Category Archives: wellbeing

Let’s Talk About It: Cervical Screening, or “The Dreaded Smear”

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Picture This/POV:

You’re 24. You stumble back through the doorway after a day at work and you notice a letter on the ground with the swirls of text forming your name. After jostling with your bag in an obviously extremely graceful manner, you reach down and pick it up and take it with you, up the stairs and to your room in the house you share with a ridiculous number of people.

Once you’ve put your things down, you open up this letter and discover it is from the NHS. Here it is: the invitation to your first cervical screening.

*slides letter slowly away*

This month, we have had wonderful events hosted by the Women@Reading Network on menopause and I found them so invaluable and I am so grateful that people have shared their experiences of the menopause so it won’t be such a shock as and when that time comes around for me. When I told my mother we had these events at work, she turned to me and said, “you are so lucky.”

I figured that cervical screening is also something that is not really talked about and so the veil of mystery it wears can make it seem scarier than it otherwise might be. So, this is what this blog post is about. It is for those of you who are seasoned pros by now with this whole screening business, and for those who, like me, are at the beginning of this journey. I like mystery as much as the next person, but not when it comes to gynaecological health.

The letter that came was accompanied by a booklet explaining what cervical screening is. You may know it by its former name, the “smear” test. According to the pamphlet, cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer and prevents 70% of cervical cancer deaths in England alone. They predict that if everyone attended screening regularly, 83% could be prevented.

I was of the generation that was offered the HPV vaccination when I was at school that we colloquially called, “the cervical cancer jab”. Of course, while no vaccination is 100% guaranteed to prevent an illness, I must admit I felt pretty grateful once I started reading through the booklet for it. I also felt a bit tense. And that’s normal…and why I am writing this. If we talk about it, the reality of it becomes less scary because we can know more of what to expect and stop (or reduce) feeling ashamed or uncomfortable when talking about this real experience that we go through.

The NHS offers screening for people from 25 to 49 every three years and for people aged 50 to 64 every five years. This is because this is when most cervical cancers develop. NHS screening is for anybody who has a cervix. Cervical cancer happens, the booklet says, when cells in the cervix grow in an uncontrolled way and build up to form a lump (a tumour). Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, which causes the cells in your cervix to become abnormal.

HPV is very common and most people get it during their life. It is spread during any type of sexual activity where there is close skin to skin contact and can stay in the body for many years at low or undetectable levels. So, it may have come from a partner a long time ago. Before you panic, only some “high-risk” types of HPV can lead to cancer and the types that do cause cervical cancer do not cause any symptoms. Usually, the body can get rid of abnormal cells resulting from HPV and the cervix returns to normal. Sometimes, though, this doesn’t happen and the abnormal cells develop into cancer.

If abnormal cells are found during a cervical screening you may be referred to have a colposcopy, usually carried out in a hospital, when a small sample is taken to check any “unusual” (rude!) looking parts of the cervix. If these abnormal cells are serious then you may need treatment to remove them.

There are four outcomes from a screening that the booklet lists:

  1. HPV negative, where no further tests are conducted until your next cervical screening
  2. HPV positive: no abnormal cells, where the sample is positive and you have HPV but no abnormal cells. You will be asked to come for screening sooner than is usual to check if the immune system gets rid of the HPV itself, which happens in most cases
  3. HPV positive: abnormal cells found, where your abnormal cells will be given a ‘grade’ according to seriousness that will be explained to you in a letter. Then you will be invited for a colposcopy
  4. Inadequate result. How unsatisfying, I know. If this happens, you’ll be invited for screening again in three months’ time. The reason for this wait is so there are enough cells from which to collect another sample

Now, that’s a lot of information and, trust me, there is more in the booklet, but I figured I’d leave it there in case you’re either hyperventilating or your head hurts from the amount of info-dumping I’ve just done. What I do wish is that they would prepare you about the experience and the practicalities: will it be uncomfortable or will it be painful? If symptoms of cervical cancer can include things like bleeding between periods, can you go to a screening if you are menstruating or do you need to wait until you’re no longer bleeding? (I’ll ask these questions and get back to you! UPDATE — Here is Part Two which gives the answers to these questions).

It’s kind of scary, but I at least felt a little bit better about the whole matter after reading more and after discussing it with a colleague at work who had gone through it themselves.

So, I called up to book my appointment and, after grooving to the mind-numbing hold music at Chancellor’s Way bus stop for what felt like four hours (it was only 10 minutes), I was told I could book a telephone appointment online…

“Well…” I say, “it’s for a cervical screening.”

“Oh!” says the person on the other end of the line, “that will be the nurse then, so let me check her schedule.”

And I wait again.

And then, “our nurse is away and it doesn’t say when she’ll be taking appointments again, but you can call back next week?”

I agreed to call back next week. And I will. And then I will be back with part two (UPDATE — Part Two, the experience).

I never thought I would be writing about cervical screening as part of my job, but here we are. I decided to write this because of the reasons I stated earlier, but also because not everybody has someone they feel they can talk to about their fears and concerns when it comes to gynaecological health. It has been shunned for millennia, but I believe we are moving beyond that now.

It’s okay to be worried about cervical screening, but the best thing is to get it done. As the pamphlet says, “regardless of your sexual orientation, sexual history, or whether you have had the HPV vaccination,” if you have a cervix it’s best to go to your screening. I’ll always be here to talk and hold your hand in spirit through the whole process.

If you want further support, feel free to join Women@Reading, talk to me, the Diversity and Inclusion Advisor, or someone at work you feel comfortable with. If you have any medical questions, do direct those to your local health practitioner, GP, or nurse.

Thank you for reading!

