The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health

Liz Spry and Raquel Catalao on long term outcomes after childhood sexual assault

Content warning: This conversation is about violence and childhood sexual assault and may be distressing for some listeners. If you or someone you know is affected by these issues, please visit https://findahelpline.com/ a global database of support lines associated with the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Globally, up to 1 in 5 women experience childhood sexual abuse. Liz Spry (Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia) and Raquel Catalao (King's College London, London, UK) join to discuss the findings of their multicohort study including data from two Australian and one New Zealand cohort. The work aimed to describe disparities in social and financial resources, mental health, and parenting in pregnancy and early parenthood in women reporting experience of childhood sexual abuse.
Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00177-3/abstract

Asma Khalil on Paracetamol During Pregnancy and the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Intellectual Disab...

Data suggest that 42-65% of women use paracetamol (also known as tylenol  and acetaminophen) during pregnancy; however, concerns linking the common pain killer to childhood development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disability were reported. Asma Khalil joins the podcast to discuss a recent systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on the highest quality trials that showed no link between use of paracetamol during pregnancy and development of ASD, ADHD, or intellectual disability. Click here to read the full article:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00211-0/fulltext

Pascale Allotey and Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent on International Women’s Day

Pascale Allotey (WHO) and Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent (International Confederation of Midwives) join Sonia, Sarah, and Ben in this special bonus episode dedicated to International Women's Day. In two in-depth interviews, Pascale and Jacqueline discuss their academic and clinical journeys, spotlight key advances in women's health from AI to HPV among many others, and highlight key works that their organisations are undertaking, including ChatHRP (https://chathrp.org/) and the One Million More Midwives initiative (https://millionmore.org/).Read our March Editorial at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(26)00055-5/fulltextDownload our International Women's Day infographic at https://www.thelancet.com/infographics-do/IWD2026

Alex Ridout on FemTech

From its origins in fertility medicine and wellness, the field of FemTech is rapidly evolving, with new innovations having the potential to drastically improve the health of women and girls in low-income and middle-income countries. However, barriers exist preventing the true potential of FemTech interventions to be realised. Alex Ridout (King's College London, London, UK) joins Ben to discuss the potential FemTech offers and the hurdles preventing its role out.   Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00125-6/fulltext

Bassel Wattar on acute heavy menstrual bleeding

Happy New Year! Sonia and Ben are in the studio to discuss the first issue of 2026, which includes and editorial on new WHO guidelines for the management of diabetes during pregnancy; insights on the sexual and reproductive health rights, original research on liver stiffness, and a viewpoint on the ever growing role of FemTech and the potential solutions it offers.In this episodes extended interview, Bassel Wattar joins Ben to discuss the BROWNIE study which looked to assess the number of women admitted to hospital for acute heavy menstrual bleeding and sought to understand the cost implications of the emergency management interventions. With more than 50 000 women in England and Wales seeking specialist treatment at secondary gynaecology services in the NHS for heavy menstrual bleeding. The BROWNIE study could offer some crucial insights into a growing silent crisis.Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00093-7/fulltext

John Newnham on the national prevention of preterm birth programme in Australia

It is our last episode of 2025! Sarah and Ben discuss the December issue which covers a plethora of topics including COP30 and the links between the climate emergency and women's health, the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, the care of pregnant and breastfeeding women in contact with the criminal legal system, and original research on ovarian and cervical cancer, the CRADLE-5 study, and an extended interview about the prevention of preterm birthWHO reported that an estimated 13.4 million babies were born preterm in 2020, with preterm birth one of the leading causes of newborn death and disability, but how can the rate of preterm birth be reduced? Ben sits down with John Newnham (University of Western Australia), to discuss the roll out and findings of Australia's national preterm birth prevention programme and consider how the seven intervention strategies can be applied to other high. middle, and low income settings.Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00042-1/abstract

Tatjana Gibbons and Devon Evans on Endometriosis care guidelines and national action plans

Sonia and Sarah join Ben to discuss the third edition of The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, a special issue focusing on Endometriosis. The team highlight key pieces of content including an essay on endometriosis care from a person with lived experience, an insight on the future of menopause research, and two early research papers investigating the treatment of pain in women with endometriosis.Ben is also joined by Tatjana Gibbons and Devon Evans to discuss their two scoping reviews. The first of which investigates the global availability of country specific care guidelines for endometriosis. The second assess the development of national action plans for endometriosis, with the NAPE in Australia a key example.Click here to read the full articles:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00004-4/fulltexthttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00027-5/fulltext

Hamilton Morrin on hyperemesis gravidarum and neuropsychiatric outcomes

Sarah and Ben discuss the second issue of The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, including our Editorial on contraception, a Viewpoint on the use of mifepristone in breast cancer, and the effect on the E-MOTIVE care bundle for postpartum haemorrhage in Pakistan.Dr Hamilton Morrin (King's College London) joins the podcast to discuss his recent publication investigating the association between hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) and 24 different health outcomes, including Wernicke encephalopathy and postpartum depression. Hamilton also discusses his personal story behind the research and the importance of including people with lived experience in study design. Click here to read the full article.

Allisyn Moran on WHO’s New Framework for Maternal Wellbeing

Ben sits down with Allisyn Moran, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO, to discuss the newly published maternal wellbeing framework developed by WHO and collaborators and consider the supporting scoping review which investigated the definitions of wellbeing. Both papers are included in the newly published first issue of The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health.Read the full Health Policy:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(25)00017-2?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_September_25_lanogw

Sonia Muliyil and Sarah Passey on how to launch a medical journal

Welcome to The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health in conversation with. In the first episode of this new podcast, Ben sits down with Sonia Muliyil and Sarah Passey to discuss how to launch a medical journal. The team discuss all the twists, turns, and challenges faces over the past 6 months as we’ve worked towards our first issue and the official launch of The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health from developing our aims and scope, building an advisory board, conference attendance, and our first publications. Please remember to subscribe and leave a review. You can keep in touch with us via email and our social media channels. We look forward to speaking with you soon!Read our first issue:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/issue/current?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_September_25_lanogw