Breast cancer is the most diagnosed invasive cancer in the United States, with 1 in 8 people assigned female at birth (AFAB) being affected.1 It is imperative that health care practitioners remain current and well-versed in identifying individuals at high risk for developing breast cancer. This article outlines an approach for obstetrics/gynecology practitioners to identify high-risk patients and to counsel on appropriate breast cancer screening, prevention, and risk-reduction options.
The author discusses how government policies and laws are adversely affecting the medical sector's efforts to achieve expert medical care. Topics include the low COVID-19 vaccination rate among pregnant women in the U.S. despite the solid Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on vaccine safety, and the collaborative care strategy to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
An editorial is presented in which the author discusses the risks of drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. The author reports the increased frequency of alcohol consumption in women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Particular focus is also given to varied cultural practices regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
The author reflects on the need to include pregnant and lactating women in medical research and clinical trials Topics include how the medical sector missed an opportunity for not including said women in research for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), and the U S National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications on the basis of race, ethnicity, and sex/gender
The article offers information on the evaluation and treatment of COVID-19 in pregnant patients Topics include the effectiveness of rapid antigen and polymerase chain reaction tests, the clinical signs of COVID-19 in pregnant women including respiratory symptoms such as pharyngitis, and decreased oxygen saturation, and the guidelines for the use of COVID-19 therapies, including remdesivir, and immunomodulators for pregnant patients
The author reflects on the state of U S public health amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as of February 2021 Topics include how the pandemic has transformed the school, workplace, and home environments, the strain and exhaustion experienced by Americans with social distancing, wearing mask and hygiene protocols, and the challenges faced by health workers in vaccination
Editor-in-Chief Catherine Y. Spong, MD, gives her perspective on what ob/gyns can learn from the pandemic as the specialty is business as usual in an otherwise stark hospital.
Liletta is under study in a prospective phase 3 clinical trial aimed at extending the approved duration of this levonorgestrel 52-mg IUS.
In her first editorial as editor in chief of Contemporary OB/GYN, Dr. Catherine Spong discusses her vision for the magazine and provides an update for treating ob/gyn patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
The author stresses the need to address systemic racism and implicit bias in health care Topics covered include the connection of this bias with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), the need to address the impact of the health crisis to minorities and people of color, and the interrelationship of the rise in COVID-19 cases with the escalating movement to raise awareness of social injustice and racism
