The 6 facts every woman should know about their body – and it could save your life

The Sun

a day ago

From puberty to menopause, and everything in between, women's bodies go through a lot.
We might know the fundamentals – what a vagina is, what a vulva does and how babies are made – but with the help of dozens of medical experts, journalist Polly Vernon has created an encyclopaedic deep-dive into female biology, from the very basics to the weird and wonderful.
The truth is, women have been set up to feel like strangers in their own bodies, thanks to a lack of scientific research.
'Women's bodies were excluded from US clinical trials between 1977 and 1993,' Polly explains.
'For years, we were treated as smaller, stranger versions of men.'
The consequences of this oversight have sent ripples into the success of diagnoses and treatment.
'Take mammograms: if it were men's testicles, would they be squashed flat like that?' Polly asks.
'Or smear tests – surely there's a better option than a speculum?'
But there are glimmers of change. A DIY cervical cancer test that only requires women to take a swab at home will finally be rolled out on the NHS from January, and for the first time, there are now more female than male doctors in the UK.
'We're nowhere near where we need to be, but things are moving forward,' Polly agrees.
Her book, How The Female Body Works, is a call to action for all women to reclaim, understand and demand better when it comes to our bodies.
Here's the stuff you may not know.
Millions of women live life according to their menstrual cycle, study shows
7
THE PAIN GAME
Period cramps, childbirth, endometriosis – we're no strangers to pain.
'I asked if it is feminist folklore that women endure more pain than men,' says Polly, about her interview with Professor Andrew Horne, director of the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh.
His answer? 'God, no, every part of your biological existence involves more pain.'
But women put on a brave face. The annual Nurofen Gender Pain Index Report highlights that girls come to expect their pain will not be believed, and many disregard it for fear of wasting others' time.
'There are so many things we just put up with because we think we have to,' says Polly.
'We need to get better at going: 'I need this [pain relief], and I deserve it.'
It is recognising what isn't acceptable and never believing, 'It's part of being a woman'.'
If you have severe period pain, advocate for yourself.
Your GP can help with medications or tests to find the cause.
7
BLAME THE HORMONES
How many times have you blamed your mood on being 'hormonal'?
And did you know which hormones, exactly, were to blame?
There are more than 50 different kinds in the body, and men and women have the same hormones, just in greater or lesser quantities.
Hormonal fluctuations impact your emotional state, but also performance, behaviour, daily activities and even injury risk.
'It can all seem a bit mystical, like it has us in its grip and there's nothing we can do about it,' says Polly.
But there are definitely things you can do for better hormonal health.
'Get control of your sleep,' advises Polly.
'Make sure you go to bed at a regular time and don't eat or drink a lot directly before.
Exercise, and think about nutrition and stress management.
Get those in place first and then look at any medication you need.'
See a GP if menopause, for example, is getting you down – they can discuss prescribing HRT.
FEEL ON THE FIRST
Have you ever been told that underwiring, deodorant and even black bras can lead to cancer?
'This is absolutely, categorically not true, just nonsense,' says Polly.
But what is important when it comes to cancer is being aware of your own body and any changes.
''Feel it on the first' [of the month] is the best way to remember to check your breasts,' GP Dr Philippa Kaye says.
Feel around your breasts, nipples, collarbone and into your armpits.
And when you start getting called for mammograms (typically after 50), take up the appointment.
7
SYNC WITH YOUR CYCLES
Hormones get a bad rap, but you can harness them positively, too.
'Bang in the middle of your menstrual cycle, just before you're ovulating, your body wants you out there, flirting,' says Polly.
'It drives you to meet people, because it wants you to have sex and get pregnant. It also makes you quite disinhibited and reckless.
It's like you're drunk, but on oestrogen.' It's fleeting, though – once ovulation is over, progesterone hits. 'You wonder why you ever said yes to that party.
You're thinking: 'I'm awful', 'I'm ugly', 'I'm socially incompetent'.
Your body is working on the presumption you are pregnant, and it wants to keep you tucked away to keep that 'pregnancy' safe,' explains Polly.
PROTECT YOUR BITS
Your vagina is more than a body part – it's a marker of your overall health.
'I'd heard loads about gut microbiome, but the vagina is performing a job of equivalent importance, and it needs to be looked after,' says Polly.
The vagina microbiome is a delicate balance of bugs, bacteria and fungi, and if disrupted it could lead to infections like thrush, bacterial vaginosis and UTIs.
To keep your vagina in harmony, never clean it with soap. Only use a mild, unscented soap and water for the vulva (outside area), or even better, an emollient.
'It makes me angry that we are sold [feminine hygiene] products we don't need,' says Polly.
'Not only is it a financial con, but it's also a health risk, and ties into the idea that vaginas are smelly and dirty.'
Your genitals will prefer cotton knickers over synthetic-fibre thongs, and nothing at night.
SQUEEZE THOSE MUSCLES
Yes, we know you've heard it before, but you really do need to exercise those pelvic floor muscles.
The pelvic floor naturally weakens in pregnancy and childbirth, and then it weakens again in menopause.
This can lead to urinary and bowel incontinence. But it's not something to be dismissed as just 'another part of ageing'.
'Incontinence is not just silly and embarrassing, it keeps women from socialising and from doing their jobs,' says Polly.
'That has extraordinary consequences, because we need to engage in the world if we want to protect our brains against Alzheimer's, for example.
"One gynaecologist I interviewed said we should teach girls to do pelvic floor exercises at school.'
To find your pelvic floor muscles, squeeze as if you are trying to stop yourself peeing or farting.
It's not too late to start exercising them to reduce leaks, even if you already have incontinence. Try apps like Squeezy for guidance.