Women's Health
Find information resources about women’s health including key resources, books, and journal articles. This guide is for RCN members including nursing students, nursing support workers, and registered nurses.
Last updated:
20/05/2026
Key Resources
Royal College of Nursing (2026) Menopause and long Covid. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2025) Human Papillomavirus (HPV), cervical screening and cervical cancer. 3rd ed. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2025) Promoting menstrual wellbeing. 3rd ed. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2025) Nurse specialist in menopause. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2025) Menopause: RCN guidance. 3rd edn. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Cervical screening for physically disabled women and autistic women. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Conscientious objection - termination of pregnancy/abortion care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Sexual and reproductive health competency framework for women cared for in prison. London: RCN.
NHS Wales (2024) The NHS Wales women’s health plan 2025-2035. Cardiff: Public Health Wales.
Scottish Government (2026) Women's health plan: phase two (2026 - 2029). Edinburgh: Scottish Government.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Termination of pregnancy and abortion care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2024) Advanced nursing practice for gynaecology and women’s health. 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) What are PMS and PMDD? 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 (2023) Domestic abuse guidance. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) RCN position statement on menopause and you at work. 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) Women’s health pocket guide. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2023) Modern slavery and trafficking: guidance. London: RCN.
RCN Clinical Topics: Domestic violence and abuse
RCN Clinical Topics: Female genital mutilation
RCN Clinical Topics: Women's health
RCN Clinical Topics: 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 (2025) Cervical screening: programme and colposcopy management.
Patient Safety Commissioner (2024) The Hughes report: options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.
We would like to thank the RCN Women's Health member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.
Books
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 (2025) Handbook of contraception and sexual health. 5th edn. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Genazzani A R, Goldstein S R and Simoncini T (eds.) (2024) Menstrual bleeding and pain disorders from adolescence to menopause. Volume 11, Frontiers in gynecological endocrinology. Cham: Springer.
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.
Hendrickx S, Hendrickx J and Gould J (2024) Women and girls on the autism spectrum : understanding life experiences from early childhood to old age. 2nd edn. London: Jessica Kingsley.
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.
Sharma A. (2025) Endometriosis in primary care: a practical guide. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
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
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 Museum. 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
Events
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Page last updated - 20/05/2026
