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Scarlett Moffatt is urging fans to get their smear tests done after she received abnormal results. The reality star stressed that doctors are currently running tests as a precaution, but stressed that it is best to go, sooner rather than later.

Taking to Instagram stories, Scarlett urged her female followers to book their appointments, even if they’re nervous.

Smear tests are never as bad as they seem and it only takes mere minutes.

She said, “I went for the smear, something came back. They detected something… Lots of people have to go for biopsies and again I worked myself up about it, but I still went.

“It was four minutes of discomfort for something that's a little bit uncomfortable, but I went because it could save my life,” she added.

Scarlett spoke about the importance of early detection, “The sooner they pick it up, it's easier to manage, I get my results back in a couple of days.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SCARLETT MOFFATT (@scarlettmoffatt) on

"And hopefully it comes back to say that in a year's time I'll have to go for a smear test or even fingers crossed it'll say in three years time you'll have to go for a smear test,” she added.

"But it is so important. Imagine if I kept leaving it and leaving it,” Scarlett commented.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SCARLETT MOFFATT (@scarlettmoffatt) on

We understand that so many women are fearful or nervous about their smear test, especially if it is your first one, but Scarlett is too right. It is something we shouldn’t keep pushing back and back, because your health is far more valuable than that.

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Riverdale star Camila Mendes has opened up about surviving sexual assault while she was attending college in the US.

The actor appeared on the cover of Women's Health this week, discussing the emotional meaning behind her one and only tattoo.

The inking features the words "to build a home" along her ribcage, and Mendes has yet to speak about its reference until now.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by camila mendes (@camimendes) on

The 25-year-old credited the tattoo with her memories of moving around a lot during her childhood, as well as a "very, very bad experience" in college.

“I got the tattoo after my freshman year. I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me,” she told the magazine.

The feeling of safety itself can epitomise home for many people, not just a place or a town: "If you don’t have that literal box, you have to create it in your habits.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by camila mendes (@camimendes) on

She has found a sense of comfort over time by putting herself first and self-care; “Whenever I feel like I’m going through something difficult, I think about what I can do physically for myself.

"People sometimes put working out first and don’t give their bodies rest. I’ll always choose sleep first. I think it’s just so underrated.”

“I danced for seven years, from age 4 to 11," she added. "Then I did musicals as a kid, then so much of acting school is movement classes and connecting your breath to your body. Activity has always been an important part of my life."

Feature image: Instagram/@camimendes

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Doctors have stated that the lack of consultants in Irish hospitals is having a "serious effect" on Irish women's healthcare.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) have released figures showing 28,417 women are currently waiting to see a gynaecologist in Ireland.

5,394 women are waiting over 12 months, and there has been a 40 percent increase since 2014 in the number of women waiting to see a consultant gynaecologist nationally.

Gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Peter Boylan has stated to the Irish Mirror that the problem could be seriously detrimental to Irish women's health.

"Unfilled specialist posts are making it difficult for women to be seen in a timely fashion," he said.

"Our waiting lists for outpatients are among the worst in the world… and that's having a really serious effect on women's health and well-being." 

3,469 women are waiting for the Rotunda Hospital to offer them an appointment with a gynaecologist. 3,148 women are waiting in Tallaght Hospital, and 2,099 are waiting for the Coombe Hospital in Dublin.

Galway University Hospital has 1,898 women waiting, with 1,783 in Letterkenny General Hospital, 1,522 in Portlaoise Hospital and 1,468 in Limerick University Hospital.

The consultant recruitment and retention crisis is a big factor in rising numbers of Irish women now waiting, according to the IHCA.

One-in-five or over 500 of all permanent consultant posts nationally are now empty or only temporarily filled, leading to long periods of wait times to access essential healthcare services.

The IHCA claim that the Government's consistent support for a "failed policy" is resulting in "the unique and extremely damaging" salary cut which consultants appointed since 2012 have been served.

New consultants are being paid up to 51 percent less than their colleagues, despite having some of the same job responsibilities.

Pay parity needs to be restored for new consultants, rather than driving them abroad to countries like Australia who will pay them accordingly.

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Most of us are more than aware that we need to leave our vaginas alone. Whatever goes up there can cause some serious problems for your foof, so be a bit careful.

