085: ‘Baby bonuses’ & ‘menstrual classes’ to increase the birth rate, fact checking food dyes & devastating cuts to women’s health research

Plus, what we all need to know about autism, how to *actually* support parenthood, key research on pregnancies in abortion ban states, and more

Welcome to Two Truths, a bestselling newsletter exploring the many truths of motherhood from journalists & maternal health advocates Cassie Shortsleeve & Kelsey Haywood Lucas. It’s a “best parenting Substack” per Motherly and The Skimm says you should subscribe; you’ll also find it in Vox, The Bump, Popsugar & more.

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Sometimes, we email ourselves links and stories to refer to later: Sometimes we write about them, talk about them, use them for social posts, or plug them into issues of this newsletter.

This week, our links have been overwhelming in number and particularly grim in subject matter. However, we feel compelled to share these updates with you because (1) the changes currently underway in the government directly impact the health of all women and mothers, and (2) speaking out about these issues matters.

Case in point: This week, funding was cut for the Women’s Health Initiative, one of the largest and most influential research projects ever conducted on women’s health. The decision was met with swift public outrage, and in response, federal officials announced the funding would be restored. This reversal is a powerful reminder that the media, and the voices it amplifies, don't just inform—they keep people, institutions, and governments accountable.

We will keep writing about issues that impact women and mothers and encourage you to keep talking about them, too.

Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:

• Critical updates on the gutting of research and initiatives focused on women’s and maternal health, including a landmark women’s health study

• The preposterous proposals suggested to increase the birth rate

• A new study about pregnancy in states with abortion bans

• The quiet elimination of an advisory committee on genetic disorders in newborns and kids

• Gutted formula research

• Cuts to fertility and maternal health programs that threaten care access and could deepen reproductive health disparities across the United States

• How the White House plans to “persuade” women to have more kids—and what mothers and advocates say about that

• A fact check on what just happened (and didn’t) with food dyes

• What we all need to know about autism

• And much more

And because the news won’t stop, it was just reported that in mid-May, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), which oversees legislation and issues related to healthcare, regarding the restructuring of the HHS.

If you’re looking for ways to support policies and programs that benefit mothers, consider joining us in the fight for mothers’ rights over at Chamber of Mothers. Right now, we’re collecting Mad Libs-style letters stating why maternal health matters. The form takes less than 2 minutes to complete, and your stories will be printed and hand-delivered to lawmakers on May 6 in D.C. to show that maternal health isn’t optional. It’s essential. Submit your story here.

—Cassie and Kelsey

PS: If you’re looking for some lighter news, see last night’s issue of the stuff that’s making mom life happier and healthier these days.

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Some horrific women’s & maternal health news updates

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