Society of Family Planning Research Practice Support: Implementation strategies and considerations for conducting community-engaged sexual and reproductive health research.

This journal proudly presents a groundbreaking special issue from China, that spotlights cutting-edge transformative research in reproductive health from resource constrained settings around the world. In this issue, 16 manuscripts -14 original research, one commentary, and one review article - converge to illuminate the intersections of technology, environment, mental wellness, and policy in shaping maternal and reproductive outcomes.

We present a framework developed through disability and reproductive health expert consensus to guide the adaptation of interventions for healthy life trajectories to meet the needs of women with disabilities. We conducted a scoping review of support available for women with disabilities, in-depth interviews with experts from the disability and reproductive health sectors, and a group consensus-building process for framework development with expert participants from the disability and reproductive health sectors. Findings identified challenges to disability-inclusive care in reproductive health services. Recommendations include tailored actions to specific stakeholders within their scope of practice to work toward disability-inclusive health care for persons with disabilities.

BackgroundPolycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) are reproductive disorders frequently linked to psychological distress. This study compared the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress levels between women with PCOS and RPL and assessed their association with years of marriage.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study conducted a random sampling method on 157 women (PCOS: 70; RPL: 87) attending the Obstetrics and Gynecology OPD at IMS BHU, Varanasi. Psychological status was assessed using the DASS-21 scale, a reliable tool widely used in reproductive health research. Chi-square test and independent sample t-tests were used for statistical analysis.ResultsMean scores were significantly higher in RPL than in PCOS: depression (10.7 ± 3.5 vs. 8.8 ± 4.3, p = 0.003), anxiety (13.3 ± 3.8 vs. 10.7 ± 5.5, p = 0.001), and stress (12.3 ± 4.4 vs. 10.3 ± 6.1, p = 0.007). Marriage duration was significantly longer among women with severe depression (RPL: 8.4 ± 5.2 yrs.; PCOS: 6.3 ± 3.1 yrs), anxiety (RPL: 8.6 ± 5.1 yrs.; PCOS: 7.1 ± 3.3 yrs), and stress (RPL: 9.0 ± 5.2 yrs.; PCOS: 6.3 ± 3.1 yrs), all p < 0.05. Age was higher in RPL patients (p = 0.024); LH was higher in PCOS (p = 0.000). No significant differences were observed in AMH or BMI. Psychological symptoms were more severe among women with RPL, and a longer duration of marriage was associated with greater symptom severity. Marriage duration was significantly higher in women classified with severe depression, anxiety, and stress based on DASS-21 scores, indicating a correlational rather than causal relationship.ConclusionRoutine psychological assessment is recommended for women with PCOS and RPL. Early identification of psychological distress may help improve overall reproductive and emotional health outcomes in these patients.

Fertility decisions are deeply intertwined with women’s quality-of-life (QoL), yet existing tools fail to capture the multidimensional nature of related anxieties. This study developed and validated the Fertility-Related Quality-of-Life Scale for Women. Using a cross-sectional design, exploratory factor analysis (N = 190) identified a three-factor structure—Psychosocial and Emotional Well-Being, Career and Life-Planning, and Financial Security and Economic Stability—explaining 63.9% of variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (N = 550) supported the model with strong fit (CFI = .94, TLI = .92, RMSEA = .07). The 21-item scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .940) and validity, offering a robust tool for reproductive health research.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning (FP) and contraceptive services. The World Health Organization conducted a multicountry study in India, Nigeria, and Tanzania to determine the impact of the pandemic on the health system’s readiness to provide contraception services and trends in contraceptive uptake.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the status, availability, and health facility readiness to provide contraceptive services and to compare trends in contraceptive uptake before and during the pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Research in Reproductive and Child Health (India), the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (Nigeria), and the Ifakara Health Institute (Tanzania). A total of 50 primary health facilities (11 in India, 6 in Nigeria, and 33 in Tanzania) were evaluated using a standardized facility assessment questionnaire, completed by the most knowledgeable senior health care provider or administrator at the facility. Monthly data on service utilization and contraceptive availability were collected to capture trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from May to August 2022. The study received ethical and scientific approval from the World Health Organization Ethics Review Committee and Research Project Review Panel and national regulatory bodies. Key outcomes included availability of FP guidelines and tools, service disruptions including contraceptive and abortion services, stock-outs, reasons for service disruptions, and mitigation measures to sustain service deliveries. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the key trends and patterns.ResultsHealth facilities in all three countries reported shortages of various contraceptives. Contraceptive services were partially disrupted in 91% facilities in India, 83% facilities in Nigeria, and 43% facilities in Tanzania. Abortion services were partially disrupted in all surveyed facilities offering these services in India and Nigeria and in 26.7% of facilities in Tanzania. Client visits declined in health facilities in 2020 compared to 2019 in India (30%) and Nigeria (11%), with a gradual recovery thereafter. In contrast, Tanzania experienced a 1% decline in client visits in 2020. Readiness measures such as telemedicine, task shifting, community outreach, triaging, and patient redirection were implemented to minimize service disruptions.ConclusionsThis study provides crucial insights into the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on contraceptive services and the measures taken to alleviate them. The findings can help countries to better prepare to prevent the disruption of FP and contraceptive services in future pandemics or emergencies.

