Women’s reproductive health is a sensitive subject. Even though there have been many advancements in women’s healthcare, large gaps in research and medical well-being of women have been observed. The general lack of information regarding women’s healthcare and education have also been highlighted in the recent years.

While you may think it is not a matter of urgency, a new report found a very concerning toxin in tampons, levels of which were higher than what is even allowed in drinking water.

A new report from two groups, the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) and Pesticide Action Network UK, has raised serious concerns. They found harmful chemicals in many of the menstrual products sold in regular stores across Britain. The study was particularly worried about finding pesticides, especially glyphosate, which is the most common weed killer used worldwide, in these products that women use in a very sensitive part of their bodies.

Disturbing Levels of Pesticides Detected

The findings are quite shocking. Tampons are a largely used menstruation product, which soaks the menstrual blood by insertion in the vaginal canal. The World Health Organization, a global health authority, has said that glyphosate probably causes cancer. Even more alarmingly, one box of tampons had levels of glyphosate that were 40 times higher than what's legally allowed in drinking water!

It's thought this happens because the pesticide might be sprayed on the cotton crops that are used to make tampons. The report also found another dangerous chemical called chlorpyrifos in some tampons. This is an insecticide that's actually banned in the UK because it can harm the brain and nervous system.

The report was very clear about how serious this is: they said that for some chemicals, there's no safe amount, so any trace found in period products should be less than what can even be detected.

Direct Threat to Health

There's worry about how these chemicals might affect health. This is because a part of the body that absorbs things very easily, the vagina, lets chemicals skip the body's natural cleaning systems and go straight into the blood. People are saying this isn't just careless, it's actually dangerous. They also feel it's wrong that these kinds of chemicals are still in period products today.

Lack of Regulation and Impact on Farmers

The report pointed out a major problem: there are no specific rules in the UK for these products. Manufacturers don't have to tell you what's in their products, and there are no laws to stop pesticide residue from ending up in the final product you buy.

The issue also affects cotton farmers. The report highlighted that "cotton farmers are being exposed to toxic pesticides at concerning levels." Many of these farmers are women, and they face health risks every day from working with these dangerous pesticides both on their farms and even in their homes.

Demands for Clearer Information and Change

People are strongly demanding that the industry be more open. It's simply not okay that users don't know what's in products they use on such private parts of their bodies. There's an urgent need for companies to be transparent (show all ingredients), take accountability (be responsible for their products), and make real changes in how things are done. This is because everyone who has a period deserves better and safer products.

The report asks the government to act quickly:

• Test period products very strictly.
• Make it a legal rule for companies to list every ingredient and extra chemical.
• Include organic, disposable period products in free school programs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that affects every sexually active person at some point of their life, even if there are no symptoms. The World Health Organization explains that it can affect the skin, genital area, and throat. While preventative measures do help, they cannot totally protect themselves from transmission. Despite the contagious nature of the virus, these infections go away without treatment. However, there are some likely scenarios where they can cause abnormal cells to develop, which later on become cancer.

What deters many people from getting themselves checked out is the general stigma surrounding sexually transmitted infections or diseases. So, when at home tests became available, the rates screenings improved a lot!

A new study suggests that women are much more likely to get screened for HPV (human papillomavirus) if they can do the test themselves at home in private. This is a big deal because almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Researchers found that when women were offered a mail-in test kit, the number of women getting screened more than doubled.

Why At-Home Testing is a Game-Changer

Around 11,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the U.S. Sadly, more than half of these women have either rarely or never been screened for HPV. Traditional screening often involves a pelvic exam at a clinic, which can be uncomfortable or distressing for some women. It also requires them to take time off and travel to the clinic.

The good news is that the first at-home screening test for cervical cancer recently got approved for use in the U.S. and should be available very soon. This new option could make a huge difference in how many women get screened.

How the Study Proved Its Point

To see how at-home testing would work in real life, researchers studied nearly 2,500 women aged 30 to 65. They divided the women into three groups:

• One group received a phone call reminding them to go to a clinic for screening.
• Another group was mailed an at-home self-collection test kit.
• The third group received an at-home kit and also got a follow-up call if they didn't return their kit quickly.

The results were clear: women who were offered an at-home test kit were more than twice as likely to get screened. About 41% of those who received a kit participated, compared to only 17% who just got a phone reminder to go to a clinic. When women who received a kit also got follow-up reminders, participation jumped even higher, to 47%. Interestingly, over 80% of the women in the test kit groups who participated chose to mail in their kit for analysis, rather than going to a clinic.

Making At-Home Tests Accessible

The study also found that about 13% of the women who returned a kit tested positive for a high-risk type of HPV. As these self-collection tests become more widely available, it's crucial to ensure they are offered in clinics and health centers, especially for people who face bigger challenges in accessing healthcare. By removing these hurdles, experts hope to increase screening rates and significantly reduce the burden of preventable cervical cancer.

