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She joined the MJH Life Sciences team in December 2019. She graduated from Youngstown State University in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Prior to graduating, Morgan worked as the editor-in-chief of her college newspaper. She went on to work as an assignment editor at a broadcast news station in Youngstown, Ohio, before joining 

 You can reach her at mebert@mjhlifesciences.com.

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Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often feel dismissed, misunderstood, and underserved by the health care system, according to a study published in 

Feelings of being dismissed or ignored were reported by patients in all focus groups when discussing their symptoms. These experiences often occurred during adolescence, with many patients not receiving a diagnosis for years. During this period, they would often feel frustrated, isolated, and blamed for their condition.

“Patients told us their concerns, such as missed periods, acne, or hair loss, were frequently minimized. They often felt that their voices were not heard, and that led to a delay in both diagnosis and effective treatment,” said Noy Phimphasone-Brady, PhD, senior study author and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

The focus group analysis evaluated perceived clinical gaps and experiences with PCOS care.

 Participants were aged at least 18 years, premenopausal, diagnosed with PCOS or suspected PCOS, and receiving care through a specific Colorado hospital system.

A literature review and investigators’ clinical experience were used to develop a guide for assessing patient experiences with PCOS care. Categories of questions included obtaining a diagnosis and living with PCOS, PCOS care experience, access to and satisfaction with PCOS care, and suggestions for improving PCOS care.

Consent, participant demographics, eligibility, and scheduling were obtained using Research Electronic Data Capture. Focus groups were comprised of at least 3 participants with the same availability and occurred for 60 to 90 minutes over Zoom.

Investigators consolidated transcript summaries in a spreadsheet, with each tab having a domain name. During virtual meetings, the analysis team thematically evaluated each domain, after which the team met to identify major themes.

There were 24 participants aged a mean of 29 years included in the final analysis, 88% of whom were White, 33% Hispanic, 58% partnered, and 75% with commercial insurance. Among these participants, a theme of clinician dismissal was reported, increasing distress and frustration because of symptoms such as irregular menses and dermatologic symptoms.

Dismissal caused by body size was reported by some participants, such as leaner patients being told PCOS did not fit their body type. There were also cases of clinicians attributing symptom onset to normal pubertal changes or individual body or mental health, leading patients to feel clinicians were hesitant to work up their symptoms.

The duration between symptom onset and PCOS diagnosis ranged from 2 weeks to 15 years, with many patients needing to see more than one provider before being diagnosed. However, imaging was linked to expedited diagnosis.

Poor alignment between clinicians’ management approaches and participants’ needs and goals was reported as the second theme. This included clinician focusing on fertility and weight when patients were more concerned about managing another symptoms.

Clinicians also sometimes provided inaccurate information about future fertility potential, leading to unintended consequences. Additionally, participants reported feeling the recommendation for long-term birth control use was made without proper education or rationale, with some individuals experiencing adverse effects from birth control.

Misalignment issues pertaining to body weight included providers approaching weight as a one-dimensional problem with weight loss as the sole solution. This led participants to feel weight loss was being suggested without individual context or insight about prior weight loss attempts.

The final theme identified was participants seeking answers about PCOS through self-advocacy both during and outside health care encounters. A pressure to self-advocate was caused by provider dismissal and goal misalignment, leading participants to research symptoms and treatment outside of a health care setting.

When bringing this information to their providers, participants often experienced challenging interpersonal dynamics. Despite the varying quality of these resources, participants more frequently sought PCOS education through social media platforms.

According to investigators, these themes highlight a significant need to improve PCOS care at all levels. A patient-centered approach was suggested to obtain concerns from patients and provide comprehensive education.

“Individuals with PCOS deserve comprehensive, personalized care that attends to both their physical and emotional well-being,” said Kathryn McKenney, MD, senior study author and co-director of the PCOS Multi-Disciplinary Program.

 “That care must begin with truly listening to their experiences.”

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Polycystic ovary syndrome patients say they feel dismissed and misunderstood, according to new study. News release. EurkAlert. July 7, 2025. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090222

Zhang AZ, Sehrt M, Ley SA, Ross KV, Phimphasone-Brady P, McKenney KM. Gaps and opportunities in polycystic ovary syndrome care—a qualitative study. 

A new study reveals that many women with polycystic ovary syndrome experience delayed diagnoses and inadequate care.

