← all papers · women's health (46) Science journalism, not medical advice.
- Female Testosterone Therapy: Only 2 Trials Back Premenopausal Use2026-07-03
Postmenopausal testosterone therapy has 7 RCTs behind it, premenopausal use has just 2
Testosterone therapy for female sexual dysfunction: a systematic review of the literature demonstrating outcomes in premenopausal and postmenopausal women testosterone therapy women's health sexual dysfunction systematic review menopause
- RF Device Boosts Sex Scores, But Blinding Is Shaky2026-07-01
Radiofrequency device beat sham for postmenopausal sexual function in a 62-woman trial, but effect sizes look implausibly large
Efficacy of nonablative radiofrequency on sexual function in postmenopausal women: a randomized clinical trial menopause women's health sexual dysfunction quality of life
- OCD Linked to Female Arousal Problems, Not Male2026-06-30
A 13-study review finds OCD symptoms track with female desire and arousal problems, but the male sexual function data is a wash
The interplay between the obsessive-compulsive disorder and sexual function: a systematic review sexual dysfunction mental health systematic review women's health evidence quality
- 82% of Young Cancer Survivors Report Sexual Dysfunction2026-06-25
82% of young adult cancer survivors reported at least mild sexual dysfunction; female survivors scored nearly twice as impaired as males
Appraisal of sexual functioning before and after cancer: insights from adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors and matched healthy controls. survivorship sexual dysfunction cross-sectional quality of life women's health cancer survivors
- Joint Hypermobility and Vulvodynia: 100% — With a Catch2026-06-12
In 44 clinic patients with hEDS, every single one had vestibulodynia — but they were all already there for pelvic pain
Characterizing Sexual Dysfunction in Females with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and Genito-Pelvic Pain cross-sectional sexual dysfunction pelvic floor women's health
- Kidney Transplant Fixes Hormones, Not Sexual Function2026-06-04
65% of women with advanced CKD had sexual dysfunction; hormones improved after transplant but sexual dysfunction persisted
Sex Hormones and Sexual Health in Chronic Kidney Disease Before and After Kidney Transplantation sexual dysfunction women's health longitudinal study chronic kidney disease
- Insulin Pumps May Protect Female Sexual Function2026-05-28
About 1 in 3 women with T1DM has sexual dysfunction — twice the rate of healthy controls, and higher than T2DM
Female Sexual Dysfunction in Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis diabetes sexual dysfunction women's health meta-analysis systematic review
- Lupus Sexual Dysfunction: Body Image Is a Red Herring2026-05-23
In 68 Mexican women with lupus, overall body image did not predict sexual dysfunction — partner status, age, and self-esteem did
Body image and sexual function in women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study sexual dysfunction cross-sectional women's health mental health quality of life
- Diabetes Wrecks Sex Lives, Doctors Rarely Ask2026-05-09
A single-author narrative review argues South Asian diabetes clinics routinely skip sexual health screening entirely
Sexual dysfunction in patients with Type 2 diabetes: A South Asian perspective diabetes sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction women's health narrative review
- Exercise Boosts Female Sexual Function—Evidence Weak2026-05-09
Exercise interventions produced a mean 5.31-point FSFI improvement vs. controls (15 studies), but evidence certainty is rated low.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Beneficial Effect of Exercise on Sexual Dysfunction in Women sexual dysfunction systematic review meta-analysis women's health pelvic floor evidence quality
- Female Sexual Dysfunction: Still Playing Catch-Up2026-05-07
Narrative review from Duke maps all 4 DSM-5 subtypes of female sexual dysfunction and finds evidence for multiple treatments—but measurement tools remain unstandardized
Female Sexual Dysfunction: Current Models and Treatment Options sexual dysfunction women's health narrative review pelvic floor
- Breast Cancer Therapy's Unspoken Sexual Toll2026-05-04
An integrative review of 43 studies found sexual dysfunction in 51–93% of breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy, yet providers routinely stay silent about it.
