Women's Journal — Health, Beauty, Fitness & Lifestyle
Study Finds Women with Autism Face More Severe Menopause Symptoms
Research from Bournemouth University found that adults with autism, most of them women, reported more severe menopause symptoms and poorer mental health than participants without autism. The five-week study followed 901 adults and examined how perceptions of menopause were associated with symptom severity, raising questions about communication and support in midlife care. Key Takeaways Bournemouth University announced the findings on October 28, 2026. Researchers collected five weeks of responses from 476 adults with autism and 425 without autism, ages 40 to 60. Participants with autism reported more severe menopause symptoms, greater anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life. Feelings of reduced control and difficulty understanding menopause were associated with poorer outcomes, but causation was not established. Women with autism reported more severe menopause symptoms, greater anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life than participants without autism in research announced October 28, 2026, by Bournemouth University in England. The differences appeared across five weekly assessments involving 901 adults ages 40 to 60. The researchers also identified a link between symptom severity and how participants understood changes happening during menopause. Those findings may help explain some reported differences, but they do not establish that autism causes more severe symptoms or
Monique Rodriguez Commits $2 Million to Maternal Health
Entrepreneur Monique Rodriguez has committed $2 million to birthFUND, a maternal-health organization founded by Elaine Welteroth. The multiyear commitment will support expanded access to midwifery-led care and establish a scholarship program designed to help train future midwives, connecting Rodriguez’s business leadership with maternal-health initiatives. Key Takeaways Monique Rodriguez committed $2 million to birthFUND through a multiyear pledge. The funding will support access to midwifery-led prenatal, birth and postpartum care. A portion of the commitment will establish the Milan Rodriguez Midwifery Scholarship Program. The scholarship initiative is being developed with the Black Midwifery Collective. Rodriguez is the founder of Mielle Organics and previously worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse. Monique Rodriguez Commits $2 Million to birthFUND Monique Rodriguez’s maternal health commitment will provide $2 million to birthFUND, an organization founded by journalist Elaine Welteroth. The multiyear pledge is directed toward maternal healthcare access and the development of the midwifery workforce. The funding will support midwifery-led prenatal, birth and postpartum care. It will also support an education initiative focused on future midwives, giving the commitment both a healthcare access component and a workforce-development component. Rodriguez is the founder of Mielle Organics and previously worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse. Her professional background connects her
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New Child Care Report Reveals the Hidden Cost for Working Moms
A Louisiana report released in October 2026 documents how child care costs and limited availability affect parents’ jobs, with female respondents reporting especially pronounced shifts from full-time to part-time work. The findings explain the financial pressures, scheduling problems, and limited assistance facing families with young children, alongside national data on care prices. Key Takeaways The October 13 report surveyed 500 Louisiana adults caring for children younger than five. Among female respondents answering employment questions, 24.1% reported moving from full-time to part-time work because of child care problems. Infant care averaged approximately $12,042 annually in the report’s inflation-adjusted Louisiana pricing estimate. Nearly 70% of survey respondents reported some difficulty finding affordable child care. A new study from the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children found that child care difficulties coincided with reduced work schedules and job departures among parents of young children. In responses broken down by gender, 24.1% of women said child care problems had led them to move from full-time to part-time employment, compared with 5.9% of men. The institute released The Missing Piece on October 13. Louisiana State University researchers surveyed 500 adults caring for children four and younger from April 13 to April 21. Employment figures reflect 411
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