WOMEN

This blog is not in any way campaigning or fighting for women. It is simply presenting what is clearly not right in our world today.

International Women’s Day 8 March 2018 campaign theme is Press for Progress.

So here is what the website is saying –

Started by the Suffragettes in the early 1900s, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911.

With the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report findings telling us that gender parity is over 200 years away – there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and Press for Progress.

While we know gender parity will not happen overnight, the good news is that across the world women are making positive gains day by day. Plus, there is indeed a very strong and growing global movement of advocacy, activism and support.

So we cannot be complacent. Now, more than ever, there is a strong call-to-action, to press forward and progress gender parity. A strong call to #PressforProgress.

A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.

International Women’s Day is not country, group or organisation specific. The day belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. So together, let us all be tenacious in accelerating gender parity.

Collectively let’s all Press for Progress. (1)

Dear World

Is exerting continuous physical force the right way to go about anything?

Are we going to get anywhere in the long run if we press for progress?

Is pressing a force that stops another way that may bring about real changes?
Is pressing driving us and pushing us in a direction that may not be the Truth?

Can we really motivate anyone if we have a hidden agenda or a blind spot in us?
In other words, we have something not cleared in our life but somehow think that is ok.

Is equality something that needs to come from inside us first and foremost?
In other words, we need a balance of true male and female qualities within us.

Is this too way off and whacky for the start of a top blog, which is presenting what is going on for women in our world today and asking many questions for us all to consider?

Are these the type of questions we all need to start asking before we can get to true progress?

UK

2018 marks 100 years since women given right to vote.

1918 – Representation of the People Act passed allowing women over age 30 who met a property qualification to vote.
8.5 million women met this criteria and represented 40% of total women population.

1928 – Equal Franchise Act allowed women over age 21 to vote and achieve same voting rights as men. (2)

Saudi Arabia

2015 – women granted right to vote.

2017 – King ordered reform requesting driving licenses to be issued to women.

Last country in the world in which women banned from driving.
Fact frequently used by critics that women of the kingdom were among world’s most repressed.

Strict guardianship laws – husbands or fathers can prevent wives or daughters from leaving the home gave cover to the driving ban, which has long been accepted by many in the intensely conservative kingdom. (3)

Vatican City, Rome

Home of the Roman Catholic church does not allow women the right to vote.
Cardinals are the only people who have voting rights and only voting is for new Pope.
Only men can become cardinals, so women have no say in the election of a new Pope. (3)

Feminism – word of the year in 2017
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Following a surge in online searches, the US dictionary named “feminism” word of the year.

Interest in the term was driven by –
Women’s marches
TV shows
Films on women’s issues
String of news stories
Sexual Assault and Harassment claims

70% increase in the number of people searching for the word.

Dictionary defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” (4)

How come this word Feminism is being searched online?
Who is doing the searching and why is there such a rise?
WHY has EQUALITY now become more important than ever before?

GLOBAL 1/3 ALL female deaths due to cardiovascular disease and stroke. World Health Organization (5)

Heart Health

The discourse was women needed to empower themselves.
Their heart health was a matter of Personal Responsibility.
Years of public education, campaigns from health organisations called on women to take charge of their hearts.

We now know that to make a difference, this Responsibility must be applied much more broadly. Educating and empowering women is important but it is only part of the solution.
Healthcare systems need to catch up with new evidence that women’s hearts are different.
They must incorporate new women-specific diagnostics and treatment.
New knowledge must be gathered and translated into better and safer heart healthcare for women.
Ms Understood Heart and Stroke 2018 – Heart Report (6)

Heart Attacks affect women. (7)

Sweden

Fewer women who suffer a heart attack would die if they were given the same treatments as men.

180,368 patients who suffered a heart attack over 10 year period study.

Researchers believe due to the difference in care given.

Women average less likely than men to receive the recommended treatments after fatal type of heart attack called STEMI.

Most serious type of heart attack.

Coronary artery is completely blocked by a blood clot and requires urgent treatment.

Gender differences for women –

16% less likely given aspirin, to help prevent blood clots.

24% less likely prescribed statin medication, to help prevent second heart attack.

34% less likely receive procedures, which clear blocked arteries – bypass surgery and stents.

Despite guidelines suggesting all three treatments should be given to both genders.
Women did not receive the recommended treatments.

Gap in mortality between the sexes decreased in almost all circumstances when women did receive all the recommended treatments.

From very first point of contact with healthcare professionals, women are more likely to be initially misdiagnosed. That then feeds the whole pathway of care.

If you miss the first, earliest opportunity for care – you are much more likely to miss the next point of contact and it all adds us cumulatively and leads to a greater mortality.

Sweden is a leader in healthcare with one of the lowest mortality rates from heart attacks, yet we still see this disparity in treatment and outcomes between men and women.
Professor Chris Gale – University of Leeds (7)

UK

70,000 women hospitalised for heart attacks per year. (7)

Canada

Heart Disease – leading cause of premature death for women. (6)

Women are unnecessarily suffering and dying from heart disease.

New report titled “Ms. Understood” – 1st February 2018. (8)

Women are at greater risk not having their disease diagnosed and treated.
Reasons for disparities varied.

While both men and women likely to complain of chest pain, nature of chest pain can be different.

Women, instead of describing as crushing pain, might describe as heaviness or pressure.
Karin Humphries – Report Author Scientific Director – British Columbia Centre for Improved Cardiovascular Health (8)

Women more likely have more non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, sweats and palpitations, cardiologists say.

Heart attacks more deadly for women because their hearts are affected by pregnancy, menopause and hormonal changes.

HELLO Do we need to just STOP and ask some more questions here?

Is the above telling us that women’s hearts respond differently?

If the hearts of women are affected by pregnancy and menopause, are we going to find out WHY this is?

Is it because our heart is very connected to what is going on in our body and anything that is un-natural will affect it?

Is it because the way a woman lives and the choices she makes, has a huge impact on her heart and it is more prevalent during pregnancy and menopause?

Next – more questions that require us to deeply ponder on.

Are we as women, truly equipped to deal with the hormonal changes that take place, if we have lost our innate connection to the essence of who we truly are?

Are women today aware of the rhythms and cycles to live with, that would foster and nurture their connection to their inner-most truth?

Do we today know enough about how to live with all the internal changes that take place inside a woman’s body?

Is the crushing pain, heaviness and pressure in a woman’s heart coming from the fact that she is not living a life that is honouring of her as a woman?

1/3 young women with premature acute heart attacks have a history of –

That doubles their lifetime risk for heart disease.

Women who have a heart attack, more likely to die or suffer second heart attack, compared to men. (8)

Women less than 60 – rates for heart disease and death going up.
These women if they have a heart attack, more likely than men to have a second heart attack or die within 12 months of that heart attack.

Women tend to have more diffuse disease that involves smaller blood vessels.
Dr. Paula Harvey – Head Women’s College Hospital, Toronto Chief – The Department of Medicine and Cardiology Division (8)

Risk

South Asian, Chinese and Afro-Caribbean descent – more vulnerable to heart disease.
Poorer outcomes compared with Caucasian Canadians.
Indigenous Canadians living on reserves – lack of cardiac care resources in remote or rural hospitals.

90% women – at least one risk factor and most underestimate their risk. (8)

More women are taking up smoking, not exercising or eating properly.
Higher prevalence of Diabetes that increases risk of heart attack.
Karin Humphries – Report Author Scientific Director – British Columbia Centre for Improved Cardiovascular Health

20 minutes – a woman dies from heart disease.

5 times as many women die from heart disease as breast cancer.

66% of Heart Disease clinical research focuses on men.

This is largely due to safety concerns involving women in drug development.

Following thalidomide disasters in early 1960’s in which a drug used by pregnant women caused malformed limbs in newborns, it became common practice to assume all women between the onset of menstruation and menopause were “potentially pregnant” regardless of sexual orientation or activity. They were prohibited from participating as research subjects. (6)

25,000 women die each year from Heart Disease. (6)

Women have more adverse reactions to certain heart medications.
These reactions are more severe than men experience.

Women are at greater risk of drug-induced heart rhythm disorders.

Women have twice the risk of bleeding complications from common treatments such as Angioplasty.

78% of women – early heart attack signs missed.

58% women aged 19 to 29 report stress most or every day.

Are women getting stressed because they are not choosing to live in a way that deeply honours who they truly are?

Women are –
Under-researched
Under-diagnosed
Under-treated
Under-supported
Under-aware

Women diagnosed with heart disease tend to have other health conditions that make analysis more difficult to interpret.

Evidence suggests that increasing the number of women scientists involved in heart research will improve our understanding of heart disease in women. (6)

Are the hearts of our women giving up or communicating that something is not right about the way we are choosing to live as a woman?

SCAD – Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

Occurs when unexpected tear develops in artery.

Hello – is it really ‘unexpected’?  

25% all heart attacks in women under age 60 – SCAD is underlying cause.

90% SCAD patients are female – almost all young and healthy otherwise.

Really?
Who defines healthy?
What is our definition of this word and do we ALL as a world unite on this word?

Cause

There are a lot of unknowns around what makes an artery weak.
Many patients have a provoking reason why they have tears.

Physical stress or severe emotional stress, like death in the family or job loss can trigger a SCAD if the arteries are already weak.
Dr. Jacqueline Saw – Leading Expert on SCAD, Canada

70% SCAD patients have underlying FMD – Fibromuscular Dysplasia.

There is a link to this condition – results in overgrowth of cells in arteries, weakening them and more prone to tears.

What causes FMD?
Another mystery researchers are trying to solve.

Other conditions including connective tissue disease, inflammatory disease and multiple pregnancies.

20% SCAD patients experience second episode within 5 years.

“As an athlete you do not think you need rest.
Since my SCAD, I am learning to be gentle with myself and listen to my heart more.”
Woman diagnosed with SCAD

119% increase of Coronary Heart Disease for women who smoked one cigarette per day. (10)

Raynaud’s

Women 9 times more likely to be affected. 20% of all women in childbearing years have Raynaud’s. (11)

Cancer

UK

2015

42.4% – most common cause of Cancer in females aged 15 to 49 is Breast Cancer. (12)

Ovarian Cancer – Statistics

Reasons why there are many deaths from Ovarian Cancer annually –

70% are diagnosed at advanced stage.
Likelihood of survival decreases when Cancer reaches advanced stage.

11.5% – 5 year survival rate when diagnosed at Stage 4.

91% – 5 year survival rate when diagnosed at Stage 1. (13)

20% more likely to develop some form of Cancer – Women who work night shifts. (14)

41% – more likely to have Skin Cancers.

32% – more likely to have Breast Cancer.

Increased risk of Breast Cancer seen in European and North American populations.

58% more likely to develop Cancer, compared to those who worked days.

Nurses working nightshifts had highest increases in Cancer risk of any occupational group.
Study published in the Journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Studies also shown the disruption night-shifts cause to sleep patterns and impact seen at genetic level and can throw biological processes into “chaos”. (14)

Our nurses are in the caring profession and yet this is telling us their risk to Cancer working night shifts is higher than any other occupational group.

Can we join the dots and can we start asking WHY is this?

What is the real quality of their caring if they are suffering in some way?

Are we educating our nurses to deeply take care of their body to enable them to carry out shift duties and long hours which include night shift?

Is something missing and can we at least start discussions by saying ‘something is not right’?

How long can we continue to see the rise in women night shift workers developing a dis-ease in their body without finding out the root cause of WHY this happens in the first place?

Are science and humanity ready to dig deep and keep asking questions until we get to the root cause of all our ills that we have created?

Are we ready to look and closely and examine our lifestyle choices and our day to day way of living that may be contributing to WHY we have such escalating rates of illness and disease today in our world?

Gynaecology

UK

220,000 British women diagnosed with cervical abnormalities each year. (15)

Young women avoid smear tests – embarrassed by look and smell of pubic areas.

35% – body shape
34% – appearance of vulva
38% – concerns over smell 15% miss smear test for waxing appointment or gym class.

5 million women – 1 in 4 do not attend cervical screening. (15)

HELLO

Where has all this crazy behaviour come from?
WHY are young women so into their body shape and concerns over smells?
WHY are young women avoiding something that is important to their health?
WHY is waxing and the gym a priority over getting checked out down there?
WHY are we not bothering to attend a cervical screening that could help us?

WHY are we not being educated about cervical abnormalities and what signs to look out for?
WHY are we not demanding answers so research can be focused on the root cause of this?

Current new trend of women putting glitter filled capsules into their vagina.

Gynaecologists warning against this as potentially dangerous side effects. (16)

What is the purpose of putting glitter into our vagina?

Who came up with this idea?
Who are we doing this for?

Are we interested in that sacred part of our body as a woman?
Are we going to listen to our Gynaecologists who specialise in this area?

Do we care what happens knowing our body is not designed to take poison?

There has to be a demand as that is why we now have supply – a capsule.
We cannot blame suppliers as they are in business because we make demands.
Is it time to ask WHY we want something that is potentially and seriously harmfull?

Pregnancy

Preeclampsia

Condition that pregnant women develop.
Marked by High Blood Pressure, not experienced before.
High level of protein in urine.
Swelling in feet, legs and hands.
Appears usually in late pregnancy.

If undiagnosed, can lead to Eclampsia which is a serious condition.
Women who have seizures are considered to have Eclampsia.

Exact causes not known.
Researchers suspect poor nutrition, high body fat and insufficient blood flow to uterus.

Preeclampsia most often in

  • First-time pregnancies
  • Pregnant teenagers
  • Women over 40

Risk factors include –

  • History of High Blood Pressure prior to pregnancy
  • History of Preeclampsia
  • Mother or Sister who had Preeclampsia
  • History of Obesity
  • History of Diabetes
  • History of Kidney Disease
  • History of Lupus
  • History of Rheumatoid Arthritis (17)

So here we have yet another dis-ease in the human body and we do not know exact cause.

Is it because we are looking in the wrong places or not asking the right questions?

Can we go with what researchers suspect and take it from there?
Can we use a bit of common sense and join the dots and see what we can work out?

Is the poor nutrition and high body fat contributing to insufficient blood flow in the uterus?
What is it about pregnancy that changes things and are we ready to ask more questions?

We are being told that those who get this are generally those who are pregnant for the first time or young teenagers and older women.

What sort of lifestyle choices were they living before they got pregnant?

Are our teenagers truly not equipped to deal with pregnancy at such a young age?
Are our teenagers fully developed emotionally, psychologically and physiologically?

Are our older women over 40 past the prime time for pregnancy and this is the problem?
Are our older women living a life that has a lack of nurturing and deeply caring qualities?

Did they prepare their body by taking the utmost care with sleep, exercise and diet?

Did any of these women have poor relationships and this had an effect on their well-being?

Did they have one of the risk factors’ history list above, which already confirmed something was not right in their body?

Could it be possible that during pregnancy the body goes into a state of absolute divinity and any complications that arise are just communicating how we have been living as a woman before and during pregnancy?

Could it be possible all symptoms are showing us in late pregnancy are that how we are living is not working and things need to change?

Could it be that simple?

Next –

Preeclampsia and Stroke

6 times more likely to suffer potentially fatal stroke – Mothers to be suffering with Preeclampsia.

Largest study of its kind, there is heightened risk of stroke during pregnancy and after birth if women have urinary tract infections, chronic high blood pressure or clotting or bleeding disorders.

Left untreated, the condition can cause serious complications for both mother and baby.

1 in 10 women with Preeclampsia-Related Stroke, died in hospital. (18)

Women with Preeclampsia who had chronic Hypertension (high blood pressure) bleeding or clotting disorders, or infections, particularly urinary tract infections, appeared to be at significantly increased risk of stroke.

The role of infection was perhaps the biggest question mark going into the study.

Infections cause inflammation, which is known to play an important role in triggering stroke, especially in young people.

Preeclampsia itself is an inflammatory disorder.
Infections may be what pushed some of these women over the edge.
About 2/3 of Preeclampsia-Related Strokes occur after birth, when mother has gone home.

Many new mothers will brush off symptoms, like headaches, which could be a sign of a stroke.
Dr Eliza Miller – New York Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center (18)

APS – Antiphospholipid Syndrome is also a risk factor for Preeclampsia. Sometimes known as Hughes syndrome, this disorder of the immune system causes an increased risk of blood clots. (19)

Cervical Cerclage

Cervical Cerclage procedure is offered to women globally who are at high risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

Process involves stitch in the cervix to hold it close and delay labour.
Also acts as a barrier to infection.

Study published in Journal, Science Translational Medicine suggests thicker thread associated with three-fold increase in rate of baby death in womb compared to thinner thread. (20)

Thicker thread increased inflammation around the cervix and increased blood flow associated with the cervix opening before labour.

We all know with simple common sense applied that delaying a natural process or tampering with nature is not the Truth even if it suits us.

We all know science and the medical world are super clever and can help us achieve what we want. It is the demand and supply thing.

But what if delaying labour is not what nature intended?

What if we are messing with something that is divine by its very essence?

What if we are putting a tiny stitch into a sacred part of a woman’s body where it does not belong?

What if even a tiny thin thread stitch is still not natural to our internal state as a woman?

News story –

Modern life means more couples leave it to later than ever to start a family.
Many women face problems conceiving.
Official figures show women leaving it later to start a family in England and Wales.

Fertility rate among over 40s trebled since 1990.
Chances to get pregnant remain lower.
Higher rate of miscarriage and pregnancy complications.

It is well known older women produce fewer eggs leading many to pin their hopes of motherhood on difficult and potentially costly IVF treatment.

Scientific breakthrough has raised hopes that women in their 40s will soon find it easier to get pregnant.

New findings could lead to production of a pill that boosts levels of hormone called DHEA.

Researchers discovered evidence that DHEA plays a key role in preparing the womb for a successful pregnancy.

DHEA – Dehydroepiandrosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland.

A fertilised egg will implant only if the conditions are just right and we were excited to see that DHEA might help improve this environment in cells.
Dr. Douglas Gibson – Lead Study Authour MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh (21)

DHEA is already available in tablet or hormone gel, mostly connected with pregnancy.
Currently sold with claims saying reduces body fat to slow down the ageing process.

Even after an egg is fertilised, it is only when the womb lining accepts an embryo that a woman becomes pregnant.

Each month, as part of the menstrual cycle, hormones send chemical signals to cells in the lining to create the perfect conditions to support pregnancy – fertilised eggs are extremely sensitive to small changes in the lining.

The exact environment needed for healthy implantation is still unknown but DHEA is now thought to be involved in sending the right signals to the cells.

Note –
Research is in its early stages.

More research needed before this approach could be used to help women who are struggling to conceive. (21)

Hello World

After reading this above, could it be possible that our body has an Intelligence2 that our current form of Intelligence1 cannot work out?

UK

Premature birth – leading cause of neonatal death. (20)

USA

1 in 4 Pregnant Women smokes – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Smoking rate among pregnant women highest in early 20s, followed by age 15 to 19.

Younger and less educated mothers were most likely to continue smoking while pregnant, according to National Center for Health Statistics – part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (22)

Mental Health

66% – hide how they feel – fear of being judged or have baby taken away.

50% – new mothers suffer hallucinations and frightening thoughts.

37% – admit to others how they feel. Images including thoughts of killing or harming their child.

62% – common thought ‘something dreadful will happen to baby’.

44% – plagued by belief baby might die.

39% – felt child and partner better off without them.

31% – admit having irrational fear someone will steal or harm their baby.

26% – ashamed of being mentally ill. 19% – feared they were ‘going mad’ when they fell ill.

13% – imagined killing or harming their own child.

43% suffering these extreme thoughts.

38% – Never tell anyone how they feel

17% – who fall ill admit they thought of self-harm to cope.

1 in 20 going on to self-harm.

16% considered suicide.

65% of those never told pregnancy and parenthood could affect their mental health.

64% who fall ill never try to get a formal diagnosis so are missed on official figures.

19% who suffered mental illness after birth reported refusing access to help in case their child was taken away.

Official NHS figures show 10 – 15% mothers experience serious mental health issues.

Experts believe there could be a ‘hidden epidemic’ of maternal mental illness.

68% – Experienced Anxiety after birth

48% – Insomnia due to worry

35% – Post Natal Depression

33% – Agoraphobic 29% – Felt mentally low for a year or longer

23% – Panic Attacks Most common way mothers covered up feelings was to pretend to be “fine” when quizzed.

94% admitted they lied about their feelings.     

Lack of Sleep seen as main trigger.

55% believe this contributed to their condition.

54% – felt emotionally overwhelmed as a new parent. 39% – admitted trying to be ‘perfect parent’.

14% – Blame pressure of living up to others on social media.

80% mothers want society to be more open about maternal mental health issues and extreme thoughts. (23)

Dear World

How serious is this in just one country?
How are women living that gives rise to all these statistics?

Where are all these thoughts coming from?

What on earth is going on and why is this happening?
What was their life like before pregnancy and are their clues there?
What about women all over the world?
What is the real figure worldwide today about this topic?

WHY is the mental state of our new mothers and how can we help?

WHY have we not nailed it when it comes to sleep?
WHY do we suffer with Insomnia in the first place?
WHY is lack of sleep not being addressed as a priority?
WHY are we not educated at a young age about sleep?

WHY are we not asking questions like this?

Are women feeling overwhelmed because they were exhausted before pregnancy and now with a new baby it is just too much emotionally?

Are we blaming social media when we make the choices to subscribe to it in the first place?

Are we putting pressure on ourselves simply by hooking into our social media accounts?

Are we busy in our minds with images and pictures of how we want our perfect parent life?

Are we depressed when real life is nothing like that image in our head that we want?

Are we depressed because we have given up on life a long time ago before being a parent?

WHY are 94% lying about their feelings and what is this telling us about our relationships?

If this many are lying – what is it really saying about how we are choosing to live?

Could it be possible that if we are lying about our feelings then our body is going to feel out of sync as something is clearly not right?

Could it be possible that lying about our feelings is going to lead to all sorts of complications?

Could it be possible that lying about our feelings is going to create false relationships?

Could it be possible that lying about our feelings is going to have an effect on our baby?

Could it be possible that lying about our feelings is going to give us tension in our body?

Could it be possible that lying about our feelings is going to leave us not trusting anyone?

Are we having panic attacks because we are not taking care of our body and therefore not equipped to deal with what life brings?

Are we suffering from anxiety because we live in a constant state of tension in our body because we are not dealing with our buried issues and hurts?

Beauty

UK

Make-up – Cosmetics

38 different products purchased annually for the face.

£18,000 average woman spends during her lifetime. (24)
£2,238 – women aged 45-54 annual spend on beauty products. (25)

USA  

85% women apply 16 skincare and cosmetic products daily.

$300,000 average woman spends in a lifetime on face products. (26)

2017

44% drop in facelifts for women.

Women shunning facial cosmetic surgery in favour of flattering photo filters. Data for 2017 show procedures for body increased for areas ‘filters cannot reach’.

Theory behind the shift in women’s surgery trends was because “there is such a range of filters for faces that women do not see the need for facial procedures”.
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)

Rise in women for breast augmentation and tummy tucks.

“The advent of myriad filters in social media platforms allows for the ubiquitous enhancing and facial feminising of ‘selfies’.
It is possible that fashion may also play a part; for example, the growing trend of active wear such as yoga pants and lycra leggings being worn in everyday life, perhaps demanding a more toned shape. Both of these factors may potentially be the reasons why women’s focus for cosmetic surgery in 2017 has shifted from their face to their body in order to address the stubborn areas that neither diet, exercise or filters can reach.”
Rajiv Grover – Consultant Plastic Surgeon Former President – British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (27)

“Using flattering photo filters can lead people to seek permanent surgical changes to their face and body.

The rise of the “selfie” has made people more critical of their self-image and has “undoubtedly” caused a rise in anxiety disorders like Body or Facial Dysmorphia.

When we look in a mirror, our brains ‘adjust’ to the image that we are seeing…

We become hyper-critical with a static photograph of the way we look and whether we are aware of it or not, this puts pressure on ourselves to be selfie perfect. For some, this is simply a case of using a filter or an image-adjusting app on their smart phones before posting it. For others it instils a crisis of confidence and a real desire to make more substantial alterations to their face or body, often above and beyond any procedures that could be considered to help them feel better about themselves.”
Jo Hemmings – Psychologist, Harley Medical Group (27)

Have we lost the plot when it comes to all this ‘selfie’ business?

Have we lost all sense of reality and got hooked into a false world?

Do we honestly think that plastic surgery where filters can’t do the job is the solution?

Do we change the image in our mind and move the goal post constantly as we are never content with what we see in the mirror?

Would it be true to say that we are using filters to doctor our looks as we simply do not like what we see in the mirror?

Would it be true to say that we want others to see us in a certain way and so we get busy posting and before we know it we are addicted to uploading images daily of how we want to be seen?

Would it be true to say that we are constantly seeking approval, recognition, identification, validation and confirmation from our world and nothing is ever enough?

Would it be true to say that all this selfie and filters and plastic surgery leaves us comparing with others even more so than ever before?

Could it be possible that something is missing inside and we look outside of ourselves to fill up this empty void we feel every single day?

Could it be possible this false image we have created is making us deeply unhappy and discontent as it is not our natural way of living?

Women in Prison

UK

46% attempted suicide at some point compared to 6% of general population. (28)

March 2017

Rise in suicides amount female prisoners was linked to “inadequate” mental health provision and a “lack of urgency” among prison staff in responding to indications of mental illness.

49% – suffering from Anxiety and Depression, compared to 15% of wider population.
25% – symptoms indicative of Psychosis compared with 4% of the general public. (28)

WHY is there such a high rate of women in prison attempting suicide?

WHY have we ignored the fact that the mental state of our women offenders needs to be closely looked at, as this may give us some insight into what is really going on for them?

Could it be possible that our prison staff are simply not adequately educated and trained to deal with the mental health support that women in prison actually need?

Could it be possible that when women in prison are suffering from Anxiety and Depression and there is little or no support, then things will get worse?

Could it be possible that leaving their mental health unaddressed, could lead to Psychosis and these symptoms are serious, as it means our women in prison have lost contact with reality?

Could it be possible that it was the state of their mental health that led to the reason WHY these women ended up in prison?

Could it be possible that there are women in prison who committed a crime in reaction to the domestic violence and abuse that they consistently faced every day in their life?

Could it be possible that these statistics could be out of date and not accurate as many women will not be recorded as they have not expressed what is really going on for them inside prison?

Femicide

Femicide refers to the killing of women and girls because of their gender.

Extensive set of categories of femicide perpetrated directly or indirectly identified by a former specialist rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Professor in the Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town.

Direct Category include killings –
Armed conflict-related
Dowry-related
Ethnic-indigenous identity-related
Gender identity-sexual orientation
Honour-related Related to sorcery/witchcraft
Result of intimate-partner violence

Indirect Category include deaths –
Deliberate acts or omissions by the State Drug dealing
Due to poorly conducted or clandestine abortions
From harmfull practices
From simple neglect Gang related activities
Linked to human trafficking
Maternal mortality
Organised crime
Starvation or ill-treatment (29)

Women – Domestic Violence

UK

1.4 million female victims of domestic violence each year. (30)

Women more likely to be victims of high risk or severe domestic abuse.

95% cases going to MARAC – Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference OR accessing an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate service are women. (31)

4.6 million women have experienced domestic abuse at some point since age 16.

Intimate partner relationships – 13 to 18 year old girls –

25% – report experiencing physical abuse.
33% – report experiencing sexual abuse. 30 women every week attempt suicide as a result of experiencing domestic abuse. 3 women suicide each week. (30)

1 in 3 report first incidence of domestic abuse happened while pregnant. (32)

One woman killed every three days by current or former partner.
Source: Office of National Statistics, 2015 (33)

Australia

Domestic Violence Rates

One woman a week killed by partner or former partner.

20% –  has experienced sexual violence.

25% –  experienced physical or sexual violence.

25% – experienced physical or sexual violence by intimate partner.

25% – experience emotional abuse by current or former partner.

3 times more likely than men to experience violence from intimate partner.

5 times more likely to require medical attention or hospitalisation.

5 times more likely to report fearing for their lives.

300,000 women every year experience violence from someone other than partner.

80% aged 18-24 were harassed on the street in the past year.

18 to 24 age group experience significantly higher rates of physical and sexual violence than women in older age groups.

Growing evidence women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience higher rates and severe forms of violence compared to other women.

15 to 44 age group – Intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness than any other preventable risk factor.

Domestic or family violence against women is the single largest driver of homelessness for women.

Common factor in child protection notifications results in police call-out every two minutes.

$21.7 billion – combined health, administration and social welfare costs of violence against women per year.

If no further action taken, costs will accumulate to $323.4 billion over a 30 year period from 2014/15 to 2044-45. (34)

China

Domestic violence is a hidden epidemic.
A public health crisis dismissed as private scandal, a crime discounted or covered up.

1 in 4 women beaten. (35)

Experts think figure is higher and note that statistics often exclude other forms of abuse. Tens of millions are at risk.

Turkey

86% women suffer domestic abuse.

Ministry of Family and Social Policies interviewed women across 10 Turkish provinces to conduct research. Survey launched to examine a law meant to prevent violence against women.

80% men who admitted violence against women, said they never heard of the law.

300 women were killed through violence in 2015 causing increased public outcry. (36)

Russia

14,000 women die at the hand of domestic abusers. 600,000 women face violent domestic abuse each year. (37)

2017

Controversial amendments to Russian Law decriminalised some forms of domestic violence.

Changes mean violence against spouse or children that results in bleeding or bruises but not broken bones is punishable by 15 days in prison or a fine of 30,000 rubles (£380) if they do not happen once a year.

Previously these offences carried a maximum jail sentence of two years. (38)

“Conditions for women who experience domestic abuse had become significantly worse since the amendments were passed and the threat of these fines was further deterring women from seeking help or reporting their abusers to the police.

Women are having to pay the fines of the perpetrator of the abuse, if the man does not pay.

Official statistics will demonstrate a decrease in cases next year, because fewer cases are being filed. The amendments have sent a message to women that it is useless to search for help and to perpetrators that this is all right to do.”
Marina Pisklakova-Parker – Head of Anna Centre an NGO which provides support to victims of abuse. (38)

16 million women a year experience domestic violence.