— Ceara

LGBT+ History Month 2022 – Round Up

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A UoR branded graphic with 'LGBT+ History Month' written on it and a heart with the LGBT+ progress flag designed in it.

LGBT+ History Month – ‘Round up’

There was a lot of activity across the University in February for LGBT+ History month. Here are some of the highlights to keep your LGBT+ inclusion going beyond the major celebratory months.

 

What is LGBT+ History month and why is it important?

LGBT+ History Month happens in February every year in the UK. It is important that we celebrate LGBT+ history to recognise and celebrate the contributions and achievements of LGBT+ people throughout history. Some historical figures could not be openly ‘out’ in their own time (Oscar Wilde, for example) and for this reason it is important to celebrate them today and recognise them as their whole selves.

The LGBT+ community also have a long history of having to fight for human rights. Still today, 70 countries criminalise same-sex relationships. This map shows the stark reality of current global rights for LGBT+ people, which makes it even more important that we critique, as well as celebrate the community’s history, and by doing this, we can look ahead to the future.

 

The Library’s D&I resources  

A message from Tim Chapman, D&I Lead, Library.

“Our online reading list system, which is widely used by academic staff for most taught courses across the University, has been of huge benefit to students since we adopted it in 2015. It gives direct links to the library catalogue and instant access to any material available to us online.  

We are also able to develop bespoke reading lists such as this one - highlighting some great YA and Children’s material that we hold in the library, covering a range of LGBTQ+ issues and themes. Check it out.   

Our online reading lists enable us to get the broadest reach possible and they help us to widen readership, which from a diversity perspective, must be a positive thing.  

We also produce a reading list that keeps track of all the material purchased from our Diversity Fund. Anyone can suggest a purchase that relates to any of our diversity and inclusion themes (LGBTQ+, race & ethnicity, disability & inclusion). It’s a great way for you to help us to shape your Library’s collections.  

If you want more information, or to suggest a book for purchase, contact your School Academic Liaison Librarian here.” 

 

Prepster: PrEParing and HIV

Dr Will Nutland, co-founder of prepster, talked about why testing for HIV is important, who should be thinking about testing, and how frequently. He talked to us about how testing has changed over time and in addition, talked about the available options -including PrEP for those who are negative and new options for those folks that test positive for HIV.

Re-watch the event here: Prepster:PrEParing and HIV

 

 

‘Ice and Fire’ – a rehearsed reading and Q&A 

Brought to us by Dr Ruvi Ziegler, Chair of the LGBT+ staff network on Wednesday 02 February. Prior to the reading, between 2-2.45pm, there was also an asylum mapping workshop open to interested law students and staff.

The event was a rehearsed reading of LGBT+ asylum testimonies by Ice and Fire followed by a Q&A moderated by Sebastian Aguirre, Director of Actors For Human Rights (a queer human rights activist and theatre practitioner from the Chilean refugee diaspora in the UK), with Ruvi Ziegler and a representative of the Reading Refugee Support Group.

Here is tweet about the event as well as some photos

 

 

LGBTQ+ Britain through Bishopsgate institute collections

Stef took participants at the university on a virtual tour of the collections at the Bishopsgate Institute, talking about the history of LGBT+ Britain. Covering many topics and moments over last 50 years in a light-hearted fashion for all the University Staff and Students.

Watch it again below:

LGBTQ+ Britain through Bishopsgate institute collections

 

 

the Pride in STEM logo

LGBT+ History Month Whiteknights Campus trail

The Central Diversity and Inclusion team released a University of Reading ‘talking or walking tour’, in collaboration with the LGBT+ Staff Network.

We reached out to the Diversity and Inclusion leads across the University and asked for an LGBT+ figure who they associate with their School, Function, or field of study. We collated these figures and mapped out a route through the University’s Whiteknights Campus.

Some departments are not located on Whiteknights campus, and these have been added at the end so that you can learn about the historical figures, without travelling to those locations physically.

Colleagues can listen to an audio version, read about the icons, use the ‘map’ to physically familiarise themselves with Whiteknights campus buildings and departments (and LGBT+ History).

 

Listen to/watch the presentation here: Whiteknights_campus_LGBT_tour_2022.mp4

Whiteknights Campus map here Campuses Map & Key (reading.ac.uk)

We also ran training including an LGBT+ Ally recruitment and information session. You can still sign up to our Trans inclusion training, as it is at the end of March:

A Trans flag being held up against a blue background

Trans inclusion training 

Thursday 31st March 2022 – 10am-12pm (via Microsoft Teams)

Register here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National HIV Test Week 07-13 February 2022

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a blog piece by Quincy Bastow (they/them), Technician – Teaching and Research at UoR, in collaboration with Jessica Harding (she/her), Deputy CEO at TVPS. 

Background on TVPS: Since 1985, Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS) has worked hard to make a significant difference to people living with HIV across Berkshire. Originally an amalgamation of several different HIV support groups in the area, TVPS now stands proudly as the only HIV charity in Berkshire and in January 2020, expanded to include HIV support in North Hampshire. Our work spans prevention, testing, and post-diagnosis support. Their goal is to make people are aware of their HIV status, have the right level of support if they are positive, and are sufficiently informed to protect themselves if they are negative.

