📄 Category

sexual and reproductive health

29 papers

Sexual and reproductive health encompasses the full spectrum of physical and emotional well-being related to our bodies, relationships, and families. This vital field explores everything from contraception and pregnancy care to preventing infections and ensuring safe, consensual experiences for people of all backgrounds. It is a dynamic area of science where new discoveries constantly reshape how we understand our own biology and protect our futures.

At Gist.Science, we monitor every new preprint uploaded to medRxiv within this category to ensure you stay ahead of the curve. We process these emerging studies by transforming complex medical data into clear, plain-language explanations alongside detailed technical summaries, making cutting-edge research accessible to everyone without sacrificing scientific accuracy.

Below are the latest preprints in sexual and reproductive health, ready for you to explore.

Prevalence of Family Planning Utilization and Its Determinants among Women of Reproductive Age in Oromia and Gambella Regions, Ethiopia

This community-based cross-sectional study conducted in October 2023 across five districts in Ethiopia's Oromia and Gambella regions reveals a 60.9% family planning utilization rate, identifying limited transport access, low household wealth, low partner education, and unintended pregnancy as significant barriers while noting that farming women are more likely to utilize these services.

Abadula, K. H., Worku, A. G., Debelew, G. T., Wordofa, M. A.2026-03-09📄 sexual and reproductive health

Large-scale genome-wide analyses of proteomic data identifies that sex hormones affect plasma glycodelin levels

This large-scale genome-wide study utilizing UK Biobank data reveals that sex hormones causally influence plasma glycodelin levels, suggesting that previously observed associations between glycodelin and reproductive diseases are likely driven by hormonal effects rather than a direct causal role of glycodelin itself.

McDowell, S., Beaumont, R. N., Green, H., Kingdom, R., Vabistsevits, M., Prague, J. K., Murray, A., Tyrrell, J., Ruth, K. S.2026-03-06📄 sexual and reproductive health

Effect of Performance-Based Financing on the quality of Obstetric Service delivery in Nkambe Health District, North West Region, Cameroon

This study demonstrates that Performance-Based Financing significantly improved the utilization and quality of obstetric care in Nkambe Health District, Cameroon, by increasing service attendance, provider knowledge, and patient satisfaction, leading to a recommendation for its scale-up with attention to cost and staffing.

ACHUONDOU, E. E., Ralph, O., Che, N. V., Fonyuy, B. E.2026-03-04📄 sexual and reproductive health

Chemsex-associated drug use amongst men and gender-diverse people having sex with men in the UK: findings from an online community survey, 2024

A 2024 UK online survey of 2,758 men and gender-diverse people who have sex with men found that the 8% who reported chemsex-associated drug use exhibited significantly higher sexual risk behaviors, poorer mental wellbeing, and greater engagement with sexual health services compared to non-users, highlighting the critical role of these services in providing harm reduction support.

Baldry, G., Habib Meriggi, G., Mullen, D., Corkin, H., Andrews, A., Lowndes, C. M., Reid, D., Mercer, C. H., Saunders, J., Mohammed, H., Ogaz, D.2026-03-02📄 sexual and reproductive health

Community perceptions and attitude toward sexuality of women with disabilities in Kibra, Nairobi

This quantitative study of 420 residents in Kibra, Nairobi, reveals that while the community largely acknowledges the sexual agency of women with disabilities and holds generally positive attitudes, this recognition remains largely symbolic, necessitating a shift toward rights-based policies and culturally responsive strategies to address the negative influence of religion and education and the benefits of close contact.

Otieno, B. H., Selvam, S. G.2026-02-25📄 sexual and reproductive health

Bayesian Spatio-Temporal Modelling of Reported Terminated Pregnancy Across Nigerian States (2013-2024)

This study employs a Bayesian spatio-temporal framework to analyze 2013–2024 NDHS data, revealing a dual reproductive regime in Nigeria where southern states exhibit rising termination rates driven by reproductive agency and access, while northern states face increases due to unmet contraceptive needs and structural vulnerability, thereby advocating for state-specific rather than homogenous national reproductive health policies.

ASIFAT, T. O., Bisiriyu, O. L., Ogunetimoju, A. M.2026-02-18📄 sexual and reproductive health

Spatial Dynamics of Australia's Syphilis Surge: Geographic Clustering, Service Accessibility, and the Dual Epidemic, 2011 to 2024

This study analyzes Australia's dual syphilis epidemic from 2011 to 2024, revealing distinct geographic clustering driven by service accessibility and sociodemographic factors, with a critical concentration of high congenital syphilis vulnerability in remote northern communities and a significant acceleration of heterosexual transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Farquhar, H. L.2026-02-17📄 sexual and reproductive health

"Another gay fear": community reflections on UK public health responses to the 2022 mpox outbreak

This study highlights that community reflections on the 2022 UK mpox outbreak reveal how stigmatizing media coverage, inequitable vaccine access, and abrupt communication cessation exacerbated fears and distrust among gay and bisexual men, underscoring the critical need for ongoing, non-stigmatizing public health engagement from trusted sources.

Witney, T., Nicholls, E. J., Le Prevost, M., Gharib, Y., Bilardi, D., Denford, S., Hamer, M., Sekhon, P., Knight, D., Tariq, S.2026-02-16📄 sexual and reproductive health

QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG INDIVIDUALS SEEKING FERTILITY TREATMENT IN UGANDA: FINDINGS FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL FertiQoL SURVEY

A cross-sectional survey of 332 individuals in Kampala, Uganda, revealed that fertility-related quality of life is moderate overall but significantly lower for women and those with primary infertility, highlighting the need for gender-sensitive psychosocial support integrated with clinical care.

Zaake, D., Amongin, D., Asefa, A., Nakafeero, M., Nalwadda, C. K., Kayiira, A., Kiwanuka, S. N.2026-02-15📄 sexual and reproductive health