Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of suicide, sexual abuse, 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. More than 100 spiking incidents reported in Scotland this year 🚨
Police Scotland has warned that spiking can put people at “significant risk of harm”, as new figures show 117 incidents were reported across Scotland by 17 August this year.
Figures released through a Freedom of Information request show 929 reports of spiking were made between 2016 and 2025, including 144 last year. Police say spiking can involve adding drugs or alcohol to someone’s drink, injecting them with a substance, or using another method without their consent.
Police Scotland is working with pubs, clubs, universities and student groups to raise awareness, provide bystander training and support people who may be affected. The force said every report is taken seriously and encouraged anyone who believes they have been spiked to contact police.
Source: The National
2. Specialist sexual assault nurses to be rolled out across Scotland 🩺
Specialist nurses trained to support people following rape or sexual assault are set to be introduced across Scotland, following a trial backed by more than £700,000 of Scottish Government funding.
Nurse sexual offence examiners provide trauma-informed care and, where a survivor chooses to have a forensic medical examination, can carry out the examination and gather forensic evidence. Under the national rollout, they will also be able to give opinion evidence in court.
The change is expected to improve access to specialist care, particularly in rural and island communities which have previously relied on private forensic doctors. The rollout will happen gradually as health boards train and integrate specialist nurses into their teams.
Source: STV News
3. Scottish Government announces new HIV Action Plan 🩸
The Scottish Government has announced plans for a new dedicated HIV Action Plan, renewing its commitment to end new HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030.
The plan will succeed the current HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan and will be developed over the coming months. It will form part of Scotland’s wider approach to sexual health and blood-borne viruses, building on work to improve HIV prevention, testing and treatment.
HIV charity Waverley Care welcomed the announcement but said the new plan must also address stigma and inequalities in access to services. The charity is calling for measures including opt-out HIV and blood-borne virus testing in emergency departments, a national online HIV prevention service, better support to reconnect people with HIV care, and greater access to peer and mental health support.
Source: Waverley Care
4. Around 20,000 women a year disclose domestic abuse to maternity services in England 🤰
New analysis has highlighted the important role midwives and other maternity professionals can play in identifying and responding to domestic abuse during pregnancy and after birth.
Data provided by 74 NHS trusts found that around 3.3 per cent of maternity bookings involved a disclosure of current or previous domestic abuse. Applied to maternity bookings across England, that amounts to an estimated 20,000 disclosures each year, although experts believe the true figure is likely to be higher.
Midwifery and domestic abuse organisations are calling for maternity staff to have sufficient specialist training, time and resources to respond safely when someone discloses abuse and connect them with appropriate support.
Source: The Guardian
5. Schoolgirls campaign to ban school uniforms in pornography 🎒
A group of teenage girls in Oxfordshire has launched a petition calling for depictions of school uniforms to be banned from pornography, arguing that their sexualisation has consequences for children who have to wear them in everyday life.
The students, aged 14 and 15, say wearing school uniform can make them feel sexualised and unsafe. Their campaign comes as new legislation is set to criminalise pornography in which adults appear to be pretending to be children under 16, but campaigners argue this could leave a loophole around school uniforms.
Research cited by The Times found that “schoolgirl” was the most common term among titles categorised as depicting coercion or exploitation in an analysis of 150,000 videos from three major pornography sites. The students want clearer regulation recognising that school uniforms can be used to evoke childhood, regardless of the age of the adult performers involved.
Source: The Times
6. HRT linked to sharp fall in suicidal thoughts among menopausal women 🧠
New research involving more than 1,000 women has highlighted the potential connection between menopause, mental health and suicidal thoughts, and the importance of recognising when hormonal changes may be contributing to severe psychological symptoms.
Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found that suicidal thoughts among menopausal women in the study fell by 92 per cent after they were prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The research also found that around one in six participants had either been misdiagnosed or offered antidepressants rather than HRT.
Researchers are calling for greater awareness among healthcare professionals and further research into women’s health. The findings do not mean HRT is an appropriate treatment for everyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, but suggest menopause should be considered when assessing mental health symptoms among women in midlife.
If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts or your mental health, support is available. In the UK and Ireland, you can contact Samaritans free on 116 123, 24 hours a day. In Scotland, you can also contact NHS 24’s 111 Mental Health Hub by calling 111. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: ITV News
7. New bereavement leave rights to include pregnancy loss and wider family relationships 🕊️
Employees across Great Britain will gain a new legal right to up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave from April 2027, with the government confirming that the rules will recognise a wider range of family relationships.
The right will cover the loss of a spouse or partner, parent, adult child or sibling, including step, half, adoptive, foster and kinship care relationships. It will also cover pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, including miscarriage, termination and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, with eligibility extending to partners, other biological parents and intended parents in surrogacy arrangements.
Leave will be available from the first day of employment and can be taken flexibly within 56 weeks of the loss. Bereavement charities have welcomed the new protections, while some are calling for the entitlement to be extended to paid leave.
Source: BBC News
8. Porn site linked to sexual assault videos appears to be back online in UK 🚨
A pornography website previously taken offline after an investigation uncovered thousands of videos depicting the sexual abuse of sleeping or unconscious women appears to have resurfaced and is accessible in the UK.
Motherless was taken offline by Dutch authorities in May after a CNN investigation uncovered extensive content depicting suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault. It was later taken down again after briefly reappearing. The site had also previously been investigated and fined by Ofcom for failing to introduce required age checks.
The Times reports that a new website using the Motherless name can now be accessed in the UK without age verification. Ofcom said it was aware of the development and was investigating it as a matter of urgency.
Source: The Times
9. Dutch dictionary adds new word for labia to move away from language of “shame” 💬
A leading Dutch dictionary is adding a new word for the labia following a campaign to change language that activists argue can reinforce shame around women’s bodies and sexuality.
The traditional Dutch term, schaamlippen, can be translated as “shame lips” or “pubic lips”. Dikke Van Dale will now also include vulvalippen, or “vulva lips”, after its editor said the alternative was becoming increasingly established in media, textbooks and medical information.
Similar campaigns have challenged language used in sexual and reproductive health elsewhere in Europe. Sweden, for example, introduced an alternative to its traditional term for the hymen partly to challenge myths connecting the anatomy with virginity, while UK healthcare professionals have questioned terms such as “incompetent cervix” and “failure to progress” because of the blame or judgement they can imply.
Source: BBC News
10. Is Gen Z really having less sex? New survey says yes… but it’s complicated 💋
A major US survey has added to evidence of a so-called “sex recession” among young adults, finding relatively low levels of sexual activity despite many respondents continuing to report moderate or high sexual desire.
The survey of 2,373 Americans aged 18 to 29, conducted by Playboy in collaboration with the Kinsey Institute and sexual wellness company Julie, found that 19 per cent had never had a sexual partner, while 40 per cent had not had vaginal sex in the previous three months. More than half believed they were having less sex than their peers.
Researchers found that dating-app fatigue, fear of rejection, finances and a lack of privacy could all be getting in the way of connection. Sexual health findings also raised concerns: one in six respondents reported using no contraception, while a third had never been tested for STIs.
Source: Playboy
11. Child marriage and adolescent pregnancy rising sharply in Gaza 🚨
More girls in Gaza are being pushed into child marriage as war, displacement, poverty and insecurity leave families with fewer options, according to new analysis from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Emergency court records reviewed by UNFPA partners show that at least 400 girls aged 14 to 16 were granted permission to marry during just four months of 2025. The true number is likely to be higher because many marriages are now taking place informally and going unrecorded. Adolescent birth rates have also more than doubled compared with levels before the war.
UNFPA says some families are turning to marriage as a way of coping with extreme poverty, displacement and fears about girls’ safety, while the collapse of education and loss of caregivers have increased their vulnerability. The agency warns that early marriage and pregnancy can expose girls to greater risks of violence, health complications and losing access to education and future opportunities.
Source: UNFPA
