Women's HealthX Blog

Gestational diabetes diagnoses in England rose by 60% between 2018 and 2022, with the condition now affecting more than one in eight pregnancies.

The findings highlight significant disparities and reinforce the need for stronger maternity care and long-term follow-up, as gestational diabetes is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and increased future cardiometabolic and cardiovascular risk.

Boston, MA -- August 25 2026: Maternal health technology continues to advance, but the challenge is not always whether new tools exist. Across maternity care, the way diagnostics are integrated into clinical workflows, connected across the care journey, and translated into action can determine how useful they are for healthcare professionals and patients.

Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX, Dr. Andrea Willis, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee, Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health, Director and Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School of Medicine, and Dr. Katherine Arnold, Program Manager, ARPA-H, discuss which maternal health diagnostics are most in need of modernization and what is holding progress back.

Maternal health outcomes are often discussed through the lens of clinical interventions, diagnostics and treatment pathways. However, according to Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, many of the most significant challenges facing women occur not because solutions do not exist, but because healthcare systems struggle to deliver continuous, coordinated support across the maternity journey. Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX,

Boston, MA -- August 25 2026: Some of the most serious maternity risks can escalate quickly, yet their earliest signs may resemble common experiences during pregnancy or postpartum recovery. 

Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX, Dr. Andrea Willis, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee, Dr. Kate Arnold, Program Manager, ARPA-H and Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health Director and Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School of Medicine, discuss why early risk identification remains challenging and what healthcare professionals and systems should prioritize.

Boston, MA -- August 25 2026: Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery form a continuous healthcare journey. Yet the way care is delivered does not always reflect that continuity.

Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX, Dr. Andrea Willis, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee, Dr. Kate Arnold, Program Manager, ARPA-H and Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health Director and Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School of Medicine, discuss why women continue to fall through gaps between primary care, maternity services, and postnatal care, and what healthcare professionals and systems should consider when strengthening continuity.

Boston, MA -- August 25 2026: Translating scientific evidence into consistent clinical practice remains a central challenge in maternal care. While evidence may already exist around practices that can improve outcomes, implementation can vary across workflows, institutions, and patient populations.

Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX, Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health, Director and Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Katherine Arnold, Program Manager, ARPA-H, and Dr. Andrea Willis, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee, discuss where the gap between scientific evidence and clinical practice persists and what healthcare leaders should consider when translating evidence into care.

Boston, MA -- August 25 2026: Maternity benefits can influence more than employee wellbeing. For employers, the way women are supported through pregnancy, parental leave, and the return to work can also affect retention, attendance, productivity, and broader workforce outcomes.

Speaking ahead of Women's HealthX, Dr. Katherine Arnold, Program Manager, ARPA-H, Dr. Andrea Willis, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Tennessee, and Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health, Director and Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School of Medicine, discuss how maternity benefits can support employees while also creating measurable value for organizations.

Women's HealthX has officially confirmed Foravisét as exclusive Lead Research Partner for the upcoming 2026 U.S. Women's Health Infrastructure Report. Find out more about what they will do for it and for Women's HeathX this December.

Women's HealthX is delighted to announce Fuze Health as a Diamond Sponsor of Women's HealthX 2026, taking place December 3-4 at Encore Boston Harbor.

Wouldn't it be great to get a snapshot of what your peers, partners and counterparties thoughts are on some of 2026's most compelling topics across the U.S. healthcare system? Read on...

Women's health has been held back by siloed ways of working, limited women's data, discussions that focus on challenges without presenting solutions, and conferences that fail to create meaningful connections. That's exactly what we're changing at Women's HealthX.

We've created a platform that brings the entire women's health ecosystem together to share evidence-based insights, showcase innovative solutions, foster collaboration, and build the partnerships needed to drive real progress across women's health.

Here are 5 reasons you should attend, according to Joanna Magaji, Senior Conference Producer of Women's HealthX.

Read the full blog to find out more.

Two innovative endometriosis tests, EndoSure and Endotest, have been recommended by NICE for temporary NHS use in England and Wales, offering the potential to significantly reduce the average nine-year wait for diagnosis.

The non-invasive technologies aim to help identify endometriosis earlier, enabling faster treatment and reducing the need for diagnostic surgery.

The tests will be used for three years while further evidence is gathered, marking an important step toward improving outcomes for the millions of women affected by the condition.

With thanks to our media partner, FemTech World, for providing this article.

New research suggests that women with PMOS (previously known as PCOS) may face a fourfold higher risk of heart disease, even after accounting for other cardiovascular risk factors.

The findings highlight the importance of earlier diagnosis, routine cardiovascular screening, and greater awareness among both healthcare professionals and patients to help reduce long-term health risks.

Researchers are also calling for further studies into how treatments such as GLP-1 medications and hormonal contraception may influence cardiovascular outcomes in women with PMOS.

With thanks to our media partner, FemTech World, for providing this article.

To mark Endometriosis Awareness Month, Women’s HealthX is excited to announce that Padma Lakshmi will join the event as a keynote speaker, bringing one of the most influential voices in women’s health advocacy to the stage.

Boston, March 30 2026 - New York Times bestselling author and Emmy nominated host and executive producer of Hulu’s Taste the Nation, Padma Lakshmi, is widely recognized for her impact across media, culture, and advocacy. Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2023, she has become a leading voice in women’s health through her advocacy on endometriosis.

Having spoken openly about her own experience with the condition, Lakshmi has helped raise awareness of delayed diagnosis, chronic pain, and systemic gaps in care. As Co-Founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, she has played a key role in advancing education, research, and policy attention for a disease that affects millions globally.

At Women’s HealthX, Lakshmi will headline a fireside chat titled The Invisible Disease: What Endometriosis Reveals About the Future of Women’s Health. Endometriosis remains widely misunderstood, underfunded, and frequently diagnosed years too late. Using the condition as a case study, the session will explore broader systemic challenges across women’s health, from research inequities to clinical blind spots.

February 25, 2026, Boston — Women's HealthX (WoHX) is the number one event in women's health, unifying the full lifecycle of female healthcare through data, science, and evidence-based innovation to close the sex difference data gap and drive better clinical outcomes for women worldwide.

On December 3–4, 2026 in Boston, WoHX will bring together 750 global leaders from pharma and biotech, hospitals and health systems, health insurers, employers, investors, startups, and government, all actively seeking proven technologies, data, and partners to advance women's health care, research, and outcomes across the life course.

Unlike any other event, WoHX goes beyond discussion to focus on implementation of representative data sets to drive meaningful change. The exhibition directly addresses the conditions that affect women differently and disproportionately, across every stage of life.