sexual and reproductive health papers

Client and Health Care Provider Perspectives on Point-of-Care Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Community Pharmacies in Uganda

This qualitative study in Uganda finds that while clients, providers, and policymakers view integrating point-of-care STI testing into community pharmacies as a highly acceptable strategy to improve accessibility, speed, and antimicrobial resistance control, its successful implementation requires addressing barriers such as stigma, privacy concerns, and supply chain sustainability.

Onzia, A. A., Twimukye, A., Melendez, J. H. + 5 more2026-04-03📄 sexual and reproductive health

High prevalence of female genital schistosomiasis and under-detection by urine microscopy among women of reproductive age in Kilifi County, Kenya

This study in Kilifi County, Kenya, reveals that female genital schistosomiasis affects 36% of women of reproductive age but is largely missed by routine urine microscopy, as 72% of infected women showed no detectable urinary eggs, highlighting the critical need for genital sampling and molecular diagnostics in control strategies.

KARIUKI, H. W., Nyasore, S. M., Muthini, F. W. + 8 more2026-04-02📄 sexual and reproductive health

Shift, spark, unfolding: a qualitative life course perspective on the transition surrounding unexpected pregnancy in a Dutch urban setting

This qualitative study of 22 Dutch individuals experiencing unexpected pregnancy utilizes a life course perspective and Schlossberg's transition theory to reveal that adjustment patterns vary from instant to triggered to ambiguous "unfolding," with the latter highlighting that adaptation often remains an ongoing process for those with stable life trajectories and strong aspirations.

Sprenger, M., Crone, M., Kiefte-de Jong, J. C. + 1 more2026-04-01📄 sexual and reproductive health

Vaginal-Stimulating Product Use and Cervicovaginal Health Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Rural South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Baseline Study

This cross-sectional baseline study of sexually active HIV-negative adolescent girls and young women in rural South Africa reveals that while vaginal-stimulating product use is highly prevalent, it is significantly associated with cervical ectopy in adults and shows exploratory links to specific STIs and HPV-16 in adolescents, underscoring the need for further longitudinal research to clarify biological risks and inform culturally responsive health interventions.

Radebe, P., Sengeziwe, S., Nokuthula, M. + 13 more2026-03-25📄 sexual and reproductive health

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS INFECTION IN LOW-INCOME PREGNANT WOMEN IN KINSHASA

A cross-sectional study conducted in Kinshasa between June and December 2023 revealed an 18% prevalence of *Chlamydia trachomatis* infection among low-income pregnant women, with the highest rates observed in married women aged 25–35 and significant associations with vaginal symptoms and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity and spontaneous abortion.

NDZOUEBENG, O., MVUMBI, G. L., ZONO, B. + 3 more2026-03-24📄 sexual and reproductive health

Structural determinants of STI service delivery for internally displaced persons in Nigeria: A qualitative study of policy and humanitarian perspectives

This qualitative study reveals that STI service delivery for internally displaced persons in Nigeria is critically undermined by HIV-centric vertical financing, weak implementation of policies, and sociocultural barriers, necessitating a strategic rebalancing of funding and strengthened health systems to ensure equitable access.

Amodu, O., Janes, C., Affia, P.2026-03-18📄 sexual and reproductive health

Meta-Analyses of Sexual Assault Prevalence Among Homeless Women

This meta-analysis of 20 studies reveals that homeless women face disproportionately high rates of sexual assault, with a pooled lifetime prevalence of 39.2% and a 12-month prevalence of 22%, highlighting particularly elevated risks for those with disabilities, mental illness, or LGBTQ+ identities and underscoring the urgent need for tailored public health interventions.

Valliant, S. J., Razumeyko, J., Silva, A. + 6 more2026-03-17📄 sexual and reproductive health

Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Assessment of Acceptability, Appropriateness, and Feasibility Measures for Family Planning Interventions Among Midwives and Nurses in Ghana

This study successfully culturally adapted and psychometrically validated the Acceptability, Appropriateness, and Feasibility measures for evaluating postpartum family planning interventions among Ghanaian midwives and nurses, finding that while the adapted tools are reliable, their abridged versions demonstrate superior construct validity compared to expanded versions.