 

 

 

7th-13th of February marks National HIV Test Week. This week aims to encourage as many people as possible to test for HIV and know their status. It also highlights the many different methods of testing for HIV. A quick, easy and discreet method is the free postal test scheme that runs throughout the testing week. You can order one from freetesting.hiv 

 

Last year marked 40 years since the first official reporting of five cases, of what would later go on to be named Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). We have come a long way in the past four decades, so let’s explore some of these advances…

 

PrEP 
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting HIV. Taking PrEP before being exposed to HIV means there’s enough medication inside you to block HIV if it gets into your body. PrEP is available free on the NHS in England. If you would like to learn more about PrEP or how to access it, contact your local sexual health clinic

 

PEP  
Post-exposure prophylaxis is a combination of HIV drugs that can stop the virus from taking hold. It can be used after the event if you’ve been at risk of HIV transmission. It must be taken within 72 hours, but ideally, it should be taken within 24 hours. It is not guaranteed to work, and it is meant as an emergency measure to be used as a last resort, such as if a condom fails during sex.

 

U=U
Undetectable equals untransmittable – this means that if the levels of HIV antibodies are so low in a person’s blood they cannot be detected. We call this an undetectable viral load. If you have an undetectable viral load, you cannot pass HIV on. People achieve an undetectable viral load by consistently taking their HIV medication and this is where the phrase ‘medication = prevention’ derives from in terms of HIV.

 

“While we have come so far in terms of testing options and advances in medication and prevention strategies, sadly attitudes towards HIV have not kept pace. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigmas that surround HIV due to misconceptions and lack of knowledge. The best way to help diminish stigma is to get HIV educated and pass that education on to those around you. A really easy way you can start to get HIV educated is to head over to iTunes or Spotify and listen to our HIV podcast – HIV, Hope & Charity. We share the stories of positive people, activists, and HIV history, and all in around 25 minutes!” – TVPS (Thames Valley Positive Support)

 

 

At the University of Reading this week, Friday 11th, 13:00-14:00, we will have Dr. Will Nutland, co-founder of prepster, will be talking about why testing for HIV is important, who should be thinking about testing, and how frequently. He will also talk to us about how testing has changed over time in addition, to how there are options – including PrEP for those who are negative and new options for those folks that test positive for HIV.
To register interest click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bi Visibility Day is 23 Years Old!

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Trigger warning: This article contains references to self-harm and domestic violence.  

 

Bi Visibility Day is marking it’s 23rd Year and we are excited to acknowledge and celebrate our Bi colleagues and students and remind our Ally colleagues and students that even after 23 years of marking this day, there are still challenges to overcome for this community within the LGBT+ community.  

As it falls on the 23rd of September, we thought we could go through 23 things to remember this Bi Visibility day:

 

23 Things to Remember on Bi Visibility Day:
 

  • No more erasure! 

Bi Erasure is a pervasive issue where the legitimacy and/or existence of bi identities is denied. Here are some ideas to help your bi friends fight invisibility and erasure. 

 

  • Avoid assumptions 

Avoid making assumptions based on someone’s previous or current partner. Follow their lead on language they use to define their relationship or identity and be aware that this could be fluid and subject to change.  

 

  • ‘Bi’ is an umbrella term   

Bi is a word we can use to describe several identities, attractions, and orientations.  According to bi.org: 

“Terms that fall under the bi umbrella include pansexual (attraction to all genders, with a political emphasis on nonbinary gender identities), polysexual (attraction to multiple sexes), omnisexual (attraction to all sexes), and multisexual (attraction to multiple sexes). Some people prefer the term fluid meaning that their attractions are not fixed and include people of more than one sex over time. “  

 

  • Be an Ally! 

You can join the LGBT+ Staff Network as an Ally, as well as signing up to our Bi inclusion training and learn about ways to support your bi colleagues. You can also pick up an UoR LGBT+/LGBT+ Ally lanyard and pronoun badge when you’re on campus to be a visible Ally! These are free to pick up at various places across campus including Whiteknights House reception and the Students’ Union reception. 

You can also check out this ‘10 Ways You Can Step Up as an Ally to Bi People‘ article over on the Stonewall website.

 

  • One in two 18-24 year olds in the UK do not identify as 100% straight 

A study by YouGov, using the Kinsey scale, allows people to place themselves along a sexuality scale. Taken as a whole, 23% of the British public do not identify as straight.   

 

  • Bi people make up nearly half of the LGBT+ community 

According to a 2013 Pew research centre survey, bi people make up 44% of the LGBT+ community. MyUmbrella, who champion inclusion within the LGBT+ community in Reading, made this podcast last year talking about why we still need Bi Visibility day. 

 

  • Recognise and challenge biphobia 

If you witness biphobia or bi erasure, and you feel safe to do so, challenge this behaviour. You can use the University’s method for calling out (or calling in) detrimental behaviour, the UHT method – Getting involved – call out bad behaviour. 

You can also report this behaviour using the University’s reporting procedures – Harassment reporting and support.  

 

  • Uplift and support marginalised bi people 

This can be done by everyone within the bi community, as well as all allies.  

BAME bi people are further marginalised and discriminated against within the bi community,  Ace bi people are erased and excluded, bi men face stigma from the LGBT+ community and  so on. Intersectionality within the bi community often leads to further inequality. You can  help fight this by seeking out and supporting bi groups who explicitly support those people  who identify as having multiple, or intersecting, protected characteristics.  

Bi’s of colour, an organisation created “cos bisexuality isn’t just for white folks” sadly shut down operations this year, but you can read Bi’s of Colour History report in 2015.   

 

  • Bi people have always been here 

Being bi isn’t a new way to identify, nor is it a phase or a trend. Take a look through some of the iconic bi people throughout history – Historical figures who are bi icons  

 

  • Use inclusive language 

Be aware of, and curious about, the language you use. Do you use the word ‘gay’ as a catch-all term? Could this be inadvertently erasing someone’s bi identify? Remember that asking lots of questions so that you are clear on someone’s identity can be harmful, so keep an open, empathic mind. The Stonewall Glossary of terms is a useful resource.   

