Blog
Welcome to the West Wales Women’s Wellbeing blog. Here you’ll find latest information on women’s health, helping you make informed decisions about your wellbeing. Browse our latest articles below.
➡️Asking AI About Your Health? Five Things to Know Before You Trust the Answer
AI can help you make sense of health information, but when it comes to your symptoms, a convincing answer isn’t necessarily the right one. Have you ever typed your symptoms into an AI chatbot because you weren’t sure whether they were worth discussing with a doctor? Perhaps you’ve asked whether your fatigue could be hormonal,…
➡️HRT Isn’t a Personality Test: You Don’t Have to Be For or Against It
Somewhere along the way, the conversation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) seems to have become a little like choosing a side. You’re either pro-HRT or anti-HRT. You believe women have been unnecessarily frightened away from treatment, or you’re concerned about the risks. You champion the benefits, or you question whether it is being prescribed too…
➡️Prevention of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Blog Guest Author: Laura Price. BSc Hons. PG Cert. HCPC. MCSP. MPOGP Women’s Health Physiotherapist What is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD)? Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a condition in which the pelvic floor muscles around the bladder, anal canal, and vagina do not work properly. Symptoms include: What increases your risk of developing PFD? Risks…
➡️Have You Ever Actually Looked at Your Vulva? Why Knowing What’s Normal for You Matters
Let’s start with a slightly awkward question. Have you ever actually looked at your vulva? Not because something was hurting. Not because you were checking for thrush. Not because your doctor or nurse was examining you. Just… looked. If the answer is no, you are certainly not alone. For many women, the vulva is one…
➡️Endometriosis, IBS and Food: Why Your Gut Might Be Part of the Story
There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with endometriosis. You can spend years trying to understand your pelvic pain, your periods, your fatigue and everything else that comes with it. And then there is your stomach. The bloating. The constipation. The diarrhoea. The feeling that you look several months pregnant by the end…
➡️ The Coil Explained: Hormonal vs Non-Hormonal, HRT, Heavy Periods and More
“The coil.” It is a phrase most of us have heard, but it can actually mean two quite different types of contraception: the copper IUD, which is non-hormonal, and the hormonal IUS, which releases a small amount of progestogen into the womb. And while contraception is one of their most familiar uses, that is not…
➡️Progesterone After Miscarriage: Could It Help in a Future Pregnancy?
“Should I be taking progesterone this time?” It is a very understandable question after a miscarriage. When you have been through the heartbreak of losing a pregnancy, finding out you are pregnant again can bring a mixture of emotions that are difficult to put into words. There can be excitement, but also fear. You may…
➡️Is My Ovarian Cyst Something to Worry About? Let’s Talk It Through.
Recently, I’ve had a number of conversations with women who have been told that they have an ovarian cyst or an adnexal mass. Understandably, this can cause anxiety. The questions are often very similar: “Could this be cancer?” “My CA125 is raised. Should I be worried?” “Should I have an HE4 test?” “What are RMI…
➡️HPV Self-Sampling: What Does the New Home Cervical Screening Test Mean for Women in Wales?
We’ve been asked by a number of women what we make of the news about HPV self-sampling, particularly those living here in Wales, so we thought it would be helpful to explain what’s actually happening, what the evidence tells us, and what it means for you. You may have seen the news that women in…
➡️When Perimenopause Changes More Than Your Periods: Menopause, Autism and ADHD
“I just don’t feel like myself anymore.” Patient’s tell me this often, but for some neurodivergent women, that sentence can mean something particularly significant. Perhaps you have noticed that things you have always found difficult suddenly feel almost impossible. Your concentration has disappeared. Your tolerance for noise has changed. Social situations that you previously managed…
➡️Are Painful Periods Normal?
When period pain may need investigating Period pain is common, but severe or disruptive pain shouldn’t always be something you simply learn to live with. If you’ve ever said, “My periods are really painful, but I suppose that’s normal”, you’re certainly not alone. Over the years, I’ve seen just how easily women can normalise significant…
➡️ Why Does My Gynaecologist Keep Suggesting Contraception?
A patient comes to see me because her periods are painful, heavy or unpredictable. Perhaps she has endometriosis, adenomyosis or PCOS. Perhaps she has been struggling with pelvic pain or debilitating periods for years. And then I mention the pill, the hormonal coil or another hormonal treatment. The response is sometimes immediate: “But I’m not…
➡️ Why Iron Deficiency Is So Common in Women – And Why It Shouldn’t Be Ignored
“I’m exhausted all the time.” It is something I hear regularly from women in clinic. Sometimes it is put down to a busy life, poor sleep, stress, work or simply having too much going on. And sometimes those things are contributing. But persistent tiredness, low energy or feeling unusually breathless can also be signs that…
➡️ GLP-1 Medications and Women’s Health: What Every Woman Should Know
Over the last few years, medications such as Mounjaro® (tirzepatide), Wegovy® (semaglutide) and Ozempic® (semaglutide) have become increasingly familiar. They can be very effective treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes, and I am now seeing more and more women asking about how these medications might affect their hormones, periods, fertility and reproductive health. There…
➡️ Introducing WID-easy® to Wales – Innovation with a Purpose
Women’s healthcare is changing. Across Wales there is a growing recognition that women deserve to be listened to, investigated promptly and given access to the very best evidence-based care. The Welsh Government’s Women’s Health Plan has placed women’s health firmly on the national agenda, recognising the importance of earlier diagnosis, reducing inequalities and bringing specialist…
➡️ Women’s Health in Wales: A New Era of Community Care
For generations, women have often accepted that long waits, repeated appointments and delayed diagnoses are simply part of healthcare. Whether living with heavy periods, pelvic pain, endometriosis, menopause symptoms, fertility concerns or abnormal bleeding, too many women have experienced unnecessary delays before receiving the answers they deserve. Thankfully, this is beginning to change. Across Wales…