Saliha is a patient at MSF’s women’s health clinic in Kamrangirchar, a densely populated slum in the south of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. She has survived abuse first from her father and then from her husband. She is, in some ways, typical of the women who come to the clinic. “Before, I had no […]
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and affects one in eight women during their lifetime. Risk factors include age and family history which you can’t change. However, according to the World Health Organisation, a third of breast cancer cases are thought to be preventable. ‘There is good evidence that […]
Sharing skills across borders is an important part of making a practical difference to improving women’s lives. I have always been a great supporter of global health programmes where young trainee doctors choose to spend a period of time in a host country to share their knowledge and skills and in turn benefit from the […]
Endometriosis is a common condition when pieces of the lining of the womb start growing elsewhere and causing problems. Usually, this occurs on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and surrounding tissue. 25-50 per cent of infertile women may have endometriosis. The lining tissue responds to hormones in the body, and can cause bleeding. Blood is an […]
As a half-Asian woman married to a French man, I appreciate how different countries and cultures have different attitudes to being a woman and in particular, the focus and extent to which we look after our bodies after having a baby. We focus so much on giving birth and too often forget the changes our […]
Read More… from No more squeamishness about pelvic floor exercises
“During Cervical Screening Awareness Week (13-19 June) Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s only dedicated charity for women affected by cervical cancer and abnormalities, wants to highlight the worrying lack of understanding of cervical cancer and cervical screening among women over 50. Cervical screening provides the best protection against cervical cancer, a disease that can […]
Thirty years ago, when I first started working as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in the NHS, I hardly ever saw a patient who was worried about the size and shape of her labia. If I did get a referral, it would be a genuine case where the woman had abnormal labia. Today, I see girls […]
Read More… from Why 13 year old girls are out of love with their labia