As the end of the year approaches, and I get myself ready to meet my friends on Zoom and fill out the Year Compass, I thought I'd also take a little bit of time to write a blog post reflecting on what I'll be taking away from the last twelve months. A global pandemic was... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was diagnosed with vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, lichen sclerosus and a few other related things. If you haven't run across any of those terms before, as a shorthand, my (vulva-vagina type) genitals are allergic to themselves and hurt in almost every conceivable way, although these days not all... Continue Reading →
Periods suck. I started mine when I was 12, so have been having them monthly for over three decades now. Menstruation is a messy thing for a body to do and can be frustrating and expensive to keep in check. I tried using one of those reusable washable silicone cups, but the leaks were just... Continue Reading →
If you live in the UK and have a cervix, chances are you'll either have already been invited to visit your GP for cervical screening (also known as a 'smear test'), or you will be aware that you'll be getting a letter once you reach the age of 25. It's also likely that you will... Continue Reading →
It's not something I've really talked about but, in recent months, I have felt so overwhelmed that I started to feel physical effects from the stress. Work was hectic, I had lots of side-projects on the go and fitting general life-admin around a social life was proving to be more and more difficult. Making an... Continue Reading →
Today is World AIDS Day and, once again, it looks like the western world really does need its annual reminder that this terrible disease is still very much a threat. Although excellent antiretroviral therapies have resulted in a large reduction in both deaths and incidences of HIV developing into full-blown AIDS, not everyone has access... Continue Reading →
No matter how easy it is to have safe sex and prevent a whole host of nasty STIs from getting their hands on your bits, there will still be people who moan that it's hard work. (These are the sort of people who probably don't look both ways before crossing a road and then wonder... Continue Reading →
I would hope that you already know to carry condoms. Unless you and your partner(s) have been recently tested and have a clean bill of sexual health, by far the safest way to have sex is to rubber up before getting down to business. If you haven't been tested, have you considered it? Visiting a... Continue Reading →
If you live in the UK, you'll probably already know that the NHS has lots of cancer screening programmes, designed to spot the early signs and take action before things develop further. The one which I have first-hand knowledge of is the cervical screening process. A year ago I wrote about the worry that can... Continue Reading →
You may have already heard of Kegel or pelvic floor exercises and, if so, you could well be wondering why on earth I'd mention them here. Well known for helping to reduce urinary incontinence in women, especially after childbirth, they might not sound like the sexiest sort of thing you could be doing. However, the... Continue Reading →