10% of them go to the police.
domesticviolence.ru

1 death every 40 minutes.
14,000 women killed a year from domestic violence.
Interior Ministry (38)

HELLO WORLD

Let’s all stop and re-read this again.
We are living in the 21st century and this is ALL going on in our world today.

Blog on our website is well worth reading called Do Nothing, Do Something. https://simplelivingglobal.com/do-nothing-do-something/

Here is the start –

Einstein said, “The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing”.

Elvis Presley – Ghetto songs said “Are we too blind to see or do we simply turn our heads and look the other way, as the world turns”.

So was there some wisdom here being offered to us and how does this relate to Femicide today?

Can we keep choosing self-medication that supports our comfortable life and pretend this is not going on as it’s in another part of the world?

Can we negate the fact that we know it is going on in our street or we know of someone going through domestic violence but thank god it is not us?

Can we really and truly sit back and do nothing when we are now aware that this is going on in our world today?

Can we afford to sit back for one moment knowing this is going on today and it is on our watch, so to speak?

Can we opt for self-comfort all the way in our own lives because it suits us and ignore this fact that there are others suffering?

Can we go on thinking it is not our business, so it is best to do nothing and just keep our heads down and that way we can ignore the fact that this is happening?

Can we accept any form of abuse in our world because we are used to a bit of abuse in daily life and we just Accept that as normal as most people do?

Can we stop reacting to these acts of violence and respond to the call and that means NOT Campaigning
Fighting
Blaming
Judging
Doing ra ra stuff
Wearing a certain colour
Creating a website asking people to join our bandwagon

But simply looking at where we have allowed abuse in our life?

ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS ABUSE.

In other words, if it is NOT the LOVE we knew and felt as a baby – it is ABUSE. That means if it disturbs us in any way it is ABUSE.

Can we really ponder on the small stuff that we think is not abuse when in truth we know it is, because our body felt it and our mind made the choice to over-ride the hurt?

Are we ready to start bringing what we are aware of into conversations and discussions at every opportunity in our daily communications and at every dinner table?

Are we ready to truly find out more and then keep talking so that it becomes public knowledge and the whole world becomes aware and not just a few of us?

Are we ready to reflect on this abuse against women, no matter what gender we are because in truth we all inter-connected and we cannot dismiss this immutable fact?

Are we ready to be open to the possibility that each of us as individuals make up this whole world that we have created and therefore we each have a part in this? |

In other words, whilst we may not be in this situation, we may have pockets of abuse we simply put up with and accept and call it normal, as others have the same and we call that ‘life’?

Egypt

2013

99.3% women and girls have been sexually harassed. (36)

Papua New Guinea

One of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman.
Majority experience rape or assault in their lifetime and women face systemic discrimination.

Acts have long been criminalised and domestic violence was specifically proscribed under the 2013 Family Protection Act (FPA). Few perpetrators are brought to justice.

3 years since the FPA was passed, it has not been implemented.

Second highest rate of maternal death in the world, in Asia Pacific region. (39)

Ritual Abuse

Ritual abuse is defined as a combination of severe emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual abuse, which uses symbols in ceremonies and or group activities that have some form of religious, supernatural or magical meaning. The abuse is recurrent and the purpose of ritual abuse is to terrorise and silence the victims.

The abusers are usually part of a group, which places value on harming and abusing children and the use of drugs, pornography, animals and harmfull objects are all part of the torture. Features associated with ritual abuse include stones, slabs, altars, crucifixes, knives, swords, chanting and adult abuse.

Ritual abuse is highly organised, involving a group or few groups of people, which is often in a pseudo-religious context, and ‘evil’ plays a big part in the abuse itself and in the ceremonies carried out. These ‘rituals’, ‘ceremonies’ and ‘services’ require a great amount of planning and organising and they generally take place in rural areas.

Ritual abuse is extremely sadistic and the aim is to cause great pain to the victims for the pleasure of the observers and those involved who are directly participating in causing the abuse. It is generally misogynistic (women hating). The extreme can include the murder of babies and children but can also include animals as part of the ceremonies. These are specifically designed to add terror to the victims.  (40)

Cambodia Trafficking for Marriage

Growing demand for foreign brides in China – created emerging market for traffickers.

Women eager to escape poverty in rural villages.

Entering brokered marriages to Chinese men – hope of lucrative life.

Reality – many deceived about new living conditions.
Those resettled in rural China, work on farms or domestic helpers.
Some experience abuse at hands of their husbands.
Some recruited for factory jobs and forced into marriage.

Cambodian women also forced into marriage to Korean and Taiwanese men.
No research has been conducted on the extent of this emerging trafficking trend.

2015 – Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) routinely responding to needs of victims. (41)

Forced Labour

Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore.
Increasing demand – cheap domestic workers in private homes.
Possibility of earning up to three times salary than at home.
Encouraging Cambodian women to travel abroad often informal.
Employment as maids, nannies and carers.
Cambodia renowned sex tourism destination in 1990s.
Legacy still prevalent today. Women and girls trafficked within the thriving sex industry. (41)

Nepal

Very old tradition in rural Nepal, religious Hindus believe that menstruating women are unclean and should be banished from family home. They are kept from taking part in normal family activities, social gatherings and from entering houses, kitchens and temples. (42)

Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest countries and many women have died following this tradition, despite activist’ campaigns and government efforts to end the practice called chhaupadi. (43)

In ancient Hindu culture, menstruating women were considered toxic and if they –
Entered a temple, they would pollute it.
Handled family’s food, everyone would become sick.
If they touched a tree, it would never bear fruit.

Menstruating women – outside at night to bed down with cows and goats in tiny rough, grass roof huts and sheds. Many raped by intruders or died from exposure to the elements. (43)

2005 – Supreme Court of Nepal ordered end to chhaupadi but it is still practiced in isolated villages today.

19% women aged 15 to 49 practiced chhaupadi.
50% in mid-western and far western regions.
2010 – Nepali Government Survey cited in State Department Human Rights Report (42)

Young girls feel guilty.
They are forced to follow this tradition by their parents and religion.
Anita Gyawali – Official responsible for women’s issues in Dailekh (42)

Ghana

Schoolgirls banned from crossing river while menstruating and on Tuesdays.

Ban given by local river god.
This has outraged activists as girls must cross river to reach school.

Sub-Saharan Africa struggling to keep girls in school during their periods.

1 in 10 does not attend school because they are menstruating.
UN Scientific and Education Organisation

11.5 million women lack hygiene and sanitation management facilities needed.
World Bank Report

We need to ask for some form of accountability from these gods who bar a lot of things from happening and to account for how they have used the tremendous power we have given them. Shamima Muslim Alhassan – Unicef Menstrual Hygiene Ambassador (44)

Scotland

1 in 5 women in Scotland cannot afford sanitary protection.

Study finds women forced to use rags and clothes due to lack of funds for basic goods.
The Guardian – 5 February 2018 (45)

There is more, so much more but enough here for a Part 1.

Topics to cover for 2023

Women and Depression
Women and Diabetes
Women and Menopause
Women and Gynaecology
Women and Obesity
Women and Botox
Women and Plastic Surgery
Women not in Relationship
Women as Single Parents
Women and Slavery

So here is the list for International Women’s Day 2023 and with the way things are going, there will be more…

It would be true to say after reading this blog that women are not doing great and something is seriously wrong in the way we are all choosing to live.

Is it time we stopped looking for solutions in any form and started asking questions, until we know the root cause of WHY all this happening in our world today?

Is it high time we made topics like this part of our daily conversations so that more people are aware of what is going on?

If you are a woman experiencing abuse you can receive help 24 hours by calling:

AUSTRALIA – 1-800 RESPECT
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Counselling Service
Tel: 1800 737 732

CANADA – Assaulted Women’s Helpline
Tel: 1.866.863.0511

PAPAU NEW GUINEA – The Family and Sexual Violence Helpline (not 24 hours)
Tel: 715 080 00

UK – National Domestic Violence Helpline
Tel: 0808 2000 247

Check link for European Helplines
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/saynostopvaw/helpline.html

USA – The National Domestic Violence Hotline
Tel: 1-800-799-7233

UK –  support can also be received from

Forced Marriage Unit
Tel: 020 7008 0151 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm)

Modern Slavery Helpline
Tel: 08000 121 700 (24 hours)

In a crisis contact your emergency services

If you are feeling suicidal, contact your GP for support or the Suicide Helplines.

In a crisis contact your emergency services.

UK – Samaritans available 24 hours
Tel: 116 123

Childline – for children and young people
Tel: 0800 1111 USA – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Tel:  1-800-273-8255

Other Countries
Check International Association for Suicide Prevention Resources on Crisis Centers https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

References (1) (n.d). International Women’s Day 2018 Campaign Theme: #Press for Progress. International Women’s Day. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

(2) (n.d). Women Get the Vote. www.parliament.uk. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/overview/thevote/

(3) Zarya, V. (2015, December 11). There is Now Only One Country Left in the World Where Women Can’t Vote. Fortune. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://fortune.com/2015/12/11/one-country-women-vote/

(4) (2017, December 13). ‘Feminism’ is Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s Word of Year. BBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42337596

(5) (n.d). Women and Health. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.who.int/gho/women_and_health/en/

(6) (2018). Ms. Understood. Heart & Stroke 2018 Heart Report. Heart & Stroke. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/2018-heart-month/hs_2018-heart-report_en.ashx?la=en&hash=3BBC7F1DD1DA3EDC6B2B0E9BB31E855268C051EB

(7) (2018, January 8). Heart Attack Care Dangerously Unequal for Women, Study Finds. BBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42590013

(8) (2018, February 2). Women are Unnecessarily Suffering and Dying from Heart Disease, New Report Says. CBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/heart-disease-women-1.4513036

(9) (n.d). Uncovering the Mystery of SCAD. Heart & Stroke. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.heartandstroke.ca/articles/uncovering-the-mystery-of-scad

(10) Davis, N. (2018, January 25). Smokers Warned of Risk to Heart of One Cigarette a Day. The Guardian. p.12

(11) (n.d). Raynaud’s Association. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.raynauds.org/

(12) (2017, May 24). Cancer Registration Statistics, England: 2015. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/2015

(13) Bains, I. (2018, January 27). Ovarian Cancer at 12: Brave Schoolgirl Fights Disease Which Normally Strikes Women Over 50. MailOnline. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5318603/Ovarian-cancer-12-Brave-schoolgirl-fights-disease.html

(14) Matthews-King, A. (2018, January 8). Women who Work Night Shifts More Likely to Get Cancer, Finds Study. Independent. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/women-night-shifts-cancer-risk-higher-diet-exercise-study-a8147956.html

(15) Silver, K. (2018, January 22). Embarrassment Makes Women Avoid Smear Tests, Charity Says. BBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42747892

(16) Young, S. (2017, July 4). Doctors Warn Against New Trend of Women Putting Glitter in their Vagina. Independent. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-glitter-vaginas-trend-doctors-warn-health-candy-scent-passion-dust-pretty-woman-inc-discharge-a7822461.html

(17) (n.d). Preeclampsia and Eclampsia. WebMD. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/preeclampsia-eclampsia#1

(18) Tanner, C. (2017, May 26). Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia are SIX Times More Likely to Suffer a Stroke – and the Risk is Greater After Birth When They’ve Gone Home. MailOnline. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4544378/Preeclampsia-increases-stroke-risk-SIX-fold.html#ixzz58T4PTrci

(19) (2015, November 9). Antiphospholipd Syndrome (APS). NHS Choices. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antiphospholipid-syndrome/

(20) Knapton, S. (2016, August 3). Babies Dying Because Surgeons Use ‘Wrong Type of Thread’ for Pregnancy Operation. The Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/08/03/babies-dying-because-surgeons-use-wrong-type-of-thread-for-pregn/

(21) (2018, February 22). Could Hormone Pill Help Women Conceive in 40s? Daily Mail. p.13

(22) HealthDay. (2018, February 28). 1 in 14 Pregnant Women Still Smokes, CDC Says. CBS News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1-in-14-pregnant-women-still-smokes-cdc-says/

(23) Francis, G. (2018, February 8). Half of New Mothers Suffer from Hallucinations or Frightening Thoughts, Survey Finds. Independent. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/new-mothers-hallucinations-frightening-thoughts-anxiety-parenting-post-natal-depression-psychology-a8200411.html

(24) Lukaitis, N. (2017, October 16). How Much We Spend on Make-Up During Our Lifetime Will Shock You. Marie Claire. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/make-up/women-spend-makeup-during-lifetime-443008#4URKRJfHMX9EIWH8.99

(25) (2018). Average Annual Expenditure on Beauty Products by Women in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2015, by Age Group (in GBP). Statista. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.statista.com/statistics/472621/beauty-product-spending-women-by-age-united-kingdom-uk/

(26) Johnson, S. (2017, March 8). How Much is Your Face Worth? American Women Average at $8 per Day. Huffington Post. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-much-is-your-face-worth-american-women-average_us_58befa65e4b06660f479e594

(27) (2018, February 7) Women ‘Shunning Facial Plastic Surgery for Flattering Photo Filters’. BBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42978532

(28) Bulman, M. (2017, May 8). Nearly Half of Female Prisoners Have Attempted Suicide, Figures Reveal. Independent. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/female-prisoners-suicide-death-rate-mental-health-nearly-half-attempt-figures-reveal-prison-reform-a7724171.html

(29) (n.d). What is Femicide? Femicide Watch Platform. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://femicide-watch.org/content/what-femicide

(30) (n.d). How Widespread is Domestic Abuse and What is the Impact? Safe Lives. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.safelives.org.uk/policy-evidence/about-domestic-abuse/how-widespread-domestic-abuse-and-what-impact

(31) (n.d). About Domestic Abuse. Safe Lives. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.safelives.org.uk/policy-evidence/about-domestic-abuse

(32) (n.d). Who Are the Victims of Domestic Abuse? Safe Lives. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.safelives.org.uk/policy-evidence/about-domestic-abuse/who-are-victims-domestic-abuse

(33) (n.d). Against Violence and Abuse (AVA). Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://avaproject.org.uk

(34) (n.d). Domestic Violence Statistics. Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast Inc. Retrieved March 2, 2018 from http://www.domesticviolence.com.au/pages/domestic-violence-statistics.php

(35) Rauhala, E. (2016, May 2). Domestic Abuse is Thriving in China’s Culture of Silence. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/world/2016/05/02/china-domestic/?utm_term=.c757a59dbe1c

(36) Sheva, A. (2016, April, 1). 86% of Turkish Women Suffer Domestic Abuse. Israel Nation News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/210182

(37) Broomfield, M. (2017, January 23). Russia to Decriminalise Domestic Violence as Vladimir Putin Bows to Ultra-Conservative Pressure. Independent. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-decriminalise-domestic-violence-vladimir-putin-ultra-conservative-family-laws-a7541371.html

(38) Spring, M. (2017, December 19). Russian Victims of Domestic Abuse Forced to Pay Perpetrator’s Fine. The Guardian. Retrieved March 2, 2018 from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/19/russian-victims-domestic-violence-abuse-forced-pay-perpetrator-fines

(39) (2016). Papua New Guinea Events of 2016, World Report 2017. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/papua-new-guinea

(40) (2016). Community Mental Health and Psychiatry Level 4. UK Distance Learning & Publishing

(41) (2016). Cambodia. The Global Slavery Index 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/cambodia/

(42) Bhandari, R., & Najar, N. (2017, July 9). Shunned During Her Period, Nepali Woman Dies of Snakebite. The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/09/world/asia/nepali-woman-snakebite-period-chhaupadi.html

(43) Sharma, B., & Gettleman, J. (2018, January 10). In Rural Nepal, Menstruation Taboo Claims Another Victim. The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/world/asia/nepal-woman-menstruation.html

(44) (2018, January 11). Menstruating Girls Banned from Crossing Ghana River. BBC News. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42652314

(45) Brooks, L. (2018, February 5). One in Five Women in Scotland Can’t Afford Sanitary Protection. The Guardian, p.16

 

 

 

Share

Comments 126

  1. Stunning well informed blog Simple Living Global.

    I absolutely agree with what you say here:
    “Women are –

    Under-researched
    Under-diagnosed
    Under-treated
    Under-supported”

    I had endometriosis for 3 decades – excruciating painful and problematic periods – and I went time and time again to doctors to get a diagnosis. The first gynaecological appointment I had the Gynaecologist told me to ‘go and have a baby – as that will fix all your problems’ which at aged 21 was not quite what I had expected and I felt very unsupported. Endometriosis is one of those conditions that is under-diagnosed, under-treated, under-supported, and under-researched.

    Long story short having suffered with endometriosis for 3 decades one day a wise practitioner asked me how I was living, and through a discussion enabled me to realise that after seeking solutions (none of which worked), my health was in my hands and it was all based on how I was living. I was busy busy busy running myself into the ground and right from a young age I didn’t value rest, sleep, I never stopped, and used substances such as tea and chocolate to keep me going.

    It was only when I started to look at my daily life choices and gradually over a few years make changes, that I started to see the endometriosis symptoms disappear – to the extent that by my mid-late 40’s I started to have pain free periods – something I had never experienced prior to that – I had had my whole life from aged 11 – mid – late 40’s with painful periods.

    There is so much about women’s health and wellbeing that seems under researched as in understanding why the world is as it is – and why there are so many issues, conditions, societal and personal ills in relation to women.

    It truly is time we start the conversation as this blog does here.

    Reply

  2. This makes for stark reading on International Women’s Day 2018.

    When I think of women and about being a woman, I think of the natural grace and beauty. An inner wisdom and knowing. A natural care and nurturing.

    And yet here we have a dossier of truths about women that belies those qualities.

    It has stopped me in my tracks – to consider what on earth is going on that this is the state of play for women today. And this hugeness is ‘only’ part 1.

    Reply

  3. This is such a powerful piece of writing, it’s the start of a thesis. A forensic expose of what we have allowed being a women to mean, far from the Truth of who women truly are.

    On International Women’s Day, where we are encouraged to campaign, wear a certain colour and bake cakes for example, here we have a thesis going against the grain that invites us to question why things are the way that they are with women today.

    Can we afford to keep accepting things as they are or are we willing to do what is necessary to turn the tides?

    I for one, inspired by this website, have begun to ask much deeper questions about what it means to be a woman today.

    Accepting things as they are and going along with all of the pictures and ideals of who I think I should be as a woman I know is not the truth

    Reply

  4. This website has supported me to make real changes in my life by helping me understand that I know what I need to do heal myself.

    It was all about connecting to myself. Listening to what my body is constantly communicating to me every second.

    This was a crucial first step.

    Yes, I needed outside support, and that was given to me when I took the first step towards myself.

    I have lived with women for 50 years and what I have seen is their incredible strength and commitment to life.

    Now, because of my own path, I see that what was missing was the commitment to myself.

    Reply

  5. Reading what is presented here and reflecting on the issues women face, it feels like there is a huge amount of hate.

    Domestic abuse, FGM, forced labour, rape and sexual abuse, femicide, sexual harassment, all the way through to pornography, plastic surgery, self doubt, comparison and obsession about how we look.

    Where does the hate come from?

    Hate towards women and what they represent.

    Hate towards ourselves.

    These issues will take time to address, but right now, it makes me feel motivated to live completely without hate. To find where the dark stuff might be hiding inside me and bring in the light. To take deep care of myself because I deserve that. As does every woman.

    Reply

  6. It is Mothers’ Day in the UK today.

    Instead of hoping for attention, I have given my family a list of things I would like for the day. The list goes like this:

    Space to do some uninterrupted work
    Have a nap
    Do some exercise
    Do homework together
    Eat a lovely meal prepared by my children
    Watch the new Winston Churchill film together
    Have an early night

    Maybe this is what these days for women can help us with – to ask ourselves what do we actually want and encourage us to get support for that or make it happen.

    Reply

    1. This is great JS what you are saying here.

      I feel it is high time we ALL start with getting real, by making the first step about being HONEST.

      If we start with being honest in our everyday life and work on this regardless of the outcome, we stand a chance to have more days like you are requesting in your Mothers’ Day with your family.

      Most mothers that I know, compromise and never put themselves and their well-being first. They feel the importance and value of nurturing and nourishing their kids, even if they are living at home in their 40s, but not give the same and equal commitment and dedication to themselves.

      Could this be the start of an ill way of living that then gives rise to dis-eases in the body like breast cancer?

      Maybe one day we will all get to feel and see that how we live in each moment and the daily stuff is super important and it maps out how we end up and nothing is by chance.

      Next –
      I was just thinking this morning about Mothers’ day and how we are going about it with the card and flowers and chocolate business booming.

      From past experience I know the restaurants are fully booked on this Sunday all over the country.

      The card giving for me was a tick box thing in the past.
      Now I can say that the issues have all been cleared with such deep understanding and working through my hurts and other nonsense including judgement.

      I have an amazing relationship with both my parents and to look back at how I was with my mother, it is nothing short of a miracle.

      My mum adores me and that is a fact. I am there for her in Truth and that means I do not engage in her nonsense. I understand where she is coming from and it is ok with me what she chooses, as it is not about wrong or right. However, if it affects me then I am the first to call it out and say it as it is.

      What has been great to observe is the small changes that have come directly from how I live – for example she will wear extra layers and go for a walk and eat certain foods that support her body. ALL that has come from me sharing what I do and her being inspired by that.

      This confirms we don’t have to change our mothers, we just have to clear all the hidden unspoken stuff and get real, so we can get honest and this will get us to Truth.
      https://simplelivingglobal.com/get-real-get-honest-and-get-to-truth/

      Reply

      1. What you say is huge, Bina.

        In particular, the part about clearing the hidden unspoken stuff and how you support your mum by living in a way that is true and loving for you, and sharing that with her.

        How many of us behave a certain because of the past?
        How many of us stay stuck as adults in the relationship paradigm we were in growing up?
        How many of us take on the patterns of our mothers, without feeling what is true for us and living that?

        How freeing to know there is another way. That we can live and move in a way that is true for us and it does not need to be laced with the past.

        Over the years my relationship with my mum has shifted so we are woman to woman now. She takes great inspiration from how I live and tries ideas out for herself, just as I still learn from her. And the more we share, talk about and appreciate this, the more of it comes.

        Reply

  7. Women received the right to vote in the USA in the year 1920.

    That statement leaves me speechless.

    How is it that men can just carry on in the world knowingly allowing all the abuse of women to exist in the world?

    Are we really an advanced, civilized, intelligent species, if we allow this to go on?

    Thank you Simple Living Global for presenting the truth.

    It is time to do something different!

    Reply

  8. So we just had International Women’s Day. There was a huge amount of coverage about it in the paper and they continue to cover the ongoing activity and women’s demonstrations around the world.

    And yet, the newspaper I flick through on the train in the morning continues to run nonsense articles about women.

    Coverage of ‘fashion fails’, where a celebrity has some kind of wardrobe malfunction. Or a super-star wearing a bikini on a beach with a big new engagement ring – and this is shown on page 3.

    Do we see this contradiction?

    We like and want the progress for women and that coverage sells newspapers. But we also like the celebrity stalking, criticism, voyeurism and other degrading stuff and that seriously sells.

    That only makes it into the papers because we want to read it.

    Is it time to take a look at our own consumption and how it contributes to the bigger picture?

    Reply

  9. I am assuming that our society, that has pretty much been set up by men, is the main reason women are struggling in our world.

    I feel that men are afraid of allowing women to be their equal.

    Why is that?

    Personally I do not feel afraid of women, Or feel threatened by them.

    They bring a sense of tenderness and grace that our world needs.

    Do some men sense this tenderness and it frightens them because deep down they know this is what they crave for themselves?

    Is this why men have suppressed women because women remind them of the tenderness that we all have, but have chosen not to feel it?

    Reply

  10. Evening Standard – 16 January 2018

    https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/half-of-women-say-their-mental-health-suffers-as-a-result-of-the-menopause-a3741906.html

    48% of women feel their mental wellbeing suffers as a result of the menopause according to a new study.

    70% say they did not have a strong understanding of the mental and physical effects of the menopause.

    The physical symptoms of hot flushes, night sweats and headaches are generally well known but the new research has pointed to a range of psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, low mood, memory loss, loss of self-confidence and low self-esteem.

    Findings suggest that women don’t have enough information about the menopause and how it is affecting women’s mental health.

    So WHY are women reluctant to talk about it to doctors and employers?
    70% do not tell their employers if they are experiencing symptoms.

    So who do we blame and what is missing here if we are to be honest?

    How come 70% are not absolute and clear about symptoms of menopause?

    WHY have we got to the point where women are not fully educated or aware of exactly what this cycle of menopause is really all about?

    Are there any real websites or role models who can direct us on this vague topic that every woman goes through in their later stage of life?

    Can we learn from the elders in the community who may have been through what we are experiencing?

    Can we stop and look at our lifestyle choices and ask some serious questions and see if we had anything to do with why we have all these ill symptoms during menopause?

    Is our body communicating something to us –
    For example are hot flushes a correction for all those years where we treated our sacred body as a woman like it was some kind of machine, overriding what we know was the real feeling and ignoring signs during our periods, overworking, putting the kids and others before our own health and wellbeing?

    Are taking pills to suppress symptoms the answer in the long term, when we all know that once we stop taking them it all comes back?

    Without asking questions – how will we re-write the history books for generations in the future to take note?

    Reply

  11. Talking to a mini cab driver this week, he was sharing his experiences of women passengers.

    He works nights as he finds traffic frustrating. As a result, he often picks women up in his cab after nights out in town. He shared that he has lost count of the number of times he has been propositioned.

    He said he has a big fat belly and does not take care of himself and yet time and again, women ask him to go into their house with them or to have sex in the cab – like anything will do for them.

    He said he would never do this – that he has no interest in it and found it deeply uncomfortable to deal with and that something was clearly wrong for these women.

    He also said that if other cab drivers are having similar experiences to him and are going ahead with it, he felt sure that at least some of the women would regret it later and accuse the driver of assaulting them.

    I am wondering what is going on here. Why is this happening?

    Is alcohol messing with sound judgement?
    Is there a loneliness or a desire for intimacy?
    Is there an emptiness?
    Has sex become a commodity; part of a good night out?

    As women, how are we living if this is becoming our norm?

    It is hugely sobering and has me considering how much more I can connect to what it truly means to be a woman and to live and walk that more and more.

    Reply

  12. Talking to a young woman at a beauty clinic. She was there for laser hair removal treatment.

    She said she has been having laser treatment for a long time – since she was 17 years old. She said the pain is terrible with the treatment, but she persists. She said she has to keep going back because the hair keeps coming back – something to do with her hormones. It has cost her a fortune.

    This seemed like madness to me.

    Why does she judge herself so harshly against our prevailing standard of how much hair women are supposed to have or not have? So much so that she has suffered painful laser treatment for years. It was a reminder of the huge impact these societal standards have on us and how bought in to them we are.

    And why are her hormones out of whack? This part was an unknown and she was getting no support with that. It made me think of this blog:

    “Are we as women, truly equipped to deal with the hormonal changes that take place, if we have lost our innate connection to the essence of who we truly are?

    Are women today aware of the rhythms and cycles to live with, that would foster and nurture their connection to their inner-most truth?

    Do we today know enough about how to live with all the internal changes that take place inside a woman’s body?”

    For so many of us, isn’t the answer here a resounding ‘no’?

    And if yes, isn’t there a huge opportunity to start to explore this – to tune in to our natural rhythms and cycles, to reconnect with our bodies and our ‘innate connection’ and build from there?

    Reply

  13. Something interesting at the gym this week.

    It was quiet when I walked in, and I clocked that there were no men there. Just 2 women doing their own thing.

    Registering this had an impact on my body, my movements and my disposition.

    I felt strangely freer, physically larger, and more certain and focused in how I was moving. Totally un-self conscious.

    This all happened in the time it took to cross only 3 metres of floor space.

    So what is going on there?

    As a woman, being around men is obviously having an impact. And one that I have not registered so clearly til now.

    And that impact is affecting my way of being. From the physical reaction I felt, it is obviously affecting how much of myself I claim.

    As a confident person who holds people (and myself) equal, this is a new dimension to look at – to consider how much of this is happening in my day to day and the impact that has.

    Reply

  14. A conversation a while back about ovulation with a woman who was trying to get pregnant.

    She was describing the complicated hormone tests and calendars she was using to figure out the best time to have sex.

    I was sharing how I know where I am in my cycle and when I am ovulating, from the various messages my body sends.

    She had not considered this and was very open to the possibilities.

    We spoke again recently and she shared how she had come off her ovulation tests and has discovered that she knows exactly when the fertile part of her cycle is, naturally so.

    She said the changes in her body are so obvious now she has tuned in to them and she has even noticed a floral fragrance about her skin when it is ovulation time.

    This was beautiful to hear and confirming of what I know for myself through my own enquiry and observation of my body.

    Reply

  15. NCBI – National Center for Biotechnology Information – 20 April 2018
    PMC – US National Library of Medicine | National Institutes of Health

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5916687/

    Hysterectomy is associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease.
    A nationwide retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

    Hysterectomy is a common procedure for benign pathologies of the uterus. The association between hysterectomy and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains controversial.

    Hysterectomy is the most common gynaecologic surgery in the United States and Taiwan. The indications for hysterectomy include uterine myoma, endometriosis, uterine prolapse and genital cancers.

    The study used data of 1 million patients.

    The conclusion was that Hysterectomy with benign gynaecologic indication is the second most common surgery in women. Based on this study, women who received hysterectomy for benign disease may have higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
    Researchers state that before a hysterectomy, doctors should explain the CAD risk and arrange preventive measures.

    On that note – do we need to educate women of all ages about the cycles of the female body and what that actually means, so we all have a deeper and wider understanding.

    Do we need to start with school age girls and talk about their periods?

    What if we got parents and carers involved too so more of us are involved?

    How about boys being educated with what happens to a girl when she starts her periods and thereafter throughout her life until they end and then menopause starts?

    Next – whilst researchers suggest what doctors need to do – in other words explain to the woman in front of them the risks involved when undergoing a hysterectomy, which include cardiovascular disease, one important real life factor, a woman presents herself usually in pain and at the end of the road, so to speak. Having tried the pain management, the medications and every other treatment they find available they seem to resort to the last option, which is the removal of the whole uterus.

