Global Reproductive Health News

The global incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is high, which has adverse effects on sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Given the widespread use of hormonal contraceptives (HC), it is important to consider their potential etiological association with acquisition of STIs. In a systematic review and meta-analysis recently published in Scientific Reports(1), Akter et al. examined associations between HC use (progesterone-only, combined estrogen-progesterone, or unspecified) and prevalence, incidence, or recurrence of STIs, compared with a control group of non-users of HC. A positive association with HC use was observed for risk of chlamydia trachomatis and herpes simplex virus type 2, in contrast to a negative association for risk of trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis. Importantly, only around half of all associations included in the meta-analysis were adjusted for condom use. Furthermore, while a plausible biological explanation based on the interaction between pathogen, host immune response, and vaginal microbiome can be proposed for these findings, the effects of differential sexual behavior, testing,...

In 2021, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) found that only four out of every ten women use contraception in Nigeria. To help address this sexual and reproductive health disparity (SRH), the World Health Organization (WHO) has coordinated with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health employing a people-centered, and gendered approach to increase the accessibility of SRH services. In particular, WHO has found that self-administration of injectable contraception has already made strides in improving contraceptive uptake regionally. This method has been made available directly within communities through pharmacies and drug stores.   The UN reports that self-administered methods are popular because women can use it in any setting, whether they are in a community setting, refugee camp, or anywhere else. The injection provided by WHO allows up to three months of contraceptive cover, which assists women who desire long-lasting protection. The organization states that this intervention helps give women greater autonomy, and even reduces the pressure on health workers, especially in conflict settings where...

In “Midwives can alleviate the maternal health crisis. Here’s how,” The Hill reporters Lauren K. Hall and Elise Amez-Droz argue that bringing back midwives is an essential maternal health care initiative. Right now, the United States has the worst maternal mortality rate of developed nations and has a host of issues threatening delivery care. Medicaid covers 42% of births a year in the United States, but its poor reimbursement rates incentivize providers to opt out of the program. Because of low provider pay and COVID-19 overwhelming hospitals, 7 million Americans live in areas with limited access to maternity care, putting their health in danger. Hall and Amez-Droz argue that the United States should remove regulations to midwives practicing autonomously by splitting Medicaid reimbursement for birthing care, making it easier for non-medical providers to cooperate, and roll back some licensing laws around midwifery. Black mothers, who face the highest rate of maternal mortality in the United states, are increasingly seeking midwives...

The annual International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) took place November 14-17 in Pattaya City, Thailand. This conference featured various stakeholders, organizations, government officials, and care providers who met to discuss the current global trends in family planning and reproductive health and discuss creative solutions to address some of the major issues. The conference designates itself as “a platform, a movement, and a community” where commitments, advancements, and achievements can be shared and made. The conference offered a wide array of sessions and speaker events, discussing relevant issues, such as “From idea to implementation: Delivering on the promise of contraceptive technology innovation,” “FP2030: An all-Inclusive Look: Tailored FP Services to Meet the Needs of LGBTI groups,” “Progress and Rollbacks: US restrictions on abortion rights in a global context,” and many more. Many organizations and researchers were able to present their current research on new family planning technologies. The 2022 conference theme explored Universal Health Coverage and how it relates to...

Image Credit to Flo Health Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal and metabolic disorder that results in enlarged ovaries (sometimes with small cysts on the outer edges). It effects 5-10% of women of childbearing age, and its symptoms can be extremely painful and difficult to deal with. The cause of PCOS is unknown, but it is often associated with insulin resistance, present within familial lines, and likely connected to an irregular production of the androgen hormone.   Despite its prevalence, PCOS is frequently misdiagnosed. This is due to the range of potential causes of its symptoms. Symptoms can include pelvic pain, missed periods, fatigue, excess hair growth, trouble getting pregnant, headaches, moodiness, heavy menstrual bleeding, trouble sleeping, excess weight gain and difficulty losing weight, and more. This range of symptoms make it difficult to identify PCOS, especially from the more common symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding. For example, heavy menstrual bleeding can be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease, bleeding disorders, medications, polyps,...

