Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

08/04/2026

This study explored menstrual pain among 24 adolescent girls and five school staff in Bali, Indonesia, using group discussions, interviews, diaries, and observations conducted over seven months, with data analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. The study found that menstrual pain was unfamiliar and disruptive, creating both physical discomfort and social challenges, with tensions between girls’ lived experiences and social expectations shaping how they endured pain while also seeking and receiving care.

✍️ Heather Suttor, Kadek Putri Yamayanti, Julie Hennegan, Ni Luh Eka Purni Astiti, Tungga Dewi, Ansariadi Ansariadi & Richard D. Chenhall

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2687616
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

08/03/2026

The Cancer LGBTIQ+ Inclusivity Toolkit is now live on eviQ Education.

Developed by the Out with Cancer Study team at Western Sydney University, in collaboration with the McGrath Foundation and Breast Cancer Trials, the Toolkit equips healthcare professionals to deliver inclusive, affirming and culturally safe care to LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer.

The training draws on the perspectives of 561 LGBTIQ+ people with cancer and their carers, along with 357 healthcare professionals. Four self-paced modules cover understanding inequity in cancer care, creating safe and inclusive environments, and the unique care needs of LGBTIQ+ people during treatment and survivorship.

The Toolkit was recognised with a Platinum Award for Best eLearning Project (Healthcare) at the 2025 LearnX Awards, and is freely available to all health professionals working in cancer care.

Access it here: https://education.eviq.org.au/courses/cancer-lgbtiq-inclusivity-toolkit

Designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to deliver inclusive, affirming and culturally safe care to LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer. This Toolkit will help healthcare professionals to address the unique and often unmet needs of these communities. 

08/01/2026

To examine sexual and reproductive health self-care interventions in Ghana, this scoping review searched six databases and yielded 30 eligible studies published up to 2023. Analysed using the RE-AIM framework, the review found that interventions were adaptable and effective across seven SRHR domains, particularly maternal and child health, but most studies did not assess all RE-AIM dimensions. Findings highlight the need for greater coordination, investment, and integration of self-care approaches.

✍️ Kwasi Adu Manu, Francine Schneider, Charles Ampong Adjei & Sarah E. Stutterheim

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2663176
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

07/28/2026

This cross-sectional survey of 389 employed Australians with self-reported endometriosis uses the EndoCost-adapted WPAI tool to examine associations between symptoms, workplace supports, absenteeism, and presenteeism.

Chronic pelvic pain, nausea, fatigue, and opioid use were associated with greater work impairment, while workplace flexibility and supportive managers were linked to better outcomes. Older age, however, was the strongest independent predictor of lower absenteeism and presenteeism. Findings highlight the substantial workplace impact of endometriosis, particularly for younger employees.

✍️ Danielle Howe, Michelle O’Shea, Sarah Duffy, Allie Eathorne & Mike Armour

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2684993
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

07/24/2026

Using reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with married women, married men, health providers, and community leaders, this study examines how moral expectations, marital authority, and service interactions shape women’s contraceptive choices in Lagos State, Nigeria. Findings reveal that while attitudes towards birth spacing were positive, women’s autonomy was constrained by entrenched marital norms of obedience, trust, and religious expectations, often leading to covert contraceptive use or deference to husbands. Healthcare providers frequently facilitated this discreet access to contraception, highlighting women’s conditional autonomy and the need for rights-based, multi-level interventions.

✍️ Omotayo Adewale Haruna-Ogun, Daniel Marciniak & Bev Orton

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2684985
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

-making

07/22/2026

The qualitative study is based a content analysis of interviews with 13 Spanish disabled women, in order to identify the barriers and facilitators to disabled motherhood projects in Spain and illustrate the forms of access work undertaken in accessing disabled motherhood. The findings emphasize a need to include physical, communicative, and attitudinal barriers, as well as key facilitators to motherhood, through a social-relational model of disability. This study highlights the need for healthcare institutions to adopt critical disability studies perspectives that address psycho-emotional disablism and the access work.

✍️ Laura Sanmiquel-Molinero, Joan Pujol-Tarrés & Marisela Montenegro

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2684990
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

07/21/2026

I am pleased to share the latest metrics for Women's Reproductive Health.
The 2025 Journal Impact Factor is 1.6 (Journal Citation Reports® Clarivate Analytics, 2026).
The 2025 Scopus data are as follows:
CiteScore: 2
CiteScore Best Quartile: Q2
Source Normalised Impact per Paper (SNIP): 0.752
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): 0.459
Thank you to everyone who has published or reviewed for the journal, and to the Editorial Board and Associate Editors.
Jane

07/20/2026

Now published: Out with Cancer: LGBTQI Cancer Survivorship and Care (Routledge)

LGBTIQ+ people remain largely invisible in cancer research and care. This new book, edited by Jane M. Ussher, Janette Perz, Rosalie Power and Kimberley Allison, draws on two of the largest mixed-methods studies in the field, with data from more than 900 LGBTIQ+ patients and carers.

The findings show higher rates of distress, discrimination and barriers to care than in the general cancer population. Chapters examine sexuality and intimacy after cancer, fertility and reproductive justice, trans embodiment, intersex bodies and medical regulation, young adults, carers, and what happens when patients disclose their identity to clinicians. Alongside this, the book identifies what protects people: chosen family, affirming care, and community.

It closes with practical recommendations for oncology education, policy and practice, written for clinicians, researchers, educators, policy makers and advocates.

Order here: https://www.routledge.com/Out-with-Cancer-LGBTQI-Cancer-Survivorship-and-Care/Ussher-Perz-Power-Allison/p/book/9781032483054

07/14/2026

This meta-ethnography synthesized findings from 30 qualitative studies on patient and primary care practitioner perspectives to better understand consultation dynamics for menstrual problems (menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, and other gynecological conditions like endometriosis). Findings revealed complex shared concepts between patients and practitioners, including tensions around expectations, roles and knowledge sharing, as well as varying attitudes and discussions about menstrual problems. To enable more effective primary care in menstrual problem consultations, the study emphasizes the need to empower patients and practitioners to improve communications in these areas.

✍️ Katie Read, Rachel Dewar-Haggart, Hazel Everitt, Leanne Morrison, Sarah Harris & Felicity L. Bishop

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2680002 . .
Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/

07/10/2026

This qualitative study explored perceptions of abortion, the factors influencing induced abortion decisions, and the experienced and perceived consequences among university students and staff in Tanzania. 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, with data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Participants described abortion as morally wrong and highly stigmatized, while also recognizing it as a response to financial insecurity, unstable relationships, and concerns about education. Abortion was associated with psychological distress, moral pain, stigma and social isolation, highlighting the need for post-abortion care that prioritises psychosocial and counselling support.

✍️ Devotha Adolph Meena, Cynthia Khamala Wangamati, Michael Felician Lyakurwa & Shija Kevin Kuhumba

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2674856
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Women’s Reproductive Health is the official journal of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Join the Society to receive free access to the journal: https://www.menstruationresearch.org/