    Do women at this point, care enough to stop and consider that there are other big risks like CAD or is it just a case of ‘get it out and stop the pain and inconvenience’?

    Most of us if we admit it, do know it is the latter or some of us women have actually done that ‘get it out now please, thank you very much’ option as we did not want to continue with painfull bleeding or whatever else the symptoms that were there for us that led to our needing to have surgery.

    Next – to know how common this surgery is cannot be negated.

    This is huge and we as women need to consider how on earth are we living in the so-called modern 21st century that gives rise to such an ill condition?

    What is it that we are doing and not doing that brings about a dis-ease in the body that requires removal of a hollow muscular organ, located between our bladder and rectum in the female pelvis?

    Do we actually want to stop long enough to feel that and ponder and reflect on what is here being presented or is it easier and more comfortable to skip it fast and move on?

    Is that our momentum in life – do things fast, skip the details and never stop long enough to consider the bigger picture and if there is more at play than what we may initially be aware of?

    How bad do things have to get before we get real education on the agenda and curriculum for all humans on how to truly live human life and be free of the ills that we have created?

    This may sound like a crazy question but what if we need a handbook, a 101 how to live human life manual that spells it out for us and supports us to not walk down the ill road that inevitably leads to health problems?

    This article about women and the comments posted thereafter are a stark indication that as women we are not doing great at all. With all the research in this world and the science to support it and our so-called intelligence, if we were to do a report card on the state of women worldwide today, we would have a reminder of what we have created collectively that tells us we are off track and not by a short deviation but very much totally living opposite to our innate and natural state of being, that we were originally designed to live. In other words, we are out of sync with our own natural cycles and not adhering to the bigger cycles that this world is ignoring.

    Enough said for now, there is much here to ponder on deeply for those that are open and ready to at least question what on earth is going on for women all over the world.

    Reply

  16. Many women experience period pain and there are a plethora of products on the market claiming that they can help with this.

    A recent one to appear is a sanitary towel that contains ground up dirt that claims to ease period pains. The pad is hailed to be natural as there are no drugs or medication in it.

    Not surpisingly a gynaecologist has said that the idea that a pad can treat period pain is ridiculous and I have to agree with her.

    Where have we lost our common sense?

    Period pains occur from inside the body and so how can a pad that is outside have any affect?

    Could it be possible that we need to build a connection with our bodies to understand what is happening on the inside to then start to comprehend why we have period pain?

    I ask these questions as personally this is my experience. From age 11, I am almost 40 now, I have experienced period pain. However over the last year the pain has begun to increase in its intensity.

    This has only occurred as I have started listening to my body more, to understand what it is telling me and being willing to be observant to when I experience the pain and when I don’t.

    A key factor has been looking back over the previous month, when I have my period to see how it has been and to be honest it is always quite obvious what has gone on. In months where I have rested more and not got emotional about things I get less pain and in months where I am very busy, anxious or worried about things I get more pain.

    So for me the equation is very clear – it is the way that I am living my life and how I react or respond to things which are the cause of whether I experience period pains or not.

    Reply

  17. As women do we really and truly consider how we dress and whether it is for us or whether it is for another?

    I remember growing up how I used to wear tight clothes and even though I would feel very uncomfortable, there was something in my head that said because I was now a certain age this was the way that I needed to dress.

    Now looking back it was not so much about the clothes but why I was wearing what I was wearing. I wore those clothes to fit in and fit the stereotypical image of sexy rather than dressing to how I genuinely felt to dress.

    I now question this when I see other teenagers wearing skin tight clothes that are ill fitting and from a discussion with a friend about this today it has prompted me to ask –

    What images are we feeding our young that they feel they need to subscribe to in the way that they dress and as adults are we representing as true role models in the way that we dress and carry ourselves?

    We are fed so many images and ideals of how we should look and be as a woman. Even though I am now 40, there are many that I know that I still have left to shed and I have a sense that this will be an ongoing process. Continuously questioning whether what I am doing is for me or it is for someone else?

    This is not always an easy pattern to break, but I do have real role models around me who as women have broken this and do honour themselves and so I know without doubt that this is possible.

    Reply

  18. The Guardian – 5 April 2018

    Forcibly sterilised women speak out

    25,000 people have been sterilised in Japan between 1948 – 1996 under the Japanese Eugenic Protection Law, which was aimed at stopping the birth of ‘inferior’ children. 70% were female. 16,500 did not consent.

    One woman had her uterine tubes tied in 1963 at age 16 as she was suspected of having a mental disability. She found out what the operation was for when she heard her parents talking many years later. 55 years later she experiences persistent stomach pains and a ‘heavy psychological burden’.

    One woman has started a lawsuit against the Japanese government stating that the Eugenic Protection Law breaches Japan’s post war constitution as it infringes on people’s right to the ‘pursuit of happiness’.

    At the first court hearing on 28th March, government representatives asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The government is expected to argue that the procedure was legal at the time.

    There are now more women filing law suits about this.

    The Japanese Eugenic Protection Law was modelled on Nazi Germany’s sterilisation law and was enacted in 1948 as a way to control the population at the time when Japan had a post war food shortage. It remained in force until 1996, when such shortages were no longer present.

    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/05/17/national/crime-legal/japan-sued-3-plaintiffs-forced-sterilizations-defunct-eugenics-law/#.WwxepVMvw1h

    I had never heard of this law before and living in a country where this does not exist I can understand the devastation that these women experience. I am fortunate enough to be in a situation where I can choose to have children or decide not to and that decision comes from me based on what I feel in my body is true for me.

    What if every woman was given the right to choose whether they have children or not from what they feel is true for them and not from any ideals, beliefs or impositions from others?

    Reply

    1. This is such an important piece of news Shevon so thank you for sharing on this blog as it feels relevant.

      I wonder how many of us know about this and WHY news like this is not all over our global media.

      What if our media were committed and dedicated to reporting Truth day in and day out – what would our world be like?

      We all seem to have an insatiable appetite for nonsense news like celebrities and what they get up to but what if we all demanded real news so we get to feel the real mess our world is in?

      Back to this monumental comment about Japanese women – what really struck me was a woman experiencing pain after 55 years. Having had surgery as a teenager for suspected mental illness makes no sense.

      Is is possible until each and every one of us respect and appreciate our human vehicle – our precious body, we are not ever going to do the same for another?

      Does it start with us and what if we just made the effort and placed our focus and priority on doing what it takes to treat our body with the utmost love and care in every way possible – like we do a tiny baby, would that be the game changer?

      I for one know that how I lived before was in utter disregard and neglect and to me that is now called Abuse. Knocking out that ugly stuff has been the real game changer and the bonus is others are inspired.

      I live to the best of my ability as a Woman with no hiding that fact – no matter what.

      Reply

  19. As stated in this article by Simple Living Global, Saudi Arabia is the last country in the world where women are banned from driving.

    However things are set to change as the ban will be lifted from 24th June 2018.

    BBC News – 5 June 2018
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-44367981

    Monday 4th June 2018 – 10 women have already swapped their foreign driving licences for Saudi Arabian ones.

    2,000 more women are expected to have driving licences when the ban is lifted.

    This is a huge step for Saudi Arabia, where women have previously experienced imprisonment for breaching the driving ban. There have been many years of campaigning to get to this point, along with arrests and I am sure much conflict.

    What if there is more to equal rights between men and women than obtaining equal status in the practical everyday tasks of life?

    As this article by Simple Living Global presents, the state of women’s health is not good.
    What if there is a one unified truth that both men and women can live which would allow each gender to deeply respect and honour themselves and the other, in the deep knowing that from the inside out, we are all equal?

    What if we lived this?

    Would we then naturally make laws that serve ALL and have no gender bias?

    Reply

  20. Medical News Today – 27 June 2018

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322270.php#1

    A new study finds even relatively minor sleep disturbances can increase the risk of high blood pressure in women. This increase was measured even in women who slept for the recommended duration.

    An estimated one third of the population in United States do not get enough sleep. Women seem to be more affected than men.

    Is it the reasons we are given why women have sleep problems, like –
    Carers for children and elderly relatives, shift in hormones monthly telling us everything, or is there more we need to consider and ponder on?

    Could it be possible there may be something we have missed, as even those who slept 7 to 9 hours each night were more likely to have elevated blood pressure?

    In other words, even when the amount of sleep was at recommended levels, sleep disturbances still increased the risk of hypertension.

    As always with every study one reads there is the strap line at the end about the findings merit further research.

    So while we all wait patiently for even more proof that something happens to women that disturbs their sleep and gives rise to hypertension, can we read and re-read this blog and answer every single question and then read and re-read the forensic articles on this website about Sleep and High Blood Pressure and answer every question with honesty?

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-sleep-day/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-hypertension-day/

    Could this give us further insight into what it may be that causes women to be disturbed during sleep time?

    Have we thought that how we are living during the daytime, may be contributing to the quality we have during sleep?

    Could it be possible that our choices, our behaviours and our movements are the cause of why we get disturbed at any time day or night?

    Could it be possible that we actually know and do have the answers of how to change things, but somewhere along the line we disempowered ourselves and started to accept what we know is not natural and went along with the rest as that seemed normal?

    If our kids were suffering from hypertension because of disturbed sleep, we as mothers would burn to know and find out WHY WHY WHY and take action by doing what it takes to nail it and make sure it does not exist.

    So how come when it is about our own bodies we seem to take a back seat and front foot to deal with the issue is not even on our radar?

    Reply

  21. I was talking to a 23 year old who was married and she wanted to share about her country, where it is not easy for a woman to escape domestic violence and it is the ‘norm’.

    She said the men are into gambling, alcohol and drugs. Violence is part of growing up and women have no support if they leave their husbands.
    She repeated that almost every married woman in her native country are victims of domestic violence and it is just accepted.

    Her mother came to the UK and has raised her children to stand up for truth.

    When she married last year, her mother told the boy’s family, if they ever forced her daughter into wearing the hijab or conform in any other strict religious acts, she would ensure the marriage would end as she was not going to allow it.

    What I realised in this conversation with a total stranger was how much is going on in our world and how little we are aware of because of how we live.

    Relying on the media to give us news is not giving us access to everything that is going on. So much is just accepted and goes under the radar, so to speak. If there is something big going on in another part of the world, it may show as a tiny news story where very few of us, if any would take note.

    What if we all remained open and lived our life to the best of our ability with Truth?

    Could it be possible that this quality of living is felt by so called strangers that we meet and they feel ok to open up and share privately something we may not yet be aware of?

    In this case, I feel I have a duty to report the facts, without names so that our world knows SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. This blog and this website is a great platform to express this type of citizen journalism – on the street, real life reporting.

    Her final parting words were – almost every married woman in her native country are victims of domestic violence and it is just accepted.

    Reply

  22. BBC News – 7 July 2018

    South Korean Women Protest in Seoul Over Hidden Sex Cameras

    Perpetrators are filming or photographing women with hidden cameras in public places.

    This link has more and a video from South Korean police showing fake footage that they have uploaded to file sharing websites.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44751327

    Unsuspected users have downloaded the images thousands of times. The police hope that the shock therapy of the message on the footage saying “You might be the one pushing her to suicide…” and the warning that the police are monitoring the site will make a difference.

    People making hidden camera videos can face up to 5 years in jail.
    The number of hidden camera crimes rose from 2010 – 1,1000 to more than 6,500 in 2017.

    Since 2004 South Korea mandated that all smart phones should make loud shutter noises when they take a photo or video to make people aware of their use.

    President Moon Jae-in said the crime had become “part of daily life”.

    It is a great step that the South Korean police have chosen to take action as a way to say that this is unacceptable.

    But we have to ask – Why has this become “a part of daily life”?

    Why has South Korea ‘struggled to contain a rise in this crime in recent years’?

    What is actually going on for the perpetrators that is causing them to do this?

    Is there more for us to question here about why this is happening or do we just carry on looking at the perpetrators, imprisoning them and leaving it at that?

    Reply

  23. The Week – Issue 1182
    30th June 2018

    ‘Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving was finally lifted last weekend, nine month after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the reform. As it came into force at midnight on Saturday, women celebrated in Riyadh by taking the wheel in cars bought for occasion.

    But while some saw it as the dawn of a new era, others said the ban was only being lifted to improve the country’s image in the West, and that nothing was really changing in the kingdom. In the run-up to the ban being lifted, at least eight women’s right activists were arrested in Saudi.’

    Whilst I have reported on this new story before from BBC News – see above comment dated 6th June 2018, what I found interesting here is the fact that people are saying ‘…the ban was only lifted to improve the country’s image in the West and that nothing was really changing…’

    Interesting how things can change on the surface and look like we are progressing but underneath are we checking whether there is real evolution or are we happy with the image that we see?

    I feel this can be applied to every aspect of life including our individual lives.

    As a woman I am now choosing to look at my life on a deeper level every day. On the surface things are great and they truly are, but I am not willing to stop there as I have made the choice to look under all of the nooks and crannies to be sure that I am evolving and not just settling for my life being great.

    One way that I have started to do this recently is how I spend my lunch hour and this week I have started a program to change things so that I am giving my body the rest it requires. Yes I could have kept things the way that they were, but would this have just meant that I kept looking like I was moving forward, without developing the deeply loving and caring quality that I know that I can bring to myself and others?

    My question to myself has been – do you want to continue ticking boxes and and not questioning things as how you are living appears great or is there more you can bring in the self-care department, which will mean that you are a more productive employee?

    Reply

  24. Newsweek – 27th June 2018
    https://www.newsweek.com/getting-enough-sleep-can-raise-your-blood-pressure-998214

    New research has found that even ‘mild’ sleep problems can raise blood pressure in women, this includes women that slept for 7 – 8 hours a night (Journal of the American Heart Association).

    Here are a few more statistics –

    50 – 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder and at least 30% have issues with insomnia, at least some of the time (American Sleep Association).

    We already know that studies have shown that ‘sleep deprivation and milder sleep problems may have a disproportionate effect on cardiovascular health in women’
    Brook Aggarwal, Behavioural Scientist

    Women are more likely than men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep and to experience more daytime sleepiness.

    The article concludes by saying that it may be wise to treat sleep as preventative care for heart health.

    What if there are no ‘mild’ sleep problems and that any sleep problem is serious and is letting us know that something about the way that we are living as women is not right?

    I cannot say why there are differences between men and women but what I can say is that about 7 years ago, I went through a period in my life where I was not eating much. I ‘thought’ I was just being careful with my diet, but in truth I was wasting away.

    One of the things I struggled with was walking up stairs and I would always feel a great strain on my heart. The other symptom was hearing my heart beat very loudly at night. With hindsight, what I understand now that I have a healthier relationship with food was that my heart was struggling to cope as my body was not being properly nourished. For me my blood pressure was extremely low, not high.

    Also at the time I was not sleeping well and suffered from a lot of anxiety including waking during the night to go to the toilet. What I do know is that when I committed to a program of early nights 7 days per week and resting when I felt tired plus cooking nourishing meals for myself and not restricting my food intake, everything changed.

    My first prescription for anyone with any sleep problems is this article on Sleep by Simple Living Global.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-sleep-day/

    What if until we get our sleep more in order, we will continue to suffer with ill health, which could be easily avoided if we took more care with the way that we live?

    Reply

  25. The Week – 21 October 2017
    p.21

    Blood Pressure and Dementia

    Women are 50% more likely to develop dementia than men – a disparity which has long puzzled scientists.

    A US study has suggested a possible explanation: it could be because women are affected more severely by cardiovascular problems.

    Researchers at the University of California analysed 5,646 adults over several decades, and found that women who had hypertension (high blood pressure) were 73% more likely to develop dementia than women with healthy blood pressure; yet among men, there was no such link.

    Previous research has shown that women with high blood pressure are more likely than men to develop heart disease – and the researchers suspect that it may be similarly harmful to their brains.

    So why are women more prone to cardiovascular problems?

    What is it about the way that we are living as women that is affecting our hearts?

    Is it possible that we are closing our hearts for some reason and this gives rise to the high blood pressure?

    I have heard of vascular dementia and so there is clearly a link between the brain and the heart.

    What if somewhere along the way we are closing down our hearts as women and are giving up on life which then leads to dementia?

    Not only is this blog on Women by Simple Living Global first class in asking questions that also relate to this issue, but it is also well worth checking out

    Heart https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-heart-day-part-1/

    Hypertension https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-hypertension-day/

    Reply

  26. Web MD – 24 July 2018

    The FDA approves a new drug for Endometriosis Pain

    https://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis/news/20180724/fda-approves-new-drug-for-endometriosis-pain

    The first drug developed for the treatment of moderate to severe pain from endometriosis.

    This drug is seen to be a significant advancement for women as data from 2 studies of nearly 1,700 women show that the most common 3 types of pain were reduced – menstrual pelvic pain, non menstrual pelvic pain and pain with sex.

    Women with endometriosis can undergo multiple medical treatments and surgical procedures seeking pain relief and this drug being approved by the FDA is now another option for treatment based on a woman’s specific type and severity of endometriosis pain.

    This blog by Simple Living Global presents many questions that we do need to consider, if we are to ever get to the root of WHY and HOW we suffer with any form of pain.

    We are seemingly so advanced in so many areas when it comes to science and medicine but is there something missing, or do we have a blind spot where researchers are not able to go, simply because we are not asking the questions or because we are just not aware that thinking outside the box might just give us some more clues?

    What we do know is SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT if we have got pain, regardless of the extent.

    A question we could ask right now is WHY does any woman experience pain with sex?

    Is sex a broad term or is it something we each as individuals have a subjective opinion about?

    What if a woman having sex is not the answer as what she actually wants is making love and that is no where on the radar?

    What if the majority of us have no clue what making love is really about and we think of it as the same as sex?

    What if sex offers a tension for the woman and some of us are naturally not able to numb ourselves and so we harden at the very thought of it or shut down our feelings in order to continue with the act of sex?

    What if we need alcohol to alter our natural state and this is the only time we are comfortable or ok about having sex?

    Are these the types of questions we need to be discussing and being really honest about?

    Have we in society made sex a topic that does not let us be honest so we can discuss openly?

    Is having a drug to allow us to not feel pain in the pelvic area the answer to having sex?

    Is the pain our body is communicating telling us that something serious is going on during sex that we do not like or are not comfortable with in some way?

    Next – if we have pain in the pelvic area that is not during menstruation – is that an indication that it may be something to do with how we are choosing to live?

    Are we as women way too busy to stop and press the pause button to question things?

    Are we living so fast and full on that we just need the drug to get rid of the pain, because business as usual is our normal mode of operating and that means ignoring the body and all the noises it makes to tell us something – like in this case, pelvic pain?

    Have we considered the important question – At what cost?

    In other words, at what cost is it to our body when we choose to take the drug to numb the pain?

    Is it the answer and have we thought what happens next?

    All drugs have side effects and that is a fact.

    So have we considered the side effects or are we just interested in pain management and how we can have sex without pain?

    Reply

  27. CNN – 9 August 2018
    https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/09/health/women-pregnancy-opioid-addiction-cdc/index.html

    In USA, the rate amongst women delivering babies with opioid use disorder has more than quadrupled over the 15 year period ending in 2014 (Morbidity and Mortality Report, Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

    “More and more women are presenting with opioid use disorder at labour”
    Dr. Wand Barfield, Director of Center of Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Reproductive Health

    333% increase in women giving birth seen.

    23 states and Washington DC consider substance in pregnancy to be child abuse and 3 states consider it to be grounds for admitting a woman involuntarily to a psychiatric hospital and so this is taken very seriously.

    Times have changed.

    In the 1960s more than 80% of patients entering treatment programs for opioid use were urban men who used heroin.

    By 2010 the majority were often middle class white women living in less urban or rural areas.

    “The opioid epidemic has touched everyone…When something is so broad and affects all populations we also see it reflected in the pregnant population”
    Dr. Elizabeth E. Krans, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh

    More screening of pregnant women is being called for in the early stages of pregnancy.

    But what about the women?

    Is anyone really talking to them to establish what is going on for them and what they are feeling as to why they are taking this pain numbing drug?

    What pain are they trying to silence with this drug?

    What true support are they receiving?

    Is it just that there has been a general increase in opioid use amongst the general population or is this telling us something about what is truly going for women during pregnancy which is actually a very sacred time?

    Reply

  28. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/young-women-adhd-medicine-700-percent-years-cdc/story?id=52449641

    Just read this news story online about a 12 year study by CDC of young women with ADHD

    700% increase in age 25 – 29
    560% increase in age 30 – 34

    We could start by saying SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

    What happens at these ages that gives rise to such staggering figures?

    Do we need to consider every single thing that this blog is presenting before we ask and wait for more and more research?

    What really got me to write this comment was the fact that one of the prescribed medications are Amphetamines and stimulants were also mentioned.

    First we need to read all the facts in simple language about Amphetamines – see link
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-raw-truth-about-amphetamines/

    Once we know for ourself what this drug is and what it does, we can ask –

    WHY would this be the prescribed drug of choice for ADHD.
    ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

    If we join the dots here and keep it super basic and simple – how can a drug deal with our attention deficit?

    The blog on this website called FOCUS is worth reading
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/focus/

    My take is that we have to be doing something that is affecting our mind to the point where we are no longer able to settle.

    ADHD up until recently has been about children and now they are saying adults.

    What are we doing and how are we living everyday?

    What modern lifestyle choices are in place now that has given rise to this?

    Are these the type of questions we need to be asking, if we are to see real change?

    Whilst these figures are off the scale, have we considered how many have not made it to the research studies and gone under the radar?

    Could the actual figures be even higher?

    Are we as women too busy busy trying to be something we are not?
    Are we trying too hard to get out in the world and make our mark?
    Are we craving the recognition and attention we never got as a child?
    Are we big into social media to the point where we are addicted?
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/social-media-day/
    Are we accepting abuse of any kind because it seems to be the norm?

    It would be true to say that I certainly had, a long time ago, a mild form of ADHD and so did most of the people I chose to hang out with.
    So what has changed?

    Getting the quality sleep sorted to the point where I know what my body needs and nothing is greater or more important than that.

    This has led to many other lifestyle choices and where my priorities are and what I choose to focus on.

    Having a connection to what I know is true purpose stops any form of hyper-activity and for the record, my GP tells me I have perfect blood pressure.

    My attention span is what I would call amazing, considering the amount of online research I do every single day, with adverts flashing on both sides of the screen and ads on every corner doing what it can to get my attention.

    Reacting to it will not do me any good, so I have learned to observe with a steady body and that comes with making lifestyle choices that have all been presented on this website.

    I know as a 56 year old woman today, I have a duty to share and bring awareness to others in our world, because I now live an incredible life without the stimulations that this world is offering.

    Reply

  29. Over these last few days I have had many thoughts about role models and what they represent, particularly those on the front cover of magazines.

    Is it possible that a role model is not just about what someone looks like and the views that they hold?

    What if a true role model reflects to others a certain way of living, that is full of vitality, true health and respect for one’s body?

    We are living in an age where visual stimulation is high and we seem to want to match our personal lives with what we see in those around us, especially celebrities and those in the public eye.

    However, do we have a responsibility about what we put out there and what we are in truth promoting?

    When I think of teenage girls for example, who are easily influenced, if they do not have strong role models in their personal lives and when I consider that just in the last week, the UK media have been reporting that 1 in 4 teenage girls in Britain self-harms, perhaps we do need to be much more responsible with who and what we are promoting.

    What if when we have someone on the front cover of a magazine, we are promoting a whole lifestyle – seen or unseen and it goes beyond whether the person is fat or thin?

    Have we truly stopped to consider the consequences of what we are selling, or are we so caught up with the money making machine that we have no real interest?

    I have women in my life who live in a way that is deeply respectfull of their bodies and everyone else; where they will not accept abuse in anyway shape or form.

    These women not only emanate beauty, but also wisdom, strength, vitality, true health and power. They are so strong in knowing who they are, that they have nothing to prove to anyone.

    There is no fighting – they just know who they are and they stand with and live that every day.

    This for me are the type of women I want to see on the front cover of our magazine.

    True women reflecting all that we can be.

    Reply

  30. Today is International Menopause Day and it is to raise awareness of midlife women’s health.

    The 2018 awareness campaign concentrates on sexual wellbeing after menopause.

    The International Menopause Society is working to increase awareness of FSD – female sexual dysfunction. The white paper aims to review the process of care for female sexual well-being following menopause, from approaching the discussion of FSD to identifying clinical signs and symptoms and ultimately determining the best available biopsychosocial therapies.

    The 16th World Congress on Menopause was held in June this year in Vancouver, Canada about Midlife Health in the 21st century.

    So what exactly does that mean to the average woman about to go into mid-life?

    How many women have real education about this subject and know what sort of things to expect during this time in their life?

    Are we equipped to deal with what is coming and are we on the front foot?

    Are we asking enough questions and having real life conversations, so we get talking with those who have experienced – in other words lived through what could possibly help us?

    Would this be a more valuable option for women instead of a google search or an app to monitor hot flushes?

    Are there any real role models around, who are post menopause that can reflect a way of living that is working?

    What are we aware of when it comes to sexual wellbeing after menopause?

    Do we all know the facts about what menopause is, how it affects us and what is our part in all of this?

    What we do know is that it is not a topic of conversation that we hear about.

    There has been no news reporting on International Menopause Day in the media that we can all say “let’s wake up and pay attention”.
    WHY is this?

    Whilst it is great to have these world awareness days, is it time to dig deeper and be very honest and pose the question – how are women living in daily life?

    Reply

  31. Metro News – 23 October 2018

    A news story today about the average woman needs a 28 hour day to get things done.

    The new study of 2,000 women found –

    50% choose to exercise, work or spend time with family and friends rather than go to bed early

    60% wish they had extra time in the day to maintain career, social and home life

    25% put their late nights down to climbing the career ladder, leaving work after 7pm

    20% wake up before 6am

    25% go to bed after midnight

    20% work more than ever before

    33% are conscious of what colleagues think of them after a late night
    as a result they will apply more make-up or spend more time brushing their teeth or fixing their hair to disguise their tired appearance.

    So what is this study saying to us about women today?

    We value work and want to go somewhere with our career at whatever cost it may be to our human body.

    We do not value sleep as we choose other things like family above an early night.

    We choose to have late nights then seek a solution like extra make-up hoping this will cover up how we feel, which is tired from lack of sleep.

    The truth is we cannot have a 28 hour day and so is there another way?

    Next – why are women choosing to spend time with others when clearly sleep is needed?

    Where is this pressure to be and do something coming from and how can we make steps to change this way of being?

    This blog highlights what is going on in the world for women and it also presents a lot of questions for us to consider and deeply ponder, if we are to see any real change.

    The author of this website is in her mid 50s and works every day but values the balance of work and rest with adequate sleep adhering to what her body requires.

    The sleep blog was written from lived experience and confirms that it is possible to carry out work consistently and be productive, if there is a deep regard for the human frame.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-sleep-day/

    Ignoring it or overriding it simply does not work and the body will show us signs of it breaking down in some form or another, be it accident, illness or dis-ease.

    Working long hours is possible, but only if there is a quality of sleep and that means paying attention to the rhythms and cycles within our body at all times.

    What would be true to say right now is that the majority of women are far far away from this and there are more questions to be raised, if we are to ever see change in the right direction.

    Reply

  32. Today in many parts of the world, women are allowed to take part in many more things that we were not allowed to previously. In the name of equality this continues to change, like the recent decision by the Ministry of Defence in the UK to allow all frontline roles to now be open to women.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/25/all-roles-in-uk-military-to-be-open-to-women-williamson-announces

    Whilst on the surface we have more equality, do we actually have harmonious relations between men and women or does that divide still exists, even though we can now work in the same roles as men.

    Are these examples of true evolution or is something missing from the equation?

    Is there another way for men and women to be with each other, which involves holding the other as an equal, regardless of their gender, ethnic origin, race, religion, or anything else which we normally focus on – Without judgement or any expectations or beliefs about who and what the other person should be?

    With the continual rise of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women, would we be wise to re-define this word equality and what it actually means?

    If we had truly evolved, would we continue to see this worldwide rise in abuse?

    Reply

  33. Metro News – 10 December 2018 page 23

    Younger women feel bad about themselves 4 times a day according to a research study.

    Seeing their reflection | unable to fit into their jeans | Ignored text messages | being left out friends plans | seeing others ‘perfect life’ on social media

    The research shows the fragile confidence of millennial women

    60% admitting low self esteem
    20% being told they look tired sends their ego crashing

    What is this saying about young women and more to the point women in general?
    Where are women heading if this is going on in daily life?

    If we take another angle here and present –

    Is all the above telling us that women are seeking something on the outside?
    In other words, women are looking for something outside of themselves to be validated, recognised, accepted and approved of in some way, shape or form.

    Can anything on the outside – this world we have created – hold us steady inside us?
    In other words, does this world hold the answers to what we need or is there something inside us that holds the key?

    Let us explore the latter.
    What if our body has an intelligence and knows how to keep us steady from the inside and then we emanate this to the outer world?

    What if we simply need to Plug in and Connect – read the blog on this website
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/plug-in-and-connect/
    Then make the choice to build a foundation – read the blog on this website
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/building-your-foundation/
    Then get real and honest about our life – read the blog on this website
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/get-real-get-honest-and-get-to-truth/
    Then make a commitment to life in all areas – read the blog on this website
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/commitment-to-life-part-1/

    What if after reading this blog about women and how we are truly living in this world, it gives us an insight that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT?

    What if the missing ingredient is simple and real role models are now needed to step forward and lead the way for future generations?

    What if fitting into a jean size and perfect life on social media only exists in our wayward minds, but if we made the choice to deeply connect to our inner most essence, then bingo we can knock out the nonsense thoughts that feed our minds with endless images of how we need to be and look?

    WHAT IF we could all look and see the true reflection of who we are without all this outer stuff that we as humans have created?

    In other words, what if we could just see light particles and not the images we receive that are filtered and altered to not feel the majestic beings that we really are?

    Reply

  34. Daily Mail – 22 December 2018

    Young women are taking a dangerous ‘date rape’ drug as a zero-calorie alternative to binge drinking on nights out, an inquest has heard.