On November 16th, the International Conference on Family Planning in Thailand, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Special Research Programme HRP, and the FP2030 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that committed to strengthen cooperation on sexual and reproductive health and rights, with a special emphasis on family planning.   In signing this document, all three organizations pledged to continue to work together to provide high-level leadership that assists countries in realizing their family planning commitments. A WHO representative, Dr. Pascale Allotey said that ““270 million women around the world have an unmet need for contraception, jeopardizing their health, their well-being and their futures. Our MoU calls attention to the urgency of the situation and commits to accelerated action on this most fundamental issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights.”’   Further, WHO issued eight commitments that intend to expand access to modern contraceptives to FP2030, a international partnership of globally-focused organizations working on family planning. These commitments which endeavor to make...

In the light of excessive anti-abortion laws being passed across the United States, Vogue aims to highlight a major option for safe abortions: abortion pills. Medication abortion, which involves taking mifepristone and misoprostol 48 hours apart to empty the uterus, is not often talked about in the media. Vogue spoke to 5 people who chose to have a medication abortion over a surgical one, hoping to share their experiences with those who may be wondering what to do. Mia, a 34-year-old who was frightened of COVID-19 exposure in 2020, opted for a medical abortion in the comfort of their home. Jen had a failed vacuum aspiration and used medication abortion to finally eliminate an unwanted pregnancy. Claire had a medication abortion at 16 years old in her boyfriend’s house, too scared to tell her parents what she was doing. Alina and Amy both recalled fearing going to Planned Parenthood and being picketed by anti-abortion protesters, so they wanted to terminate...

In October 2022, the Regional Gender Task Force (RGTF) published a report titled “Making the Invisible Visible: An evidence-based analysis of gender in the regional response to the war in Ukraine” describing the adverse impacts of the ongoing conflict on all genders and marginalized groups. The section “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” is dedicated to discussing SRHR issues that have arisen in the war, as well as solutions through the humanitarian response. While few restrictions are present in Ukraine for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, many surrounding countries have strict policies that limit abortions and make contraceptive access difficult. Legal, language, and financial barriers have restricted Ukrainian refugees from seeking high-quality SRH, increasing the risk of adverse SRH outcomes. The conflict has also increased the difficulty in accessing SRH services in Ukraine or neighboring countries, due to the attacks on health-related infrastructure and disruption of health and SRH organizations. According to the report, disruptions in health care services and...

The United Nations recognizes sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as a keystone on which sustainable development is based— and these goals were first outlined at the1994 International Conference on Population and Development. In mid-November, the 2019 High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit, or ICPD+25, released a groundbreaking new report that builds on this framework. The report examines global progress and setbacks regarding sexual health and rights that occurred since 2019. It recommends that countries take steps to “unwind” the various social, political, and economic barriers that hinder the advancement of SRH.   Positively, the report sheds light on how roughly 77 percent of low- and middle- income countries have created plans to develop or execute national commitments to sexual and reproductive health or have developed monitoring and evaluation systems. The recent progress in Latin America and Africa- notably the legalization of abortion in Mexico, Argentina, and Columbia that resulted from women’s movements- sharply contrasts events transpiring in Eastern Europe and the United...

On December 8th, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.8404, also known as the Respect for Marriage Act, by a vote of 258-169. This legislation cements the federal rights of marriages of same-sex couples and ensures that the same legal obligation to protect same-sex marriages exists as it does for marriages between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage was legalized on June 26th, 2015, in the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644. However, Supreme Court decisions are not law, which was emphasized by the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. In the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe, the concurring opinion stated that Obergefell should be overturned as well, which inspired action from Congress to protect same-sex marriage.   The law has two main components, both of which ensure that marriage equality is protected nationwide. The first component is the repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. This law allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex...