More girls than ever are in school—but other measures of equality are falling far short, according to a UNICEF report marking 25 years since a landmark conference on the rights of women and girls.
February 25, 2020
The effects of climate change are fueling violence against women and girls, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Deutsche Welle
February 19, 2020
Throughout the US, it’s legal for medical students to perform pelvic exams on unconscious women without obtaining explicit consent. Legal frameworks vary. Some teaching hospitals have implied consent while other institutions have hazy policies allowing physicians to…
February 12, 2020
At 49%, Indonesia’s rate of female circumcision is the third highest in the world—despite laws banning the practice. What keeps it going? In Indonesia, female genital mutilation is rooted as much in family tradition as in religion, according to new research from Gajah…
February 4, 2020
A once-promising HIV vaccine candidate is dead in the water after a major human trial showed it worked no better than the placebo, Bhekisisa reports.
January 23, 2020
Cancer patients have better chances of survival than ever—but managing cancer as a chronic illness can bring a lifetime of “financial toxicity.” Breast cancer is the costliest malignancy, with medical costs slated to reach $16.5 billion in the US this year. For…
January 22, 2020
America’s tragic racial inequity in maternal mortality is baked into health systems and will take time, legislative lobbying, and structural change to uproot. In the meantime, birth workers are doubling down to support black birthing families. SELF profiled 8 of them,…
January 17, 2020
In West Africa, some women swear by a “vaginal tobacco” concoction sold on the sly, saying it shrinks their genitals and increases sexual pleasure and even fertility. But health workers and researchers are keen for them to stop, associating the practice with dire…
December 5, 2019
The birth control pill ranks high in popularity for its low cost and ease-of-use—but requires vigilance in taking daily doses. A star-fish-shaped slow-release capsule developed by a team from the lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Robert Langer could change…
November 20, 2019
In the push to advance universal health coverage, certain governments have advocated for watered-down language surrounding sexual and reproductive health rights to dilute international declarations. But UHC cannot be comprehensive without strong language defining sexual and…