Women's Health E-Update June 2023

Message from the Associate Commissioner

Dear Women’s Health Colleagues,

The FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH) is pleased to invite you to view our newest continuing education webinar, focused on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Kathleen Hoeger, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, comorbidities, and findings from recent research.

PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting 6% to 12% of  women of reproductive age in the U.S. In addition, women with PCOS can also develop serious health problems such heart disease, and over half develop type 2 diabetes by age 40. To learn more about this important condition, we encourage you to view Dr. Hoeger’s webinar titled: PCOS Revisited: Diagnosis, Management, and Future Needs and read our recent PCOS blog.

In addition, National HIV Testing Day is next week on June 27th. This year’s theme is Take the Test & Take the Next Step. Learn more in the Call to Action below where you can also view our resources on HIV, which we hope you will share with your communities.  

Sincerely,

Kaveeta P. Vasisht, M.D., Pharm.D.

The theme for National HIV Testing Day (June 27) this year, “Take the Test & Take the Next Step,” emphasizes that knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy.

An estimated 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV. Nearly 40% of new HIV infections are transmitted by people who don’t know they have the virus. Did you know the chance that HIV infection will be transmitted from an HIV-infected pregnant woman to her child can be reduced to 1% or less (1 or fewer out of every 100)? This is possible because better medicines are available to treat HIV. But first, the pregnant woman and her doctor must know if she is infected with HIV.

Check out our Women and HIV: Get the Facts on HIV Testing, Prevention, and Treatment resources and share with others. Find HIV services near you at https://locator.hiv.gov/.

• FDA Approves New Class of Medicines to Treat Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes
• FDA Approves First Treatment for Pediatric Functional Constipation
• FDA Provides Draft Recommendations to Help Reduce Microbial Contamination in Tattoo Inks
• FDA Announces Availability of a Final Guidance on Clinical Drug Interactions Studies with Combined Oral Contraceptives
• Update on Philips Respironics ventilators, BiPAP machines, and CPAP machines recalled in June 2021
• Don’t Use Products Marketed to Treat Molluscum, a Common Skin Condition
• FDA Proposes New, Easy-to-Read Medication Guide for Patients, Patient Medication Information
• FDA Updating Warnings to Improve Safe Use of Prescription Stimulants Used to Treat ADHD and Other Conditions
• FDA Approves First Oral Antiviral for Treatment of COVID-19 in Adults
• FDA Approves New Treatment for Pneumonia Caused by Certain Difficult-to-Treat Bacteria
• FDA Approves Prescription Nasal Spray to Reverse Opioid Overdose
• FDA Clears New Insulin Pump and Algorithm-Based Software to Support Enhanced Automatic Insulin Delivery
• FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Moderately to Severely Active Crohn’s Disease
• Accidental Exposures to Fentanyl Patches Continue to Be Deadly to Children
• Rumor Control: Learn and Share FDA Facts 

Pregnancy exposure registries are studies that collect health information on exposure to medical products such as drugs and vaccines during pregnancy.  Learn more about pregnancy registries today!

• FDA Workshop: 8th Annual Clinical Outcome Assessment in Cancer Clinical Trials Workshop, June 27, 2023
• Patient Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC) Virtual Meeting on Advancing Health Equity in Medical Devices, September 6, 2023

Visit FDA Meetings, Conferences and Workshops to find out about available meetings.