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Women's Health

Use this guide to find information resources about women’s health including books, reports and journal articles.

Last updated: 16/05/2024

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.
Book cover 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.
Publication cover 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.
Publication cover Royal College of Nursing (2023) Women’s health pocket guide. London: RCN.
Publication cover Royal College of Nursing (2022) Menopause and mental health. London: RCN.
Publication cover Royal College of Nursing (2022) Nurse specialist in menopause. London: RCN.
Publication cover Royal College of Nursing (2022) Promoting menstrual wellbeing. London: RCN.
Clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis Royal College of Nursing (2021) Clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis. London, RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2017) Clinical nurse specialist in early pregnancy care, London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (2021) Clinical nurse specialist in early pregnancy care. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2021) Making sense of women’s health. London: RCN.
Publication cover Royal College of Nursing (2021) RCN position statement on Registered Nursing Associates (RNAs) training in cervical screening. England only. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing (2021) What are PMS and PMDD? London: RCN.
Book Cover Royal College of Nursing (2020) Guidance for nurses and midwives to support those affected by domestic abuse. London: RCN. 
Book cover Royal College of Nursing (2020) Menopause: RCN guidance for nurses, midwives and health visitors. 2nd edn. London: RCN.
Book cover Royal College of Nursing (2020) Modern slavery and trafficking: guidance for nurses and midwives. London: RCN.
Book cover Royal College of Nursing (2020) RCN termination of pregnancy (induced abortion) 2013: position statement. London: RCN.

RCN clinical topic on domestic abuse

RCN clinical topic on female genital mutilation

RCN clinical topic on women's health

RCN clinical topic on slavery and human trafficking 

Department of Health and Social Care (2022) Women's health strategy for England [CP736]. London: DHSC.

NHS: Women’s health
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 (2021) Women's health plan: a plan for 2021-2024. 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

Cover of Berek and Novak’s gynecology essentials. Berek J S (2020) Berek and Novak’s gynecology essentials. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health.
Book cover 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.
Cover of Analysing gender in healthcare: the politics of sex and reproduction Cooper S (2023) Analysing gender in healthcare: the politics of sex and reproduction. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG.
Cover of enough: because we can stop cervical cancer Eckert L (2024) Enough: because we can stop cervical cancer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cover of handbook of contraception and sexual health Everett S (2021) Handbook of contraception and sexual health. 4th edn. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Book cover Geraghty P (ed.) (2021) Each woman's menopause: an evidence based resource: for nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses and allied health professionals. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Book cover 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.
Book cover Holloway D (2019) Nursing management of women’s health: a guide for nurse specialists and practitioners. London: Springer.
Image of the textbook living well with menopause Hunter M and Smith M (2024) Living well through the menopause. London: Robinson.
Cover of a life course approach to women’s health 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.
Cover of advanced health assessment of women: skills, procedures, and management Secor R M and Holland A (2023) Advanced health assessment of women: skills, procedures, and management. 5th edn. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Cover of Divided racism, medicine and why we need to decolonise healthcare Sowemimo A (2023) Divided: racism, medicine and why we need to decolonise healthcare. London: Wellcome Collection.
Cover of understanding ADHD in girls and women. Steer J (2021) Understanding ADHD in girls and women. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Book subject searches

Events and Exhibitions

Exhibition cover 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

Book cover Graham H (1993) Hardship and health in women’s lives. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Book cover Moscucci O (1993) The science of woman: gynaecology and gender in England 1800-1929. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Book cover 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).

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

Nursing Record/British Journal of Nursing (1888-1956)
  • Digitised journal available online.
    View page
  • Article: (no author) (1918) The health of a woman, British Journal of Nursing, 30 March, p.226-227.
    View page

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Page last updated - 16/05/2024