U.S. births slightly decreased in 2025. That's according to new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It reports just over 3.6 million births, about 24,000 fewer than in 2024. This decline aligns with expert predictions that the 2024 increase wouldn't start an upward trend. The CDC updated its data last week, covering nearly all of the babies born in 2025. Final numbers may add only a few thousand more. Despite efforts to encourage births, like expanding in vitro fertilization access, the fertility rate has been declining. Economic conditions and uncertainty continue to impact childbearing decisions.
California is giving Planned Parenthood $140 million to help keep 109 clinics open after Congress cut funding for the health system in July. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the move reflects the state's commitment to abortion and reproductive healthcare. Lawmakers will take up the issue of continued funding when the Legislature convents in January. Several clinics in California have closed or will stop offering primary care services. The nonprofit needs about $27 million a month to operate all of its local facilities. California is the fourth state — after Washington, Colorado and New Mexico — to pledge public funds to Planned Parenthood. Republicans have criticized Planned Parenthood for decades for offering contraceptive and abortion services.
Federal health officials have approved another generic version of the abortion pill, prompting outrage from abortion opponents. Anti-abortion groups quickly criticized the move on Thursday, calling it a "stain" on the Trump administration. The groups have been pushing for a safety review of mifepristone. The FDA first approved the drug as safe and effective in 2000. The new version of the pill is from drugmaker Evita Solutions. It's not the first generic version, which the FDA approved in 2019.
Reusable menstrual products, including cups, discs and period underwear, have gained traction as a cost-effective, long-lasting, environmental alternative to single-use products. In her lifetime, the average woman will use 10,000 menstrual products, and most of them wind up in landfills. The most popular options are single-use pads and tampons. They are made with plastic that can take hundreds of years to break down. But silicone menstrual cups can be reused for years, so they're cost-effective and long-lasting in addition to helping people reduce waste.
