Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls

Gonadal hormones have a complicated influence on appetite. Estradiol generally suppresses appetite, whereas progesterone opposes estradiol's action such that their combined presence represents a high-risk hormonal milieu for Binge Eating (BE). Testosterone is thought to be associated with increased BE in females but appears protective in males. In some reports, combination oral contraceptive (COC) use has been linked to greater BE-related appetitive processes (e.g., food intake). Now, we have 2 recent, back-to-back publications (June 2026 in JAMA Network Open, and July 2026 in Appetite) that have examined the relationship of hormonal contraception on binge eating behavior. These found seemingly opposing conclusions. Listen in for details.
1. Klump KL, Di Dio AM, Anaya C, et al. Combined Oral Contraceptive Use and Binge Eating. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(6):e2619047. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.19047
2. Katz JM, Yan R, Beltz AM, Gearhardt AN. Associations between reproductive hormonal milieus and binge eating: The roles of sex and hormonal contraceptive use. Appetite. 2026 Jul 1;222:108547. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2026.108547. Epub 2026 Mar 20. PMID: 41866083.
3. Bass L, Prostináková T, Silang KG, Griffiths-Gray A, McQuilliam S, Mahon E, Whitehead A, Johnson KO. Does it hold weight? The perceived effects of contraceptive use on weight status in females: A mixed-methods study. PLoS One. 2025 Dec 29;20(12):e0339323. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0339323. PMID: 41460817; PMCID: PMC12747328.

The DIY at-home gynecology health market has EXPLODED. There is at-home vaginal/cervical HPV testing, screening for STIs, and even a blood test for multi-cancer screening (Cancer Guard). These provide a potential solution for access to care and social determinants of health. Now, a new study is seeking to add DIY at-home transvaginal ultrasounds to that mix. Yep…at home. This was published in Jama Network on July 6, 2026. Premenopausal women aged 22 to 50 years participated from 12 different locations in the US, including my home state of Texas. In this episode, we will highlight this new prospective, interventional, single group nonrandomized clinical trial. Listen in for details.
1. At-Home Transvaginal Pelvic Ultrasonography and Image Quality in Premenopausal Women A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial; Published Online: July 6, 2026
2026;9;(7):e2621476. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.21476

As healthcare professionals, we should all seek and encourage scientific and medical discovery and new therapies. That’s one big goal of the scientific process: to bring new therapies to otherwise lethal condition. For example, back in the 80s and 90s, HIV uniformly led to AIDS, which was a death sentence. But now, HIV is 100% manageable with appropriate medical care and medical therapy. That’s a win! On the Prenatal side, lack of amniotic fluid (anhydramnios) under 22 weeks has uniformly been regarded as a fatal/lethal condition. This is because of the direct association with previable lack of amniotic fluid and lung hypoplasia. But now, serial amniocentesis for this condition is making headlines. While the headlines are catchy and serve as appropriate “click bait”, there’s more to this story. This may be a perfect example of “Robbing Peter, to Pay Paul”. Listen in for details.
1. Neonatal Survival After Serial Amnioinfusions for Anhydramnios Due to Fetal Kidney Failure: The RAFT Clinical Trial. JAMA Netwoek, July 1, 2026
2. Medpage July 7, 2026: Amnioinfusions Mitigate Lethal Lung Hypoplasia From Fetal Kidney Failure

Placenta previa has an incidence of about 0.4% to 0.5% (or 1 in 200 to 1 in 250 deliveries). Anterior placenta previa poses a unique obstacle in fetal extraction at CS: Is it best to transect (enter) the placenta or to cause a marginal abruption at the placental edge for fetal extraction? In this episode we will review an upcoming “Surgeon’s Corner” in the AJOG (July 2026) which provides some tips and tricks for this very issue.
1. Verspyck E, Douysset X, Roman H, Marret S, Marpeau L. Transecting versus avoiding incision of the anterior placenta previa during cesarean delivery. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015 Jan;128(1):44-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.07.020. Epub 2014 Aug 27. PMID: 25218131.
2. Nieto-Calvache AJ, Palacios-Jaraquemada JM, Basanta N, Suarez-Revelo MA, Benavides-Calvache JP, Meade P, Lopez-Franco MJ, Burgos-Luna JM. How to avoid placental transection during low transverse cesarean delivery for anterior placenta previa. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Jul;235(1):225-228. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2026.02.032. Epub 2026 Feb 25. PMID: 41759607.

In 2018, the ARIVE trial was published in the NEJM revealingthat induction of labor at 39 weeks reduced cesarean deliveries and gestational hypertension/preeclampsia in low-risk nulliparous women who had labor induced,compared to expectant management. Then, in 2025, and partly in response to L&D units across the country becoming saturated with low- risk, nulliparous patients awaiting their induction of labors at 39 weeks and 0 days, the ACOGreleased its clinical practice update in Jan 2025 stating, “The optimal timing of delivery for full-term pregnancies (39 0/7 to 40 6/7 weeks of gestation has not been determined”. Now there is new data, released as an article in press(June 26, 2026), out of the AJOG that raises some interesting questions about potential benefits of induction of labor LATER in the “full term” interval (40- 40 and 6 days) compared to earlier full term (39 weeks to 39 weeks 6 days). Thesefindings are “hypothesis- generating”.  Listen in for details.

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​     Grobman WA, Rice MM, Reddy UM, Tita ATN, et al;Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentMaternal–Fetal Medicine Units Network. Labor Induction versus ExpectantManagement in Low-Risk Nulliparous Women. N Engl J Med. 2018 Aug9;379(6):513-523.
​     Damri NT, Sheiner E, Wainstock T, GestationalAge at Full-Term Delivery and Long-Term Offspring Morbidity in Low-RiskPregnancies: A Population-Based Cohort Study, American Journal of Obstetricsand Gynecology (2026),
​     Management of Full-Term Nulliparous IndividualsWithout a Medical Indication for Delivery: ACOG Clinical Practice Update.Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Jan 1;145(1):e45-e50. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005783.Epub 2024 Nov 7. PMID: 39513607.