May is Women's Health Month and more than 26 million women in the United States have fibroids.

Fibroids are benign growths, typically in the uterus and reproductive organs and fewer than half of the people diagnosed have even heard of them. In Missouri, state law since 2009 permits the health department to disseminate information about fibroids and treatment options.

Dr. Yan Katsnelson, founder of the nonprofit Fibroid Fighters, said fibroids should not limit anyone living life to its fullest potential. He added although many women can be symptom-free, about half will experience fibroid-related health concerns.

"It's typically presented with a prolonged and heavy menstrual period; frequent urination, bloating, pain during intercourse, and very often with miscarriages," Katsnelson outlined. "It's extremely common."

Fibroids are easily diagnosed with an ultrasound. Up to 70% of white women, and more than 80% of Black women in the U.S. have uterine fibroids, making the condition more prevalent than high blood pressure and breast or ovarian cancer.

Malorie Bailey, a fibroid patient, described her symptoms.

"I refused to have the hysterectomy," Bailey recounted. "I said, 'OK, well, I'll be 50 soon; I guess menopause probably would stop it.' In my case, it didn't. It got worse. Still bleeding, and it went from I started changing (pads) every 10 minutes for five days."

In past years, the primary treatment for fibroids was a hysterectomy.

Dr. Jacob White, interventional radiologist at the USA Fibroid Center in New York City, said it is no longer the case.

"You have to know your options," White urged. "You have to make sure you do your own research, be your own advocate, and get second and third opinions, to make sure you know all the treatment options available to you so you can make an informed decision. Otherwise, you may not learn about the minimally invasive treatment options, like uterine fibroid embolization."

Even Congress has taken up the issue of fibroids, with legislation in the House last year which would have boosted fibroid research and education. It had more than 80 co-sponsors, including Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., but the bill did not advance.

The Illinois General Assembly has just passed a $53 billion state budget which includes a boost in funding for Planned Parenthood.

Reproductive rights may be in limbo across the country, but it is not the primary focus of the funding increase.

Katie Stanczykiewicz, director of government relations for Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, an independent advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said reproductive health issues disproportionately affect people of color, and state lawmakers are paying attention.

"I think the additional funding that happened this year that's brand new, dealing with the Black maternal health crisis, is something that Planned Parenthood of Illinois cares deeply about," Stanczykiewicz pointed out. "It's very exciting to see not only the same amount of funding we've received for years before, but additional funding to address the maternal mortality rate that is plaguing our country."

According to a 2023 Illinois report, what's known as "extreme maternal morbidity" is most common among Black women, at a rate of 150 per 10,000 births, more than twice the rate among white women.

Abortion and reproductive rights remain high-profile issues in this election year, with legal actions nationwide to challenge or uphold a person's right to end a pregnancy. But Stanczykiewicz noted Planned Parenthood is committed to keeping all health centers open for patients in Illinois, and pointed out the clinics provide a range of services.

"Continuing to receive funds to not only help with our navigational services that we provide, to people who are coming to Illinois or coming within Illinois to receive abortion care, but also our gender-affirming care and our family planning services," Stanczykiewicz outlined.

She added clinic staffers still face harassment and threats, and some fear for their safety. A 2021 study reported an 80% increase in bomb threats and a 163% rise in devices or suspicious packages left at clinics providing abortion services.


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As Texas made recent headlines for ruling against a group of women seeking abortion for serious pregnancy complications, polling found one in five women age 18-49 living in West Virginia and other states where the procedure is banned say they or someone they know have had difficulty getting an abortion.

Ivette Gomez, policy analyst for the health care advocacy nonprofit KFF, said West Virginia currently bans abortion in all cases except when the mother's life is in danger, or in cases of rape or incest. She noted the law does require victims to report the rape to the police and is only applicable up to eight weeks of pregnancy for adults and 14 weeks for minors.

"There's been virtually no abortions in the state of West Virginia since October 2022," Gomez pointed out. "People who live in West Virginia who need an abortion have to travel out of state to get an abortion. So they'd have to travel to Virginia or Maryland or Pennsylvania or Ohio."

More women said the struggle to access reproductive care is taking a toll on their mental and physical health, and triggering socioeconomic consequences for women forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.

She emphasized women denied abortions are more likely to report anxiety, stress and lower self-esteem, compared with women who received an abortion and were also more likely to experience financial hardship.

"They were less likely to have enough money to cover basic expenses like food, housing and transportation, and were more likely to be enrolled in public assistance programs," Gomez outlined.

Gomez stressed a majority of women nationwide believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and support physicians' right to perform abortions.

"This was 67% of women in states where abortion is banned and 71% of women where abortion is limited by gestational limits," Gomez reported.

Under West Virginia law, doctors who violate the state's abortion ban can lose their medical license.


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South Dakota's Secretary of State received more than enough signatures to get a decision on abortion rights on the November ballot but some signees are now getting calls to rescind their support.

South Dakota currently outlaws all abortions except those to save the life of the mother. Secretary of State Monae Johnson recently validated a citizen ballot initiative to enshrine some protections to abortion in the state's constitution. The state is one of nineteen with a direct citizen initiative process but it might be the only one where initiative signatures can be removed.

Samantha Chapman, advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota, said it is due to a new law passed this spring with an emergency clause she contended was designed to block abortion access.

"Every single committee hearing that was had on this bill, the discussion was almost entirely and solely about this one singular abortion rights ballot measure, even though the law would obviously affect all ballot measures," Chapman pointed out.

The prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, is also behind a new political action committee, South Dakota Petition Integrity, which began making calls to signers of the abortion initiative before the group was registered with the state, leading Secretary of State Johnson to release an official warning of potential scams.

Paid ballot circulators who collected signatures for the abortion rights initiative had to apply and register with the state and carry a badge with an ID number. To rescind a signature, a signer must send a notarized letter to the state. There are no requirements for people asking signers to rescind their signatures.

"There's so many requirements that petition circulators have to adhere to," Chapman emphasized. "And so there's just not the same level of scrutiny and standards that are applied to the reversal of your signature."

According to the Secretary of State's website, the office does not track how many signatures have been rescinded but makes the information available to parties involved in any court challenge.


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