Painful intercourse and sexual dysfunction are very common among patients with chronic pelvic pain conditions. Pelvic myofascial pain is strongly associated with painful intercourse that leads to restriction of sexual activity, even after accounting for other factors that are commonly associated with painful intercourse and sexual dysfunction, such as endometriosis and depression. Prompt assessment for pelvic myofascial pain via a comprehensive, standardised pelvic floor muscle exam can facilitate timely and effective treatment for patients who report painful intercourse.

Men who engage in sex work are disproportionately affected by conditions that worsen their sexual health. We sought to investigate how certain conditions influence having many non-steady condomless sex partners, and we found that polydrug use, homophobic abuse and alcohol dependency are important conditions that may worsen the sexual health of male sex workers. There is an interplay between contextual and behavioural factors that impact prevention efforts, and this needs to be considered for the global health of men who sell sex.

Midwives play a crucial part in providing comprehensive care for pregnant women, yet many feel unprepared to address sexual health issues. Our study reveals that the majority of midwives in Guangdong Province are eager for more training in sexual health education, with a strong preference for online courses. Enhancing midwives’ knowledge in this area can significantly improve the quality of care and support for pregnant women, ensuring their overall wellbeing.

This Editorial highlights recent publications included in a new Collection for Sexual Health on using technology to optimise sexual health. By leveraging innovations such as rapid diagnostic tools, mobile health (mHealth), self-testing and artificial-intelligence-powered tools, we can empower individuals to take control of their sexual health, reducing risks and enhancing accessibility.

Our analysis, framed through a minority stress model, reveals distal and proximal stressors relating to living with HIV. Participants had experienced or were aware of institutionalised discrimination towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) across various aspects of their lives. Participants highlighted the role of anticipated stigma and the stress of concealment. An anti-discrimination framework, enforceable by law, on the institutional treatment of PLHIV would address unpredictability, address the manifold unknowns surrounding discriminatory experiences and improve their quality of life.

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) stigma targets youth who are sexually active, parenting and/or seeking SRH services, and presents barriers to accessing SRH services. We examined trajectories of adolescent SRH stigma over 2 years among urban refugee youth in Uganda. We found two trajectories of adolescent SRH stigma – consistently high and sustained low – and unemployment, having children, recent multiple sex partners, higher depression and living in Uganda longer were associated with the consistently high adolescent SRH stigma trajectory.

Mouthwash is a commonly used product with the potential to prevent the transmission of STIs. Our results found that frequent mouthwash use was associated with lower chlamydia prevalence, lower condom use and more sexual partners, suggesting potential STIs prevention among men who have sex with men. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

HIV/AIDS acquired through sexual transmission remains a major contributor to global burden of health. We used the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to estimate the global burden of HIV/AIDS acquired through sexual transmission in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019, and we found it accounted for ~695.8 thousand deaths and 36.4 million disability-adjusted life years in 2019. Efforts should be made to improve access to education and contraceptives in high-risk regions.