r/womenoftheuk

Between 2020 and 2024, no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in England, the first time there have been zero deaths since the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced.

In the early 2000s, roughly 50 women under the age of 35 were dying of cervical cancer in England every year. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and between 2020 and 2024, the HPV vaccine has meant deaths in the 20- to 24-year-old age group has plummeted to zero.

Vaccination is critical because HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections; around 80% of people will get it in their lifetime if they are not vaccinated.

Im relatively brown on my top half but my legs are always very very pale so when the warm weather comes, I could do with evening up the colour on my legs. I've tried self tanners but I'd prefer something that I don't have to keep topping up.

A woman raped when she was 16 by her acting tutor, who had a role on the Netflix show Sex Education, said he made her feel dirty and ruined her dream of acting.

Oliwia Wudarowicz, who has waived her right to anonymity, began having acting lessons from Alexander Westwood in December 2020, after her mother met him while renovating his flat.
She should have been safe, but Westwood, from Albrighton in Shropshire, used the lessons to rape and sexually abuse her.

In February 2025, he was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison, after being convicted of 26 crimes against children and two pupils who attended his acting lessons.

Warning: Some people may find details in this story distressing.

At first, Wudarowicz said Westwood appeared calm during the one-on-one lessons and she felt safe.

However, on their third lesson she said he told her to change in front of him, claiming it was normal backstage practice, and asked whether she was a virgin.

In January 2021, Wudarowicz said Westwood, who was 20 at the time, ordered her to masturbate in front of him, telling her that because he was her teacher she "had to do what he said".

Hi,

I am starting a new job soon, and I need to get some smarter clothes for it. I once saw a website which had some lovely dinosaur and animal print blouses, but I can't seem to find it anymore.

Can anyone please recommend some shops like this?

Thank you!

A powerful maternity commissioner will be appointed to push through an urgent transformation of childbirth care in England after a major review concluded that it had multiple failings.

Ministers have bowed to growing pressure by agreeing to recruit the UK’s first commissioner for maternity and neonatal care. Whoever takes on the role will pursue hospitals over persistent failures in care, ensure wide-ranging improvements are made and try to restore the faith of families in a maternity system in England that has been rocked by a series of scandals.

James Murray, the health secretary, announced the move in response to Valerie Amos’s government-commissioned inquiry of maternity care, which concluded it was a system characterised by poor care and a failure to listen to women, and was plagued by racism and discrimination.

“The maternity and neonatal system in England is no longer fit to consistently deliver high-quality, compassionate care to every woman and family, and requires urgent reform to put safety at its centre, embed a focus on listening to women and ensure anti-racist practice at every level,” she found.

Lady Amos’s report is the second in less than a week to advise ministers to instigate a dramatic overhaul to reduce the risk of mothers and babies suffering harm or dying because of errors and receiving inadequate care from the NHS. Donna Ockenden, the author of last week’s inquiry into the Nottingham maternity scandal, is widely expected to become the new commissioner.

Cohabiting couples are the fastest-growing family type in the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics, the proportion of people aged 16 years and over living in a couple who were cohabiting (not in a marriage or civil partnership) increased from 19.7% in 2012 to 22.7% in 2022.

Despite this rise in cohabitation, couples who are unmarried and not in a civil partnership still have no automatic rights concerning property, finances, inheritance upon separation or death.

They can create legal arrangements which give them some rights with the help of a cohabitation solicitor, but these are not automatic. 
This could soon change…

What is the current law for cohabiting couples?

There is a persistent myth that living together for a number of years, or having children together, creates a so-called ‘common law marriage’. This is not the case. There is no such thing as a ‘common law marriage’ in UK law. Cohabiting couples, regardless of how long they have lived together, do not have the same rights as married couples or civil partners. 

This means that:

• You have no automatic right to your partner’s property or savings if you separate.

• You may have no claim to their pension or assets.

• If your partner dies without leaving a Will, you are not automatically entitled to anything they leave behind, including property, even if you have lived in it with them for decades. 

• There is no legal duty for one partner to support the other financially after a breakup. 

This legal gap can often leave one partner financially vulnerable in the case of a breakup or their partner passing away. This is particularly true if one partner has taken time out of work to manage household responsibilities and raise children. 

Why are changes being considered now?

Why are changes being considered now? 
Several factors have been driving renewed calls for reform.

• Political change: The new Labour government has made family law reform part of its policy agenda, pledging to create a more modern legal framework that reflects the realities of family life today. 

• Mounting legal pressure: Family law bodies such as Resolution, have long been advocates for cohabitation reform. 

• Public support: Polls show that the majority of people back stronger legal reforms for cohabiting partners. 

• Social justice: With growing awareness of gender and financial inequality, particularly when children are involved, the lack of legal safety nets for cohabiting partners is increasingly seen as unfair. 

What new laws might we see in 2026?

Recent plans where announced by the Government to give unmarried couples more rights and protection, these include:

• Enhanced legal rights. Cohabiting partners may gain new legal rights if they have lived together for 3 years or share a child together. 

• Automatic inheritance. Currently, if your partner passes away and there is not a valid Will in place, you are not treated as next of kin. The Government plans to introduce Automatic Inheritance Laws for greater protection.

• Domestic abuse protection. Under these new laws, the courts could give greater power to those experiencing domestic abuse, whether the individual is in a married or un-married relationship.

These reforms are unlikely to replicate the protections that married couples and civil partners enjoy, but would aim to offer a basic level of financial protection (more details in article).

What underwear is the best for someone with a lot of discharge?

- No nasty/toxic materials
- Good price point
- Long gusset
- Absorbent

On the hunt for some nice new bras however come firmly in the category of 'slightly awkwardly shaped chest committee' at a 32E but super super close set. Almost all DD+ bras ive found at m&s, john lewis, bravissimo, boux avenue that arent just basic or neon are balcony which annoyingly just doesnt quite work for me, i only really get on with plunge or demi cups. Any other recs for websites or stores I could try? Would rather avoid amazon if I can

Hi does anyone have any birth control recommendations great for endometriosis adhd ( i forget to take pills) and best with minimal side effects.

I have had mini pill and 3x nexaplons which is currently failing.

Thanks

I've been using press ons lately after developing what I think is a gel allergy but they keep popping off.

I'd like to go back to doing normal manicures with normal nail varnish.

Can anyone recommend a nail varnish brand that doesn't chip easily?

I regret cooking any dinners in this heat, and there’s another heatwave coming after next week. What are you all having that’s minimal cooking and easy to eat in the 30c+ weather

The party is pledging to keep some of the protections from sex discrimination that women have relied on for half a century. Apparently, as women, we ought to be grateful for these crumbs.

At the same time, they seem to be planning to ditch the longstanding principle of equal pay for work of equal value – a principle which has been around for years to ensure women get a fair day’s pay compared to their male colleagues. And this has very real consequences – for example, women working at Glasgow City Council secured millions in back pay after being denied a fair wage for years.

Reform has also made clear it wants to torch Britain’s established legal framework, the Equality Act, which has protected women– and all working people – for a decade and a half.

Yes, the Act protects women on the basis of sex. But it also protects all workers from other forms of discrimination which women often experience, like discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, age, race and disability. 

Getting rid of it will effectively legalise discrimination in this country. And then there is Reform’s promise to scrap the Employment Rights Act.

The same Employment Rights Act (ERA) which will help keep women safe from harassment at work.

That will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, which make it harder for mums to balance childcare and work. And that has delivered sick pay for all, which disproportionately benefits low-paid women.

It’s little wonder that women’s organisations have called the ERA legislation a huge step forward. I could go on and on about the gains for women from the Act – gains that Reform wants to unpick. But it’s not only on women’s rights at work that Reform is threatening.

Whether it’s their pledge to roll back the renters’ rights, leaving families at the mercy of rogue landlords - facing the constant threat of no-fault eviction and unaffordable rent hikes. Or the promise to reinstate the two-child benefit cap, which would plunge millions of kids into poverty...

… As always, you should follow the money. Farage is cosying up to the same kind of crypto donors and dark money anti-abortion groups that are supporting Trump as he takes a sledgehammer to women’s rights - including by severely limiting access to reproductive rights.

Hi everyone, I’m looking go get my hair dyed a darker brunette and then cut at a salon. The salons local to me are in the centre of town, so it can be quite expensive.

For what I want done it’s about £170 and maybe a bit more. But after getting it done, I wouldn’t want to come back every 2 months, I think I’d rather wait a bit longer like 3-4 months because it’s expensive to get it touched up that often.

But I know salons also charge less if you go every couple of months, but would it come to less money if I just got the same thing done every few months?

It just seems so expensive but not sure what else to do!

The Church of England has told birth mothers and children affected by historical forced adoptions that it is "profoundly sorry" for its role in the practice.

It follows the government confirming that it will make a full apology on behalf of the state over the practice, which saw thousands of mothers pressured into giving up babies for adoption because they were unmarried.

Between 1949 and 1976, the Church of England helped run, or was responsible for, about 100 mother and baby homes where women were sent to give birth.

In a formal apology, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said victims experienced "pain and trauma and suffering and fear when you should have received care and compassion". She added: "You have nothing to be ashamed of. The shame is ours and we're profoundly sorry."

