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Women

Women is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on women's medicine and healthcare published quarterly online by MDPI. 

Quartile Ranking JCR - Q2 (Womens Studies)

All Articles (192)

This study examined the consistency between clinical criteria, assigned priority level, and waiting time for elective hysterectomy, assessing whether higher priority translates into faster surgical access. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 846 women who underwent the procedure between January 2018 and January 2024 at a public hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. The median waiting time was 6 months (IQR: 3–10), with wide variability ranging from 0.5 to 53 months. All components of the clinical score were associated with higher priority levels, demonstrating adequate discriminative ability to identify patients at greater clinical risk. However, assigned priority was not associated with shorter waiting times. Criteria reflecting greater clinical vulnerability, including duration of symptoms (β = +2.50 months), age (β = +1.00), and cardiovascular disease (β = +1.00), were paradoxically associated with longer waiting times, whereas anemia was the only factor associated with reduced waiting time (β = −1.00). These findings reveal a marked discrepancy between formal prioritization and actual surgical scheduling, underscoring the need for more objective and equity-oriented criteria in the management of surgical waiting lists.

25 December 2025

Flow diagram illustrating patient selection for the study.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) such as prematurity, low birth weight, stillbirth, and birth defects remain significant global health challenges. While many risk factors are known, APOs encompass a wide range of outcomes with diverse, sometimes poorly understood etiologies. Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (PR-AKI) and liver injury are particularly associated with increased maternal and fetal mortality. This study investigated the association between hematological parameters, kidney and liver injury markers and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This cross-sectional study involved 714 pregnant women aged 18–40 years, conducted between August 2021 and August 2022. Maternal blood samples were collected before and after delivery to compare hematological parameters. Kidney and liver injury markers were measured using standard methods. The study analysed the association of these parameters with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The median age of participants was 24 years (Q1, Q3: 21, 26). Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes had statistically significant serum creatinine levels [0.52 mg/dL (0.45, 0.58)] compared to those without [0.50 mg/dL (0.44, 0.56)], although the difference was not clinically significant. Elevated Aspartate Transaminase (AST) levels (>90th percentile) were statistically associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni corrections revealed significant differences in Hemoglobin (Hb), White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), platelet, and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) levels before and after delivery (p < 0.05) in both groups. Elevated AST levels, but not other hematological or biochemical parameters, were independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, whereas creatinine differences lacked clinical impact.

24 December 2025

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access

This systematic review aimed to identify psychosocial risk factors associated with the development of complicated perinatal grief in adult women who experienced pregnancy loss. Following PRISMA guidelines, comprehensive searches were conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases, covering 1990–2024. A total of 34 quantitative studies comprising 7872 participants were included, mainly using cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Findings indicate that complicated perinatal grief is a multifactorial condition influenced by personal variables (absence of living children, history of depression or PTSD, advanced maternal age, low education and income), obstetric factors (later gestational loss, multiple pregnancies, stillbirth, or neonatal death), and psychosocial factors (low social support, relationship conflict, violence, ostracism, and limited psychological care). Negative cognitions, rumination, and maladaptive coping strategies were also linked to prolonged symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. The review concludes that complicated perinatal grief is a multidimensional phenomenon determined by psychological, social, cultural, and medical factors and highlights the need to understand perinatal loss as a profoundly significant experience that affects women’s identity, relationships, and mental health. This evidence highlights the importance of emphasizing the identified risk factors that can lead to complicated grief.

18 December 2025

Women in vulnerable living situations with schizophrenia face intersecting challenges, including migration-related trauma, caregiving burdens, and systemic barriers such as cultural dislocation, limited healthcare access, and stigma. These factors heighten vulnerability compared with men and contribute to delayed diagnoses, poor treatment adherence, and adverse outcomes. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools offer potential support, though they should be regarded as complementary rather than stand-alone solutions. This review synthesizes literature on gender-specific care for women with schizophrenia, examining clinical, social, and reproductive needs alongside the impact of migration and psychosocial adversity. Emerging models, including women-focused psychiatric units, perinatal services, and community therapeutic spaces, illustrate holistic approaches that integrate the medical, psychological, and social dimensions of care. Digital interventions, such as smartphone applications, mobile health tools, and digital participation strategies, are considered supportive extensions that offer opportunities to improve access, reduce costs, and enhance continuity of care. Despite this promise, digital tools remain under-validated for women in precarious contexts. Ethical challenges, including algorithmic bias, data privacy risks, and the exclusion of undocumented or marginalized groups, further constrain equitable implementation. This review aims to articulate conceptual linkages among gender, migration, and digital innovation in schizophrenia care, identifying thematic patterns, ethical tensions, and structural limitations in the existing literature. The synthesis provides a foundation for future hypothesis development and interdisciplinary research to advance inclusive and equity-driven mental health interventions.

18 December 2025

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Women - ISSN 2673-4184