 

  • Bi people face unique mental health challenges 

In a review of depression and anxiety among bi people, meta-analysis of approximately 52 eligible studies, found that: 

“consistent pattern of lowest rates of depression/anxiety among heterosexual people, while bisexual people exhibit higher or equivalent rates in comparison to lesbian/gay people.” 

 

  • Bi people face unique parenting challenges  

Bi people are almost twice as likely to be parents than gay or lesbian people, and some may find it tricky to know how or when to ‘come out’ to their children. You can read about some of the lived experiences of bi parents in this article How Do Bi Parents Come Out to Their Kids?   

The parent and family network recently held an event in conjunction with the LGBT+ staff network, focused on LGBT+ parenting.   

 

  • The majority of people of all generations in the UK now accept the idea that sexual orientation exists along a continuum rather than a binary choice  

YouGov states that overall 60% of straight people support this idea, and 73% of those who identify as LGBT+. 

 

  • Young bi people and self-injury

According to University of Manchester researchers, young bi people are up to six times more likely to engage in non-suicidal self-injury. Further research is being done into this issue, you can find out about the study here Self-Injury in young Bisexual people: A Longitudinal investigation (SIBL)  

 

  • Bi people face high levels of discrimination at work  

A Stonewall report on bi people in the workplace, found: 

“Bisexual staff are, they felt, subjected to assumptions that they may find demeaning or inappropriate.” 

 

  • Make LGBT+ spaces inclusive 

It is important that LGBT+ spaces review their inclusivity and recognise any challenges. We introduced a position of ‘Bi role model’ into our LGBT+ staff Network  

 

  • 61% of bi women and 37% of bi men experience intimate partner violence.  

According to a study, bi people experienced the highest rates of violence by an 

intimate partner. In Reading there are several organisations you can reach out to including Trust House, Alana House, and Berkshire Women’s Aid.  

 

  • Support bi organisations and campaigns 

Find national and local organisations that you can support, such as:

Bi Pride UK  

The Unicorn project  

BiCon 

 

  • Make sure your workplace, university or school is inclusive 

At the University of Reading, some of the ways you can support bi people are joining the LGBT+ Staff Network, taking Bi inclusion training, joining RUSU LGBT+ society. 

In Reading town, SupportU are and LGBT+ organisation who can offer a professional consultancy and tailor training for local businesses and organisations. 

Stonewall are a larger organisation who share best practice and toolkits, provide training and a benchmarking tool. The University of Reading continues to be among Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers, according to the 2020 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. 

 

  • The Bi Pay Gap  

‘INVISIBLE MAJORITY’ a US report on the disparities facing bi people, shows that 48% percent of bi respondents report a lower annual family income compared to 28% of all adults in the United States.  

 

  • Support bi people to live full and complex lives, like everyone else! 

Bi people can be further stigmatised if they are seen to ‘fit’ into stereotypes. Bi people can live every bit as complex and nuanced lives as those who do not identify as bi. Affirm your friends, colleagues and family members identities and relationships and remember the harm that can be caused by stereotyping.  

 

  • Positive Bi representation in the media  

Representation is so important because of the link between societal attitudes towards bi  people, and their portrayal in mainstream media.  GLAAD’s ‘Where we are on TV’ report.  

 

  • Celebrate bi people! 

Amplify the voices and experiences of bi people. Celebrate days like Bi Visibility Day. Search social media for bi content creators, learn and share their content.  

 

 

 

 

Further Resources:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Lesbian Visibility Week 2021

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by Hatty Taylor and Nozomi Tolworthy, UoR Diversity and Inclusion Advisors 

 

This year Lesbian Visibility Week runs from Monday 26 April – Sunday 2 May. The aim of this week, according to the organisers is 

 

“Both to celebrate lesbians and show solidarity with all LGBTQI women and non binary people in our community. We believe in unity, and lifting up those who are most marginalised.” 

 

Lesbians are a marginalised community within the marginalised community that is LGBTQ+. Lesbian visibility week is important because lesbians have been erased, ignored, and misunderstood, so many times throughout history. When homosexuality was illegal, lesbians were not criminalised which could be considered as leniency, though it would be naïve not to consider that this might have been erasure or incomprehension of lawmakers at the time.  

Fast forward to present day, and lesbian representation in mainstream media and entertainment still has a long way to go. Too often, characters are at best engaged in the likes of a coming of age drama or straight-woman-turned-lesbian tragedy, and at worst fetishized for the male gaze.  

 

Even representation falters when interpretation can lead to erasure.

Consider the incident of famous actor and lesbian, Samira Wiley, whose wedding photo went viral after a fan requested pictures of her and her wife’s ‘husbands. Assumptions of ‘bffs’, ‘galpal’ relationships, ‘special friendships’ and various other euphemistic language serves only to minimise, erase and extinguish the validity, nuance, and depth of lesbian relationships.  

 

Like many marginalised groups right now, the community is also challenged by a period in time where opinions within it are polarised. Lesbians are being pressured to take opposing sides and energy is being drawn away from unity against the oppression, to in–fighting amongst the community. While the subjects dividing opinion are no doubt important, one has to question whether the division of a marginalised group is helpful for any of it’s members, and who this division ultimately benefits. The message of this year’s lesbian visibility week is one of unity and carries a loud and clear call for solidarity among all LGBTQ+ women and non binary people in the community.

 

Year-Round Visibility  

Below you can find some inspirational LGBTQ+ women, media outlets and organisations who are keeping lesbians visible every day of the year and represent the multifaceted lesbian experience.  