    A toxicologist warned that Gamma-hydroxybutyrate or GHB has become a recreational drug of choice as it doesn’t contain sugar or induce a hangover, while having euphoric effects. It is also very cheap.

    In 2018 Global Drug Survey out of 1,000 GHB users –
    1 in 4 women admitted they had overdosed in the last 12 months

    A young teacher recently died after taking an accidental overdose of the drug.
    Her parents were unaware that she used any illicit drugs.

    GHB was first synthesised for use as an anaesthetic in 1960’s.

    So this tells us that it was a drug that was created to make us numb so as not to feel pain.

    Why is it that women are choosing to take this or any drug to not feel pain?

    What could this pain be that we are trying to numb?

    Is it possible that it could be an internal pain that stems from feeling hurt and not truly living as a woman?

    Is it possible that many of us live by ideals and beliefs of who we think we should be rather than living in the free expression of who we are as women?

    If this is the case, why are we not seeking to get to the root cause of this, rather than searching for cover-ups that will have damaging effects?

    Is it possible that there is true support available to us all, so that we can deal with the root of any life difficulties that we have, so that we do not have to turn to drugs and deal with more fatalities?

    Reply

  35. The Week – Issue 1208
    29th December 2018

    The number of girls in England and Wales referred by the NHS to gender identity specialists rose from 97 – 2009/10 to 2,519 in 2017/18
    The Times

    Are we questioning why more girls are attending gender identity specialists and why the numbers have risen so sharply?

    Is this providing important information for us about what is going on for our girls and the difficulties that they are having with their bodies and who they are?

    Why are they are not feeling comfortable in their own skin?

    Have we questioned why this would be?

    Is it possible that they have not been loved and adored and met for who they truly are?

    Is it possible that they have no-one around them role modelling what it means to be a true woman, who is at ease with who she is, no matter the circumstances?

    What will happen to these girls as they grow into women, if they are questioning who they are and their gender identity at such a young age?

    Is this telling us that something is not right?

    Is there more for us to look at beyond the numbers regarding what is really going on for our girls today and are we ready to see it and ask questions or do we continue to turn a blind eye?

    Reply

  36. Daily Mail – 29 January 2019
    p.32

    Half of mothers who breastfeed struggle to do so, a survey has found.

    50% said breastfeeding was one of the hardest parts of being a mother.

    The poll by BBC Women’s Hour surveyed –

    More than 1,000 women aged 18 – 40 who had a baby in the last 10 years.

    Those who struggled said they felt like a failure.

    1 in 7 of those surveyed said difficulties with breastfeeding had a negative effect on their mental health.

    Why are women sharing this?

    Have we stopped to consider the following –

    Are we putting too much pressure on ourselves as women?

    Do we have an idealistic view of breastfeeding and motherhood?

    Are we trying to be perfect?

    Are we filled with ideals and beliefs about how and who we should be as women and mothers and so if we fall short of that ideal picture this is why we feel a failure?

    What if it is not about being picture perfect and getting it right, but it is about making choices that truly honour and respect our bodies?

    What if choosing to breastfeed is something a woman decides based on where she is at in her life and what feels true in her body?

    What if one is no less a woman or a mother whether we choose to breastfeed or not?

    For the first 6 months of a child’s life, breast milk is recommended exclusively.

    Is there a way to live that enables us to stay true to ourselves, regardless of what any book, professional or any person says?

    Reply

  37. I recently read about a woman who had her cervical smear televised.

    I was shocked to read this as having recently gone for one, I would not say it is something I would ever want to be televised as it is such a private matter.

    In fact having a cervical smear test done is awful and is very traumatic.

    An instrument is placed inside a woman’s vagina and it is very cold, sharp and painfull.

    You are told to relax and it is impossible.

    I have had all sorts of medical advice from a GP saying drink alcohol beforehand to relax – I don’t drink alcohol.

    To nurses asking if I am a virgin or not sexually active.

    When I have said that it is painfull I have been told that this is not correct and that it is just uncomfortable, even though I am saying from my body it is painful.

    The whole experience I find quite degrading and it begs me to question – why we have not developed a more humane and caring way to carry out this test?

    Is it because as women we are putting up with it and are not asking for more?

    Are we just accepting that ‘Oh well, we have been told to go and so we have to?’

    What if we actually looked for the root cause of cervical cancer to determine what causes it by looking at our lifestyle choices?

    Could this be another way to approach women’s health?

    Reply

  38. Talking to a woman in the community who is struggling with her business.
    Every time I see her, she opens up and tells me more about her life.

    She divorced because she no longer wanted to live with a man who was gambling and was an ‘alcoholic’.

    Aware her sons were affected by this she was not educated and just done her best.

    A decade later she knew one of her sons was smoking pot to the point she used her life savings and borrowed more to get him to rehab. Did it work?

    Well she says that as a mother she sniffs around and checks his pockets etc., and is totally convinced he is onto other drugs now.

    For her this is devastating and she takes anti-depressants amongst other pills and tells me she only sleeps for an hour then wakes up and struggles to fall asleep again.

    She was saying how she wants to take her own life some days as things feel so bad.

    I could see the exhaustion in her and the sheer overwhelm of how life has grabbed her.
    ADD to this an elderly mother who she cares for and a younger son who in her words “does zero – nothing and never will”.

    What is it about women who think putting up with whatever life throws at us is ok?

    I put a question to her – if it was a member of staff who behaved as her son does – which is not show up for work or not get up all day, would she continue allowing this in her business – the answer is a clear No and we talked about her ‘divorcing’ her 2 boys, who are in their 30s, so hardly young.

    My straight talk to her was let’s sit down and let me give you my take – she listened.

    How about you start working on yourself, taking deep care of you and your needs and see if that brings any change?

    She said she went on You Tube and got loads of meditation and none are working.

    I suggested the Universal Medicine Gentle Breath Meditation that I have used for over and decade and have taught worldwide to different audiences from CEOs to prisoners and it really works – I am living proof.

    A small start like learning to breathe correctly could make a huge difference in anyones life and above all allowing someone the space to talk.

    I had absolutely no need to go into her shop but something was pulling me to visit her and of course the timing was bang on – it was quiet and I was able to ask how was she feeling.

    Sometimes it takes another, not involved but caring and loving. Someone who truly takes care and loves themselves first, to see what others may need in any given moment.

    Imagine if our world just went out of their way and gave the time as I have done in this case to another man, woman or child who may just need it to support them to turn their lives around.

    It is the small stuff that works and it does not have to be big to make a difference.

    Reply

  39. I was sitting close by to a couple in a cafe and whilst listening I heard a lot.

    In my usual style I was ‘reading’ what was going on. For me that is having a sense of what I was feeling and not pretending or negating those feelings.

    It was not like that was my only focus and being a nosey neighbour but its just how I operate – I read the situation, have a sense and nominate to myself what I saw and heard and felt. No big deal.

    At the time I was working which involved reading.
    The both kept looking at me and so we got into a conversation about many things.

    What I observed throughout is something I used to do a long time ago.
    As a woman – put up with anything even if it did not feel right.

    This woman was clearly not in agreement with how her ‘new man’ sitting opposite wanted to live his life. In fact, I did not hear anything that confirmed otherwise.

    When I was being told what he wanted and his anger and resentment for having to work in this country and get up for work on time, which he hated I could hear loud alarm bells.

    This woman was wanting the fairytale with the good looking man and willing to ignore other things. She literally had it written all over, the happy family with kids and a house.
    Totally understandable and is that not what most of us want as women?

    Back to me questioning this man and saying WHY in your conversation have you mentioned this woman as a friend and not something in your future, yet it is clear you want to be with her. He could not answer direct as his lack of commitment and his lazy life in the sunshine is what he craved the most.

    He said that he could ‘get away with it’ by sleeping in and showing up for the job when he felt like it but here it’s different.

    I told him he does not like RESPONSIBILITY because that is what this is about.
    His partner agreed and he nodded with a body that looked uncomfortable like I had touched a deep nerve.

    As a woman, I am no longer afraid of what men think about me or say about me.
    I just say it as it is and that includes a stranger, my husband, ex husband, dad, brother, friends, work colleagues etc.

    This does not come from arrogance, wanting to be right, have the last say or any other mind games or nonsense. It comes from a deep connection to who I truly am and a deep self regard of myself as a woman in a woman’s body.

    It has taken me 14 years with the support of Universal Medicine and a woman called Natalie Benhayon to get to this point, which feels real and absolutely true.

    My purpose is to hold everyone as equal, in the same way that I see all aspects of myself.

    This deep sense of self worth holds me steady and so it does not allow the space for anyone and that includes men, to change my internal state of being.
    In other words, feeling solid inside me is complete and therefore enough, so I am not seeking anything from anyone on the outside to complete me and that includes men.

    Having an amazing beautifull husband is a bonus because I am full and complete already. Hope that makes sense.

    Reply

  40. Independent News – 20 February 2019

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/period-poverty-women-miss-school-work-office-money-sexism-a8786146.html

    27% of women have been forced to miss school or work because they cannot afford period products according to a new poll on Period Poverty.

    51% of respondents had suffered from the problem or knew someone who had.

    Two thirds had been forced to use makeshift menstrual protection at some point.

    Sanitary products are classed as a “luxury, non-essential item” in the UK and subject to a 5% tax.

    The average cost on sanitary products in a lifetime is £4,800.

    84% thought sanitary products should be freely available in schools and colleges.

    66% believed they should be available free of charge for all females.

    There is more…

    Another poll found half of British girls have witnessed their peers being bullied and shamed about their period. The study found nearly half of girls in Britain said boys tease or joke about periods.

    This is a serious matter and more of us need to be aware of what is going on.

    Firstly, if girls are being teased or joked by boys – how is their relationship with their periods going to be and how will it end up?

    Has anyone considered this?

    Next – How on earth are we calling any sanitary product a luxury non-essential item in the classification of goods in one country?

    Do we simply need to stop at this point and get to the root of how and WHY this has happened before we can unite and discuss anything further?

    Fighting, campaigning and trying to hold our policymakers and those who make these rules and regulations accountable has so far not worked, so is there another way?

    This is related to a natural cycle of a woman and what we could all do with saying is –
    SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT and start talking about it and not leave it to one group of people doing what they can to take it to parliament.

    We may not have the power as individuals, so we think, to make real changes but what if it does count and it does make a difference but we just are not aware of it as it’s not our way of thinking?

    What if all those who are aware, simply express – be it in the form of writing like this comment or bringing awareness through social media and dinner table conversations at home and in our communities?

    Could this get the circulation going for this much needed topic?

    Doing nothing, changes nothing – that is a fact and we all know it.

    What if talking and sharing with those we know and bringing awareness is the start for real change?

    This website is dedicated and committed to bringing awareness to humanity about humanity.

    It is for the people and it is about people.

    Reply

  41. Yesterday as I was leaving a cafe I stood by a man who was looking at his mobile phone. He was quite engrossed scrolling and flicking through pictures.

    Then he started to zoom into the photos and they were of women wearing bikinis on boats with much of their breasts exposed.

    Now we could start having a go at this man or all men by judging them and saying that this is disgusting, but have we ever considered our responsibility as women?

    Have we questioned why as women we do this and what leads us to expose our bodies in this way?

    Is it possible that a woman’s relationship with her body can be sacred? A relationship where we take deep care of ourselves and live in a way where we honour and respect what we feel is true and not harming and we say no to anything that is not?

    Is it possible that a woman who lives in this way is empowered to be comfortable in her own skin without the need to draw on male attention for the way that she looks?

    Is it possible that there is a whole another purpose to a woman’s body and what she brings, that goes way beyond the looks that we have reduced the human form to?

    Reply

  42. The Guardian – 26 January 2019
    p.19

    An African practice of “ironing” a girl’s chest with a hot stone to delay breast formation is spreading in the UK, with women’s campaigner’s hospital workers and church ministers describing dozens of recent cases, a Guardian investigation has found.

    Margaret Nyuuydzewira, head of the diaspora group the Came Women and Girls Development Organisation, estimated that at least 1,000 women and girls in the UK have experienced this, however there has been no systematic study or formal data collection exercise.

    Another community activist said “It’s usually done in the UK, not abroad like female genital mutilation. She describes how this practice is carried out by mothers, aunties or grandmothers, using a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to “break the tissue” and slow its growth.

    Sometimes they do it once a week, or once every 2 weeks depending on how it comes back.

    The perpetrators, usually mothers consider it a traditional measure that protects girls from unwanted male attention, sexual harassment and rape.

    Medical experts and victims regard this practice as a form of child abuse that could lead to physical and psychological scars, infections, inability to breastfeed, deformities and breast cancer.

    The United Nations describes it as 1 of 5 globally under reported crimes relating to gender based violence.

    Reading this have we stopped to question what is going on?

    How many more atrocities are we carrying out in the name of culture?

    How many more of these types of practices are going on?

    WHY have we allowed this to happen where young girls are being abused?

    What could allow any of us to think that this is acceptable?

    Is there anything that we can do to stop this?

    Are we doing something even more harmful than damaging the tissue in carrying out this act?

    Is it possible that this act of mutilation erodes a young woman and girls’ connection to her innate ability to nurture herself?

    By nurturing herself, does this mean she is now aware of how to truly support and nurture others?

    Is it possible that we would all grow, if we allowed women and girls to live their natural nurturing way?

    Is it possible that we all lose out when women and girls are not supported to develop their nurturing qualities?

    Is it possible that this is why these practices really exist and that it has nothing to do with warding off male attention?

    Is it possible that we are not valuing our girls simply for who they are?

    Reply

  43. Independent – 8 March 2019

    International Women’s Day

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/international-womens-day-2019-abortion-ban-rape-victim-blaming-a8812786.html

    A snapshot of some of the issues affecting women today –

    Spy cameras –

    Increasing numbers of women are being secretly filmed on spy cameras as covert recording technology become cheaper and more readily available, experts have warned.

    Cameras are being installed in rental and students’ properties or public spaces including toilet and swimming pool cubicles, changing rooms and tanning salons in order to capture explicit photographs of women without their consent. The material is then uploaded to porn websites.

    Kevin Roberts who runs a company that detects spy cameras and bugs has said that his cases range from spy cameras placed in homes by partners or exes to instances of people using the cameras to spy on strangers.

    “It has grown exponentially in the last 5 – 7 years” he said “Our caseload is going up, which comes from these things being readily easy to buy. They used to have to go to spy shops but now it’s all online…Tech can lead people down some dark roads…”

    Menstruation –

    Women living in Nepal are routinely banished to an outside hut or animal sheds, or stopped from taking part in family activities, having contact with men and are given less food to eat when they are on their period, due to an ancient practice that remains prevalent, despite a ban.

    Dozens of women and girls have died in Nepal in recent years as a result of the tradition.

    Sex work –

    Austerity measures and welfare cuts are leading a number of public sector workers into sex work. A leading campaigning group which supports the decriminalisation of prostitution has said that more women in public sector roles are doing sex work to top up their income due to employers making no allowances for the fact they have children.

    Public sector roles include nurses, midwives and teachers.

    Sexual Assault –

    Majority of men (55%) in the UK believe that a woman is more likely to be sexually harassed or assaulted if she wears revealing clothes.

    Abortions and Domestic Abuse

    Northern Ireland has a ban on abortion in almost all cases – even rape or incest.

    Porn –

    India

    Rise in men watching porn causing a dramatic increase in under age girls being raped.

    We are in the 21st century, what we called an advanced age but when reading the above – can we truly say that we have advanced?

    It is not only in Nepal for example where women are treated differently when they are menstruating. A friend shared recently how growing up in London, England she was not allowed to go to a place of worship, whilst she was on her period.

    One common theme as I read this news article is that it is about women’s bodies.

    Spy cameras are being used to focus on the female form and thus circulate material on the internet for voyeuristic purposes.

    Sexual assaults are a direct physical assault on a woman’s body.

    Is it possible that domestic abuse – whether physical, emotional, mental, financial or sexual all take a toll on a woman’s physical and mental well-being and thus her body is ill affected?

    Is it possible that by not treating women as equals whilst they are on their period and giving them less food and poor sleeping conditions, this is a total disregard for a woman’s body?

    Is it possible that with sex working there is a lack of value for a woman’s body as it is seen as a mere commodity for money and to fulfil desires, by both parties?

    Is it possible that a ban on abortions denies a woman the opportunity to make a decision that she knows is best for her and her body?

    Is there something about a woman’s body that is being negated and if women were honoured and respected in full, this could make a huge difference to human life and the abuse that is prevalent?

    Is it possible that this responsibility starts with women first and relates to how much we take care of our bodies and listen to what they are communicating?

    Is the principal responsibility for a woman to build a relationship with herself and her body first and foremost?

    Reply

  44. Daily Mail – 2 March 2019
    page 29

    A new study has found that women who work night shifts may risk going through the menopause at a younger age.

    80,000 nurses were tracked who worked at least 3 nights a month as well as other shifts.

    Dr David Stock from the University of Dalhousie in Canada said disruption to circadian rhythms and stress could be factors.
    Early menopause causes greater risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

    The first question we need to be asking is are we designed to do night shifts?
    In other words, are we able to continue working in a way that is opposite to what our natural circadian internal clock is telling us.

    Does the body go into stress in the knowing it is not equipped to deal with night work?

    How do we prepare our body to support us to carry out a job that requires night shift?

    I know from anecdotal evidence of others that it is possible but it requires a greater responsibility in the way we are living and the choices we are making every single day.
    This means the days off have to have priority and focus on deep rest and extra sleep.
    This time off needs to be wisely planned and preparation for the week ahead has to be followed with detail if there is to be any true support with a night shift.

    Our food choices need to be looked at and of course our social life and what else we are choosing to spend time on has to be considered as our body is calling for this on some level, if we are going to get through night shift with ease.

    Also a foundation needs to be developed that can support us in daily life no matter what comes our way and this is expanded on in the foundation blog on this website.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/building-your-foundation/

    As a woman, pushing and over-riding our innate first feeling on anything is a no because doing this will ensure things get buried and we will create a tension in the body.

    So how many of us could say we are prepared to adhere to the above and follow it through to the best of our ability?

    How many of us know of nurses that are exhausted and struggling because of working night shifts?

    Where do we get to in life before we say we cannot continue this way of living?

    Where are we in terms of living in a way that honours our menstrual cycle and what it offers?

    How many of us just grin and bear it because we need to earn the money to keep going in life?

    How many of us opt for night shift as there is less work and more money but we never consider what that may end up doing to our body?

    How many women have ever considered that night shift could cause a greater risk of heart disease and osteoporosis?

    Do we as women ever ask the question – Was it worth it?

    On that note, I had early menopause not from working night shift but from a very ill way of living.
    In other words, I made choices that consistently trashed my body to the point I had to have a full hysterectomy.

    Was it worth it – Absolutely No.
    The pain on all levels and the loss of knowing I could never be a mother because of my choices took some time to get over and truly heal.

    Today I regard my body as precious and do my best everyday to take care and listen to it – not perfect and I am forever learning but I know beyond doubt if I was living the way I do today, there would never have been a hysterectomy on the radar. Fact.

    Reply

  45. Talking to a woman in my community, she shared about her sister who is very wealthy as her husband has 10 businesses.

    She said they have a huge house, lots of expensive cars and 4 holidays a year.
    In other words, they have everything but her sister always tells her she feels very lonely.

    She then expressed that when they go on holiday, it is like being with some body physically but no connection inside. The husband is in his work world and has no relationship whatsoever with his wife. She has the lifestyle and can buy whatever she wants, but for her something is missing as she feels so lonely.

    This is interesting as I have heard this type of story so many times.

    What is it about us women that some of us are willing to put up with things that are clearly making us miserable and adding to the agony we feel in life?

    WHY do we accept these types of relationships that are nothing more than an arrangement between 2 adults that on the surface might look great but are totally void of any true connection or intimacy?

    The big question is –
    What type of role model are we if we are living a lie in our own marriage?

    Being lonely in a marriage is not what we signed up to so why do we simply put up with it and at what cost?

    At the end of our life, would we look back with regret or could we say we did our best and made sure we found another way that ensured we were never lonely again?

    Reply

  46. The Conversation – 17 May 2019

    https://theconversation.com/some-women-with-psychotic-disorders-are-more-vulnerable-around-the-time-of-menstruation-our-analysis-suggests-114935

    A recent documentary focused on 4 new mothers that were admitted to a specialist mental health unit for a range of serious conditions, including anxiety, depression and psychosis, which was triggered by recent motherhood.

    A link between psychosis and the menstrual cycle was first proposed in the 1800s, with case studies of women who had monthly psychotic episodes and complete recovery in between.

    Since then, it has been observed that some women with psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, have worse symptoms in the days leading up to menstruation.
    The latest research combined data from different studies on this topic for the first time and it confirms this observation.

    The study, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, showed an increased rate of psychiatric admissions in women around the time of menstruation. The study shows evidence for worsening of psychotic illnesses in the days leading up to and days after menstruation.

    40% of women with psychosis do not have regular cycles.

    Many anti-psychotic medications suppress the menstrual cycle as a side effect.

    Dear World

    Do we need to just stop and ask a simple question –
    What happens to new mothers to bring on Anxiety or Depression or Psychosis?

    How have they been living prior to pregnancy and then during and would this give us a deeper insight into why they struggle as new mothers?

    Would it be worth examining the lifestyle choices in detail now, if we know there is a link and we have known this for centuries?

    Reply

  47. Citizen Journalism – 21 May 2019

    Observing what goes on and how we as women behave around others.

    I had the opportunity to be sitting close to a group of women out to lunch.
    It reminded me of how I was decades ago and how uncomfortable it was for me to not be real and true to how I was feeling. It was like I was there to impress, get noticed and say what I think they wanted to hear. I call that fake and phoney and it always left me empty and feeling like something was missing.

    The thing is I thought there was no way I could be real and be myself as I would have no mates. The other thing was I heard them talking and slagging off someone and how the others joined in and justified what one woman was saying. It was like circulating whatever had happened and looking for validation from friends so it somehow confirms us in our behaviour. Well this is what I used to do but not anymore.

    This type of meeting up and ‘acting’ feels wrong to me now and I see so many women pretending to be who they are not and having that feeling of not being settled inside their own body.

    It takes time, if you ask me to find settlement as a woman and to deal with all the ugly stuff that comes up.

    For me not doing social media, unless I feel real purpose, has helped for sure.
    Not trying to impress or get recognition in any shape or form also helps.
    Above all saying it as it is and never holding back if I feel to say something is the ticket.

    This means I have no problem ever telling my close friends if they are out of line or have done something that was not what I feel decent and respectful. That extends to all others, be it in my community, my family, workplace or anywhere – I am not afraid to be real, speak my truth and not just agree or nod my head for the sake of having an easy time.

    As women, we have deviated from the essence of who we truly are and so we need the outside world to confirm and acknowledge us all the time.

    What if there is another way to live and be as women in the world?

    Surely it would be worth exploring and a great start would be reading this blog and the questions it presents to all of us out there in the world.

    Reply

  48. This is a highly fascinating expose of how women are treated, how women are living and how women are treating themselves.

    Just looking at one aspect of this blog, the abuse that women suffer at the hands of others, if you weren’t sure what you were reading here, it is quite plausible to think you were reading some sort of fictional horror novel.

    It is quite shocking and sad that we are capable of treating another human being in this way and begs the question you have asked in this blog – what sort of intelligence can treat others this way?

    Without women there would be no human race.

    Women are our sisters, our mothers, our grandmothers, our wives, our friends – what gives us the right to abuse them in this way?

    Reply

  49. Daily Mail – 6 July 2019
    Page 4

    Pupils’ lessons on menopause

    The UK government has added the topic of menopause to the sex education curriculum for the first time. The subject will be taught next year at secondary schools.

    Campaigners say that the menopause can cause relationship issues because many do not understand it properly. Symptoms include hot flushes and mood swings.

    It is hoped the lessons will help pupils support their mothers, sisters and partners later in life.

    So how are we going to educate the youth of today about the menopause?

    Who is going to write the lessons and is it going to be facts and stats only?

    Are we going to ask women who have found a way in dealing with the menopause and can share insight and wisdom about this much neglected subject in society?

    Are we going to be open and transparent in our conversations and discussions so this topic is not just in the classroom but taken beyond that space into our communities?

    Before we get to the menopause are we going to consider questions about how women are living during their menstruation cycle each month that may contribute to symptoms shown in the menopause?

    Talking from lived experience and a case well worth noting – I was living in a way that ignored my monthly periods for literally 35 years. It got to the point where I developed endometriosis and fibroids and eventually a tumour. After having a hysterectomy which was the removal of the uterus and cervix, I started the early menopause.

    At the time the hot flushes were awefull and I would react so much and change all my clothes and things just got worse. If anyone told me that they would still be going on a decade later, I would have wanted to shoot them as I never thought that was possible.

    I spoke to my mother at the time and she said HRT worked because it pushed it all down like it went away but soon as she came off it 20 years later, she experienced the hot flushes. They continued into her 70’s.

    My hot flushes are still around today but thankfully with the understanding and real support I received from a women called Natalie Benhayon, who is an expert in women’s health, I am no longer reacting and above all I have a deeper connection with my body as a woman. This has helped me enormously and I have not taken any HRT and doubt I ever will.

    What if how I lived my trashy life – full details are on this menopause blog – now requires a correction, so to speak.
    https://medicineandsergebenhayon.com/2015/01/20/hysterectomy-a-wake-up-call/

    In other words, my body is adjusting and correcting slowly and gently everyday all the stuff I lived that was harming me in the women’s department down there. It makes sense to me and it has helped me to not react but accept that how we choose to live does have consequences.

    If I was presenting on this topic of menopause at schools, the most important thing I would focus on is how our choices will affect our periods and this eventually will be what our body will show us in the menopause cycle later on in life.

    I have a lot to say about the menopause and what can make it a suffering. The above blog link has hundreds of comments where I expand on the subject and is well worth reading for anyone who is genuinely interested in learning more from someone who has walked the road.

    Reply

  50. Talking in the community today, it was interesting to listen to women talk about their role and their duty.

    Growing up in an Indian family I understand where they are coming from.
    Greek Turkish Cypriot all have similar stuff going on and it is relatable.

    2 sisters – both deeply unhappy for different reasons.
    One has heaps of wealth and the other works very hard and is a single parent.

    Both have this sense of duty – one to the husband and his family.
    She spends all her days cooking and cleaning and entertaining his extended family.
    This is expected and is her duty.

    The other is looking after her mother from another country, who does not want to really be in a foreign land with a daughter working as she ends up spending her days alone.

    So what is the purpose of these old traditions and outdated ways of living in the name of duty?

    I found it very difficult as a teenage bride to be told what I can and cannot do and that included when I could use the bath, which was once a week. This was 40 years ago, but nevertheless it made no sense then and the same applies now.

    Duty back then was to dress in a sari when you get in from work.
    Use the back door entrance to come into the house.
    Never allowed to sit on same sofa as any male including your husband.
    Eat in the kitchen and not with others.
    Up at 5am on weekends and do chores
    Let the men in the house sleep in late and stay out late

    None of this made any sense to me and I was always questioning things and this of course disturbed everyone as my duty, my role and my job was to shut up and not be seen or heard.

    Things may look like they have changed 4 decades on but for many women this continues to be the norm. One dare not question or challenge any of the ideals and beliefs that form part of what a woman can and cannot do.

    I wonder if any of this repressed stuff, where a woman subscribes to the culture and is living a life that is not their natural expression, has an effect on their bodies and in particular their menstrual cycle.

    I observed this pattern in so many Indian women, including myself and my take is that when we are not deeply and truly honouring living as a woman, then the women department is going to show the dis-harmony and it may be in the wide range of symptoms that women today suffer from.

    Back to the story – my conversation ended with me saying that we need to live our truth and anything else, any compromise is not going to get us in the good books of God or a fast track to heaven.

    Women are struggling today and it’s pretty obvious that we have deviated from our natural and innate essence.

    I was one of those statistics but thankfully now I can feel the changes within me and I just know I am not living a life defined by any culture or beliefs in the name of duty.

    Reply

  51. Independent – 7 August 2019

    https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/superdrug-period-delay-pill-high-street-norethisterone-utovlam-a9044896.html

    Women can now buy the “period delay pill” at a famous high street drug store in the UK.

    The pill is a prescription only medicine that was previously only available at pharmacists via online doctors’ services and had to be ordered in.

    Now it can be purchased on a walk-in basis at any branch following a consultation with the on-site pharmacist.

    The measure was introduced to give women more control and choice over their bodies.

    Dear World

    Is a synthetic version of a sex hormone, which naturally occurs in the human body going to be the answer in anyway?

    We make a pill that mimics something that is natural and we want it to perform and do something un-natural – in this case delay our period by three days.

    It may feel like control or a new lifestyle choice for many women but have we considered at what cost and is it worth it?

    We may not be aware that many contraceptive methods will induce amenorrhoea, which is a state of no periods, so taking this pill on top may not be necessary.

    When it comes to our body, how many of us are fully informed or give ourselves the time and space to feel what would best suit us?

    Are our choices made from what is expected of us or what we know other women are doing or do we have the clarity, understanding and connection with our own body before we make any choice that alters our natural state?

    How many of us would have considered this? –

    Drugs including caffeine and alcohol alter our natural state.
    Taking a pill to stop a natural cycle that we call a period alters our natural state.
    There is simply no getting away from that fact.

    What we need to be asking is – Why there is a demand from us as women to not want a period and instead choose the delay button, albeit a few days?

    If our body was given the voice to communicate – would it agree to being told it cannot work in a sequence and order that is natural and rhythmic?

    Is it time we started this type of questioning, instead of wanting a quick fix solution to our issues and dilemmas.

    We have to note that suppliers will only come up with the next thing, if we, the consumer are making the demand.

    The question is WHY are we asking for a delay to our natural monthly menstruation cycle?

    Reply

  52. Talking to a young woman in the community.

    It was one of those appointments where I was not really supposed to be there.

    Me in my usual style asking questions and feeling open myself and transparent.
    In other words, I was not asking from a nosey wanting to know but genuinely asking how this woman was feeling and clocking her response and at the same time not being guarded in anyway within myself, so she was able to ask me anything. I am certain people feel that openness in someone when they are coming from a place of quality that they live everyday.

