Sexual Health News

August 3, 2025

Top Headlines

This Vaccine Uses Dental Floss Instead of Needles

Aug. 3, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that flossing between your teeth could one day help vaccinate you. By targeting a uniquely permeable gum tissue called the junctional epithelium, this new method stimulates immunity right where many infections enter: the ...

A Deadly Virus No One Talks About — and the HIV Drugs That Might Stop It

July 24, 2025 — HIV antivirals may be the key to stopping HTLV-1, a deadly virus with no cure. In a decade-long study, researchers successfully suppressed the virus in mice and discovered a way to kill infected cells, offering hope for the first preventative and ...

One Pregnancy Shot Slashes Baby RSV Hospitalizations by 72% — and Shields for Months

July 21, 2025 — A new UK study shows that vaccinating pregnant women against RSV has led to a staggering 72% drop in hospitalizations of newborns with severe lung infections. By passing virus-fighting antibodies to ...

Three-Person DNA IVF Stops Inherited Disease—eight Healthy Babies Born in UK First

July 18, 2025 — In a groundbreaking UK first, eight healthy babies have been born using an IVF technique that includes DNA from three people—two parents and a female donor. The process, known as pronuclear ...

Not Just Hot Flashes: The Hidden Depression Crisis in Early Menopause

July 17, 2025 — Premature menopause isn t just a hormonal issue it s a deeply emotional one for many women. A new study reveals that almost 30% experience depression, and it s not just about hormone loss but also grief, identity, and support ...

Not Just Diabetes: How Slightly High Blood Sugar Wrecks Men’s Sexual Health

July 13, 2025 — Aging men aren't just battling time—they're up against rising blood sugar. New research reveals that subtle increases in metabolic markers like glucose have more influence on declining sexual ...

This Virus Infects Millions—and We Just Discovered Its Secret Weapon

June 30, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a stealthy mechanism that cytomegalovirus (CMV)—the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S.—uses to infiltrate blood vessel cells while evading immune detection. The virus forms a hidden protein complex ...

The Pleasure Prescription: Why More Sex Means Less Menopause Pain

June 25, 2025 — Keeping sex on the schedule may be its own menopause medicine: among 900 women aged 40-79, those active in the last three months reported far less dryness, pain, and irritation, while orgasm and overall satisfaction stayed rock-solid despite dips in ...

HIV Is Surging in Over-50s—But Campaigns Still Target the Young

June 21, 2025 — HIV is surging among adults over 50 in sub-Saharan Africa, yet prevention and treatment campaigns still focus mainly on the young. New research reveals older adults face comparable or higher infection rates but remain largely invisible in HIV ...

One Shot to Stop HIV: MIT's Bold Vaccine Breakthrough

June 20, 2025 — Researchers from MIT and Scripps have unveiled a promising new HIV vaccine approach that generates a powerful immune response with just one dose. By combining two immune-boosting adjuvants alum and SMNP the vaccine lingers in lymph nodes for nearly ...

HIV Discovery Could Open Door to Long-Sought Cure

May 30, 2025 — New HIV research shows that small changes in the virus affect how quickly or slowly it replicates and how easily it can reawaken in the body. These insights bring researchers closer to finding ways to flush out the dormant virus and eliminate it for ...

HIV Vaccine Study Uncovers Powerful New Antibody Target

May 29, 2025 — In the long battle to create an effective HIV vaccine, scientists have made a major leap forward. A new study shows that a series of vaccines can coax the immune system to produce powerful antibodies capable of blocking a wide range of HIV strains ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:18pm EDT

Southeast Asia Could Prevent Up to 36,000 Ozone-Related Early Deaths a Year by 2050 With Stricter Air Pollution Controls

May 24, 2025 — A study has found that implementing robust air pollution control measures could mean Southeast Asian countries prevent as many as 36,000 ...

New Method Paves Way for Fewer Severe Birth Injuries

May 22, 2025 — High birth weight is the main risk factor for birth injuries to the anal sphincter muscles of the person giving birth, according to a new study. This new method for predicting the risks could improve ...

New Blood Test Shows Superior Sensitivity in Detecting HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancers

May 20, 2025 — Head and neck cancer researchers are reporting the development and testing of HPV-DeepSeek, a novel liquid biopsy assay. In their new study, ...

Two HIV Vaccine Trials Show Proof of Concept for Pathway to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

May 16, 2025 — A decades-long scientific challenge in HIV vaccine development has been finding a way to train the immune system to produce antibodies that can ...

Particles Carrying Multiple Vaccine Doses Could Reduce the Need for Follow-Up Shots

May 16, 2025 — New polymer microparticles can be used to deliver vaccines at different times. The work could lead to childhood vaccines given just once, eliminating ...

Postpartum Depression and Bonding: Long-Term Effects on School-Age Children

May 14, 2025 — Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact ...

'Loop'hole: HIV-1 Hijacks Human Immune Cells Using Circular RNAs

May 13, 2025 — Researchers have identified a never-before-seen mechanism that enables HIV-1 to evade the body's natural defenses and use it to support its survival and replication. The 'loophole' is a biological ...

Discovery Opens Up for New Ways to Treat Chlamydia

May 8, 2025 — Researchers have discovered a type of molecule that can kill chlamydia bacteria but spare bacteria that are important for health. The discovery opens the door for further research towards developing ...

Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a Smallpox Vaccine for Preventing Mpox

May 8, 2025 — The recent global monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, with a new and aggressive variant, has underscored the dire need for safe, broadly effective, and ...

Vaccines of the Future: Harnessing the Immune System for Long-Lasting Protection

May 8, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered a promising new way to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by tapping into the potential of a specific type of immune ...

Teens Driving Older Vehicles Have Increased Risk for Fatal Crashes

May 7, 2025 — Researchers reviewed US national fatal crash data (2016-2021) and examined the vehicle age and driver assistance technologies of vehicles driven by teen and middle-aged drivers, and their ...

Shingles Vaccine Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease for Up to Eight Years

May 5, 2025 — People who are given a vaccine for shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease, according to a recent study of more than a ...

Simple Consultations in Emergency Room Can Help Patients Manage High Blood Pressure

Apr. 24, 2025 — A simple consultation during unrelated visits to the emergency room can help patients with high blood pressure -- 'the silent killer' -- manage the condition, even before they experience ...

Newborns Living Near Trees Tend to Be Healthier: New Data Suggests It's Not Because Healthier People Reside Near Parks

Apr. 23, 2025 — The link between proximity to greenspace -- including trees and parks-- and healthy birth outcomes is well established. Now new data adds to our understanding of these health benefits, accounting for ...

Experimental Bird Flu Vaccine Excels in Animal Models

Apr. 17, 2025 — A vaccine under development has demonstrated complete protection in mice against a deadly variant of the virus that causes bird flu. The work focuses on the H5N1 variant known as 2.3.4.4b, which has ...

Nasal Spray H5N1 Avian Influenza Vaccine Developed

Apr. 8, 2025 — Scientists have pioneered an influenza virus vector-based nasal spray vaccine platform and developed a nasal spray H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, this platform ...

Parents' Metabolic Traits Can Affect the Child's Health Over Time

Apr. 8, 2025 — Research shows that the biological parents' genes affect the child's insulin function and capacity to regulate blood sugar levels and blood lipids in different ways. Such knowledge may be ...

Viral 'Backbone' Underlies Variation in Rotavirus Vaccine Effectiveness

Apr. 8, 2025 — Researchers have shown that differences in the entire rotavirus genome -- not just its two surface proteins -- affect how well vaccines work, helping to explain why some strains are more likely to ...

An Antiviral Chewing Gum to Reduce Influenza and Herpes Simplex Virus Transmission

Apr. 4, 2025 — Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach to reduce viral transmission. Researchers have now used a clinical-grade antiviral ...

Molecular Stool Test Could Improve Detection of Tuberculosis in Adults With HIV

Apr. 4, 2025 — The Xpert MTB/Ultra molecular diagnostic test for stool samples, until now recommended only for children, could be established as an additional test for diagnosing tuberculosis in adults living with ...

Novel Point-of-Care Technology Delivers Accurate HIV Results in Minutes

Apr. 2, 2025 — The technology described uses a nanomechanical platform and tiny cantilevers to detect multiple HIV antigens at high sensitivity in a matter of minutes. These silicon cantilevers are cheap and easy ...

Study Strengthens Link Between Shingles Vaccine and Lower Dementia Risk

Apr. 2, 2025 — A new analysis of a vaccination program in Wales found that the shingles vaccine appeared to lower new dementia diagnoses by 20% -- more than any other known ...

Researchers Develop New DNA Test for Personalized Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis

Mar. 28, 2025 — Roughly one out of three women ages 14-49 in the United States develop a vaginal bacterial imbalance known as bacterial vaginosis (BV) during their lifetime. BV is characterized by unpleasant odors, ...

Growing Body of Evidence Links HPV With Heart Disease

Mar. 25, 2025 — In addition to causing several types of cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) appears to bring a significantly increased risk of heart disease and coronary artery disease, according to a new ...

New Non-Surgical Contraceptive Implant Is Delivered Through Tiny Needles

Mar. 24, 2025 — Investigators have developed a long-acting contraceptive implant that can be delivered through tiny needles to minimize patient discomfort and increase the likelihood of medication use. Their ...

Engineers Develop a Better Way to Deliver Long-Lasting Drugs

Mar. 24, 2025 — Engineers devised a way to deliver drugs such as contraceptives by injecting them as suspended crystals. Once under the skin, the crystals assemble into a drug depot that can last for months or ...

How a Y Chromosome Gene May Shape the Course of Heart Valve Disease

Mar. 20, 2025 — Researchers have shed new light on how a type of heart valve disease -- aortic valve stenosis -- progresses differently in males and ...

New Data on Mpox Vaccine Effectiveness

Mar. 19, 2025 — A study has found that a single dose of the Imvanex vaccine provides protection against Mpox with 84% effectiveness. For people with HIV, however, a single dose of the vaccine fails to offer ...

New Understanding of B Cell Mutation Strategies Could Have Implications for Vaccines

Mar. 19, 2025 — New study demonstrates how high-affinity B cells 'bank' their best traits instead of rolling the dice and risking deleterious mutations, with implications for better vaccine ...

Meningococcal Vaccine Found to Be Safe and Effective for Infants in Sub-Saharan Africa, Study Suggests

Mar. 12, 2025 — Researchers helped conduct an important new global health study that found a vaccine that protects against five strains of meningitis prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa is safe and effective for use in ...