Clinical

PCOS patients report feeling dismissed by health care providers

Research from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 provides important new insight into the sex-specific outcomes following a heart attack, including the effect of beta-blockers.

The data, which were an analysis of the REBOOT clinical trial, suggest women experience worse outcomes than their male counterparts following a myocardial infarction (MI) and those treated with beta-blockers post-event had a greater risk of mortality, reinfarction, and hospitalization for heart failure compared to women not receiving the class of medication.

“We have been investigating sex-differences in cardiovascular disease for a long time. We already knew that cardiovascular disease presentation is different in women and men, and this study significantly adds to this knowledge by showing that response to medications is not necessarily equal in women and men,” said study investigator Valentín Fuster, MD, PhD, president of the Mount Sinai Foster Heart Hospital and at the Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC).

 “This study should spark the much-needed sex-specific approach for cardiovascular disease”.

Initiated by investigators at the CNIC as a randomized, open-blinded endpoint trial, the REBOOT trial was launched in 2018 to explore the effect of beta-blocker therapy, a guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with 

 with reduced ejection fraction, in patients with a MI and who had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of at least 40% or more. Presented at ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the 

, the overall trial concluded there was no evidence of an effect on all-cause death, reinfarction or heart failure admission, with events occurring among 316 patients in the beta-blocker group and in 307 patients in the no beta-blocker group (hazard ratio (HR), 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89 to 1.22; 

In addition to primary results, investigators presented a post hoc analysis at ESC Congress 2025 examining sex-specific differences in the trial.

Of the 8438 patients included in the intention-to-treat population, 1627 were women. Results suggested women in the trial were older, had more comorbidities, and received fewer guideline-based therapies than men.

During a median follow-up of 3.7 years, women had overall higher rates of the primary composite outcome than men, with an incidence rate in women of 30.4 per 1000 patient-years in the beta-blocker group and 21.0 per 1000 patient-years in the no beta-blocker group (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.03). In contrast, no significant differences were observed among men included in the trial (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.13; 

Further analysis demonstrated the excess risk observed in women was primarily driven by increased mortality and was most evident among those with preserved LVEF (

 for interaction = .030) and those receiving higher beta-blocker doses (

"Our findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate and that sex-specific considerations are crucial for cardiovascular interventions prescriptions,” said study investigator Xavier Rosselló, MD, PhD, a scientist at CNIC and a cardiologist at University Hospital Son Espases in Mallorca.

Rosello X, Dominguez-Rodriguez A, Latini R. Beta-blockers after myocardial infarction: effects according to sex in the REBOOT trial. 

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.). New study finds that, after a heart attack, women have worse prognosis when treated with beta-blockers. EurekAlert! Published August 30, 2025. Accessed August 31, 2025. 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1096049

Ibanez B, Latini R, Rossello X, et al. Beta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction without Reduced Ejection Fraction. 

. Published online August 30, 2025. doi: 

New research reveals that women face worse heart attack outcomes than men, particularly when treated with beta-blockers, highlighting the need for sex-specific care.

Beta-blockers linked to worse outcomes in women following a heart attack

on July 17, 2025, has unveiled next-generation technology capable of identifying HMGB1 in period blood, which may be used as a biomarker for endometriosis.

HMGB1 is a protein linked to endometriosis development and progression. The device, operating similar to pregnancy tests, has displayed a sensitivity of 500% more than existing laboratory methods through the use of a technique synthesizing nanosheets made of borophene.

“Despite the significant potential of menstrual effluent as a diagnostic tool for women’s health, it often faces substantial challenges due to social stigma and limited access to affordable diagnostic methods,” said Dipanjan Pan, PhD, professor at Pennsylvania State University.

A new frontier in endometriosis diagnosis

Current methods of diagnosing endometriosis often require invasive blood tests, laboratory analyses, imaging studies, and extensive patient history collections. According to Pan, these procedures have been linked to delays in endometriosis diagnosis of up to 12 years among US patients.

Borophene is an atomically thin 2D material derivative of graphene but with greater strengths. This allows for earlier identification and treatment, which may allow severe symptoms such as extreme pain and potential infertility to be reduced.

Investigators replaced the alcohol solvent with water, which was used to disperse powdered boron and break down the chemical, restoring it to pristine nanosheets. After this procedure, antibodies capable of identifying HMGB1 were fixed to the nanosheets.

