https://medicalxpress.com/womens-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Women's Health An estimated 1 in 8 women live with polycystic ovarian syndrome, commonly referred to as PCOS. However, the name is a bit of a misnomer; it suggests that the condition affects only the ovaries. In actuality, the condition is a broader metabolic and hormonal disorder. After years of research and patient advocacy, a recent report in The Lancet announced a new designation to reflect the condition's whole-body impact: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ovaries-pcos-condition-multisystem-nature.html Fri, 29 May 2026 16:00:01 EDT news699268441 Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have uncovered a substantial genetic component to postpartum psychosis, a rare but severe psychiatric illness that occurs in the days to weeks after childbirth. The findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, provide new evidence that the condition has a substantial biological and genetic basis and may help guide future research into prediction, prevention, and treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-uncover-substantial-genetic-component-postpartum.html Fri, 29 May 2026 11:40:11 EDT news699269989 Researchers at UBC found that B.C.'s decision to provide universal, no-cost prescription contraception sharply reduced what patients pay, with the largest financial gains for people in their 20s. Unaffordable contraception is linked to higher rates of unintended pregnancy, which carries significant consequences for health, education and economic equality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-free-contraception-policy-sharply-patient.html Fri, 29 May 2026 11:00:02 EDT news699166476 Most Americans know that how well a mother takes care of herself before and during pregnancy affects the health of a baby, but many people remain unclear about some specific maternal health recommendations, including when to start avoiding alcohol, according to a new nationally representative survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-maternal-health-knowledge-strong-gaps.html Fri, 29 May 2026 09:40:02 EDT news699266342 Pain during intercourse is a topic that still rarely breaks into the public debate on health. As shown in the latest analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, dyspareunia affects up to one in five women. It is a medical problem, but also a social one, associated with shame and insufficient systemic support. In practice, this means that one of the most common sexual dysfunctions remains as one of the least frequently diagnosed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-pain-intercourse-widely-discussed.html Thu, 28 May 2026 18:00:03 EDT news699208262 More than a quarter of women buying menstrual products also purchase pain relief at the same time—and those in lower-income areas are significantly less likely to do so—according to a new study published this week in PLOS Digital Health by Dr. Victoria Sivill of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues. The work used supermarket loyalty card data to map menstrual pain disparities across England. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-supermarket-receipts-trends-menstrual-pain.html Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:01 EDT news699182197 Obesity may change how early-stage breast cancer becomes invasive, according to a study by University of Oklahoma researchers published in The American Journal of Pathology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-obesity-breast-cancer.html Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:04 EDT news699189662 A new study led by Prof. Michael Klutstein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Asaf Wilensky at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center and spearheaded by the students Dr. Paz Kles and Stephen Ameho has uncovered a striking biological link between chronic oral inflammation and female fertility, suggesting that conditions in the mouth may have far-reaching effects on reproductive health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-oral-inflammation-ovaries-fertility-decline.html Thu, 28 May 2026 10:20:01 EDT news699179549 A recent study from The University of Texas at San Antonio reveals that low-cost training for frontline health workers can significantly reduce medical supply shortages, potentially saving thousands of lives in developing nations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-simple-medical-shelves.html Thu, 28 May 2026 09:40:01 EDT news699178561 Women battling breast cancer can benefit from a phone-based weight loss program, according to a new study. The Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) program helped women drop excess pounds, improve their physical function and have a better quality of life overall, researchers are scheduled to report at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-weight-loss-women-breast-cancer.html Wed, 27 May 2026 18:40:03 EDT news699092458 Immunotherapies such as so-called checkpoint inhibitors activate the body's own immune system to fight cancer cells and have revolutionized the treatment of many types of tumor. In breast cancer, however, these therapies are often only of limited effectiveness. An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna has now identified a previously underestimated mechanism by which breast tumors evade the immune system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-breast-tumors-sugar-coating-evade.html Wed, 27 May 2026 15:40:06 EDT news699110102 Adopting low-insulinemic and planetary health diets during menopause is associated with optimized weight management, according to a study published online May 20 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-insulinemic-planetary-health-diets-optimize.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:40:07 EDT news699106090 From 2010 to 2021, there was a significant increase in the incidence of stage IV breast cancer, according to a study published online May 12 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-incidence-stage-iv-breast-cancer.