We need to talk more gynae

Remember feeling awkward in sex education class?

The giggling. Avoiding eye contact. The sudden inability to say certain parts of the body out loud without feeling embarrassed. Even the phrase ‘sex education’ would make you either laugh or shy away. Most of us have left the classroom behind, but some of that discomfort hasn’t necessarily left with us. Why?

It often comes down to stigmas:

Stigma is a negative attitude or belief associated with a particular characteristic, condition or group of people, often stemming from a lack of understanding.

Stigma can be influenced by culture, society, income and gender norms, and it can shape both how other people respond to us and how we think about ourselves.

And while we might have left the sex education class behind, those two sides of stigma (how other people respond to us and how we think about ourselves) should matter to anyone creating healthcare communications. What we create can help shape how patients think and feel about themselves, and how HCPs, and others in their support network, understand and respond to their experience.

So, step into Laura’s shoes*

You need to tell your manager you have cancer. You’ve been rehearsing what you’re going to say on the way into work. It should be straightforward, and your nurse told you there’s nothing to be ashamed of, but the words just don’t seem to come out easily.

You grab a coffee together, talk about your weekend, and then take a seat in the meeting room. “I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately. How are all the appointments and tests going, have you had any news?” Your manager is genuinely kind, he’s been really supportive throughout this whole process. You hesitate. You look down. Your mouth goes dry. “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. It’s, erm, vulval cancer.” You’re scared to make eye contact, worried if you’ve made him uncomfortable. There’s a moment’s pause, so you quickly fill the silence talking about your next appointments instead. From then on, it’s talked about in hushed voices. Most people in your team know about the diagnosis but they never seem to ask you about it.

How does it feel to be stigmatised?

Did that conversation feel uncomfortable to read? Nothing inappropriate was said. Laura’s manager wasn’t unkind. Yet simply saying “vulval cancer” felt loaded enough for Laura to worry about his reaction and quickly move the conversation on. That’s where stigma can become more than an abstract idea. If someone feels shame or embarrassment around their body or diagnosis, it can shape what they say, what they ask and where they look for support.

This is just one example and, to some, an uncomfortable silence between colleagues may not seem like a big deal, but stigma can have consequences that go far beyond an awkward conversation.

When researchers spoke to women aged 28–55 about what it was really like to live with cervical cancer, experiences of social isolation and moral judgement came through strongly, often linked to perceptions of immorality and feelings of guilt. Stigma was found to negatively affect women’s social lives and psychological wellbeing.¹

And that raises an important question for us when creating patient communications: what happens when the person we’re trying to reach feels uncomfortable every time they talk about their body, their symptoms or cancer? We can give someone the clearest information in the world about symptoms, screening or treatment.

Why stigmas can become a barrier to better outcomes

If stigma can stop people from seeking support, is simply giving more information the answer? A global systematic review explored how cancer-related stigma can influence screening and treatment-seeking behaviours. It found that stigma associated with cancer – including fear, blame and perceptions of cancer as inevitably leading to death – could influence how people responded to their diagnosis and care by:²

• Concealing a diagnosis to avoid being judged
• Delaying seeking treatment

In the real world, that might mean carrying a diagnosis alone, staying quiet about a symptom they perceive as embarrassing, or delaying seeking help out of fear of what a cancer diagnosis might mean.

So, if we want better outcomes, perhaps awareness isn’t only about spotlighting what symptoms to look out for (or simply providing medical information) – it’s also about addressing the psychological needs of patients and supporting them to feel comfortable talking about their body or a diagnosis.

How do we tackle stigma in our patient communications then?

There is still limited research on ways to tackle cancer stigma – but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it until research provides a solution for us. Research from one UK study looked at how different types of communication affected women’s intentions to attend cervical screening, and then whether they actually did attend.

The study found that emotive narratives were more effective at increasing willingness to attend cervical screening than factual, or no, information. The authors suggested that emotive narratives could be one way of addressing some of the stigma associated with cervical cancer.²

And this goes beyond screening. The study exploring the lived experiences of women with cervical cancer concluded that healthcare services should extend beyond medical treatment to include psychosocial support. Supportive communication and clear information from HCPs were also found to enhance trust and treatment adherence.¹

And it makes sense, right? Reading a whole list of facts and data isn’t particularly memorable or meaningful (says the medical writer, I know). But understanding people’s experiences – like the things they’re scared of, embarrassed about, confused by or don’t feel able to say out loud – gives us an opportunity to craft content that speaks to them and helps to dismantle some of these stigmas. For me as a medical writer, it’s about finding that balance: creating content that passes medical, legal and regulatory review, but still works for the reader.

When we understand the emotional barrier, we can change what our communications need to do

By understanding the experiences, beliefs and barriers behind the behaviours of patients and HCPs, we can create meaningful, emotive narratives that make difficult conversations easier to have and can inspire positive behaviour change.

We’ve seen this before in our own gynaecological cancer work. By speaking directly to people living with cancer, we understood exactly what was missing and therefore what they wanted in the information they received. In essence, they wanted a resource that would meet their psychological needs, and content that felt like an advocate or a trusted friend who understood what they were going through.

Listening to patients completely changed the way we approached the content. Rather than simply providing medical information, we focused on creating supportive, human content that reflected people’s lived experiences and helped them feel seen, understood and confident in their care.

Because sometimes the barrier isn’t what patients know. It’s how the communication makes them feel. And by creating emotionally resonant content we can help break down stigmas.

Help tackle the stigma this gynaecological awareness month, and beyond – talk more gynae

So, this gynaecological awareness month, we’re not going to give you a list of signs and symptoms. We’re asking you to help make the conversations around them easier. To help people like Laura feel less shame and embarrassment when talking about their bodies or cancer. Because if we want to change behaviour, we need to create content that speaks not only to what people know, but to how they feel. Let’s talk more gynae.

*Laura and the scenario described are fictional and have been created for illustrative purposes.

1. Aysin N, et al. A qualitative study on the experiences of stigmatisation and spiritual coping among women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Turkey. BMC Women’s Health. 2026;26:138.

2. Akin-Odanye EO, Husman AJ. Impact of stigma and stigma-focused interventions on screening and treatment outcomes in cancer patients. Ecancermedicalscience. 2021;15:1308.