Birth trauma 'dismissed, shrouded in secrecy'
Research by Birth Trauma Australia (BTA) has found distressing or emergency procedures and poor management of pain or physical injuries are the most significant contributors to birth trauma.
The study has been released during birth trauma awareness week, held each year to highlight the issue and provide support to women and their families.
Birth injuries are linked to a range of physical, psychological and social impacts including conditions like pelvic organ prolapse, painful sex and urinary incontinence.
Relationship strain, reduced body confidence, difficulty returning to work and ongoing social or physical limitations can all be experienced as a result of these injuries.
Yet many women face compounding delays in diagnosis and limited access to treatment.
When birth injuries are left undiagnosed or untreated, it can significantly affect their mental health.
Almost 60 per cent of those diagnosed with a birth-related injury more than a year after birth reported severe mental health consequences, including suicidal ideation.
A landmark inquiry into birth trauma by the NSW parliament attracted international attention as well as thousands of submissions from patients, doctors, midwives and experts around Australia.
The final report released in 2024 found the rates of birth trauma were unacceptable and made 43 recommendations, including an overhaul of the health system.
Yet little has been done on a national level.
The current maternal health system was failing women, their families and care providers, BTA co-founder Amy Dawes said.
"Birth trauma is not new but it's just historically been shrouded in secrecy and there is an ongoing culture of dismissing women's problems," she told AAP.
"At the moment access to care after trauma is based on your post code but we need a holistic approach that all women have access to."
Ms Dawes experienced a traumatic birth when she had her first baby which led to irreparable pelvic floor damage.
"My quality of life was completely impacted, I was told I couldn't play the sport I loved and shouldn't lift my child up," she said.
"It took me to a very dark place as I thought I was the only one who had experienced this."
A Facebook birth trauma support group for Australian women has close to 5000 members and provides a space for people to share their stories and advice.
"When women experience trauma from birth they also experience shame, guilt and feelings of isolation," Ms Dawes said.
"But there is power in peer support ... there is also great power in storytelling and it's not to scare people with traumatic stories, but knowledge is power."
BTA has launched a petition calling for a National Strategy for the Care and Treatment of Birth Injuries that would introduce mandatory postnatal screening, clear referral pathways and funded access to physiotherapy, psychological support and surgical or rehabilitative care.
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Sydney Morning Herald
43 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
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His Melbourne-based longevity club Saint Haven spruiks a $250,000 annual package offering annual full-body MRI, brain scans and monthly blood testing. 'Anything that is out there that's a biohacking or testing thing, I've done it,' he told Forbes Australia. 'From micro-dosing mushrooms to infrared saunas to steam to [smart ring] Oura, lymphatic drainage. Everything. I want to try everything and see what works for me.' Millionaires can afford to try anything. But can everyday Australians benefit from these contentious innovations? Professor Luigi Fontana from the University of Sydney, a world expert in longevity, says there's legitimacy in apps such as Everlab and Superpower. But he's also concerned the hype may be getting ahead of the science. 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The Age
43 minutes ago
- The Age
Could these apps help you live forever?
Would you want to live to 100? Maybe even 150? What if you could live forever? A century ago, health fanatics pinned their hopes on animal gland transplants – think monkey testicles sewn onto human testicles – in the belief it would restore youth and vigour, reversing the ageing process. Others turned to health tonics containing radioactive elements such as radium, which promised a youthful glow but often led to devastating results. More recently, tech billionaires have been injecting the blood of teenagers to try to rejuvenate their ageing bodies. In 2025, a new generation of health products is continuing the illustrious promise of living longer. Their websites are compelling: 'Peak health starts now'. 'We're your super app for health.' 'Future-proof your body.' The difference between now and 100 years ago? These fountains of youth are predominantly delivered via a smartphone – do not involve monkeys or young people – and are more anchored in actual science. Some of them are, at least. There are potentially billions of dollars on offer for the companies that can get there first. Biohackers, tech bros and the 'Huberman crowd' – followers of American neuroscientist and wellness podcaster Andrew Huberman – are early adopters of these new preventative care apps in pursuit of better sleep, healthier bodies and ultimately a desire to extend their lifespan. Proponents say that while many people already track their 10,000 steps and heart rates, most lack access to the deeper health data that could identify potential concerns before they develop into serious conditions. In the US, flashy apps such as Superpower are leading the charge. That app, co-founded by Australian expat Max Marchione, is already worth more than $US300 million ($453 million) and has more than 150,000 people on its waiting list. In Australia, a similar race is heating up, and some of its players are confident they