This month’s standout blogs offer both celebration and reflection. As Pride Month shines a light on the LGBTQIA+ community, several authors on the Research Communities have shared vital perspectives on advancing trans and gender-diverse health equity, from confronting transphobia in public health to highlighting inclusive research and clinical care.  

June also commemorates Cervical Screening Awareness Week, with insightful pieces from Research Communities’ authors exploring efforts to expand access to screening and treatment and improving understanding of cervical cancer, including important new evidence supporting the efficacy of single-dose HPV vaccination.  

Pride Month 

Pride Month is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ communities, held every June to honour the history, resilience, and ongoing struggle for equality. Rooted in activism and protest, Pride is not only a time to celebrate identity and love in all its forms, but also a reminder of the work still needed to achieve a safe, equitable, and inclusive society for all. 

Confronting Transphobia as a Public Health Crisis 

This blog by @Dean Connolly and @Alison Berner explains how transphobia in the UK has become a public health emergency. This Behind the Paper post, reflecting on the article from the International Journal for Equity in Health, outlines how transphobia operates across national policy, media, and everyday interactions to harm trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people. With stark evidence of worsening health outcomes, systemic neglect, and dangerously long waits for gender-affirming care, this blog calls for a multi-sector response, from research reform and inclusive policy to education and advocacy. 
 

This is a fascinating read for anyone invested in health equity and social justice. Read the full blog to understand what must change and how we can act. 

Advancing Transgender Health Equity: A Global Call for Inclusive Care 

A growing body of research demonstrates how transgender individuals face poorer health outcomes and widespread barriers to access care. In response to this, the International Journal for Equity in Health, has launched a dedicated article collection examining these disparities through the lens of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) - to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This From the Editors blog by @Rita Moreirareflects on the systemic discrimination that persists in healthcare settings, including troubling biases among providers, and the urgent need for reform, education, and structural change.  

Transgender Care and Beyond: How IJIR is Shaping the Future of Sexual Medicine 

The IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal explains how sexual and reproductive health is not a one-size-fits all. This blog from our From the Editors channel written by @Virginia Mercerexplains how the IJIR is committed to advocating for health equity across all sexes and genders. IJIR is championing research that goes beyond the physical to include psychological, hormonal, and social dimensions of care. The Transgender Care collection showcases advance in gender-affirming treatments and underscores the journal’s broader mission to close research gaps and promote well-being for all in line with the  Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being.  

Read more about this evolving field and explore how IJIR is pushing for inclusive, evidence-based care.  

Cervical Screening Awareness Week  

Cervical Screening Awareness Week, held each June, is a UK-wide initiative to highlight the importance of cervical screening (smear tests) in preventing cervical cancer. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness, address barriers to access, and encourage conversations that help more people understand the role of early detection and vaccination in protecting long-term health. 

Understanding the WHO’s 90-70-90 Campaign 

The WHO’s 90-70-90 initiative sets ambitious goals to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide: vaccinate 90% of girls by age 15, screen 70% of women by ages 35 and 45, and ensure 90% receive timely treatment. This blog, written by @Manuela Cazzanti, breaks down the recommended screening strategies for both general and high-risk populations, highlighting innovative approaches like the Point-of-Care strategy that combines diagnosis and treatment in a single visit.  

For a clear overview of these critical strategies shaping the future of cervical cancer prevention, read the full blog. 

One Dose HPV Vaccine: New Evidence from Fiji Supporting Global Cervical Cancer Prevention 

This insightful Behind the Paper blog highlights groundbreaking research from Fiji, a country with one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the Pacific. The study, published in Nature Communications by @Zheng Quan Toh  @Chau Quang and @A/Prof Paul Licciardi, followed girls vaccinated with one, two, or three doses of the HPV vaccine over six years and revealed that even a single dose offers durable immune protection, comparable to that of multiple doses. This evidence underpins the WHO’s recent recommendation of a one-dose schedule, improving vaccine accessibility worldwide. With ongoing long-term studies and regional collaborations, this work is shaping the future of HPV vaccination programs globally. Discover how this unique research is advancing cervical cancer prevention.  

June also marks Sickle Cell Awareness Month in the UK, a vital opportunity to spotlight a disease that disproportionately affects the Black community and has long been underfunded and misunderstood. In a powerful Q&A blog written by @India Sapsed-Foster, @Marlene Stewart and @Flora Okumagba  - members of Springer Nature’s Black Employee Network— the authors explore the genetic roots of the disease, barriers to diagnosis and treatment, and the urgent need for improved education, mental health support, and equitable care. They also highlight promising breakthroughs, including NHS approval of Voxelotor and gene-editing therapies, which offer real hope for the future. Read the full post to hear directly from those driving awareness and change. 

Whether raising awareness, amplifying underrepresented voices, or pushing the boundaries of public health research, this month’s blogs remind us that inclusion and equity are not side notes, they are central to meaningful progress. 

Don’t forget to like and start conversations in the comment section of the posts you enjoy. Is there more you would like to learn from the author? Let them know in the comments!    

Further reading:    

• May highlights from Medicine and Life Sciences Research Communities    

• June highlights from the Humanities and Social Sciences Communities    

• June highlights from the Mathematics, Physical & Applied Sciences Communities