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Having spoken to many of you in the past weeks it’s very clear that things are starting to get challenging again and some areas of the UK are pretty much close to shutting down their elective work, if they have not already done so. I totally appreciate that if this is happening in your area it may well be as tough as it was over the Spring.

Last week was national inclusion week and the start of Black History Month and it is therefore entirely fitting that on Friday 2 October we had the first meeting of the Race Equality Taskforce. We have appointed the most amazing members to the Taskforce, including two Member and Fellow representatives and three trainees.

Group B Strep Awareness Month is celebrated in July every year and takes place to raise awareness of group B Strep, a type of bacteria in the streptococcal family of bacteria. It is very common – up to 2 in 5 people have it in their body.

Today marks 70 years since the National Health Service (NHS) was launched in 1948. This anniversary provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the many life-enhancing achievements of the NHS. Due to pioneering advances in science, medicine and technology, and the extraordinary efforts of NHS staff, the health of the nation – particularly women – has significantly improved over the past seven decades.

April marks Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Awareness Month, a campaign to raise awareness and advocate change for those affected by PMDD, a very severe form of premenstrual syndrome. Laura Murphy, a member of the RCOG’s Women’s Voices Involvement Panel, speaks out about her struggle of living with PMDD.

While we hear so much about gender equality in the UK and worldwide, there are many issues affecting the health of women and girls which still remain “off-limits”. This stigma often causes women to ignore concerns about their health, while the fear of embarrassment can leave them suffering in silence. We must do more to address this and break down taboos surrounding gynaecological health.

For Endometriosis Awareness Week (3-11 March), the charity, Endometriosis UK, is asking women what they wish they had been told about the condition. Catherine Nestor, Co-Vice Chair of the RCOG Women’s Network, speaks out about her experience of endometriosis and the importance of healthcare professionals understanding the condition:

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise the achievements of women without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It has been celebrated for more than 100 years, and the growing international women’s movement has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.

Did you know it takes an average of 7.5 years for a woman to be diagnosed with endometriosis – a gynaecological condition surrounded by taboos, myths and a lack of awareness? New guidelines published today aim to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of women with endometriosis by highlighting symptoms to doctors, such as pelvic pain, painful periods, and infertility.