From paternity leave protests to Olympic condoms: this week in sex and relationships

Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of women’s health, anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and behaviours, gender based violence, and more. If you find this distressing or triggering, remember to take it at your own pace. You may prefer to read small sections, wait until you feel ready to read it all, or choose not to read it at all.

1. Glasgow campaign says “two weeks isn’t enough” for new dads 👨🏼

Parents across Glasgow have launched a guerrilla Valentine’s campaign calling for better paternity leave, placing cards in shops reading “two weeks isn’t enough.”

The action, organised by campaign group The Dad Shift, highlights that statutory paternity leave in the UK is limited to two weeks and paid at less than half the minimum wage. Campaigners argue this fuels unequal childcare from the start. Research suggests mothers are far more likely to shoulder the majority of care, and that unequal responsibilities are linked to relationship breakdown.

More than 40 MPs are set to debate the role of equality in healthy relationships, as the government reviews parental leave policy. Campaigners say reform is essential to support families and reduce strain on new parents.

Source: Glasgow Live

2. Nearly 70% of NHS areas in England offer only one round of IVF 💉

Data from the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust (PET) shows that 29 of the 42 NHS areas in England provide just one cycle of IVF to women under 40, rather than the three full cycles recommended by official guidelines.

The data also highlights regional differences, with the North West of England offering just one cycle, and only one area in the South showing any improvement.

Sarah Norcross, director of PET, said: “It’s a postcode lottery, and we’re seeing a race to the bottom.”

The NHS estimates that around one in seven couples experience difficulty conceiving, but private treatment can cost several thousand pounds.

Source: The Guardian

3. UK court rules trans women can use women’s toilets — but not at work 🚻

The UK High Court has ruled that trans women can lawfully use women’s public toilets but upheld guidance requiring workplaces to designate facilities based on “biological sex.”

The decision responds to confusion following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of legal sex. Judges said service providers may allow trans women to use women’s restrooms without automatically granting access to cis men, adding that the law does not require a blanket “bathroom ban.”

However, the court also upheld workplace guidance that could require trans employees to use facilities aligned with sex assigned at birth. Campaigners described the outcome as “incoherent” and warned it creates uncertainty and potential discrimination for trans workers.

Source: Them

4. AI can detect pregnancy complications 🤰🏿

New research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting suggests that an AI model can detect placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), a serious condition in which the placenta is abnormally attached to the muscle of the uterus.

PAS can be difficult to diagnose and can lead to severe bleeding during and after delivery, as well as damage to the uterus or nearby organs and infection.

Researchers analysed ultrasound images from 113 patients at risk of PAS and found that the model correctly identified all cases. There were two false positives and no false negatives.

Source: News Medical

5. France to encourage 29-year-olds to have children 🚼

The French government plans to send targeted information to all 29-year-olds encouraging them to consider having children “while they still can,” as part of a 16-point strategy to boost falling birth rates.

France’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.56 children per woman, below the 2.1 replacement level. The plan includes expanding free egg-freezing centres, launching a “My Fertility” website, and introducing more reproductive health education in schools.

Officials say the aim is to prevent future fertility regret and support informed decision-making. Critics argue that housing costs, job security, and childcare provision — rather than awareness alone — are the bigger barriers to starting families.

Source: Sky News

6. Winter Olympic Village runs out of condoms after three days 🏔️

Free condoms at the Winter Olympics have reportedly run out after just three days, with athletes in the Olympic Village in Italy told more supplies are on the way.

Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that fewer than 10,000 condoms were provided for these Games — far fewer than at the Paris Olympics, where around 300,000 were available. Just under 3,000 athletes are competing at the Winter Olympics, compared with more than 10,000 in Paris.

Condoms have been distributed at Olympic villages since 1988 as part of sexual health and STI prevention efforts. Lombardy’s regional governor defended the policy, saying it’s a long-standing public health measure and “shouldn’t cause embarrassment.”

Source: The Guardian

7. Crypto use in human trafficking nearly doubles, report finds 💻

The use of cryptocurrency in human trafficking — including forced labour in scam compounds and sexual exploitation — grew by at least 85% in 2025, according to new research from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

The report found that criminal groups are using stablecoins such as Tether and USDC to fund trafficking operations, often advertising victims openly on Telegram-based marketplaces. Researchers estimate transactions now total hundreds of millions of dollars annually, though they stress this is likely an undercount.

Experts say cryptocurrency’s cross-border payments have allowed trafficking networks to scale rapidly, while also creating digital trails that could help law enforcement disrupt operations. Campaigners argue platforms and crypto companies must do more to prevent misuse.

Source: WIRED

8. NY officials raise rainbow flag at Stonewall after Trump administration removes it 🏳️‍🌈

The Trump administration removed a large Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York, which commemorates the June 1969 riots widely seen as the start of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

The flag was taken down following a federal directive restricting the display of “non-agency” flags in the national park system.

A few days later, New York politicians raised a rainbow flag at the monument in front of hundreds of people who had gathered to witness the event.

Trans activist Mariah Lopez said that reinstating the flag despite the directive was in keeping with the monument’s history: “You know, Stonewall was a riot,” Ms Lopez said.

Source: NY Times

9. Same-sex couples can now co-own property in the Philippines 🏠

The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples can be recognised as co-owners of property if both partners have contributed to buying it.

The decision has been described as a landmark, as same-sex unions remain illegal in the Philippines and divorce is not permitted.

The case came after a woman refused to sell a house she had bought with her former partner, despite previously agreeing to do so. Her former partner then decided to file a claim, which was first rejected and later reviewed by the Supreme Court.

The court said that Article 148 of the Family Code, which governs “property relations of people who live together but cannot legally marry”, also applies to same-sex couples because it “applies to all forms of cohabitation”. To rule otherwise, the court said, would “render legally invisible some forms of legitimate intimate relationships”, according to Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

Source: BBC News