    We tend to have a public face and we do not tend to be honest, let alone share our innermost feelings with what some might call a total stranger.

    In truth, I do not feel anyone is really a stranger as I am certain we are all interconnected by the very fact we are one species regardless of gender, age, nationality and all that stuff.

    She apologised and said she does not normally breakdown and cry and I know this was because I was able to connect with her and relate to her in a most genuine and caring way.

    I don’t ever think what will I say or bring out the sympathy card as I am way too real and straight forward for that kind of talk. I just say it as it is and one question I presented was what advice would you give your best friend, if this was an exact situation they were currently in. Bingo she got her answer and was repeating it to herself and my take was you already know so now you need to get on with it as it is a choice.

    Continue the endless pain and suffering or make movements to end what is clearly not working and take steps to move on without getting anxious about the outcome, which has yet to happen.

    So many of us in daily life have these so called chance meetings which could be seen as an opportunity to express the truth. Holding back or keeping my mouth shut when I hold all this wisdom inside me is not an option.

    As women we all hold innate wisdom, learning to share and express what we feel could be a game changer for another, as it clearly was for me today.

    Reply

  53. Last month I met a lady in the toilets at a leisure centre and we got talking.
    She liked my straight in your face talking as she said that is how she operates.

    When I got to meet her kids a few weeks later, I realised how quick we as a world are to judge another.

    Looking at her and the job she does, it would make us think she is the same as many who are from her native country but how wrong can we be.

    Here was someone doing what society would call a menial job and yet her children were in a top private school, super well spoken and nothing like what you would imagine if you hung out with her.

    The point of this comment was her manager arrived and I expressed the truth about her and I could feel it was enriching. She started crying and could not explain to us why this sudden emotion in front of her boss and kids.

    When I later shared this with my husband he asked could it be possible she was met and connected to by another for the first time in a way she had not been before.

    She was deeply touched and moved by our brief connections over the past month and when I introduced her to my husband she was saying how she had never met anyone like me and it restored her faith in women and humanity.

    As women in this world, we can start judging and going into comparison or jealousy OR we can simply meet another and hold them in the quality and regard they deserve – nothing more and nothing less. We all know about treating others like we want to be treated, but we have to live that day in and day out and my take is it starts with us.

    On that note, I know I have made an effort and a commitment to dedicate time each day to look after myself. This is not just about deep self care but also to not allow another to speak to me in a way that is dis-respectfull and at the same time I will call anyone out if they are out of line or talking ill about another. In other words, I will not endorse nonsense ugly behaviour and that is how I operate, with no perfection.

    As an elder in my community, I don’t shut up if I can see something needs correction.
    I am not bothered what or who they are – when it comes to truth, I just say it as it is.

    Reply

  54. BBC News – 27th January 2020

    Calls for ‘Virginity Repair’ Surgery to be Banned
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51189319

    Campaigners are urging the government to outlaw ‘virginity surgery. They say Muslim women are being shamed into the procedure.

    Many Muslim women risk being outcast, or in extreme cases killed, if their spouses or families discover they have had sex before marriage.

    And some are opting for a medical procedure in which doctors restore a layer of membrane at the entrance to the vagina.

    But there are concerns a ban would increase the dangers to Muslim women by driving the procedure underground.

    Guidelines from the General Medical Council (GMC) state a patients consent to undergo a procedure should come into question if it is suspected of being “given under pressure or duress exerted by another person”.

    The founder of Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation told BBC News of a Moroccan student in hiding in London after being told her father had hired someone to murder her. This woman had come to the UK in 2014 to study and had met a man and they moved in together.

    But when the father found out about the relationship, he had demanded she return to Morocco, where he had taken her to a clinic for a “virginity test” and discovered her hymen was no longer intact.

    There are currently at least 22 private clinics across the UK offering hymen-repair surgery.

    They charge up to £3,000 for the surgery, which takes about an hour.

    Women’s rights campaigners say that such clinics are profiting from Muslims afraid of what could happen to them if they are not “pure” for their wedding night.

    And many of these clinics detail the procedure on their websites with one centre telling women who visit its site “some marriages are even annulled” when a husband discovers his wife’s hymen has been broken.

    The Health Secretary said he would be investigating ways to end this “dreadful practice”, but the Department of Health declined to comment on how a potential ban would be enforced.

    A professor of Women’s Health at Barts and the London School of Medicine who has witnessed the procedure first hand said a ban “isn’t an appropriate response”. And as long as “good quality information” was made available to patients, the decision should be left up to individual women. He added: “I believe doctors’ motives are genuinely for protection against abuse.”

    However the chair of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology, worries about women and girls being coerced into a procedure with “zero medical benefit”.

    She said: “ The duties of a doctor are made clear in standards set out by the GMC. We as healthcare professions are bound by an oath to do no ham to patients and any reputable service engaging in these procedures is open to audit and scrutiny.”

    The medical director and director of education and standards at the GMC said that it’s vital that doctors consider the “vulnerabilities and psychological needs of their patients” first. He said: “If a patient is under undue pressure from others to take a particular course, their consent may not be voluntary. If a doctor judges that a child or young person does not want a cosmetic intervention, it should not be performed.”

    The founder of Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation said: “These women on some level don’t see themselves as anything more than an object to be desired, rather a human being. For Muslim women, the drive is feelings of shame and the fear of punishment. For others, it is down to a lack of satisfaction with their own bodies, being fuelled by what society is telling them is normal.”

    Banning this procedure may well drive it underground, simply because we are not looking at the real reason why some women are opting for this.

    Is it possible that we need to start to address men’s attitude towards women in this day and age?

    We are now in the 21st century, but many cultures choose to live in the traditions of the past.

    Whether we see sex before marriage as right or wrong, it is a choice that should be able to be made between two consenting people without fear of reprisal.

    However admirable the intentions of doctors’ are, in considering the “vulnerabilities and psychological needs of patients” and following guidelines, the main issue here for the women concerned, is the stigma and fear of what their families will do to them if they choose to have sex before marriage.

    Most women choose to have sex so, is it possible that they then won’t decide to have this procedure willingly?

    Is it possible that many women that opt to have this procedure are doing so under duress?

    Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one of the most horrific procedures a young girl or woman can go through.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/international-day-of-zero-tolerance-for-female-genital-mutilation-6-february/

    Although there is no cutting of the woman’s genitals, is it possible that there is no difference in this procedure to FGM?

    Is it possible that the feelings of manipulation, coercion and bullying are the same?

    Why do we never hear about the men in these cultures being shamed, bullied or threatened with death if they indulge in sex before marriage?

    Historically, women have endured many forms of abuse simply for being a woman.

    Isn’t it time for us “Men” to start to be “True Men” and see women as the equals that they are?

    Reply

  55. Daily Mail – 15 February 2020

    Research Study from Anglia Ruskin University
    Breast Size Satisfaction Survey

    18,541 women in 40 countries
    48% wanted larger breasts
    23% want smaller breasts

    So here we have a snapshot we could say of a global statistic.

    If we simply join the dots we could say women are not satisfied with what their natural bodies have given them.

    Are any of us actually surprised when we know how big the plastic surgery industry actually is?

    We have International Women’s Day coming on 8th March – would it be a wise discussion for all women to have about this topic and if we are totally satisfied with our breasts then how about other areas of our body?

    Do we feel the same?

    Do we know of any woman on the planet who has no body image issue?

    Dr. Max Pemberton – an NHS Psychiatrist says that in his Eating Disorders clinic, many of his patients have issues with their breast size and in the majority of cases, their feelings are the result of low self-esteem and other emotional issues.

    He said that he is shocked how often their attitudes date back to unkind remarks when they were children or teenagers and how frequently it was from parents or other family members.

    Are we surprised or is this something all of us know – things happen in our own homes and it starts way back when we are children?

    Dr. Max goes on to say that a throwaway comment to a youngster can create all kinds of problems in the years to come.

    Most of us would agree, but can we take it another step further…?

    Could it be possible that in the name of teasing and joking there is a harmful intent and as adults we feel the hurt and have our ways of coping or shutting down or whatever it is we go to?

    What about jealousy and how does that play out growing up and then as young adults?

    What about women who are constantly in comparison in their workplace, but know this started at school where they always wanted to look outside of themselves?

    As women it seems we have a lot of stuff going on under the surface that creates a tension and this means we feel un-settled in our own body.

    We all know that no amount of surgery or solutions to fix us is the answer.

    Some of us may have self fury when we see another woman making choices that we did not make. Others may slate and talk badly about another simply because they are jealous and its so entrenched they cannot get out of that state.

    How do we nail it when it comes to women having genuine, loving, decent and respect-full relationships with other women – friends, family, colleagues and those in our community?

    Has anyone noticed how much we as women now rely on social media for meeting our needs but not once have we bothered to ask WHY we have needs in the first place, what is missing and HOW did it get to this point?

    Reply

  56. The Guardian – 28 March 2020

    Female flight attendants working for an airline in Japan will no longer be required to wear high heels or skirts, in a rare victory campaign against workplace dress codes for women.

    This airline is the first major company to relax its regulations in response to complaints from women that having to wear high heels was uncomfortable and often left them in considerable pain.

    6,000 female crew members will be able to choose suitable footwear and swap skirts for trousers.

    In Japan, there are also hotels, department stores, banks and a lot of other companies with this requirement for women. Most businesses force women to wear high heels.

    60% of women had been told to wear high heels or had witnessed female colleagues being forced to wear them according to a survey.

    The movement has since expanded to demand the right to wear glasses at work after a TV report about companies that forced women to wear contact lenses sparked outrage.

    How many of us are aware that this is actually going on for women in the 21st century?

    Do we take note or are we not interested as it’s not happening to us or anyone we know in our country?

    WHY has it taken until now for change to happen and HOW did it continue for so long?

    The newspaper article shows a photo of around 100 women in flight attire with perfect make up and hair and not one woman has glasses on. We could say that they all have perfect vision or we could question if this was part of the rules of contact lenses only.

    As women we like to fight and campaign for our rights and equality and inclusion etc.,
    Are we going about it the right way or is there another way?

    Back to the news story – this is one company and not the whole country agreeing to making this change for female employees. This is worth taking note, as we do not have a country where women are able to dress for comfort and not the outer look that our male employers are seeking.

    Reply

  57. Reuters.com – 27th April 2020

    Another Pandemic: in Latin America, Domestic Abuse Rises Amid Lockdown
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-latam-domesticviol/another-pandemic-in-latin-america-domestic-abuse-rises-amid-lockdown-idUSKCN2291JS

    Lockdowns around Latin America are helping slow the spread of Covid-19, but are having a darker and less intended consequence: a spike in calls to helplines suggests a rise in domestic abuse, in a region where almost 20 million women and girls suffer sexual and physical violence each year.

    In some countries, there has been a rise in formal reports of abuse, while in others; there has been a drop in formal complaints. Prosecutors and UN Women said the latter was likely not due to a decline in violence, but because women were less able to seek help or report abuse through normal channels.

    The founder of the Victims Against Violence program in Argentina said: “The jump in violence has not surprised us, it is the unleashing of a violence that was already there in people. Under normal social circumstances, that had been limited to some degree.”

    Argentina’s emergency 137 line for abuse victims, supported by the justice department, has seen a 67% rise in calls for help in April versus a year earlier, after a nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 2020.

    UN Women reported that there was evidence of rising violence against women in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia and a doubling in the number of femicides in Argentina during the quarantine.

    Pre-pandemic, the Argentine government estimates that a woman was killed every 23 hours.

    Rising concern over domestic abuse has been global, with fears victims are being silenced in Italy, calls for help from women rising in Spain and systems to prevent child abuse in the United States hampered by the lockdown.

    The regional director of UN Women told Reuters: “In a situation of confinement, what is happening is that women are locked up with their own abusers in situations where they have very limited outlets. Last year we had 3,800 femicides in the region, how many are we going to have this year?”

    In Chile, the women’s minister said calls to domestic abuse helplines had increased 70% in the first weekend of quarantine. The mayor of Santiago’s wealthy Providencia district, told Reuters that calls for help to a local office providing legal, psychological and social help had leapt 500% under the lockdown.

    In Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, there was a 45% jump last month in cases of violence against women where police were dispatched, compared to a year earlier.

    In Colombia, daily domestic violence calls to a national women’s hotline were up nearly 130% during the first 18 days of the country’s quarantine according to government figures.

    Is it possible that this global lockdown has shone a spotlight on the despicable behaviours of our human race?

    Whether it be man, woman or child, what gives us the right to treat another human being in this manner?

    Is it possible that domestic abuse is one of our (men or women’s) worst attributes?

    Of course, there have been instances where the woman has abused the man but generally, cases of domestic abuse are perpetrated by men towards women and simply because men are generally stronger than women.

    But why is there domestic abuse?

    Why does a man think they have the right to physically, verbally or psychologically abuse their partners just because they are not getting their way?

    There can be no acceptable reason for a man to hit a woman.

    In truth, is it possible that there should be no acceptable reason for anyone to hit anyone?

    We are very good at passing the blame onto someone or something else from alcohol, drugs, being stressed out, a bad day at work, our sports team didn’t do well, my partner pissed me off, etc. etc.

    We are all responsible for our actions.

    When we do abuse someone else, whether it’s physical, verbal or psychological, is it possible that we are choosing to not take responsibility for what we are feeling and instead of dealing with those feelings, we lash out?

    Reply

  58. Talking to a local woman I know from the launderette, she is getting more ill and when she sees me she just wants me to listen and I certainly do.

    Today was different – she was distressed and explained that because her english is not good, she found a doctor back in her country who charged her a lot of money to diagnose her symptoms and told her she had corona stress. This is because she worries about her individual family members back home, her son here with her, the current pandemic and a lot more including her money, as she earns less than the minimum wage.

    Her real diagnosis is that she is anaemic and heavily bleeding for many weeks now and tells me this is ‘normal’ for her. Alarm bells ringing for me and a de ja vu as they say.

    This is me as I have been there and I know what she is saying. I had anaemia but never even bothered to join the dots and realise that heavy non stop bleeding was draining me and of course having anaemia was going to be a symptom.

    I wonder how many more women in our world are suffering and are not able to make new changes, as they do not have the awareness or they are not even stopping to consider why on earth this is happening.

    I know a lot of women with period problems and I certainly suffered for almost 3 decades with my push push, keep going lifestyle choices added, to the point I got a tumour and had to have surgery. It took another few years for it to sink in that an organ had been removed because the way I was choosing to live was not my natural state as a woman. I know this now, but I wish I had the wisdom of someone like me back in the old days to tell me so. Chances are I may not have listened as a part of me liked the neglectful reckless life I was living – trashing my body.

    Today I do my best to look after and deeply care for my body and that means treating myself with the utmost respect without trying to be something I am not.

    Gone are the days that I want to impress others or seek their approval or adulation or any other nonsense like that. In are the days where I make effort to stay open and loving to all those who cross my path daily and not live life with the I, me, myself syndrome.

    Back to this lovely lady in the launderette. I connected her with my friend who speaks the same language and they had a chat on my phone. It was great to see her smile and relieved, like she has found a new friend (who I know very well) will be supporting her, because she lives like I do. That means we have the time and space to help another and it really is no big deal.

    Our world would benefit if we for a moment started to take care of ourselves and our body and then the vitality levels we have can be put to good use – to help others.

    Isn’t that a plan worth waking up for?

    Reply

  59. I was with a woman who found it extremely painfull to answer her mobile phone whilst she was in a meeting with me.

    It just kept ringing and it was like she knew it had to be answered. I told her to go ahead, as it did not bother me. Things like this are minor so I never get upset or react to these types of situations.

    Her timing was wrong and she should not have booked to see me and this guy immediately after, who was early and impatient. Her mistake and her learning.

    My job was to give her some space and not put any pressure or demands as I have an understanding that underneath all of this is a wise woman but on the surface she struggles to even say “Can I just take this call?”.

    How is it that we have so-called over confident women in this world and then we have many like this woman who really could not speak up?
    It was like she was gagged and the pain in her face and her body contracting told me this was not something simple and easy for her.

    Of course saying anything to anyone without any fear or holding back is my norm. This situation yesterday made me realise that there are women out there unable to speak up and just say “You will have to wait, I am with another customer and you are early for your appointment”.

    As women we ra ra and champion and campaign about our rights and this and that but what about these unspoken voices that seem to go un-noticed?
    Our world is full of them and it is something that needs to be in our awareness.

    This situation could have turned out very differently had I demanded my time from her or got nasty or bullying but thank-fully I do not have those traits. Instead I told her to go and come back another time when it suited her and she was not under pressure. The relief on her face said it all and when we did meet later we had a very beautifull conversation and she shared so much about what is going on in her life.

    Sometimes as women all we need is another to listen and not give us opinions or their take, but just be with them while they pour out what is under the surface that is affecting them.

    I was able to do that without any comparison or jealousy – both of which are generally present in so many women when they talk to each other.

    We may not like to admit it but as women we have a long way to go to eradicate both comparison and jealousy with every woman we meet or know.

    Reply

  60. Independent – 3 June 2020

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lockdown-sexual-harassment-online-women-zoombombing-a9547371.html

    Women are being subjected to new forms of online sexual harassment while working from home during lockdown, according to a new study.

    Relentlessly harassment via video call on a popular conferencing platform bombarding women with stalking or threats. This includes intruding or hacking into a video call and has involved images of child sex abuse and racist or homophobic imagery being shared.

    Working from home means perpetrators can evade scrutiny due to no longer being around fellow colleagues in the office.

    WHY are women too scared to take further action when questioned about whether they had requested help, after suffering sexual harassment or other misconduct online?

    WHY do we need to gather anonymous testimonies?

    Is this a sign telling us that it is not safe to disclose our personal details to report a crime?

    If we are to get real and honest, any form of abuse needs to be reported and the fact that women are not able to do this openly and freely is speaking volumes.

    A study by the Trades Union Congress previously found two-thirds of young women had experienced harassment at the office.

    Another study out last month found young women who say sexual harassment, including men exposing themselves, has become worse during the lockdown.

    Plan International UK who polled more than 1,000 young women aged 14 -21 found that 1 in 5 have suffered harassment on the streets since the government implemented stringent social distancing measures.

    Are we as women accepting this as our new normal and if so, WHY?

    Is there a bigger picture here that we need to consider and ponder?

    WHY have we got sexual harassment in the first place and with all the resources and intelligence that we have in this world – how come it is still going on?

    Could it be possible that lockdown has got many people behaving differently because of the time they have on their hands, stuck inside and no one policing them?

    Could it be possible that if we are out of our regular routine then chances are we will fill up that void with distractions and seek even more wayward entertainment, as we have others in the same situation, so now we have masses with a licence to simply do – what we want and when we want?

    How on earth can the authorities or our systems deal with this right now when so many other issues seem to be getting all the press coverage?

    Is this something the perpetrators know, because whatever their behaviour there is a very good chance nothing will be done and they continue to get away with it?

    As a world, it would be honest and true to say that we are way off kilter when it comes to common decency and respect. Without having those values close to our heart and living them daily, we are breeding generations online who think they can behave in this abusive manner, as they are above the law and hiding under the cloak of anonymity.

    Reply

  61. Once upon a time, like most women I had that comparison stuff going on and what I now realise is that it short changed me to have meaning-full, real relationships with other women.

    Well the good news is that is long gone and it would be true to say I have some amazing relationships that over time have been built and what comes to me is the trust element. How so many of us only go so far or to a point in the open-ness transparency department.

    We could say we do with our best friend but can we equally say we are not in anyway jealous or in comparison with them at any level? If we reckon we are then how are we when they have spectacular news to share, great job and partner and look like they are on the way to living a life we are no where near living?

    Anyway, the reason for this comment is I met a refugee from the middle east around 4 years ago who I felt to connect with. It was quite easy for me to feel she trusted no one and she did let me know that her whole family and relatives died in an earthquake few decades ago.

    Recently she has told me that she loves me and trusts me and how rare that is for her and most of us would understand why.

    Yesterday, we had the time and space to talk and she was ready and told me about her cancer and her take on why she felt she got it and to me it was making sense.

    Then she opened up how her husband was killed and the devastation that she still lives with today haunts her to the point she cannot sleep and uses medication.

    There is much more but not needed as the point has been made.

    I know beyond doubt that my job was never to ask her or dig for information but just be me and stay open with the big heart I know I have – nothing more and nothing less. Over a long time she observed me and could see how steady I am in life and how I live and relate to others in the community. I am certain this is why she eventually opened up and could share stuff that she had not told anyone.

    Losing your husband in such a barbaric way and all your living relatives is something most of us will never experience in our lifetime.

    I may be a stranger according to the world, as we are not blood related and english is not her first language and yet there seems to be a whole different level of communication that holds a quality – a vibration so to speak that has allowed another to openly express.

    Her life will never be the same because all this pain she is holding on to has had some release and all I did was be open, not judge, not go into sympathy but simply observe and listen to the tragic story that many would be shocked to hear.

    I know that this relationship is possible because I have let go of any judgements and I am not comparing myself as better or whatever than her.

    As women we have a huge level of responsibility to step up our game and deal with our own issues so that one day we can be the steady rock in relationships regardless of who they are or where they come from.

    Hope this is making sense.

    Reply

  62. Metro News – 11 August 2020

    Women have stopped using cosmetics during the pandemic and this has led to Beauty sales dropping rapidly. Hundreds of products have been axed as women work from home and only shopped for essentials.

    Foundation and lipstick were items listed as unavailable in the top 5 UK supermarkets.

    This tells us we have gone for the cheap supermarket cosmetics and they are sold out from March to July – the height of the pandemic with lockdown in place.

    Is this trend going to continue and what next?

    Are women dropping their standards as a virtual reality way of operating is now their new job?

    Has the cosmetic market seen a downward turn that may continue as months of restrictions and a new reality takes over?

    Are women enjoying breathing without a face full of make up or are they waiting for the day when they can have their perfect mask back on uploaded on social media, so the world gets to see how perfect they look?

    Are women going to continue to buy less make up and go back to basics, which means buying essentials and not making cosmetics their number one priority as it was pre lockdown?

    Reply

  63. Talking to a taxi driver, he was sharing about his sister in Mexico ‘struggling’ with 2 young children and cannot leave the marriage as she has no income. Her husband will not divorce her so she has to “sacrifice” her life for her children.

    That word “sacrifice” felt quite disturbing so I made the choice to ask some questions as I do in my normal style, as something was not adding up.

    What transpired was the husband has been married 3 times before and this man’s sister always had an agenda – to find a man, get married and have children. Her priority in her twenties was making sure she had children. Time was getting on so at 27 she went this this guy and bingo got her dream – 2 children.

    Well I did not hold back and just said what I felt and he agreed.

    He said that she blindly went ahead because of her need to want children and she thinks it’s ok to live with a man who has other women because she has got what she wants – 2 kids. However, there is no income if she left him and he refuses to leave as he knows it will cost him money in maintenance payments so he is staying put. We could say this is like a game with no winners.

    I wonder how many women out there are thinking along the same lines and have similar agendas for what they want in life?

    My questions as an elder would be some wise words – Let’s start by being real and getting honest.

    At what cost is it to go ahead and bring children into this world because of a hidden need/agenda?

    Was it worth it?

    What about the kids – what happens to their health and well-being growing up, sensing something is not right with Mum and Dad from day dot?

    Do we honestly think our children are not sensitive?

    What if they can feel the loveless and irresponsible way we are choosing to raise them in the name of parenting and family?

    What about their mental health – how do they end up and do they follow in the same patterns of behaviour only to see this happening all over again for the future generation?

    As a world of women – we very much need the reflection of real true women who are role models.

    How else are we ever going to turn the tides and start living a life that is truth before any need?

    Reply

  64. https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Heart-disease-deaths-rising-in-young-women

    A nationwide study in the United States has found increasing death rates from heart disease in women under 65. The research is published in the European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1

    “Young women are becoming less healthy, which is now reversing prior improvements in heart disease deaths. With worsening epidemics of diabetes and obesity across developed countries, our finding are a warning sign that we need to pay more attention to the health of young women.

    Women frequently put others’ health and needs before their own, often caring for children and parents and working full time. But if they have a fatal heart attack, they will not be there for their loved ones. Women must prioritise their own health, especially since heart disease is largely preventable” says senior author, Dr. Erin Michos at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, US.

    We tend to associate heart disease with men and there has not really been much public awareness how big this is for women in society.

    How many more research studies are we going to wait for to wake up and smell that something is seriously not right with the way women are living today on earth?

    How have we got to this point when we are being told that heart disease is largely preventable and yet it is the world’s largest killer?

    Science is catching up with good old fashion common sense because we do all know that we need to take care of ourselves first and foremost before we can truly make a difference, when we care for others.

    Our lifestyle choices are not supporting even the basic self care and it seems like we need education and understanding to know WHY it is super important to not negate our body in any way. Trashing it with over work, running around with high stress levels, coping with life and eating foods that don’t nurture or nourish us affects the body, in more ways than we may be willing to comprehend. Sleep is off sync when self care is not on our daytime agenda and that adds to even more ill health. This is basic life 101 stuff and yet we seem to have forgotten about it as women.

    Enter Simple Living Global on the front foot. A woman author aged 59 with life experience who is not out there to impress or get google hits, saying it in simple language so we all get it. No fancy words and no academic trying to sound intelligent as she knows what works has to be simple and makes sense. A website with over 225 articles that are relatable and a whole category on self care.

    Front foot means knowing what is needed and acting. We launched this website back in January 2016 and have been pumping out topics that humanity may be interested in. We then report on new research studies that apply as in this case – Heart Disease. That way the reader knows we are serious and in for the long haul. We don’t drop the ball and it’s easy when self care is at the core of our daily living. The reference to “we” being all those that support this website – holding it to be what it is today – a website for humanity that has no intention of going away or disappearing, because we never give up.
    A blog worth reading https://simplelivingglobal.com/giving-up-on-life/

    Reply

  65. Insider Health – 1 March 2021

    https://www.insider.com/women-losing-periods-due-to-restrictive-dieting-over-exercising-2021-3

    Losing periods from dieting, excessive exercise and stress is called functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. It is rarely discussed but it is a common side effect of getting lean, but it also occurs at higher body weights.

    However, the condition is reversible though and women can regain their health with lifestyle tweaks.

    This news story talks about a woman who was a “bikini competitor” that spent 2.5 hours a day working out. She admitted that at the time she was in a very “dark place mentally”, had no periods for 3 years and her physical health suffered ‘massively too’. However, she was winning physique competitions and had a body idolised in fitness magazines. The bit that sticks out in this news story is that all the coaches and professionals in the fitness industry told her this was all ok and normal.

    Worth noting – the vast majority of women in the fitness industry have no periods.

    FHA – functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is generally due to stress, over-restrictive dieting, not having enough body fat or over-exercising. It can often be a combination of all factors. It means you cannot have children and it can also lead to osteoporosis and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

    What is seriously worth noting is that FHA is on the rise. The real figures are not there as many women do not come forward, whilst others do not even know because hormonal contraception can mask FHA and the menstrual cycle can be affected for other reasons like polycystic ovary syndrome.

    It is interesting to read the woman highlighted in this news story saying “Why are we celebrating this low body fat percentage, when it is actually really unhealthy?”.

    A study conducted in 2017 concluded that patients with suspected FHA often had “perfectionism and high need for social approval; ambitions and expectations for self and others”. This over-achieving can lead to hypervigilance and stress, which can be dangerous.

    Data is hard to collate because FHA is often masked or undiagnosed.
    1.62 million women aged 18 – 44 in the US have the condition.
    17.4 million women worldwide.

    The body building industry and fitness culture on social media have normalised being shredded and losing the menstrual cycle as a result and it is common in this sub-group than the general population.

    Along with the rise of fitness influencer in recent years, there is a soaring popularity of high-intensity interval training.

    Next – whilst we generally think FHA is typical with very thin girls with eating disorders, it can be someone who looks healthy on the outside but has a lot of internal stress says a London GP.

    Dear World

    How serious is this and how come we are not all aware of what is going on in the world of fitness and social media?

    By normalising something that is way off the mark, in this case a woman’s natural menstruation cycle, we are bringing in a form of Reductionism. We are not valuing what the body is communicating and going against this results in all kinds off dis-eases in the body and the knock on effects are worth considering before we embark on any diet or exercise program.

    The problem we have all over the world is the image thing and how we champion and jump on the bandwagon, without using any common sense. To have that shredded look means it comes at a price and we need to ask those who have been through it – was it worth it?

    What are we compromising and giving in to if we aim for a look – an image we have and want others to recognise? Think about it – if it was not for the others out there, what would be the point of putting our bodies through all that stress?

    The mere fact we have an industry that endorses and fosters this type of ‘look’ is a problem, but the industry exists because of us – YES us the public who want this type of culture in society. They are merely the suppliers and the platform where it has in recent years accelerated to epic proportions is social media.

    What if we carried out Independent Research studies, where our money, the public purse was used so there is no bias and see what unfolds?

    What if we examine the physiology of those that go through to perform at the top of their game in the name of fitness and see what the findings are and how it affects vitality levels, health and well being.

    Unless we apply a different approach, we are going to continue doing what we can with our bodies and finding solutions when things don’t work out. We cannot un-do what we have done but we can learn from those who have walked the road, made the mistakes and are at the other side.

    This is one news story about women’s loss of periods. How many more stories can we find telling us that how we choose to live as women may not be for our true health and wellbeing?

    Our statistics in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and dementia, to name a few confirms something is not right and whilst we dread any illness, it would be wise to consider if we have something to do with the point where it gets to a dis-ease in the body.

    We would do ourselves a favour if we admit that the way we have been living may not be supporting our body as a woman, because all the things that are not going well in the health department are the signs of communication to us that something is not right.

    Reply

  66. Dear World

    Today is International Women’s Day and are we all up to date with our awareness about what is happening around the world to women ?

