We need to ask the question many avoid.
Why do we wait for betrayal, disease, heartbreak, a near-death moment or total collapse before we decide to change?
Why must the body scream, the relationship implode or the peace disappear before we finally say “I’m done living like this”?
Here is the real question.
Infertility is a deeply personal yet globally significant health issue. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it affects approximately 1 in 6 people of reproductive age worldwide. Clinically, infertility is defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. For women over 35, the timeframe for assessment is often shortened to six months due to age-related fertility changes.
While infertility is often discussed in terms of biology, research in psychoneuroendocrinology (the scientific study of how the mind (psyche), nervous system (neuro) and endocrine system (hormones) interact and influence each other) shows that it is also an emotional and psychological journey. The stress of infertility can influence the body’s hormonal systems particularly the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (the body’s hormone-regulating system that controls reproductive function by coordinating signals between the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary gland) and the…
There are moments in history where everything changes, not through a viral headline, but through quiet shifts in access, behaviour and power. COVID-19 was one of those moments. But what followed may be even more defining, the silent rise of AI and digital acceleration in healthcare.
While algorithms replaced admin and remote care replaced waiting rooms, an uncomfortable truth emerged, BAME women remain underrepresented and underserved. Not just in treatment, but in the design of the very systems meant to improve our wellbeing.
Let’s break it down.
1. AI in Healthcare and Who Gets Seen
Around 1 in 10 women will experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth. But for many Black, Asian and ethnically diverse women, the silence around this experience is even louder.
There’s a quiet myth embedded in our communities, that strength is the absence of struggle. That resilience means carrying the weight without flinching. But data and lived experience tell a different story. One where stigma, cultural pressure and systemic neglect collide to create an invisible epidemic.
This week is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and it’s time to look closer. Not just at the numbers, but at the narratives.
The term perinatal covers the full arc, from conception through the postpartum period. It’s not just about “baby blues.” It’s about recognising that serious mental health conditions like perinatal depression, anxiety and postpartum psychosis can and do affect anyone,…
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