However, it seems a certain part of the population has to be told not to put a certain cold treat up there during scorching hot heatwave temperatures…

The UK is set to be hit with the hottest temperature on record today, with highs of 39 degrees Celsius expected. Medical advice online has now released tips on how to cool down, and ice lollies aren't on the list.

One suggestion out there is literally something that should never have been said, but apparently some women are this desperate for some chilly relief.

I'm not quite sure who would consider putting ice lollies up their vagina, but there must be at least one person out there who's doing it if doctors have released a warning against the act.

Speaking to Metro, Dr Sarah Welsh, co-founder of condom brand HANX, warned women not to put ice lollies anywhere near their genitals.

She commented:

"The vagina is composed of very delicate and sensitive skin, hence things that may seem innocent to other areas of the body, if they come in contact with the vagina, can cause infections, irritations and damage.

"There are many things that should never go near a vagina and ice lollies are up there. The ice can stick to the delicate skin of the vagina and cause real trauma and damage."

The sugar in the lolly can also disrupt the natural pH of the vagina, and the lolly is also likely to break inside you. This could honestly be the plot of a horror movie, there's so many things wrong here.

A nurse in June warned women not to try and vacuum their periods after two young women were hospitalised for trying the absurd task.

The 29 and 23-year-old women had used a Hoove to attempt to suck up their menstrual blood, and this was the point where we felt the bile rise at the back of our throats. Dear God.

In a now-deleted tweet, the nurse emphasised the dangers of trying the Hoover method:

"Your period has a steady flow of its own that for all intents and purposes your body can tolerate. A vacuum increases the flow over 1,000 times which your body can't tolerate, therefore sending you into shock."

Over the last few months, women have also been urged not to put garlic, parsley, bath bombs and cucumbers inside their vaginas. Honestly, it just shows how sexual health education is really lacking.

Leave your lady-business alone gals, or you won't be feeling so fanny-astic in the nurse's office.

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Did you know that you will have approximately 450 menstrual cycles in your lifetime? What if we said we have the perfect supplement that can help you combat those nasty period symptoms that we all suffer through every month.

Triumph® Monthly Cycle Supplement is the only product in the world with changing formulations designed to support a woman throughout the three main phases of her monthly menstrual cycle.

“For years, through busy work and family lives we endured the ups and downs of our monthly menstrual cycles. Curious to find out what was putting us off balance and if we could find a natural solution, we set out on a path of discovery. There are three distinct phases to our menstrual cycles, each directly influencing our overall wellbeing.

"The more we talked to other women, the more we understood the need for a supplement that changed throughout the month. Triumph Monthly Cycle Supplement is a unique three-part programme containing PhaseBlend technology. Each blend has three different formulations of botanicals, vitamins, minerals and amino acids to support optimal health, balance and harmony,” explained co-founders Donna Ledwidge and Renée O’Shaughnessy.

This unique three-part monthly programme contains 30 sachets and 30 tablets with three different Phaseblend® formulations. The formulation in the sachets and tablets change three times as the monthly cycle progresses. Each different PhaseBlend® contains a proprietary Vfusion® complex combining over 35 essential botanicals, vitamins, minerals and amino acids to complement the menstrual, pre-ovulation and post-ovulation phases.

Triumph Monthly Cycle Supplement (€49.99) is a full menstrual cycle programme, one tablet and one sachet to be taken daily. Simply start the programme on day one of your period.

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The power of protein is everywhere.

Traditionally, the magic amino acid was used by bodybuilders and fitness junkies.

However, in recent times it has become the answer to all our problems – appetite unsatisfiable? – protein. Want to lose weight? – protein. Want to keep your hair, skin, and nails looking on point? – protein…the list goes on.

In fact, we are so obsessed with it, there are 21.6 million posts on Instagram about it – and naturally, businesses have seized the chance to cash-in on this market.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SparkFit  (@gemgyms) on

And we LOVE it, as 43 percent of Brits have confessed to buying some form of  'protein' marketed product in the past.

18 to 24-year-olds are those of us most likely to gorge on the protein-enhanced foods. 

Our supermarkets are now a haven for protein products screaming at us that they contain a ridiculous amount of the holy nutrient, from bagels to bars to bread. 

But you better believe that you'll be paying a pretty penny for these foods.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Pui Pui (@puiandthe4m) on

However, are we being scammed into forking over more money for the added protein, compared to generic forms of the same foods?

