Year: 2017

The Sling the Mesh campaign has hit the headlines recently, revealing that many women who have undergone pelvic organ prolapse surgery have experienced life-changing complications from synthetic vaginal mesh. Can self-care help keep surgery at bay? London’s leading gynaecologist and Director of The Gynae Centre, Dr Alex Eskander, tells us more about looking after your…

Does stress affect fertility and if so, how? We sat down with Dr Alex Eskander, Director of The Gynae Centre and Co-Director of London’s leading IVF clinic The Fertility and Gynaecology Academy, to find out. ‘The problem with this topic is,’ Dr Eskander said, ‘that saying to a woman who desperately wants to get pregnant…

You’ve probably never heard of it – and yet you may well know a woman affected by it. Vulvodynia is a condition that can be life-changing, and yet many women struggle to talk about it even with their closest friends and family. Until very recently it had no name, and many doctors did not take…

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering a termination, it is likely you will want to know what to expect if you have a medical abortion. The decision to terminate a pregnancy can arise for a number of reasons and is almost never taken lightly. Often it is due to a woman simply…

If you’re trying for a baby and it’s taking longer than expected, there may be a number of worries that spring to mind. For example, if you’re in your thirties, you might be quick to wonder about the ‘biological clock’. Valid questions to ask and perhaps you might want to consider a fertility check. But…

The cervix is a cylindrical shaped passage, around two to three centimetres long that connects the uterus to the vagina. The cervix has three skin layers or ‘zones’. It is the top layer of skin that is tested for abnormal cells during a smear test. HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is a common virus amongst sexually…

It’s the most natural thing in the world and yet for women with vaginismus, sex is so painful it becomes impossible. To make matters worse, many women who have this condition don’t have a name for it. It’s just an unbearable pain and a feeling of dread that increases with every attempt to overcome it.…

What’s that itching? Oh no, it’s a yeast infection… The majority of women will experience this uncomfortable problem at some point in their lives. But did you know that yeast infections can be more than just bad luck, particularly if you seem to be getting them repeatedly? Dr Eskander, renowned gynaecologist and director of The…

If you are a woman approaching the menopause, it can be a frightening time. Watching your periods ebb away and beginning to experience unpleasant symptoms, you may not know where to turn. There are all sorts of conflicting advice and scary headlines around concerning Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that can create a lot of confusion.…

When it comes to our lady gardens, knowledge is power. Knowing what to watch for can help you spot warning signs and keep your nether region healthy. But when is lots of information too much information? In our share-happy social media culture, many bogus tips have grown wings – and some are downright harmful. So…