First published in 1994, the world’s best-selling magazine for LGBTQI women, DIVA magazine  who are sponsors of Lesbian Visibility Week, produce content which does not fit within the narrow lines often prescribed to the lesbian experience.  

Tanya Compass, an award-winning youth worker, community organiser and founder of Queer Black Christmas. After working in the charity sector for 6 years delivering programming and supporting vulnerable young people, Tanya realised that there was no better time than now to finally set up Exist Loudly, an official organisation and create programming for Queer Black Young People in London.  

Hannah Gadsby, comedian, writer and actress shares her experiences both as a lesbian and as a neurodiverse person. Her beautifully honest stand up is both heart-breaking and hilarious. Watch Nanette on Netflix (have tissues ready!).  

 

 

Organisations Around Reading – Learn More, Get Support 

SupportU provide awareness raising events and support to the entire LGBTQ+ community in the Berkshire area. SupportU are currently producing an online series in collaboration with Club F.O.D, a charity dedicated to combatting LGBTQ+ social isolation, titled ‘Sofa Talks’. The series covers a wide range of issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community.  

 

Reading Culture Live have been showcasing a series of events, ‘Under the Brolly’ in collaboration with local organisation myumbrella LGBT+, and they are exploring marginalised identities within the LGBTQ+ community, including this video, covering Lesbian Visibility Week and World Autism Day. This is a really wonderful series, raising awareness and celebrating lesser known identities within the community. 

 

 

Events  

Lesbian Visibility Week events are FREE and will be live streamed through Facebook and YouTube unless otherwise stated.  

View all events taking place from Monday 26 April to Saturday 01 May 2021 over on the Lesbian Visibility Week Events Webpage. Here’s a peek at what’s going on!  

 

 

 

 

 

Discrimination and Disparities in the World of Psychology

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by Renée Lee, Second Year Psychology Student and Professor Patricia Riddell, Director of WIDE

 

Within the field of Psychology, multiple students wish to progress into the clinical roles. Therefore, it is important for them to know about how the BAME community is treated in the medical health field. There are myths about BAME individuals that are important to address since they can consciously or subconsciously affect the way healthcare professionals provide care.

 

You may or may not already be aware that there is discrimination within the mental health sector of our NHS. According to government statistics (“Treatment for mental or emotional problems”, 2017), black individuals tend to experience worse mental health than white people, however, the latter are more than twice as likely to receive treatment for these problems. In addition to this, when mental health treatment is provided healthcare, it is often implemented through the criminal justice system. Further to this, 40% of black people are given compulsory treatment and drug therapy rather than receiving psychological talking therapies which are more commonly provided to white people. Moreover, black people are four times more likely to be arrested under the Mental Health Act in comparison to white people. It can, therefore, be argued that black people are treated more harshly than white people even before receiving any therapy sessions (“Discrimination in mental health services”, 2019).

 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (2018) in the UK also acknowledged that Black British individuals have more mental health conditions. This is results from greater incidence of poverty, homelessness, poorer educational outcomes, higher unemployment and greater contact with the criminal justice system in BAME communities than White communities (National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003). This increases stress and has a negative impact on mental health (Bhui, Nazroo, Francis et al (2018). These differences can also result in culturally inappropriate treatment of BAME patients by healthcare professionals.

 

There is evidence that the BAME community, and particularly black men, do not always want to seek professional help partly as a result of cultural mistrust and clinician bias (Hankerson, Suite and Bailey (2015); Memon, Taylor, Mohebati et al, 2016). This is sometimes a result of stigma, lack of knowledge of resources available, or a lack of sensitivity of healthcare professionals to cultural sensitivities. One further reason that this mistrust exists is that, in some parts of the world, healthcare professionals have chosen to experiment on particular racial groups (for example, in the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Male Negro”). This practice is still in evidence today, for example, when French doctors insisted that COVID-19 trials and testing should take place in Africa due to the lower number of cases there. This led to outrage among the black community who pointed out that they are “not human guinea pigs” (“Coronavirus: France racism row over doctors’ Africa testing comments”, 2020).

 

Moreover, there are biases that relate specifically to the Black community that may affect the care that healthcare professionals provide. A common example is that clinicians have sometimes been found to underestimate the cognitive abilities of Black people as a result of stereotyping (Hankerson et al, 2015). Another example involves the idea of the “strong, independent black woman”. If healthcare professionals view black women as strong all of the time, then there is a possibility that they will be incorrectly diagnosed correctly and/or provided with inappropriate treatment.

 

Overall, this information provides evidence of the ways in which black people are discriminated against in the mental health sector. Whether it be access to treatment, diagnoses or the treatment prescribed, the BAME community are not always treated the same as the white community. The future generation of healthcare professionals need to realise how important it is to dispel biases both individually and as a community in order to provide effective treatment for all. No-one should be denied the best and most appropriate access to healthcare on the basis of their race or the colour of their skin.

 

 

 

 

Links to read more about the topics discussed above

 

 

References

 

 

 

 

International Women’s Day 2021 – A challenged world is an alert world 

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Why do we celebrate international Women’s day? 

Celebrated on 8th March annually, International Women’s Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women globally. It is also a day to recognise steps taken towards gender equality and address action still needing to be taken.  
 

This year the theme of International Women’s Day is #ChoosetoChallenge. At the University of Reading, we have a long history of challenging the status quo of gender roles. Edith Morley was the first woman appointed to a chair at a British university-level institution, after becoming English professor at University College Reading (now the University of Reading). In her autobiography, she described the appointment as: 

 

“my contribution to the battle for fair dealing for women in public and professional life” 

 

Our annual lecture in her name celebrates her contribution and provides a platform for us to amplify the voices of women today who are choosing to challenge the status quo.  This year, this special event featured writer, activist, podcaster and journalist, Scarlett Curtis. You can watch the event here again via this link. 

