A "tremendous blow" to public health

Also: What we learned from reporting on Brockton's overdose crisis; an unlevel playing field for Black medical residents [View in browser](    [❤️]( June 28, 2022 Hello CommonHealth reader, We knew the Supreme Court was likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to an abortion. In fact, the medical community has been preparing for this since a draft of the court's majority opinion leaked last month. Doctors have been speaking about it in meetings and lectures. But, for many, the decision [still came as a shock](. "When you see it in black and white, it is unfathomable,” said Dr. Nawal Nour, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Having lived in Sudan and Egypt, Nour told me she was used to seeing women’s rights given and taken away. But she felt gutted by Friday's ruling. “I never imagined that this would happen in the United States, where women's health and reproductive rights get taken away from them,” she said. Abortion rights are codified in Massachusetts law, and nothing is changing for people seeking abortion care here right now. Still, anti-abortion groups in Massachusetts are celebrating the ruling, while local health care organizations are condemning it. They’re concerned that people in states where abortion is outlawed may turn to unsafe methods to terminate pregnancies, which could be deadly. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association released an unusually pointed statement calling the court decision “harmful,” “callous” and “a tremendous blow to public health.” The Massachusetts Medical Society said the ruling violates the doctor-patient relationship. “Abortion is an essential medical component in the continuum of reproductive health care,” the doctors' group said. It's possible that Massachusetts health care providers will see waves of patients from other states seeking abortion care here, but it's too soon to know how many. The decision also could have ripple effects beyond abortion. There may be implications for people experiencing miscarriage, and those trying to conceive a baby through IVF. We’ll continue following this critical issue and bring you more coverage in the weeks and months ahead. Priyanka Dayal McCluskey Senior Health Reporter [Follow]( Support the news  This Week's Must Reads [It's an overdose crisis, not just an opioid crisis: takeaways from reporting on deaths in Brockton]( Massachusetts, like many states, reports overdose deaths as an opioid crisis. But many people working to save lives say that’s no longer accurate or useful. To them, the presence of fentanyl in crack, cocaine, methamphetamine and many varieties of fake pills signals a sweeping problem. [Read more.]( [It's an overdose crisis, not just an opioid crisis: takeaways from reporting on deaths in Brockton]( Massachusetts, like many states, reports overdose deaths as an opioid crisis. But many people working to save lives say that’s no longer accurate or useful. To them, the presence of fentanyl in crack, cocaine, methamphetamine and many varieties of fake pills signals a sweeping problem. [Read more.]( [The end of Roe v. Wade has huge economic implications for male partners, too]( Research is more limited, but shows that men who become parents younger than planned are less likely to go to college and have lower earnings. [Read more.]( [The end of Roe v. Wade has huge economic implications for male partners, too]( Research is more limited, but shows that men who become parents younger than planned are less likely to go to college and have lower earnings. [Read more.]( [Mass. anti-abortion groups celebrate Roe's overturn, while abortion rights advocates protest]( Massachusetts advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion debate reacted swiftly to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. [Read more.]( [Mass. anti-abortion groups celebrate Roe's overturn, while abortion rights advocates protest]( Massachusetts advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion debate reacted swiftly to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. [Read more.]( [He and his wife both got cataract surgery. His bill was 20 times higher than hers]( Whether a simple operation is performed under the auspices of a hospital or at an independent surgery center can make a huge difference in cost. [Read more.]( [He and his wife both got cataract surgery. His bill was 20 times higher than hers]( Whether a simple operation is performed under the auspices of a hospital or at an independent surgery center can make a huge difference in cost. [Read more.]( [The FDA knows nicotine is addictive. It wants to regulate it for the first time]( The Food and Drug Administration is poised to set a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and some other tobacco products, looking to make them less addictive and wean smokers off the habit. [Read more.]( [The FDA knows nicotine is addictive. It wants to regulate it for the first time]( The Food and Drug Administration is poised to set a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and some other tobacco products, looking to make them less addictive and wean smokers off the habit. [Read more.]( Reasons you should become a WBUR Sustainer - $5 off CitySpace events (virtual and in-person). - Automatic entry into WBUR sweepstakes. - Access to annual thank you gifts like limited-edition WBUR tote bags, mugs and jackets. - Exclusive discounts at local businesses. - Satisfaction of knowing you’re making WBUR available for the whole community. [Support independent journalism now]( to get these benefits and more! What We're Reading 📚 Only about 5% of medical residents are Black — but they account for nearly 20% of those dismissed from residency programs. This is one of the alarming statistics in a [recent investigation from STAT](. Usha Lee McFarling reports that Black residents leave or are terminated from training programs at far higher rates than their white peers. Why? Young physicians are vulnerable to subjective evaluations that can be tinged by bias, she says, and many Black residents report being written up for minor transgressions and made to question their competence. “What happens in residency is the same thing that happens in society: You have the same rules applying differently to different people because of the color of the skin,” Owoicho Adogwa, an assistant professor of clinical neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati, told STAT. In a follow-up story, McFarling lays out some strategies for [leveling the playing field]( including more protections and support programs for Black residents. "These burdens will disproportionately fall on people of color, those struggling to make ends meet, young people, rural residents, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ communities." — Carol Rose, ACLU Massachusetts executive director, on the [impacts of the Supreme Court ruling]( overturning federal abortion protections. ICYMI [Study linking COVID in utero to increased risk of developmental delays spurs debate]( The research, conducted by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital, examined electronic medical records from more than 7,500 patients at six hospitals. [Read more.]( [Study linking COVID in utero to increased risk of developmental delays spurs debate]( The research, conducted by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital, examined electronic medical records from more than 7,500 patients at six hospitals. [Read more.]( 🧠💥 Did you know...💥🧠 Some bacteria are so big they’re [visible to the naked eye]( Scientists discovered new, eyelash-sized bacteria in Caribbean mangrove swamps that are about 5,000 times bigger than most other bacteria. They're so massive they can't technically be called microbes! 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news     Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.