Women's Health
Use this guide to find information resources about women’s health including books, reports and journal articles.
Last updated:
23/12/2024
Key Resources
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Advanced nursing practice for gynaecology and women’s health. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Conscientious objection - termination of pregnancy/abortion care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Termination of pregnancy and abortion care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Clinical nurse specialists in early pregnancy care: standards consensus statement. London: RCN
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Female genital mutilation. RCN guidance for sexual health care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Female genital mutilation. An RCN resource for nursing and midwifery practice. 5th edn. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Female genital mutilation. RCN guidance for travel health services. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Genital examination in women. A resource for skills development and assessment. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Human Papillomavirus (HPV), cervical screening and cervical cancer. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) RCN position statement on menopause and you at work. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Women’s health pocket guide. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2022) 
Royal College of Nursing (2022) Nurse specialist in menopause. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2025) Promoting menstrual wellbeing. 3rd ed. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis. London, RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Making sense of women’s health. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) RCN position statement on Nursing Associates (NAs) training in cervical screening. England only. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) What are PMS and PMDD? London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2020) Guidance for nurses and midwives to support those affected by domestic abuse. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2020) Menopause: RCN guidance for nurses, midwives and health visitors. 2nd edn. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Modern slavery and trafficking: guidance. London: RCN.
RCN Learn: Domestic violence and abuse
RCN Learn: Female genital mutilation
RCN Learn: Women's health
RCN Learn: Modern slavery and human trafficking
Department of Health and Social Care (2022) Women's health strategy for England [CP736]. London: DHSC.
NHS: Women’s health
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Information aimed at the public.
View page
NHS England (2023) Cervical screening: programme and colposcopy management.
Patient Safety Commissioner (2024) The Hughes report: options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.
Scottish Government (2024) Women's health plan 2021 to 2024: final report. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.
Welsh Government (2022) The quality statement for women and girls’ health.
We would like to thank the RCN Women's Health member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.
Books
Berek J S (2020) Berek and Novak’s gynecology essentials. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health.
Bobel C, Winkler I T, Fahs B, Hasson K A, Kissling E A, Roberts T A (eds.) (2020) The Palgrave handbook of critical menstruation studies. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cooper S (2023) Analysing gender in healthcare: the politics of sex and reproduction. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG.
Eckert L (2024) Enough: because we can stop cervical cancer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Everett S (2021) Handbook of contraception and sexual health. 4th edn. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Geraghty P (ed.) (2022) Each woman's menopause: an evidence based resource: for nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses and allied health professionals. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Gupta S, Holloway D and Kubba A (2021) Oxford handbook of women's health nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hillard T and Association B N (2017) Management of the menopause. United Kingdom: British Menopause Society.
Holloway D (2019) Nursing management of women’s health: a guide for nurse specialists and practitioners. London: Springer.
Hunter M and Smith M (2024) Living well through the menopause. London: Robinson.
Mishra G D, Hardy R Dr, Kuh D and Murray A (2023) A life course approach to women’s health. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Secor R M and Holland A (2024) Advanced health assessment of women: skills, procedures, and management. 5th edn. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Sowemimo A (2023) Divided: racism, medicine and why we need to decolonise healthcare. London: Wellcome Collection.
Steer J (2021) Understanding ADHD in girls and women. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Book subject searches
Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.
Journal articles
Use these links to see details of journal articles on each topic.
Journals
Journals of interest for women's health. Use these links to see details of availability.
Events and Exhibitions
RCN exhibition: The wandering womb -
Women have long been viewed as at the mercy of their biology. How has nursing as a profession challenged the myths and misconceptions around women's health? This exhibition explored themes including menstruation, miscarriage, menopause and gynaecological cancers.
View online exhibition
Nursing History Collection
Graham H (1993) Hardship and health in women’s lives. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Moscucci O (1993) The science of woman: gynaecology and gender in England 1800-1929. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nelson J (2015) More than medicine: a history of the feminist women’s health movement. New York: New York University Press.
Podcasts
Royal College of Nursing (2021) Laura Murphy - Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
Past Caring
Special Collections
Our Permanent Collection consists of nursing specific core items and rare items. It is viewable by appointment at the RCN Library and Heritage Centre. Here is a small selection of items from our collection
Bermosk L (1979) Women's health and human wholeness. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Leeson J (1978) Women and medicine. London: Tavistock.
Quain R (1895) A dictionary of medicine : including general pathology, general therapeutics, hygiene, and the diseases of women and children. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
Historical Journals
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Abigail Kleboe
Editor of this guide
RCN Library and Museum
Upcoming events relating to this subject guide
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04 Nov 2025
Online
Help While Waiting – Gynaecology Waiting Lists
As of 1st September 2025, over 754,000 patients are waiting to be seen in Gynaecology – an increase of more than 10,000 since June. Gynaecology now ranks among the highest waiting lists in the NHS, alongside Trauma & Orthopaedics, ENT, and Ophthalmology.
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18 Nov 2025
Online
Help While Waiting – Gynaecology Waiting Lists
As of 1st September 2025, over 754,000 patients are waiting to be seen in Gynaecology – an increase of more than 10,000 since June. Gynaecology now ranks among the highest waiting lists in the NHS, alongside Trauma & Orthopaedics, ENT, and Ophthalmology.
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09 Dec 2025
London
RCN Women's Health Forum Conference 2025
Speakers confirmed! The programme for the RCN Women’s Health Forum Conference is now live. View the full programme here and don't miss out on receiving your 10% discount when making a group booking of three or more delegates.
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17 Jun 2026
Sheffield
RCN Long-term Conditions Conference 2026
Tackling health inequalities in long-term conditions: Working together, turning vision into reality
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Page last updated - 23/12/2024
