Women’s health throughout the lifecourse

We are launching a new Series as a starting point for discussions on how to improve the health of women and girls as part of a route to achieving global health equity.

Telehealth provision of medication abortion is safe and effective, but ensuring equitable access is challenging in the USA — and further compounded by an upcoming Supreme Court case.

Advances in organoids and the role of the microbiome and diet are leading to new diagnostics and treatments for endometriosis, motivating a precision health approach to this long-neglected disease.

A pilot trial of the WHO’s Labour Care Guide reveals important considerations for implementation and for future trials aimed at reducing the inappropriate use of cesarean section, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Evidence supports the use of primary HPV testing to accelerate the global elimination of cervical cancer, but such recommendations must be viewed in the context of the fragile healthcare systems and complex implementation challenges in low-income and lower-middle income countries.

The major health consequences of violence against women present a compelling case for global prevention, detection and intervention initiatives.

Two modelling studies offer compelling evidence that less-than-perfect adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis can still provide reasonable protection for cisgender women — providing optimism for a more person-centered approach and lower discontinuation rates.

A new study shows the benefits of treating anxiety to prevent postnatal depression — and highlights the need for more pragmatic research to simplify treatment packages, address other comorbid symptoms, and deliver effective perinatal mental health care at scale.

Self-care interventions have the potential to improve health coverage for women while offering greater agency and autonomy, but only if certain barriers—such as stigma and cost—can be overcome.

The unique risks and needs of women in relation to noncommunicable diseases offer myriad opportunities to intervene and prevent disease, but several key barriers to implementation must be addressed.

In a prospective study across US states where abortion remains legal, telehealth medication abortion, provided primarily without tests, was effective, safe and comparable to previous findings from large US studies investigating in-person medication abortion care.

Interim analysis of the SHIELD program, adopting multilevel interventions, showcases low mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) across different hospital and community settings in China.

To evaluate the effects of implementing the WHO Labour Care Guide on cesarean section rates, as compared to routine intrapartum care, a pilot trial conducted in India generated preliminary evidence around the effectiveness of the strategy that can inform larger definitive trials.

A modelled evaluation of screening and treatment strategies for prevention of cervical cancer in 78 low- and lower-middle-income countries provides evidence to support the World Health Organization’s recommendation of primary HPV testing for women in the general population.

A model evaluating cervical screening, triage and treatment strategies to prevent cervical cancer in women living with HIV in Tanzania provides evidence to support the World Health Organization’s recommendation of primary HPV testing starting at age 25 years with 3–5-year regular screening intervals.

In a prespecified 3-year analysis of the KEN SHE trial, single-dose HPV vaccination was shown to be well tolerated and provided durable protection against cervical HPV infection in Kenyan women aged 15–20 years.

A meta-analysis using the burden of proof risk function identified consistent evidence supporting harmful associations between the exposure to intimate partner violence against women and childhood sexual abuse on health outcomes.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with daily antiretrovirals to prevent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 acquisition has not been shown to be consistently effective in cisgender women. Modeling adherence to daily PrEP clarifies how robust protection can be achieved.

Modeling shows that antiretroviral treatment as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can be highly effective in cisgender women at preventing HIV-1 acquisition, but underscores the need to understand the barriers that limit PrEP adherence in women.

In a phase 3 trial, an anxiety-focused cognitive behavioral therapy intervention delivered during pregnancy by non-specialist providers in Pakistan reduced the incidence of postnatal depression and anxiety compared to enhanced care.