News

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 [...]

Women who have been stalked or obtained a restraining order are more likely to experience a heart attack and/or stroke in later years compared to those who have not, according to new research. The link between stalking and cardiovascular disease may be due to psychological distress, which may disrupt the nervous system, impair proper blood [...]

From stigma and siloed systems to underinvestment and red tape, women face numerous barriers when it comes to accessing better care, but femtech founders and policy experts say digital innovation could offer a path forward. In a new report, a panel of global experts from the fields of health, femtech and law have called for [...]

Experiencing complications during pregnancy is linked with a higher risk of stroke before age 50, according to a new study. Researchers found female participants who had certain pregnancy complications were more likely to have an early stroke. These included preeclampsia, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, miscarriage and stillbirth. The study does not prove that pregnancy complications [...]

The vaginal microbiome is a largely overlooked area of medicine that could dramatically improve outcomes for millions of women, concludes a new review co-authored by the UK's Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Vaginal microbiome testing has the potential to revolutionise women’s health by enabling earlier, more accurate, and more personalised diagnosis and treatment [...]

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 [...]