Well, the good people from Wren Kitchens went to investigate and their results might surprise you.

In a new Behind the Label study, they analysed how much more protein you’re really getting (if any) for the premium price you’re paying.

Kicking it off, we look at nuts – a popular brand of nuts has a "protein mix" in their range and boasts 20 g of the magic nutrient for 100 grams, but it'll set you back £2.25 for that amount.

Whereas a supermarket equivalent was 63 p for 100 grams of nuts, that had 19.3 g of protein.

Moving to granola, for 100 grams a popular brand slapped some more protein into your brekkie bowl  – 13 grams to be exact, which cost you 63 p.

However, you could have gotten 10.3 grams of protein for the same amount for 20 p by going with a non-protein branded granola.

Not forgetting the yoghurts: the two protein yoghurts which had 10g and 11.1g of protein labelled on their packaging for 100 grams would cost you 55 p or £1.08 respectively.

This is compared to a non-branded protein yoghurt which would set you back 50p per 100g – but it contains 10g protein.

And of course, we can't leave out our carb mates; the bagels. 

When you get your hands on a protein bagel, each one will cost you 35 p and will have a decent 8.5 g of the amino acid.

Nevertheless, the non-protein bagel reigned carb-champ – with 9.8 grams of protein at just 24 p per rounded goodness.

But perhaps we are overdoing the trend, as the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that the average UK adult consumes up to 55 percent more protein than they actually need.

The UK Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) recommends we consume 0.75g for each kg of weight, which, based on average weights, which roughly translates into 55g for the lads and 45g for the ladies.

Expert nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed explains: "Protein is an essential macronutrient especially important for the growth, development, and maintenance of bones and muscles in the body."

"Most of us get more than enough protein in our everyday diet, and so it's not something that we need to think about supplementing too often. However, for some, such as athletes, those training intensely, or very active individuals they may have extra requirements for protein to support muscle growth and repair."

"To put it simply, unless advised by a medical professional, you don't need to be eating protein-specific products. If you find them to be a convenient way to top up your intake or to help you spread your protein intake across the day, there is no real problem with using them. However, it's important to remember you can get all the protein you need from everyday foods."

So before you reach for the product that promises you heaps of protein – ask yourself two questions.

Do you really need that much protein? And can you find a cheaper alternative that has similar protein levels for a quarter of the price?

And remember – Pop-eye built his muscle on spinach.

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Once a month us women have to endure the utter joy that is the period. Cramps, bleeding, headaches, tender boobs, backache and acne are just some of the things we have to cope with during our ‘time of the month’.

Many women will spot little signs that warns them their period is on the way, whether that’s feeling extremely emotional or suffering a massive breakout on your chin.

We gorge on as much chocolate as we want, dose ourselves up with Feminax and rush to the local Boots to make sure our sanitary product supply is well stocked up.

I’m sure we’ve all had that moment of dread when you’re out in public and your period decides to surprise you by making an unexpected appearance.

You have no tampons or pads in your bag, but luckily there’s a pharmacy on practically every street in Ireland so all you have to do is pop in and pick up some supplies.

To many, it isn’t a major purchase, but to 50 percent of Irish women sanitary products are a mass expense.

In a study conducted by Plan International, nearly 10 percent of participants admitted they have had no choice but to use a “less than suitable sanitary product” because of the cost.

There are girls as young as 12-years-old struggling to buy pads once a month, something that shouldn’t be happening in 2018.

In recent years, the women of Ireland have proved that together we can make a difference. We no longer underestimate our power, our strength and determination to make this country a better place for women.

There are so many things you can do to help tackle period poverty in Ireland.

1: Normalise periods:

For years, women have been too ashamed to talk about their period, even though it’s a completely natural thing that nearly every woman will experience at some point in her life. We mutter phrases like, “I have my thing,” or “It’s just a girly problem,” as we avoid eye-contact and blush with embarrassment. It’s time for us to realise that simply saying: “I have my period,” is perfectly acceptable.

2: Make a donation to Homeless Period Ireland

The wonderful people at Homeless Period Ireland are trying their best to supply homeless women with sanitary products, however, they can’t do it without the public’s generosity. A packet of pads cost less than the iced white chocolate mocha you buy, so why not cut back on your daily jaunts to Starbucks and purchase some sanitary products with that money instead. There are numerous donation drop off points all around Ireland, including Cork, Limerick and Dublin. See below for the full list of drop off points and donate sanitary supplies to your fellow sisters today.