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:20:53 EDT news699106085 For too many women, the journey to motherhood ends in death. Maternal mortality—the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of giving birth—is not a rare tragedy. Globally, the maternal mortality rate is unacceptably high—about 260,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2023. In the U.S., it is also an ongoing crisis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-maternal-deaths-pennsylvania-weeks-birth.html Wed, 27 May 2026 12:40:05 EDT news699103502 Type 2 diabetes is often associated with excessive sugar intake, but lifestyle factors including body weight, exercise, and smoking habits can also influence risk. A new study published in Diabetology has found that greater adherence to eight habits for cardiovascular health is associated with lower rates of diabetes for postmenopausal women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-links-heart-healthy-habits-diabetes.html Wed, 27 May 2026 10:40:04 EDT news699093302 Regular guava juice consumption may prove a readily accessible and affordable addition to helping lower the risk of anemia in women in low and middle income countries, suggests a synthesis of the available evidence, published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-regular-guava-juice-consumption-women.html Tue, 26 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news698914493 The number of abortions in the U.S. rose by 21% between 2020 and 2025—despite the fact that 20 states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion care, overturning the constitutional right to abortion. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-abortion-drugs-substances-childbirth-dangerous.html Tue, 26 May 2026 16:20:05 EDT news699021928 Earlier this month, endocrinology specialists at the European Congress of Endocrinology announced that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is being renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) to better reflect the fact that the condition extends beyond the ovaries. But will it make a difference to those it affects? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-polyendocrine-metabolic-ovarian-syndrome.html Tue, 26 May 2026 12:40:06 EDT news699015301 As women navigate hot flashes, sleep issues and changing waistlines, there's another quieter change that can often occur during perimenopause and post-menopause that deserves just as much attention: heart health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hot-menopause-heart.html Tue, 26 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news699005281 A largely overlooked space between cells in women's brains may hold the key to understanding memory loss tied to estrogen decline after menopause, reports a new preclinical Northwestern Medicine study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-memory-decline-menopause-linked-loss.html Tue, 26 May 2026 05:30:01 EDT news698919841 Women are more likely to face delays in diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and, as a result, they are more likely to die or develop more serious illness. To address this inequality, Europe needs dedicated women's heart centers, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-experts-women-heart-centers-tackle.html Mon, 25 May 2026 19:00:04 EDT news698914422 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe breathing complications in babies, especially those younger than 6 months old. While many adults recover quickly from RSV with mild symptoms similar to a cold, infants often face a much greater risk of hospitalization due to their developing immune systems and smaller airways. One hundred to 300 children aged less than 5 years die of RSV each year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-maternal-rsv-vaccine-lowers-infant.html Mon, 25 May 2026 18:00:04 EDT news698933920 Substantial and sustained weight loss has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and cancer-related death, mainly in women. Two new studies now provide clues to why the risk is reduced—and suggest that gender, metabolism and genetics may play a crucial role. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bariatric-surgery-cancer-insulin-sex.html Mon, 25 May 2026 11:40:06 EDT news698926141 For decades, female sterilization has been one of the most common forms of birth control in the U.S.: 11.5% of U.S. women, ages 15–49, use female sterilization as their primary contraceptive method—nearly identical to the pill. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-factors-sterilization-policy.html Mon, 25 May 2026 10:20:02 EDT news698919902 It is known that the antiepileptic drug valproate increases the risk of developmental disorders in unborn children. A study conducted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the University of Tübingen, and the University Heidelberg using lab-grown tissue models of the human brain gives new insights into the effects this drug has on early brain development. They open new avenues for research to mitigate the risk during pregnancy. The study has been published in Molecular Psychiatry. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-common-epilepsy-drug-disrupts-early.html Fri, 22 May 2026 12:40:03 EDT news698668621 A new Expert Consensus Decision Pathway by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides recommended strategies for improving postpartum care for individuals with and at risk for short- and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-acc-issues-decision-pathway-postpartum.html Fri, 22 May 2026 11:00:08 EDT news698662922 As non-surgical cosmetic procedures grow in popularity, accessibility and affordability, new Griffith University research has created two new measures to assess people's attitudes and motivations toward cosmetic procedures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-tools-attitude-cosmetic-procedures.html Fri, 22 May 2026 07:20:01 EDT news698642941 The latest Annual Epidemiological Reports from ECDC indicate a surge in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhea and syphilis, alongside congenital syphilis, reached their highest levels in over a decade, reflecting sustained transmission across multiple countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bacterial-stis-highs-europe-congenital.html Thu, 21 May 2026 21:00:02 EDT news698572664 Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide are living with a mental disorder, nearly double the number recorded in 1990. According to a new study, this stark rise has placed mental disorders as the leading cause of disability globally, surpassing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and musculoskeletal conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-mental-disorders-affecting-billion-people.html Thu, 21 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news698572201 While data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the total number of U.S. cases of three sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined from 2022-24, infection rates remain 13% higher than a decade ago. CDC provisional data show more than 2.2 million U.S. cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in 2024. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-survey-highlights-persistent-uncertainty-sti.html Thu, 21 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news698594582