Under the practice, unmarried pregnant women would be sent to mother and baby homes, in effect, to hide them from society.

The apology comes after two years of research by the Church into its archives and other records. It also spoke to birth mothers and adoptees.

A new report published by the Church found that documents from 1970 offered an insight into attitudes at the time, with staff describing the homes as places "from which the adoption agencies get their raw material".

The report also found that some mothers were described as "dim, feckless [and] inadequate" and the Church was aware that the quality of the homes "did not always meet acceptable standards".

Women who were sent to the mother and baby homes have spoken of the terrible conditions they were subjected to. 

The Church's apology recognises that many of them were given menial and manual tasks as a form of punishment, even though they were heavily pregnant.

Come on, get it of your chest! How are you doing? Whether it be physical or mental, take a load off and share it here.

I'm trying to find some petite midi dresses, I tend to go for more neutral patterns and preferably not too floral. I'm 5"1 (and a bit) and a size 6/8 depending on brand. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

I have endometriosis so regularity isn't my body's strength but why oh why, when there's a heatwave, does it decide that now is the best time to do its slaughter house re-enactment?

• Want to wear a light breezy dress? Nope?
• Already got the period headache? Yeh, you'll also need to tie your long hair up too.
• You were looking forward to a refreshing paddleboard to cool down? Not enough tampons in the world to keep the wetsuit safe and that's assuming you can move enough in the first place!
• For the next few days, you won't be moving far from the bed or the sofa unless you want to projectile vomit!
• And if you want a nice cool snack, it's ice cubes or nothing because of the sickness!

Is there some scientific reason why my worst periods always rock up with an amber weather warning?

I'm well aware more medical research has gone into creating pills to keep men's happy sticks happy than has gone into the mechanics of the female reproductive system, but this can't always be a coincidence?!

Shortened summary

A review into the NHS’s biggest ever maternity care scandal has been published. Led by Donna Ockenden, an independent senior midwife, the review examined 2,500 cases involving mothers and babies dying or being seriously injured, or babies being stillborn, while under the care of Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust between 2012 and 2025. Below is a summary of the findings from the report.

1. Failures in maternity and neonatal care were ‘systemic, deep-rooted and sustained over many years’

At every stage of care received from the trust, from antenatal to postnatal, mothers and their babies were subject to deep-rooted and systemic issues. There were repeated failures to accurately report, grade and investigate serious occurrences, resulting in severe harm or even death to mothers and their babies, while such instances were routinely downgraded or dismissed as “unavoidable” to escape external scrutiny and protect the trust’s reputation. A significant number of stillbirths, maternal deaths and severe complications could have been avoided if the care provided had been adequate, the report found. 

2. Women and families were consistently ignored when their concerns were raised

Women consistently reported feeling dismissed, disempowered or blamed when they expressed anxiety or reported critical symptoms such as reduced foetal movements, severe pain, hypertension and postnatal deterioration. Instead of being taken seriously, their instincts and physical concerns were frequently minimised, normalised or reframed by staff as maternal anxiety. Families described how women felt they had to “prove” the legitimacy of their concerns before being seen or were actively discouraged from attending the hospital, which caused immense distress and eroded trust.

3. Poor workplace culture and staff shortages

Chronic understaffing “was one of the most pervasive themes”, according to the report, with women repeatedly describing an environment where midwives and doctors were overstretched, exhausted and unable to respond promptly to requests for help.

4. Pre-existing health inequalities exacerbated poor care

The failures of staff to listen to women’s concerns during their maternity care was even more pronounced for women from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds, as well as teenage mothers and those from more deprived backgrounds.

Mothers from minority backgrounds reported experiencing direct racism and a “toxic blame culture” where they were stereotyped and judged negatively if they were perceived as being “loud” or “too demanding”, while staff also noted that mothers from Traveller/Gypsy/Roma backgrounds were treated “particularly appallingly”.

5. Psychological harm caused by poor care and failings in post-death care

The review uncovered severe systemic failings in mortuary and post-death care. This included the disposal of an early gestation baby as clinical waste, a deceased baby being kept in a domestic fridge instead of a mortuary, and placing a baby on a storage tray with an unrelated adult, which goes against guidelines. Families also repeatedly described a lack of compassionate bereavement care, poor communication regarding postmortem results and inappropriate mortuary environments.

Been thinking about this lately. There are so many vitamin/supplement brands out there now in the UK, and I'm curious how people actually end up choosing one.

what got you started taking vitamins or supplements in the first place? And once you found a brand you liked, what kept you with it, or what made you switch to something else?

Just curious to hear how people think about this.