“Think of planting a garden,” Pan said. “The ground—the nanosheets—must be even and clear of weeds before you can fertilize the soil—adding the antibodies. Then, you have the best environment to support the desired vegetables—the HMGB1 proteins.”

Similar to a pregnancy test, one line on the test indicated a negative diagnosis, while 2 lines indicated a positive diagnosis. The test strip is darkened when the blood sample flows over it, and any present HMGB1 proteins bind to the antibodies.

The sensitivity of the device was affirmed by spiking menstrual blood with different HMGB1 concentrations. Successful detection was reported even at low concentrations, highlighting a 5-fold improvement in current tests that take longer to prepare.

A conjugation efficiency of 48% was reported for the borophene nanosheets, and with 25.96 μg/mL of free immunoglobulin G (IgG) remaining, the data indicated 24.04 μg/mL IgG was successfully immobilized on the nanosheet surface.

 In control experiments with nonirradiated antibodies, negligible binding under 5% was measured.

Spectral shifts confirm molecular changes

Investigators also evaluated molecular interactions during UV irradiation of antibodies, observed through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Significant alterations were found in the intensity of S–S stretching bands among UV-treated IgG vs controls with no treatment.

A trans Ca–S conformation was identified by a unique spectral shift near 517 cm

. Additional shifts were noted at 504, 514, 522, 527, and 544 cm

 in UV-irradiated samples, indicating changes linked to the cleavage or rearrangement of disulfide bonds.

According to Pan, the test may be incorporated into menstrual pads in the future.

 This would allow at-home monitoring of HMGB1 that is discreet and convenient for patients.

“The ability to detect critically important biomarkers via a decentralized platform, like our approach, empowers patients with facilitating widespread use in more rural areas or settings without expansive medical resources,” said Pan. “This study highlights the broader research opportunities essential for realizing next-generation biotechnologies.”

Next-gen tech can detect disease biomarker in period blood. New release. Penn State. July 22, 2025. Accessed August 22, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1092104

Natarajan S, Dighe K, Aditya T, et al. Photoinduced immobilization on two-dimensional nano borophene spatially orients capture antibody for highly sensitive biological interactions. 

2025;11(8):1492-1511. doi:10.1021/acscentsci.5c00474

A new device identifies HMGB1 in period blood with 500% greater sensitivity, offering a faster alternative for diagnosing endometriosis.

Breakthrough endometriosis test detects biomarker in menstrual blood

This week at Contemporary OB/GYN®, we covered topics ranging from pregnancy complications linked to stroke risk to the adverse effects of abortion bans on pregnancy care. Click the links below to read anything you might have missed from Monday, August 18, to Friday, August 22, 2025.

Pregnancy complications linked to higher early stroke risk

The risk of stroke before the age of 50 years is increased in women with complications during pregnancy, according to a recent study published in 

 journal of the American Academy of Neurology, on August 6, 2025.

Complications of pregnancy linked to increased stroke risk included preterm birth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, miscarriage, and stroke. Investigators noted that while this association was identified, the study did not prove that these complications are responsible for increased stroke risk among pregnant women.

“While the overall risk of stroke is still very low, our study found pregnancy complications may be an early warning sign of stroke risk—even before age 50,” said Frank-Erik De Leeuw, MD, PhD, study author from Radboud University. “Knowing this history could help doctors identify those who may benefit from early prevention and cardiovascular care.”

HPV screening and vaccination accelerate cervical cancer decline

A new modeling study projects that South Korea could eliminate cervical cancer within the next 2 decades, with timelines varying based on screening methods and vaccination coverage. Findings published in 

 demonstrate that adopting high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing and increasing vaccination rates could accelerate elimination compared with current practices.

Under the current biennial Pap test program, South Korea is projected to achieve cervical cancer elimination by 2044. Extending the Papanicolaou test (Pap) interval to 5 years delayed elimination by a decade or more, while 3-year Pap testing produced similar outcomes to the current strategy.

Switching to hrHPV testing substantially improved outcomes. Biennial hrHPV testing could reduce cervical cancer cases by 20% to 27% and deaths by 11% to 14% compared with current Pap-based strategies. Under realistic assumptions, elimination could occur as early as 2038 with hrHPV testing, while in the ideal scenario, elimination could be achieved by 2034.