Understanding intimate partner reproductive coercion: A qualitative assessment responding to methodologic demands of health equity research.

Infertility is a significant public health concern affecting millions of couples globally, with a particularly high prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa, where its social and psychological impacts are profound. Despite advances in reproductive health research, comprehensive data on infertility in the region remain limited, and existing studies often yield inconsistent and inconclusive findings. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis conducted to estimate the prevalence of infertility and identify its risk factors in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases and grey literature using predefined search terms. Original articles published in English between January 1, 2000, and May 30, 2024, reporting the prevalence and/or associated factors of infertility in Sub-Saharan Africa were included. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023428778). Data were extracted using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. A random-effects meta-analysis using STATA version 14 generated pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q and I² statistics; publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Egger's test. Sixteen primary studies from ten Sub-Saharan African countries, comprising a total of 22,303 participants were included in the review. The pooled prevalence of infertility in the region was 16.98% (95% CI: 11.62, 22.33%). Factors such as obstetric complications (OR = 7.94, 95% CI: 4.74, 13.30), STIs / PID (OR = 3.24; 95% CI: 2.33, 4.52), substance use (OR = 3.84, 95% CI: 1.71, 8.63), and women's age (OR = 2.19, CI: 1.48, 3.22) were identified as significant risk factors of infertility. Nearly one in six couples in Sub-Saharan Africa experience infertility. Key contributing factors include STIs/PID, substance use, and obstetric complications. These findings highlight the need for targeted, context-specific reproductive health interventions and policies to mitigate the burden of infertility in the region.

This study aimed to identify important mental health topics for people with spinal cord injuries (PwSCI) and garner insights from health care clinicians working with this population. In doing so, we identified psychosocial adaptations in the context of sexuality, intimacy, and reproductive health. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used, with 60-90-min virtual focus groups involving PwSCI, rehabilitation clinicians, and psychologists. Themes were identified through deductive and inductive transcript analysis. Eligibility for PwSCI included: (a) SCI for ≥ 1 year, (b) 18+ years, (c) U.S. residency, (d) conversational English skills, and (e) cognitive capacity to provide informed consent. Clinicians required ≥ 5 years of rehabilitation experience. Sixteen PwSCI, eight rehabilitation clinicians, and four psychologists participated. Three major themes emerged: (1) The effects of SCI on relationships with noninjured significant others with subthemes of (a) internalized and partnered ableism in intimate relationships and (b) navigating care partner dynamics and resource gaps; (2) sexual self-esteem with subthemes of (a) gender role adaptation and (b) body image concerns; and (3) challenges in sexual and reproductive health with subthemes of (a) family planning and self-advocacy in health care settings, (b) access to specialized care, and (c) health care provider competence. This report illuminates the complex effects of SCI on their relationships with noninjured partners, revealing how internalized and partnered ableism can heighten feelings of inadequacy and alter relationship dynamics. These findings underscore the need for more research, support, and services in sexual and reproductive health for all PwSCI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) promotes Di-butyl phthalate (DBP)-induced hypospadias by regulating mitophagy through PINK1-Parkin axis to inhibit ferroptosis.

How statewide contraceptive access initiatives can advance sexual and reproductive health equity.

CYR61 and CTGF mediate the stimulatory effect of amphiregulin on COX-2 expression in human granulosa-lutein cells.

ABSTRACTBackground:The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) plays a pivotal role in supporting basic medical research and shaping national funding priorities. As clinical and scientific demands in obstetrics and gynecology grow, particularly in areas closely tied to pharmacological interventions and maternal-fetal health, understanding funding patterns is essential for guiding research strategy and health policy. This study aimed to evaluate NSFC funding trends in obstetrics and gynecology from 2011 to 2020 and examine their alignment with research output and policy-relevant themes.Methods:Data from 2011 to 2020 were collected from official public sources. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess funding trends by volume, project type, institutional and regional distribution, and research focus. SCI-indexed publication data were retrieved to evaluate the consistency between funding levels and high-impact scientific productivity.Results:NSFC funding in obstetrics and gynecology increased steadily over the decade, with a notable rise in support for early-career researchers through the Young Scientists Fund. Funding was geographically concentrated in eastern China, particularly in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, with limited representation from central and western regions. Priority research themes included gestational diseases, reproductive health, and prenatal diagnostics. The average overlap between top-funded institutions and those with high SCI publication output was 61%, indicating only partial alignment between funding distribution and scientific productivity.Conclusions:While NSFC funding has played a critical role in advancing obstetrics and gynecology research in China, structural challenges persist. These include limited investment in high-tier and translational projects, regional disparities, and a mismatch between funding and publication output. The evolving focus of the NSFC on innovation and long-term impact over traditional publication metrics underscores the need for strategic reforms. Enhancing interdisciplinary integration, promoting equitable resource allocation, and adopting outcome-based evaluation frameworks are essential to better support pharmacological research and policy-driven improvements in maternal and reproductive health.

