates, shames, undermines, offends, degrades or humiliates an employee, possibly in front of other employees, clients or customers. It is an abuse of power and a form of emotional abuse. It is a threat to health, livelihood and relationships. 

Once a patient realizes what it is, and a name has been put to it, she can begin to take steps to deal with it. But bullying is a complex human behavior and it is challenging to counteract. It is best to get outside help to deal with it. Most of the time it involves not only the one bully, but an overall workplace environment that is permissive of it. This is because it is difficult for bystanders to call out the bully, lest they become a target themselves. It is also difficult since bullies are generally highly ranking in organizations. Targets often fear for their jobs. Employers, when informed, are in a hard place, since they have not usually witnessed the behavior and moreover, they have an interest in keeping their more highly ranked employees. 

Nonetheless, bullying takes a toll on people and organizations. While bullies are more highly ranked, targets are often up and coming, and they pose a threat or perceived threat to the bully. Targets are often very productive likable workers. Organizations with bullies often start losing their best people. 

As a physician it is very important to me that my patients know about workplace bullying. I would like all of them to be in supportive home and work environments. Failing that, I would like them to have the tools to speak up against this form of abuse, whether it is done to them or to their co-workers. 

The references in this blog post are especially informative. Please take a few minutes to have a look at the resources on this very important topic. 

Stop Workplace Bullying 

Workplace Bullying 

What Workplace Bullying Looks Like in 2014--And How To Intervene

Workplace Bullying Institute