Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!A rice husk in the uterus, and how it might have got there – a case study
A 1 cm paddy husk stuck to the lining of a 60-year-old's uterus explained her bleeding after menopause, and how it got there remains an open question.
Fennel for vaginal dryness
What the clinical trials say about using fennel to ease menopausal vaginal dryness, itching and painful sex - plus how it works and how to use it safely.
Does fingering hurt? What’s normal and how to make it comfortable
Does fingering hurt? It shouldn't. Here's why it sometimes does, and how to make it feel good with arousal, lube and an unhurried touch.
Blackcurrant extract kills Candida in the lab
A blackcurrant extract loaded into chitosan-coated PLGA nanoparticles killed Candida albicans in the lab, an early lead for resistant thrush.
Baker’s yeast for yeast infections – is it helpful?
Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) reined in Candida and calmed inflammation in early lab and mouse studies of recurrent thrush.
Vaginal NK cells help repair the vaginal barrier during infection
Early preprint research suggests vaginal natural killer (NK) cells help maintain and repair the vaginal barrier during infection, not just fight the pathogen.
How protective vaginal bacteria fight trichomoniasis
Can probiotics fight trichomoniasis? How protective vaginal bacteria resist trich - and why they support treatment, not replace it.
Diagnosed with BV but have no symptoms?
Why a positive BV test result with no symptoms may mean you are just fine. Let's clear up the confusion.
Does your BV affect your partner’s HIV risk?
Can BV affect your partner's HIV risk? What the evidence says about bacterial vaginosis and HIV transmission, and why U=U comes first.
Your gut bacteria as an endocrine partner in oestrogen-driven cancers
A new review reframes the gut microbiome as an active endocrine partner in oestrogen-driven cancers, expanding the estrobolome concept.
Where you are in your menstrual cycle may change how you respond to a vaccine
A large study links follicular-phase COVID-19 vaccination with more reported side effects, hinting that your menstrual cycle shapes immune response.
Immunotherapy restored fertility in some women with autoimmune early menopause
A Swedish pilot used the immunotherapy rituximab to temporarily reactivate the ovaries in autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency, and three women had healthy babies.
Do ovaries do anything after menopause? They may ‘turn immune’
New research suggests ovaries are not dormant after menopause and may take on a surprising immune role.
The history of douching and ‘feminine hygiene’ marketing
How shame-based 'feminine hygiene' marketing turned douching into a habit, and why it harms the vagina it claims to clean.
How semen affects the vagina
Semen shifts your vaginal pH, carries partner bacteria and briefly dials down your immune defences – here's what that means for your microbiome and BV.
Does BV make it easier to catch HIV?
Does bacterial vaginosis raise HIV risk? What the evidence says about BV, the vaginal microbiome and HIV susceptibility.
Do condoms prevent BV?
Consistent condom use is linked to less bacterial vaginosis and fewer recurrences, and there's a clear reason why.
Aunt Vadge: suddenly getting TOO wet during sex – what’s wrong?
Suddenly too wet during sex and STI/BV tests are clear? The likely benign causes - cervical ectropion, a hormonal shift, or changed friction - and what to check.
Surgical menopause means more severe GSM symptoms
Surgical menopause is tied to worse vaginal dryness, painful sex, urinary symptoms and lower desire than natural menopause, a new study finds.
Ovarian hyperthecosis – the ‘bad kind’ of postmenopausal PCOS (PMOS)
The most common cause of high androgens after menopause, ovarian hyperthecosis causes unwanted hair, virilisation and hidden metabolic and uterine risks.