    Here we have a few stats –

    According to the World Health Organization –

    1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence
    38% of all women murders committed by male intimate partner
    https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women

    99% of all victims in the commercial sex industry are women and girls
    https://www.unseenuk.org/modern-slavery/facts-and-figures

    71% of all modern slavery victims are women and girls
    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/25/modern-slavery-trafficking-persons-one-in-200

    This blog highlights many more things telling us that how we are living as women is not right by a long shot and yet we do not have the answers it seems.

    We jump on the bandwagon of celebrating women but what exactly are we celebrating if this is going on in our world?

    Let us just re-read that literally the whole commercial sex industry victims are women and girls.
    How will life be for them having been affected in this way, which for some is at a very young age?
    What is the price society pays when we have women subjected to this form of abuse?

    For those interested in the reality of what is going on for our girls who one day will be our future generation women – watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYMI6Shd7BU

    Jaco Booyens is coming from real life, where his sister became the victim of sex trafficking for 6 years, at the age of 12.
    What is staggering to hear is the life expectancy of a child involved in sex trafficking is 7 years.

    Do we really know what is going on in our world or can we raise our hand with some deep honesty and say we don’t have a clue this is happening? Many many victims – young girls never make it to teenage or young adults because the horrific abuse ends their life much earlier and for those who do survive, have we thought about the trail of devastation and how they will end up in adult life?

    On another note – endometriosis is happening everywhere to women and yet we have no idea what the root cause is and how we can end this debilitating illness in women worldwide. Our solutions are not fixing the problem and we are not digging deep in our style of questioning to be telling the world, we have to find another way. We are not designed as women to be suffering in this way and yet we have little or no way of understanding more or moving through these challenges that our body is presenting us with.

    As the author of this blog and website, I have come to a realization that I trashed my body in the early years and it has taken a few decades to have respect and deep regard for my body and myself as a woman. Championing and shouting from the rooftops is not necessary, but I know beyond doubt that there is another way and expressing by way of writing is not only a healing process for me personally but it raises awareness for those that may be open and ready to explore and consider that there just may be another way to live human life.

    On that note – read this blog which gives a great insight into the consequences of ignoring the signs our body is communicating and where it ends if we continue with our ill behaviour or if we make some real changes.
    https://medicineandsergebenhayon.com/2015/01/20/hysterectomy-a-wake-up-call/

    When I reflect on life today, I would have been so inspired if I read this blog as it would have given me that wake up call as it is real life talk. Someone that has been through something painfull and is then sharing it has to be the answer. They have lived it and so it makes sense and if it relates to the reader in any way, then surely it is of more use that finding another research study or scientific evidence based theory on a matter that is so deep and personal.

    I reckon wise words from the elder women in our communities today hold more in the form of answers to our ills as women, than ignoring them and continuing ‘business as usual’.

    Reply

  67. Sky News – 27 April 2021

    https://news.sky.com/story/miscarriage-increases-the-chance-of-further-pregnancy-losses-and-quadruples-the-risk-of-suicide-study-suggests-12288130

    Miscarriage increases the chance of further pregnancy losses and quadruples the risk of suicide according to a new research study.

    The study found that black women experience 40% higher miscarriage rates than white women.
    Further research is needed to understand why.

    The trauma of miscarriage significantly increases the risk of depression and suicide for both women and men.

    The study examined the physical and emotional cost of miscarriage and found each pregnancy loss increased the risk of the same thing happening again. After three miscarriages, a woman is four times more likely to suffer a miscarriage than someone who has never had a miscarriage.

    The data from 9 studies was examinined, which involved 4.6 million pregnancies.

    The mental impact for both women and men quadrupled the risk of suicide and doubled the rate of depression. It is worth noting here that this is both men and women and not what most of us would expect or assume – that it would be just women. How serious is this when couples are suffering and it is no longer just an individual?

    The cost of miscarriage to society is around $1 BILLION when lost productivity, physical and mental health problems are considered.

    What is this telling us and are we anywhere near to understanding how and why this is happening in our modern day world, where we have access to all this so-called intelligence and information?

    Does mis-carriage have something to do with our lifestyle choices?

    Are we in a momentum (a behaviour) that is not still or settled and then boom we find we are pregnant and we feel very different inside and it’s not how we usually feel?

    Do we need to prepare our body for pregnancy so we are not just one day finding ourselves pregnant and then dealing with what comes next?

    Are we reliant on what we read and search on the internet for symptoms but not connecting and paying proper attention to what our body is communicating?

    Are the men deeply sensitive as any woman out there and this is why they also take on the emotional loss that comes from a mis-carriage?

    The data analysed of millions of pregnancies tells us this is huge and that means a lot of funding to get to this point. But are we any wiser? Are those that continue to suffer understanding more or do we all need to wait for more funding, which means more research and that could be years?

    The cost to society alone is worth noting and yet we do not seem to be focusing our question on what on earth is the root cause of why a woman suffers a mis-carriage? Putting aside, fate, bad luck, karma and our genes, what if there is a real and proper reason why this happens, but we have not yet all got to know? What if this could be possible?

    Reply

  68. Dear World

    https://endometriosisworld.weebly.com/world-statistics.html

    How many women today actually know there is a website called “Endometriosis World”?

    Does this tell us that we have a worldwide problem here?

    Are we anywhere near up to date on the facts they are imparting?

    Will reading the following statistics change something for us personally?

    World Statistics of Endometriosis

    10% women of reproductive age (15 to 49) get affected by endometriosis

    176 million women in the world have endometriosis

    6 -10% of women of childbearing age are affected by endometriosis

    30% to 50% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility

    30 – 66% increased risk of ovarian cancer in women with endometriosis

    27 is the average age when a woman is first diagnosed with endometriosis

    Rs. 735598.50 crores* is the annual estimated cost associated with endometriosis worldwide* $119 billion annually (EndoCost Consortium, WERF).

    3rd most cause of female fertility

    68% of women with endometriosis were initially misdiagnosed with another condition

    73% have had their relationships affected by endometriosis

    6% claim benefits due to endometriosis – now recognised as disability in some countries.

    82% of women are at times unable to carry out day-to-day activities due to endometriosis.

    35% – 50% frequency of endometriosis in women with infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

    40% patients in whom it can persist beyond menopause following hysterectomy

    45% adolescent females with chronic pelvic pain found to have endometriosis at laparoscopy.

    12% aged 11 – 13 to 45% aged 20 – 21 in above series – rate of endometriosis was found to increase with age.

    20% – 50% of asymptomatic women were found to have endometriosis at laparoscopy.

    10-fold increased incidence in women with an affected first-degree relative according to a familial association. Monozygotic twins are markedly concordant for endometriosis.

    66% women sought help for symptoms before age 30, many experiencing symptoms from their first period as per ‘Global Study of Women’s Health’, conducted in 16 centres in 10 countries.

    29% women who had endometriosis treated, conceived within 9 months in contrast to only 17% of women whose endometriosis was diagnosed but not treated during laparoscopy.

    40% of women may conceive during the first 8-9 months after laparoscopic management of minimal or mild endometriosis.

    Question – WHY is this not more in the public awareness?

    This Endometriosis World gives us an insight into the detail of what this condition is.

    What if we then start to question why on earth did this happen or how did it get to this point?

    Could it possibly have something to do with the way we are living in a woman’s body?
    Is there more to adjust to and learn about our cycles and how to follow our flow each month?

    What if how we are living has an affect on our menstrual cycle but we are not educated and so this not knowing leads to complications and painfull days every month and as most are in some way suffering, it just becomes the norm?

    We ought to be asking what makes the cells grow outside of the uterus as this is not a natural state of being?

    Can we also ask how come younger girls in their mid teens are having an increased incidence of endometriosis?

    Then let’s ask why are we finding endometriosis in peri and post-menopausal women?

    Complications of endometriosis include internal scarring, adhesions, pelvic cysts, chocolate cyst of ovaries, ruptured cysts and bowel and ureteral obstruction resulting from pelvic adhesions. Endometriosis may grow on the surface of the ovary as implants or invade the ovary and develop a blood-filled cyst called endometrioma or a “chocolate cyst”. Chocolate cysts are so named because over time the blood they contain darkens to a deep reddish-brown colour.

    Constipation is a common side effect, which can aggravate the symptoms of endometriosis. The bowel symptoms are often overlooked or dismissed because women think endometriosis affects only the reproductive organs.

    Fatigue is often not recognised as a symptom of endometriosis, but it can be one of the most debilitating aspects of the condition. Most women with endometriosis experience fatigue around the time of their period and some experience it throughout the month.

    If we just stop here and read the last paragraph again.
    How do we cope if we have fatigue – what are our solutions?
    What are our self medications and are they really working?
    How do we push through fatigue if it is constantly around us?

    Is the fatigue a communication from the body saying it is tired of the way we are living and we need to change, make some adjustments and take deeper care of our body as a woman?

    Our body has its own intelligence because man has not been able to replicate or work it all out.

    Science and medicine have done a great job at keeping things at bay or giving us answers to carry on with life as they can do amazing things like remove cysts and remove a uterus.

    But what if there is another element, in other words another dimension we ought to consider so that we can get to the root cause of any illness or dis-ease that presents itself in our body?

    We have reached a juncture Dear World where there has to be a different line of questioning if we are to ever turn the tides on debilitating dis-eases that show up in our body?

    Something is not right if we have pain or symptoms that are causing dis-comfort in any way. Time to consider is there another way?

    Reply

  69. I was in a large hospital today with a close friend who was due for an internal scan.

    With the resent restrictions we were both aware that it may not be possible to attend the appointment together but the paperwork did clearly say that the patient can bring someone to ‘chaperone’ if they wish.

    After being told No we cannot and all the other fandango trying to stop us, when my friend expressed what she wanted and why it was important for her to have me in the room, it was agreed.

    Had I not been able to go in, this comment would not be written so where I am coming from, I know there was purpose.

    It was interesting to hear the sonographer saying not only is fibroids, cysts and endometriosis very common, she herself has this going on and is aware of how painfull it is.

    Have we ever questioned this – we are intelligent and we are academically qualified in a particular medical field and yet we can display the symptoms and have the same ills as the patients we support and treat?

    The other thing worth mentioning is what I observed. As my friend described she felt the imposition and violation of having a large and long metal penis with a condom inserted and then moved around to find what was causing the pain. I recall the trauma in her body and how she became so hard and contracted when I was holding her wrist.

    I have been through this and today I realised why I put a stop to all internal checks after having 8 whilst being in hospital, following collapsing due to super low iron levels. It was so painfull and I did not want another medic checking to see what was going on inside and nothing was ever going to go there again. It was like I said no to abuse. It just felt like abuse. Yes this is my take and my view and my opinion, some may say, but we as women ought to question how we respond in situations like this.

    How are we feeling when it comes to penetration sex and is it painful and if it is, how are we dealing with it?

    We as women know how sacred our uterus is as this is what defines us as a woman.

    How many of us are in sync with our cycles or aware of ovulation, menstruation and all the other finite details of our female body.

    I am no expert but I know that ignoring my menstrual pain and over-riding what was going on in the downstairs department is why I ended up having a full hysterectomy.

    I realise now that my lifestyle choices were a major contributory factor and now I have moved on from that lack of care for myself, I value the small details about how I can truly and deeply care and nurture for this body instead of trashing it because it is what most of us do.

    Reply

  70. The Daily Guardian – 21 September 2021

    https://thedailyguardian.com/%EF%BB%BFinfants-exposed-to-domestic-violence-have-poor-cognitive-development-study/

    A new study has confirmed that infants coming from homes with domestic violence, often go on to have poor academic outcomes in school due to neurodevelopmental lags and a higher risk for a variety of health issues, including gastrointestinal distress, trouble sleeping, eating, stress and illness.

    The study was instigated by Linda Bullock, now a professor at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing.

    After learning from home health visits that many of the abused women had up to 9 different romantic partners during and following pregnancy, Bullock conducted a study to examine the impact of multiple father figures on the cognitive development of newborn infants.

    Infants of women who had one partner who abused them had worse cognitive outcomes compared to infants of women with multiple male partners, only some of whom were abusive.

    Bullock says that “when nurses are visiting homes to check in on pregnant women and their developing babies, we want them to be trained in recognising the warning signs of potential intimate partner violence”.

    What is this news story highlighting to us?

    Are we aware that our relationships, our behaviour and absolutely everything has an impact on an unborn baby as well as an infant?

    How are we ever going to end the cycle of abuse if we allow any form of abuse in our life in every area?

    What stops us standing up and saying No to abuse?

    What gets inside us that runs the narrative we are not worthy of anything more?

    What force are we subscribing to that makes us carry out ill behaviour that harms another?

    There is no human in this world (regardless of what our views and opinions may be) that would harm a new born baby in any way. That is a fact that we cannot negate or dismiss.

    So what happens? What is it that enters our mind and controls us – a bit like taking over our vehicle (our body) and we do things out of character, so to speak.

    How do we stop that internal force from carrying out behaviour that is nothing short of evil and yet we all hate that word, but what if this is evil coming through us when we harm a pregnant women or if we are the victim allowing to be hurt in this way?

    Abuse is abuse and we cannot say otherwise. It is in every pocket of society and all over the world in different degrees and variations. It is opposite to what and who we truly are in our innate essence as a human being that would never and could never harm another at all.

    So we could say ‘something is not right’ and start to question things.
    We do not have to just sit by and take the hits, so to speak and neither do we ignore what’s going on in our streets, in our neighbourhoods and in our communities everywhere.

    What if we could understand that we are one human family and we are all inter-connected and so if a woman is being abused whilst pregnant in another country, we cannot switch off and assume its nothing to do with us – what if it is? What if?

    Reply

  71. Today News – 11 November 2021

    https://www.today.com/health/broken-heart-syndrome-rise-women-over-50-today-t238687

    Broken Heart Syndrome is on the rise in the U.S. for women over the age of 50, according to a new research study.

    There were 135,463 documented cases of the syndrome between 2006 and 2017, with the annual incidence increasing steadily in both males and females.

    During times of extreme unexpected stress, our heart can change shape, causing chest pain and other symptoms of a heart attack. This happens without clogged arteries.

    Broken Heart Syndrome is also called Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. The name comes from the Japanese word “octopus pot” because of the distinctive way the heart changes shape.

    Women aged 50 to 74 are the most “prominent risk group”.
    In the most recent analysis, women made up 88% of all cases of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

    According to the senior author of the study, there is something potentially going on around perimenopausal period. Dr Susan Cheng said “their heart is vulnerable”. The exact reasons are not yet known but cardiologists have some theories.

    Going through grief, a new diagnosis of cancer, divorce, job loss, surgery, car accident or severe pain can lead to the condition.

    In broken heart syndrome, the fight or flight stress hormones surge out of proportion to the situation, and at the same time, the sensitivity to the spike is particularly profound in the patient, impacting the heart muscle and the heart cells.

    According to the American Heart Association, in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, tests show ballooning and unusual movement of the lower left heart chamber but there are no signs of heart damage or blockages in coronary arteries.

    The syndrome used to be easy to miss and hard to recognise but there is now increasing awareness when patients complain of symptoms.

    Other research has found that broken heart syndrome has been on the rise since the pandemic began, caused by the stresses of the crisis.

    Cheng is urging everyone, especially women to seek all possible support and stress management to cope with their particular sources of anxiety.
    “The stress of regular life even outside of the pandemic affects our bodies in so many different ways that we have yet to fully understand. But we know it happens.” Dr. Cheung

    Dear Women of the World

    How are we choosing to live everyday and what impact is this having on our stress levels and our bodies?

    How aware are we when it comes to joining the dots? In other words clocking something is not right and then stopping to reflect on how and why it has happened.

    How are we living in adult life that when we hit our 50s we are knocked out by life events because we are not equipped to deal with it?

    How can we get a fitness in life and not just make it about diets, hair, nails and exercise?

    What if our body is asking us to consider the monthly cycles and in turn look at our daily cycles and our lifestyle choices in every area?

    What if our body has a constant communication going on, but we have made a point to ignore the signs and carry on ‘business as usual’ until something happens that forces us to stop and even then we focus on how we can get back to doing what we do?

    What happens in life that breaks our heart?

    How many of us already know that when our heart is broken, so to speak, we are left feeling void and empty of opening up and living life again?

    Just because this broken heart syndrome has not been paired with a definite cause by scientists, which would then be called a disease, we can nevertheless negate the impact it has on people.

    For those that know of someone or are the sufferer of this syndrome, it is very real and more of us need to talk about it so that we all have awareness.

    Could it be possible that women of today do not embrace the menopausal cycles that come with age but generally fight it, like it is the dis-ease that creates all the ills we are experiencing, when it could be how we lived that now shows up in our body as symptoms of menopause?

    How come women in perimenopause have not all been properly educated and informed about periods and cycles and this may be having an adverse effect on their body?

    What if we all had access to websites like this – https://www.followyourflow.com.au/
    Where we could learn from a qualified practitioner who just happens to specialise in women’s health services. Up to date with the tech stuff like podcasts and offering so much to those that are ready to make sensible and real changes to support their body.

    Reply

  72. Mail Online – 31 December 2021

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10356921/Painless-smear-test-doubles-uptake-50s.html

    50% of deaths in the UK from cervical cancer are among women aged over 65.

    25% of women aged 50 to 64 ignore smear test invitations. Reasons are due to pain, embarrassment and lack of time.

    Under-screened women are at the highest risk of getting cervical cancer.

    Cervical screening using a speculum becomes more painful as women get older and particularly after the menopause.

    Smear tests using a speculum, which is a metal instrument is a painfull experience for most women. This is the only type of smear test currently available on the NHS in order to sample cells from the cervix and check if they are pre-cancerous.

    However, a new study reveals that these women are more likely to go for a smear test using a swab, which is painless and this has DOUBLED the uptake in over 50s.

    The study authors are hoping that in the next 3 years, with more evidence, women could be offered swabs in a clinic environment or at home.

    Dr. Anita Wey Lim, who led the study says ..”having a doctor or nurse take a sample without a speculum, gives women even more choice to feel comfortable about getting checked.

    Dear World – all of us and not just women

    QUESTION:
    If we know something is painfull and it is a reason we avoid or ignore something – in this case a smear test, then would it not make sense to offer the alternative that is going to be pain free?

    In the long term, the benefits outweigh everything because the medics get to diagnose women that may have cancerous cells that were not being tested because a metal instrument inserted in a sacred and super sensitive area is extremely painfull.

    Another Few Questions:
    WHY do we need another 3 or so years for more ‘evidence’ when we have the answers right now?

    What is it about science and the masses that keep wanting more and more research studies to gather evidence about what we know right now and just need to get on with it?

    Why delay something if it is simple and makes total sense?

    Reply

  73. UPI News Health – 11 January 2022

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/01/11/factors-predict-health-declines-women/9941641915156/

    Researchers compared women’s overall health measures at age 55 to their scores at age 65, finding that 20% of women they studied experienced clinically important declines in their physical health.

    4 specific factors associated with clinically important declines in physical health included:

    BMI – higher body mass index
    Smoking
    Arthritis
    Depressive symptoms

    Other health issues were Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Osteoporosis.

    Data for the study was used from across the nation, that followed U.S. women for 20 years. Findings were published in JAMA Network Open and will need to be validated in a larger group.
    That means more research and more time to tell us what we know but as history has shown us, we like more research and evidence because that is how it’s always been.

    What if we took note now, regardless of age or where we reside or what job we do?

    How can we reduce our BMI and would it be a wise move to read our obesity blog and our blogs on junk foods, diets and we are what we eat to name a few?

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-obesity/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/fast-food-junk-food/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/do-diets-work/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/we-are-what-we-eat/

    What if we read the treatise of Tobacco that gives us a deep insight and understanding about smoking and offers us an opportunity to answer some sensible questions that we could relate to perhaps?

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/category/tobacco/

    What if we read ALL the mental health blogs on this website and focus on depression and anti-depressants and see what unfolds in our life thereafter?

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/category/mental-health/

    What if we made the time and space to reflect on what age we were when we started developing arthritis and what was going on for us in our life at that particular time?

    Could that simple line of questioning give us some insight into why our joints have hardened over time and are causing so much pain?

    What better way to help ourselves and not rely just on interventions from the over exhausted health systems that are struggling to cope worldwide with our illnesses and dis-eases, many of which are now being identified as coming from lifestyle choices.

    AND finally, how are we living as women today that gives rise to such dis-eases that we are now experiencing in our bodies?

    Reply

  74. United Press International Health News – 25 January 2022

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/01/25/stroke-young-women/5471643126683/

    A new study has found that strokes are more common in young women than men.

    800,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year.

    40% rise in overall stroke incidence over past few decades among young Americans.

    10% – 15% are adults age 45 or younger, according to the American Heart Association.

    This new research suggest that women age 35 and younger were 44% more likely at their age to suffer an ischemic stroke.

    Ischemic strokes, which account for the large majority of all strokes, occur when a blood vessel supplying the brain is obstructed.

    For more on strokes and other heart related conditions – read our Heart blogs
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/category/heart/

    Possible reasons cited were pregnancy and birth control pills.

    Pregnancy related conditions include blood clots, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and risk of stroke.

    Birth control pills users typically have a higher stroke risk than non-users, especially if they smoke or have stroke risk factors like High Blood Pressure.

    With due respect to those that advise, can we be absolute or certain that our youth of today, let alone any age will listen up when given wise and common sense advice like “don’t smoke, exercise and eat a healthy diet. Make sure your blood pressure is under control”?

    How many women could say that just reacting to a bad situation can alter their blood pressure and then eating foods they normally would not eat, are what they find themselves ingesting when in a stress-full situation?

    Why are we being informed that young people generally dismiss the signs of stroke, such as dizziness, difficulty walking, blurred vision, weakness in arms and other limbs, speech difficulty and face drooping on one side? This is serious and needs urgent medical attention.

    What is then serious and important is to question our lifestyle as a woman and how we are living everyday?

    What is going on and why is this and that happening in our life that stops us from feeling settled and making sensible choices for our daily living?

    A big dose of honesty and responsibility ought to be a priority for all of us now, not just women, as the outplay of our ill way of living is being shown to us with studies like this flooding our newsfeed daily.

    Reply

  75. Science Daily – 22 February 2022

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220222085553.htm

    Daily activities like washing dishes reduce heart disease risk in elder women, according to a new study reported in the online edition of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

    Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death among both women and men in the United States with rates highest in adults aged 65 or older.

    Being “up and about” performing routine activities, referred to as “daily life movement” including housework, gardening, cooking and self-care activities, like showering can significantly benefit cardiovascular health.

    Women with at least 4 hours of daily life movement had –
    43% lower risk of cardiovascular disease
    43% lower risk of coronary heart disease
    30% lower risk of stroke
    62% lower risk of cardiovascular disease death

    The study demonstrates that All movement counts towards disease prevention.

    Even getting dressed and preparing meals are daily life movements that support the body.

    “Much of the movement engaged in by older adults is associated with daily life tasks but it may not be considered physical activity” said senior author Andrea LaCroix.

    Our world puts emphasis on running and other high intensity physical activity but we can no longer negate that even the smaller movements in daily life have an impact on our heart health.

    A nation of elderly in front of a screen and suffering with loneliness is what the masses have created in our world. It has become the new norm in modern day society.

    What if we valued and talked about the importance of having a daily routine and continuing to do tasks that activate our body into motion during the daytime, keeping things moving and flowing? Surely this is something we could add to our common sense lifestyle choices.

    As women we need to get on with it as we grow older and deepen our self care and daily activities, as most of us retire into hobbies or not doing much at all when it comes to physical movement.

    Worth pondering on if we do not want to become a medical statistic or a woman known for being multi-symptomatic. That means having more than one illness or disease at the same time and showing various symptoms.

    Reply

  76. AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science – 13 April 2022

    https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/949251

    Women who enter menopause before age 45 are known to be at higher risk for heart failure. Obesity significantly increased heart failure risk among women who experienced late menopause – age 55 or older, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

    According to the lead author “there is a gap in knowledge about the possible influence of late menopause, occurring at age 55 or older – on the incidence of heart failure.”

    “We know that Obesity increases the risk of developing heart failure and the onset of menopause is associated with increased body fatness.”

    Dear World

    We got more studies because this study like most is limited and there is more to know and this is the usual standard norm for researchers. Shall we continue to wait as we always do or is anyone interested in finding out more, how we have got to this point and why?

    Without a consistent open-ness and questioning everything, are we are going to wait around to hear more of the same or another bit of serious news that affects our body?

    How are we living as women everyday that gives rise to this?
    Are we as women concerned about early or late menopause?
    Do we even know much about the ins and outs of the menopause?
    Are we aware of the new phase, the new cycle we enter in menopause?

    Why do any of us have increased body fatness and how do we get Obesity in the first place?
    In other words, what were the triggers and can we go there and deal with it?

    News releases of this kind either make us even more worried or we simply dismiss it and move on as it certainly is nothing of interest.

    What if we changed our approach and took the stance that everything matters and everything means something, even if we don’t want to consider that?

    Reply

  77. How are we living as women today is what I ask when I talk to the younger generations in my community.

    Young business owner in her 20s tells me about her painful heavy periods since the age of 14 when she started her period.

    She resigned herself to the fact that her mother had the same problem and so did her grandmother.

    I told her straight that working 7 days a week will lead to burnout and she said she knows this.

    What is it about us that we know what is not right but yet we take no action?

    I for one was one of those women. Suffering and finding solutions until eventually I had to stop as my body was not going to continue the drive, the push, the over-working, over-spending, over-eating and every other choice that was in total disregard to my body.
    I know this young woman was asking me questions as she wanted to know more about how I dealt with my life as it rang true for her and certain things were similar.

    I have walked the path that many many women will walk and relate to and my words to all of them are that taking deep care of the body and making that our first priority is the only way.

    Most of us know that working 7 days may have its appeal as the woman told me. You earn more, spend more and have bigger holidays and want more shops to run and more houses to buy and rent out so that you can have even more money and what that wealth brings. She said it allows you to have the best medical doctors as you have money. My response was you would not need medical attention in that way if you become sensible and took a day off just to look after your own health and wellbeing. Working flat out confirms there is no time or space for a stop moment or the window to have a nap or catch up on laundry, cooking, paperwork, cleaning and whatever else is needed to support us.

    Our world is currently facing a new epidemic that is growing fast – Burnout. Yes we get exhausted and yet we keep pushing the body and over-riding because we can and we don’t want to stop and figure out why we have a headache, a painful heavy period again, bloat and all the other symptoms that could fill up a few pages.

    What if the painful periods and heavy bleeding are a sign that we are not living in the natural cycles of a woman in a woman’s body?

    What if our body has to communicate to us through symptoms such as very painful periods to alert us to become aware that something is not right in the way we are living as a woman?

    Why do we not share our wisdom from our lived experience so that others walking the same road could learn something and pay attention?

    And WHY have the medics not been able to answer the questions all women have regarding the menstrual cycle?

    Is it time to question anything and everything and burn to know what and how we got to this point in life, where working every single day, long hours and without any time off is not going to serve our body?

    As I said her, my drive to seek more and more of my desires led to a tumour and the removal of an organ. Yes she nodded and knows that unless she makes some changes, she could be heading down a similar road.

    Reply

  78. NIH – National Institute of Child Health and Human Development – 27 July 2022

    https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/072722-endometriosis-stroke

    Women with endometriosis are linked to a higher stroke risk, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

    110,000 women were analysed and women who had been diagnosed with endometriosis had a 34% higher risk for stroke. Having had a hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries and postmenopausal therapy were found to explain 40% of this risk.

    The authors concluded that physicians should consider counselling patients with endometriosis about their risk for stroke and other cardiovascular conditions.

    Stacey Missmer, Sc.D., of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine said “women with endometriosis should pay attention to their whole body…”

    On that note – do women need to take note of this and not just focus on the actual part of the body that is in pain?

    Is it time to see the whole body as one and know that everything is inter-related and inter-connected?

    Even if we have low cases of endometriosis linked to stroke, do we need to wait for more research studies to confirm this or can we take some personal responsibility and start by examining and seriously being honest about HOW we are actually living as women today?

    What type of role model are we for other women and those younger generations?

    What are our lifestyle habits and behaviours that could be creating ills that we are not quite aware of but know something is not right?

    Are these types of questions going to assist us to turn the tides or do we continue ‘business as usual’ and ‘face the music’ as they say when the time comes?

    In other words, let the medics take care of us when it gets too much or we are in such pain we have no other way than to seek help from our health system.

    Reply

  79. UPI Health News – 12 October 2022

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/10/12/Foods-high-in-omega-6-fatty-acids-linked-to-higher-odds-for-menstrual-pain/2351665579791/

    Research has found that foods high in omega-6 fatty acids promoted inflammation, which is a key culprit in menstrual pain, whereas a diet in foods with omega-3 fatty acids reduced inflammation.

    Menstrual pain happens when muscles in the uterus contract.
    90% of adolescent girls report menstrual pain but many do not seek treatment. It is a leading cause of school absences for young women, according to the study.

    Serah Sannoh who carried out the study from Rutgers University said “I would just suggest that young women take a look at your lifestyle and the diet that you have, dietary behaviours and see if there are any changes that could help improve the pain that they experience.”

    The research study pinpointed foods that are problematic and popular, including red meat, sugar, salt, dairy, coffee and oils.

    The American diet is very high in omega-6 fatty acids.

    Sannoh also said “Diet does have an effect on your health and I feel that this is often overlooked. Sometimes people would just want to see if there is medication that could take. That is fine but if there is a way to holistically stop a beginning step in this painful cascade, I feel that would be better for some people to adopt and it will also help them improve their health overall. I believe this could be applied to all ages.

    Eating foods that are inflammatory can also increase risk for Diabetes, Arthritis and Heart Disease, according to Dr. Monica Christmas, Director of the University of Chicago’s Center for women’s Integrated Health.

    Reply

  80. CNN – 20 October 2022

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/20/health/homicide-maternal-mortality-us-editorial/index.html

    With homicide a leading cause of maternal death, doctors urged to screen pregnant women for domestic violence.

    Women in the United States are more likely to be murdered during pregnancy or postpartum then to die of common obstetric causes such as high blood pressure, haemorrhage or sepsis. Other research suggests that they are also at higher risk of homicide than women who are not pregnant.

    Pregnancy-related homicides are often linked to domestic violence and firearms.

