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 Use of the antiseizure drug valproate by fathers before conception is not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to a new study published Aug. 19, 2026, in Neurology. The study also found no association with malformations at birth, commonly called birth defects. Researchers note that more studies are needed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-epilepsy-drug-dad-disorders-baby.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706275594 A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health and the UH Fertility Center identified factors associated with using Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine (WS-TCM) during in vitro fertilization (IVF). WS-TCM includes services like acupuncture, lifestyle medicine, counseling and nutritional guidance with herbs and supplements. Women with chronic pain conditions such as migraine or headache, musculoskeletal pain and pelvic pain, as well as a history of recurrent pregnancy loss, were more likely to use WS-TCM during IVF. The study's findings were recently published in F&S Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-traditional-chinese-medicine-ivf.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:40:03 EDT news706275901 Women in rural and remote Queensland are facing major barriers to fertility care that are making an already difficult fertility journey even harder, new James Cook University research has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-reveals-rural-women-queensland-fertility.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:40:01 EDT news706164781 The internet's obsession with "maxxing" has turned almost every aspect of self-improvement into a trend. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-saunas-ice-affect-male-fertility.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:40:03 EDT news705906791 I teach a university course called Hormones and Behaviour. What surprises students is that biological sex is not produced by a single switch. What surprises me is that many students have never been taught this before. It is basic biology, but it helps explain life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-chromosomes-sex-hormones-body-dont.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:00:04 EDT news705918347 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 When a new life begins to grow in the mother's womb, the immune system must perform a demanding balancing act: It must tolerate the fetus, which is genetically half foreign, and at the same time protect the mother from infection. For most pregnant women, this happens without any problems. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-pregnancy-immune-burden-women-arthritis.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:20:06 EDT news705850842 For sleep-deprived nursing moms, artificial intelligence may feel like a lifeline. In fact, a new national survey from Orlando Health reveals if women ages 18 to 44 had an urgent breastfeeding question or concern, half (51%) of them would first turn to an AI chatbot, social media or a search engine; 29% would first ask a health care professional (doctor or lactation consultant); and 21% would first reach out to a family member or friend. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-real-world-ai-breastfeeding-advice.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:20:03 EDT news705735978 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 Australians undergoing IVF now have a better chance of taking home a baby than they did just five years ago, as new data from Australia and New Zealand show treatment has evolved to become not only increasingly effective but also safer for mothers and babies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-ivf-babies-australia-born-frozen.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:00:05 EDT news705588734 About 1 in 6 people experience infertility, with irregular or absent ovulation among the most common causes. The drug clomiphene citrate has long been a mainstay of fertility treatment, but a growing body of University of Adelaide research is raising safety concerns about higher cumulative doses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-higher-doses-common-fertility-drug.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:20:04 EDT news705568321 Declining use of folic acid supplements before pregnancy is undermining progress in preventing serious birth defects, health experts say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-falling-folic-acid-supplement-uptake.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:20:01 EDT news705565202 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 I often reflect on the advice of an outdated article on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and pregnancy from 1956. It stated: "There should be no doubt that a woman with ulcerative colitis who wishes to have a child should be advised to postpone until the colitis is inactive—sometimes this may mean waiting forever." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-canadians-inflammatory-bowel-disease-children.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:22 EDT news705238862 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 Preparation techniques used before embryo transfer, considered the most critical step in the IVF process, show no proven effect on pregnancy rates and remain inconclusive because of limited or low-quality data, a new Cochrane review finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-evidence-common-embryo-techniques-ivf.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:00:01 EDT news705071206 An imbalance in the bacteria found in men's semen was linked to substantially lower chances of a couple having a baby and to more pregnancy losses, according to new research published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health. This association between semen bacteria and birth outcomes was seen among couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatment, as well as among women with recurrent pregnancy loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bacterial-imbalance-men-semen-chances.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:40:04 EDT news705138720 As the use of GLP-1 and other incretin-based medications for obesity continues to grow worldwide, researchers at Marshall University have contributed to an international effort to address one of medicine's most pressing unanswered questions: How should these medications be used by women before, during and after pregnancy? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-glp-medications-women-reproductive-years.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:40:01 EDT news705064141 Working from home is often seen as a good solution for new mothers, but a new Washington State University study reveals that the blurred boundaries between home and work can introduce barriers to sustained breastfeeding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-home-doesnt-breastfeeding-success.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:40:04 EDT news705054301 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 Women with vaginosis are around three times as likely to also test positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia or other bacterial sexually transmitted infections, a new study says. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bacterial-vaginosis-tripled-sti-major.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:40:01 EDT news705046973 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 Although menopause is not a new phenomenon by any means, the past few years of what some have called the "menopause moment" have brought it to the forefront of the national conversation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-flawed-linking-hormone-therapy-breast.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:40:02 EDT news704632561 Autoimmune diseases primarily affect young women and interfere with their plans to start a family. Pregnancy in women with autoimmune diseases carries greater risks for several reasons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-car-cell-treatment-enable-healthy.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:40:06 EDT news704622685 A man's body fat percentage may be a better indicator of his reproductive health than body mass index (BMI), according to a large study of more than 1,000 Danish men. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-percentage-body-fat-indicator-men.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:10:01 EDT news704473801 Young people with ADHD are more likely to visit youth clinics than their peers, while autistic individuals are less likely to do so. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Autism Research. The results also suggest that digital health care consultations could help reduce these disparities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-digital-narrow-sexual-health-gaps.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 18:00:05 EDT news704539977 A father's diet can affect his children's health and body composition before they are even conceived. A study of 43 triads of fathers, mothers and newborns treated in the public health care system of Ribeirão Preto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrated this. The analysis revealed that the greater the consumption of ultra-processed foods by the fathers, the higher the birth weight and the greater the accumulation of fat in the baby's thighs and suprailiac region. High birth weight and elevated body fat early in life are risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-consumption-ultra-foods-fathers-babies.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news704539954