Reproductive health https://medicalxpress.com/reproductive-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Reproductive Health & Relationships Developing a new methodology to identify biomarkers for male infertility Researchers from the EHU-University of the Basque Country have developed a robust protocol to detect the molecules involved in the metabolic reactions of sperm. The new method enables a detailed analysis even with small samples and allows the detection of the largest number of potential biomarkers identified to date; this advance could help diagnose male infertility and develop future clinical solutions. The paper is published in the journal Cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-methodology-biomarkers-male-infertility.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:20:01 EDT news701603238 Aging reshapes the ovary long before reproductive function ends Aging affects every organ in the body, yet we still know little about how the ovary changes over time. In a new study published in Nature Aging, Yale researchers created one of the most detailed maps of the aging ovary to date, examining how its cellular organization changes across the reproductive lifespan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-aging-reshapes-ovary-reproductive-function.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:40:02 EDT news701530321 Immunotherapy may temporarily restore fertility in patients of premature menopause A pilot study from Karolinska Institutet shows that immunotherapy may enable the stimulation of egg maturation in women with autoimmune POI (premature ovarian insufficiency)—a condition that usually leads to infertility. Three out of 10 women gave birth to healthy babies following the treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immunotherapy-temporarily-fertility-patients-premature.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:40:08 EDT news701516709 Most IVF 'add-ons' show little evidence of boosting births, researchers find There is a lack of evidence to suggest the majority of in vitro fertilization (IVF) add-ons improve fertility in patients undergoing IVF, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health. There is weak evidence for some possible benefit from three IVF add-ons: EmbryoGlue, endometrial scratching and physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ivf-ons-evidence-boosting-births.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news701431622 Steep drop in metabolic coenzyme could trigger preterm labor Declining placental concentrations of a molecule that plays a key role in metabolism appear to trigger the end of pregnancy and hasten labor and delivery, suggesting a study co-led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The findings, published in Science, could lead to new ways to predict when pregnant women might give birth and who might be at risk for premature delivery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-steep-metabolic-coenzyme-trigger-preterm.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:00:08 EDT news701448482 Prime-and-pull vaccine may offer lasting genital herpes protection Genital herpes is a lifelong infection. While available treatments can manage symptoms, they cannot cure the infection or prevent transmission. Now, Yale School of Medicine researchers have taken a significant step toward a genital herpes vaccine that—in preclinical models—prevented infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-prime-vaccine-genital-herpes.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:40:06 EDT news701362921 One vaccine changed everything: England's youngest women stopped dying from this cancer The HPV vaccine for cervical cancer has reduced the risk of dying from the disease before age 30 in England to almost zero, the first study of its kind showed Thursday. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-vaccine-england-youngest-women-dying.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:00:05 EDT news701013013 AI screens 6 million compounds to uncover two leads against drug-resistant gonorrhea With tens of millions of annual cases, gonorrhea is the second most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection (STI). In the U.S. alone, more than 600,000 cases are reported each year. If left untreated, gonorrhea can result in severe reproductive health issues, including infertility in both women and men and pelvic inflammatory disease. The infection also increases the risk of HIV transmission, and—if the pathogen spreads from the genitals or throat to other parts of the body—it can damage the heart and cause meningitis and sepsis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-screens-million-compounds-uncover.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:40:06 EDT news700988701 Stem cell embryo models could unlock infertility clues beyond 14-day research limit An international team of experts in embryology and bioethics has published the first white paper on the use of embryonic models based on stem cells in the field of reproductive biology. The document, coordinated by UPF researcher Alfonso Martínez-Arias, offers an integrated view of developmental biology, bioethics and legislation, and proposes guidelines for the correct implementation of these models in research and in the regulation and development of technologies related to human reproduction. This text should facilitate the use of models to study embryo development beyond the 14-day legal barrier, hopefully leading to an understanding of some of the conditions that cause infertility. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-stem-cell-embryo-infertility-clues.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:20:01 EDT news700488541 A common newborn procedure faces new scrutiny as evidence undercuts one widely blamed cause of breastfeeding trouble A joint study by the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital suggests that a newborn's upper lip frenulum is unlikely to be a major cause of breastfeeding difficulties. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, followed 264 mother–infant pairs at Oulu University Hospital between 2023 and 2024. Researchers assessed the anatomy and mobility of the upper lip frenulum in healthy, full-term infants and compared the findings with mothers' reported breastfeeding experiences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-common-newborn-procedure-scrutiny-evidence.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:20:01 EDT news700474681 Chlamydia vaccine push gets blueprint as key membrane protein structure emerges Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, working with other U.S. researchers, have uncovered the structure of a key cell membrane protein in a bacterial model for Chlamydia trachomatis, the cause of the world's most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-chlamydia-vaccine-blueprint-key-membrane.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:09 EDT news700399261 Difficulty conceiving tied to small neurodevelopmental differences in children Difficulty conceiving a pregnancy may be associated with small differences in children's learning and behavior, according to a new study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, titled "Associations of subfecundity and infertility treatment with child neurodevelopment in ECHO." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-difficulty-small-neurodevelopmental-differences-children.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:40:01 EDT news700323541 Fathers may influence their children's health before they're even conceived A father's health before conception may leave a biological imprint on his future children, according to a new study from Washington State University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fathers-children-health-theyre.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:30:01 EDT news700225641 Killing the mood: Smartphones reduce birth rate, studies say As governments around the world struggle with ways to reverse plunging birth rates, new U.S. studies suggest they have ignored a key culprit—the smartphone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mood-smartphones-birth.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:30:03 EDT news700197641