BMC Women's Health最新文献

{"title":"Clinical outcomes of pelvic floor muscle training, electrical stimulation, and magnetic stimulation in women with postpartum stress urinary incontinence: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Yanwen Qi, Cheng Sun, Lizhou Luo, Chengyuan Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04482-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04482-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Postpartum stress urinary incontinence (PSUI) commonly impairs quality of life in postpartum women. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), as a primary foundational treatment, faces challenges such as inadequate adherence and significant individual differences in efficacy. Electrical stimulation (ES) and magnetic stimulation (MS), as passive pelvic floor rehabilitation techniques, are often used in conjunction with PFMT in clinical settings. However, there is a lack of systematic retrospective cohort study evidence comparing the efficacy, safety, and adherence of these three methods.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Compare the effects of the three intervention strategies: PFMT, PFMT combined with ES, and PFMT combined with MS, on the recovery of pelvic floor function and the improvement of clinical symptoms in patients with PSUI.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study enrolled patients with PSUI who received systematic treatment at our hospital's plastic surgery department between June 2020 and June 2025. Patients were divided based on their treatment regimens: PF (receiving PFMT guidance), ES (receiving PFMT combined with outpatient ES therapy), and MS (receiving PFMT combined with outpatient MS therapy). A total of 102 patients (n = 34) were ultimately included. All patients received a 12-week course of systematic rehabilitation treatment. Primary indicators were objective measures: the amount of urine leakage during a 1-hour pad test, pelvic floor muscle strength (modified Oxford grading), and urodynamic parameters (maximum urethral closure pressure [MUCP], abdominal pressure leak point pressure [LPP]). Secondary indicators included the overall clinical response rate, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) scores, Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL) scores, and the incidence of adverse events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Baseline characteristics were balanced among the three groups (P > 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, the urine leakage volume in all three groups decreased compared to the baseline (P < 0.001). Specifically, the urine leakage volume after MS and ES treatments was lower than after PF treatment (P < 0.01). In terms of pelvic floor muscle strength, both MS and ES treatments resulted in higher Oxford grades compared to PF (P < 0.001). Regarding urodynamic parameters, both MS and ES treatments showed higher MUCP and LPP values than PF (P < 0.001) with MS higher than ES (P < 0.05). In terms of clinical overall effectiveness, PF had a rate of 73.5% (25/34), ES had a rate of 91.2% (31/34), and MS had a rate of 94.1% (32/34). Both ES and MS had higher rates compared to PF (P < 0.05). Both MS and ES showed lower ICIQ-SF scores (P < 0.01) and higher I-QOL scores (P < 0.001) than PF. Moreover, MS had higher I-QOL scores than ES (P = 0.008).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this non-randomized study, PFMT combined with ES or M","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of short-term resistance training plus whole-body neuromuscular electrical stimulation on blood cardiometabolic biomarkers in sedentary middle-aged women: a parallel-group, randomized trial.","authors":"Paulo Vitor Suto Aizava, Vitor de Salles Painelli, Leonardo de Paula Silva, Enzo Berbery Orlandi, Audrei Pavanello, Alexandre Marin Hernandez Cosialls, Kléber Elói Gomes Barbão, Pablo Valdés-Badilla, Braulio Henrique Magnani Branco","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04465-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04465-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Middle-aged women are disproportionately affected by cardiometabolic deterioration during the menopausal transition. Resistance training (RT) is an established countermeasure, and whole-body neuromuscular electrical stimulation (WB-NMES) may enhance its physiological effects. However, whether short-term RT combined with WB-NMES further improves blood cardiometabolic biomarkers in this population remains unknown.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this parallel-group, randomized trial, 23 sedentary middle-aged women (47 ± 6 y, 86.3 ± 15.7 kg, 1.61 ± 0.06 m, 33.2 ± 6.0 kg∙m²) were allocated to six weeks of RT combined with WB-NMES (RT + WB-NMES; n = 11) or RT alone (RT; n = 12), performing two supervised sessions per week. Primary outcomes were blood biomarkers related to cardiometabolic risk (total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, VLDL-c, triglycerides, fasting glucose, liver enzymes, and C-reactive protein). Secondary outcomes comprised anthropometric measures, body composition, and physical fitness.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant Group × Time interaction was identified for any blood biomarker. A significant main effect of Time was observed for LDL-c (P = 0.002) and total cholesterol (P = 0.001), with post-hoc analyses revealing significant within-group reductions exclusively in the RT + WB-NMES group (LDL-c: P = 0.041, ES = - 1.13; total cholesterol: P = 0.026, ES = - 0.91). No significant Group × Time interaction was found for any anthropometric, body composition, or most physical fitness variables. Lumbar traction strength improved significantly within the RT + WB-NMES group (P = 0.029, ES = 0.99) but not in RT alone (P = 0.569, ES = 0.53).