Ever collectively pored over a round robin letter in fits of giggles? These letters, sent en masse to friends and maybe even acquaintances, usually fly through the letterbox inside a Christmas card and are often littered with the highlights of the year – smugly jumping from one child's academic successes to another. This sounds a bit off-season, but the thought sprang to mind after reading a recent feature about the surge of the so-called catch-up friend. The piece, which will undoubtedly resonate with many readers, explored how friendships can become empty of meaning, substance, and true connection. Of course, there are many differences between the round robin and the catch-up friend – with the latter, hopefully, being a less self-congratulatory entity – but there are still definite parallels. If you only see a friend fewer than a handful of times a year for snatched periods of time – two surface-level hours squeezed in after a long, hectic day of work – it can feel like you are only giving each other the headlines of your life. You're not really exploring your feelings towards events or the wider dynamics of them. Luckily, I feel like my life, for now, is pretty much free of the "catch-up friend," but you can see how that could easily change if a child, work, or caring for a relative took over your routine. It goes without saying that there is so much more to friendship than just squeezing in a chat on what you have been doing. You need the chance to dissect events, fall into a spontaneous, meandering conversation, or, hopefully, uncontrollable laughter. | |
| If you are in favour of abortion rights, which I imagine and hope many of my newsletter readers will be, this story is worth a read as it celebrates a major win in the wake of the recent snap election. | |
| I've written extensively about spiking over the years, and the stories victims have bravely shared with me have stayed with me. Now it is set to become a stand-alone crime, this deeply personal story by my colleague Helen Coffey is an eye-opening reminder of just how distressing spiking can be. | | | Teenage-hood is a tumultuous time for so many people - with girls facing their own unique set of pressures and vulnerabilities. This, and more, was on the table for discussion when my colleague Ellie Harrison sat down with House of the Dragon actor Emily Carey. | |
| The gender health gap is a complex issue caused by a range of factors. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the disparity in health outcomes and treatment experienced by male and female patients. This gap does not exist in isolation; many women face even worse experiences due to their race, socio-economic status, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.
A recent interview I conducted highlighted how these issues impact patients' lives. Sbba Siddique, a 55-year-old business owner, told me that her ovarian cancer diagnosis was delayed because her symptoms were wrongly dismissed as menopause or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She accused her doctor of misogyny and medical gaslighting, while also pointing to "unconscious bias and cultural incompetence" as contributing factors to her delayed diagnosis. She believes that if her cancer had been diagnosed earlier, she could have avoided invasive treatment that left her with permanent disabilities.
Sbba's story is tragic and indicative of wider gender and racial health disparities. Previous research published by MBRRACE-UK found that black women are almost four times more likely to die from childbirth than white women. Numerous studies show that women's pain is often taken far less seriously than men's. Additionally, data demonstrates that women not only spend longer waiting in emergency departments but are also less likely to be prescribed effective painkillers than men. |
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| | My colleague Adam White has written a must-read profile of the 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star, who has died of cancer, arguing she spent a hefty chunk of her career waiting for the respect she deserved. Read the full article here | |
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