Sexual Health Among Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: An Integrative Review sexual dysfunction women's health survivorship systematic review
- Lupus Roughly Doubles the Odds of Female Sexual Dysfunction2026-05-04
58.8% of lupus patients screen positive for FSD — 2.6x healthy controls, though extreme heterogeneity muddies the estimate
Prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction Among Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis sexual dysfunction women's health immunology systematic review meta-analysis epidemiology
- The Psych Treatment That Works Isn't CBT2026-05-01
Overall effect looks strong (SMD=1.37), but CBT and mindfulness had near-zero effect — counseling and education drove the headline.
Psychological Treatments for Sexual Concerns in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis menopause women's health sexual dysfunction meta-analysis systematic review mental health
- Silent TB Hides Behind Infertility in 1 in 4 Women2026-04-27
Genital TB found in ~26% of infertile women, with most showing no respiratory symptoms — only infertility
TB Manifests as Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis infertility systematic review meta-analysis women's health tuberculosis
- Genetic Cause Found in Only 1 in 4 Female IHH Cases2026-04-18
Only 4 of 17 sequenced female IHH patients (23.5%) had an identifiable pathogenic variant; the majority remain genetically undiagnosed
Genetic variants analysis of 17 female patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism genetics genomics hypogonadism women's health infertility
- 31 Studies, Still No Clear Answer2026-04-17
31 studies on UI and sexual function reviewed; inconsistent findings prevent any conclusions about what actually works
Strategies to Improve Sexual Health in Women with Urinary Incontinence: A Scoping Review urinary incontinence sexual dysfunction women's health pelvic floor scoping review
- The 100-Year-Old Prolapse Surgery That Still Wins2026-04-13
Old uterus-sparing prolapse surgery beat newer techniques on recurrence and cost, but pregnancy data is thin
The Manchester procedure: A systematic review of recurrence, perioperative measures, and financial cost, and a scoping review of sexual dysfunction, gynecologic cancer, and obstetric outcomes surgical outcomes systematic review scoping review women's health
- Pelvic Muscle Tears After Birth: Sex Impact Unclear2026-04-11
9 studies, 1,623 women: only 2 of 9 found a link between levator ani avulsion and postpartum sexual dysfunction
The Relationship Between Levator Ani Integrity and Postpartum Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review systematic review pelvic floor sexual dysfunction women's health pregnancy
- Sling Surgery Lifts Sexual Function at 6 Months, Then Fades2026-04-09
MUS surgery improved PISQ-12 scores by 4.49 points at 6 months, but the gains largely reversed by 12 months and didn't recover
Impact of Mid-Urethral Sling Surgery on Sexual Function in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials meta-analysis systematic review sexual dysfunction pelvic floor surgical outcomes women's health urinary incontinence
- Reddit Fills the Gap Pelvic Pain Doctors Left2026-04-09
201 Reddit posts reveal that pelvic pain patients turn online because medicine consistently fails to diagnose or validate their conditions
Seeking Answers and Finding Support: A Qualitative Analysis of Sexual and Pelvic Pain Online Communities on Reddit pelvic floor sexual dysfunction women's health health services
- After Anal Cancer Radiation, Sexual Damage Persists for Years2026-04-09
32 studies found vaginal dryness in up to 98% of women after anal cancer radiotherapy — and it often doesn't resolve
Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Interventions for Female Sexual Dysfunction After Radiotherapy for Anal Cancer: A Systematic Review systematic review sexual dysfunction survivorship women's health pelvic floor
- Sexual Medicine Has a Pleasure Problem2026-04-02
An editorial argues clinical sexual medicine neglects justice, rights, and pleasure — proposing a shift from fixing dysfunction to enabling well-being
Sexual Health Framing Sexual Medicine: Toward a More Humanistic Framework sexual dysfunction evidence quality women's health health services
- Cancer Clinics Are Dropping the Ball on Sexual Health2026-04
Sexual dysfunction is common across cancer types but rarely addressed in oncology care, per this narrative review — no numbers provided
Oncosexology: A Narrative Review on Sexual Health and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients sexual dysfunction survivorship narrative review women's health
- Mesh Clinic Patients: Pain Gets Treated, Psych Distress Doesn't2026-04
74 women with mesh complications waited a median 185 days to see a specialist — and only 13.5% were referred to psychology despite high distress scores
A Retrospective Cohort Study Investigating the Clinical Care Pathway for Patients at a Pelvic Mesh Complications Clinic in a Western Australian Tertiary Hospital pelvic floor urinary incontinence women's health health services cohort study surgical outcomes
- Female Sexual Dysfunction: Still Going Unasked2026-03-24
A PA-focused clinical review covering FSD classification, risk factors, and treatments — no original data, no reported effect sizes
Female Sexual Dysfunction: Screening, Diagnosis, and Management sexual dysfunction women's health evidence quality screening
- Vaginal Surgical Access Rarely Damages Sex Life2026-03-18
Across 30 studies and 2,488 women, transvaginal specimen extraction showed low rates of postoperative dyspareunia and no clinically meaningful decline in sexual function scores.