Interventions needed to address trauma in obstetric care

Obstetric patients often face trauma and traumatic stress, indicating a need for interventions that enhance patient-centered care, according to a recent study published in 

Perinatal adverse outcomes linked to traumatic stress include pregnancy loss and infertility, with relative risks of 1.96 and 2.75, respectively, among patients with multiple adverse childhood experiences. Pregnancy complications such as substance use, decreased sleep quality, gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders were also more common in these patients.

Adverse effects in offspring were also reported. This included children of mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) having a mean increase of 3.6 points in their Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional score. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, PTSD, and other psychological disorders were also more common in these children.

OTC oral contraceptives linked to increased initiation among women with barriers to care

The availability of an over-the-counter (OTC) oral contraceptive pill in the United States is significantly improving contraceptive access, particularly among individuals who previously used no method or relied on less-effective options, according to new research published in 

The researchers found a 31.8 percentage point increase in individuals moving from nonuse of contraception to using the OTC pill, compared with prescription users. Similarly, there was a 41.0 percentage point increase in transitions from less-effective methods, such as condoms or emergency contraception, to the OTC pill.

“These findings suggest that removing prescription requirements for [the oral contraceptive pill] can expand contraceptive access, particularly for underserved populations, such as the uninsured and those in rural areas,” the authors concluded.

Katrina Kimport, PhD, highlights how abortion bans are leading to substandard pregnancy care

 Katrina Kimport, PhD, professor in the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed her study evaluating the impact of abortion bans and restrictions implemented in the wake of the US Supreme Court's 

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

Researchers interviewed clinicians who had treated patients affected by these laws, either in states with strict abortion bans or in states where abortion remains legal but received patients from more restrictive regions. The study revealed a stark disconnect between what clinicians were medically trained to do and what they were legally allowed to do under the new restrictions. This gap resulted in patients receiving substandard care, leading to preventable and sometimes severe health consequences.

Abortion bans

Review some of the top stories from the Contemporary OB/GYN website over the past week and catch up on anything you may have missed.

Contemporary OB/GYN week in review: Stroke risk, HPV screening, and more

A nationwide study from Denmark found that the use of vaginal estrogen tablets was not associated with an increased risk of recurrent ischemic stroke among postmenopausal women with a prior stroke. The findings were published in 

, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

Systemic estrogen replacement therapy, particularly oral formulations, is known to increase the risk of stroke and is contraindicated in women with a history of ischemic stroke. Vaginal estrogen tablets, however, are designed for local absorption to alleviate symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, such as vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. While previous studies in healthy women suggested that vaginal estrogen does not increase stroke risk, its safety in women with prior ischemic stroke had not been established.

“It is well known that taking systemic hormone replacement therapy, such as oral estrogen tablets, may increase the risk of stroke after menopause. While other studies have not detected an increased risk of stroke associated with the use of vaginal estrogen in healthy postmenopausal women, there is no data on whether vaginal estrogen tablets pose an increased risk for women who have already had a stroke,” said lead author Kimia Ghias Haddadan, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital – Herlev and Gentofte.

The investigation utilized data from Danish national registries, which provide comprehensive information on health, prescriptions, and demographics. Researchers identified 56,642 women who experienced a first ischemic stroke between January 2008 and December 2017. After excluding women younger than 45 years, those with prior vaginal estrogen use, and those using systemic hormone therapy in the year before their stroke, 34,274 women remained eligible.

Among these, 3353 women developed a recurrent ischemic stroke. Each case was matched by birth year with a control who had not experienced recurrence, resulting in 3353 matched pairs. The median age was 75 years. Vaginal estrogen use was categorized as current (within 3 months), recent (3-24 months), or past (>24 months).

The analysis demonstrated that use of vaginal estrogen tablets was not associated with increased recurrence of ischemic stroke. Adjusted HRs showed no significant difference in risk between users and nonusers: current use (0.79; 95% CI, 0.52-1.20), recent use (1.09; 95% CI, 0.73-1.63), and past use (1.48; 95% CI, 0.95-2.30).

No differences were observed between high-dose and low-dose users, nor was there an association with cumulative exposure. “We were cautiously hopeful about the findings, and it was reassuring to discover that the use of vaginal estrogen did not raise the risk of recurrent stroke in this high-risk population,” Haddadan said.

She added, “US-based studies, such as the Women’s Health Initiative and the Nurses’ Health Study, have shown no increased stroke risk with vaginal estrogen in healthy women. Our study extends this reassurance to women with a history of stroke.”

Vaginal estrogen tablets were not associated with increased risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women with prior stroke.

June Keeling

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