‘It destroys lives’: why the razor-blade pain of vaginismus is so misunderstood

This common condition can lead to relationship breakdown and unnecessary surgery. So why is treatment still so poor and underfunded?

Stephanie Yeboah: ‘How I learned to stop using my body as a punch bag’

As a plus-size black woman, Stephanie Yeboah has faced decades of racism and fat phobia. Here the author of Fattily Ever After reveals how she overcame prejudice to accept herself – and live with confidence

The one thing that has helped me this year, and could help you too? Radical self-acceptance

During lockdown I embraced my spinsterhood and turned my back for ever on the pressure to pursue self-improvement and adventure. It has been a genuine relief, writes journalist Bidisha

I don’t regret my abortion. But the coronavirus lockdown made it a guilty secret

I got pregnant when I should have been social distancing. So now I can’t tell my friends or family about the termination

Jenni Murray to quit BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour

‘It’s time to move on,’ says broadcaster after 33 years presenting the show

Covid-19 threatens access to abortions and contraceptives, experts warn

Unplanned pregnancy rates have fallen globally, report finds, but coronavirus could endanger access to services

From undercooked statistics to over-simplification: what The Bold Type got wrong about pregnancy loss

Stories of miscarriage are so rare in popular culture, it’s even more disappointing when they’re mishandled

The power of touch: I wasn’t able to hold my daughter until she was three days old

I was afraid my inability to breastfeed her or engage in skin-to-skin contact would harm her, but I was also burdened by another history

The power of touch: having sex with another woman shook my brain and restarted my heart

I had known her for a month or so, and ending up in bed seemed inevitable. The experience elevated touch to a whole new level

The Guardian view on a women’s health scandal: under the skin

Editorial: An official review of vaginal mesh and medicines in pregnancy reveals systemic weaknesses, and sexism too