40 for 40
Four decades of women's health thoughts and facts!
I’m doing something a little different for this month’s newsletter.
This weekend I turned 40. I had the most brilliant day.
Inspired by Emma Gannon, I want to share the forty things, thoughts and facts I’ve learnt in all my years on the planet. Mostly about women’s health but with a few sprinkles of extra wisdom in there too.
Enjoy!
You need pain relief for a coil or IUD fitting. Take all you’re offered.
The best way to work out if your periods are ‘normal’ is to ask your girlfriends.
If you're 40 and feeling everything is off, it could be perimenopause, it could be your mental health or it could be that the modern world asks too much of us (or a combination of all three). Go ask for some help.
It should be against the law to ask a woman if she intends to have children.
It never harms to have your GP appointment with a women’s health specialist, even if it’s got nothing to do with your gynaecological health.
There are many essential and brilliant women’s health innovations that will fail because men won’t get behind our health and that hurts to think about.
When you bleed while taking your break on the pill, it is not a period. It’s withdrawal bleeding. You do not need to have the seven-day break.
Everyone could benefit from some therapy.
The hymen is a stretchy tissue that differs in shape in all of us. For some of us, it barely exists at all. It does not act as a barrier and it is not ‘broken’. Let’s ditch these outdated ways of talking about our bodies.
Endometriosis is a multi-system disease, not a reproductive one. The sooner we treat it with multidisciplinary teams, the better.
The COVID vaccine did temporarily impact some people’s menstrual cycles. It doesn’t make you an anti-vaxxer to say that; it simply reinforces the need for more female-specific research. (And please, please get your vaccines).
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is real and it needs more attention.
Male hormonal contraception is coming. If we want it to work, we need to stop questioning if we trust men to use it.
We have no confirmed scientific rationale for why humans go through menopause - only theories.
Women are 27% less likely to receive bystander CPR compared to men.
Everyone who goes through childbirth should be given a medal via an Olympic-style ceremony.
There is a lot that medical professionals do not yet understand about women’s health and they should be more comfortable admitting that.
Online censorship of our bodies will result in more misinformation and confusion. Vagina is not a dirty word.
Be careful of ‘medical professionals’ who promote supplements as though they are miracle cures. Check who owns a stake in the company.
Vaginal oestrogen is safe for most to use and can be really effective at preventing recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in peri- and post-menopausal women.
Use an electric toothbrush or a vibrator to help with any blocked ducts when breastfeeding.
Our bones need resistance training to remain strong. Weights and jumping are our friends.
We’ve normalised pissing ourselves and it needs to stop. Get your pelvic floor checked.
I’ve only recently got my head around the fact that I control my thoughts. Dismiss those that hurt you.
Our menstrual cycle should be treated as a vital sign. We should talk about it at every health or social care interaction.
Get your ferritin levels tested. One in three women of reproductive age in the UK is iron deficient.
Certain things that felt good for my body at 20, don’t feel so great at 40. That’s not a loss, it’s a transition.
Phrases like ‘clinically-tested’ or ‘evidence-based’ do not necessarily mean a product has been rigorously tested. Do your own research and thoroughly check the study sources.
I don’t think we have enough information or evidence to back cycle-synced workouts yet.
An MS Forms survey is not a clinical trial.
Women’s health founders don’t need anymore mentors or free marketing packages; they need investment.
We all need to be vigilant about bias in AI.
Breastfeeding is one of the hardest ‘natural’ things you can do.
We should all be very excited that several billionaires are now choosing to invest in women’s health research.
The best way to do your part for women’s health is to talk openly about your body and participate in research where you can.
Your day will always feel better after a Juice and Toya workout.
Brain health is a core part of women’s health - conditions affecting the brain, such as migraines and anxiety disorders, disproportionately impact women.
Accepting help is a skill. One I’m still trying to master.
I am truly excited by what the next 40 years will bring for our bodies.
Wear sunscreen.
Thanks very much for reading,
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