{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,26]],"date-time":"2026-10-26T18:00:20Z","timestamp":1793037620426,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,3]],"date-time":"2025-12-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764720000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":2,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Parasitology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) remains a neglected sexual and reproductive health (SRH) condition, predominantly affecting women and girls in sub\u2010Saharan Africa. Infection with\n                    <jats:italic>Schistosoma haematobium<\/jats:italic>\n                    , resulting in trapped parasite eggs in the genital tract, causes lesions that mimic sexually transmitted infections and cervical neoplasia, often leading to misdiagnosis, stigma and delayed treatment. This review summarises current developments on FGS burden, prevention, diagnostics, integration, policy, community engagement and identifies critical threats to progress. Ongoing surveys show promise in ensuring robust burden estimates and age\u2010related risk data. Diagnostic advances include portable colposcopy, digital image analysis techniques and molecular assays, although limitations persist in resource\u2010limited settings. Praziquantel remains the cornerstone of treatment, yet single\u2010dose regimens inadequately reverse established lesions; repeated dosing shows improved parasite clearance but limited lesion regression, highlighting the necessity for early, life\u2010course preventive chemotherapy including access to paediatric praziquantel. Successful programmatic pilots have developed training curricula, minimum service packages, community engagement tools and have integrated FGS care into SRH platforms. Policy momentum is building through World Health Organization taskforces and national strategies, yet sustainable financing remains a challenge. Key threats include bilateral aid reductions, climate change, emerging infections, rising healthcare costs and persistent gender inequities. To address these challenges, we propose seven priority actions, encompassing all health system building blocks, for the global community. Nationally coordinated, multisectoral efforts are urgently required to embed FGS prevention, diagnosis and management within broader health systems, thereby improving outcomes for affected women and girls.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s0031182025101297","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,3]],"date-time":"2025-12-03T04:45:13Z","timestamp":1764737113000},"page":"1570-1577","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Now, more than ever, it\u2019s time to address the neglect of female genital schistosomiasis"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"152","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3866-2232","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiona M.","family":"Fleming","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unlimit Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ashley","family":"Preston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unlimit Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anthony Kerkula","family":"Bettee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministry of Health and Social Welfare"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norbert","family":"Dje","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"de l\u2019Hygi\u00e8ne Publique et de la Couverture Maladie Universelle"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victoria","family":"Gamba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anouk","family":"Gouvras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Schistosomiasis Alliance"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Margaret","family":"Gyapong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Health and Allied Sciences"},{"name":"Georgetown University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julie","family":"Jacobson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bridges to Development"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christine","family":"Kalume","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Frontline AIDS"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4741-3374","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karsor K. K.","family":"Kollie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministry of Health and Social Welfare"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alain-Claver","family":"Kouamin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"de l\u2019Hygi\u00e8ne Publique et de la Couverture Maladie Universelle"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alison","family":"Krentel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa"},{"name":"Buy\u00e8re Health Research Institute"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth F.","family":"Long","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5219-6234","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Humphrey Deogratias","family":"Mazigo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Makia Christine","family":"Masong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Catholic University of Central Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0050-3463","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Akinola Stephen","family":"Oluwole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sightsavers"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leora","family":"Pillay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Frontline AIDS"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0267-1601","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ibrahim","family":"Rabiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gombe State University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bodo S.","family":"Randrianasolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Association K\u2019OLO VANONA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Florence","family":"Wakesho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministry of Health"},{"name":"University of Nairobi"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yael","family":"Velleman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unlimit Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/trac109"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12688\/wellcomeopenres.22429.2"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/trae026"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.13538"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref14","unstructured":"Expanded Special Project for Elimination of NTDs (2025) Breaking the Silence on a Neglected Women\u2019s Health Crisis . https:\/\/espen.afro.who.int\/updates-events\/updates\/new-regional-initiative-launched-address-neglect-female-genital"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fitd.2024.1322652"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref6","unstructured":"BRIGHT Academy (2015, February 1) Workshop on Female Genital Schistosomiasis\u2019 impact on HIV . https:\/\/brightresearch.org\/workshop-on-female-genital-schistosomiasis-impact-on-hiv\/"},{"key":"S0031182025101297_ref15","unstructured":"FGS Integration Group. 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Published by Cambridge University Press.","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}]}}