Abortion pills, already used in more than half of recent abortions in the U.S., are becoming even more sought-after in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and they will likely be at the center of the legal battles that are expected to unfold as about half the states ban abortion and others take steps to increase access. This method, known as medication abortion, is authorized by the FDA for use in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. For states that ban all forms of abortion, medical abortion is likely to provide significant enforcement challenges. It is difficult to police activities like sending or receiving pills through the mail. “When people say we’re going back to the days before Roe, there’s no such thing as a time machine – we have a very different pharmaceutical landscape” said Katie Watson, associate professor of medical education, medical social sciences and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is investing $27.7 million into its Streeterville hospital as it looks to build new surgical procedure rooms and finance the installation of an intraoperative MRI machine. According to Sandi Lam, vice chair for pediatric neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “Building an intraoperative MRI suite aligns with our commitment to patient-centered care for children’s. This technology enables neurosurgeons to perform surgeries with real-time imaging of the brain while the surgery is happening. The only other intraoperative machines in Illinois are in Central DuPage and Peoria.

Hate crime laws that protect gay, lesbian and transgender people may have an unexpected benefit: fewer teen suicide attempts, among kids of all sexual orientation. That’s the conclusion of a new study that looked at what happened in U.S. states that enacted hate crime laws with protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals. It found that teen suicide attempts dipped by an average 16%, compared to rates before the laws. “If we think about why states pass hate crime laws, it’s because these crimes have effects felt beyond the people directly involved, said Brian Mustanski, director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University. The pattern is not new. IT has long been recognized that sexual-minority kids have a higher risk of suicidal behavior thantheir heterosexual peers — due to factors such as bullying, abuse and stigmatization.

After being infected with COVID-19, how long are you protected with antibodies and when could you get the virus again? The omicron variant has led to a major shift in “natural immunity,” with many who had previously been infected susceptible to reinfection with the new version of the virus. According to the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner, data has shown that most people infected with COVID are protected from the virus for about one to three months after. A recent study from Northwestern Medicine showed that many so-called COVID “long-haulers” continue to experience symptoms including brain fog, tingling, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue and average of 15 months after the onset of the virus. Public officials recommend that even those who contract COVID remain up-to-date with their vaccinations and booster shots.