Researchers now plan to investigate how to best use these HPV self-collection tests in different healthcare settings. While at-home HPV testing offers great promise, the next challenge is to make sure it's adopted safely and effectively into regular medical practice. This includes figuring out how healthcare providers can best follow up with women who have abnormal test results.

For decades, moderate alcohol consumption—typically defined as one to two drinks per day—was thought to provide certain protective benefits for heart health. However, the American Heart Association (AHA) has now issued a strong scientific statement saying that belief no longer holds up against emerging evidence. The AHA, along with many cardiologists in India, including those in Kolkata, are urging caution and reconsideration of alcohol's role in heart health.

Rethinking the “Protective” Myth

According to the AHA statement released on June 9, new studies using improved research methods have cast doubt on earlier findings that suggested alcohol might reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks or strokes. While some observational studies hinted at cardioprotective effects, experts now say the data lacks consistency and credibility.

The idea that moderate drinking might lower the risk of certain heart conditions emerged from flawed or outdated studies, many of which didn’t adequately account for lifestyle, dietary patterns, or underlying health issues in participants.

Complex and Controversial Links

The relationship between alcohol and cardiovascular disease is far from straightforward. The AHA points out that alcohol use has long been linked with a range of heart-related conditions—including high blood pressure (hypertension), myocardial infarction (heart attack), arrhythmias, stroke, and heart failure. While excessive alcohol consumption has always been known to be harmful, even moderate intake may not be as safe as once believed.

Cardiologists caution that no randomized controlled trial has definitively shown alcohol in any form to be beneficial for heart health. Claims that wine—especially red wine—may have positive effects apply only in very specific contexts, and do not justify broad public recommendations.

When Moderation Isn’t Enough

Experts highlight that for certain individuals, particularly those with high blood pressure, reducing or even eliminating alcohol consumption may be the only safe course. This is because alcohol—even when consumed moderately—can aggravate hypertension and make it harder to control.

There’s also uncertainty around stroke risk. While heavy drinking undeniably increases the likelihood of strokes, the impact of low to moderate drinking remains unclear due to conflicting data. This uncertainty challenges the assumption that light drinking is harmless.

Addiction and Lifestyle Risks

Health professionals continue to warn that all forms of substance use, including alcohol and tobacco, contribute to lifestyle diseases and chronic health conditions. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. However, India’s revised Dietary Guidelines, prepared by the Indian Council for Medical Research and the National Institute of Nutrition, do not make any mention of alcohol at all—highlighting a gap in national-level public health messaging.

The global burden of alcohol-related health issues is immense. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimated that alcohol-related conditions could cost the U.S. nearly $1.87 trillion between 2011 and 2050, equivalent to about 1.45% of the country’s GDP. The NIH also criticized the lack of clear public messaging, which has allowed myths about alcohol’s safety to persist for decades.

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reinforced this warning. In a statement published in The Lancet Public Health, it declared that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption that does not affect health. WHO has also set a goal of reducing harmful alcohol use globally by 10% between 2013 and 2025.

As per the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, June is the cataract awareness month. This has been designated as a month to spread awareness around cataract and educate the public about it. This is also the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. This month-long observance also highlights the importance of early detection and treatment of cataracts, and emphasizes that prompt intervention can significantly preserve vision.

Why Is It Declared As The Cataract Month?

As per the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), this has been done to provide patients and professionals with free educational resources on cataract, which is the clouding of eye's lens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. An estimated 20.5 million Americans aged 40 year and older have cataract in one or both eyes.

What Is Cataract?

It is the clouding of eye's natural lens, which sits just behind the iris. In a healthy eye, this lens focuses light onto the retina, allowing us to see clearly. Over time, due to aging or other factors, this lens may become cloudy, leading to blurred or dimmed vision.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), cataracts account for nearly 51% of world blindness and affects over 65 million people.

History Of Cataract Awareness Month

Prevent Blindness declared the month of June as Cataract Awareness Month and it has been joined by other organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and UNC Ophthalmology. This month spotlights an ocular disease.

The earliest documented case of cataract was reported to be in a museum in Cairo that houses a small statue from the 5th dynasty. The wooden statue is of a priest reader who has a white patch carved into the pupil of the left eye. It is thought to represent a cataract.

The earliest procedure of cataract removal is couching. Several illustrations too have been found inside Egyptian temples and tombs depict surgical instruments that indicate the use of couching, a procedure that involved dislodging the eye lens to clear the cataract.

How Does Cataract Affect Vision?

The following symptoms are:

• Blurred or foggy vision
• Increased sensitivity to light or glare
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Colors appear faded or yellow
• Frequent changes in glasses prescription
• Seeing halos around lights

What Causes Cataract?

Cataract are caused by various factors, some of which include diabetes, prolonged exposure to UV rays, smoking and alcohol consumption, long-term use of corticosteroids, and eye injuries.

The best way to prevent them is to wear UV-protective sunglasses, manage systemic conditions like diabetes and also go for regular eye exams, especially after the age of 40. It is also important to focus on your diet and other lifestyle habits, and consume more green leafy vegetables, and fruits.