 

 

International Women’s Day 2021 at UoR  

 

We have asked our staff and students to tell us what the theme of #ChoosetoChallenge means to them. Here’s how they responded… 

 

 

Asaiel Alohaly 

PhD student in the corporate governance of Aramco 

 

I am a tree rooted home 

I am a summer breeze 

Flying everywhere 

I am diversity 

I am what I am 

 

By: Asaiel Alohaly 

 

 

 

Claire Collins  

Co-chair of the Women@Reading Network

 

Courage – this is my new mantra.  I don’t have much of it.  I am like the lion in The Wizard of Oz. 

If we don’t have courage, we will never be seen or heard. Our voices will be mute, our deeds and achievements will go unrecognised.  When other voices are loud and deep, we need to raise ourselves up and speak, with confidence and conviction. Other voices don’t wait to be absolutely true to facts when they speak, but they do so anyway.  We hold back, until we’re absolutely 100% sure that we are correct.  And while we wait, the world, and the opportunity has passed us by. 

Speak up with courage.  Do your deeds with courage. Be a human being on this planet with the courage that you are as good as any other and have the same rights as any other to be heard and seen.   

Rise up Women – and fill yourselves with Courage!!! 

 

 

 

Dr Bolanle Adebola 

Associate Professor of Law
Co-Lead for Diversity and Inclusion, School of Law
Co-Lead, UoR Staff BAME Network
Convener, Commercial Law Research Network Nigeria (CLRNN) 

 

I #Choose to Challenge (the Notion that Women are not Effective Leaders) 

The year 2020 was remarkable globally, as well as personally. It was the year of the pandemic which saw women disproportionately affected by the recession it precipitated. It was also the year in which female heads of government were applauded for their decisive leadership that averted the high death toll experienced in counterparts with male heads of government. The year of Kamala Harris – the first female and Minority Ethnic Vice President of the United States. Despite these strides, the Reykjavík Index for Leadership shows that women are still not considered equally able to lead as men.  

For me, 2020 was the year in which I stepped into visible leadership roles to challenge barriers, inequity and exclusionary practices. A negative experience in November 2019 led me to investigate the racial experiences of other colleagues at the University. The answers I found were heartrending. So, I chose to challenge by co-founding a network for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff in January 2020. Through the UoR Staff BAME Network, we raise awareness and challenge the experiences on which we once were silent, with the aim of influencing change. The University responded by commissioning the Race Equality Review co-led by one of its Minority Ethnic female Professors and deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Parveen Yaqoob.

I was also concerned for students from these Minority Ethnic communities. I became Co-Lead for Diversity and Inclusion at the School of Law, and through this role, investigated the possibility of an awarding gap for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students.  I found a gap, which averaged 10.3% across the group over the 3 years of data that we had. I disaggregated the data to ensure that we obtained an accurate picture of the gap for each Ethnicity. The picture was much starker for Black and non-Chinese Asian students. I chose to challenge the situation by engaging colleagues in conversations. In collaboration with a committee of staff and students, I embarked on awareness raising and solution seeking conversations. I am happy that several colleagues of all races and across functions are contributing to the change that is underway.  

As a leader, I have initiated and participated in several important but uncomfortable conversations in various spaces within my School and the wider University. It is not easy leading the charge but I #Choose to Challenge barriers, inequity and exclusionary practices.  

  

 

Poppy Lindsey 

RUSU Women’s Officer

 

#choosetochallenge non-intersectional feminism 

This International Women’s Day, I’m choosing to challenge non-intersectional feminism. I first of all want to highlight the fact I am a straight, white, able-bodied woman, and so there are many struggles faced by women globally that I can never understand. The main crux of intersectional feminism is that we, as feminists, should not and cannot focus solely on issues which only affect people reflective of ourselves. It is not effective to the women’s rights movement to view certain issues as ‘them’ problems – as feminists we must fight for the liberation of every woman, regardless of their race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, ability, and so on. One of the most important women’s rights activists in promoting intersectionality was Fannie Lou Hamer, who said: 

 “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free” 

 I’m often hit with the criticism: ‘We don’t need feminism! Women are equal in this country!’. The thing these people need to hear is that every year, 12 million girls marry before the age of 18, and that there are an estimated 3 million girls at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation every year. Should we not fight for these girls with no voice, just because it will most likely never affect us? As women, we cannot consider ourselves free when these shocking statistics still exist, and when female lives are being compromised to such an extent. This is why intersectionality is so important, and that racism has no place in the feminist movement.  

 

 

 

Dr Eileen Hyder 
PFHEA
Manager of FLAIR CPD Scheme 

 

#choosetochallenge injustice 

 Chain of solidarity and love – Women in Moscow took part in a ‘Chain of Solidarity and Love’ on Valentine’s Day in support of both Yulia Navalnaya (the wife of the jailed opposition leader, Alexei Navalny) and also women prosecuted for political reasons. The event’s organiser said, ‘Come with flowers, with red clothing items and with paper hearts attached to your clothes, on which you can write the names of the women with whom you want to express solidarity. We want to remind ourselves that love is stronger than fear’. I find it powerful and inspiring when women choose to challenge injustice in ways that show strength and gentleness simultaneously.   

 

 

 

Dr Ellen McManus-Fry  

Chair of the Parent and Family Network
Prospect Research Officer 


About this time, 3 years ago, I came back to work following maternity leave. My daughter was only 4 months old, due to how my husband and I had divided up our shared parental leave and was still exclusively breastfed. This meant that I needed to be able to express and store milk during the working day that my husband could then feed to our baby at home.  

