Charity & advocacy

Women in Scotland wait more than 10 years on average for an endometriosis diagnosis, according to a survey conducted by Endometriosis UK. The charity, which raises awareness and aims to improve the lives of women with the condition, said the average diagnosis time is now 10 years and two months. That is an increase from [...]

Fashion, beauty and lifestyle retailers have joined the American Heart Association to raise awareness of heart disease in women. The Go Red. Shop with Heart. campaign launched at the New York Stock Exchange on 30 January. Retailers will ask for donations at checkout in February or donate a percentage of proceeds from selected items. [...]

Nearly half of women under 40 with advanced breast cancer have children under 18, with many facing job disruption and financial strain, new research has found. A global survey has revealed the challenges faced by young women with advanced breast cancer, with 64 per cent reporting employment disruption after diagnosis and 40 per cent incurring [...]

The Menopause Society has secured US$5m from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to develop digital training for healthcare professionals. The grant will fund the digital-innovation phase of the NextGen Now initiative, which aims to build a digital ecosystem using advanced technologies to improve education on women’s health in midlife. Launched in June, the initiative [...]

A couple who set up a charity to support families experiencing pregnancy after baby loss wants to supply comfort boxes to every hospital in England. Amneet and Dan Graham, from Gillingham in Kent, set up Willow's Rainbow Box in 2017 after the birth of their daughter Willow, following a miscarriage the previous year. The charity [...]

More than 65,000 people have signed a petition for menstrual leave to be added to UK employment rights law. The campaign needs 100,000 signatures for a parliamentary debate. It was launched by Scots mum Michelle Dewar, who endured chronic pain for nine years before being diagnosed with endometriosis – a condition where tissue similar to [...]

The UK’s first pink duck race has raised thousands for breast cancer support after 5,000 rubber ducks floated down Cambridge’s River Cam. Each duck represented a £5 donation to Pink Ribbon Foundation, with participants competing for a nine carat rose gold necklace encrusted with 48 diamonds, shaped like a rubber duck. The winning duck was [...]

Campaigners are urging menopause support to be included in cancer treatment plans after a survey found 90 per cent of patients were given no guidance. The survey of 1,200 people revealed most had no support for managing menopausal changes triggered by treatment. The research was carried out by Menopause and Cancer, whose founder and CEO [...]

A community group is encouraging conversations about menopause in the South Asian community in a bid to tackle the stigma around its effects. South Asian Voices Bristol CIC has launched its Empowering women through menopause project with help from the National Lottery’s Community Fund. The group was founded by vlogger Sheetal Jethwa who struggled with [...]

A global survey is underway to rename polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to better reflect the condition and its impact on millions of women worldwide. PCOS can cause a variety of symptoms including hormonal imbalances, excessive androgen levels – male hormones also produced in smaller amounts by women – and irregular periods, and is a leading [...]