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Six weeks of RT combined with WB-NMES accelerated reductions in LDL-c and total cholesterol in sedentary middle-aged women, although statistical superiority over RT alone was not demonstrated. These preliminary findings support the cardiometabolic relevance of short-term RT + WB-NMES, though larger trials are required.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>U111113186998 https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR6zx5zcz. Registered on 10/09/2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BMI-dependent association between mammographic breast density and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women using automated density assessment.","authors":"Hong-Seon Lee, Seung-Hyun Song, Chaeri Park, Sungjun Kim, Young Hoon Youn, Ji Hyun Youk","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04513-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04513-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To evaluate the association between automatically measured mammographic breast density (MBD) and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and determine whether this relationship differs across body mass index (BMI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cross-sectional study included 7,143 postmenopausal women who underwent both digital mammography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). MBD (%) was automatically quantified using the Laboratory for Individualized Breast Radiodensity Assessment (LIBRA). Osteoporosis was defined as a DXA T-score ≤ -2.5. BMI-dependent associations were evaluated using logistic regression with a BMI×MBD interaction (continuous model) and prespecified categorical analyses (median split). Discrimination (AUC) was compared between models with and without MBD.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Osteoporosis was present in 12.8% (912/7143) of participants. In the continuous interaction model including age, BMI, MBD, and a BMI×MBD interaction, the BMI×MBD interaction was significant (P = 0.007). The estimated odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis per 1% higher MBD was 0.989 (95% CI 0.981-0.997) at BMI 20, 0.976 (95% CI 0.964-0.989) at BMI 25, and 0.963 (95% CI 0.943-0.984) at BMI 30. In a prespecified median split (MBD < 25.3% vs. ≥ 25.3%), the absolute risk difference was larger in women with BMI ≥ 25 (9.28% vs. 4.59%). Adding MBD to an age + BMI model minimally changed AUC (0.682 to 0.684).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Higher automated mammographic breast density was associated with lower odds of osteoporosis, and this inverse association was stronger at higher BMI. Although mammographic breast density added little incremental discrimination beyond age and BMI, these findings may provide biologically and epidemiologically relevant insight but do not support clinical decision-making based on mammographic breast density alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A repeated cross-sectional analysis of routine leucorrhea test results in women from Jianyang City, Western China (2022-2024) and exploration of the significance of health screening.","authors":"Tingyin Zhang, Hongping Zhang, Yunshun Wei, Dong Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04520-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04520-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine temporal trends in routine leucorrhea test results and associated pathogen findings among women participating in sustained cervical and breast cancer screening programs in a county-level city of western China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this repeated cross-sectional screening study, routine leucorrhea test data were collected from women aged 35-64 years who participated in cervical and breast cancer screenings in Jianyang City, Sichuan Province, between January 2022 and December 2024 (12,156 cases in 2022, 13,824 cases in 2023, and 11,382 cases in 2024). Participants were stratified by age and region. Vaginal cleanliness and pathogens were assessed using the normal saline wet mount method. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0, including trend analysis, linear regression, and stratified analyses to examine age-region interaction effects.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over the three-year period, the abnormal rate of routine leucorrhea tests (Grade III-IV) decreased from 34.21% to 30.00%, corresponding to an annual reduction of 6.5% (P < 0.001). Infection rates of Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis, and clue cell positivity declined concurrently. The 51-55 age group had the highest baseline abnormal rate but showed the most pronounced decrease (5.40% points). Stratified analysis indicated that township perimenopausal women (51-55 years) experienced the steepest improvement (7.2% points) compared with urban counterparts (3.8% points, P < 0.01). The urban-rural gap narrowed by 3.90% points (P < 0.001). Following the 2023 township healthcare initiative, township abnormal rates declined more steeply than the pre-intervention trend would have predicted (difference of 3.10% points); given the cross-sectional design, this difference should be interpreted as a temporal association rather than causal attribution.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Participation in a sustained, population-based screening program was temporally associated with a declining trend in abnormal leucorrhea findings among women aged 35-64 years in this county-level city of western China. Based on a preliminary linear trend estimate derived from three annual data points, the abnormal rate may decrease to approximately 26% by 2026 if current intervention intensity is maintained; this projection should be interpreted with caution given the limited time series. Because this is a repeated cross-sectional analysis, causal inference is not warranted. Targeted interventions for perimenopausal women and residents of township areas should be reinforced to optimize gynecological health services in western China.