can conquer the US, too. The apps are ballooning in valuation and hype but are facing their biggest test: can they broaden their customer base beyond early adopters and tech geeks to everyday users? Can they get mums and dads excited about biomarkers, gut microbiomes and toxins? An AI doctor in your pocket One of Australia's leading contenders is Everlab, which describes itself as the nation's leading personal longevity clinic. The start-up combines diagnostics, digital doctor consultations and AI to tackle chronic disease, and tens of thousands of Australians are on its waiting list. Everlab is led by chief executive Marc Hermann, who says the COVID pandemic prompted a new generation of people to become fanatical about healthcare and taking better care of themselves. His start-up charges $2999 annually for its longevity program, in which customers are screened for more than 1000 diseases, offered year-round diagnostics and provided a '50-year personalised health road map'. A cheaper tier for $1199 a year includes blood tests, doctor consultations and personalised intervention plans. If Everlab has its way, it might eventually replace GPs, according to Hermann. 'I really do believe that we will end up in this world where everyone will have their AI doctor in their pocket,' he says. 'The north star we are building towards is autonomous healthcare. So building a system that has all the context surrounding you, all your data, genetics, ethnicity, family history, and then creating a super personalised roadmap for your health. 'We want to build towards offering lifelong care that is deeply connected and holistic, versus just a one-off testing service.' To date, Everlab has processed more than 1 million biomarkers through full-body health testing, and says one in four test results are abnormal. 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'Demand is surging globally, with consumers showing a clear willingness to pay for superior healthcare experiences that prioritise personalisation and quality. We believe this shift isn't just a trend ... It's the future of healthcare.' 'The last health app you need' Everlab is far from the only local start-up attempting to corner the market. Sydney-based firm Bright is building the 'super app for health' and is courting US investors including venture capital giant Sequoia. Its app is far cheaper than rivals – just $20 a month, not hundreds or thousands – and is targeting 1 million users by the end of 2026. 'Our vision is to be the last health app you need,' the company's pitch deck to investors reads. 'We are building a $20 billion business in two years. One billion people use health apps today. Bright is ready to replace them all.' Those are bold claims and, so far, the company has racked up 6000 paying subscribers for its app, which pulls in health data from a user's Apple Watch or Garmin fitness tracker to create a full picture of health and then offer AI-generated insights and recommendations. Chief executive Bryan Jordan says building Bright from Australia has brought challenges, particularly given the limited financial capital on offer locally. 'We don't think the full picture of health should be reserved for the tech crowd. We're building Bright for everyone because everyone deserves to see their full picture.' Then there's Superpower. Arguably the hottest app in its class globally, its founding team in San Francisco have pulled in tens of millions in funding from Silicon Valley venture capital firms as well as celebrities Vanessa Hudgens, Steve Aoki, Logan Paul and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. For $US499 a year, the 'super app' offers a 24/7 concierge, and biannual lab testing that analyses more than 100 blood biomarkers across 21 categories, which executives say is 10 times more comprehensive than a standard physical. Tests take 10 minutes and are completed twice a year either at home or at one of 2000 partner labs across the US. Co-founder Max Marchione is a former student at St Aloysius College in Sydney's Milsons Point. A third of the app's 80 or so staff are Australians. 'The current healthcare system currently leaves most people visiting primary care doctors on a reactive basis after a problem arises, not before,' he says. 'We are on a mission to rescue 100 million people from the limits of traditional reactive care.' Others are taking a more extreme approach. Snake oil Bryan Johnson is a US-based millionaire who doesn't just want to live for 100 years, or even 150. Johnson wants to live forever. The subject of a recent Netflix documentary, Johnson has launched the Blueprint project which has a simple end goal: 'Don't die.' Johnson has spent $US4 million to date on obtaining immortality and calls himself 'the world's most measured man'. At one point he transferred blood plasma from his 18-year-old son – and gave some of his own to his 70-year-old father – but stopped after it didn't produce positive results. As The Guardian puts it: 'He rises at 4.30am, eats all his meals before 11am, and goes to bed – alone – at 8.30pm, without exception. In the intervening hours, he ingests more than 100 pills, bathes his body in LED light, and sits on a high-intensity electromagnetic device that he believes will strengthen his pelvic floor.' On his Blueprint website Johnson sells a range of supplements and pills, and even a bottle of olive oil called 'snake oil'. Closer to home, multimillionaire property developer Tim Gurner has made headlines for his radical biohacking regime. His Melbourne-based longevity club Saint Haven spruiks a $250,000 annual package offering annual full-body MRI, brain scans and monthly blood testing. 'Anything that is out there that's a biohacking or testing thing, I've done it,' he told Forbes Australia. 'From micro-dosing mushrooms to infrared saunas to steam to [smart ring] Oura, lymphatic drainage. Everything. I want to try everything and see what works for me.' Millionaires can afford to try anything. But can everyday Australians benefit from these contentious innovations? Professor Luigi Fontana from the University of Sydney, a world expert in longevity, says there's legitimacy in apps such as Everlab and Superpower. But he's also concerned the hype may be getting ahead of the science. 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Courier-Mail