    “While many factors contribute to the high maternal mortality rates observed in the US, the inextricable and lethal link between intimate partner violence and gun violence must be considered. Pregnancy represents a particularly high-risk time for experiencing intimate partner violence and women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner if their partner has access to a firearm. Firearm legislation is more lenient in the US and rates of both intimate partner violence and gun ownership are higher than in other high-income countries – this backdrop likely contributes to the high rates of pregnancy-associated homicide we observe in the United States.” said Rebecca Lawn of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

    Reply

  81. UVA Health News – 6 September 2022

    https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2022/09/06/premenstrual-anxiety-mood-swings-public-health-issue-study-finds/

    64% of women experience pre-menstrual mood swings and anxiety. They represent a “key public health issue globally” according to a new UVA Health study.

    The study found that most women have pre-menstrual symptoms every menstrual cycle and those symptoms regularly affect their day to day lives.

    One of the most common symptoms, regardless of age, is mood swings or anxiety, the researchers found.

    61% of women in all age groups reported mood-related symptoms every menstrual cycle, which the researchers say suggests “that pre-menstrual mood symptoms are a key public health issue globally.”

    Jennifer Payne – senior author of the study and director of the Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine says “Our study demonstrates that pre-menstrual mood symptoms are incredibly common worldwide. More important, a majority of women reported that their pre-menstrual symptoms interfered with their everyday life at least some of the time.”

    Researchers analysed 238,000 responses from women age 18-55 from 140 countries.

    85.28% reported food cravings
    64.18% reported mood swings or anxiety
    57.3% reported fatigue

    The researchers found the following were significantly more frequent among older respondents:
    Absentmindedness
    Low libido
    Sleep changes
    Gastrointestinal symptoms
    Weight gain
    Headaches
    Sweating or hot flashes
    Fatigue
    Hair changes
    Rashes
    Swelling

    Many of the above symptoms are associated with peri-menopause, a transition period to menopause marked by irregular menstrual cycles, researchers said.

    Reply

  82. UC DAVIS HEALTH – 9 January 2023

    An increase in women 65 and older dying of cervical cancer.

    https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/study-finds-increase-in-women-65-and-older-dying-of-cervical-cancer–/2023/01

    Researchers show an alarming number of Californian women aged 65 and older are facing late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses and dying from the disease.

    This is despite guidelines that recommend most women stop screening for cervical cancer at this age.

    The findings from the study showed

    2009 – 2018
    1 in 5 new cervical cancers diagnosed were in women 65 and older.

    71% presented with late-stage disease than younger women (48%).

    Late-stage five-year relative survival was lower for women 65 and over.

    80 years of age and older had the lowest survival of all age groups.

    The study utilised a large set of population-based data from the California Cancer Registry. This state-mandated cancer surveillance system has collected cancer incidence and patient demographic diagnostic, and treatment since 1988.

    The data was used to identify all women 21 years and older who were diagnosed with a first primary cervical cancer in California from 2009 – 2018.

    Among women 65 and older, those who had comorbidities or were older were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease.

    Following the introduction and widespread adoption of the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test in the 1940’s, cervical cancer incidence and mortality have fallen significantly. However, incidence rates have plateaued since 2012, and rates of invasive cervical cancer have actually increased in recent decades.

    Through adequate screening and follow-up, cervical cancer can be prevented or detected at an early stage. However, current guidelines recommend discontinuing screening for women 65 or older who have had history of normal Pap and/or Human Papillomavirus (HPV) tests, potentially leaving this age group vulnerable.

    23.2% of women in the US who are over 18 are not up to date on recommended cervical cancer screening, previous studies have shown.

    Disadvantaged women such as those who are uninsured or poor are the least likely to report being up to date with cervical cancer screening.

    Additional factors may contribute to older women not receiving adequate screening:

    • Specific type of hysterectomy – a supracervical hysterectomy leaves the cervix intact and some women do not realise they need to continue screening for cervical cancer.

    • Women may tire of Pap smears due to embarrassment and the intrusiveness of a speculum-based exam.

    • Pap tests less accurate – the screening may not be as accurate in post-menopausal women in detecting adenocarcinoma, which has been increasing in incidence (as compared to squamous cell carcinoma).

    • HPV testing – women in the older age group may not have received HPV testing which wasn’t widely available until 2003. The Centers for Disease Control reports that almost all cases of cervical cancer are HPV related.

    Reply

  83. Forbes – 23 January 2023

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/anuradhavaranasi/2023/01/23/perimenopause-could-be-a-risky-phase-for-developing-eating-disorders

    A recent study published in the journal Menopause found that women can experience body dissatisfaction during peri-menopause and that could make them more vulnerable to developing eating disorders.
    https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/abstract/2023/03000/network_analysis_of_eating_disorder_symptoms_in.8.aspx

    To prevent eating disorders, support and resources are mainly provided to teenagers and adolescents but researchers say that women belonging to all age groups are just as susceptible.

    Eating disorders are common psychiatric disorders and have been associated with high morbidity and mortality.

    This study highlights how body dissatisfaction or a poor body image is the biggest risk factor.

    “This study shows that similar to studies in young adults, dissatisfaction with body image remains a core feature of eating disorder pathology in midlife women.
    Specifically, fear of gaining weight and fear of losing control over eating habits are central symptoms of eating disorders in perimenopause and early post menopause…”

    Reply

  84. World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region – January 2023

    https://www.emro.who.int/noncommunicable-diseases/campaigns/cervical-cancer-awareness-month-2023.html

    CERVICAL CANCER

    Cervical Cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

    2020
    89,800 women were diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in the Region
    47,000 women died from the disease

    300,000 women die every year from Cervical Cancer worldwide

    80% Cervical Cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries

    90% of deaths are from poor access to prevention, screening and treatment

    99% Cervical Cancer cases are linked to infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV)

    HPV is an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact

    Persistent infection can cause Cervical Cancer in women

    Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

    Irregular or post-menopausal bleeding
    Increased vaginal discharge

    More severe symptoms at advanced stages

    Reply

  85. This one line I read today in this news story is something important and well worth a stop moment to post this comment.

    “Symptoms may include “pica,” or cravings to eat non-food items”
    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/06/28/girls-women-iron-deficient/3561687968434/

    I was never educated about the menstrual cycle and there is no point blaming anyone here.

    What I want to say is I suffered throughout with heavy periods and because I knew others did, it somehow became normal and you just put up with it. Today I know so much and would certainly not be living the way I did.

    The pain got unbearable, the cycle lasted for weeks at a time and the frustration of not knowing what to do remained.

    Ignoring all the signs and never making any lifestyle changes led to what I would say was the “inevitable”. A tumour that of course was not just going to be straightforward to remove. It required the removal of the organ known as the uterus. This was a wake up call like never before. Years and years of walking down the ill road and doing absolutely nothing about it was WHY.

    This blog I wrote 9 years ago is well worth reading as you get the full whammy download of HOW and WHY I ended up in Accident & Emergency and had to have 2 blood transfusions and then a hysterectomy. ADD to that blog there are 1,175 comments which confirms that this topic was and continues to be needed.
    https://medicineandsergebenhayon.com/2015/01/20/hysterectomy-a-wake-up-call/

    Back to the news story today –

    “Pica” is a term doctors use to describe craving and chewing substances that have no nutritional value – such as ice, clay, soil and is often associated with iron deficiency.

    I had a craving to eat non-food items during the time I was menstruating. My mother had soil in small chunks from India and whilst I cannot recall the purpose I know she used it for something. I would ask her for some and suck on it as if there were minerals in there that I needed. Not once did I question WHY or have any awareness about this.

    Just before I collapsed and needed 2 emergency blood transfusions, I would ask my husband to order boxes of ‘mineral stones” as he had this water machine and these stones were placed inside with the filter and apparently the water would have minerals and I always noticed this and the potency of these stones in my mouth. I would suck them until I felt there was no more minerals. Again never ever did I question anything.

    Today I have a realisation and hence this comment. My body was communicating to me the heavy bleeding was depleting my iron levels daily and no amount of eating liver which I also craved, was doing the job.

    I have an enormous amount of awareness today and of course nothing would ever get even close to this when it comes to my body. I have vitality levels that are consistent and I most certainly am fitter and look younger than my current age of 61.

    The biggest thing is I have not seen a GP for any illness or disease since 2008 and that in itself speaks volumes. The majority of us would not be able to comprehend this and I am not sharing on the world wide platform we call the Internet to gain anything here. We ALL have to question now and not just rely on the medics to fix us, so we can go back to living the lifestyle we want that gave us the ill in the first place.

    We have had a global pandemic and yet this woman writing here did not get the virus or end up in bed with symptoms, or have any fear about what was happening. Is this anecdotal evidence that we just dismiss or do we need to know more about this human body? I need to be studied not judged and ignored as there is another way to live and instead of having the better life, I made the movements to write and keep writing. Today this website is the living evidence of what is possible if we have some purpose in what we are putting on the world wide web.

    ALL this happened and continues to BECAUSE of the work and teachings of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

    For the record – I am not someone who would ever follow another or jump on social media trends or the bandwagon of an influencer or any such nonsense. I need to work things out for myself but I will continue to listen to anyone that lives what I know is the truth of how to live human life on earth and their body is not sick or showing signs of depletion or some kind of mood disorder or hidden anger or impeccable appearance but with a nervous kind of tension and anxiety. There is more but the point is made.

    Dear Women and Girls of all ages

    Menstruation is a natural part of our life and ignoring even the slightest sign when something is not right with our body is NOT WORTH IT.
    Continuing down that road and seeking solutions as that suits our lifestyle is NOT WORTH IT.
    Pretending that it will go away one day or we can find that magic pill or potion is NOT WORTH IT.

    Reading this comment and then reflecting on ALL that has been presented is WORTH IT.

    Reply

  86. UPI Health News – 12 July 2023

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/07/12/Hairdressers-beauticians-at-greater-risk-of-developing-ovarian-cancer/7121689079704/

    Hairdressers, Barbers and Beauticians are at greater risk of developing ovarian cancer.

    Working for a decade or more is associated with a 3-fold HIGHER RISK of ovarian cancer, according to a report published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
    https://oem.bmj.com/content/80/9/489

    Other jobs also increase a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer, including Accountancy and Construction, Clothing Industry and Sales and Retail.

    Construction – TRIPLE RISK
    Accountancy – DOUBLE RISK

    85% INCREASED RISK – Clothing Industry
    45% INCREASED RISK – Sales
    59% INCREASED RISK – Retail

    The researchers also identified 18 agents in the workplace that were associated with increased ovarian risks of 40% or more.

    These included:
    Talcum powder; ammonia; hydrogen peroxide; hair dust; synthetic fibres; polyester fibres; organic dyes and pigments; cellulose; formaldehyde; propellant gases; naturally occurring chemicals in petrol and bleaches.

    Hairdressers, Beauticians and other cosmetologists are frequently exposed to 13 of these agents, including ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, dyes and pigments and bleaches.
    They are also frequently exposed to talcum powder.

    Reply

  87. JAMA Network Open – 21 July 2023

    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2807486

    The prevalence of HCV – Hepatitis C virus positive pregnancies increased markedly and maternal HCV infection was associated with increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes.

    Hepatitis C virus is the most commonly reported chronic bloodborne infection in the United States and injection drug use is the primary risk factor for disease transmission among adults.

    2010 – 2015
    The U.S. saw a tripling of acute HCV cases.
    Coinciding with the second wave of increased Heroin and third wave of synthetic Opioid overdose deaths during the Opioid epidemic.

    Over one third of newly reported HCV cases were among young women.

    Highest incidence consistently occurred among persons aged 20 to 39 years.

    2014 – 2017
    HCV cases among pregnant women in the U.S. exceeded that of Hepatitis B and syphilis combined, despite HCV being the only infection among the 3 to not receive universal screening during prenatal care.

    Maternal HCV infection poses potential risks for the foetus, including pre-term birth and neonatal death.

    This cross-sectional study of over 70 million births or spontaneous abortions showed the prevalence of HCV-positive pregnancies in the U.S. increased 16-fold between 1998 and 2018.

    Maternal HCV infection was associated with increased odds of pre-term labour, poor foetal growth or foetal distress.

    Over the 21 year study period, the proportion of HCV-positive pregnancies increased in all age groups.

    22-fold among women aged 18 to 20
    31-fold age 21 to 30
    8-fold age 31 to 40

    These increases were concurrent with increasing proportions of pregnancies in women with Opioid use histories.

    Age group 21 to 30 experienced an accelerated increase in HCV-positive pregnancies after the start of the second wave of the Opioid epidemic in 2010.

    Reply

  88. Brigham and Women’s Hospital – 8 August 2023

    https://www.brighamandwomens.org/about-bwh/newsroom/press-releases-detail?id=4499

    A new study finds women who consumed Sugar sweetened beverages daily had a higher risk of developing Liver Cancer or Chronic Liver Disease.

    65% of adults in the United States consume sugar sweetened beverages daily. Chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.

    This is the first study to report an association between sugar sweetened beverage intake and chronic liver disease mortality.

    This was an observational study of 98,786 post-menopausal women who were followed for more than 20 years.

    Those that consumed one or more sugar sweetened beverages daily had an 85% higher risk of liver cancer and 68% higher risk of chronic liver disease mortality compared to those who had fewer than 3 sugar sweetened beverages per month.

    Dear World

    Of course this study can be dismissed by those that want facts and numbers. We have still not reached the point where we unite and accept that if almost 100,000 women are saying something and we have them voicing what they consume daily, then we need to note this and not wait for more research that fits our agenda of delay. Yes, while we wait for more data and our researchers to analyse and hypothesise, we need to be reminded that we are nowhere near closer to finding out how on earth this is happening and what is really going on?

    Our world has relied heavily on evidence and when we receive the study, there is always more to research and it gives us something that we know is called delay in the inevitable. Time to wake up world, this is such a serious study we cannot ignore it.

    We ALL know sugar is poison to our body. Our body is communicating that sugar is causing our liver to not function in its natural state and this needs to be addressed.

    WHY are we not going there with the questions –
    WHY do we need sugary drinks everyday?
    WHY are we using sugar to prop us up and what would happen if the prop was not there?

    Are we prepared to admit that without the sugar fix, we may simply not be able to even function?

    How are women living that gives rise to relying on sugar to hit the body to keep going?

    How are women coping with life if sugary drinks are needed every single day when we know sugar alters our natural state?

    How many women are aware that their one or few drinks with sugar everyday has serious consequences?

    What is happening to women who are post-menopausal that sugar intake everyday is the norm?

    Without asking sensible questions, we will remain the statistic of ill health when in fact we could make changes that will receive a different response from our body.

    What if these women made adjustments because they are educated or presented with the facts of what happens when we consume sugary drinks daily?

    What if these women then became real role models for the younger generations so they reflect by their everyday lived way that it is possible?

    AND finally, what if those like the author of this website and this comment are the ones that present, not because they need the recognition but because they have a body that does not have daily sugar filled drinks?

    There is something about listening and receiving common sense presentations from those that live what they say. In other words, they walk the talk and talk the walk. They are coming directly from something that they live and it holds value and most, if not all of us would feel that on some level or have already experienced that. There is no fake sale or trying to convince or preach something. It just is. Take it or leave it.

    Reply

  89. The Guardian – 11 August 2023

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/aug/11/teenage-girl-dies-after-being-forced-to-stay-in-a-period-hut-in-nepal

    Teenage girl dies after being forced to stay in a ‘period hut’ in Nepal

    A 16-year-old girl has died as a result of the illegal practice of chhaupadi, where menstruating women are forced to stay in huts outside their homes. She is believed to have died from a snake bite.

    Chhaupadi is based on the centuries old belief that women and girls are unclean and untouchable during menstruation. They are not allowed to do a range of activities and in some cases are banished to “period huts” for the duration.

    Outlawed in 2005, chhaupadi is punishable by up to three months in prison and a 3,000 Nepali rupee fine.

    The last reported death form chhaupadi was in 2019. Her death prompted countrywide programmes and campaigns to end the practice.
    Thousands of period huts were destroyed, but it appears they are starting to be rebuilt.

    Campaigners say efforts to stamp out the custom of banishing girls and women during menstruation have been set back by the covid pandemic.

    Here we have another centuries old custom, just like FGM, that treats girls and women as second class.

    Although governments say they want to eradicate these behaviours, in many cases it is men in authority that enforce these policies, so is it possible that their impartiality may not be 100%?

    What if there is more to a woman’s period than the shedding of the blood and the uterus lining?

    What if there is a deeper reason for women having periods?

    A woman’s period is a natural cycle and is something to be celebrated and not abused.

    Reply

  90. American Heart Association – 30 August 2023

    https://newsroom.heart.org/news/stress-and-insomnia-linked-to-irregular-heart-rhythms-after-menopause

    Stress and Insomnia linked to irregular Heart Rhythms after Menopause

    1 in 4 women could develop irregular heart rhythms, known as Atrial Fibrillation after menopause, with stressful life events and poor sleep being leading factors, according to a new research study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

    83,000 questionnaires by women ages 50 to 79 found –

    25% developed Atrial Fibrillation, which can increase their risk for stroke and heart failure.

    Stressful life events and insomnia were strongly linked to the development of Atrial Fibrillation, highlighting the need for mental well-being evaluations to be included with physical health examinations.

    12 million people in the United States will develop Atrial Fibrillation by 2030.

    “In my general cardiology practice, I see many post-menopausal women with picture perfect physical health who struggle with poor sleep and negative psychological emotional feelings or experience, which we know may put them at risk for developing Atrial Fibrillation. I strongly believe that psychosocial factors are the missing piece to the puzzle of the genesis of Atrial Fibrillation.”
    Susan X. Zhao – M.D., Cardiologist, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California.

    Researchers noted that stressful life events, poor sleep and feelings, such as depression and anxiety or feeling overwhelmed by one’s circumstances are often inter-related. It is difficult to know whether these factors accumulate gradually over the years to increase the risk of Atrial Fibrillation as women age.

    Reply

  91. News Medical – 9 September 2023

    https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230909/Research-shines-light-on-early-life-factors-that-may-increase-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease-in-women.aspx

    Advanced research is casting light on possible early life factors, including poverty, physical or mental abuse that may impact the rate of egg loss and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women.

    Cardiovascular Disease is especially associated with an accelerated loss of ovarian reserve and early onset menopause or in women who have had both ovaries surgically removed to reduce other medical risks such as ovarian cancer.

    It is the biggest killer of women globally primarily through strokes and heart attacks and it is also a major cause of morbidity and death among men.

    Cardiovascular disease risk is increasing in women, along with earlier age at onset.

    Women who experience early menopause in their 40s are at a much higher risk of developing heart disease later in life compared with women who go through natural menopause in their 50s or later.

    Oestrogen deficiency through and after menopause was associated with cardiovascular disease risk primarily through metabolic changes including redistribution of body fat, alteration of lipids and increased blood pressure.

    “These risks are somewhat reduced with oestrogen replacement but we believe that some common underlying mechanisms lead to both lower ovarian reserve and increased cardiovascular disease risk.”
    Professor Marcelle Cedars, Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Director of Reproductive Endocrinology – University of California San Francisco.

    Reply

  92. The Menopause Society – 13 September 2023

    https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/press-release/premenopausal-bilateral-oophorectomy-and-chronic-medical-problems.pdf

    Early Ovary Removal likely to Accelerate Aging Process and Health Problems

    A new study states that Pre-menopausal Bilateral Oophorectomy (PBO) with or without hysterectomy, may cause more chronic medical conditions and physical function decline in late midlife.

    Increasing concerns regarding potentially harmfull long-term effects of Pre-menopausal Bilateral Oophorectomy have caused a decline in the number of women choosing to proactively remove both ovaries as a precaution to protect against ovarian cancer.

    The study identified specific chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and arthritis, associated with the procedure.
    Results of the study were published online in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

    Hysterectomy is the second most frequently performed surgical operation for women after caesarean delivery.

    23% of women aged 40 to 44 years have undergone PBO at the time of hysterectomy, for the prevention of subsequent ovarian cancer.

    45% for women aged 45 to 59.

    Many of these women were considered an average risk for ovarian cancer.

    Recent studies regarding potential negative effects of PBS suggest that the added risks may not always offset the potential benefits, especially in women with an average baseline risk for ovarian cancer.

    In addition to their reproductive function, the ovaries also affect multiple organs and systems throughout the body. They secrete hormones before and after menopause, so the removal of the ovaries can cause an endocrine disruption to multiple tissues and organs, including the brain, muscles, bone, blood vessels, heart and the gastrointestinal tract.

    Prior research associate PBO with cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment or dementia.

    Risk was greatest for women who underwent PBO before the age of 46 years.

    Those who underwent the procedure when they were aged 46 or younger had increased risk of:
    Arthritis
    Asthma
    Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
    Bone Fractures
    Walking a shorter distance during a 6 minute walk

    “These results highlight the potential negative long-term effects of Pre-menopausal Bilateral Oophorectomy and are important for women with or without hysterectomy before menopause.”
    Dr. Stephanie Faubion – Medical Director for The Menopause Society

    Reply

  93. Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine – 11 October 2023

    https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2023/10/11/first-large-study-of-hair-relaxers-among-black-women-finds-increased-risk-of-uterine-cancer/

    Chemical hair relaxers are heavily marketed to and commonly used by, Black women to straighten curly or tightly coiled hair. These products are only loosely regulated and are known to contain potentially harmful ingredients, including chemicals known as endocrine disruptors which can be absorbed via inhalation or through the skin. Prior studies have linked these chemicals to a wide range of women’s reproductive health outcomes.

    A new study by researchers at Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study has reported that long-term use of chemical hair relaxers by post menopausal Black women was associated with increased risk of uterine cancer.

    Compared to women who never or rarely used hair relaxers, those who reported using hair relaxers more than twice a year or for more than five years had a greater than 50% increased risk of uterine cancer.

    Kimberly Bertrand ScD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine said –
    “…Compared to non-Hispanic White women, Black women have higher rates of aggressive subtypes of uterine cancer and are nearly twice as likely to die from their disease.”

    This is an important study and it is no surprise there is an association between post menopausal black women who use chemical hair relaxers and the higher rates of uterine cancer and the important question to ask is WHY.

    Many black women from a very young age – at least age 13 use hair relaxers. Straightening ones hair is seen as a rite of passage to womanhood. Growing up, there are plans made and discussions had from years before about when a young girl’s hair will be straightened.

    I recall around the age of 11 sitting in my Mum’s kitchen and having my hair pressed with the hot iron comb heated on the stove and even though my hair fell out, when age 13 came the chemical relaxer went on with no questions asked.

    Back to the study and the WHY question –

    So why do more post menopausal black women who use chemical hair relaxers have higher rates of uterine cancer?

    Is it related to how black women see and value themselves through life?

    Example if from very young the focus is on a young girl’s hair and what that means in terms of whether she is seen as beautiful, or not would this then not have an impact on a young girl and later a women’s self-worth?

    I am from a Caribbean background and there is talk from young of ‘good hair’ with some black hair types regarded as good and some not.
    Loosely curled, Asian quality, long hair = good hair for a black girl.

    Other than that you are no good and then the shade of skin colour goes with it.
    The lighter the skin, the more attention one gets.

    If you have dark skin and tightly coiled hair you can forget it – no good hair or beauty there and instead you might be called ‘blackie’ or picky head’.

    I recall walking round the house with a towel on my head as a child, so I could ‘flick my hair’. Says it all.

    So what if growing up in an environment where you are not adored leaves a black girl constantly looking for ways to change herself so that she can be accepted?

    What if that later leads to a life of a career driven ‘black power’ woman or a life of drudgery where one feels no good about themselves but in both a woman is taking no care of herself.

    For the record, pampering oneself and getting our nails done does not necessarily equal care.

    What if it this rejection leads to a young girl and then woman having no connection with herself and her inner-most feelings?

    What if it leads to a woman who is unable to truly express herself?

    What if it leads to a black woman always feeling less due to how she looks?

    We only need to look around today on any high street to see the amount of black woman who have long false nails, false hair and false eyelashes to see this is still going on and that black women are still affected.

    What if there is an innate quality – an inner beauty within every woman that is the same and if this is not fostered and nurtured and allowed to grow from our early years – we end up living far far away from this in complete disconnection to our own beauty and who we truly are?

    What if this way of living leads to illnesses and diseases like cancer?

    What if ‘Black women have higher rates of aggressive subtypes of uterine cancer’ as this living far far away from who we truly are as a woman has to have an impact in the gynaecological area, the area that makes a woman’s body different to a man’s?

    What if the rise in uterine cancers is not about the chemicals from the relaxer being the cause but WHY women are going to the relaxers?

    What I know for sure is that there is no post menopausal woman who is chemically straightening their hair that would have started doing this in recent years. That would have started decades ago and so what if the cancer is the trajectory of the life lived in disregard and self-denigration with no connection to the absolute beauty and fullness of what it means to live as a TRUE woman regardless of one’s skin colour?

    What if presenting research studies in this format of the chemical straighteners potentially being the cause is dangerous as without looking at the WHY factor, all that will happen is that women and young girls will look at non-chemical forms of hair straightening without questioning why that behaviour exists?

    What if we allow that to run and then we study post-menopausal black women who used non-chemical hair straighteners for 5 years or more, for example? Will we continue to see higher rates of this disease?

    There is another way to live and even if we did not have our innate quality and beauty nurtured from young it is never too late as we can start now.

    Yes, Black women of any age can reconnect to who they truly are from within by changing the way that we live.

    What if the Back to Basics tools on this website is the place to start?

    Reply

  94. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – 25 October 2023

    https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2023/oct-endometriosis-hysterectomies.html

    Endometriosis, a common gynaecological condition can complicate hysterectomies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1553465023008373

    Patients with endometriosis are more likely to experience complications during and after hysterectomies.

    This study affirms what many know but needed large numbers of surgical cases to substantiate that patients with endometriosis are at increased risk of complications if they have a hysterectomy.

    600,000 hysterectomies are performed every year in the United States, making it the 2nd most common surgery for women behind caesarean sections.

    The procedure, in which the uterus is removed, is performed for a variety of reasons, including to treat cancer, remove non-cancerous growths called fibroids and treat uterine prolapse, in which pelvic floor muscles and ligaments fail to support the uterus.

    Symptoms of endometriosis, in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the womb, frequently result in hysterectomy.

    Patients with endometriosis were more likely to have longer procedures and need other surgical procedures at the time of their hysterectomy, including operations to remove adhesions caused by the endometriotic tissue, gastrointestinal surgeries such as appendectomies or bowel resections and surgeries affecting structures around the uterus, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes and pelvic floor ligaments.

    The current training for gynaecological surgeons in the U.S. often underestimates the time and skill necessary to care for patients with endometriosis, particularly when this condition is not anticipated prior to surgery, or the degree of endometriosis is not predicted preoperatively.

    Reply

  95. Karolinska Institutet – 2 November 2023

    https://news.ki.se/higher-risk-of-breast-cancer-in-women-with-false-positive-mammography-result

    Women who receive a false positive mammography result are more likely to develop breast cancer over the subsequent 20 years, according to a new study.
    The risk is highest for women aged between 60 and 75 and who have low breast density.

    The study was published in JAMA Oncology
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2811409

    Globally – Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer among women.

    False-positive mammography results can cause psychological anxiety and influence screening attendance.
    Previous studies indicated that false-positive mammography results were associated with a short-term increased risk of breast cancer.

    This new study shows that women with false-positive results are more likely to develop breast cancer than other women over the subsequent 20 years, facing, on average a 60% INCREASED RISK and suggesting the increased risk is long-term.

    Reply

  96. The Guardian – 15 November 2023

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/15/nhs-england-boss-to-say-cervical-cancer-can-be-eliminated-by-2040

    3,200 women in the UK are diagnosed each year with Cervical Cancer.
    850 die from the disease.

    14th most common cancer affecting women in Britain.
    30 – 34 age group are the most likely to be diagnosed with it.

    The disease develops when abnormal cells appear in the lining of the cervix and grow, eventually coming together as a tumour. If the cells are not caught early, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body.

    2020
    All 194 members of the World Health Assembly, including the UK, resolved to eliminate Cervical Cancer as a public health problem but did not set a deadline for doing so.

    Australia has said they will become the first country to do so by 2035.
    Canada pledged to do the same by 2040.

    EU plan to eliminate the disease by the end of this century.

    Reply

  97. U.S. Health News – 20 November 2023

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-11-30/couch-potato-lifestyle-could-raise-womens-odds-for-fibroids

    “Couch Potato” lifestyle could raise women’s odds for fibroids.

    The study found women who sat for more than 6 hours each day faced substantially higher odds if developing uterine fibroids before menopause.

    Overall, more sedentary women had double the risk of developing the often painful and harmful uterine growths prior to menopause.

    The risk was 5 times HIGHER among those who clocked up 6 or more sedentary leisure hours a day.

    Sedentary behaviour included sitting or lying down and activities such as watching screens, knitting, reading or playing board games.

    One factor could be that Obesity is linked to a “coach potato” lifestyle as studies have shown that Obesity is a risk factor for uterine fibroids.

    Sedentary lifestyles can lead to rising levels of circulating oestrogen and other hormones known to contribute to fibroids. Also deficiencies in Vitamin D is another risk factor for these growths.

    The research team state that uterine fibroids are benign tumours that are exceedingly common among young women. They can sometimes cause no symptoms but in many cases they can trigger “abnormal bleeding, pain in the pelvic and abdominal organs, adverse reproductive outcomes of infertility.
    Sometimes fibroids become so severe that a hysterectomy is advised.

    Dear World

    This study was conducted across China and the women were aged between 30 and 55 with the majority having more than 2 children.
    Worth noting that the effects were seen among overweight and obese women.

    What if there is the total opposite to the findings of this study linking sedentary lifestyle to fibroids in women?

    As the author of this entire website and a woman who does not mince her words, I have something to share from my own personal life and many that I have come across who had an exact or similar situation as mine.

    I had the absolute opposite to sedentary lifestyle and was in the ‘severe’ category and so it had to be a hysterectomy at a young age.
    For 27+ years I recall having the most debilitating pain every month and long days with heavy bleeding that was never talked about – just accepted as others had the same including family members, relatives, friends and colleagues. So it was the normal to just take it all and never question or seek help.