Breastfeeding wasn’t something which had been mentioned at all in the maternity policy or in any other information I’d been given by the University, and I only knew that I could request to be provided with a suitable space to pump thanks to a colleague and friend, Nicola Hall, who had recently been through the same thing herself. I had great support and help from my manager and from Estates, who identified and adapted a room for me to use – installing a lock and blocking out the door window, albeit a week after I returned to work.  

However, I was surprised that there were no facilities already in place and there was a sense that I was the first woman to ever make a request like this, which I knew could not be the case. It didn’t feel right that the onus was on me, amid all the other challenges of returning to work after having a baby, to seek out and arrange these facilities; facilities which were vital to enable me to return to work whilst continuing to feed my child in the way I had chosen to.  

 Together with Nikki, I decided to investigate how other women had managed returning to work whilst breastfeeding and sent out an email asking for colleagues to share their experiences. I was shocked at some of the responses I got. Women had pumped in their cars; in the toilets; in managers’ offices, temporarily vacated; they had stopped breastfeeding sooner than they wanted to because they didn’t think it would be possible after they returned to work; they had to manage their schedule so that they could work from home during times when their child needed feeding. 

 Around that time the Staff Forum had put out a call for ideas for staff welfare projects and Nikki and I submitted a proposal to establish dedicated breastfeeding facilities on campus. We were successful, and although it has taken longer than expected, we will be ready to launch and promote our ‘parent-friendly rooms’ once the campus reopens. There will be three rooms (for now!): one in Meteorology at Earley Gate, one at London Road and one in the Library on Whiteknights, and they are intended to be comfortable, private spaces where colleagues can pump and store breastmilk or breastfeed privately, if the child is on campus with them. 

 The other, larger, thing which came out of this initial project was the establishment of the Parent and Family Network, which began in summer 2019 with Nikki and I as Co-Chairs. It has since grown to an active online community of over 300 colleagues, and I have a lot of plans for the Network in the future. I think there is great power and great value in colleagues connecting with each other to share their experiences, identifying where things could be improved and working together to make that improvement happen. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all the contributors to this blog post! 

 

 

 

 

 

LGBT+ History Month: Pronouns

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Collaboratively written by:
Allán Laville, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion  
Alina Tryfonidou, LGBT+ Staff Network Co-Chair 
Ruvi Ziegler, LGBT+ Staff Network Co-Chair  
Gemma Fitz, LGBT+ Staff Network Lead Ally 
Nozomi Tolworthy, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor 
Hatty Taylor, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor  
Lennox Bruwer, RUSU Transgender Students Officer 

 

 

 

Pronouns

Words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation – for example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their and ze/zir. 

(Stonewall Glossary of Terms) 

 

In February 2019, we launched Pronoun Badges across the University of Reading for all staff and students to pick up for free. This was a collaborative project between UoR’s LGBT+ Action Plan Group, the central D&I Team and RUSU. The aim of creating pronoun badges and distributing them across campuses was to start creating positive cultural change across our UoR community.  

However, over the last year, we’ve all been working more digitally and less on campus, or at least, around each other in person. As we’ve been communicating with each other more online, we may have noticed more people including their pronouns on their social media profiles and email signatures instead. Afterall, we’re not wearing our lanyards whilst on Teams! 

But why are people doing this and why is it important?  

 

 

Why Are Pronouns Important?

We initially wrote about the importance of pronouns in our blog piece back in February 2019 – Pronoun Badges at the University of Reading. 

We want our trans and non-binary colleagues and students to know, as well as our cisgender colleagues and students, that we not only support but encourage their expression of their gender identity. We want to recognise and respect the entire spectrum of gender and do all that we can to represent and celebrate the diverse community of identities that we have at Reading. 

We’re also more likely to be meeting colleagues and students online now. As such, by including our pronouns in our digital presence, such as in our email signature, we are able to quickly and easily self-identify and indicate to the people we are talking to the correct pronoun to use when referring to ourselves.  

When pronouns are clearly displayed alongside our name, we can all challenge immediate assumptions that might be made about gender. Assumptions might be made based on physical appearance, the spelling of our names and sometimes perhaps even based on our job role. This can lead to misgendering.    

For many people, worrying about which pronoun others use to address them might not have ever been a problem. Not everybody has this privilege of a visible gender identity. When referred to someone with the wrong pronoun, an individual can feel disrespected, invalidated, and alienated. Similar to when another person might consistently pronounce or spell your name incorrectly. These are significant elements of our identities and so are important to get right. Inclusion is key in making us all feel psychologically safe at work and consequently, be able to be our authentic self.  

Our everyday language is rife with gender associations, and this may go unnoticed if you have never given much thought to your own gender identity or expression. For someone who has experienced any incongruence with the gender assigned to them at birth, the language we use can be a daily reminder of their struggle. Try to spot times in your language where you are making assumptions about gender. For example, rather than using “he or she” when talking about a hypothetical situation, substitute “they.” 

We can’t tell what someone’s pronouns are by looking at them. Knowing and using the correct pronouns for someone is a positive way for us to support the people we work with. It also makes our working and learning environment more comfortable and safer for everyone.  

By taking a small and simple step such as including our pronouns in our email signatures, we can show that we care about and respect the people we work with and move towards becoming a more inclusive organisation.  

 

 

“As a trans person, it can be disheartening to be the only person in your network including your pronouns in your email signature, and many of us avoid sharing our pronouns, and can endure misgendering as a result. When I see my peers and colleagues sharing their own pronouns in their email signatures, the act feels normalised, and I feel safer to share my own pronouns.” 

