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Reproductive health news
Standard treatment falls short for privately insured pregnant women with opioid use disorder, study finds
Opioid use disorder during pregnancy remains a critical yet under-addressed public health issue in the U.S., according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Although effective, evidence-based ...
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Millions of US birth records uncover an autism risk surge tied to common drugs taken during pregnancy
A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Reproductive justice framework is essential to addressing inequities in high-risk pregnancy care, argue researchers
A new commentary in Reproductive Health calls for fetal condition care to be reframed through a reproductive justice (RJ) lens, arguing that systemic inequities, not just medical factors, shape the options available to families. ...
Apr 18, 2026
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Early folic acid supplementation may halve the risk of birth defects in women using antiseizure medication
Women taking antiseizure medication for epilepsy have around a 45% reduced risk of major congenital anomalies in their children—if they initiate high-dose folic acid before pregnancy. This is the finding of a large Nordic ...
Apr 17, 2026
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Menstrual cycle reshapes nearly 200 blood proteins, offering a broader view of women's health
It is a process as old as humanity itself, yet there is still much we do not know about women's menstrual cycle and the impact it has on the entire body. Now, a team of researchers from the Department of Clinical Medicine ...
Apr 16, 2026
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Severe male infertility tied to higher colorectal and thyroid cancer risk
Men with severely reduced fertility are at greater risk of developing other health conditions later in life. A research team from Lund University in Sweden has now shown that these men are also more likely to develop colorectal ...
Apr 16, 2026
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Health information delivered as a video game can bridge the communication gap between patients and providers
Imagine you and your partner are sitting in the waiting room of your doctor's office, waiting for your appointment to get birth control—and instead of calculating how many other people will be called before you, or perusing ...
Apr 16, 2026
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New study shows public backs overhaul of consent rules for donating frozen eggs to research
Egg freezing is becoming increasingly popular, yet most people who freeze their eggs never return to use them. When imposed storage limits are reached, individuals must choose whether to discard unused eggs, donate them to ...
Apr 16, 2026
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Hormone therapy remains underused in cervical cancer care as clinicians cite key barriers
Most oncologists say they would prescribe hormone therapy to cervical cancer patients who experience early menopause from radiation treatment, but barriers are keeping many from doing so in practice, according to a new University ...
Apr 15, 2026
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Modern lifestyles may be affecting how our bodies recycle estrogen
Our industrialized, modern lifestyles may be increasing how much estrogen (the female sex hormone) gets recycled in our bodies, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...
Study finds no link between medical gender reassignment and improved mental health among young people
An extensive register-based study conducted in Finland has found an increase in severe mental health problems among some adolescents and young adults who have undergone medical gender reassignment (GR). According to the research, ...
Apr 14, 2026
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Despite FDA rule change, few retail pharmacies dispense mifepristone
Just a fraction of prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone were filled at brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies after federal drug regulators lifted longstanding dispensing limits, according to a new USC study in JAMA. ...
Apr 13, 2026
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New guidance on adenomyosis, an overlooked uterine condition affecting 1 in 3 women
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa physician is working to change how a common but often overlooked gynecologic condition is diagnosed and treated. Kimberly Kho, who holds the nation's first professorship in advanced gynecological ...
Apr 10, 2026
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CDC: 2024 to 2025 saw decline in number of births, fertility rate in US
The number of births and general fertility rate decreased 1% from 2024 to 2025 in the United States, according to an April Vital Statistics Rapid Release report, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and ...
Apr 9, 2026
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Judge allows abortion pill to continue being mailed for now
U.S. District Judge David Joseph turned down Louisiana officials' request to stop mail order delivery of the drug mifepristone nationwide while the case is still in court.
Apr 9, 2026
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Cell-by-cell analysis offers clues to pregnancy risks
The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail by UC San Francisco scientists, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Making the case for over-the-counter abortion pills: Study finds most people can accurately self-screen
Currently, in U.S. states where abortion remains legal, women have to visit specialized clinics to access in-person medication abortion, as drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol are not available over-the-counter (OTC). ...
A big step toward safe, reversible male contraception
Cornell scientists have taken a major step toward developing a safe, reversible, long-acting and 100% effective nonhormonal male contraceptive, considered the holy grail of male contraception. A proof-of-principle study in ...
Apr 7, 2026
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US sexual health report card: High pleasure, low testing, stark gender disparities
A new sexual health survey reveals a mix of progress and persistent gaps. Overall, many Americans report positive experiences—interest in having sex, sexual pleasure, and good communication with partners—yet women and gender-diverse ...
Apr 6, 2026
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Intermittent fasting positively affects female hormones in PCOS, study finds
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects as many as 18% of all childbearing-age women. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces too much of a group of hormones called androgens, chiefly testosterone. Menstrual ...
Apr 4, 2026
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Immune-capable cervix-on-a-chip enables study of sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) not only impact an individual's health, but also result in multibillion-dollar economic losses worldwide. To study these diseases, a team of researchers has developed the first-of-its-kind, ...
Apr 3, 2026
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Women with diabetes less likely to receive preventive care and some screenings, research indicates
Physicians are less likely to provide preventive care such as conception counseling and some cancer screenings to women with diabetes than they do for women without the disease, a UCLA-led study suggests.
Apr 3, 2026
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More Americans are traveling farther for maternity care, study finds
Fewer people in the United States can reach hospital-based obstetric care within a reasonable drive than a decade ago, according to a new national study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. The study found that ...
Apr 1, 2026
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When an orgasm is consistently absent, women may see it as less important
Over time, expectations can shift, especially when something remains out of reach. Researchers from Rutgers University–New Brunswick suggest this also may be true for orgasms. When an orgasm is repeatedly absent, women may ...
Mar 31, 2026
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