What’s Current: Over a million young women are given potentially unnecessary and invasive medical tests

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  • An estimated 1.4 million US women have undergone potentially unnecessary and invasive pelvic exams and pap smears, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Jin Qin, co-author of the study, told MarketWatch:

“Many young women associate the examination with fear, anxiety, embarrassment, discomfort and pain. Some adolescent girls and young women may forgo contraception or STI screening because of psychological stress associated with these exams, which could lead to unintended pregnancies and may increase overall health risks.”

  • MSP Joan McAlpine and breast cancer survivors demand an apology from Scottish ministers who cited “insulting” research that compared the bodies of trans-identified males to women who have had mastectomies in an effort to argue for sex self-identification.
  • The sexual assault of a university student in Bangladesh sparked protests by students in the nation’s capital, Dhaka. An estimated 1,500 demonstrators took part in a peaceful protest calling for the death penalty for rapists.
  • A 15-year-old girl who was sexually exploited by a South Yorkshire gang between 2010-2012 was ignored by authorities, a court heard on Tuesday. Jurors were told that when the girl approached the police no investigation was conducted.
Genevieve Gluck

Genevieve Gluck is a writer and advocate for women's sex-based rights and creator of Women's Voices, an audio library dedicated to bringing awareness to feminist texts and speeches.