Engender blog

Guest Post: Why contraception needs a Me Too moment

As discussions around schemes which offer women support on the condition they utilise long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) continue, we'll be hosting a series of blogs by Elspeth Wilson discussing her research into how LARC has historically been - and continues to be - used to control the fertility of marginalised people.

In this first blog, Elspeth discusses ideas around contraception and consent.

I am being told for the third time in a row that there is no possibility that the coil I have fitted could be causing any of the repeated vaginal discomfort and infections that I have been experiencing for months. I explain, again, that I previously had a coil before and that this was the only other time in my life where I had consistent infections but that, because it was my first time using a coil, I had been more easily placated when told there was no possible link. Now, faced with the same difficulties (which ironically made the point of the contraception moot in the first place due to the severe irritation) my literal lived experience of my body caused me to suspect that the coil was the cause of my woes.

Menopause Matters: Share your experience in our survey

Our survey is out, and we can´t wait to hear what you have to say about the menopause! There is no expert like yourself. Every woman has a different and personal experience of the menopause, and it's time for us to listen to you.

If you've already gone through the menopause, are in the middle of it or just starting, your experiences and opinions are invaluable as it could help us guide future support services and policies that really answer to women´s needs.

The survey covers some common problems which have come up through our research so far, such as your experiences of learning about the menopause, and starting conversations about it with friends, colleagues, or managers, amongst others. We want to hear from your experiences and your ideas for solutions - you're the one going through it and who knows what's best for you.

Disabled women’s reproductive rights routinely ignored

Disabled women still face huge barriers in the realisation of their rights in Scotland when it comes to sex, reproductive health, and parenting support, says a new report launched today. A two year project run by feminist policy organisation Engender, along with disabled people’s organisations and academics, has revealed that disabled women do not receive sufficient education, support or freedom to make informed choices about their reproductive lives.

Visibly Invisible: Our bodies, our voices, our rights

Engender has been working with University of Stirling student Caroline Darke on a project exploring some of the issues around the representation (or rather, lack) of women with disabilities within the mainstream Scottish and UK media. This project connects with Engender’s on-going commitment to achieving gender parity within the Scottish media, and our Disabled Women: Our Bodies, Our Rights project, which examines the rights of disabled women and their reproductive journeys within current social care practices and government policy.

This is Caroline's fifth blog as part of this series. Read blogs one, two, three and four here.