Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Birth Control, Menopause
Published Research challenges current thinking on the genetic causes of very early menopause



The genetic causes of very early menopause will have to be reconsidered after researchers found that nearly all women who carried variations thought to cause the condition in fact had their menopause at an older age.
Published New study links contraceptive pills and depression



Women who used combined contraceptive pills were at greater risk of developing depression than women who did not, according to a new study. Contraceptive pills increased women's risk by 73 per cent during the first two years of use.
Published Osteoporosis treatments may benefit from discovery of key driver of low bone density



Scientists have pinpointed a key driver of low bone density, a discovery that may lead to improved treatments with fewer side effects for women with osteoporosis. The findings reveal that loss of an epigenetic modulator, KDM5C, preserves bone mass in mice. KDM5C works by altering epigenetic 'marks,' which are akin to 'on' and 'off' switches that ensure the instructions written in DNA are used at the right time and in the right place.
Published New genetic target for male contraception identified



Discovery of a gene in multiple mammalian species could pave the way for a highly effective, reversible and non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans and animals. Researchers identified expression of the gene, Arrdc5, in the testicular tissue of mice, pigs, cattle and humans. When they knocked out the gene in mice, it created infertility only in the males, impacting their sperm count, movement and shape.
Published Early menopause, later start to hormone therapy may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease



Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), with women making up two-thirds of the population living with AD. A new study sheds light on the relationship between the risk of Alzheimer's disease and age of menopause and use of hormone therapy (HT).
Published Study finds similar association of progestogen-only and combined hormonal contraceptives with breast cancer risk



There is a relative increase of 20% to 30% in breast cancer risk associated with both combined and progesterone-only contraceptives, whatever the mode of delivery, though with five years of use, the 15-year absolute excess incidence is at most 265 cases per 100,000 users, according to a new study.
Published Getting a good night's sleep could boost your response to vaccination



We all know how important sleep is for mental health, but a meta-analysis found that getting good shut-eye also helps our immune systems respond to vaccination. The authors found that people who slept less than six hours per night produced significantly fewer antibodies than people who slept seven hours or more, and the deficit was equivalent to two months of antibody waning.
Published Migraines during menstruation: Low estrogen levels paired with higher CGRP levels may jump start migraine



As estrogen levels fluctuate, a new study has found for female participants with migraine, their levels of the protein calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) that plays a key role in starting the migraine process also fluctuate.
Published High infant mortality rates and global human population rise



New research showing high infant mortality rates are contributing to an incessant rise of the global human population supports arguments for greater access to contraception and family planning in low- and middle-income nations.
Published Air pollution speeds bone loss from osteoporosis



Elevated levels of air pollutants are associated with bone damage among postmenopausal women, according to new research. The effects were most evident on the lumbar spine, with nitrous oxides twice as damaging to the area than seen with normal aging.
Published On-demand male contraceptive shows promise in preclinical study



An experimental contraceptive drug temporarily stops sperm in their tracks and prevents pregnancies in preclinical models. The study demonstrates that an on-demand male contraceptive is possible.
Published Does lifetime exposure to estrogen affect risk of stroke?


People with a higher cumulative estrogen exposure throughout their life may have a lower risk of stroke, according to a new study. The lower risk was found for both ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage.
Published Body Dissatisfaction Can Lead to Eating Disorders at Any Age



Eating disorders are stereotypically associated with adolescents and young adults. Growing evidence, however, suggests that these conditions can occur at any time during a woman's lifespan, including at midlife. A new study finds that body dissatisfaction is a primary cause of eating disorders, especially during perimenopause.
Published HRT could ward off Alzheimer's among at-risk women



Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) could help prevent Alzheimer's Dementia among women at risk of developing the disease -- according to new research.
Published Subcutaneous fat emerges as a protector of females' brains



Females' propensity to deposit more fat in places like their hips, buttocks and the backs of their arms, so-called subcutaneous fat, is protective against brain inflammation, which can result in problems like dementia and stroke, at least until menopause, scientists report.
Published Who is more prone to recurrent UTIs? Bladder bacteria may be key



Researchers have identified specific bacteria in the bladder that may indicate which postmenopausal women are more susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and they found that estrogen may play a role in reducing that susceptibility.
Published Estrogen may offer protection against delirium



Delirium is common among women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) -- especially those who have experienced menopause. Investigators, working with laboratory mice, have been able to prevent symptoms of the condition with estrogen, which is commonly used for hormone replacement therapy.
Published Challenging guidelines on pregnancy interval following miscarriage or abortion



Conception within three months of a miscarriage or an abortion is not associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to new research. The study suggests that, contrary to current advice, women could attempt pregnancy after a previous miscarriage or induced abortion without elevated perinatal risks and reassures those who want to try again sooner than guidelines recommend.
Published How hormonal birth control may affect the adolescent brain


One aspect of hormonal contraceptives' effect on the teenage body remains a mystery -- whether and how they modify the developing brain. New research in young rats links synthetic hormones found in birth control pills, patches and injections with disordered signal transmission between cells in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that continues to develop throughout adolescence.
Published Model shows where women lost access to abortion after Dobbs



A third of American women of reproductive age now face excessive travel times to obtain an abortion, according to a new geospatial analysis by researchers in San Francisco and Boston that is one of the first to model the effects of the Supreme Court's recent Dobbs v. Jackson decision.