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of gallic acid on cyclophosphamide-induced experimental ovarian injury in rats.","authors":"Elif Koyun Alvuroğlu, Derya Öztürk Okatan, Elif Şahin, Ahmet Alver","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04516-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04516-w","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The potential harmful effects of cancer treatments on reproductive function have now been clearly recognized. Exposure to chemotherapy is considered a risk factor for premature ovarian failure and causes infertility. This study investigated the prophylactic effects of gallic acid (GA) against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced ovarian damage in rats.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Thirty-two adult female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into four groups (control, CP, GA, and CP + GA). No procedure was applied to the control group. The CP group received 150 mg/kg CP via the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route on day 7 of the experiment. The GA group received 20 mg/kg GA daily for seven days from day 1 of the experiment via oral gavage. The CP + GA received 20 mg/kg GA daily for seven days from day 1 of the experiment via oral gavage and 150 mg/kg i.p. CA on day 7 of the experiment. All rats were sacrificed on day 8. Sections taken from the ovaries were stained using hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, Periodic Acid-Schiff, and the TUNEL method. Histopathological examination of ovarian tissues and follicle counting were performed. Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), tissue anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), and serum AMH levels were examined during biochemical investigation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Follicular cell degeneration increased significantly in the CP group compared to the control and GA groups (p &lt; 0.001 for both). Follicular cell degeneration in the CP + GA group was significantly lower than in the CP group (p = 0.003), but higher than in the control and GA groups (p = 0.005, p = 0.015 and p = 0.029, respectively). The GA and control groups exhibited similar morphologies. The apoptotic index was higher in the CP group than in the control and CP + GA groups (p = 0.032 and p = 0.032, respectively). Primordial follıcle cell numbers decreased significantly in the CP group compared to the control and CP + GA groups (p = 0.015 and p = 0.029, respectively). Unilaminar primary follicle cell numbers were lower and atretic cell numbers were higher in the CP group than in the control and GA groups (p &lt; 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The numbers of unilaminar primary follicles were lower in the CP + GA group than in the control group (p = 0.009), while atretic follicle numbers were higher than in the control and GA groups (p &lt; 0.001 for both). Atretic follicle numbers were also higher in the CP + GA group than in the control and GA (p = 0.009 and p = 0.008, respectively). MDA levels were higher in the CP than in the control and GA groups (p = 0,003 and p = 0.001, respectively). MDA levels in the CP + GA decreased compared to the CP group (p = 0.002). SOD activity decreased in the CP group compared to the control, CP + GA, and GA groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.006 and p = 0.038, respectively). Tissue CAT activity was lower in the CP group than in the cont","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived quality of care of medical abortions in the public health system in Catalonia (Spain).","authors":"Encarnación López-Gimeno, Gemma Falguera Puig, Cristina Martínez Bueno, Rosa García-Sierra, Ma Mercedes Vicente-Hernández, Josep Grau Galtés, Rosa M Cabedo-Ferreiro","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04495-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04495-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In Spain, induced abortions are covered by the public health system. In the region of Catalonia, under the scope of Primary Care, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Units (ASSIR) attend to women who choose to have a medical abortion (MA) up to 9.6 weeks of gestation.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To determine the perception of the quality of care received by women who have undergone a MA in the ASSIR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Multicentre cross-sectional study, in collaboration with all of Catalonia's ASSIR units. At the follow-up visit after the MA, the women completed the SERVPERF (SERVice-PERFormance) Perceived Quality Satisfaction Scale, validated in Spanish, to evaluate the quality of care received in the dimensions of health professionals, administrative staff, organization, information, clinical aspects, impact of the process, and satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eight hundred and five (86.6%) women completed the SERVPERF MA questionnaire. The mean total SERVPERF score of participants' assessment of care was 96.68 (SD 15.6), with a maximum possible score of 130. The mean score per question across the entire scale was 3.72 (SD 0.6), with a maximum score of 5. The questions with the lowest scores were related to clinical aspects (pain, anxiety, bleeding), with a mean of 2.26 (SD 0.8), and the impact of the process (on life and family relationships), with a mean of 3.25 (SD 1). In contrast, satisfaction (I would use the service again or recommend it to a friend) obtained the highest mean score: 4.47 (0.8). Women who had previously had an abortion reported higher perceived quality (M = 98.54, SD = 14.52) than women without past abortions (M = 95.67, SD = 16.21), p = 0.013.