Dyspareunia and Sexual Dysfunction After Transvaginal Specimen Extraction — A Systematic Review surgical outcomes sexual dysfunction women's health systematic review
- ACE Inhibitors Beat Beta-Blockers for Female Sexual Function2026-03-17
ACEIs/ARBs improved all sexual function domains in hypertensive women; beta-blockers helped less, especially in uncontrolled hypertension (n=125, 3 months)
Sexual Function Among Hypertensive Females Receiving Beta-Blockers or ACEI/ARB and Thiazides: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study sexual dysfunction cardiovascular disease women's health vascular health
- Mood, Not Birth Method, Drives Postpartum Sexual Dysfunction2026-03-14
Sexual function scores hit a nadir 6–8 weeks postpartum and depression predicted decline better than delivery mode or breastfeeding
Longitudinal Trajectories and Psychosocial Predictors of Postpartum Sexual Dysfunction from Early Pregnancy to 12 Months Postpartum sexual dysfunction women's health pregnancy biomarkers
- Your Antipsychotic Determines Which Sexual Side Effect You Get2026-03-07
Aripiprazole flagged for compulsive sexual behavior (ROR: 296.23); risperidone and paliperidone linked to decreased libido and anorgasmia — signals vary sharply by drug
Female Sexual Dysfunction Induced by Second-Generation Antipsychotic Drugs — A Disproportionality Analysis Based on the FAERS Database sexual dysfunction women's health antipsychotics pharmacovigilance
- Three in Four Transplant Women Never Asked About Sex2026-03
74% of female transplant recipients reported no provider had asked about sexual health in the past year
Study of Sexual Health in Peri and Postmenopausal Solid Organ Transplant Recipients sexual dysfunction women's health survivorship cross-sectional
- The Infertility Fallback Guide Ferring Helped Write2026-02-19
Industry-sponsored "expert opinion" recommends gonadotropins + hCG luteal support when pulsatile GnRH therapy is unavailable — no original data included
Management of infertility in women with hypothalamic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: an expert opinion. infertility women's health evidence quality hypogonadism
- After Pelvic Radiation, Sexual Recovery Is Partial2026-02-18
26 studies, 5,646 patients: pelvic radiation reliably causes vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and lasting sexual dysfunction — dilation helps some, not all
A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcomes on the Impact of Radiation Therapy on Sexual Health in Patients With Gynecologic Cancer systematic review sexual dysfunction cancer survivors women's health survivorship quality of life
- Menopause Hurts Sex. Here's What Actually Helps.2026-02-04
A Stanford review surveys GSM treatments — hormonal, nonhormonal, and device-based — without reporting a single effect size
The New Toolbox for Reducing Painful Sex in Menopause sexual dysfunction women's health evidence quality menopause
- More Kidney Stones, Worse Erections — But Why?2026-01-23
202 kidney stone patients surveyed: men with recurrent stones showed worse erectile function, women reported low arousal regardless of stone burden
Evaluating the Sexual Quality of Life of Kidney Stone Formers: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study kidney stones erectile dysfunction sexual dysfunction cross-sectional women's health
- Nearly All HIV-Positive Women in Study Report Low Libido2026-01-16
53% of sexually active HIV-positive women met criteria for sexual dysfunction; 94% screened positive for hypoactive sexual desire.