Lennox Bruwer, RUSU Transgender Students Officer 

 

 

 

Allyship

One of the most important aspects of being an ally is visibility. By showing your support and being proactive, you are helping to create a safe and inclusive space for our LGBT+ community. Stating your own pronoun preferences in your email signatures and other digital resources helps by making this become standard practice and encourages our LGBT+ staff and students to feel comfortable and confident doing the same.   

 

“As an ally, I have found it very useful for everyone to state their own pronouns when introducing themselves within a meeting. I first saw this approach being used in the Stonewall events and meetings that I have attended, and I think this is best practice.” 

Allán Laville, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion  

 

 

FAQs 

How do I ask someone what their pronouns are?  

If you are being introduced to someone, you can start by stating your own pronouns. This helps by giving them the opportunity to share theirs too but also lets them know they are talking to an ally.  

You can ask someone what their pronouns are, or how they like to be referred to, in the same way you would ask someone their name. Also, listen and follow their lead on how they refer to themselves. It is always better to ask rather than assume or guess, however remember that not everyone may want to share their pronouns. If this is the case, do not press the matter and use neutral pronouns such as them/they. Neutral pronouns should also be used in situations where it is not appropriate to ask or if you are in doubt.   

 

What do I do if I use the wrong pronoun for someone?  

Do not panic or make it into a bigger deal than it needs to be. Quickly apologise, correct yourself and move on. We all slip up sometimes, out of habit or forgetfulness, the important thing is to show you are genuinely making an effort to use the correct pronouns and that you apologise when you get it wrong.  

 

 

 

Further Resources

For more information on LGBT History Month:  www.lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk 

10 ways to step up as an ally to non-binary people – Stonewall Staff  

Talking about pronouns in the workplace – Human Rights Campaign Foundation  

Pronouns 101: Why They matter and What To Do (and Not Do) If You Misgender Someone – Kay Martinez  

 

 

What Matters Most

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by Rory Williams-Burrell, Trainee Technician, School of Archaeology, Geography, and Environmental Science (SAGES) 

 

The Year 2020 has been a challenging one for our staff and students here at the University. Significant changes had to be made regarding the way we work and the way that we live. The world stage has not only highlighted the stresses surrounding Covid-19, but also that deep change is needed in our thinking around ‘race and gender’. This need for change was clearly highlighted in May this year due to the abhorrent behaviour and murderous act that led to the death of George Floyd. This act of racial hatred sparked rallies and marches across the world to show how racism is still prevalent today and that it needs to stop.

The extent to which racism and sexism is present in our everyday lives needs to be addressed, as well as the detrimental effect discrimination can have on our wellbeing. The term ‘race’ is often misunderstood. It derives from France and Italy in the 15th century, and the meaning behind the term translates as kind, breed, and lineage. This also incorporates the physical characteristics of skin colour, eye colour and facial form. This crosses over when we look at ‘gender’ which can be defined as having three aspects, each with an association spectrum. These three aspects are ‘gender identity’, which is how a person identifies themselves, ‘gender expression’, which relates to their behaviour, dress and how others perceive their gender, and ‘biological sex’, which depends on a person’s mostly physical characteristics, for example, these include a person’s genitalia, body shape, body shape, voice, body / facial hair, hormone balance etc.

Deep change is also needed in the ‘disability’ sector, surrounding physical and mental health. One definition could be that being disabled takes away the elements from you that make you able. For example, this could relate to a wheelchair user who requires more space for social distancing purposes than others. In another instance someone may not be able to wear a mask due to asthma and therefore keeping more than two meters away is important for their health and well-being.

 

I am a member of the Well-being Peer Support team here at the University of Reading. Our members consist of staff volunteers (not counsellors or mental-health advisors) who are trained to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, whatever the cause, and can guide you to the right support. The Well-being Peer Support network is primarily geared towards staff members where we provide a space for listening and conversation with strict confidentiality in place. You can contact the network through: https://www.reading.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-and-procedures/health-and-wellbeing/wellbeing-peer-support#. Through the link above you will be able to see a list of our volunteers and be able to choose who to approach and speak to.

If you are a student at the university, there is a wide range of support and guidance available for you including being able to access links to professional counsellors and mental health advisors who can be reached 24/7: https://www.reading.ac.uk/essentials/Support-And-Wellbeing

There is also an excellent Wellbeing Toolkit produced by Student Services, with lots of useful advice and helpful links: https://www.reading.ac.uk/essentials/-/media/essentials/files/wellbeing-toolkit-nov.pdf

A particularly helpful resource presents five steps to well-being and shows how making small changes in our daily lives can result in a range of positive outcomes: https://www.reading.ac.uk/human-resources/working-at-reading/health-and-wellbeing/5-steps-to-wellbeing

 

There are of course many more steps to maintaining one’s wellbeing, particularly at this challenging time, and I have tried to focus my attention on implementing changes in my own life. Over the years I have been researching and finding ways to help myself through episodes of depression that started during childhood. When I was a toddler, I suffered a head injury when I was hit by a car and I was placed in intensive care for over three months. I was lucky to survive and I am forever grateful to have had the support over the years that have got me to where I am today. I would never have imagined that I would get through, school, college and then a university degree. So, I urge you, please, not suffer in silence but to seek support when needed. It is important that our University looks out for everyone, especially at this time of uncertainty.

 

There is a great podcast I recommend hosted by a British physician, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, entitled ‘Feel better live more’. Dr. Chatterjee talks of four pillars of health; these pillars are nutrition, exercise, sleep, and meditation. I have tried and am still trying to create habits surrounding these four pillars. These actions have helped me reflect and change my perspective and outlook on life and I hope that they will be able to help others too.