https://www.scmp.com/rss/327147/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Women suffering through the hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause – all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of ageing – are being bombarded with products. More open conversations about menopause and the time leading up to it – called perimenopause – are happening just as social media has supercharged marketing. Women are being confronted by lotions, serums and light masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and necks, dietary... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350398/what-menopause-products-actually-work-doctors-share-how-buy-wisely-and-stay-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3350398/what-menopause-products-actually-work-doctors-share-how-buy-wisely-and-stay-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words We were heartbroken to read about the infant found in Causeway Bay on March 23. Now that further details of this tragic case have been made clear, it highlights a deeper and more uncomfortable truth about our city: some people still feel they have no one to turn to when facing a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348543/hong-kong-must-better-support-those-facing-unplanned-pregnancies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348543/hong-kong-must-better-support-those-facing-unplanned-pregnancies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Scientists have used a tiny plastic “obstacle course” to test how much sperm would struggle to navigate during sex in the weightlessness of space. Some particularly resilient sperm still made it through the course, suggesting that conceiving children in space will still be possible, according to research published on Thursday. However, a bigger problem could be that the development of embryos after fertilisation was harmed by a lack of gravity, the Australian team of researchers found. With... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348051/sex-space-sperm-struggles-navigate-without-gravity-scientists-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348051/sex-space-sperm-struggles-navigate-without-gravity-scientists-find?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:45:48 +0000 Ritu Hemnani Ritu Hemnani Hong Kong women navigating menopause have often felt the need to “soldier on”, their hot flushes dismissed by others – and themselves – as stress, their mood swings blamed on “having teenagers” and their fatigue chalked up to ageing. But a new non-profit organisation aims to put a stop to that. The Hong Kong Menopause Society (THKMS), which will officially launch on March 28, aims to boost awareness and understanding of perimenopause and menopause issues, both for the women who have them and for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347116/how-new-hong-kong-menopause-support-group-aims-help-women-through-difficult-life-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347116/how-new-hong-kong-menopause-support-group-aims-help-women-through-difficult-life-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:15:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters A 31-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with murder after she took abortion medication and gave birth to a premature infant who died within hours, according to court documents and arrest records. Alexia Moore was arrested, charged and jailed by local police earlier this month ‌in coastal Camden County, Georgia, near the Florida border over the episode on December 30. Nearly all abortions in Georgia are illegal after six weeks of pregnancy. Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347404/us-woman-charged-murder-after-taking-abortion-pill-georgia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347404/us-woman-charged-murder-after-taking-abortion-pill-georgia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 02:15:04 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Mayra Hurtado knows the struggles of perimenopause first-hand. “My weight fluctuated so much, I had migraines and I literally saw every doctor,” she recalls. It was only after she visited a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic in Singapore that she slowly recovered from her migraines. Inspired by the holistic approach of TCM, the Mexico-born, Singapore-based entrepreneur realised that there are healthcare pathways beyond conventional medicine. “We have that kind of traditional medicine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3346296/how-new-home-tests-let-women-gain-insights-their-reproductive-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3346296/how-new-home-tests-let-women-gain-insights-their-reproductive-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:15:08 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson Six couples who want to start families but cannot conceive are the focus of a new Netflix documentary, The Plastic Detox. The couples – two of which have been trying to get pregnant for over two years, while one has been attempting for a decade – strip as much plastic from their lives as possible over three months to see if this will help. “Fertility worldwide is going down, and it is tightly linked to chemicals that are commonly used in plastic,” says epidemiologist Dr Shanna Swan in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345709/microplastic-dangers-and-innovators-finding-solutions-plus-8-ways-protect-yourself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345709/microplastic-dangers-and-innovators-finding-solutions-plus-8-ways-protect-yourself?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Back in 2014, high-profile female executives like Sheryl Sandberg were leaning in to rebrand feminism for a new generation, everybody wanted to be a #girlboss, and hustle culture was at its peak. Meanwhile, 16-year-old menstrual care activist Nadya Okamoto was just getting started. “I started a non-profit [and] there were a lot of exciting things happening – awards and a lot of praise,” Okamoto tells me on the phone from New York. In the decade since launching that organisation to combat period... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3341372/menstrual-care-activist-nadya-okamoto-founding-august-and-challenging-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3341372/menstrual-care-activist-nadya-okamoto-founding-august-and-challenging-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Perhaps best known for their role as Kiki, an upbeat blackjack dealer on HBO Max’s comedy-drama Hacks, actor Poppy Liu is now appearing on Netflix’s latest limited series, His & Hers, which has generated an online buzz among thriller fans. The show, which premiered on January 8, follows a couple investigating a murder in which they both believe the other is the prime suspect. Liu – who just turned 35 – takes on the role of Helen Wang, a headmistress at an all-girls’ school. Here’s everything to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3339576/meet-poppy-liu-who-plays-helen-netflixs-his-hers-and-was-also-kiki-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3339576/meet-poppy-liu-who-plays-helen-netflixs-his-hers-and-was-also-kiki-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:00:16 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times More than 4,000 elementary, middle and high schools across South Korea have shut their doors as the country’s student population shrinks, new data shows. According to the Ministry of Education’s latest figures, revealed on Sunday by Representative Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, 4,008 schools under 17 regional education offices nationwide have closed so far as student numbers continue to decline. Junior schools account for most closures, with 3,674 shut down permanently,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337938/south-korea-closes-4000-schools-permanently-amid-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337938/south-korea-closes-4000-schools-permanently-amid-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:19:55 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng In an attempt to solve the global fertility crisis, Chinese scientists have developed a balm for testicles they say can boost sperm activity. The lotion they developed for external application significantly enhanced sperm quality in both animal trials and in vitro studies, regardless of whether the decline in function was caused by exposure to heavy metals, plasticisers, heat stress or natural ageing, the researchers said. The findings of the study, conducted by researchers from several domestic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336452/worldwide-sperm-quality-decline-can-easy-use-balm-china-solve-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3336452/worldwide-sperm-quality-decline-can-easy-use-balm-china-solve-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:31:34 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Mother-of-two Samantha Waterhouse thrived during her pregnancies – they were times when she was most comfortable in her body. “I didn’t have any aches or pains like some women do, so I felt lucky that it was a time in my life that I really enjoyed,” says the Hong Kong-based South African, who has two girls: Ella, aged four, and Izzy, two. “And I loved the look and feel of my round tummy.” She loved her baby bump so much that she considered getting a bespoke pregnancy sculpture. Such keepsakes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3335694/want-3d-pregnancy-sculpture-why-hong-kong-based-mother-helps-women-get-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3335694/want-3d-pregnancy-sculpture-why-hong-kong-based-mother-helps-women-get-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Andrew Pong, a Hong Kong-based professional trainer, actor, martial artist and stuntman, wants other men to open up about their health, especially about cancers that affect men. Pong is the ambassador for the Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s new CheckMate initiative. Built around the slogan, “Don’t hide them, check them”, this campaign centres on encouraging regular self-examinations and medical check-ups for prostate, testicular and penile cancers. It also provides crucial emotional and support services... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332280/hong-kong-cancer-funds-checkmate-scheme-aims-get-men-checking-themselves-and-talking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3332280/hong-kong-cancer-funds-checkmate-scheme-aims-get-men-checking-themselves-and-talking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid by a former Kentucky county official to overturn its landmark 2015 ruling legalising same-sex marriage nationwide, as the justices steered clear of the contentious case some 3-1/2 years after its conservative majority reversed abortion rights. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, turned away an appeal by Kim Davis, a former Kentucky county clerk who was sued by a gay couple after refusing to issue any marriage licences after the 2015... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332249/us-supreme-court-declines-revisit-same-sex-marriage-ruling-after-overturning-roe-v-wade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332249/us-supreme-court-declines-revisit-same-sex-marriage-ruling-after-overturning-roe-v-wade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:04:44 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In the central Chinese province of Hubei, one small city is going the extra mile to reverse falling birth rates. Grass-roots volunteers in Tianmen are playing matchmaker for its young singles, combing through the details of all unmarried people in the area, putting the information on community posters and offering their services, according to Guangzhou-based Southern Weekend. Video footage posted on social media showed a swearing-in ceremony for the matchmakers in one village. It is one of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332036/state-matchmaking-and-pr-blitz-way-boost-chinas-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332036/state-matchmaking-and-pr-blitz-way-boost-chinas-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott When Grace Oh began experiencing perimenopause symptoms around the age of 45, including sleep difficulties and low energy, a well-known gynaecologist in Singapore dismissed them, saying, “You can’t be in perimenopause – your periods are still regular.” The information was wrong. Other doctors told her that “menopause is a normal part of ageing, not a disease”, leaving little space for a deeper discussion about her physical and emotional changes. “These encounters – at different points in my life... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3330720/new-medically-reviewed-app-bridges-health-information-gap-perimenopausal-asian-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3330720/new-medically-reviewed-app-bridges-health-information-gap-perimenopausal-asian-women?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Sasha Gonzales Sasha Gonzales Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age can stir up a range of emotions, from fear and anger to anxiety to sadness. May Yeung understands this well. In 2019, at just 30 years old, the Hong Kong-based artist was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer after a year-long struggle with headaches, abdominal pain, cold sweats and fever. Yeung, who specialises in sculpture-making, was at the peak of her career; just three days before the diagnosis, she won a Hong Kong Top 10 Outstanding Young... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328091/hong-kong-artist-breast-cancer-30-met-husband-during-treatment-became-mum-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328091/hong-kong-artist-breast-cancer-30-met-husband-during-treatment-became-mum-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 03:00:07 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Years ago, my mother and I were in my daughter’s university quarters when she returned from a lecture with dozens of boxes of condoms in her arms. My daughter burst out laughing when she saw the shocked look on my mother’s face. “Don’t worry, they’re not mine,” she said. “We give them out for free.” As a female welfare officer at her college, she could give them out to students who asked for them. Apart from preventing unwanted pregnancies, the condoms were meant to protect students from STIs,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327619/what-chlamydia-cause-symptoms-and-treatment-silent-sti-can-cause-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327619/what-chlamydia-cause-symptoms-and-treatment-silent-sti-can-cause-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 20:15:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union and British health agencies confirmed the safety of paracetamol during pregnancy, disputing a warning from US President Donald Trump linking the popular pain medication to autism. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that evidence of a link remained inconsistent and urged caution in drawing conclusions. Trump had on Monday linked autism to childhood vaccine use and the taking of Tylenol by women when pregnant, elevating claims not backed by scientific evidence to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326579/trumps-tylenol-autism-claim-dismissed-who-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326579/trumps-tylenol-autism-claim-dismissed-who-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:55:33 +0000 Winnie Chung Winnie Chung A few years ago, the idea of directing an international star like Jimmy O. Yang for a major brand would have been a career-high milestone for Jared Lee, the Malaysian film director behind Cathay Pacific’s new narratives on its in-flight dining offerings. Today, it is simply a chapter in a much larger, more profound story of survival and realignment. In 2018, at what seemed like the prime of his life, Lee’s world suddenly paused when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In the hours that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325586/malaysian-director-testicular-cancer-battle-and-how-social-media-sharing-saved-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3325586/malaysian-director-testicular-cancer-battle-and-how-social-media-sharing-saved-others?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday apologised for their roles in the historic mistreatment of Greenlandic Indigenous girls and women, including forced contraception, in cases that date back to the 1960s. Nearly 150 Inuit women last year sued Denmark and filed compensation claims against its health ministry, saying Danish health authorities violated their human rights when they fitted them with intrauterine devices (IUDs). The devices, fitted in the uterus, prevent sperm from fertilising an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323394/denmark-greenland-apologise-historic-mistreatment-inuit-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323394/denmark-greenland-apologise-historic-mistreatment-inuit-women?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:19:53 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Almost three in four Filipinos believe that schools should teach children about sex and reproductive health, a new survey has shown – a marked shift in public sentiment that advocates say underscores the urgency of combating disinformation and religious resistance as teen pregnancies and HIV cases surge in the Philippines. In the nationwide survey conducted in March, 73 per cent of respondents agreed it was important to teach “concepts of sexuality, sexual health and family planning in schools... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322010/filipinos-push-sex-education-teen-births-hiv-cases-rise-philippines-ready?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322010/filipinos-push-sex-education-teen-births-hiv-cases-rise-philippines-ready?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The population of Japanese nationals in 2024 fell by around 908,000 from a year earlier to 120,653,227, declining for the 16th straight year and the largest drop since the current survey began in 1968, government data showed on Wednesday. The latest figures come as policymakers continue to struggle to reverse falling birth rates and regional depopulation, and while anxiety over record foreign resident numbers spurs some voters to turn to opposition parties touting slogans such as “Japanese... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3320978/japan-loses-nearly-1-million-people-16th-straight-year-population-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3320978/japan-loses-nearly-1-million-people-16th-straight-year-population-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:02:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China will waive tuition fees for children in their final year at public kindergartens from this autumn, as the country intensifies efforts to address its plummeting birth rate. The move, part of a phased plan to make preschool education free, aims to “effectively lower education costs and improve the level of basic public education services”, the State Council, China’s cabinet, said on Tuesday. Children enrolled in approved private kindergartens will also have their tuition fees reduced, with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320954/will-free-year-preschool-entice-parents-procreate-beijing-bids-boost-births?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320954/will-free-year-preschool-entice-parents-procreate-beijing-bids-boost-births?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:00:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A baby boy born last week to a US couple developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years in what is believed to be the longest storage time before a birth. In what is known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used a handful of donated embryos that had been frozen since 1994 in pursuit of having a child after fighting infertility for years. Their son was born on Saturday from an embryo that had been in storage for 11,148 days, which the Pierces’ doctor said set a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320513/us-baby-boy-born-embryo-frozen-over-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320513/us-baby-boy-born-embryo-frozen-over-30-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:14:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea registered a record birth rate growth during the first five months of the year, a statistics agency official said on Wednesday. The country has one of the world’s longest life expectancies and lowest birth rates – a combination that presents a looming demographic challenge. Seoul has poured billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and maintain population stability. “The number of newborns for the January-May period stood at 106,048, a 6.9 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3319313/south-korea-reverses-birth-rate-decline-its-fastest-growth-40-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3319313/south-korea-reverses-birth-rate-decline-its-fastest-growth-40-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:02:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wisconsin’s top state court on Wednesday said an 1849 state law banning abortion in virtually all cases cannot be enforced, rejecting claims that it was revived after a landmark US Supreme Court ruling three years ago. Wednesday’s decision, which affirms a lower court, leaves in place a 2015 Wisconsin law that bans abortion after 20 weeks. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision agreed with the state’s Democratic Attorney General, Josh Kaul, that while the 19th century law has never been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316699/us-wisconsin-court-strikes-down-states-19th-century-abortion-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316699/us-wisconsin-court-strikes-down-states-19th-century-abortion-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:55:24 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong should be proud of the healthy head start achieved by a new programme to help babies and mums. The city’s first breast milk bank, only six months after it started collections, has already nearly reached the goal set for its entire first year. Authorities had set an initial target for the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank to gather 1,000 litres in its first 12 months. Officially opening the bank last Monday, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau praised the selfless dedication of 230 mothers who... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3315416/hong-kongs-breast-milk-bank-offers-best-start-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3315416/hong-kongs-breast-milk-bank-offers-best-start-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 22:30:10 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service An Atlanta doctor and his clinic must pay US$2.25 million to a couple after posting to his public social media account graphic videos of their decapitated baby during an autopsy, a jury has decided. Jackson Gates and his business, Medical Diagnostic Choices, were found liable by default in the lawsuit brought against them by Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor after the couple discovered the social media posts. Ross and Taylor said they were horrified and outraged when they learned Gates had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3315312/us-doctor-must-pay-couple-us2-million-posting-videos-their-decapitated-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3315312/us-doctor-must-pay-couple-us2-million-posting-videos-their-decapitated-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:19:17 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott A woman enters an emergency room with a sore arm and jaw pain. She fears she is having a heart attack – women are more likely to experience jaw pain as a warning sign. Her mother and grandmother both suffered one, so her concerns are valid. But instead of being tested for one, a doctor tells her she is too anxious and needs to calm down. Having symptoms dismissed, misdiagnosed or ignored, often with devastating consequences, is a scene played out all too often for women, says Dr Marjorie... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3313811/womens-longevity-heart-health-workplace-wellness-and-more-focus-hong-kong-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3313811/womens-longevity-heart-health-workplace-wellness-and-more-focus-hong-kong-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung It’s not news that around the world, women are disproportionately hampered by regressive state policies and lack of funding, with either or both restricting their rights to medical access, but there’s also an increasing number of women-led start-ups and companies seeking to challenge the status quo. To address the issues, Hong Kong will host the inaugural Women’s Health in Focus: A Global Summit, on June 16 and 17. As Hong Kong’s first large-scale symposium dedicated to women’s health, the event... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3313268/new-womens-health-summit-hong-kong-highlights-femtech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3313268/new-womens-health-summit-hong-kong-highlights-femtech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:00:09 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Japan is facing a severe demographic crisis, marked by a historic low in its birth rate alongside a rapidly ageing population. In 2024, the number of babies born in the country fell to 686,061, marking the first time this figure has dropped below 700,000 since record-keeping began in 1899, according to a health ministry announcement on Wednesday. Births dropped by 41,227, or 5.7 per cent, from the previous year. It was only two years ago, in 2022, that the figure fell below the 800,000 birth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3313204/japans-birth-rate-falls-record-low-critical-demographic-crisis-unfolds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3313204/japans-birth-rate-falls-record-low-critical-demographic-crisis-unfolds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:22:58 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Vietnam is planning to impose stiffer penalties for gender-based sex selection in pregnancy, as the government scrambles to address a deepening imbalance in the country’s birth sex ratio – one of the worst in Asia. A draft proposal from the health ministry would raise the maximum fine for such violations to 100 million Vietnamese dong (US$3,800), more than triple the current penalty. Offences covered include disclosing the sex of a fetus, performing or facilitating sex-selective abortions,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3313075/vietnam-plans-tougher-penalties-curb-illegal-sex-selection-amid-rising-birth-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3313075/vietnam-plans-tougher-penalties-curb-illegal-sex-selection-amid-rising-birth-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:41:26 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Are you a smoker – or does someone you love smoke? If so, you, or they, have almost certainly had family, friends or colleagues give them reasons to stop. On World No Tobacco Day, we are reminded that most smokers themselves would like to quit – even if they will not admit it. In 2022, more than two-thirds (67.7 per cent) of the 28.8 million US adults who smoked cigarettes wanted to quit, more than half (53.3 per cent) tried to quit, but fewer than 10 per cent succeeded, according to the US... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3312441/5-ways-smoking-causes-damage-beyond-lungs-and-heart-and-issues-herpes-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3312441/5-ways-smoking-causes-damage-beyond-lungs-and-heart-and-issues-herpes-infertility?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 20:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French scientist Etienne-Emile Baulieu, the inventor of the abortion pill, died at the age of 98 at his home in Paris on Friday, his wife said. The doctor and researcher, who achieved worldwide renown for his work that led to the pill, had an eventful life that included fighting in the French resistance and becoming friends with artists such as Andy Warhol. “His research was guided by his commitment to the progress made possible by science, his dedication to women’s freedom, and his desire to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312548/abortion-pill-inventor-etienne-emile-baulieu-dies-aged-98?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3312548/abortion-pill-inventor-etienne-emile-baulieu-dies-aged-98?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 18:09:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A bomb exploded on Saturday outside a US fertility clinic, killing one person in what the FBI labelled a terror attack. The blast tore through downtown Palm Springs, California, ripping a hole in the clinic and blowing out the windows and doors of nearby buildings. “Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism,” Akil Davis, the head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office told reporters near the site of the fatal explosion. “This is probably one of the largest bombing investigations... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3310783/1-killed-bomb-attack-california-fertility-clinic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3310783/1-killed-bomb-attack-california-fertility-clinic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 22:19:10 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Fewer Malaysians are having children than ever before, as rising living costs and career pressures eclipse the desire to start a family in a nation that is already ageing at an alarming rate. The child-free trend has ignited fierce public debate, with religious leaders and government authorities alike worrying about the plummeting birth rate. Only 93,500 births were recorded in the first quarter of this year, according to official data released this week – an 11.5 per cent drop from the same... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3310666/malaysia-records-fewest-births-ever-fuelling-population-decline-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3310666/malaysia-records-fewest-births-ever-fuelling-population-decline-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 09:37:06 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan Have you ever had a cold sore? They are common, uncomfortable and can be hard to get rid of. But there is new hope on the horizon. Research has discovered that a protein in the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) – a virus that causes both cold sores and a small proportion of genital herpes, and which can lie dormant for extended periods – is required to activate the immune system and reawaken the virus when it is dormant. When the virus reawakens, it hijacks the body’s antiviral action, allowing it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3310104/herpes-virus-study-finds-trigger-cold-sore-outbreaks-could-lead-stopping-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3310104/herpes-virus-study-finds-trigger-cold-sore-outbreaks-could-lead-stopping-them?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 21:45:08 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The pregnancy of a 58-year-old woman in Hong Kong has sparked hopes for older women seeking to have children but also raised concerns about the risks of giving birth later in life. Chan Lai-lai, wife of local actor Brian Wong Chak-fung, told the Post on Saturday the recent announcement they were expecting their second daughter in September had been encouraging to a lot of women of a similar age in the city. “In fact, many people have privately messaged me, expressing that it has become a source... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3309876/pregnancy-58-year-old-hongkonger-sparks-hope-and-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3309876/pregnancy-58-year-old-hongkonger-sparks-hope-and-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2025 15:06:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters A groundbreaking Fifa-funded study at Kingston University will investigate whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles could be contributing to an alarming rise in career-threatening knee injuries in women’s soccer. The research comes after players including Arsenal’s Beth Mead, Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr have all suffered serious injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. Kerr, who is Australian,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3308591/uk-university-research-possible-menstrual-cycle-link-knee-injuries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3308591/uk-university-research-possible-menstrual-cycle-link-knee-injuries?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:19 +0000 Babies have been a priority for Hong Kong in recent years during its push to boost birth rates as the population ages. So it may have surprised some to see authorities turn away some of the growing number of non-local pregnant women arriving at the border without proper hospital bookings. The city has had a “zero-quota” policy for more than a decade. It was imposed after a large number of pregnant mainland women, whose husbands were not Hong Kong residents, showed up at emergency wards to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3307514/only-fair-hong-kong-have-rules-birth-gatecrashers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3307514/only-fair-hong-kong-have-rules-birth-gatecrashers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:45:08 +0000 Japan’s population fell to 120.3 million as of October 2024, official data showed on Monday, marking a record fall of 898,000 people from the previous year. Japan’s birth rate is among the lowest in the world, a trend which has meant having a shrinking workforce, fewer consumers and businesses fighting to recruit workers. It was the largest fall on record since the government began collecting comparable data in 1950, according to the internal affairs ministry. The government has been trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3306475/japans-population-sees-record-fall-amid-all-time-low-birth-rate-affecting-workforce-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3306475/japans-population-sees-record-fall-amid-all-time-low-birth-rate-affecting-workforce-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:18:05 +0000 A large new study adds to evidence that diabetes during pregnancy is linked with an increased risk of brain and nervous system problems in children, including autism, researchers say. Whether diabetes actually causes those problems remains unclear. But when mothers have diabetes while pregnant, children are 28 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder, according to an analysis of data pooled from 202 earlier studies involving more than 56 million mother-child... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305645/more-evidence-diabetes-pregnancy-linked-higher-autism-adhd-risks-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305645/more-evidence-diabetes-pregnancy-linked-higher-autism-adhd-risks-children?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:45:07 +0000 Do you eat breakfast? If so, what do you have? The first meal of the day has long been seen as the most important, with research showing links between having breakfast and better health through lower incidence of diabetes and heart disease and a lower body mass index. The rise in popularity of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating has prompted many people to skip breakfast, however, and sparked a debate about this meal’s importance. We asked four experts in nutrition, three of them in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305264/what-best-eat-breakfast-we-asked-4-nutrition-experts-describe-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305264/what-best-eat-breakfast-we-asked-4-nutrition-experts-describe-theirs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 23:45:07 +0000 The development and regulation of assisted human reproduction is often torn between technology and morality. To many with little knowledge in the field, the idea of allowing people to store their sperm, eggs and embryos indefinitely for future use, compared to the existing 10-year cap under the law, raises more than a few eyebrows. But the proposed change is not only seen as giving workaholic Hongkongers more flexibility in family planning, but also conducive to boosting the low birth rate and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3304177/move-embryos-help-family-planning-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3304177/move-embryos-help-family-planning-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Mar 2025 22:45:07 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hongkongers who have to store their eggs, sperm or embryos for later use could have them kept for as long as they want under proposed changes by a statutory body to the existing rules. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology raised the suggestions on Thursday and launched a month-long public consultation. Among the proposals is the lifting of legal restrictions on the storage period of gametes or embryos for personal use, which is currently capped at 10 years. The Post looks at the proposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3302457/could-indefinite-embryo-storage-lead-baby-boom-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3302457/could-indefinite-embryo-storage-lead-baby-boom-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2025 11:30:44 +0000 Better sleep, less stress, stronger immune system – are these the results of a better diet? Or maybe exercise? It is just from “good sex”, says Candice Hargons, a psychologist and professor at Emory University, in the US state of Georgia, who holds a doctorate in counselling psychology and is the author of Good Sex: Stories, Science, and Strategies for Sexual Liberation. She also leads the Smasher Lab – the school’s Study of Mental And Sexual Health Equity in Relationships laboratory. Hargons... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3302165/how-improve-your-sex-life-and-intimacy-better-health-and-stronger-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3302165/how-improve-your-sex-life-and-intimacy-better-health-and-stronger-immunity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang A Chinese-led study has held out hope for a therapeutic solution to erectile dysfunction (ED) – using advanced biomedical 3D printing to treat the condition in animals in a world first. ED affects more than 40 per cent of men aged 40 and above. The team of researchers used hydrogel-based bioinks to develop a 3D-printed penile implant system able to anatomically replicate all functional components of natural erectile tissue. The animal subjects – pigs and rabbits – exhibited restored erectile... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3302201/chinese-scientists-create-worlds-first-3d-printed-male-sex-organ-ed-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3302201/chinese-scientists-create-worlds-first-3d-printed-male-sex-organ-ed-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Men with the best quality sperm live two to three years longer than those with the lowest quality, a new study has found. Testing semen in this way could one day be used to predict and prevent future health problems, researchers suggest. For the study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, academics analysed data from 78,284 men in Denmark between 1965 and 2015. The men had their semen quality assessed during the period because of reported couple infertility. Those with a higher total... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3301493/men-high-sperm-counts-live-longer-those-lowest-quality-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3301493/men-high-sperm-counts-live-longer-those-lowest-quality-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Polish abortion rights activists opened a centre across from the parliament building in Warsaw on Saturday where women can go to have abortions with pills, either alone or with other women. Opening the centre on International Women’s Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. A small but loud group of protesters demonstrated outside the “Abotak” centre as activists... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3301647/polish-activists-open-abortion-centre-front-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3301647/polish-activists-open-abortion-centre-front-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:20:59 +0000