Kegel Plus Abdominal Exercises Prove Effective in Managing Stress Urinary Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women

A recent study compared how well two different exercise programs, Kegel exercises alone and Kegel exercises combined with abdominal exercises, help women after menopause who experience stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is when urine leaks due to pressure on the bladder from activities like coughing or exercising. The study found that after 12 weeks, both exercise plans reduced urine leaks, improved women’s quality of life, and enhanced sleep quality. However, combining Kegel exercises with abdominal exercises led to significantly better improvements. Incontinence severity (the amount and frequency of urine leaking) was lower, and participants’ emotional states, social lives, and sleep improved the most when abdominal exercises were added. Pelvic floor muscle strength increased in both groups with no clear advantage to either method. These findings suggest adding simple abdominal exercises may boost the effectiveness of standard Kegel exercises.

Women experiencing bladder leaks may benefit more by adding abdominal exercises to their usual Kegel routine.

Başgöl, Ş., Koç, E., & Kaydırak, M. M. (2025). Comparison of the effect of Kegel plus abdominal exercises and Kegel only exercises on urinary incontinence severity, quality of life, and sleep quality in postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 51(2), e16233. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.16233

What’s New in Birth Control? Important Updates Women Should Know

Recent updates offer new choices and better access for contraception, giving women more options to prevent pregnancy. A progestin-only pill (a type of birth control pill with only one hormone), called Opill, is now available over-the-counter without a prescription, making it easier and quicker to obtain. Another new progestin-only pill, Slynd, can help reduce irregular bleeding and is effective for longer even if a dose is missed. The hormonal vaginal ring called Annovera, approved in 2018, lasts an entire year and can be reused each month. Additionally, the Mirena intrauterine device (IUD), now approved to work for 8 years instead of 5, is highly effective and offers long-term convenience. Another important option is Phexxi, a non-hormonal vaginal gel that’s applied shortly before intercourse and helps prevent pregnancy by maintaining an acidic vaginal environment. These updates help increase access, improve convenience, and provide women with more choices for managing their reproductive health.

New contraceptive options are making pregnancy prevention easier and more accessible for women.

Fox, K., Lee, R., & Anderi, E. (2025). Contraception Updates. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 52, 249-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2024.12.008

IUDs for Emergency Contraception: How Effective Are They?

A recent study compared two types of intrauterine devices (IUDs), levonorgestrel (a hormone-releasing IUD) and copper IUD, when used as emergency contraception. Emergency contraception is a method to prevent pregnancy soon after unprotected sex. Researchers looked at over 600 women who received either type of IUD after having unprotected intercourse within the past five days. They found the hormone-releasing IUD prevented between 93-96% of pregnancies, while the copper IUD prevented 100% of pregnancies. Additionally, both IUDs performed better than emergency birth control pills, which typically prevent between 52-85% of pregnancies. This study helps women understand that both types of IUDs are very effective choices for emergency contraception, though the copper IUD is slightly more effective.

IUDs are an extremely effective option for women needing emergency contraception after unprotected intercourse.

Nourse, S. E., Woodcock, A. L., Brown, K. S., Gero, A., Gawron, L. M., & Turok, D. K. (2025). Estimating emergency contraception efficacy with levonorgestrel and copper intrauterine devices. Contraception. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2025.110946

Skin Cancer Increasing Among Older Adults, Especially Men

A recent study looked at skin cancer in adults aged 65 and older around the world over the past 30 years and made predictions through 2050. Skin cancer includes melanoma, which is more serious, and keratinocyte cancers (KCs), like squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which usually are less deadly but very common. The researchers found that cases of keratinocyte cancers have risen significantly due to an aging population, and more men than women were affected. Wealthier countries typically show higher rates of skin cancer, possibly because of more sun exposure due to outdoor leisure activities or tanning habits. By 2050, skin cancer rates, especially BCC, are expected to keep increasing as the elderly population grows. The study recommends better prevention through avoiding sun exposure and improving care for older adults.

Sun protection and regular check-ups are emphasized as critical for older adults, particularly men, in light of rising skin cancer rates.

Wang R, Chen Y, Shao X, Chen T, Zhong J, Ou Y, Chen J. Burden of Skin Cancer in Older Adults From 1990 to 2021 and Modelled Projection to 2050. JAMA Dermatol. Published online May 21, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.1276

Menstrual Pain, Physical Health, and Loneliness: What You Need to Know

New research looked at how menstrual pain affects women’s physical functioning (how well you can do daily tasks and activities) and feelings of loneliness over three years. The study included women aged 18 to 50 in Australia who had regular menstrual pain, some with a condition called endometriosis (a chronic illness where tissue similar to the uterus-lining grows outside the uterus). Results showed that menstrual pain leads to worse physical functioning, and this physical difficulty then makes women feel more lonely. Interestingly, menstrual pain did not directly cause loneliness; instead, its effect on loneliness mostly came from reducing women’s ability to do everyday activities. Researchers suggest that helping women with menstrual pain by checking on and improving their physical functioning could help prevent loneliness. Future studies should explore how and why physical difficulties from menstrual pain specifically increase loneliness.

Decreased physical ability caused by menstrual pain may contribute to greater feelings of loneliness among women.

