Women's health

Why women who misuse drugs have different needs

Two editorials published in The Lancet and Addiction highlight how little is known about women and drugs, pointing to a blind spot in our collective knowledge…

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy linked to suboptimal early neurocognitive development

Study in The British Journal of Nutrition finds a link between vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and delays in neurocognitive development in the first 42 months of a child’s life.…

Women cannot control fertility through contraception alone, says British Pregnancy Advisory Service

More than half of women who had an abortion in 2016 were using at least one form of contraception when they presented, according to data gathered by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).…

An aspirin before bed reduces risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women

Low-dose aspirin taken each night before bed significantly reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, according to research carried out at King’s College London and the University of Exeter.…

Taking vitamin D during pregnancy boosts neonatal immune system

Analysis of the umbilical cords of newborns suggests that maternal vitamin D supplementation may help to reduce the risk of allergic conditions in early life.…

Later menopause and long-term use of hormone therapy linked to higher risk of hearing loss

Hearing loss risk is higher in women who go through the menopause after 50 years of age and take hormone therapy for five years or more.…

Women who experience early menopause at higher risk of heart failure

Earlier menopause is associated with a higher risk of heart failure, according to researchers from seven institutions in the USA.…

Common oral contraceptive pill has negative effect on general well-being

An estimated 100 million women use the contraceptive pill, but surprisingly little is known about its effect on overall health.…

Experimental menopause drug cuts number of hot flushes

An experimental drug has been shown to dramatically cut the number of hot flushes in women with severe menopause symptoms.…

Pharmacists urged to explain potential effect of body weight on emergency contraception

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) has urged pharmacists and doctors to explain to patients that the emergency contraceptive pill can be ineffective in women weighing 11 stone or more, or with a body-mass index of 26 or above.…