Sexual Dysfunction and Hypoactive Sexual Desire in Women Living With HIV in Ceará, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study sexual dysfunction HIV women's health cross-sectional
- 60% of Women With Parkinson's Report Sexual Dysfunction2026-01-16
60.7% of women with Parkinson's had sexual dysfunction vs 17.9% of controls — but the two measurement scales disagreed
Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: What About Women? sexual dysfunction women's health cross-sectional Parkinson's disease
- Vitality Shields Diabetic Women from Sexual Dysfunction2026-01-08
Postmenopausal women with T2D had worse sexual function and quality of life — age raised FSD odds, but higher vitality reduced them.
Sexual Dysfunction and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Type 2 Diabetes: Clinical and Laboratory Factors diabetes menopause sexual dysfunction quality of life cross-sectional women's health cardiovascular disease
- Asthma Hurts Women's Sex Life, Not Marriage2025-12-31
80 asthmatic women scored worse on sexual function and sexual quality of life than matched controls, but marital adjustment scores were similar
Does Asthma Affect Women's Sexual Life and Marital Adjustment? case-control study cross-sectional sexual dysfunction women's health
- Vascular Surgery's Sexual Side Effects: Nobody's Talking2025-12-20
88% of male AAA patients were never warned their procedure could affect sexual function—yet it did
Sexual Function Following Elective Endovascular Surgery for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm surgical outcomes sexual dysfunction vascular health women's health
- When Pelvic Floor Therapy Conflicts With Trauma2025-12-17
~15% of French women report lifetime sexual violence; this review flags intravaginal PT as a trauma conflict for pelvic pain patients
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Sexual Abuse Survivors With Pelvic Pain pelvic floor women's health sexual dysfunction narrative review vaginismus
- Rare Ovarian Tumor: DICER1 in Every Case2025-12-15
In 11 cases of this exceptionally rare ovarian tumor type, 100% harbored DICER1 mutations and 86% carried double mutations, pointing to DICER1 as the primary driver.
Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors with Heterologous Rhabdomyosarcoma: Clinicopathologic Features and Molecular Analysis Highlighting Recurrent Genetic Alterations pathology genetics women's health
- Labiaplasty Scores Better Sex on Paper2025-12-13
Pooled data from 6 studies show a moderate FSFI improvement (SMD 0.52) after labiaplasty, but low certainty undermines the finding
Sexual Function After Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis meta-analysis surgical outcomes sexual dysfunction women's health evidence quality
- Painful Sex Tops QoL Concerns in Endometriosis2025-12-03
Dyspareunia was the dominant sexual dysfunction in 1,586 French endometriosis patients; the QoL-sex link disappeared in obese and low-education subgroups
Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life Among Women With Endometriosis: A French Cross-Sectional Survey cross-sectional sexual dysfunction women's health
- Vaginal Dryness Correlates With Higher Sexual Interest — Somehow2025-09-10
195 postmenopausal Turkish women: pain during sex lowered sexual interest; vaginal dryness paradoxically correlated with higher interest
The Association Between Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging and Female Sexual Function menopause sexual dysfunction women's health cross-sectional
- Breast Cancer's Sexual Side Effects: Still Mostly Ignored2025-07-04
92% of breast cancer patients wanted systematic sexual health information; only 47% ever got any, and just 20% were screened
Information and Screening for Sexual Disorders of Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: Results of a Survey sexual dysfunction screening survivorship women's health health services cross-sectional