McCurry, J., Skvarc, D., Evans, S., Mikocka-Walus, A., Druitt, M. L., Payne, L., & Marshall, E. M. (2025). In pain and lonely? A longitudinal study examining the associations between menstrual pain, physical functioning and loneliness. British Journal of Health Psychology, 30, e12805. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12805

New Study Highlights Key Signs for Early Endometriosis Detection

Endometriosis affects many women worldwide and causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in abnormal places, often resulting in pain and fertility problems. Researchers recently found that certain types of menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) and when they start can help doctors identify endometriosis earlier. Specifically, women whose menstrual cramps begin more than three years after their first period have over twice the chance of having endometriosis. Dysmenorrhea itself was found to signal a much higher risk—over 17 times more likely. The study involved comparing women who were confirmed to have endometriosis through surgery and women who did not have the disease. These findings are important because endometriosis currently takes many years to diagnose, especially in areas without advanced medical resources. Identifying early signs based on a woman’s period characteristics could help doctors diagnose and manage endometriosis earlier without needing surgery.

Menstrual pain symptoms may serve as early indicators of endometriosis, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and significant benefits for women’s health.

Marlina, D., Utomo, A., Poernomo, M. A., Adriansyah, P. N. A., Amri, B. S., Susilo, A. F. P., & Aziz, M. A. (2025). Non-Surgical Options for The Diagnosis of Endometriosis in Low-Resource Settings: A Comparative Study. International Journal of Women’s Health, 17, 1445–1456. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S507556

Doulas Improve Birth Outcomes for Moms and Babies

Doula care—support from a trained person during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period—can have several health benefits for mothers and babies, according to recent research. A large study compared women who received doula care to those who did not and found that women with doula support were more likely to have a vaginal birth after having a cesarean (VBAC). They also had higher breastfeeding rates and were more likely to attend important postpartum checkups. Newborns born with doula support had fewer preterm births (when babies are born too early) compared to babies whose mothers didn’t have a doula. These benefits applied to women of all races and whether they had public insurance or private insurance. This research points out important benefits that might encourage more women to consider doulas for childbirth support.

Doulas can make childbirth and recovery safer and healthier for both moms and babies.

Lemon LS, Quinn B, Young M, Keith H, Ruscetti A, Simhan HN. Quantifying the association between doula care and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Apr;232(4):387.e1-387.e43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2024.08.029

The Affordable Care Act and Women’s Contraception Use

A study examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which made contraception free for women with insurance, on contraception use and pregnancy outcomes. Researchers looked at insurance data from over 1.5 million women aged 18–45 between 2007 and 2018. After ACA was started in 2013, women’s costs for contraception dropped close to zero. More women began using contraception overall, especially long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)—a type of birth control effective for many years. As a result, there were fewer pregnancies and abortions after the ACA began. These findings highlight that removing costs helped women choose contraception methods that worked best for them and reduced unintended pregnancies.

Making contraception more affordable leads to increased usage and fewer unintended pregnancies.

Solomon, M. D., Zaritsky, E. F., Warton, M., Millman, A., Huynh, A., Chinnakotla, B., & Reed, M. E. (2025). Effects of the Affordable Care Act on contraception, pregnancy, and pregnancy termination rates. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 145(2), 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005796

Treating Male Partners Helps Prevent Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is very common in women of reproductive age and often comes back after treatment. In a recent study, researchers looked at whether treating male sexual partners along with the women would reduce recurrence. Couples participated, with women receiving standard medicine (antimicrobial treatment) and men receiving oral medicine as well as a medicated cream applied to the penis. The study found that significantly fewer women had BV return when their male partners were also treated (35%) compared to women whose partners received no treatment (63%). Some men experienced mild side effects, such as nausea and headaches. This new finding provides an important strategy to potentially reduce BV coming back.

Treating male partners alongside women with bacterial vaginosis significantly reduces its recurrence, making this a promising new approach for women struggling with repeat episodes.

Vodstrcil, L. A., Plummer, E. L., Fairley, C. K., Hocking, J. S., Law, M. G., Petoumenos, K., … & Bradshaw, C. S. (2025). Male-partner treatment to prevent recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. The New England Journal of Medicine, 392(10), 947-957. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2405404

Health Benefits of Radish Seed-Rich Diet for Perimenopausal Women

A recent study explored if a diet rich in radish seeds (also known as Raphanus sativus) can improve gut health and brain function in women transitioning into menopause (perimenopause). Perimenopause is a time when women experience symptoms due to changing hormone levels, which might include mood changes and memory issues. For 12 weeks, participants consumed a plant-based diet containing radish seeds daily. After the study period, the women showed improvements in certain brain areas related to memory and decision-making and changes in their gut bacteria that might help improve their overall health. Researchers suggest that the specific bacteria influenced by the diet might help improve brain function during perimenopause. This preliminary study shows that including radish seeds in the daily diet might help manage changes during perimenopause, although more research is needed to confirm this.

A diet including radish seeds may help women experiencing perimenopause by improving gut health and brain function, but further studies are needed.

Guo, C., Xiong, Z., Yang, L., Bai, M., Zhu, Y., & Zeng, X. (2025). Effects of a healthy diet based on seed-rich vegetables on the gut microbiota and intrinsic brain activity in perimenopausal women: A pilot study on cognitive improvement. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 17444. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99406-w