Women's health

This week, WVIA's Sarah Scinto and healthcare reporter Lydia McFarlane talk about a recent study from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania which found 23 of the state's 67 counties do not have a hospital with a labor and delivery unit.

Según el Centro para las comunidades de parto de Pensilvania, 23 de los 67 condados de Pensilvania no cuentan con un hospital que ofrezca servicios de parto y alumbramiento y los 23 condados están clasificados por el Centro como comunidades rurales.

According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, nearly half of the state’s rural counties do not have hospitals with labor and delivery units. This reflects a nationwide trend of hospitals closing specialized service lines such as obstetrics.

Pike is Pennsylvania’s only county without its own hospital or immediate care center. That’s going to change in 2026.

President Donald Trump announced last week that taking Tylenol during pregnancy can increase a child’s chances of having autism. Local advocates and medical professionals say Trump's remarks aren't supported by science and cause harm to the community.

The Trump administration froze Title X funding, leaving a grant half-paid to Maternal and Family Health Services. The organization may not be able to pay its subgrantees, such as Planned Parenthood Keystone, as it waits for money that might not come.

Sixty-eight state parks will have menstrual product dispensers, including 15 in northeast and north-central Pennsylvania.

Providence Pregnancy Center recently opened the maternity home in Scranton. The home, next door to a former funeral home, features newly renovated rooms for three women and their children for up to 12 months after birth.

SEIU will join local legislators and advocates to update the community on the future of Regional Hospital after the failed CHS deal.

People living in both rural and urban counties face unique barriers to accessible healthcare. School-based health centers help residents to overcome those obstacles, centering the schools as community hubs.