https://medicalxpress.com/reproductive-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Reproductive Health & Relationships Scientists led by Julie Kim, Ph.D., the Susy Y. Hung Research Professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, have developed a novel stem cell platform that provides a new way to study the biology of endometriosis in humans more accurately than current model systems. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-stem-cell-platform-endometriosis.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:40:02 EDT news706450501 Biologic medicines have transformed the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, migraine, inflammatory disorders and many other conditions. Yet their growing use among women of reproductive age constitutes a major clinical challenge because therapeutic IgG antibodies are actively transported across the placenta to the developing fetus. Evidence supporting the safe use of such therapeutics during pregnancy remains limited. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-placental-mechanism-safer-biologic-medicines.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:02 EDT news705857652 As mice age, their total egg reserve collapses around tenfold. Yet, according to a new study published in Nature Aging, the proportion of eggs in the brief window where a follicle is shifting from dormant to growing stays constant throughout life, at approximately 14%. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-3d-lifespan-mouse-ovaries-constant.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:00:02 EDT news705677881 For more than 30 years, one piece of pregnancy advice has been remarkably consistent: Take folic acid. The reason is clear. Folic acid, or vitamin B9, can lower the risk of neural tube defects, serious birth defects that happen when the early structure that becomes the brain and spinal cord does not close properly. What has been much less clear is how folic acid works. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-folic-acid-baby-brain-spinal.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:20:05 EDT news705667022 After ovulation, an egg travels through the oviduct (Fallopian tube) toward the uterus (womb). This journey is essential for reproduction: Fertilization normally occurs in the oviduct, and the resulting zygote continues developing as it moves toward the uterus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-oviduct-egg-essential.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news705251762 As women get older, their uterine environment changes. This includes a decrease in a beneficial bacterium called Lactobacillus gasseri, which may make conception—whether natural or via in vitro fertilization—difficult. In a study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe on Aug. 6, researchers show that treating mice and humans with L. gasseri supplements or derived postbiotics may improve fertility among women older than 35. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bacterial-supplements-boost-female-fertility.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:03 EDT news705159601 A study of nearly 61,000 women in Denmark finds that women who had a body mass index (BMI) trajectory in the overweight or obesity range during childhood were less likely to have children than women with a normal (average) BMI trajectory. This effect on childlessness was already apparent in their mid-20s. The study is published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-overweight-obesity-childhood-childlessness-adulthood.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:10 EDT news705059609 A research team from the School of Nursing at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has found that video-call support from trained peer mothers helped first-time mothers breastfeed more successfully. Among mothers who received this support, the study revealed a 42.6% relative increase in the number of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their babies at two months after birth, along with greater confidence in breastfeeding. This is the first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial in Hong Kong to evaluate video-call-based peer support for breastfeeding and is also one of the first trials globally to rigorously examine the effectiveness of this digital approach in improving breastfeeding outcomes. The research findings were published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-video-based-peer-boost-breastfeeding.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news704980381 Puberty is a process regulated by the endocrine system, and its timing can be altered by environmental factors. Several recent studies point to a trend toward earlier onset of puberty in girls, a phenomenon linked to a complex interplay among genetics, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals capable of interfering with hormones. Among these substances are certain pesticides, widely used in agriculture and present in some everyday foods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-links-exposure-fungicides-insecticides-age.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 EDT news704720762 Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the bacterium that causes gonorrhea) has become one of the most urgent antimicrobial-resistant threats to public health worldwide. Clinicians expect to be confronted by rising rates of treatment failure in the years to come. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-therapies-rapid-reshape-drug-resistant.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:20:11 EDT news704030779 While more women globally are using medication to have abortions, a University of Maryland-led study published today in JAMA Psychiatry found no evidence that a first medication or procedural abortion caused an increase in mental health medication use. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-analysis-mental-health-prescriptions-abortion.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news703951516