an hour ago
- Courier-Mail
Shelly Horton on the dark truth about perimenopause
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. When Shelly Horton found herself in the ICU after an ablation in 2020 (a simple procedure to stop persistent bleeding), it didn't cross her mind that it might be a symptom of perimenopause. Nor did she join the dots between a raft of sudden physical and mental changes – heart palpitations, increased body temperature, 'brain fog', and debilitating depression – and perimenopause. The now 51-year-old says she'd never heard the word before, and instead was told by doctors that it might be cancer and was sent for an ultrasound. 'They said, 'Great news, you haven't got cancer. You must be stressed and maybe you should take up a hobby',' Horton tells Stellar. 'I drove home in tears, blaming myself, and didn't go and see another doctor for nine months.' Media personality Shelly Horton has opened up about her health journey through perimenopause. Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar It wasn't until the TV presenter consulted with her friend, Dr. Ginny Mansberg, whom she met as a fellow panellist on Seven's Sunrise in 2008, that she was able to make sense of her suffering. Before that defining moment, she hadn't considered herself in the target market. 'I thought menopause was for women in their late 50s, their period stopped and they got hot flushes,' she explains. 'I had that stereotype in my brain of grey-haired old ladies clutching their pearls and fanning themselves. 'I was like, 'I'm a fox. I'm way too young and fabulous.' 'I didn't understand that perimenopause can last 10 years so, in fact, I was right in the average age group.' Once she started to feel better, Horton got mad. Specifically about the menopause cone of silence which perpetuates the dearth of knowledge and poor treatment options for women. 'We've been taught by our mothers and past generations that it's just women's problems so you keep it to yourself,' she says. 'A heads-up would have been nice. I felt like the sisterhood let me down. 'Secret women's business holds women back. This whole 'soldier on' of the boomer generation, I'm like, 'No, I'm Gen X. We're going to get loud about this.'' 'I didn't understand why anyone cared about my uterus and what I did with it.' Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar In 2023, Horton shared her experience at the first parliamentary roundtable on menopause alongside respected experts – the first time 'menopause' had been mentioned in the Australian Parliament. It sparked a Senate inquiry, with Horton inadvertently becoming a spokesperson on perimenopause. It's not the first time Horton has led the charge on de-stigmatising taboo topics for women. When she 'bravely' wrote about her decision to stay 'child free' in 2013, she copped a pile-on from dissenters and was trolled on social media. But she takes heart in knowing it started a national conversation. 'I had comments like, 'A woman who doesn't want kids is not a real woman. She's a waste of a uterus.' It was awful. I didn't understand why anyone cared about my uterus and what I did with it.' As the TV presenter sees it, one of the many upsides of being child-free is having the freedom and funds to travel. The former Today Extra panellist reveals how she got through 'dark times' and rebuilt herself. Picture: Supplied She and her husband, Darren Robinson, whom she met 'the old-fashioned way' in a bar in 2013, renew their wedding vows in every country they visit. In 10 years of marriage, that's 25 vow renewals. 'Sometimes it's been incredibly romantic in the Maldives with the sunset. Then we nearly forgot in Iceland and we did it on the plane as we were taking off,' she laughs. They also run their production company together, Robinson behind the camera ('the workhorse') Horton in front ('the show pony'). She says their two rescue dogs were a salve during her three years of depression. 'My wonderful husband would put me to bed and hand me a puppy.' Adhering to her motto of 'adapt or die', Horton's career trajectory has been 'eclectic'. She was a producer for the first American Survivor in Borneo, a crime then health reporter for the ABC, Sydney gossip columnist, panellist on Today Extra, and host of Married at First Sight's spin-off TV show. It's a long way from home for the girl from Kingaroy in regional Queensland. 'From the red soil to the red carpet,' she says. Now she can add author to the list, documenting her harrowing menopause experience – along with evidence-based advice from experts – on paper to support other women going through it. Despite the turmoil of menopause, Horton reveals it has also helped her too. 'I wish I could just say, 'Slap on some HRT [hormone replacement therapy], you'll be fine', but it's not as simple as that,' she tells Stellar. 'I had to do the work. I had treated my body as a rental. 'I had to have the appointments with the psychiatrist. I had to change my lifestyle, improve my sleep, increase my exercise. 'I'm living proof that you can go through dark times and come out. Perimenopause broke me, but then I rebuilt me.' I'm Your Peri Godmother by Shelly Horton (Murdoch Books, $34.99) is out Tuesday. For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here. Originally published as 'I had treated my body as a rental': Media personality Shelly Horton reveals life-changing health message to Australian women