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The overall satisfaction score falls within a favourable range. The clinical aspects of pain, anxiety, and bleeding scored the lowest but did not correlate with a decrease in user satisfaction; participants would return to the center and recommend it to others.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depressive symptoms and associated factors among women preparing for pregnancy: a population-based study from the Seoul metropolitan preconception health management program.","authors":"Hyun Joo Lee, Whan Shin, Jung Yeol Han, Han Zo Choi, Jongkyeong Kang, Sook-Young Woo","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04506-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04506-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period have been extensively studied; however, evidence regarding mental health in the preconception period remains limited. Women preparing for pregnancy undergo physiological changes, lifestyle adjustments, and psychosocial transitions, and emotional vulnerability may be heightened by reproductive stressors, including infertility. Nevertheless, population-based studies examining depressive symptoms and their associated lifestyle and reproductive factors during the preconception period remain scarce.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 14,004 women aged 20-45 years who participated in the Seoul Metropolitan Preconception Health Management Program between 2019 and 2021. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Korean-validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale (HADS-D), with scores ≥ 11 indicating elevated risk. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, nutritional, menstrual, and reproductive factors were assessed. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with depressive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the participants, 1,102 women (8.5%) exhibited elevated depressive symptoms. In a multivariable logistic regression model, depressive symptoms were independently associated with current smoking, passive smoking exposure, insomnia, binge eating, irregular menstruation, severe dysmenorrhea, infertility history, and previous pregnancy. Insomnia, binge eating, current smoking, and severe dysmenorrhea were each associated with more than twofold higher odds of depressive symptoms. In contrast, regular physical activity showed a clear dose-response association, with increasing physical activity level associated with progressively lower odds of depressive symptoms, whereas greater dysmenorrhea severity was associated with progressively higher proportions screening positive for depressive symptoms. Folic acid supplementation was also independently associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Depressive symptoms were relatively common among women preparing for pregnancy and were closely associated with modifiable lifestyle factors, including smoking, sleep problems, and eating behaviors, as well as reproductive-related factors such as dysmenorrhea and infertility. These findings underscore the need to integrate systematic mental health screening and targeted lifestyle and reproductive health interventions into routine preconception and infertility care to improve women's psychological well-being and support healthier future pregnancies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of copper and oxidative stress levels in oral contraceptive users.","authors":"Hacer Serin Gurel, Cem Dogan, Kübra Bozali, Memet Taskin Egici, Eray Metin Guler, Fisun Vural, Akin Dayan","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04519-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04519-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress parameters [total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), thiol/disulfide homeostasis, ischemia-modified albumin (IMA)] and serum copper levels in women who use oral contraceptives (OCs) compared to those who do not.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center, prospective case-control study included a total of 154 women aged 18 to 45 years (72 OC users and 82 non-users) who presented to the gynecology outpatient clinic of a tertiary care training and research hospital. After obtaining written informed consent, demographic data and information regarding OC use were collected. Venous blood samples were drawn and serum samples were stored at -80 °C until analysis. Serum levels of TOS, TAS, total thiol, native thiol, disulfide, IMA and copper were measured. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In OC users, serum levels of copper, TOS, oxidative stress index (OSI), disulfide and IMA were significantly elevated, whereas TAS and native thiol levels were significantly reduced compared to non-users (p < 0.05). Serum copper levels showed a positive correlation with oxidative stress markers and a negative correlation with antioxidant capacity indicators.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>OC use is associated with increased serum copper levels, which in turn have a significant impact on oxidative stress biomarkers. These findings suggest that OC use elevates systemic oxidative stress while compromising antioxidant defense mechanisms. Moreover, elevated copper levels may independently contribute to oxidative stress regardless of OC use.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Women veterans' experiences of veteran-specific support services: an international scoping review.","authors":"Lauren Godier-McBard, Claire Hooks, Ellie Buxton, Louise Morgan, Abigail Adams, Matt Fossey","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04512-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04512-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The growing proportion of women in veteran communities internationally highlights a rising need for veteran support services tailored to their unique experiences. Despite this, support services remain predominantly designed for men, leading to underutilization and dissatisfaction among women veterans. This scoping review aimed to provide a comprehensive international review of the current state of knowledge regarding the experiences of women veterans in accessing and engaging with veteran-specific support services.