Opinion | ‘It Is a Horrifying Prospect’: What We Heard This Week

“It is a horrifying prospect that many more individuals could die because they will be forced to remain pregnant against their will.” — Jen Villavicencio, MD, of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, on how maternal mortality in the U.S. will likely be impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Besides oxygen, Paxlovid has probably been the single most important treatment tool in this epidemic.” — Richard Murphy, MD, MPH, of the White River Junction VA Medical Center in Vermont and member of an FDA advisory panel that just recommended the agency grant full approval to the oral antiviral for treating high-risk COVID-19.

“We shouldn’t be scaring away people who have obesity and obesity-related complications.” — Karl Nadolsky, MD, of Holland Hospital in Michigan, commenting on new concerns about muscle loss for patients on semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic).

“Eliminating HIV as a global public health threat is within our grasp.” — Debra Houry, MD, MPH, of the CDC, discussing a new report showing that 20 million people with HIV in 54 countries have received antiretroviral therapy through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

“If it’s individual identifiable health information, it’s protected by HIPAA.” — Andrew Mahler, vice president at the cybersecurity firm Clearwater, on a proposed bill that details exactly where HIPAA protections end and how digital health companies can use patient information.

“It’s a radical change. If you go back 3 or 4 years, emergency medicine was one of the most competitive specialties.” — Robert McNamara, MD, of Temple University in Philadelphia, on the 555 positions that went unfilled in this year’s emergency medicine Match.

“They will occasionally miss things. They will sometimes mention things that they shouldn’t and vice versa. However, the potential to be a useful tool is clear.” — Alan Karthikesalingam, MD, PhD, head of the healthcare machine learning research group at Google Health in London, on the latest results showing Google’s medical AI can achieve 85% accuracy on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam.

“Let’s finish the job. Ban assault weapons; ban them again.” — President Biden during a speech on reducing gun violence in the U.S.

“I think it’s very reassuring for women with MS to know that different types of fertility treatment [can be used] without fear of an increased risk of relapse.” — Barbara Giesser, MD, of Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, on how fertility treatments for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be as risky as once thought.

“The Football Association in England is leading the conversation on age of first exposure by eliminating heading before age 12.” — Chris Nowinski, PhD, of the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston, commenting on a study that found a 46% higher risk for dementia among top male soccer players in Sweden.

“California is just one state, and these patients are all across the country, so we do need more states that are willing to protect the rights of these patients.” — Adrian Diaz, MD, MPH, of the Ohio State University, discussing the rise in gender-affirming surgeries in California after a law there outlawed insurers and health plans from limiting benefits based on a patient’s gender identity or expression.