Pelvic Function

11/04/2025

27/03/2025

The lived experience....

18/09/2024

Interested in and ?
Upskill yourself...
👇🏽

14/09/2024

Dating Course is offering what appears to be a presentation I did for My Sexual Health on Vulvodynia and Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions, which was an adaptation of something I presented at PainSa Congress.

(I can’t confirm its content, as I refuse to purchase it!)

This is without my consent, and before I stumbled upon it, without my knowledge.

$20? I would love $20 - thank you. To put towards my research...
Your is my and expertise.

Cheeky, shameful, or criminal? What do you think?

04/08/2024

Join me for a Conference in South Africa!

I’m delighted to be one of the speakers confirmed for the 2024 SASHA (Southern African Sexual Health Association) Congress which will be hosted in Sandton in just a few weeks!

The theme is ‘Exploring New Horizons in Sexual Health’.

When: 19-20 October 2024
Where: The Capital on the Park, Sandton

This CPD-accredited event promises to bring together a kaleidoscope of voices, priorities and perspectives in sexual health. Join us for two full days of workshops, symposia, networking opportunities and socialising.

I will be on a panel discussing interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, and hopefully presenting preliminary data from my research!

I’d love to see you there.

To register or find out more click here: https://sasha2024.co.za/

2024 SASHA CONGRESS 🎉

After the inaugural SASHA conference in 2022, we knew that we had started something good, and that it would continue in the future to enhance sexual health in Southern Africa.

In 2022 we aimed to bring everyone and everything in sexual health together with our theme, Merging the Mosaic. Building on this theme, the conference this year will focus on the dynamics within the interprofessional team, and the skills and practical approach to improve sexual health from different and new perspectives. We will look a bit further than the obvious and discover new and innovative ways of managing the variety of factors that contribute to the different aspects of sexual health.

The conference speaks to an interprofessional audience focusing on a biopsychosocial (-cultural) approach to the management of sexual health. Keynote addresses will cover topics such as Compulsive Sexual Behaviour and Desire Discrepancy. Amongst some of the other topics that will be covered are Interstitial Cystitis and Female Sexual Function, as well as the Contemporary use of Hormones.

This year the workshops will not run parallel with other tracks, but will form part of the main conference programme to ensure accessibility to everyone who is interested in attending. The workshops will have a practical focus and will be on Adolescent Sexual Health, while the second workshop will cover the topic of Asexuality.

Conferences are however not only there to learn, but it also is a unique opportunity for networking and future collaborations. We are looking forward to meeting you in person and have some innovative conversations with you during the networking session and cocktail function.

When: 19-20 October 2024
Where: The Capital On The Park, Sandton, Johannesburg.

Registration Fees - Early Bird Special:

SASHA Members: R3000
Non-Members: R4000
Undergraduate Students: R2000

Please note: The Early Bird Special ends 31 July 2024.

Register now: https://sasha2024.co.za (link in bio)

CPD-Accredited.

23/06/2024

Met some new friends out walking this morning....

08/06/2024

research QR code

20/05/2024

Recovering from another excellent academic, research, and social offering at 2024 annual congress.

I was honoured to share my views on the evolution of chronic pelvic pain and shamelessly slipped in a taster of my research in chronic overlapping pain conditions ( ) and (or autonomic nervous system dysregulation). I was humbled and flattered by the kind response from the delegates.

My poster was underwhelming, but a great learning experience. 😌

Major take-aways:
1. We get our understanding of health for FEMALE humans from MALE rats. 🙋🏽‍♀️🐁 and yes, boys and girls are different in more than genitalia and secondary characteristics. Testosterone and estrogen have DIFFERENT physiological effects in the body, and on pain. 🧠💥
2. If we cannot see people we consult with through the lens of their , , and , we are blinkered and ineffective in motivating for change.
3. is gathering loads of awesome SOUTH AFRICAN data, to better understand postoperative pain in our populations 🙌🏼
4. Generational pain is the end clinical manifestation of a vulnerable sociopsychobiological state. We need to do better.
5. is real - need to prioritize a degree of self-care admist the Load of Service. We are just as human as the people we assist
6. is scary, complete with microclots and 'sticky' (clumped) red blood cells. Some excellent pictures showing the process!
7. Whilst autonomic changes are present in (complex regional pain syndrome, for those who don't know or can't remember...) they are prevalent in , , , , (chronic low back pain), , , and , , and (chronic fatigue syndrome).

There were many aha moments, and my little summary does not do justice to the intelligence, curiosity, and empathy of Pain People .

To old colleagues, new friends, and the physio who retired in January but came anyway because she doesn't want to give it up (despite not needing the points) - I salute you and hope to see you at another congress soon 👊🏽

Sunrise over Indian ocean from 6th floor....

19/04/2024

I am delighted to have been invited to present a keynote on the evolution of at PainSA. I had such a fabulous time last year - these caring clinicians and daring researchers aka Pain People are
And... my abstract on my research has been accepted for a poster presentation, so I get to talk about my work - Happy Times ahead!!! 🤓

13/04/2024

Generally fit and healthy? Want to contribute to important research into the stress response and chronic pain? Ethical approval granted.
HPALS

22/02/2024

21/02/2024