Naga Munchetty, Dr Nighat Arif & Dr Christine Ekechi – Radio5 Live Interview: That Time of the Month: Vulvodynia
"Naga and the team are joined by campaigner Philly Baines to talk about vulvodynia. It’s a condition which impacts around 1 in 7 women causing burning, throbbing and soreness around the vulva. It can be constant or come and go and it can impact your sleep, your concentration, your sexual relationships, and your everyday activities."
Breaking the Silence on Vulvodynia
On 13 May 2025, I joined BBC 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty & team on "That Time of the Month" to talk about Vulvodynia, a much neglected, yet challenging condition, which affects at least 17% of women, causing persistent pain that can severely impact life, work, sex and relationships.
You can listen to the full episode from this article or you can use this link from the BBC - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lb1hd2
My chat with Naga starts at 37:45 (12 mins 30 remaining).
Naga Munchetty is well known for her fantastic work in raising awareness about women's health issues and tackling sensitive topics. It was great to hear vulvodynia being discussed, as female intimate pain and female sexual dysfunction are rarely talked about, leaving women unsure where to turn for support or treatment. Too often, women report that they have not been listened to, have had their pain dismissed or treated as though it is all in their heads.
Several women including myself shared our experiences of living with vulvodynia and the challenges we have faced in accesssing knowledgable and empathetic care. I also had the opportunity to talk about my book and recovery. Dr Nighat Arif said that she learned so much from the book and Dr Ekechi suggested the book should be in all clinic.
Let's keep talking, raising awareness, and improving care for women with vulvodynia.
