Health
Judge rules West Virginia parents can use religious beliefs to opt out of school vaccine requirements
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A West Virginia judge ruled on Wednesday that parents can use religious beliefs to opt out of school vaccine requirements for their children.
Raleigh County Circuit Judge Michael Froble on Wednesday issued a permanent injunction, saying children of families who object to the state’s compulsory vaccination law on religious grounds will be permitted to attend school and participate in extracurricular sports.
Froble found that a state policy prohibiting parents from seeking religious exemptions violates the Equal Protection for Religion Act signed into law in 2023 by then-Gov. Jim Justice.
West Virginia was among just a handful of states to offer only medical exemptions from school vaccinations when Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order earlier this year allowing religious exemptions.
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West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said that the ruling “is a win for every family forced from school over their faith.” (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
However, the state Board of Education voted in June to instruct public schools to ignore the governor’s order and follow long-standing school vaccine requirements outlined in state law.
The board said following Wednesday’s ruling that it “hereby suspends the policy on compulsory vaccination requirements” pending an appeal before the state Supreme Court.
Morrisey said in a statement that the ruling “is a win for every family forced from school over their faith.”
Two groups had sued to stop Morrisey’s order, arguing that the legislature has the authority to make these decisions instead of the governor.
Legislation that would have allowed the religious exemptions was approved by the state Senate and rejected by the House of Delegates earlier this year.
The judge found that a state policy prohibiting parents from seeking religious exemptions violates the Equal Protection for Religion Act signed into law in 2023. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa (Photo by Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images))
The judge ruled that the failure to pass the legislation did not determine the application of the 2023 law. He rejected the defendants’ argument that religious exemptions can only be established by legislative moves.
“Legislative intent is not absolute nor controlling in interpreting a statute or determining its application; at most, it is a factor,” Froble said.
A group of parents had sued the state and local boards of education and the Raleigh County schools superintendent. One parent had obtained a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate from the state health department and enrolled her child in elementary school for the current school year before receiving an email in June from the local school superintendent rescinding the certificate, according to the lawsuit.
In July, Froble issued a preliminary injunction allowing the children of the three plaintiffs’ families in Raleigh County to attend school this year.
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State law requires children to receive vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis B, measles, meningitis, mumps, diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough before attending school. (iStock)
Last month, Froble certified the case as a class action involving 570 families who had received religious exemptions in other parts of the state. He said the class action also applies to parents who seek religious exemptions in the future.
Froble said the total number of exemptions so far involved a small portion of the statewide student population and “would not meaningfully reduce vaccination rates or increase health risks.”
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State law requires children to receive vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis B, measles, meningitis, mumps, diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough before attending school.
At least 30 states have religious freedom laws. The laws are modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton, allowing federal regulations that interfere with religious beliefs to be challenged.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss may improve male fertility, according to experts.
Research presented this week at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, explored how obesity is strongly linked to fertility problems in men.
Excess weight can contribute to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis — the hormone system that regulates testosterone production — and functional hypogonadism, a condition in which testosterone levels are abnormally low because of disrupted hormone signaling. These changes can also impair semen quality.
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The researchers evaluated how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs impact reproductive hormones and metabolic outcomes, analyzing data of men between the ages of 18 and 65 who were taking one of the medications, according to a press release.
The systematic review of five randomized controlled trials focused on measuring testosterone, brain hormones involved in testosterone and sperm production, and a protein that carries sex hormones in the blood. Semen quality, weight and BMI, cholesterol and blood sugar were also measured.
Men with obesity and low testosterone linked to obesity may experience improved testosterone, sperm quality and metabolic heath while taking a GLP-1, the study found. (iStock)
The results suggested that GLP-1 medications do not suppress male hormones. Men with obesity and low testosterone linked to obesity may experience improved testosterone, sperm quality and metabolic health, especially during weight loss.
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In one four-week study, dulaglutide showed no significant changes in reproductive hormones or sexual function.
In a separate 16-week trial, liraglutide improved hormones in obese men with functional hypogonadism, meaning low testosterone was likely related to obesity. The review found that liraglutide was better for health outcomes than hormone replacement therapy.
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Another liraglutide study reported improved sperm concentration and count.
The study authors concluded that GLP-1s “do not appear to acutely suppress the male HPG axis and may improve reproductive hormones and semen parameters in obese hypogonadal men, largely within the context of weight loss.” (iStock)
A 24-week trial of semaglutide, known commercially as Ozempic and Wegovy, saw improvement in sperm shape and bad cholesterol, while preserving total testosterone.
As only five trials were included, the small evidence base suggests more research is necessary to prove further association.
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In an abstract of the research, the authors summed up that GLP-1s “do not appear to acutely suppress the male HPG axis and may improve reproductive hormones and semen parameters in obese hypogonadal men, largely within the context of weight loss.”
“However, evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, underscoring the need for larger RCTs explicitly powered to assess male reproductive outcomes,” they wrote.
“This provides early evidence that GLP-1 medications taken by obese men with hypogonadism/low testosterone (low T) improves testosterone levels,” one doctor said. (iStock)
Dr. Anthony Puopolo, men’s health expert and lead medical provider for RexMD, reflected on these findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“This provides early evidence that GLP-1 medications taken by obese men with hypogonadism/low testosterone (low T) improves testosterone levels,” he said.
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While more research is necessary, Pupolo, who was not involved in the study, shared his optimism about how GLP-1s can play a role in improving male fertility.
“If this finding continues to gain evidence, GLP-1s might be a better option for low T than testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in obese men – as GLP-1 medications preserve fertility, whereas TRT tends to be harmful to male reproductive/sperm function,” he added.
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