https://medicalxpress.com/womens-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Women's Health Around 40% of adults worldwide are affected by osteopenia: a loss of bone mineral density. This condition is extremely common, particularly in postmenopausal women and elderly adults. It's estimated that more than 500,000 fractures occur annually in the UK due to low bone density. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-osteopenia-loss-bone-mineral-density.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news695564792 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 Have you been to a licensed cannabis dispensary lately? My team and I often visit them in the Greater Lansing area to invite cannabis users to participate in our studies. As soon as we walk in, we are met with a dazzling array of products: high-potency vape cartridges, gourmet gummies, premium marijuana flowers and more. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cannabis-sales-high-michigan-federal.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:40:01 EDT news695634886 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that can cause severe respiratory illness in infants and young children, including lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It is a leading cause of infant hospitalization worldwide, with early-life infection linked to potential longer-term effects including recurrent wheeze or asthma, repeat hospital admissions and impaired lung health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-maternal-rsv-vaccination-infant-hospitalization.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:00:04 EDT news695625391 The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women. A study conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, identified this region as the one most strongly associated with involuntary urine leakage, surpassing total body fat. The results are published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and indicate that body fat distribution may be a more decisive factor than weight itself in explaining the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-abdominal-fat-linked-higher-urinary.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news695647861 New guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says all average-risk females ages 50 to 74 should receive biennial screening mammography for breast cancer. Females between the ages of 40 and 49 should discuss with their doctor their risk for breast cancer and the benefits and harms of screening. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-guidance-average-females-aged-biennial.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:02 EDT news695543521 Stanford researchers interviewed 21 global health leaders to identify specific strategies men can use to support women's career advancement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-male-allies-key-women-global.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:00:01 EDT news695627882 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 High blood pressure during pregnancy is a serious concern for any woman. In addition to posing a threat to the health of the mother and baby, disorders such as preeclampsia are early warning signs that a woman could develop heart disease later in life. But Black women need to pay extra attention to those disorders, said Dr. Rachel M. Bond, a cardiologist who is system director of women's heart health at Dignity Health in Chandler, Arizona. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blood-pressure-pregnancy-black-women.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:20:03 EDT news695556841 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 Repeated menstrual cycles may do more than trigger endometriosis. They may rewire the brain. That is the key finding from a new Washington State University study showing that recurring inflammation linked to the disease can sensitize the nervous system, driving lasting pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-endometriosis-chronic-debilitating-pain.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news695549521 Korean women with heart disease showed higher awareness and treatment of major risk factors, but lower control rates, pointing to the need for sex-specific strategies to close the gap, according to a study being presented at ACC Asia 2026 Together with KSC Spring Conference taking place in Gyeongju, South Korea, on April 17–18. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-korean-women-cvd-gaps-factor.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:06 EDT news695464733 Children born to mothers who used buprenorphine for opioid addiction during pregnancy do not have a greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, compared with children whose mothers took methadone, finds a large US study published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-buprenorphine-safe-treatment-opioid-addiction.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:30:07 EDT news695466902 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a petition to revoke the approval of Roche's top-selling drug ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for treating primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)—a form of MS thought to affect around 15% of patients. The petition alleges that the drug was approved despite internal concerns about a lack of effectiveness in women and a potential increased risk of breast cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-primary-ms-bestselling-drug.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:30:02 EDT news695468221 Cognitive decline not only affects a woman's quality of life but also her ability to lead an independent lifestyle later in life. A new large-scale study suggests that a longer reproductive lifespan, resulting in greater exposure to endogenous estrogen, is associated with better cognitive health. Results of the study are published in Menopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-longer-reproductive-span-linked-slower.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695482382 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 Menopause has long been treated as something private, but the silence surrounding it is increasingly at odds with demographic reality. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing group in the workforce in many countries, and most will experience menopause during their working lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-menopause-symptoms-workplaces.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news695472241 Most tools used to assess the risk of fractures and osteoporosis rely on bone density alone, but these may miss a large number of women who still go on to break bones. A technology developed at Ohio University outperformed the current standard bone density test in detecting fracture risk for older women, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fracture-women-bone-density.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news695468118 Pregnancy-related deaths in the United States increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the greatest impact seen among Black women, a new study suggests. While rates have since returned to pre-pandemic levels for most groups, they remain significantly higher for Black mothers, according to the Michigan Medicine research in Obstetrics & Gynecology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pregnancy-deaths-rose-pandemic-elevated.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:20:07 EDT news695400362 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 Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication that affects roughly 1 in 10 pregnancies worldwide and, in the United States alone, around 5%–8% of pregnancies. The condition can lead to severe, long-term health consequences for mothers and their babies. Despite its prevalence, though, the underlying cause has remained largely unknown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-root-preeclampsia.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695376782 The federal policy requiring states to keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic extended postpartum Medicaid coverage nationwide and sharply increased the number of individuals remaining insured after childbirth, according to a Rutgers Health researcher. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-postpartum-medicaid-coverage-pandemic-gains.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:01 EDT news695360821 When Maria looked at herself in the mirror for the first time after her mastectomy, she stood very still. One hand rested on the bathroom counter. The other hovered near the flat space where her breast had been. The scar was raw and angry. The loss was quiet but enormous. Her body felt foreign. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-myth-resilience-hard-life-story.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:20:04 EDT news695313288 Late-breaking results from the Phase III NRG GY019 trial indicate that letrozole monotherapy (L) did not demonstrate noninferiority to paclitaxel/carboplatin followed by letrozole (PC/L) for progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-chemotherapy-letrozole-standard-advanced-grade.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:20:06 EDT news695308982 Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, along with collaborators at UC San Francisco, have discovered that APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, causes bone quality deficits specifically in female mice, through a mechanism that is invisible to standard imaging and can emerge as early as midlife. The findings, published in Advanced Science, reveal an unexpected biological link between Alzheimer's risk and skeletal health, and identify a new molecular pathway that could one day inform earlier diagnosis of cognitive decline or guide treatment for bone quality loss in women who carry the APOE4 gene. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-apoe4-alzheimer-gene-silently-undermines.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695318042 Neuroscientists from Monash University, the University of Melbourne and University College London are calling for clinical studies to understand the causes of brain fog in menopause and find effective treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-redefining-brain-fog-menopause-pave.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:20:05 EDT news695300523 An invisible radioactive gas could be increasing women's risk for ovarian cancer, a new study says. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-radon-gas-ovarian-cancer.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news695295954 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 New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (May 12–15), reveals distinct patterns of heart, metabolic, and inflammatory health risks between men and women living with obesity, providing an insight into how clinicians may be able to tailor management approaches. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-heart-metabolic-inflammatory-patterns-differ.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:10:01 EDT news695040781 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