Join Kath and guests for a great afternoon tea at Rod Evans Centre, 1:30-4:00pm.
MC’d by Hilary Hatfield
Special guest speakers include:
Sophie Liley
Vida Carlino
Joni Edmunds
Rachel Oliver
Fai Kur
Kath Mazzella OAM
Kath Mazzella featured on the Rural Health’s Website
Rural Health Education Foundation’s Website interview feature
Kath is proud to be interviewed by the Rural Health Education Foundation.
This case study features the story of Kath who was diagnosed with vulval cancer after she found lumps in her vulva. Kath talks about the shock of finding cancer, and the psychosexual and psychosocial impact of her diagnosis and treatment.
Kath has now set up GAIN, the Gynaecological Awareness Information Network, to offer support to women with gynaecological health problems. She is passionate about raising awareness of the challenges for women who have a diagnosis and subsequent treatment for a gynaecological cancer.
This case study highlights the challenges for women living with gynaecological cancers and the side effects of treatment on a woman’s health and sexuality.
Listen to the podcast now.
Outraged by SMH article – Designer Vagina’s
I have written to the SMH and am hoping that you will join me in expressing your outrage at a doctor dumbing down their explanation instead of using the right terminology for the vulva and the trend for our young women to be ordering ‘designer vaginas’.
Here is my response to this article, http://www.smh.com.au/national/rise-in-women-seeking-designer-vagina-20121120-29o3h.html#ixzz2D5xpBb4
Dear Editor
I refer to the article, ‘Rise in Women Seeking Designer Vagina’, where Dr Sonia Grover said young girls were concerned with looking different and often requested labiaplasties, a procedure to change the size and shape of the external coverings of the vagina.
Firstly, let me say that it is a sad sign of the times that our young women would want to go under the knife voluntarily and one has to ask the question, ‘Why?’ What is it in our society that has our young women concerned about the attractiveness of their genitalia? Is it that we do not have enough education about all aspects of our body and that they do not realise that every woman’s sexual anatomy is going to be different looking? Is it that there is an over-emphasis on sex in our communities that is causing an abnormal concentration of energies on perfecting the body for sex? Or is it that they have seen too many pictures that have been altered by photographic technologies, so that they are comparing themselves to an unrealistic model? I am reasonably confident to say that they have not all been lining up to show one another what their vulva looks like so they can know that they are all different!
I had major life-saving surgery due to vulval cancer 17 years ago involving the removal and remodelling of my vulva and the pain and suffering I have endured during and after surgery still haunts me. The thought that our young women would actively choose this procedure terrifies me because I know the emotional scars that accompany the physical ones.
I was recently awarded the WA Senior of the Year for my GYN and Sexual Health Awareness work, however, the one issue that I really feel I have failed to get a satisfactory outcome for is the attitude of educators and doctors/GYNs that seem too afraid to call a vulva what it really is. Schools continue to incorrectly label it the vagina. To describe it as the ‘external coverings of the vagina’ by someone who knows the difference is to misinform those very young women who are seeking surgery. To me it is the same as describing the penis as the external coverings of the testicle.
Dr Sonia, I implore you to call it a vulva so we are all clear what part of the anatomy it really is and so that when it is altered for life, these young women will know what they have lost.
I agree with Dr Sonia that, “These requests come from a lack of understanding of what is considered normal…” Surely, we can start to normalise the use of the word vulva and open the conversation with our young people so they can know that they also are normal and can appreciate their uniqueness instead of desiring to conform to an unrealistic image of what is normal.
Kathleen Mazzella OAM
Leading World Expert on Women’s Sexual and GYN Health Experiences
Join with me in insisting that they get it right, break down the barriers and stigmas associated with the use of the word ‘vulva’ and start to educate our young women that vulvas come in all shapes and sizes and what you’ve got should be treasured and valued just the way it is. Unless we speak out ladies, we will continue to be kept in the dark on these issues.
Congratulations Kath Mazzella OAM – named WA Senior of the Year 2012!
Founder of the International GYN Awareness Day celebrations, Kath has received the WA Senior of the Year 2012 Award for her work in GYN Awareness promotion. In accepting the award, Kath used the opportunity to promote the International GYN Awareness Day and to call on those present to get behind the event and support better GYN and Sexual Health Awareness, especially for older people.
Kath Mazzella featured on cover of Golden Pen Magazine to promote GYNAE DAY.
Kath has been featured on the cover of online magazine, Golden Pen in order to promote the International GYN Awareness Day. The issue was released on IGAD to coincide with the day.
Here is sneak peak…
The magazine is available from http://goldenpen.com.au/buy-online or from http:/facebook.com/GoldenPenMagazine (click on STORE) and only costs $4.95. Please support Golden Pen Magazine, as they are supporting us in our cause, as Kath’s article is just one in 106 pages of stories about Resilience.
King Edward Memorial Hospital Celebrates IGAD 2011
I was so excited to see the pink t-shirts at King Edward Memorial Hospital. I had gone to top off the brochures at the hospital and spotted one of the staff walking past in the GAIN t-shirts in celebration of IGAD. I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture the moment and the staff were very happy to gather together for this pic.
Thanks so much for helping to spread the word and promote Gynae awareness everyone.
Kath
Canberra All Set To Celebrate IGAD 2011
It is with great delight that we received information from Margaret Kalms about an event she has organised in Canberra. Professor Frank Bowden is the special guest speaker. Professor Bowden is the Professor of Medicine at the ANU Medical School and Director of Canberra Sexual Health Centre.
Margaret has organised a cocktail party where all will be spellbound by Belly Dancers.
There is a photography exhibition featuring Margaret’s artwork and is being hosted by the Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT.
The event starts at 7:30pm – 10:00pm and there is also the exhibition running from 12-23 September and open from 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Margaret explores intimate, personal and sensitive issues in emotional and philosophically symbolic terms. Her photographs are confronting, dramatic and surprising, but they are also beautiful and are designed to enhance women’s perception of themselves overcoming significant prejudices and taboos.
Margaret’s art is very suitable to promote IGAD fulfilling one of the aims of IGAD. “To share knowledge and experiences with the community to remove cultural and sexual taboos and build confidence within oneself”. Margaret Kalms is inspired by the underlying confidences that God created women and that all parts of the body are good.
Hayley Solich and Kath Mazzella OAM on IGAD 2011
Kath Mazzella OAM and Hayley Solich talk about the International Gynae Awareness Day and how every man and woman around the world can get involved!