Reproductive Health News and Research

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Researchers reach milestone in developing non-hormonal approach to male contraception

Researchers studying strategies to develop a non-hormonal approach to male contraception have reached an important milestone in their work, discovering a way to produce a key enzyme found only in sperm in sufficient quantities that they can begin designing drugs to stop the sperm from swimming to the egg.

13 Apr 2016

Research looks at effects of traumatic childbirth on midwives and obstetricians

When complications arise in the delivery room that lead to traumatic childbirth, clinicians providing care may feel upset and experience secondary traumatic stress.

12 Apr 2016

Spending less than $5 per person could save millions of maternal, child lives every year

By spending less than $5 per person on essential health care services such as contraception, medication for serious illnesses and nutritional supplements, millions of maternal and child lives could be saved every year, according to a new analysis led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

11 Apr 2016

Traumatic childbirth may impact healthcare professionals' mental health

When complications arise in the delivery room that lead to traumatic childbirth, clinicians providing care may feel upset and experience secondary traumatic stress. A new study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that feelings of blame and guilt dominate when midwives and obstetricians struggle to cope with the aftermath of a traumatic childbirth, but such events also made them think more about the meaning of life and helped them become better midwives and doctors.

11 Apr 2016

Many women have short length of stay after childbirth, new study finds

A substantial proportion of women in countries around the world do not stay in health facilities for long enough after giving birth, which could result in them receiving inadequate postnatal care, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine.

10 Mar 2016

New study assesses link between depression, anxiety and antidepressants and outcome of IVF

Depression and anxiety, and not necessarily the use of antidepressant medication, are associated with lower pregnancy and live birth rates following in vitro fertilisation, according to a large register study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings are published in the journal Fertility & Sterility and can be of interest to clinicians treating infertility and for women with depression or anxiety planning to undergo fertility treatment.

8 Mar 2016

Woman's Condom prequalified by WHO/UNFPA

The Woman's Condom, a new female condom designed to be easy to use and more acceptable to women and their partners, has been prequalified by the World Health Organization/United Nations Population Fund. The approval marks a critical step forward in expanding options for female-initiated dual protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

7 Mar 2016

Commonly-used agricultural fertilisers may pose threat to human reproductive health

Eating meat from animals grazed on land treated with commonly-used agricultural fertilisers might have serious implications for pregnant women and the future reproductive health of their unborn children, according to a new study involving sheep.

2 Mar 2016

Dapivirine ring can help prevent HIV-1 infection in women

In an important scientific achievement for women's health, two large Phase III clinical trials -- The Ring Study and ASPIRE -- have shown that a monthly vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug (ARV) dapivirine can safely help prevent HIV-1 infection in women.

23 Feb 2016

Young men’s attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy can predict fatherhood patterns

A new Northwestern Medicine study has found an adolescent male's attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy and birth control can predict whether or not he will end up living with his future offspring.

17 Feb 2016

Smartphone app helps increase contraceptive use among married rural women in India

A smartphone app containing motivational videos developed to help married rural women in India better understand contraceptive choices led to a dramatic increase in the number of women using modern family planning methods in just a few months, new Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) research suggests.

29 Jan 2016

Using painkillers during pregnancy may harm fertility of daughters

Using painkillers in pregnancy may reduce fertility in subsequent generations, research suggests. Tests in rats found that when a mother was given painkillers during pregnancy, her female offspring had fewer eggs, smaller ovaries and smaller litters of babies than those not exposed to the drugs.

28 Jan 2016

Teens' experiences with community-level violence associated with risky sexual behavior

Teens' experiences with violence -- either through fear of violence, observing violent events, or being victims of violence themselves -- are associated with how likely they are to have sex and use condoms, new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

27 Jan 2016

Study shows slow global progress on stillbirth prevention leaves over 2.6 million babies at risk each year

More than 2.6 million stillbirths continue to occur globally every year with very slow progress made to tackle this 'silent problem', according to new research published in The Lancet. Despite significant reductions in the number of maternal and child deaths, there has been little change in the number of stillbirths (in the third trimester of pregnancy) even though the majority are preventable.

20 Jan 2016

Genomics portfolio expanded by Illumina

Illumina, Inc., the global leader in sequencing and array-based technologies, today announced the newest addition to its industry-leading next-generation sequencing (NGS) portfolio with the launch of the MiniSeq Sequencing System.

From Illumina, Inc. 12 Jan 2016

Incorporating postpartum contraceptive services across the continuum of reproductive healthcare

Approximately one-quarter of inter-birth intervals in low- and middle-income countries are less than 24 months in length, exposing infants to risks of prematurity, low birthweight, and death. Increased evidence of these health risks has emerged in the past few decades and, after a period of neglect, interest in postpartum family planning has followed, supported by organizations like WHO and USAID.

13 Dec 2015

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals pose threat to male reproductive health

The birth rate is declining in all industrialised countries, and socioeconomic factors and women's age are not solely to blame. Male reproductive health and environmental factors are also significant, as concluded in a new scientific review article.

11 Dec 2015

Environmental and lifestyle factors damage men's reproductive health

Environmental and lifestyle factors are damaging men's reproductive health and may be playing a large role in decreasing fertility rates in industrialized countries, a new study in Physiological Reviews reports. Socioeconomic influences and female reproductive health cannot solely be blamed for higher incidences of infertility, the study supports.

10 Dec 2015

Asia-Pacific adolescents face higher risk of HIV, account for 15% of new infections

The Asia-Pacific region is facing a ‘hidden epidemic’ of HIV among adolescents. There were an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections among adolescents aged 15-19 in 2014, accounting for 15 per cent of new infections.

1 Dec 2015

Maternal mortality down 44% since 1990

Maternal mortality has fallen by 44% since 1990, United Nations agencies and the World Bank Group reported today.

13 Nov 2015