Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of STIs, miscarriage, cancer, 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. Scottish women allowed to sue over Johnson & Johnson talc claims ⚖️
A group of Scottish women have been granted permission to bring a group legal action against Johnson & Johnson over claims that decades of using its talcum powder caused ovarian cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses.
The Court of Session ruled that the case can proceed as Scotland’s first group action over allegedly contaminated talc products. The women argue the company knew for decades about the potential risks posed by asbestos contamination in some talc products but failed to warn consumers.
Johnson & Johnson and its former consumer health business, Kenvue, deny the allegations and maintain that decades of scientific evidence show the products are safe.
The case follows similar litigation in the US and England and Wales, where thousands of claimants are pursuing legal action.
Source: STV News
2. Sexually transmitted shigella cases rise in England 🦠
Shigella is a bacterial gut infection usually associated with contaminated food, but some strains can also spread through sexual contact, particularly within networks of gay and bisexual men.
A study led by the University of Cambridge and the UK Health Security Agency found that sexually transmitted strains spread over greater distances and were more likely to be resistant to antibiotics than other forms of the infection. UKHSA figures show 2,560 sexually transmitted cases were recorded in England in 2025, up from 2,052 in 2023.
In Scotland, 143 laboratory-confirmed Shigella cases were recorded in 2024, up from 124 the previous year. However, the published figures do not specify how many were sexually transmitted.
Researchers are calling for greater awareness, faster testing and clearer public health messaging, warning that sexual transmission is now a sustained part of shigella’s spread in the UK.
Source: Sky News
3. Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy admissions rise in England🏥
Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy have increased in England in recent years, new research has found.
Presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the study analysed data from 2004 to 2024.
The findings revealed a sharp rise in admissions from 2021 to 2024, with most occurring in the most deprived areas.
“Women living in more deprived communities are more likely to experience risk factors associated with pregnancy loss and face greater barriers to accessing care. These findings highlight how strongly reproductive health can be shaped by wider social and economic circumstances”, lead author Sindhu Sekar said.
Source: News-Medical.Net
4. New blood test could diagnose endometriosis faster 💉
A new blood test can identify a set of hormones associated with endometriosis speeding up the diagnosis, a new study has found.
Researchers analysed hormone levels in the blood of 159 women with endometriosis and 57 without the condition. They focused on androgens, a group of sex hormones that includes testosterone, whose role in endometriosis has been unclear.
The researchers found that women with endometriosis had a distinct hormonal fingerprint, including raised levels of some androgens.
With an accuracy of 95 per cent, the blood test could speed up the diagnosis of endometriosis. The condition affects one in 10 women in the UK, and the average waiting time for a diagnosis in Scotland is more than 10 years, according to the charity Endometriosis UK.
Source: BBC News
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5. LGBTQIA+ representation in film continues to decline 🎬
For the third year in a row, LGBTQIA+ representation in film has continued to decline, a new report has revealed.
The analysis, conducted by the LGBTQIA+ advocacy organisation GLAAD, found that only 20,4 per cent of films released in 2025 included LGBTQIA+ characters – 46 out of the 225 films last year by the 10 largest distributors. No transgender characters appeared in any of the films.
“If the industry doesn’t prioritise investing in films with LGBTQ characters, it risks losing a generation that will go elsewhere to find entertainment that does include our community,” warned Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO.
Source: The Guardian
6. Young women deported from Sweden at risk of gender-based rights violations 🌍
Young women are being deported from Sweden to countries where they could face gender-based rights violations, Human Rights Watch has warned.
Following policy changes and bureaucratic delays, many young people have been deported from Sweden. Media reports found that at least 92 were deported last year, many of them who grew up in Sweden and have family there.
In this context, Human Rights Watch described the deportation of young women as particularly alarming, as they are being forced to go to countries where they could face severe restrictions to their freedom and gender-based rights violations.
Source: Human Rights Watch
7. Air pollution linked to changes in sperm DNA 🧬
Exposure to common outdoor air pollutants may alter how genes function in sperm, according to one of the largest studies of its kind.
Researchers followed more than 2,000 men and examined pollution exposure during the three months before semen samples were collected, roughly matching the period in which sperm develop. They identified 39 changes in DNA methylation — chemical markers that influence whether genes are switched on or off — with ozone and nitrogen dioxide showing the strongest links.
Scientists say the findings add to growing evidence that air pollution may affect male fertility, but caution that more research is needed to determine whether the changes have a direct impact on infertility, embryo development or pregnancy outcomes.
Source: The Guardian
8. At least one million women and girls lose support after aid cuts 💰
Aid cuts to organisations responding to humanitarian crises have led to at least one million women and girls losing essential support, UN Women said.
According to a new report published by the international organisation, nine in 10 women’s organisations said they can no longer continue providing their services to women and girls in crisis- and conflict-affected countries, while two in five expect to shut down as a result of the aid cuts. Meanwhile, 84 per cent of organisations said demand for their services has increased sharply since last year.
The report also highlights that nearly half of the 855 women’s rights organisations surveyed reported that burnout is increasing among their staff.
Source: UN Women
