The subject of women’s health is one that often gets us thinking, sometimes has us worrying... but not enough sees us TALKING!
The intimate workings of the female body is a subject of both confusion and taboo, with the dilemma of what’s normal, and what’s not, rarely venturing beyond our own private thoughts.
This month especially, there’s a renewed drive from Ovarian Cancer Action to set a new tone of openness surrounding the topic of female gynaecological health.
Specifically, it is the topic of ovarian cancer that has been brought to the fore, with the spotlight shining particularly on the importance of symptom awareness when it comes to early diagnosis and treatment.
With one in four women mistakenly thinking that their smear test will detect the disease, it’s clear to see more needs to be done to dispel the myths.
Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer are often mistaken for less serious conditions like IBS, and it is one of the aims of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to provide the facts that will enable women to more correctly attune to their bodies, and have the confidence to act quickly if symptoms present.
As women, the responsibility is not just to ourselves, but to the women we know and love, to be informed when it comes to the main symptoms to look out for. Female friendships are invariably a sounding board for personal issues, and from this stance, they play a crucial element in protecting female health.
Knowledge, as ever, is power... and this in mind, Ovarian Cancer Action have produced this symptom check list to familiarise yourself with.
The earlier a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer the more likely she will respond to treatment. So, here’s to taking ‘OVAR’ the conversation waves this month with some open, frank talk on all matters relating to female health...PERIOD!
Notes:
The dungarees in this photoshoot are produced by Lucy & Yak, in partnership with Hey Girls, a social enterprise that runs a buy-one-give-one system where sanitary wear is donated to tackle period poverty in the UK.
For every pair of dungarees and trousers sold, one pack of period products will be donated to one of Lucy & Yak’s two partner charities (Freedom 4 Girls in Leeds or The Homeless Period in Brighton) through the Hey Girls scheme.
In addition to this, 5% of all sales from the Vulva Capsule Collection will be donated to The Eve Appeal.