From Japan’s same-sex unions to HIV funding cuts: this week in sex and relationships

Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of abortion, 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. The Independent launches petition urging UK to protect HIV/Aids funding 🌎

The Independent has launched a petition calling on the UK government to reverse cuts to global HIV/Aids programmes, warning that lifesaving care is already collapsing in parts of Africa.

According to UN data, the world was on track to end the Aids pandemic by 2030. But major donors, including the US and UK, have slashed funding, triggering stockouts of medication, rising infections and increasing deaths.

As part of an eight-month investigation across Uganda, Zimbabwe and Senegal, The Independent found people losing access to treatment, mothers unable to prevent transmission during pregnancy, and clinicians working unpaid with shrinking supplies. At least three of the patients interviewed earlier this year have since died after being unable to get medication.

The UK has already cut its contribution to the Global Fund by £150m, with more decisions pending. Campaigners say restoring funding is vital to prevent a resurgence of preventable deaths and drug-resistant strains.

Source: The Independent

2. Experts recommend targeted prostate cancer screening programme 🩺

The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has recommended a prostate cancer screening programme for men with a specific gene mutation, while advising against screening all men.

In a new report based on evidence and available data, the NSC stated that it recommends a screening programme for men aged 45 to 61 with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, to be carried out every two years, as they are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer.

The committee advised against screening all men, as “the harms would outweigh the benefits”.

This is due to the limitations of the PSA test used for screening, which measures the level of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate. A high level of this protein can be a sign of cancer, but not always, as it can also result from factors such as recent exercise or infection. On the other hand, the PSA test can also miss some prostate cancers. These limitations could lead to overdiagnosis, overtreatment and therefore serious side effects.

The NSC also said that the lack of data influenced the decision on whether or not to include black men in the screening programme. Black men have twice the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The committee has launched a 12-week public consultation and will make its final recommendation to the government in March.

Source: Cancer Research UK

3. Ireland now has second-highest HIV diagnosis rate in EU 📈

A new joint report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO has found that Ireland had the second-highest rate of HIV diagnoses in the EU in 2024.

Among 30 EU countries, Ireland recorded 18.8 HIV diagnoses per 100,000 people, compared with an EU average of 5.3. National data from Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre show 989 HIV cases in 2024, including 239 first-time diagnoses – and four in ten of those were late-stage infections, highlighting serious gaps in early testing and prevention.

Experts say this is especially worrying at a time when we are “closer than ever” to ending new transmissions thanks to effective treatment (U=U) and PrEP. But long waiting lists for PrEP, ongoing stigma, and discriminatory experiences in healthcare and wider society continue to undermine progress.

Dr John P Gilmore of UCD called for more investment in sexual health services and targeted support for trusted community organisations, stressing that racism, homophobia and transphobia still shape people’s willingness to test and access care.

Source: GCN

4. Vatican issues new decree against multiple partnerships ✝️

The Vatican has released a new decree, approved by Pope Leo, reaffirming that Catholics should commit to one partner for life.

The document, issued by the Church’s doctrinal office, says that marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman and discourages practices such as polygamy. It directly addresses regions where some Catholics have more than one long-term partnership, especially in parts of Africa, and reaffirms Church teaching on exclusivity.

The decree also comments on the rise of multi-partner relationship structures in some Western countries, saying these approaches are based on the “illusion” that emotional intensity can be found through multiple partners rather than long-term commitment.

The document does not discuss divorce or same-sex relationships. It reiterates that while the Church views marriage as lifelong, couples are not expected to remain in unsafe or abusive situations, and annulments remain available when a marriage is deemed not to have been validly formed.

The text follows two major Vatican gatherings in 2023 and 2024 that debated how the Church should respond to modern relationship trends.

Source: The Independent

5. Italy votes to make femicide a crime ⚖️

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), the Italian Parliament voted unanimously to introduce the crime of femicide.

The bill adds a new article to the criminal code that sets out life imprisonment for anyone who kills a woman out of hatred, discrimination, abuse of power or control, to restrict her freedom, or because she refused to start or continue a romantic relationship.

Activists and feminist organisations have criticised the move, saying that while creating a specific offence acknowledges the problem, it won’t solve it without wider cultural change.

On the same day, a bill that would have introduced the definition of “consent” was put on hold, with the ruling coalition saying they disagreed on some technical points.

Source: BBC News

6. Same-sex marriages must be recognised throughout the EU, top court says 👭

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that member states of the European Union must recognise a same-sex marriage between two EU citizens if it has been registered in another member state.

The ruling concerns the case of two Polish citizens who married in Germany and wished to return to Poland. They requested that their marriage certificate be transcribed in the Polish civil register and that their marriage be recognised there. However, the request was refused on the grounds that Polish law does not allow same-sex marriage.

The European Court of Justice said the refusal “infringes not only the freedom to move and reside, but also the fundamental right to respect for private and family life”.

The ruling does not require member states to allow same-sex marriages under their own national laws, but it does prohibit them from discriminating against marriages lawfully contracted elsewhere in the EU.

Source: Reuters

7. Researchers want to understand link between hormones and Alzheimer 🧠

As nearly two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s are women, a new international research programme is focusing on the link between hormones and the disease.

Called Cutting Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk through Endocrinology (CARE), the study builds on evidence indicating the potential protective role of oestrogen in women and the association between early menopause and a higher risk of dementia.

With the goal of achieving a 50 per cent reduction in risk by 2050, the group aims to clarify how the decline in oestrogen affects the brain, identify who may benefit from hormonal interventions, and develop targeted preventive protocols.

Source: NBC News

8. Tokyo court upholds Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage 💍

A high court in Tokyo has ruled that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, breaking with a series of earlier rulings that had raised hopes for equality.

The decision is a major setback for campaigners in the only G7 country without legal recognition or protection for same-sex couples. Five other high courts across Japan, from Sapporo to Osaka to Fukuoka, had previously found the current system unconstitutional, even though they rejected compensation claims.

Outside the courthouse, plaintiffs held signs reading “unjust verdict”. Several expressed anger and confusion, asking whether the court had considered the rights of the next generation. Rights groups including Amnesty International condemned the ruling as “a damaging step backwards”.

The judges argued that any change should come through parliament, not the courts, a position activists say ignores the human impact of legal limbo.

The case now moves to the Supreme Court, which will review the patchwork of rulings issued since lawsuits were first filed between 2019 and 2021.

Japan remains an outlier in the region: only Taiwan, Thailand and Nepal currently recognise same-sex marriage.

Source: BBC

9. Femicides “alarmingly high”, UN Women warns 🚨

According to a new report published by UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, around 50,000 women and girls worldwide were killed in 2024 by their intimate partners or other family members.

This means that, on average, 137 women or girls are killed every day by a member of their own family.

The most likely perpetrators are current or former partners. For example, in Europe, 64 per cent of femicides were committed by a partner.

However, this figure is an underestimate, the organisations noted, as not all countries release data or record femicides in the same way, and many victims still go uncounted.

The report also highlights that some women face even higher risks, including journalists, activists, Indigenous women, trans women and transfeminine individuals.

The report explains that femicides can be prevented by focusing on primary prevention, changing social norms, and engaging communities.

Source: UN Women