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Five databases were searched for papers published from 2000 onwards. Studies reporting on barriers and/or facilitators to access and experiences of engaging with veteran-specific support services reported by women veterans were included. There were no limitations on study methodology or country of origin, and all publications reporting primary research were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 117 studies were included in the review. This research originated predominantly from the US (n = 109), with seven UK papers, and one Canadian. Eleven themes were identified across the literature, highlighting gendered barriers and facilitators of accessing veteran-specific support for women. Women veterans report feelings of discomfort, exclusion, and discrimination within veteran services, which are perceived as being set up and designed for men. Women report experiencing stigma in help-seeking compounded by a perception of feminine weakness experienced during military service. Some women didn't want to access services they saw as military-adjacent, due to gendered adverse experiences during military service, including discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence. A lack of identification with the term 'veteran' further hinders women's engagement with veteran-specific services. Enablers of access include care that is sensitive to women's needs, trauma-informed service user-provider relationships, and peer support.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The reviewed evidence suggests women experience unique challenges and needs in accessing veteran-specific services. Support services should focus on developing care that is, culturally competent, trauma-informed and sensitive to the needs of women, to address gendered barriers to engagement. More research is needed to confirm these research findings outside of the US context, and incorporating an intersectional lens in future research will be essential for improving the support systems for women veterans internationally.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147811290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single-port laparoscopic lateral suspension with total versus subtotal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse: a prospective comparative study.","authors":"Hong-Mei Wu, Ning Xu, Yuan-Hong Li, Zhi-Gui Luo, Rui Xiong, Min Li, Meng-Xi Li","doi":"10.1186/s12905-026-04515-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04515-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Laparoscopic lateral suspension (LLS) is an effective mesh-based repair for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), but the optimal concomitant hysterectomy strategy - total (TH) versus subtotal (STH) - remains undefined. We compared anatomic outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and complication profiles of LLS combined with TH (LLSHR) versus LLS combined with STH (LLSHE) in a prospective cohort of women who made an informed choice between the two procedures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective comparative study conducted at Chengdu Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital between October 2021 and October 2024, 82 women with symptomatic POP-Q stage II or III uterovaginal prolapse were counseled regarding both hysterectomy options and self-selected into the LLSHR group (n = 41) or the LLSHE group (n = 41). The study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB 2021.XJS.019) and retrospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2600118158). Primary outcomes were POP-Q point C and PISQ-12 score at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included POP-Q points Ba and Bp, PFDI-20, PFIQ-7, operative parameters, and mesh-related complications through 24 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All 82 participants completed surgery as planned. At 12 months, point C was significantly more negative in the LLSHE group than in the LLSHR group (- 5.1 ± 0.5 cm vs. -4.5 ± 0.6 cm; P < 0.001), indicating superior apical support with cervical preservation. The PISQ-12 score at 12 months was significantly higher (better) in the LLSHE group (37.5 [IQR 33.0-42.5] vs. 31.0 [27.0-34.0]; P < 0.001). PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 improved substantially in both groups with no between-group difference at any time point (all P > 0.05). At 24 months, point C remained significantly more negative in the LLSHE group (- 4.8 ± 0.5 vs. -4.4 ± 0.6; P = 0.004), and the PISQ-12 advantage of LLSHE persisted (37.0 [34.0-43.0] vs. 31.5 [26.8-39.0]; P = 0.005). Mesh exposure was observed in 3 patients (9.4%) in the LLSHR group and none in the LLSHE group (P = 0.226). Operative time was significantly shorter in the LLSHE group (149.0 [143.0-165.0] min vs. 171.0 [150.0-186.0] min; P = 0.002).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In women undergoing LLS for POP, STH was associated with superior apical support and better sexual function at both 12 and 24 months, with shorter operative time and a numerically lower rate of mesh exposure compared with TH. Given the non-randomized design, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Prospective randomized trials are warranted to confirm these associations.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ChiCTR2600118158; registered February 2, 2026, retrospectively registered.</p>","PeriodicalId":9204,"journal":{"name":"BMC Women's Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147811227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}