We urgently need new approaches to identify endometriosis, experts have said, following NIH’s announcement of a US$3m prize competition to modernise the diagnosis of the disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering up to US$3m in cash prizes to accelerate the development of technologies to improve endometriosis diagnosis. The initiative, which seeks to shorten the time to diagnosis and eliminate the invasiveness of current techniques, has been applauded by women’s health...

The US healthcare system urgently needs to change, experts have warned after a damning report revealed that women’s health is in a “perilous” place. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund has found that growing inequalities across the US are putting women’s health “under threat”, causing higher cancer rates and preventable deaths. The report, which ranks states based on 32 indicators, ranging from insurance coverage to breast and cervical cancer to Covid-19, found that south-eastern states –...

Women’s health experts have called for action to remove the “unacceptable” barriers to digital health. Digital health technologies have been shown to improve women’s health and promote equity. A new WHO/Europe report has found that digital health tools are particularly useful in areas related to gynaecology, obstetrics, psychiatry and nutrition, improving access to healthcare services and empowering women to have more autonomy. However, experts have warned that barriers, such as digital...

Experts have called for more “robust” cybersecurity measures after a damning report revealed that femtech apps are “coercing” users into entering sensitive information that could put them at risk. New research has found that women’s health apps are exposing users to “unnecessary” privacy and safety risks through their poor data-handling practices The study, conducted by researchers from King’s College London and University College London (UCL), analysed 20 of the most popular female health...

Wellness trends are putting women’s lives at risk, experts have said, amid warnings that a growing number of young people are turning to social media for health advice. Inaccurate health information and hacks like the “period cancelling craze”, which encourages women to consume a combination of jelly powder, lemon juice and ibuprofen to reduce menstrual flow, have taken social media by storm. There has been an increase in content posted on TikTok and Instagram discussing the alleged dangers...