https://medicalxpress.com/reproductive-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Reproductive Health & Relationships 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. A team of researchers, led by Penn Nursing and SisterSong the Women of Color Reproductive Justice Network, authored the editorial, which highlights how structural power—rather than just medical necessity—shapes the experiences of families navigating complex fetal diagnoses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-reproductive-justice-framework-essential-inequities.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:00:06 EDT news695572657 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 register-based study (SCAN-AED) involving Aarhus University Hospital. The study also finds that starting folic acid supplementation after pregnancy onset is not associated with any protective effect. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-early-folic-acid-supplementation-halve.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:00:03 EDT news695647099 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 at Aarhus University has, for the first time, demonstrated that the cycle affects a wide range of proteins in the female body, explains Associate Professor Jonas Ghouse, one of the researchers behind the study. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-menstrual-reshapes-blood-proteins-broader.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695576281 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 cancer and thyroid cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-severe-male-infertility-higher-colorectal.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:20:06 EDT news695561041 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 old magazines, a nurse hands you a digital tablet and encourages you to play a game. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-health-video-game-bridge-communication.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:20:07 EDT news695561102 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 others for reproductive use, or donate them to research; although many say their preference is to donate to research, actual donations remain rare, leaving a valuable resource largely unused for scientific progress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-overhaul-consent-donating-frozen-eggs.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news695552102 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 of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hormone-therapy-underused-cervical-cancer.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:20:07 EDT news695482082 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, young people who underwent gender identity assessments with the hope of receiving medical GR required psychiatric treatment for severe mental health problems three times more often than age-matched controls. The paper is published in the journal Acta Paediatrica. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-link-medical-gender-reassignment-mental.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:06 EDT news695395441 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. And it appears to be down to the increased abundance and diversity of specific bacteria in our gut. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-modern-lifestyles-affecting-bodies-recycle.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:40:01 EDT news695384340 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. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2023 permanently removed rules requiring patients to obtain mifepristone—the first of two drugs used in medication abortion—in person at a clinic or hospital. That change meant in-store and mail-order pharmacies could provide the drug when it was prescribed by a certified provider, a shift expected to broaden access nationwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fda-retail-pharmacies-mifepristone.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:17 EDT news695042382 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 surgery in the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), authored a clinical expert series review on adenomyosis in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The publication places Kho among a select group of internationally recognized experts in women's health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-guidance-adenomyosis-overlooked-uterine-condition.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695019241 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 Prevention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cdc-decline-births-fertility.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news694958930 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-abortion-pill-mailed.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:40:01 EDT news694957382 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, preterm birth, and miscarriage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cell-analysis-clues-pregnancy.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:06 EDT news694775462 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 mice, six years in the making, shows how targeting a natural checkpoint in meiosis, the process by which sex cells reproduce, safely stopped sperm production. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-big-safe-reversible-male-contraception.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:20:03 EDT news694791661 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 recent study makes the argument that these drugs do qualify under the FDA's over-the-counter criteria, which states that people should be able to rely on the product's packaging and its drug facts label to decide for themselves if the medicine is safe and appropriate, without having to consult a doctor first. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-case-counter-abortion-pills-people.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:00:04 EDT news694785463 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 individuals still face higher rates of sexual violence, lower sexual pleasure, and discomfort discussing sexual health. The study was led by Jessie Ford, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the findings are published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-sexual-health-card-high-pleasure.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:20:03 EDT news694710601 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 irregularity, obesity, and even infertility can result. The first line of treatment is typically hormonal birth control, said UIC professor of nutrition Krista Varady. But there can be negative side effects to mood, libido, and metabolism, plus an increased stroke risk in some people, Varady said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-intermittent-fasting-positively-affects-female.html Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694094689 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, immune-capable organ-on-a-chip model that realistically reproduces the human cervical environment, allowing scientists to study how the microbiome, immune system, and STIs interact—something that has not been possible before with oversimplified cell cultures or animal models. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-immune-capable-cervix-chip-enables.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694425721 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-diabetes-screenings.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news694337386 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 from 2010 to 2021, access to obstetric care declined across the country as hospitals closed labor and delivery units, forcing many pregnant people to travel farther for care. The study, "Obstetric Service Availability and Travel Time to Access Obstetric Services in the U.S., 2010–2021," is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-americans-maternity.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:30:07 EDT news694274714 According to a recent review by researchers at Semmelweis University, published in the journal Nutrients, lifestyle and dietary changes may help people living with endometriosis. The study analyzed more than 100 international papers and found that factors such as a healthy diet, regular physical activity, stress management, good sleep and adequate micronutrient intake can help reduce pain and improve quality of life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-lifestyle-severity-endometriosis-symptoms.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:50:07 EDT news694192561 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 begin to see it as less important, according to the researchers, whose study was published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-orgasm-absent-women-important.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:01 EDT news694174859 Preterm birth is a major cause of neonatal illness and death, especially among women with a history of premature delivery. Researchers in Japan explored whether taking probiotics early in pregnancy could help reduce the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-probiotic-tablets-weeks-linked-preterm.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:20:01 EDT news694084429 As part of the Socialization To Enrich Participation & Support Sexuality (STEPS2) Health Education study, two CUNY SPH researchers have published papers that spotlight trauma-informed sex education and data integrity in disability research. Together they argue that people with disabilities deserve safer, more responsive systems—both in the classroom and in public health research and practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-disability-inclusion.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:30:04 EDT news693666567 Teens in the U.S. are obtaining medication abortion pills through telehealth, and young people aged 18 to 24 are ordering medication abortion at much higher rates than older adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-teens-demand-online-abortion-pills.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:30:03 EDT news693666476 Scientists have used a tiny plastic "obstacle course" to test how much sperm would struggle to navigate during sex in the weightlessness of space. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-lost-space-sperm-struggles-weightless.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:00:03 EDT news693753804 Most people who have heard of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (more commonly known as CRISPR) associate it with gene editing—the precise molecular scissors that allow scientists to cut and rewrite DNA. But the same underlying technology that makes CRISPR so powerful for editing genes also makes it a versatile diagnostic tool. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-gene-technology-sti-diagnosis.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:30:01 EDT news693564629 Endometriosis is a devastating chronic pain condition caused by uterine-like cells growing where they aren't supposed to. People with endometriosis can develop extremely painful periods, bladder issues, and even infertility. Most people who are diagnosed with endometriosis are first treated with progesterone-based birth control. But a third of all patients fail this therapy because it is ineffective for them while many others stop taking it due to side effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-precision-medicine-patients-endometriosis.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:00:01 EDT news693570531 A new global review shows that countries are taking very different approaches to regulating polygenic embryo testing. For more than four decades, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has helped families have children. Scientists estimate that more than 10 million people worldwide have been born through IVF and related assisted reproductive technologies, according to the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-global-wide-gaps-polygenic-embryo.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:11 EDT news693746055