Medics tackling alcohol misuse
Health professionals are at the forefront of tackling the problem of alcohol misuse in our society. For many people, problem drinking may only be flagged...
Women’s Health
The Women’s Health section explores a wide range of topics relating to women’s health, including breast and ovarian cancer, fertility, childbirth, and sexual health. It emphasises the importance of a global, multidisciplinary approach to these issues, addressing challenges such as delayed endometriosis diagnoses and the impact of climate change on pregnant women. The section also delves into the psychological aspects of health, like managing ‘chemo-brain’ in breast cancer survivors, and explores the genetic links between conditions like endometriosis and IBS, highlighting the diverse and complex nature of women’s health concerns.
The secret history of the menopause
The menopause, which simply means stopping menstruation, marks the end of a woman’s reproductive life. In fact, it is a universal feature of all mammalian...
Why do we grow old?
Why do we grow old? Pick your theory for the causes of senescence, including damage to DNA over multiple replications of human cells; oxidative stress,...
Equality for intimacy
Twenty years ago, I and two colleagues wrote a book called The Sexual Politics of Disability, based on conversations with 44 disabled people about their...
Heat seeking cancer
Mammograms, or X-ray pictures of the breast, have been used for decades to detect early stage cancers. They are a useful tool but they have...
Why 13 year old girls are out of love with their labia
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...
Teen health
Teenagers need to adapt to changes in their bodies and emotions as they go through puberty. As a GP working in family health for the...
An emotional neurosurgeon anyone?
A few years ago, as I was attending a medical dinner in London with 500 or more senior medical colleagues, I was disturbed that the guest...
Posh hospitals for a better birth?
The BBC2 TV series, Five Star Babies: Inside the Portland Hospital, professed to be an ‘exclusive glimpse inside the UK’s only maternity hospital’ and presented...
Beating the clock – inducing labour
Having a baby is the most natural thing in the world. Or is it? Today’s new mothers are more likely than ever to go through...
