A tale of two conferences: women against women as ‘poison of patriarchy’ returns and abortion fight intensifies

Last week, anti-choice campaigners emboldened by current US politics met in New York at the same time as UN delegates gathered to address the widespread inequalities women face. The battle to protect rights has never felt more urgent

Alive: An Alternative Anatomy by Gabriel Weston review – our bodies in an eye-opening new light

A surgeon (and TV host) encourages us to take a fresh look at our organs in a smart and forceful study

Have you ever been tired enough to put your shoes in the microwave? This is my world: welcome!

I asked on social media for stories from parents suffering extreme sleep deprivation. It was both hilarious and frightening, says journalist Nell Frizzell

Maternity Service by Emma Barnett review – a tour of duty in early motherhood

In this valuable, brutally honest guide, the broadcaster argues that a supposedly joyful time is often steeped in drudgery and social isolation

Couples fight about housework. Couples divorce about housework. Surely it would be easier if men just did more housework?

Dividing household tasks fairly and upending some gender norms along the way is good for everyone

Bacterial vaginosis can be passed to women by men, researchers find

Study suggests infection is sexually transmitted and opens up new way to reduce recurrence by treating male partners

The unspoken agony of vaginal dryness: ‘I had to give up four jobs in four years’

Recently, there has been much more discussion of menopause. But one debilitating condition, experienced by 80% of women, remains shrouded in secrecy and misunderstanding

‘I couldn’t let this monster get away with it’: how I survived rape – and sent my attacker to prison

Paula Doyle was raped by a man she had known for years. It took five painful years for the case to come to trial, but she was determined to fight for justice

How writing about female cannibals changed my relationship with food

Describing issues of autonomy, femgore, worth and hunger all had an impact on what I wrote and how I felt about myself, says Lucy Rose

‘If you wee yourself, you just rock on’: is incontinence inevitable for women who lift heavy?

One study found athletes were three times as likely to leak as women who did little or no exercise. But why does this happen – and can you prevent it?

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health