Women’s Health: Top Stories of 2025

In 2025, the landscape of women’s health was defined by a push for expanded autonomy set against a backdrop of urgent public health challenges. This year’s top stories reflect that dual reality. There was the arrival of groundbreaking innovations, like the first new copper intrauterine device (IUD) in decades and a novel class of urinary tract infection (UTI) antibiotics, alongside alarming data on rising maternal cardiovascular mortality.

From the quiet approval of generic medication for abortion to the expansion of over-the-counter options, here are the most-read women’s health stories of 2025. Plus, you can see all our women’s health coverage here.

FDA Approves First Non-Hormonal Copper IUD in Over 40 Years

The FDA has approved Miudella, marking the first new hormone-free copper IUD option for U.S. patients in over 4 decades. Designed with a flexible nitinol frame and utilizing less than half the copper dose of currently available models, Miudella addresses common barriers to use by potentially reducing side effects like pain and heavy bleeding. The approval was based on data from 3 clinical trials, which demonstrated high efficacy, maintaining a Pearl Index—pregnancies per 100 person-years—of approximately 1.0 through 3 years of use, offering a long-awaited alternative for those seeking highly effective, long-term, non-hormonal contraception.

"Considering it has been 4 decades since we've been able to offer women a new hormone-free IUD option, I find the clinical data supporting Miudella efficacy and safety to be very exciting," David K. Turok, MD, MPH, principal investigator on trials evaluating Miudella, said in a release. "This innovative intrauterine device may allow for improvements in discontinuation rates due to pain and bleeding and in expulsion rates. This would be very meaningful for women looking for hormone-free options."

Maternal Deaths Due to Cardiovascular Disease Doubled in US Since 1999

Maternal mortality due to cardiovascular disease surged from 3.6 to 9.1 per million women between 1999 and 2022, according to new data presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. The study highlights staggering disparities, with Black women experiencing mortality rates 3 times higher (21.9 per million) than White women (7.1 per million) and Southern states reporting the highest regional impact.

“Part of the reason this is happening is because heart disease and hypertension are becoming more and more prevalent, as are the conditions that are connected to heart disease, like diabetes and obesity,” Mohammad Ahabab Hossain, MD, lead author on the study and a resident physician at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said in a statement. “As a result, we wind up with more high-risk pregnancies. However, a lot of this is preventable. If a patient has a history of hypertension or other preexisting cardiovascular disease, that patient should be connected with a high-risk obstetrics clinic to receive the care they need."

FDA Approves Gepotidacin for Uncomplicated UTI

In March, the FDA approved gepotidacin (Blujepa), marking the first time in nearly 30 years that a new class of oral antibiotics has been cleared for uncomplicated UTIs. This first-in-class therapy inhibits bacterial DNA replication at a unique site, a mechanism designed to combat the rising challenge of antibiotic resistance. In phase 3 trials, gepotidacin demonstrated superior therapeutic success compared with traditional treatments, offering a critical new option for women suffering from recurrent infections. The approval was based on the data from the randomized, multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, double-dummy phase 3 studies EAGLE 2 and EAGLE 3.

FDA Quietly Approves Generic Mifepristone Tablet for Abortion

Right before the government shutdown in October, the FDA quietly approved a new abbreviated drug application for generic mifepristone (200 mg), certifying it as a bioequivalent and therapeutic equivalent to the brand-name Mifeprex 200 mg. While the federal approval reinforces the drug’s status as a safe and effective option for medication abortion, its availability remains heavily dictated by state-level "trigger laws" and evolving legislation since the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which revoked the constitutional right to abortion established in the Roe v Wade decision.

Nicole Cieri-Hutcherson, PharmD, BCPS, MSCP, FCCP, clinical associate professor at the University at Buffalo, emphasized that as clinical access shifts, pharmacists are increasingly vital in counseling patients on the medication's therapeutic effects and managing expectations regarding side effects and follow-up care.

Expansion of OTC Contraceptive Could Fill Reproductive Health Disparities

Over-the-counter (OTC) oral contraceptives are vital for underserved populations, particularly those who have had negative experiences with the healthcare system, according to a study published in Contraception. The research found that Black and Hispanic patients were 13.2% and 7.8% more likely, respectively, to utilize OTC options compared to prescription pills. By removing the barriers of clinician visits and potential provider stigma, expanded OTC access provides a critical pathway for rural, uninsured, and Medicaid-enrolled patients to exercise reproductive autonomy and secure effective pregnancy prevention.