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Women's Health

Illustration of a person’s hand holding a magnifying glass on top of a drawing of the uterus and fallopian tubes on a pink background.

Endometriosis Increases Risk of Ovarian Cancer

Michael Schubert, PhD

Some subtypes of endometriosis can raise patients’ cancer risk as much as 19-fold

Photo of a pregnant woman lying on her side and holding a hot water bottle to her abdomen.

Pesticide Exposure Linked to Stillbirth Risk in New Study

University of Arizona Health Sciences

Increased rates of stillborn births were seen among people who lived near areas where pesticides were used during their first trimester of pregnancy or preconception

Clinician examining a breast mammogram.

Is It Time for HER2-Low Breast Cancer?

Michael Schubert, PhD

Evaluating the evidence for, and against, distinguishing between HER2-low and HER2-zero breast cancers

Photo of a woman wearing all black clothes sitting in an exam room with a female doctor wearing a white lab coat.

Does It Matter That the Ovaries Are the Most Rapidly Aging Organs in the Female Body?

The Menopause Society

New study suggests that a longer reproductive lifespan is associated with a lower prevalence of multimorbidity

Photo of the new Digostics at-home gestational diabetes screening test on a white table.

World-First Home Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing (OGTT) Technology for Gestational Diabetes Screening

Digostics

Medway NHS Foundation Trust to transform local gestational diabetes screening by improving access to a new at-home diabetes testing technology

Banner with the skyline of Chicago in the background overlaid with orange and green for the the ADLM 2024 conference.

Roche Showcases Solutions for Laboratories of the Future at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine 2024 Clinical Lab Expo

Roche

Roche will present its growing portfolio of integrated systems and data solutions to optimize your resources and simplify and streamline your lab operations to drive better health outcomes

Photo of a clinical laboratory professional wearing PPE holding a pipette in the lab and working on RNA samples from pregnant people at risk of preeclampsia.

Detection of miRNAs in Maternal Blood May Offer Way to Predict Preeclampsia, Study Finds

University of California - Los Angeles, UCLA Health

The findings suggest a future in which miRNAs within EVs could transform the current monitoring and care of mothers everywhere.

Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have made significant inroads in understanding how nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—commonly known as forever chemicals—disrupt biomolecular structure and function. Their findings are described in two recent articles in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. The research team includes (top row, L-R): Mahesh Narayan, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Biochemistry in UTEP’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Randhal Ramirez Orozco, doctoral student of computational science; Sophia Borrego, sophomore biomedical sciences major; Samantha Arce, sophomore biomedical sciences major; Daisy Wilson, doctoral student of environmental science and engineering; (bottom row, L-R) Ummy Habiba Sweety, doctoral student of environmental science and engineering; and Jyotish Kumar, doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Lela Vukovic, PhD (not pictured), associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was also involved in the research.

Nanoplastics and PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Disrupt Molecular Structures, Functionality

The University of Texas at El Paso

Both PFAS and nanoplastics alter critical proteins in breast milk, infant formulas, and more, study shows

Under a magnification of 570X, this photomicrograph of a fluorescent antibody (FA)-stained specimen, revealed numerous, Toxoplasma sp. tachyzoites, which was interpreted as a positive IFA reaction for antibodies to T. gondii. In this case, the yellow-colored fluorescence does extend around the entire periphery of each organism, and is not just concentrated at the organisms’ anterior end, as would be the case in polar staining.

Toxoplasma Is a Common Parasite That Causes Birth Defects—but the US Doesn’t Screen for It during Pregnancy

Bill Sullivan, PhD

A pregnant person can transmit toxoplasmosis to their developing baby

Illustration line drawing of many people colored with blue and pink colors from the transgender flag.

Improving Prostate Cancer Screening for Transgender Women

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Study finds PSA tests may give false reassurance for transgender women on estrogen therapy and could miss some cancers

Photo of a mother who is holding her newborn baby in her arms.

Are PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Transferred from Mothers to Newborns?

Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE

New study examines potential mechanisms and health implications of PFAS transfer between mothers and infants

Illustration of transparent human placenta cells floating on an orange background.

Testing Immune Cells in the Placenta May Indicate the Health of Fetal Brain Immune Cells

Massachusetts General Hospital

Assessing these placental cells may reveal when immune activation in a pregnant woman negatively affects the development of fetal brain immune cells

Photo of a person holding a magnifying glass over a wood chip with the image of a DNA helix on it with a blue background.

Researchers Identify Genetic Variants for Breast Cancer Risk in Women of African Ancestry

Springer Nature

The findings could be used to improve risk prediction and provide the basis for more tailored detection and prevention strategies

Photo of a person’s hand reaching for an item on the shelf of a pharmacy.

Key Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative 30 Years after Launch

National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Data from influential study underscore the importance of personalized and shared decision-making to support the health of postmenopausal women

Photo of a laboratory professional holding up a test tube in front of a DNA electrophoresis gel of a genetic test for markers of gestational diabetes.

New Clues on What Causes Gestational Diabetes

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

New study suggests the placenta is a key factor in the development of gestational diabetes

3D rendering of human papillomavirus, one of the most common oncogenic viruses and causes cervical cancer.

Gene Variants Increase the Risk for Persistent HPV Infections

University of Maryland School of Medicine

First genome-wide association study finds variants linked to susceptibility of cervical cancer-causing virus

A clinician with gloved hands points with a pen to a model of the female reproductive system with tumors in the uterine wall.

PARP Inhibitor Delays Uterine Cancer Recurrence in Phase 2 Trial

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

There are currently no approved maintenance therapies for metastatic and recurrent uterine/endometrial cancer

A multiethnic group of five women of mixed ages stand together outdoors, each holding a breast cancer awareness ribbon near the camera.

Postsurgery Immunotherapy Doesn’t Improve Survival in Breast Cancer

European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer

Adding atezolizumab immunotherapy to postsurgery chemotherapy doesn’t have the same benefits as the pre-surgery regimen

A vector illustration of a woman and man holding the equal sign standing on a balanced see-saw with the female and male symbols on their respective sides.

WHO Report Reveals Gender Inequalities in Health Systems

World Health Organization

Work done primarily by women tends to be paid less and have poor working conditions

Vector illustration of a female figure holding a newborn in her hands against a background with birds, clouds, and nature.

New Study Reveals CDC Sharply Overstates Maternal Death Rate

Rutgers University

Faulty surveillance techniques resulted in classifying unrelated deaths as maternal deaths