    Eventually my iron levels were so low and I collapsed and from thereafter – ambulance, emergency department, blood transfusions, going private to get a proper diagnosis, (borrowed money for that) and unable to work as the bleeding went on and on and would not stop. Even during the blood transfusions, I had one arm to move my diary work appointments and reschedule as I could not foresee that time off was needed and that I was not going to be able to actually carry on working in that fast paced way again.

    8 months later I had a hysterectomy at age 45.

    Due to the severe fibroids, I had 4 miscarriages and it is only now that this all makes sense WHY.

    My lifestyle was motion, motion, motion – never ever stop, little sleep, racing around, talking fast, moving fast and living on a kind of nervous tension with zero settlement inside my body. Stillness to balance the momentum of motion did not exist in my world. Sedentary lifestyle or anything resembling coach potato was not on my radar.

    Researchers may dismiss this as observational and not in the lab with the numbers and double blind tested but what if our real life contributions are valid and worthy of reporting as they may just hold the key to a certain cohort that are living in that way?

    Reply

  98. U.S. News – 6 December 2023

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-12-06/starting-periods-early-linked-to-higher-odds-for-diabetes-stroke

    Starting periods early linked to HIGHER odds for Diabetes and Stroke.

    Girls who begin periods before the age of 13 are at a higher risk of become adult women with Diabetes, according to a new study at Tulane University, New Orleans.

    An early onset of periods is also linked to a heightened risk for stroke in women before the age of 65.

    17,000 women’s data was tracked over 20 years
    Ages ranged from 20 to 65

    32% higher odds for Diabetes where menstruating at age 10
    29% higher risk when menstruating started at age 12

    Double the risk of Stroke where beginning of menstruation was at age 10 or younger.

    Reply

  99. University of Illinois Chicago – 14 December 2023

    https://today.uic.edu/menstrual-cycles-affect-day-to-day-suicide-risk-uic-researchers-find/

    Menstrual Cycles affect day-to-day Suicide risk.

    Female patients with a history of suicidality experience an increased risk of suicidal ideation or suicidal planning in the days surrounding menstruation, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

    This is the first longitudinal study of how suicidal thoughts and related symptoms fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and UIC researchers identified when some female patients are at the highest risk.

    “This study establishes that the menstrual cycle can affect many people who have suicidal thoughts, which makes it one of the only predictable recurring risk factors that has been identified for detecting when a suicide attempt might occur.”
    Tory Eisenlohr-Moul – Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of Illinois Chicago

    Most patients in the study reported significant elevation of psychiatric symptoms such as Depression, Anxiety and hopelessness in the pre-menstrual and early menstrual phases, while others reported emotional changes at different times of their cycle. Individuals also varied in the specific psychiatric symptoms that appeared alongside suicidal thoughts.

    Reply

  100. A new ‘game-changing’ drug to prevent hot flushes as a prescription-only medicine will be available privately from next month.

    The price has not yet been approved.

    In May the U.S. approved it and now it will be available in the UK.
    In the U.S. the cost was set at $550 for a 30-day supply (£430).

    70% of women going through the menopause are affected by hot flushes.

    Hot flushes have an impact on quality of life, exercise, sleep and productivity.

    For decades there have been few safe and effective treatment options.

    HRT – hormone replacement therapy is the most effective but this is unsuitable for many, such as women with a history of breast or ovarian cancer, blood clots or with untreated high blood pressure.
    Other women experience the side-effects or would prefer a non-hormonal alternative.

    It is called a blockbuster drug as it’s like a switch and within a day or two, the hot flushes will go away.

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/18/veoza-fezolinetant-menopause-drug-hot-flushes-wins-uk-approval

    We could say this is great news for those that can afford this but for now it is worth noting that it is not on free NHS prescription.

    Next –

    I am aware that researchers do not rely on ‘real life’ anecdotal evidence generally but I feel to share because someone out there may relate to what is being presented. There are many who prefer a real person sharing their experience as it makes it more alive than just reading something that is a theory or a study from a screen.

    The way I lived my life in my younger days, totally ignoring my periods and how bad they were and the pain that I would go through each month was a strong communication from my body that something was clearly not right in that department.

    I wrote about a wake up call when I had my hysterectomy and it really was – see link
    https://medicineandsergebenhayon.com/2015/01/

    At no point did I even consider the seriousness of what was going on in my body.

    Even worse, I had no idea that hot flushes were going to come and they would be around for a long time, creating havoc and gross inconvenience in my life.

    Years later after having a reaction to every single flush, stripping sweaty clothes off and living in this state of ‘drama’ I got help from a Universal Medicine Practitioner and this supported me to make some much needed sensible lifestyle changes. I was able to settle more in accepting that the flushes were a ‘correction’ to my body and it just made sense. At no point did I think a band aid option (solution) of any kind was going to do the job that I had created. Surely if I made this happen, even if I had no awareness, I would be given the answers on how to correct it, but it would require common sense and seeking someone that actually knew what they were talking about. For me that has to be a person that walks the talk and lives free of what I am asking help for.

    I lived my life out of sync, off track and not in balance as a woman. My periods were not wanted and I had no idea why I had to suffer just because my mother did and one of my siblings. What I realised is how similar we were when it came to being driven in life to get things done, never sit still for a moment, see stopping and inactivity as ‘lazy’, not feeling enough as a woman and low self-worth. All of these I know were contributing factors and if I had to live this life again, I would ensure that those fundamental changes were made from day one and not after suffering for years and years.

    On another note – what I found at the start of my hot flushes, immediately after surgery was ‘devastating news’ for me. My mother told me she came off HRT in her 70s and the hot flushes returned immediately and were around daily. The very thought of hot flushes in older age would make any woman scream for solutions to take it away.

    This is real life and concrete evidence that the HRT worked to keep it away but in truth nothing had changed as the flushes returned immediately after stopping the medication.

    What I have realised is it comes down to where we are at and how much are we ready to admit and accept, then make sensible changes that are going to change the trajectory. Solutions are never going to work unless we get to the root ill of why and how it manifested in the first place.

    Reply

  101. Karolinska Institutet – 9 January 2024

    https://news.ki.se/clear-link-between-autoimmune-disease-and-perinatal-depression

    CLEAR link between Auto-Immune Disease and Peri-natal Depression.

    The association was strongest for the neurological disease MS, for which the risk was double in both directions.

    Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to suffer from Depression during pregnancy and after childbirth; conversely, women with a history of perinatal Depression are at higher risk of developing autoimmune disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02351-1

    Autoimmune disease is where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own healthy tissue.

    Some of the most common autoimmune diseases are:
    Coeliac Disease (gluten intolerance)
    Autoimmune Thyroiditis
    Rheumatoid Arthritis
    Type 1 Diabetes
    Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

    815,000 women were studied using data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register.
    1.3 million pregnancies – 55,000 women had been diagnosed with Depression during their pregnancy or within a year after delivery.

    The researchers then compared the incidence of 41 autoimmune diseases in women with and without perinatal Depression.

    30% more likely to suffer perinatal Depression for women with autoimmune disease.

    Conversely, women with perinatal Depression were 30% more likely to develop a subsequent autoimmune disease.

    “Depression during this sensitive period can have serious consequences for both mother and baby.”
    Dr. Emma Brann – Researcher

    Reply

  102. U.S. News – 31 January 2024

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-01-31/six-million-u-s-women-became-pregnant-due-to-rape-coercion-in-their-lifetimes-study

    6 MILLION U.S. women became pregnant due to rape, coercion in their lifetimes

    1 in 20 American women endured a pregnancy due to sexual violence.

    Pregnancy resulting from sexual coercion – non-physically forced, unwanted penetration – is even more common than pregnancy resulting from rape.

    35% of the victims of sexual violence who became pregnant also had a sexually transmitted disease.

    66% of rape victims who got pregnant said they also were physically injured
    80% said they feared for their safety.

    Reply

  103. U.S. Health News – 31 January 2024

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-01-31/six-million-u-s-women-became-pregnant-due-to-rape-coercion-in-their-lifetimes-study

    5.9 MILLION women in the United States became Pregnant due to Rape or Coercion in their lifetime.

    Researchers said this equates to about 1 in 20 women enduring a pregnancy due to sexual violence.

    The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine – AJPM
    https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(23)00442-7/fulltext

    Result
    1 in 20 women experience a pregnancy from either rape, sexual coercion or both during their lifetimes.

    Non-Hispanic Multiracial women experienced a higher prevalence of all 3 outcomes compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women.

    Among victims who experienced pregnancy from rape –

    • 28% experienced a sexually transmitted disease
    • 66% were injured
    • 80% were fearful or concerned for their safety

    Lead Researcher Denise D’Angelo said Pregnancy resulting from sexual coercion – non-physically forced, unwanted penetration is even more common than pregnancy resulting from rape.

    35% victims of sexual violence who became pregnant experienced a sexually transmitted disease.

    Reply

  104. Independent News – 20 February 2024

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-health-gender-health-gap-b2498625.html

    Third of women steer clear of doctors because of Anxiety and Embarrassment.

    66% of women in the UK warn their health problems are not taken seriously.
    33% of women reported enduring poorer health due to their gender.

    The study, which polled 10,000 women –
    60% report a negative encounter with a healthcare professional
    33% say they were given a late diagnosis.

    33% experiencing worse health as a result of their gender have been given a wrong diagnosis.
    25% say they were placed on the wrong medication.

    The Independent reported on exclusive research revealing –
    33% of those with a women’s health condition have been made to wait three years or longer for a diagnosis.

    The data demonstrates that women are not only forced to spend longer waiting in emergency departments than men but are also less likely to be prescribed effective painkillers.

    Reply

  105. The Guardian – 12 March 2024

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/mar/12/first-indian-made-hpv-vaccine-is-rolled-out

    70,000 women dying of cervical cancer a year in India.

    It is the 2nd biggest cause of cancer deaths among women in India.

    4th most common cancer in women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

    90% of deaths from the disease occurring in low and middle-income countries.

    Nearly All cervical cancers are caused by an infection from certain types of HPV – Human Papillomavirus.

    It takes 15 to 20 years for the disease to develop.

    Less than 2% of women in India aged 30 to 49 years have been screened.

    Reply

  106. American College of Cardiology – 28 March 2024

    https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2024/03/28/12/03/for-younger-women-mental-health-now-may-predict-heart-health-later

    For younger women, Mental Health may now predict Heart Health later.

    Younger women are generally thought to have a low risk of heart disease, but new research urges clinicians to revisit that assumption – especially for women who suffer from certain mental health conditions.

    The new study found that having Anxiety or Depression could accelerate the development of cardiovascular risk factors among young and middle-aged women.

    Cardiovascular risk factors rise and heart attacks have become more common in younger people.

    Anxiety and Depression have also become more prevalent in recent years, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The study reported that younger women with Anxiety or Depression were TWICE AS LIKELY to develop High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol or Diabetes compared with women who did not have these mental health conditions.

    Reply

  107. University of Michigan – 2 April 2024

    https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/news/archive/202404/rapid-rise-seen-mental-health-diagnosis-care-during-after-pregnancy

    RAPID RISE seen in Mental Health diagnosis and care during and after pregnancy.

    Depression, Anxiety and PTSD – pre-pandemic decade saw increased diagnosis and treatment during peri-natal period in those with private insurance.

    A new study suggests mental health issues during pregnancy or the first year of parenthood have a much greater chance of getting detected and treated now than just over a decade ago.

    But the rise in diagnosis and care hasn’t happened equally across different groups and states, leaving some pregnant or postpartum individuals more likely to suffer through treatable symptoms that can put themselves and their newborn at risk.

    The analysis groups multiple conditions diagnosed during this period under PMAD (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders).

    In general, PMAD includes depressive and anxiety disorders that occur any time during pregnancy and the postpartum year.

    Dear World

    Can we afford to sit back and ignore the first two words RAPID RISE?

    We are being alerted to something that is very serious – there is now a sudden rise and its happened fast regarding the mental health diagnosis for women during and after pregnancy.

    What if how we are living as women up to the point of conception is not in correspondence with how our body is and that means something is off sync – out of balance, out of rhythm and flow?

    We blame it on our hormones and lack of this or that or whatever but it could be something more simple like we are not taking true deep care of our body as a woman and not honouring our menstrual cycles or adhering to any deeply loving and caring sleep rhythm.

    WHY needs to be the question for all of us and until we can fully answer that where are we going?

    WHY have we got Depression or Anxiety?

    If the reader here needs direction – check out those articles on this website where some sensible questions are being presented.

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/depression/

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-anxiety/

    We can give ourselves the best possible care before during and after pregnancy but it requires a huge dose of honesty to get real and apply the practical steps needed which means RESPONSIBILITY and this is something most of us do not want to hear or get on with, as we like living the way we do but don’t like the consequences of those choices.

    Reply

  108. University of California, Los Angeles – UCLA Health – 4 April 2024

    https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/feeding-lonely-brain

    A new UCLA Health study has found that women who perceive themselves to be lonely exhibited activity in regions of the brain associated with cravings and motivation towards eating especially when shown pictures of high calorie foods, such as sugary foods.

    The same group of women also had unhealthy eating behaviours and poor mental health.

    “When people are alone or lonely, it impacts more than how they are feeling; they under-report what they eat, their desire to eat and their cravings especially for unhealthy foods.”
    Arpana Gupta PhD – Senior Author

    “If you have more cravings, you eat more and may have more anxiety or depression, which may lead you to eat more.”
    Likening this pathway to a “vicious cycle between unhealthy eating and negative mental symptoms”
    Xiaobei Zhang – Lead Author and Post Doctoral Researcher

    Reply

  109. I have come to realise how much women generally put up with partners and spouses in relationships.

    Talking to other women in the neighbourhood, it is clear we have not just lost our standards but we actually pretend that everything is ok when it is far from decent or even respectfull.

    If our man has condoms in the shopping bag – why do we say nothing and hope that it cannot be happening, even if they say they are out on a Friday night and get home around 1am? How many more excuses and justifications are we coming up with when we most certainly know it is not the truth?

    This having separate bedrooms and using sleep divorce to get a good night’s sleep could also be saying a lot more, but most of us no longer seem bothered. It is like we have a kind of ‘arrangement’ that suits us and is convenient, but it is far from the truth of what could be lived and what is possible in any marriage or relationship.

    When did fake and phoney take over and when will we end that kind of way of living?

    I have lost count of how many women I know that are in some kind of ‘arrangement’ and putting up with so much abuse on all levels, but staying there like they feel trapped and there is nothing better out there.

    Others who hop from one relationship to another totally unsettled and convincing themselves it’s ‘all great’ which is nothing more than a throwaway line and we all know it.

    Is it time we got real, got honest and made some steps towards being transparent about our relationships so that future generations realise that there is another way to live and be in a true relationship?

    Reply

  110. Aarhus University – 16 April 2024

    https://health.au.dk/en/display/artikel/studie-afsloerer-markant-forskel-i-fysisk-aktivitet-mellem-moedre-og-kvinder-uden-boern

    Women without children are significantly more physically active than mothers, according to a new study.

    Mothers in Denmark
    24% more at risk of not meeting International recommendations for physical activity compared to women of similar age who have not given birth.

    The study sheds light on an overlooked health challenge.

    “Many mothers find it difficult to figure out how and what they can do in terms of physical activity in the ‘new body’ after childbirth.”
    Solvej Videboek Bueno – Lead Author and PhD student at the Department of Public Health

    Reply

  111. Independent News – 1 May 2024

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/university-college-london-nhs-china-netherlands-australia-b2537539.html

    40% HIGHER RISK of suffering Depression for Peri-Menopausal women, according to a new research study from UCL – University College London.

    Data was examined from 7 studies involving 9,141 women across the world, including Australia, China, Netherlands, Switzerland and U.S.

    The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

    Women could be vulnerable to Depression and Anxiety in the run-up to their periods stopping, with the development of new cases or existing symptoms getting worse.

    Menopause is typically around age 49 to 52 and the point at which women experience the HIGHEST RATES of Depression.

    Common health symptoms of Menopause and Peri-menopause include:

    • Low mood
    • Anxiety
    • Mood swings
    • Low self-esteem
    • Issues with memory and concentration

    Physical Symptoms include:

    • Hot flushes
    • Difficulty sleeping
    • Heart palpitations
    • Muscle aches
    • Joint pains
    • Weight gain

    The study concluded that Peri-Menopausal women were “at a significantly increased risk for depressive symptoms and diagnoses” when compared to those who were Pre-Menopausal.

    Reply

  112. University College London – 1 May 2024

    https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/may/women-are-40-more-likely-experience-depression-during-perimenopause

    Peri-menopausal women are 40% more likely to suffer Depression, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

    The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, provided a meta-analysis of 7 studies involving 9,141 women from across the world, including Australia, USA, China, Netherlands and Switzerland.

    The peri-menopause usually occurs around 3 to 5 years before the onset of menopause.
    During this stage women’s oestrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate, causing them to experience mood changes, irregular menstrual cycles and other menopausal symptoms, including increased feelings of depression.

    This stage of the menopause continues until one year after a woman’s last period and can often last for between 4 and 8 years in total.

    The researchers found that peri-menopausal women had a SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK (40%) of experiencing depressive symptoms and being diagnosed with Depression compared to pre-menopausal.

    Reply

  113. News Medical – 9 May 2024

    https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240509/Womene28099s-health-in-the-UK-stagnates-while-other-countries-progress.aspx

    Women’s Health in the UK has not improved across a 3 year period, with a lack of progress in preventive care and reduced satisfaction with pregnancy care causing particular concern.

    New Data from the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index is one of the world’s largest surveys on women’s health and well-being – 143 countries and territories.

    The index represents the feelings, opinions and experiences of 97% of the world’s women and girls aged 15 and above, which reveals the worrying trends in women’s health globally.
    https://hologic.womenshealthindex.com/sites/default/files/2024-01/MISC09031_HGWHI_Y3GlobalReport_Final_Digital.pdf

    UK lag behind the EU rates for preventive care testing –
    44% High Blood Pressure
    19% Cancer
    22% Diabetes
    5% STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections)

    The findings also indicate year-on-year decline in markers of emotional health.

    1 in 6 women in UK reported experiencing negative emotions the day before being surveyed.
    This includes:
    38% Feelings of Worry
    32% Sadness
    39% Stress
    17% Anger

    26% of women have Health problems that prevent them from engaging in normal activity.

    Reply

  114. Harvard School of Public Health – 23 May 2024

    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/irregular-periods-linked-with-increased-risk-for-cardiometabolic-conditions/

    Having persistently irregular menstrual cycles appears to put women at heightened risk for Cardiometabolic conditions including Heart Attack, Hypertension, Stroke and Diabetes, according to a large study.
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818242

    Prior studies have found links between irregular menstrual cycles and Cardiometabolic conditions.

    This study found links between menstrual cycle irregularity – with or without PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and a variety of Cardiometabolic conditions.

    PCOS was associated with all metabolic conditions examined in the study, including Obesity and Types 1 and 2 Diabetes and several cardiovascular conditions – Arrythmia, Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Attack and Stroke.

    Among participants without PCOS, menstrual cycle irregularity was associated with high cholesterol, while prolonged time to cycle regularity was associated with Hypertension; both groups faced HIGHER prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes, Arrythmia and Transient Ischemic Attack.

    “The research shows menses is a very important vital sign for half the population. There are major Cardiometabolic implications. The goal is to be sensitive to the menstrual cycle and discuss the very basic risk reduction options, which need to be individualised. Clinically, we also need to understand and treat what might be contributing to women’s irregular cycles.”

    Reply

  115. Harvard School of Public Health – 29 May 2024

    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/menstrual-periods-are-arriving-earlier-for-younger-generations-especially-among-racial-minority-and-lower-income-individuals/

    Menstrual periods are arriving earlier for younger generations, especially among racial minority and lower-income individuals.

    According to a new study, the average age at menarche, the first menstrual period, has been decreasing among younger generations in the U.S.

    The study also found that the average time it takes for the menstrual cycle to become regular is increasing.

    The study was published in JAMA Network Open
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819141

    Previous studies have shown trends towards earlier menarche over the past 5 decades, data has been limited on how these trends present within different racial groups and socioeconomic statuses.

    “Our findings can lead to a better understanding of menstrual health across the lifespan and how our lived environment impacts this critical vital sign.”
    Shruthi Mahalingaiah – Assistant Professor of Environmental, Reproductive and Women’s Health at Harvard Chan School

    Reply

  116. The Commonwealth Fund – 4 June 2024

    https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison

    Maternal mortality rate in the United States continues to far exceed those of other high-income nations.

    Persistent inequities in health care are a big reason why Black women in the U.S. are by far the most likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth.
    Most of these deaths are likely preventable.

    2 out of 3 maternal deaths in the U.S. occur during the post-partum period – up to 42 days following birth.

    Compared to women in other countries that were studied, women in U.S. are the least likely to have supports such as home visits and guaranteed paid leave during this critical time.

    With policies and systems in place to support women during peri-natal period, several high-income countries report virtually no maternal deaths.

    Maternal death rates increased in Australia, Japan, The Netherlands and the U.S. during the height of the pandemic between 2020 and 2021.

    The United States and Canada have the lowest supply of midwives and Obstetrician-gynaecologists.

    In the U.S., Canada and Korea Obstetrician-gynaecologists out number midwives.

    Prior research has found Black people receive worse-quality care than white people on 52% of measures which include care process, such as the ability to receive needed care; care outcomes, such as death; and patients’ perceptions of care.

    Other data show that racial disparities exist both within hospitals and between hospitals for maternal morbidity.
    Inequities in access to care and patients’ experience of care are often rooted in discrimination and clinician bias.

    The United States stand alone as the only high-income country where there is no federally mandated paid leave policy.
    Paid maternity leave allows women to better manage the physiological and psychological demands of motherhood, helps ensure financial security for families and leads to lower infant mortality.

    All countries included in this study, apart from the U.S., mandate at least 14 weeks of paid leave from work. Several countries provide more than a year of parental or home care leave.

    Women who are able to take paid leave have lower rates of post-partum depression.

    Reply

  117. Endocrine Society – 3 June 2024

    https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2024/endo-2024-press-welt

    Early Menopause linked to GREATER RISK for developing Breast and Ovarian Cancer, according to new research from the University of Utah Health.

    Women with early menopause had 2 times GREATER RISK for Breast Cancer and 4 times borderline risk for Ovarian Cancer.

    “There is also a HIGHER RISK of Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancer in relatives of these women.”
    Corinne Welt M.D., Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes
    University of Utah
    https://check-staging.ecancer.org/en/news/24836-early-menopause-linked-to-greater-risk-for-breast-and-possibly-ovarian-cancer

    Breast Cancer risk was increased 1.3 times and Colon Cancer 1.5 times in second degree relatives (aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces and nephews etc.)

    Reply

  118. Tulane University – 4 June 2024

    https://newcomb.tulane.edu/content/study-reveals-billion-dollar-toll-domestic-violence-california

    A comprehensive new study has quantified the staggering economic impact of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in California.

    2022
    $73.7 BILLION cost to the state in Health Care, Lost Productivity and Income and Criminal Justice and Response Program spending for domestic violence cases. This amounts to 2% of the GDP – Gross Domestic Product for California.
    https://newcomb.tulane.edu/calvex

    “Too often, states do not recognise the economic as well as social and health costs resulting from Intimate Partner Violence for survivors, families of victims and the state as a whole.”
    Anita Raj – Lead Author of “The Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in California” report.

    The report which draws on data from the 2023 California Violence Experiences Survey (CalVEX) found the fiscal impact of Intimate Partner Violence amounts to almost a quarter of the state’s annual budget.

    More than half of California women experience Intimate Partner Violence in their lifetime.

    460,000 experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner in just the past year and those reporting these abuses in the past year faced greater health and social risks.

    “Women who experienced Intimate Partner Violence in the past year are more likely to be contending with depression, anxiety and suicidality and they are also more likely to have faced recent eviction.
    Preventing this violence has to be prioritized if we are going to address the mental health and homelessness crises in this state.”
    Jakana Thomas – Professor of Political Science at School of Global Policy and Strategy and co-author of the report.

    California is one of only 2 states to tally the economic toll of domestic violence.

    A report released earlier this year titled “The Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in Louisiana” found the cost of domestic violence in Louisiana was $10.1 BILLION in 2022.

    $105,602 annually – monetary costs per survivor amounted to, which is 2.5 times more than the average wage earned by women in Louisiana.
    https://newcomb.tulane.edu/content/costs-ipv-louisiana

    Reply

  119. The Guardian – 5 July 2024

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/05/prescribing-of-testosterone-for-middle-aged-women-out-of-control

    Prescribing of Testosterone for middle-aged women ‘out of control’.

    Experts warn of long-term health implications amid concerns over advice from Social Media ‘evangelists’.

    Doctors say it is ‘frightening’ how easily women are able to get hold of testosterone.

    ‘Testosterone evangelists’ on social media include celebrities and GPs who are giving women the impression that the hormone will reduce fatigue and improve their energy levels, as well as protecting their heart, brain, muscles and bones.

    Evidence only supports its use in post-menopausal women with low libido when psychosocial causes have been ruled out.

    Chair of the British Menopause Society – Dr. Paula Briggs says “I genuinely think testosterone prescribing is completely out of control in the UK.
    People are being led to believe they must have this. But we have no idea what long-term testosterone supplementation does to women.”

    According to the British Menopause Society guidelines – this should only be considered once other causes, such as psychological or relationship issues or medications have been excluded.
    https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/08-BMS-TfC-Testosterone-replacement-in-menopause-DEC2022-A.pdf

    “We have looked at evidence inside and out, reviewed all the published literature and published all of our own data. The evidence that testosterone will improve fatigue, wellbeing, cognition or anything else you want to list, is just not there.”
    Professor Susan Davis – Head of Monash University Women’s Health Research
    Melbourne Australia
    Past President of the Australasian Menopause Society and the International Menopause Society.

    Reply

  120. University of Utah – 17 July 2024

    https://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/press-releases/2024/07/landmark-study-shows-elevated-cancer-risk-women-endometriosis

    A landmark study from researchers found elevated Cancer risk for women with Endometriosis.

    Women with severe Endometriosis are 10 times more likely to get Ovarian Cancer.

    The research, which included a cohort of over 78,000 women with Endometriosis was published in the journal of the American Medical Association.
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2821194

    Endometriosis is a disease in which the tissue that lines the uterus grows elsewhere in the pelvic cavity, creating lesions on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or behind the uterus.

    6,500,000 women in the United States have Endometriosis, which often leads to chronic pain and infertility.

    In this study, researchers found women suffering from more severe types of Endometriosis are more likely to develop Type 1 Ovarian Cancer.

    “That is where we found a 19-FOLD INCREASED risk, which compares to the connection between smoking and lung cancer.
    As an epidemiologist, seeing numbers like that is really striking.”
    Karen Schliep PhD., MSPH

    Women with any kind of endometriosis have a 4.2-fold risk of developing Ovarian Cancer.
    7 times the risk of developing Type 1 Ovarian Cancer, which is slow to develop but also does not respond well to chemotherapy.

    The National Cancer Institute says Ovarian Cancer has a 5 year survival rate of 50%. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/ovary.html#:~:text=survival%20statistics

    Reply

  121. Harvard School of Public Health – 23 July 2024

    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/toxins-in-tampons-suggest-need-for-fda-testing-says-expert/

    Multiple tampon brands contain toxins like lead and arsenic.

    The FDA should consider stricter monitoring of tampons and other menstrual products.

    The study was published in Environmental International and found that every single tampon contained some level of toxins.
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004355

    Given the high prevalence and long-term use of tampons, there is a growing interest in understanding tampons as a potential source of chemical exposure.

    This is the 1st study to assess concentrations of metals in tampons, despite the potential for substantial vaginal absorption of metals and the widespread and frequent use of tampons among menstruators.

    The study found measurable concentrations of all 16 metals assessed, including Pb (lead), which has no known “safe” exposure level.

    Reply

  122. U.S. News – 29 July 2024

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-07-29/surgery-overused-for-tongue-tie-issue-that-stops-babies-from-breastfeeding-experts-say

    Surgery Overused for ‘Tongue Tie’ issue that stops babies from Breastfeeding, experts say.

    Surgery is being over-used to correct breastfeeding difficulties in infants.

    A growing number of newborns are being diagnosed with ankyloglossia – also known as “tongue-tie.”

    Tongue-tie restricts the tongue’s range of motion in a baby. An unusually short or tight band of tissue holds the tip of their tongue close to the bottom of their mouth, making it difficult for them to latch on or suckle during breastfeeding.

    The condition can be treated through a simple surgery that snips the band of tissue – a procedure called a frenotomy.

    A new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said most breastfeeding problems can be managed without resorting to the surgery.
    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-07-29/surgery-overused-for-tongue-tie-issue-that-stops-babies-from-breastfeeding-experts-say

    “Surgery is often un-necessary for breastfeeding concerns and there is limited research on its effectiveness” said lead report author Dr.Jennifer Thomas – Board Member of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding.

    One study found a 10-FOLD INCREASE in tongue-tie diagnosis between 1997 and 2012.
    Further doubling between 2012 and 2016.

    The AAP recommends that doctors approach cases of tongue-tie by first collaborating with lactation consultants, speech-language pathologists and other specialists.

    Reply

  123. Diabetes UK – 21 September 2024

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2024/sep/belly-fat-can-increase-womens-risk-of-chronic-pain-by-60.html

    Carrying excess fat around the abdominal area can INCREASE women’s risk of Chronic pain by 60%, a new study has found.

    There is already evidence to suggest that carrying fat around the middle – an area which contains the liver and pancreas can increase the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

    The researchers reported that the more fat around the abdominal area, the greater the chance of reported pain. This higher risk was also seen in people who were overweight with a higher body mass index (BMI).

    The findings were particularly significant in women.

    “Higher levels of adipose tissue (fat) were associated with greater odds of reporting chronic pain in both sexes. The effect estimates were relatively larger in women than men.
    Extra fat could trigger inflammation, which can impact the nervous system and people’s experience of pain”.
    Study Authors from the University of Western Australia

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *