For Nearly a Year, Doctor’s Dismissed My Bladder Cancer Symptoms as UTIs
In my bladder cancer advocacy work, I see many other women overlooked by medical professionals
real women real stories
After Being Sexually Assaulted, I Started Taking PrEP — and I Plan to Be on It for Life
I encourage everyone to embrace the HIV-preventive medication, no matter their sexual orientation
My OB-GYN Told Me It Was Nothing to Worry About — But It Ended Up Being Ovarian Cancer
Fortunately, I wound up with a supportive team of healthcare providers who helped me get well
Culture Shock, Then a Cancer Shock, Inspired Me to Create the Community I Needed
As a young mom and recent immigrant to the United States, I thought my life was moving and changing quickly — but cancer was moving even faster
Doctors Told Me It Was Just Perimenopause. It Turned Out to Be Uterine Fibroids.
I wasn’t taken seriously until I developed symptoms of organ failure
A Doctor Talked Me into Getting a Hysterectomy to Cure My Endometriosis. She Was Wrong.
I wish doctors had listened to me, and I wish I’d known to advocate for myself
Living with Ovarian Cancer Was Tough, but the Lessons I Learned Led to Lasting Joy and Clarity
I learned how amazing collaborative doctors can be and I was able to prioritize what makes me happy
My Uterine Fibroids Make Partner Intimacy and Honoring My Religion Challenging, But I’ve Found Ways to Cope
Though long, heavy and painful periods affect my daily life and prayer rituals, I still find the beauty of God’s mercy in the everyday
I’ve Learned to Be Open About My Mental Illness to Help Bring Awareness in the Indian Community
After years of living in shame, I’m now a mental health advocate who embraces her culture and identity
I Walked into the ER with a Shoulder Injury — I Left with a Colon Cancer Diagnosis and 6 Months to Live
As a colon cancer survivor turned advocate, I see the role luck, self-advocacy and privilege played in my diagnosis and treatment
Losing Many Women in My Family to Dementia Inspired Me to Donate My Brain to Science
I hope more of us will donate their brains science to help improve medical understanding of this complex organ
I Grew Up Thinking I Was Immune to Skin Cancer Based on My Ethnicity. I Was Wrong.
As a young melanoma survivor of color, I advocate for awareness and sun protection for everyone
Everything you need to know about women’s health — in one place.
Crecí pensando que era inmune al cáncer de piel por mi etnia. Estaba equivocada.
Puesto que soy una joven sobreviviente de melanoma de color, promuevo la concientización y la protección solar para todos
I Was Diagnosed with HIV When I Was 15. It’s Been a Journey of Learning to Love Myself Enough to Take My Meds.
It wasn’t until I met my husband that I realized I needed to put myself — and my health — first
I Was the First Living Kidney Donor with HIV
Thanks to access to good treatment, I’ve remained healthy enough to be able to extend the life of another HIV-positive person
My Melanoma Was Dismissed as an Inflamed Hair Follicle
As a young woman of color, I was seemingly the last person who would be struck by the potentially lethal skin cancer
Surviving Lung Cancer Helped Me Embrace the Connection Between Body and Mind
I now own a yoga studio and help other cancer patients and survivors cope
My Endometrial Cancer Was Dismissed as Fibroids
My symptoms were ignored for more than a year despite having a personal and family history of cancer
Descartaron mi cáncer endometrial porque lo confundieron con fibromas
Ignoraron mis síntomas durante más de un año a pesar de tener antecedentes personales y familiares de cáncer
I Use an Ostomy Bag Because of Crohn's Disease — And It’s Actually Not That Big of a Deal
People are often freaked out by the idea of ostomy bags, but I embrace mine
Going Blind Has Its Challenges, But It’s Not as Scary as You May Think
Grief is a big part of vision loss, but what’s been hardest for us are the stigmas about blindness
Rape Is a Lifelong Condition — But It No Longer Defines Me
Focusing on self-care and self-love helped me rebuild my identity
My Struggle with Period Poverty Motivated Me to Help Other Women
Period poverty is a global crisis, and I’m doing what I can to help women access period products
A Perfect Storm Migraine Attack Revealed the Limits of My “Push Through the Pain” Philosophy
Telling myself I can handle everything suddenly meant I couldn’t handle anything