Consistent, quality healthcare is neither a luxury nor a choice. It is a fundamental human right. And yet, around the world, far too many women continue to be denied access to this basic human need. This is particularly true when it comes to sexual and reproductive health. High maternal and infant mortality continue to plague…
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As much as there are things I absolutely love about breastfeeding, the intense bonding, the convenience of being a walking milk bar, the calories it supposedly burns, the truth is I didn’t actually know what I was signing up for. Not that knowing the challenges would have changed my decision to breastfeed – just saying…
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A dabble, a tipple, a little dram to take the edge off. For decades, alcohol consumption among women has been viewed with a wink and a nod. Viewed as an amusing little secret that’s actually not fooling anyone. It’s the old image of the harried mum taking nips and sips — and more — of…
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Masturbation is part of many women’s self-care routine to relieve stress, sexual tension and even ease menstrual pain. But many of us don’t feel comfortable talking about it. What is stopping us from casually speaking about self-pleasure? ‘It’s a very awkward topic, because of the reactions of modern society…I would just keep it to myself.’ …
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In the middle of a pandemic, the US is opposing women’s basic human right to determine what happens to their bodies. The world appears to be marching backwards, not forwards, writes Amy Haddad. Unless you are a multilateral gender nerd like me you may not know that 2020 is the 20th anniversary of UN Security…
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If you ask your doctor or physician about common heart attack symptoms, many would tell you to look for chest pain. But over the course of the past few decades, research has proven that heart attack symptoms may not be as clear cut as previously assumed. In fact, symptoms can vary greatly depending on your…
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This year we’ve had to say goodbye to an unprecedented number of well-loved icons, and none have upset me more than the loss of Carrie Fisher. Having grown up on a steady diet of Star Wars, Princess Leia was a childhood hero of mine, and as I grew up Carrie became a hero to me…
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Hills and more hills as far as the eye can see. On the outskirts of town, they ebb and they flow. Looking like a far off distant land you could easily explore and conquer like a Burke and Wills expedition. Why is it you feel like screaming and crying and dying as you walk…
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Mudgee, a town best known for its nationally celebrated varieties of red (think Shiraz) and white (Pinot Gris), has become the first town in Australia to “Go Pink”. Supporting the McGrath Foundation over the month of October to raise awareness and donations for victims of breast cancer, more than 250 businesses have joined in to…
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This is the final instalment of Kill Pill. To follow Madeleine’s personal journey, check out the archives. There’s something unsettling about this column ending on the number 17. My first thought was ‘they need to end on an even number’, then my second thought was, ‘well, nothing ends on an even number’. So here we…
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Kill Pill resumes after a one week hiatus as a fortnightly column. Be sure to check back regularly for instalments. I didn’t write about this when it happened because I didn’t want my parents to find out about it. I’m 27 going on 17. A very wise woman friend suggested that my body may be reverting…
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Eat, sleep, bleed, repeat. The last week has been an anomaly. It’s no wonder that menstruation can also be called a period, because the definition I found online under “physics” said a period was: The interval of time between successive occurrences of the same state in an oscillatory or cyclic phenomenon, such as a mechanical…
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Killing pill is like a spinning wheel and this little guinea-piggy finally landed on red. I got my first period after three months and only a withdrawal bleed to my name. The plot bloodies and thickens, as most timeless tales are wont to do. Given the focus of last week’s column, this is –…
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Content Warning: this article contains discussion of sexual assault It’s not an uncommon situation: you forget to take your contraceptive pill, the condom broke… you were simply too caught up in the heat of the moment andtheir wavy, Blake Lively-meets-Heath Ledger blonde locks that the condom was never considered in the first place. Emergency contraception…
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