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Experts call for better trials as IVF preparation techniques show unproven results

Preparation techniques used before embryo transfer, considered the most critical step in the IVF process, show no proven effect on pregnancy rates and remain inconclusive due to limited or low-quality data, a new Cochrane review finds.

6 Aug 2026

Older men’s sexual priorities extend well beyond erectile function

A web-based survey of 6,000 Japanese men aged 50 or older found that sexual arousal was the function they most wanted to preserve, while erection became more highly valued as erectile function worsened. Erection showed the earliest age-related decline pattern, whereas ejaculation was the function most often reported as lost in older age.

6 Aug 2026

High childhood body mass index linked to adult childlessness

A study of almost 61,000 women in Denmark, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, finds that women who had an overweight or obesity body mass index (BMI) trajectory during childhood were less likely to have children than women with a normal (average) BMI trajectory, and this effect on childlessness was already apparent in their mid-20s.

4 Aug 2026

First consensus guidelines outline GLP-1 medication use during pregnancy

As the use of GLP-1 and other incretin-based medications for obesity continues to grow worldwide, researchers at Marshall University have contributed to an international effort to address one of medicine's most pressing unanswered questions: How should these medications be used by women before, during and after pregnancy?

3 Aug 2026

Study links higher body fat to lower sperm counts despite normal BMI

Among 1,058 Danish men, higher body fat percentage was associated with lower total sperm count and altered reproductive hormone levels, but not testicular volume. Body fat percentage showed stronger links with several semen measures than BMI or waist-to-height ratio, with the sperm-count association strengthening among men with normal BMI.

2 Aug 2026

Cooperative sperm may improve fertilization success across diverse arthropods

Fertilization is often imagined as a frantic race, with millions of sperm competing for a single prize. But new research by a team of evolutionary biologists from Syracuse University, University of Siena, Italy, and University of Szeged, Hungary, reveals a more surprising reality, where success can depend less on competition and more on cooperation.

31 Jul 2026

Exposure to fungicides and insecticides alters onset of puberty in girls

The study, which tracked more than 500 Spanish girls between the ages of 7 and 10, links the presence of certain fungicides in urine to early menarche and that of the insecticide chlorpyrifos to delayed menarche, highlighting the impact of pesticides on pubertal development.

31 Jul 2026

Body fat percentage predicts male fertility better than BMI

A man's body fat percentage may be a better indicator of his reproductive health than body mass index (BMI) according to a large study of over 1000 Danish men.

29 Jul 2026

Parenthood impacts women's health more than men's health

According to OPIK, the research group of the EHU-University of the Basque Country, the arrival of children is associated with changes in women's health that are not observed in men's health.

28 Jul 2026

Lifestyle habits may explain difference in endometriosis symptoms

Investigating lifestyle factors, this study highlights their role in quality of life for women with endometriosis, advocating for personalized care strategies.

28 Jul 2026

Global childhood IBD trends reveal unequal progress in diagnosis and survival

An analysis of GBD 2021 estimates across 204 countries and territories found that global deaths from early-onset IBD fell by approximately 71% among children younger than 10 between 1990 and 2021. However, estimated incident and prevalent case numbers rose while the age-standardized incidence rate remained broadly stable, with persistent socioeconomic and regional inequalities.

20 Jul 2026

Epidurals during labor show no significant risks to newborns

Having an epidural during labor is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood.

15 Jul 2026

Experts recommend renaming PCOS to better reflect whole-body impacts

A condition affecting approximately 170 million adolescents and women worldwide has a new name – one that better reflects its complexity and far-reaching health impacts.

15 Jul 2026

New consensus provides updated guidance for managing prolactinoma tumors

Prolactinomas are the most common functional pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, accounting for nearly half of all hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas.

13 Jul 2026

Modern IVF treatment boosts live births while lowering twin pregnancies

Modern IVF treatment can now achieve substantially higher success rates than historical approaches while dramatically reducing twin and triplet pregnancies, according to new research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

7 Jul 2026

Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy rise in England

Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy have increased in England in recent years, according to research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

7 Jul 2026

Frozen embryo transfers dominate assisted reproduction across Europe

More than 1.15 million assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment cycles were reported across Europe in 2023, according to preliminary data presented by the European IVF Monitoring (EIM) Consortium at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

6 Jul 2026

Study links geography to significant differences in sperm quality

A new nationwide study has found substantial regional differences in sperm quality, with men in the highest-performing region recording almost double the total motile sperm count of those in the lowest-performing region.

6 Jul 2026

Lower fertility treatment costs significantly increase assisted reproduction births

A landmark international study has found that halving patient out-of-pocket costs was associated with a 2.67-fold increase in births achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART).

6 Jul 2026

Air pollution may impact genes involved in sperm development

New research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests that exposure to air pollution may impact genes associated with sperm development, raising new questions about male fertility, pregnancy outcomes and offspring health.

6 Jul 2026