By Ezio Di Nucci Last night I was running with my public health colleagues (the token philosopher ended up being faster than our Head of Department from Biostat, by the way – which sure must have a symbolic meaning in the modern academy). After the race, conversation turned to my forthcoming vasectomy (anecdotally, […]
Latest articles
How can we Offer Better Contraceptive Care for Trans, Nonbinary and Gender-Diverse People?
By Tyne Baynton Cairns (They/Them) & Julia Bailey (She/They) Contraceptive care guidelines are usually designed for cisgender, heterosexual women. In the heavily gendered context of contraceptive care, gender dysphoria is common among trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people. In healthcare settings, gender dysphoria can be brought on by the environment, the behaviours of providers, and […]
Capturing Clouds: Listening to young survivors in the design of their journey through Paediatric Sexual Abuse Referral Centre services
By Jane Meyrick, Michelle Cutland and Rae Adams Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) is increasingly recognised and the impact often lifelong. With at least 15% of girls/young women and 5% of boys/young men experiencing some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16 years the role of sexual health is crucial. Sexual Health Follow-up (SHFU) […]
Interest in Advance Provision of Abortion Pills: A National Survey of Potential Users in the USA
By Julia Tasset, Klaira Lerma and Paul Blumenthal Access to safe and legal abortion services is a fundamental aspect of reproductive health care and bodily autonomy. While medication abortion is safe and effective, pregnant people face mounting access barriers. In the United States (US), since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, 13 states […]
You’re invited – jump into implementation science and quality improvement
By Cati Brown-Johnson, Sonia Rose Harris & Lisa Goldthwaite In the February issue of the Journal, Hofmeyr and colleagues describe a postpartum family planning quality improvement initiative in a large public hospital in Botswana. Their initiative aimed to improve postpartum contraceptive counseling and provision, particularly efforts to integrate intrauterine device services into clinical practice while […]
Medical students are not equipped with the appropriate education to be able to conduct their mandatory FGM reporting duties
By Victoria Kinkaid Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Importantly, the practice has no health benefits for girls and women and stops them from reaching their full […]
Women’s needs for lifestyle risk reduction engagement during the interconception period
By Sharon James, Jessica Moulton, Anisa Assifi, Jessica Botfield, Kirsten Black, Mark Hanson & Danielle Mazza The potential impact of lifestyle risks such as smoking, unhealthy diet, unsafe alcohol consumption, and inadequate exercise, increases with the mother’s age and parity. While lifestyle risks are responsible for many chronic conditions, changing lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy […]
The Bogus Privacy in FemTech: circumventing consent when collecting sensitive sexual and reproductive health data
By Manna Mostaghim FemTech products (or Female Technology products) are digital tools that claim to empower individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing. But at what cost? FemTech products are facing more scrutiny because of a lack of clarity on how their privacy policies protect sensitive information that are inputted by users. […]
Experiences using an over-the-counter progestin-only pill in a trial in the United States
By Kate Grindlay Read the research papers here and here. In 2021, two progestin-only oral contraceptive pills (POPs) were approved in the UK as “pharmacy medicines,” becoming available without a prescription. Efforts are also currently underway to make a POP over the counter (OTC) in the United States, with an application under review at the […]
The importance of using inclusive language in medical practice
By Ness Cooper Maintaining a safe, inclusive environment is essential when seeing patients in any medical setting. Some patients may avoid contact with healthcare services if they perceive that interactions will be uncomfortable, hostile, or likely to trigger psychosexual factors. This is particularly true of sexual and reproductive health, given the intimate nature of […]