How sex toys are being redesigned to help survivors of sexual assault

A healthy sex life can feel unattainable for survivors of sexual assault. But new products, from brushes to non-penetrative tools, are giving women a powerful way to reclaim their bodies

The painful truth about fibroids: why FKA twigs is not alone

The singer has revealed that she had an operation to remove benign uterine tumours – a condition that affects a third of women. These growths can weigh as much as a baby, so why are they so often overlooked?

Amy Schumer’s new film shows Hollywood is the Sunken Place for smart women

Schumer claims I Feel Pretty is all about helping women’s self-esteem when it is in fact one long sneer at her and anyone else who doesn’t look like Emily Ratajkowski

All by myself: the joys of being single

Christina Patterson used to be ashamed about being single, but after hearing others’ stories, that feeling has gone

Rise of contraceptive apps sparks fears over unwanted pregnancies

Health experts say it’s unclear how effective menstrual trackers are for the average UK woman

From the archive: big girls are back

It’s 1986 and the Observer is wondering if we will ever escape our fixation with thin women

Abortion clinic buffer zones being considered by more councils

At least eight local authorities in England are examining whether to follow Ealing’s lead

After a miscarriage and divorce, my friends showed me true love

When author Elizabeth Day lost a baby and her marriage ended it was her friends who gave her the unconditional love she’d been seeking

Pumarosa’s Isabel Munoz-Newsome: ‘I didn’t get a smear test because I was embarrassed. Stupid’

Just as her band broke through and began a European tour, the singer was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She talks about her dramatic year

Childbirth stories are the stuff of life. We should share them

We need stories about giving birth, in all their gore and glory. So why are we so slow in sharing them?