Glozah, F. N., Maya, E., Guure, C. + 5 more2026-03-17📄 sexual and reproductive health

First successful transplant of human immature testicular tissue after gonadotoxic therapy during childhood: complete spermatogenesis in intra-testicular grafts.

This study reports the first successful human case of autologous transplantation of cryopreserved immature testicular tissue, demonstrating that such grafts can survive long-term storage, revascularize, and restore complete spermatogenesis in a patient who underwent gonadotoxic therapy during childhood.

Goossens, E., Vloeberghs, V., De Beer, E. + 6 more2026-03-12📄 sexual and reproductive health

Peer-led sexual and reproductive health education and risky sexual behavior among adolescent girls and young women in rural Uganda: a quasi-experimental pre-post study

A quasi-experimental pre-post study in rural northeastern Uganda demonstrates that a community-based, peer-led sexual and reproductive health education intervention significantly reduced risky sexual behaviors and improved comprehensive knowledge among adolescent girls and young women, though further robust research is needed to address persistent contextual risk factors.

KOMUHANGI, A., Appeli, S., Izudi, J.2026-03-12📄 sexual and reproductive health

Peer Support in Online Discussions of Male Infertility: A Natural Language Processing Study of Reddit

This study utilizes natural language processing to analyze over 90,000 Reddit posts and comments, revealing that anonymous online communities serve as vital support infrastructures for men with infertility by facilitating clinical sense-making, emotional validation, and collective coping while mitigating the stigma often associated with male infertility in offline settings.

Khatun, M., Patel, N., Loid, M. + 7 more2026-03-10📄 sexual and reproductive health

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. + 1 more2026-03-09📄 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. + 6 more2026-03-06📄 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. + 1 more2026-03-04📄 sexual and reproductive health

HIPK4 is a novel gene associated with teratozoospermia and male infertility

This study identifies biallelic loss-of-function variants in the HIPK4 gene as a novel autosomal-recessive cause of teratozoospermia and male infertility, characterized by 100% abnormal sperm head morphology, while also highlighting the genetic heterogeneity within a single family where distinct mutations in HIPK4 and DNAH17 underlie different sperm defects.

Koser, S. A., Rieck, C., Aprea, I. + 13 more2026-03-04📄 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. + 8 more2026-03-02📄 sexual and reproductive health

EARLY-PREG: A preconception longitudinal cohort of women seeking pregnancy to investigate maternal-embryonic molecular signalling during the peri-implantation window

The EARLY-PREG study is a preconception longitudinal cohort in Chile that systematically collects maternal biological samples across menstrual cycles to characterize time-dependent molecular signatures of maternal-embryonic signaling during the peri-implantation window by comparing conception and non-conception cycles.

Koch, E. S., Avila, D., Nourdin, G. + 6 more2026-02-27📄 sexual and reproductive health

High-throughput dia-PASEF workflow improves proteome coverage and quantitative performance in repeated-measures proteomics of cervicovaginal fluid within a preconception cohort

This study demonstrates that a high-throughput dia-PASEF proteomics workflow significantly outperforms conventional DDA-FracOffline methods by increasing protein coverage by approximately 50% and enhancing quantitative reproducibility, thereby enabling more robust longitudinal analysis of cervicovaginal fluid dynamics across the menstrual cycle.

Hernandez, M., Saldivia, P., Latapiat, V. + 5 more2026-02-26📄 sexual and reproductive health

Improving Equity in Maternity Care Through Linguistically Accessible Parent Education Classes: A Proposal for London-Wide Mapping and Evaluation

A London-wide survey of 97 women with limited English proficiency reveals a strong willingness to travel across maternity networks for classes delivered in their native language, supporting the development of collaborative, cross-trust models to standardize and centralize multilingual antenatal education to improve equity and reduce service duplication.

Reeves, H. A., Bourke, M., Khuti-Dullaart, K. + 1 more2026-02-26📄 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