Diagnosis

Mifepristone, widely used in medical abortions, may also lower breast cancer risk in women more likely to develop the disease. Doctors and scientists say stigma surrounding mifepristone is deterring pharmaceutical firms from examining its use as a preventive drug, even though three studies suggest it can slow cancer cell growth. They argue the drug’s link [...]

Missed medical appointments cost billions, and can mean the difference between early detection and a devastating diagnosis. A pioneering AI platform is tackling medical ‘no-shows’ and getting more women into lifesaving cervical screenings. The US loses US$150bn to missed medical appointments each year, with the cost of no-shows thought to be around £1.2bn in the [...]

Femtech World explores the latest research and science developments in the world of women’s health. AI models independently interpret mammograms AI models have shown excellent performance for detecting breast cancers on mammography images. The algorithms, submitted for a 2023 AI Challenge hosted by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), demonstrated increased screening sensitivity while [...]

Hundreds of thousands of newly pregnant women across England can now self-refer online to get their “all-important” first midwife appointments quicker, ensuring the best and most personalised care for their baby. By completing a simple online form on NHS.uk, mums-to-be can refer themselves directly to their local maternity services without seeing a GP first. The [...]

A global survey is underway to rename polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to better reflect the condition and its impact on millions of women worldwide. PCOS can cause a variety of symptoms including hormonal imbalances, excessive androgen levels – male hormones also produced in smaller amounts by women – and irregular periods, and is a leading [...]

Artificial intelligence used by more than half of England’s councils is downplaying women’s physical and mental health issues, raising gender bias concerns in care decisions. Research found that when using Google’s AI tool “Gemma” to generate and summarise the same case notes, words such as “disabled”, “unable” and “complex” appeared significantly more often in descriptions [...]

A UK-based company has launched a nationwide survey to gain insight into women’s experiences with Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and prenatal screening, in an effort to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of UTIs. Forte Medical has launched the survey as many previously overlooked areas of women’s health are being discussed and transformed with research and [...]

AI is increasingly being leveraged to address challenges in breast cancer care, from a “second set of eyes” during screening to enabling more personalised treatments. Innovators say it can not only deliver better outcomes, but also make medicine more accurate and accessible. Breast cancer is the leading cancer in women globally, affecting around two million [...]

The US decision to incinerate US$9.7m worth of contraceptives is expected to result in 174,000 unintended pregnancies and 56,000 unsafe abortions across five African countries. The medical supplies, many of which were not due to expire until between 2027 and 2029, would have supported more than 1.4 million women and girls in the Democratic Republic [...]

By Dr Somi Javaid, OB/GYN, surgeon and founder of HerMD A patient once came to me with a folder full of app screenshots; five different trackers, each with its own opinion about her ovulation, hormone levels, and supposed "menopause stage." She was overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. And she’s not alone. In the last [...]