ACOG 2026 Conference Recap for Primary Care

Research presented at the 2026 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting highlighted several issues with direct relevance to primary care, from preventive screening and postpartum follow-up to menopause management and medication exposure around pregnancy. Across the studies, a recurring theme emerged: earlier identification, better counseling, and stronger continuity of care may help close gaps that persist across women’s health.

The findings also reinforced the expanding role of primary care clinicians in areas traditionally centered in obstetrics and gynecology. Whether screening for sleep disturbance during menopause, linking patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to preventive care, counseling reproductive-aged patients using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or improving access to cervical cancer screening through human papillomavirus self-collection, primary care remains a key setting for prevention and follow-up.

Below, find highlights on 5 studies with clinical implications for frontline clinicians, including new data on menopause-related sleep problems, postpartum preventive care after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, patient preferences for human papillomavirus self-collection, preventable pregnancy-related infection deaths, and peripregnancy exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.

Sleep Screening May Be Key in Menopause Care

Findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging showed that sleep problems were significantly more common among women aged 50 to 80 years who reported menopausal-related symptoms than among those without symptoms. In the cross-sectional analysis of 1202 US women, 56.4% reported sleep problems overall, but the rate rose to 75.0% among women with any menopausal-related symptoms compared with 49.8% among those without symptoms (P < .001). The findings reinforce the clinical overlap between menopause symptom burden and sleep disturbance and suggest that primary care clinicians should routinely ask about sleep quality, nighttime awakenings, daytime impairment, vasomotor symptoms, mood symptoms, medications, alcohol use, and possible sleep disorders when evaluating women in midlife and older adulthood. While the study was limited by its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported symptoms, investigators concluded that integrating screening and evidence-based interventions for sleep disturbances into menopause management may improve quality of life and long-term outcomes.

Preventive Care Use Low After Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Preventive care use during the postpartum year was low among insured individuals with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). In an analysis of 52 962 births from the Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database, only 35.3% of individuals with HDP had a preventive visit within 12 months after delivery. Chronic hypertension was the most common HDP type, accounting for 47.1% of births, followed by gestational hypertension at 23.9% and mild preeclampsia at 12.9%. After adjustment, chronic hypertension and mild preeclampsia were associated with modestly higher probabilities of preventive visit use compared with gestational hypertension, but overall utilization remained low across groups. For primary care clinicians, the findings underscore the need to identify patients with any history of HDP and improve postpartum linkage to longitudinal preventive care, particularly given the association between HDP and future cardiovascular risk.

More Than 7 in 10 US Women Open to HPV Self-Collection for Cervical Cancer Screening

A nationally representative study found that 71.5% of US women aged 21 to 49 years were open to self-collection for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical cancer screening, representing an estimated 41.7 million women. In the analysis of 4465 women from the National Survey of Family Growth, 42.9% preferred HPV self-collection, 28.5% preferred clinician collection, and 28.6% had no preference. Openness to self-collection was particularly notable among women who were underscreened or never screened, with 54.0% preferring self-collection compared with 40.3% of women who were up to date with screening; an estimated 9.7 million underscreened or never-screened women were open to this approach. Among women open to self-collection, 52.1% preferred at-home testing, including 59.3% of those who were underscreened or never screened. For primary care clinicians, the findings suggest HPV self-collection may help reduce barriers to cervical cancer screening, particularly among patients who are overdue for screening or uncomfortable with pelvic examination-based testing, although implementation will require patient education, reliable follow-up systems, and attention to disparities in screening access.

Most Pregnancy-Related Infection Deaths Are Preventable

An analysis of Maternal Mortality Review Committee data from 29 states found that most pregnancy-related deaths due to infection were preventable, underscoring missed opportunities for earlier recognition, timely treatment, and care coordination. Among 91 pregnancy-related infection deaths identified from 2017 to 2019, 86.4% of the 88 deaths with preventability data were deemed preventable. Most occurred postpartum, including 27.3% at 1 to 6 days after delivery and 36.4% at 7 to 42 days postpartum. The genital tract was the most common documented infection source, and Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococci, was the most frequently identified pathogen. Despite frequent recent contact with the health care system, only 2 of 17 decedents with documented timing received antibiotics within the recommended 1-hour window after symptomatic presentation. For primary care clinicians, the findings highlight the need to recognize postpartum infection symptoms as potentially urgent, support earlier escalation of suspected sepsis, reinforce patient education on warning signs, and improve transitions between obstetric, emergency, outpatient, and primary care settings.

Peripregnancy GLP-1 Exposure Not Linked to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

Peripregnancy exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) was not associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among patients using the medications for pregestational diabetes or weight management. In a retrospective cohort study of patients who delivered between 2014 and 2024 at a large medical center, investigators evaluated 243 patients with documented GLP-1 RA exposure up to 1 year before pregnancy, including 103 using the drugs for pregestational diabetes and 140 using them for weight management. GLP-1 RA exposure was not significantly associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in either cohort, including after adjustment for relevant clinical factors. Among patients using GLP-1 RAs for weight management, exposure during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of gestational weight gain below Institute of Medicine recommendations, which investigators suggested may reflect rebound weight gain after medication discontinuation. For primary care clinicians prescribing GLP-1 RAs to reproductive-aged patients, the findings reinforce the need for preconception counseling, pregnancy planning discussions, and careful monitoring after discontinuation, while larger studies are needed to clarify pregnancy safety and potential effects on gestational weight gain and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.