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize benefits of asynchronous online focus groups (AOFGs) for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sexuality- and gender-expansive (LGBTQIA+) young adults with a cervix and to identify strategies for maximizing those benefits and optimizing data collection in order to increase equitable representation of this population in health research. Methods: From March to September 2022, we conducted six gender-stratified AOFGs with cisgender women, nonbinary people, and transgender men with a cervix ages 21-29 living in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate AOFG procedures and experiences. Based on these data and our observations of AOFG engagement, we developed and evaluated strategies to optimize both data collection and participant benefit. Results: AOFGs provided participants with informational and instrumental support, connection through shared experiences, and opportunity for introspection. Participants expressed a strong desire for social interaction within AOFG discussions, and we identified several strategies that were effective in promoting engagement and interaction in AOFGs. Conclusion: AOFGs can facilitate inclusion in research of LGBTQIA+ individuals for whom other data collection methods are inaccessible, and may offer direct social and emotional benefits to participants. Promoting social interaction among participants is essential for optimizing these benefits. These findings offer important insight for AOFG methodology as a means of increasing equitable representation of LGBTQIA+ people in health research while offering direct and immediate benefits to participants.

Society of Family Planning Research Practice Support: Researcher and institutional review board considerations for sexual and reproductive health research with minor adolescents.

2023 ISIR Meeting as the Impetus for Centers for Reproductive Sciences (CERES): Driving reproductive health research forward in Germany.

Sperm motility detection is crucial for reproductive health research, which is closely related to human development. Due to the small size and fast movement of sperm, coupled with the complex background, traditional image processing methods can hardly obtain accurate detection results. To address these issues, an advanced YOLOv8-based sperm detection model is proposed, named YOLOv8-STA. First, the SPD_Conv structure is integrated into the backbone network to improve the ability for extracting fine-grained information about sperm targets. Secondly, in order to construct effective relationships between input features while preserving more original image information, the partial C2F modules in the backbone and neck networks of the YOLOv8 model are replaced with C2F-Triplet modules, which can capture interactions across dimensions, build channel, and spatial attentions with minimal parameters. Finally, a new 104 104 pixel small object detection head is added specifically in the detection layer to construct advanced feature maps. Experimental results on the public EVISAN dataset show that the improved YOLOv8-STA model can increase the mAP@0.5 by 4.2% and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 5.4%, compared with the baseline YOLOv8 model. These experimental results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method in sperm motility detection.

IntroductionEnhancing research capacity in low-resource settings is crucial for informed policy-making and public health advancement. This study explores the experiences of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) researchers in Cameroon who received seed research grants, focusing on their motivations, challenges and anticipated impact.MethodsA qualitative study design using a phenomenological approach with thematic analysis was employed to understand and interpret the early lived experiences of the researchers. We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with physicians, obstetrics and gynaecology residents, and nurse midwives (n=16) involved in a 2-year research training programme who developed competitive proposals and received seed grant funding in April 2024. Interviews were conducted in September and October 2024 after receiving grant funding and before starting data collection.ResultsThe study identified three main themes: roles of mentorship and training as catalysts for anticipated research success, challenges faced and strategies used to overcome them, and impact of grant funding on research scope and professional development. Mentorship and the structured training programmes equipped researchers with essential skills for grant applications and anticipated project execution. Despite challenges such as tight deadlines, financial limitations and ethical clearance hurdles, researchers demonstrated resilience and employed adaptive strategies. Grant funding expanded their research scope, enabled exploration of new methodologies and facilitated the proposal of community-centred studies addressing public health issues.ConclusionsThese findings highlight that targeted investment in mentorship, training and grant support is important for strengthening research capacity and enabling researchers to address priority public health and SRHR issues in Cameroon. Strengthening these foundational elements may help drive sustainable improvements in public health research and policy in Cameroon and other low-resource settings.

An opportunity for guidance on reproductive health tracking technologies in apost-Roe United States.

Recruiting participants is a vital component of social research. Finding the right people (and the right number of them) at the right time to participate in your study can make or break its success; it can also challenge research budgets and requires considerable flexibility. Online recruitment strategies are becoming increasingly popular ways to recruit to both qualitative and quantitative studies. In this paper, we detail our experiences of using social media, primarily Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, to recruit participants for our sexual and reproductive health research. Here, we provide a practical guide to using social media to recruit participants, and include examples throughout from our own research. We outline our triumphs and pitfalls in using this recruitment strategy, the challenges we have faced and the lessons we have learnt. In doing so, we hope to provide useful guidance for others wishing to use social media to recruit to their research studies.