3: Sign this petition to end period poverty in Ireland:

Too many women have to suffer through their time of the month without any sanitary products or a place to shower. Susan Colgan has launched a petition to introduce free sanitary products in Ireland.

She explained why we need free sanitary products: “Toilet paper is given out for free in almost every establishment nationwide. You wouldn't be expected to keep your own roll of toilet paper in your handbag when you go out to a nightclub, a restaurant or the cinema. It's always provided for you.”

She continued: “This is because it is considered a necessity, it would be morally wrong and unhygienic not to provide it, free of charge. This is the exact same thing when it comes to menstruation. It is not a choice.”

To sign the Free Sanitary Products in Ireland petition click here.

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The HSE has revealed that 221 women have been affected by the cervical screening scandal. They shared that the figure jumped from 209 to 221 after an additional 12 cases were confirmed.

HSE Director General John Conaghan shared the new figure with the Public Accounts Committee this morning.

It was also revealed that a review of the affected women’s smear tests has not yet started. The review of over 3,000 smear tests was meant to be completed by May.

The review will be carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians as well as the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
It was also shared that nearly 40 women have taken a cases against the HSE. Only three cases have been settled so far.

There are currently 35 active cases against the HSE.

Terminally-ill Emma Mhic Mhathúna recently settled her case against the HSE and a lab in the US. The mum-of-five’s case was settled for €7.5 million.

Mum-of-two Vicky Phelan also settled her case for €2.5 million.

Both mums were given incorrect smear test results, delaying their cervical cancer diagnosis.

The Cervical Check controversy has affected thousands of women in Ireland. They were not informed about a clinical audit that was carried out on their results.

It is believed that some of the woman affected by the scandal could have benefited from an early diagnosis.

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We’ve been wearing twice as much deodorant since this heatwave made an appearance. We love the soaring temperatures, but they have also left us melting from the moment we wake up until the early hours of the morning.

Being stuck on a packed Luas when it's 25 degrees outside isn’t a pleasant experience, especially when someone’s sweaty armpit is mere centimetres away from your face.

Gross encounters like this inspire us to be extra hygienic during the summer months.

Once we hop out of the shower in the morning we spritz ourselves with a florally scented deodorant.

However, experts have found that we have been applying deodorant the wrong way all this time.

Doctor Dawn Harper told The Sun that you should apply deodorant at night instead of in the morning. She explained that applying deodorant at night will give it time to dry on your armpits.

“Apply at night before going to bed to allow to dry fully. Leave on overnight and wash off any residue in the morning with soap and water.”

She added: "To get the best results you apply deodorant to completely dry skin."

The best piece of advice she could offer was to be diligent when purchasing deodorant. She said many people fail to buy antiperspirant deodorant and opt for fancy designs and flowery scents instead.

Antiperspirant deodorants stop you from sweating, whereas other sprays just mask the smell of sweat temporarily.

Applying your deodorant at night may be the right way, but we'll be applying deodorant on the hour every hour during this heatwave.

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Put down the cranberry carton.

According to new research, cranberry juice shows little evidence of helping those suffering from UTIs.

Under new draft guidance in the UK, patients will be informed of the little benefit the juice can have and doctors will be given guidelines before prescribing antibiotics.

This includes doctors asking about the severity of symptoms and pain, and whether or not patients have taken painkillers.

The move comes in a bid to stop the growing problem of drug resistance.

Close-up of Strawberries

The proposed suggestions were issued by Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Their motivation is to improve treatment for those who suffer from urinary tract infections.

The draft recommendations state that patients with cystitis should be made aware that "no evidence" exists to support cranberry products aiding the recovery of UTIs.

Individuals who experience recurrent UTIs should be informed that studies show “inconclusive" results that cranberry products prevent the infection from returning.

UTIs are caused by bacteria and usually, the body’s immune system can fight the infection, however, in some cases, a stronger UTI will require an antibiotic.

According to the experts, in conjunction with doctors asking patients about their symptoms and preventative measures, they may also require a urine sample to test for infection, to identify which is the most effective antibiotic for treatment.

Dr Susan Hopkins, of Public Health England, said: "Our surveillance shows that more than a third of laboratory-confirmed E.coli UTIs display resistance to key antibiotics.

