News | Womens health

News

Rise in prescriptions incorrectly claimed under HRT pre-payment scheme

Sertraline was the most common medication claimed for via the HRT prescription prepayment certificate, despite not being on the list of included medicines.…

Published: 14 August 2025

Letter

Assessing the suitability of antidepressant use during perimenopause

Perimenopause typically occurs during the decade leading up to menopause (with the average age of menopause in the UK being 51 years) and is associated with a range of physical and mental health symptoms. These symptoms are primarily caused by fluctuating hormone levels but are frequently misdiagnos…

Published: 8 August 2025

News

Immunotherapy plus chemotherapy approved for endometrial cancer

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda: Merck Sharp and Dohme) could benefit 2,100 people with advanced womb cancer.…

Published: 7 August 2025

News

Some women stop breastfeeding following ‘overly cautious’ medication advice

Authors of a review on how medication use affects breastfeeding found that many cases of medication-related breastfeeding discontinuation may be avoidable.…

Published: 4 August 2025

News

MHRA ‘shares concerns’ over failure to meet epilepsy drug prescribing target

Exclusive: Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, has echoed concerns about persistent sodium valproate prescribing raised by the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust.…

Published: 30 July 2025

News

Stronger regulatory oversight needed for self-testing kits, review concludes

Authors of the cross-sectional review found that nearly three-quarters of over-the-counter testing kits “did not progress or close care pathways”.…

Published: 24 July 2025

News

NICE approves expanded access to early breast cancer treatment

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that its updated guidance will make ribociclib available to a further 5,700 patients.…

Published: 17 July 2025

Letter

A call to improve communication of reproductive risks of long-term medications

I am writing to highlight a concern that often goes unaddressed in everyday clinical practice: the inconsistent communication between healthcare professionals and people of childbearing potential, regarding the reproductive risks associated with long-term medications. This concern has emerged follow…

Published: 10 July 2025

Feature

A quest for hope: is endometriosis finally being taken seriously?

Years of underfunding has left women with endometriosis facing long waits for answers, including delayed diagnoses and limited treatment options — but a focus on the disease offers renewed optimism.…

Published: 9 July 2025

News

MHRA urges women taking weight-loss drugs to use effective contraception

Guidance published by the medicines regulator has warned that patients trying to conceive should remain on contraception for a “wash-out” period after stopping GLP-1 receptor agonists.…

Published: 5 June 2025