Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of 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 sexual violence figures prompt new city safety campaign 🚨
Nearly 500 rapes and attempted rapes were reported in Glasgow in the year to June 2026, equivalent to around one every 18 hours, according to Police Scotland figures reported by the Glasgow Times.
The newspaper says sexual crimes in the city have risen by 20 per cent since 2021/22, while reported domestic abuse offences under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act have also increased sharply. Most reported rapes and attempted rapes took place outside the city centre, highlighting that the issue extends across homes and communities throughout Glasgow.
In response, the Glasgow Times has launched its “Action Not Words” campaign, calling for improved safety in public spaces and transport, higher detection rates for sexual offences, and stronger action to challenge misogyny and violence against women and girls.
Source: Glasgow Times
2. NHS rolls out at-home HPV testing to millions in England 🧪
Nearly four million women and people assigned female at birth in England who are behind on cervical screening will be offered free HPV self-testing kits as part of a new NHS rollout.
The kits allow people to take a vaginal swab at home and return it to the NHS for testing for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. Anyone who tests positive for high-risk HPV will be invited for a follow-up cervical screening appointment.
The programme will initially target people aged 30 to 65 who haven’t attended screening after previous invitations. NHS England hopes the more discreet and convenient option will tackle barriers including embarrassment, discomfort and difficulty finding time for an appointment. Currently, just 68.8 per cent of eligible patients are up to date with cervical screening, below the NHS target of 80 per cent.
Source: NHS England
3. HRT may reduce risk of dementia 👵
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce the risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests.
Following more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK, researchers found that those who had used HRT had a 10 per cent lower risk of developing any type of dementia, and a 16 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.
Those who had undergone surgical menopause were 25 per cent less likely to develop dementia.
Lead author Prof Anne-Marie Minihane said: “While HRT has long been prescribed primarily to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, this work suggests it may also play a role in long‑term cognitive health for some women.”
Source: The Guardian
4. Thousands of new mothers may have undiagnosed PTSD after birth 👶
At least 15,000 women a year may suffer from undiagnosed PTSD after childbirth in the UK, a new report has revealed.
Published by the University of East Anglia, the report suggests that trauma following childbirth may go unnoticed because GPs lack the information, tools, time and support needed to make proper assessments. PTSD is also often mistaken for postnatal depression.
The authors of the report are calling for new guidance to include GP training, as well as clear instructions on how to access specialist services.
Source: News-medical.net
5. NHS cancels gender-affirming surgeries after complaints in Wales 🏳️⚧️
The NHS seems to have cancelled all gender-affirming surgeries for patients of the Welsh Gender Service (WGS) with immediate effect, QueerAF and What The Trans!? report.
The decision comes after the Welsh Tories called for a review of the WGS, the service that provides trans healthcare in Wales through the NHS.
It is not clear how many people will be affected. However, last year, almost 1,500 people were waiting for a first appointment at the WGS.
Source: QueerAF
6. Psychiatrists apologise for NHS failures towards survivors of child sexual abuse 🧠
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued a public apology to adults who experienced child sexual abuse, saying decades of mismanagement and misdiagnosis within UK mental health services have caused avoidable harm.
A new report from the college says services have too often focused on treating symptoms without recognising how childhood trauma can affect people decades later.
Survivors have also faced repeated assessments, inappropriate treatment and disbelief, while short-term models of care can make it difficult to build the trust needed to disclose abuse.
The college is calling for mandatory trauma-informed training for mental health staff, national guidance on responding to historic abuse disclosures and better access to longer-term support. It said care is improving but warned that overstretched and fragmented services continue to leave many survivors without the help they need.
Source: BBC News
7. Tuscany to subsidise egg freezing for younger women 🥚
Women aged 25 to 39 living in Tuscany, Italy, will be able to apply for public funding towards elective egg freezing under a new regional scheme expected to launch in October.
The measure would offer up to €3,000 (£2,572) towards the cost of freezing and storing eggs for non-medical reasons, with eligibility limited to people who have lived in Tuscany for at least a year and have an ISEE household income below €30,000 (£25,716). If demand exceeds available funding, priority will go to those on lower incomes.
Tuscany has set aside €550,000 (£471,495) through 2028 for the programme, making it the second Italian region after Puglia to support social egg freezing. The initiative aims to make fertility preservation less dependent on personal income.
Source: Corriere Fiorentino
8. Greenland divided over whether forced contraception amounted to genocide 🩺
Greenland’s government says it cannot yet conclude whether Denmark’s forced contraception of Inuit women and girls amounted to genocide, after experts commissioned to examine the practice reached sharply different conclusions.
Between 1966 and 1970, around 4,500 women and girls in Greenland – some as young as 13 – were fitted with contraceptive coils as part of a Danish-administered birth-control programme. Many have since said the devices were inserted without their knowledge or consent. Denmark apologised in 2025 and has introduced compensation of 300,000 Danish kroner (£34,404) for each woman affected.
One expert report found that Inuit women’s rights had been violated and said genocidal intent remained a possibility that could potentially be established using wider evidence. A separate report found no evidence that Danish authorities intended to destroy the Greenlandic population. Greenland now plans to establish a reconciliation commission as it continues examining the legacy of the policy.
Source: BBC News
9. Singapore offers families £40,000 per child as fertility rate hits record low 👶
Singapore has announced a major expansion of financial support for parents as the country attempts to reverse one of the world’s lowest fertility rates.
Families will receive almost S$70,000 (£40,000) in direct government support for each child up to the age of 17, alongside expanded parental leave and additional help for families buying their first home. Singapore’s fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 children per woman last year, well below the 2.1 generally considered necessary to maintain a population without immigration.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong acknowledged that financial incentives alone are unlikely to reverse the decline, with many young people delaying parenthood until they reach financial security or choosing not to have children. Singapore is also expected to become a “super-aged” society this year, with more than one in five residents aged 65 or over.
Source: Financial Times
10. New York expands doula support to tackle maternal health inequalities 🤰🏿
New York City’s Citywide Doula Initiative has now supported more than 4,200 families, as the city expands efforts to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black and Latino communities.
The programme provides free doula support during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, with participating hospitals also adopting policies designed to better integrate doulas into maternity care teams. Six hospitals have now completed the city’s Doula-Friendly Hospital Program.
The initiative aims to reduce racial disparities in maternal health, with Black and Latino New Yorkers facing higher risks of complications before, during and after childbirth. Research has linked doula care with lower rates of caesarean birth, preterm birth and postpartum depression, alongside higher breastfeeding rates and greater satisfaction with maternity care.
Source: EBONY
