Sexual & reproductive health

  • First at-home cervical cancer screening device receives US regulatory approval

    First at-home cervical cancer screening device receives US regulatory approval

    US regulators have approved the first at-home vaginal self-collection device for cervical cancer screening, offering women an alternative to in-clinic exams. The Teal Wand, developed by women's health company Teal Health, allows individuals to collect samples at home without a speculum and send them to a certified laboratory for testing using the same methods as in-clinic [...]

  • FDA de novo authorisation for first-ever OTC PCR test for women’s sexual health

    FDA de novo authorisation for first-ever OTC PCR test for women’s sexual health

    Diagnostics company Visby Medical has been granted De Novo authorisation for the Visby Medical Women's Sexual Health Test by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Over the Counter (OTC) use. The groundbreaking test enables rapid and private at-home testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis — the three most common curable sexually transmitted infections [...]

  • US funding boost to lower barriers to sexual and reproductive care

    US funding boost to lower barriers to sexual and reproductive care

    Women's digital health company Twentyeight Health has secures US$10m funding to expand its services in order to help lower barriers to sexual and reproductive care in the US. Twentyeight Health provides telemedicine consultations, at-home deliveries, and ongoing access to providers for services like birth control and herpes treatments, particularly in underserved communities. "45 per cent [...]

  • Common fatty acid may help restore healthy vaginal bacteria after infection

    Common fatty acid may help restore healthy vaginal bacteria after infection

    More than half of women globally experience bacterial vaginosis (BV) — an imbalance of naturally occurring microbes in the female genital tract — at least once in their life. The condition can cause painful symptoms and vaginal discharge, and although treatable with antibiotics, it frequently comes back within a short time. If left untreated, BV [...]

  • Lower HPV vaccination coverage among girls with mental health conditions

    Lower HPV vaccination coverage among girls with mental health conditions

    Girls with mental illness or neurodevelopmental conditions are less likely than their peers to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine that protects against future cervical cancer.  The study involved more than 115,000 girls covered by the Swedish school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. The vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer, among other things, is offered to [...]

  • Innovative intravaginal ring aims to transform HIV prevention efforts

    Innovative intravaginal ring aims to transform HIV prevention efforts

    Oak Crest Institute of Science has showcased an intravaginal ring that aims to transform HIV prevention efforts. Global leaders in HIV prevention gathered under the theme "Building Bridges to the Future" for the 2024 MATRIX Investigators Meeting last month in Nairobi, Kenya. Oak Crest Institute of Science participated in the meeting, hosted by MATRIX, a [...]