Despite ovarian cancer being the 7th most common cancer in women, many women are unaware of the symptoms, resulting in 2/3 of diagnoses being made after cancer has already spread. The common symptoms of ovarian cancer (constantly feeling bloated, abdominal, or pelvic pain, feeling full quickly after eating, or an increased need to urinate) can…
Intrauterine devices, or the coil, are an effective contraceptive option. However, their fitting can often be very painful for women, and anaesthesia is not readily provided, and the pain is expected to be accepted.
With 1 in 8 women estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, I would be very surprised if you or someone you know has not been affected by breast cancer (1). Thankfully, the mortality rate of breast cancer is declining worldwide, partly due to early detection (2). This blog aims to raise…
Over a year ago, I wrote my first blog post on my 10 top tips as a Medical Writer Intern. Looking back, it’s interesting to note that many of those tips still hold true now and are a good reminder of how far I have come as a writer (progressing from Intern to Junior Medical…
Uterine fibroids represent the most common tumour in women; this is a monoclonal tumour consisting of an abundance of extracellular matrices that bury disordered uterine smooth muscle cells [1]. The incidence is estimated to be 20–40% in women during their reproductive years, and there is extreme heterogeneity between fibroid size, location, composition, and symptomatology [1].…
From a young age, I have always wanted equality. It never mattered to me what someone’s gender, sex, sexuality, race, ethnicity, nationality, religious disposition, or socio-economic status was, what mattered was whether they were a nice person or not. Most of the categories I listed above are beyond people’s control, but the response to all…
Childbirth can be one of the most painful events in a woman’s life. Coupled with the social, hormonal, and physical changes that accompany birth, it is no wonder that women feel emotionally overwhelmed following the delivery of their baby. This feeling is so common that it is often referred to as ‘baby blues’, which shockingly…
What is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT)? HT is a thyroid autoimmune disease, whereby the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid tissue. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower neck, responsible for producing hormones that play a vital role in regulating metabolism. HT disproportionally affects women, estimated to be diagnosed 10 times more…
What is pre-eclampsia? Pre-eclampsia is a condition where the blood flow between the mother and the baby is disrupted because the placenta does not receive enough blood from the mother’s body. It can occur in, or soon after, pregnancy, and although the exact causes are unclear, it is thought to be caused by problems with…
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed glaring social, economic, political, and health inequalities, and has further widened the gap between the most privileged and most vulnerable communities across the globe. Women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and all gender-diverse individuals are subject to unique healthcare disparities that this pandemic has exacerbated (1). Healthcare…