We are therefore urging GP practices and hospitals to follow the new guidelines so they can prescribe antibiotics appropriately to their patients."

"This will preserve our antibiotics so that they not only save lives today but can continue to save lives tomorrow."

The director for the centre of guidelines at NICE, Professor Mark Baker said: "We recognise that the majority of UTIs will require antibiotic treatment, but we need to be smarter with our use of these medicines.

Our new guidance will help healthcare professionals to optimise their use of antibiotics."

"This will help to protect these vital medicines and ensure that no one experiences side effects from a treatment they do not need."

A consultation on the draft guidelines will come to a close on 5 June.

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For most women, vaginal products are a part of their daily hygiene routine, and we use them thinking that are especially designed to protect us from infections and other inconvenience that comes with being a woman. 

However, according to a new study, these products could actually be detrimental to our health. 

Published by the University of Guelph in the journal BMC Women's Health, the research conducted on Canadian women revealed that those who use these products are three times more likely to experience some type of vaginal infection.

In some cases, women actually purchased the products to address an existing vaginal concern.

"While research has shown douching can have negative impacts on vaginal health, little was known about the dozens of other products out there," said psychology professor Kieran O'Doherty, the study's lead investigator.

Vaginal hygiene products have been used by 95 per cent of Canadian women, with the most commonly used products including anti-itch creams, moisturisers, lubricants, and feminine wipes. The results connected certain products with specific infections.

"The study does not establish whether it is the products causing the infections or whether women are using the products in an attempt to address the infection," said O'Doherty. "However, the results do provide important evidence for strong correlations that need further research."

For example, women who used gel sanitisers were eight times more likely to have a yeast infection and almost 20 times more likely to have a bacterial infection.

Women using feminine washes or gels were almost 3 ½ times more likely to have a bacterial infection and 2 ½ times more likely to report a urinary tract infection.

Participants using feminine wipes were twice as likely to have a urinary tract infection, and those using lubricants or moisturisers were 2 ½ times as likely to have a yeast infection.

"These products may be preventing the growth of the healthy bacteria required to fight off infection", O'Doherty added.

Pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer, reduced fertility, ectopic and pre-term pregnancies, and bacterial and sexually transmitted infections are among the problems related to an abnormal vaginal microbiome.

Before anymore research can confirm these findings, we might just stick to a good old soap…

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A pilot study has found encouraging results regarding ovarian cancer, namely, that a personalised vaccine for this particular type of cancer can nearly double the two-year survival rate.

This personalised vaccine reprogrammed the immune cells of the cancer patients so that they recognised the women's tumours and could thus combat cancerous cells.

The study involved 25 women and was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

78 percent of the women given the vaccine, along with immunology drugs, have survived for two years. Only 44 percent of women survived for two years when they were just given immunology drugs.

In order to make the vaccine, immune cells from the patient's blood were exposed to cells from the woman's tumour in order to train them to identify and then initiate an attack against cancerous cells.

The senior author of the study, Dr. Lana Kandalaft, told the Telegraph, “The patients who received the vaccine mounted an immune response against their own tumours.”

As well, the more anti-cancerous cells the patients' bodies produced after the vaccine, the longer the women survived.

Dr. Kandalaft explained: “Ovarian cancer is a silent killer which when diagnosed is usually in its advanced stage.

“A combination of chemotherapy and surgery is usually the standard of care in the primary setting, but 85 percent of patients recur and are left with few other curative options.

“It was demonstrated that about 55 percent of ovarian cancer patients have a spontaneous immune response, and this response actually correlates with better overall survival in these patients.”

After one year, all of the women who received the vaccine were still alive. Only 60 percent of the women who just received the immunology drugs were still alive at one year.

Dr. Kandalaft said that rolling out these personalised vaccines should be fairly straightforward, as the immunology drugs used alongside them are commonly used to treat ovarian cancer.

"We aren't giving patients any completely new drugs in combination with this personalised vaccine," she said.

"Bevacizumab and cyclophosphamide are routinely used to treat recurrent ovarian cancer. All we did was add the vaccine. This means that we should be able to easily integrate this personalised immunotherapy into the current standard of care for recurrent ovarian cancer."

This pilot study's results are welcome news, considering that ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer among British women. More than 7,400 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year.

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