From trans inclusion battles to a sperm donor cancer scandal: 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. Protest held in Edinburgh over Girlguiding’s ban on trans girls 🏳️‍⚧️

Around 100 people gathered outside Girlguiding’s headquarters in Edinburgh to protest the organisation’s decision to exclude trans girls from membership.

Girlguiding said it made the decision “with a heavy heart,” following legal advice, but critics argue the move is discriminatory and harms trans children by denying them access to community, support, and belonging. Protesters held signs and chanted in opposition, calling on the organisation to reverse the policy.

The decision has sparked wider debate in Scotland about the impact of single-sex policies on trans children and young people, particularly in youth groups and educational settings. Campaigners say excluding trans girls risks increasing isolation and stigma at a time when trans youth already face disproportionate mental health challenges.

Source: The National

2. UK AIDS Memorial Quilt to be shown in Scotland for first time 🧵

The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed in Scotland for the first time in September 2026, with a free three-week exhibition at Tramway in Glasgow (12–27 September).

The quilt, 42 quilts plus 23 individual panels, commemorating more than 384 people affected by HIV and AIDS, is part of a global community art project that began in the US in 1985 as both memorial and protest.

Organisers say the Tramway show will include archival material tracing the project’s Scottish roots, a documentary film, and scheduled readings of the names represented in the quilt.

The exhibition follows a major display in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in June 2025, and aims to honour those lost while highlighting that HIV-related stigma and unequal access to treatment remain ongoing issues.

Source: FAD Magazine

3. Treatable heavy periods driving hospital admissions, new study finds 🏥

A new study led by Anglia Ruskin University and published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health has found that women are being admitted to hospital for acute heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), a debilitating condition that could be managed within community services.

The research analysed data from 98 NHS gynaecology units between January and June 2024 and found that more than 1,330 women were admitted to hospital to receive red blood cell transfusions. Some also received additional treatments, and 20% were discharged while still anaemic.

According to the study, these admissions cost the NHS more than £13 million per year.

The researchers are calling for urgent investment in community-based gynaecology services, which could help ensure women receive timely treatment, as well as for the development of national guidelines and coding systems to better identify and manage acute HMB.

HMB affects approximately one in four people of reproductive age. According to the NHS, a period is considered heavy when there is a need to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, bleeding through clothing or bedding, tiredness, and periods lasting more than 7 days, among other symptoms.

Source: The Independent

4. “Systemic failures” in England’s maternity services, interim report reveals 🤰

Valerie Amos, who is leading an investigation into maternity care in England, said that what she has seen so far “has been much worse” than she had expected.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday, Amos said she knows that “there is lots of good care out there” and that “NHS staff are dedicated professionals”. However, she found that “families have been let down, with devastating consequences”.

Among the stories she has heard so far were women left hungry, “bleeding out in bathrooms”, and not being listened to. Racialised women, those with mental health conditions, and working-class women were also discriminated against. Amos also found a lack of cleanliness, as well as staff facing death threats and abuse on social media.

The final report will be published in spring next year.

Source: BBC News

5. Meta accused of censoring abortion and queer health content worldwide 📱

Dozens of Meta social media accounts covering abortion, reproductive health, and LGBTQIA+ topics worldwide have been removed or restricted.

More than 50 organisations reported that their Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp accounts have been affected, with abortion hotlines blocked and sex-positive or LGBTQIA+ content banned. Most of them are based in Europe and the UK.

According to Repro Uncensored, a nonprofit organisation that tracks digital censorship of reproductive health content, 210 cases of removals and restrictions have occurred in 2025, compared with 81 last year.

Meta denied the accusation, saying that “Every organisation and individual on our platforms is subject to the same set of rules, and any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless,” and that policies on content covering abortion have not changed.

Source: The Guardian

6. Sperm donor with cancer-linked mutation used to conceive nearly 200 children 🧬

A major investigation has found that sperm from a donor carrying a rare genetic mutation linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which can mean up to a 90% lifetime risk of cancer, was used to conceive at least 197 children across Europe. Some children have already developed cancer and some have died, according to doctors involved in the case.

The donor, who began donating in 2005, passed standard screening and is healthy, but researchers found a mutation affecting the TP53 gene in up to 20% of his sperm. Any child conceived using affected sperm would carry the mutation in every cell.

The sperm was not sold to UK clinics, but UK regulators confirmed a very small number of British families used the donor while receiving fertility treatment in Denmark and have now been informed. The case has renewed scrutiny of international sperm banks and the lack of a global limit on how many families can use a single donor.

Source: BBC News

7. UK aid cuts axe major anti-FGM programmes 🌍

Two major UK-funded programmes aimed at preventing female genital mutilation (FGM) have been ended as part of wider foreign aid cuts, prompting warnings from organisers and community workers that more girls will be put at risk.

The Independent reports the cancellations come despite the UK recently pledging on the international stage to tackle FGM. One project, run by Amref Health Africa, worked across Senegal, Kenya, Somaliland and Ethiopia, using community outreach and health workers to support families and encourage people to abandon the practice. Another programme in Somalia, run by Save the Children, focused on FGM and gender-based violence.

Activists say progress can reverse quickly, especially in countries where services are fragile and women’s rights groups rely heavily on donor funding to provide support, push for legal protections, and hold authorities accountable. A UK government spokesperson said it remains committed to tackling FGM and will set out future funding allocations in the coming months.

Source: The Independent

8. Ethical porn report reveals top searches of 2025 📊

A new Ethical Porn Trends Report from female-led platform Ersties has revealed the top three most searched porn categories of 2025 on its site: anal, squirt, and threesomes.

The report argues the shift reflects growing interest in consent-led, boundary-explicit content, with performers discussing preparation, comfort, and pleasure, contrasting with more extreme or performative depictions elsewhere.

The data lands amid wider debates about online safety, age verification, and the normalisation of sexual practices, especially for young people.

Source: LADbible

Main image: Tracy Le Blanc