It’s 8th March, therefore making it International Women’s Day #IWD2026. I wrote back in 2018 about the importance of the day, marking the achievements of women globally and how there is still much work to be done. I felt optimistic, equality hadn’t been achieved, but it felt like we were going in the right direction. Sadly, come 2026, eight years…
One year ago, whilst breastfeeding my newborn son, I had mastitis which turned into a life-threatening breast abscess, “the worst case seen in a long time”. It took 7 months to recover from: 12 breast specialists, 3 surgeons, 20 procedures, 500ml removed from my breast – plus a fight to have my baby stay with me in hospital. I hope…
Being pregnant can feel like a bit of a minefield – you just try and get from one trimester to the next, but as soon as your phone picks up on the fact that you’re with child, you’re bombarded with baby items, sponsored posts and a whole lot more. But what do you actually need?! I really didn’t want to…
You have probably heard of the gender pay gap, but have you heard of the gender pain gap? With the ongoing IUD debate, why is female pain still not taken seriously? Nine years after coming off all hormonal contraception medication, I still suffer the side-effects. Rewind back in 2013: My mental headspace was in chaos. Depressed, unmotivated and very, very…
Over a period of two years (no pun intended), I’ve been researching female intimate products. What I’ve found is disturbing. Sanitary & hygiene products, condoms AND cheap sex toys are so unregulated that they are physically damaging women’s bodies, which can lead to infertility and cancer. It also begs the question: why is this information not readily available, and why…
Whatever your age or gender, knowing your body and being aware of the symptoms of breast cancer is really important. It sounds a bit scary, but it’s really important to know that in the UK 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. And guys listen up, as around 400 men a year will be…
Hello lovely readers! Well, what a year it’s been so far – who’d have thought a few months ago that we’d be living in such a historically significant moment (and no, surprisingly I’m not actually referring to Brexit). We find ourselves in a bubble of time which none of us have really experienced before – the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has…
It’s HPV Awareness Day and never has it been more important to be aware of HPV, the vaccinations available and the importance of having your smear test. What is HPV? HPV (human papillomavirus) refers to a common type of virus which affects your skin and moist membranes lining parts of your body such as the mouth, throat and genital area like the…
Guest post by Rebecca TRIGGER WARNING This article or section, or pages it links to, contains information about suicidal thought, depression and anxiety which may be triggering or distressing for some Childhood Is it strange to be jealous of your ten year old self? I was the type of child that would make up dance routines to my Steps CD…
Young people with a learning disability are being denied sex-positive relationships and sex education due to societal stigma The theme for Sexual Health Week 2019 is sex, relationships and disability.Supported by Brook charity – Brook believes that every young person should have equal access to quality relationships and sex education, sexual health services and wellbeing support. 80% of professionals delivering…
Knocking my fav, LELO’s Hex, off the top of the charts… Hanx condoms are officially the best condom on the market. Who are Hanx? Never heard of them? HANX was made with women in mind. No flashy packaging or over-the-top features, just condoms that women want. Made with 100% natural and fair trade latex, their vegan certified condoms are ultra-thin…
Um… can I just repeat this: 58% OF UK ADULTS HAVE NEVER HAD AN STI TEST. Really?? This can’t be true, right? Let’s talk about sex…ually transmitted infections. As possibly one of the biggest taboos and causes of embarrassment with regards to sex and dating, never has it been more important to be able to speak about STIs. Many issues around this relationship between being sexually…
Written by Aimee from The E Word Endometriosis. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. Considering 1 in 10 women in the UK suffer from it, it surprises me how little it’s actually spoken about. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus (the endometrium) grows outside of your uterus, causing numerous different…
I know you know you need it. I know you think “nothing is wrong with me”. I know it’s a daunting, unpleasant idea, plus requires taking time off work or organising, but it really could save your life. New research has shown that nearly a third of women ignored their latest invitation for an appointment, and screening rates are at their…
We all know how it is – you got jiggy with it, but something didn’t go quite as expected and you need the morning after pill. Shock, horror – people have sex and sometimes even with precautions in place, we find ourselves in need of emergency contraception. What’s troubling with this, however, is that still, in 2018, taking emergency contraception…
Yesterday marked the beginning of Sexual Health Week 2018 – an annual campaign run by sexual health charity FPA to help raise awareness of various issues within sexual health. This year’s theme is consent, and judging by the research released by FPA today, we’re in urgent need of more education and information surrounding consent. Over the last year or two,…
Sex is great. Amazingly, mind-blowingly fantastic, even. It’s one of the best parts of the human experience: the intimacy, the connection, the intense pleasure… you get what I’m saying. Unfortunately with sex, comes the unpleasant truth: the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STIs). I’m not going to bore you with what you probably already know – we all…
Written by an anonymous contributor. I would like to preface this by emphasising that I am neither a doctor, nor was I professionally diagnosed with an eating disorder. However, I wanted to share my experiences regarding my self-image and related obsessive behaviours and thought processes, an issue that many people struggle with at one time or another. You may be…
Today is Time to Talk Day. It’s a chance for all of us to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen, to change lives. Mental illness still has a massive stigma attached to it, which we as a society are hyper-aware of. Personally, I hate talking about my mental health, especially out loud. But what I’ve…
It’s World Mental Health Day 2017, and it’s time to talk and educate people about what it is, how it affects people differently, and why it’s so important to rid mental health of it’s stigma. I have to start by saying that frankly, mental health is a taboo subject. I write about my own mental health, my anxiety and my…
