Clinician’s guide to women and girls’ health

In this final episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we focus on healthy ageing for women over 60. This episode explores how health professionals can support older women to maintain strength, mobility, and independence in this life stage, while promoting lifestyle choices that align with their personal goals. We’re joined by Dr Sian Edwards, a Toowoomba-based GP with a strong focus on preventative care and women’s health, and Dr Anthony Villani, an accredited practising dietitian and senior lecturer specialising in metabolic health and physical function. Together, they share practical strategies for supporting women beyond menopause, covering topics such as muscle and bone health, cardiovascular risk, mental wellbeing, resistance training, nutrition, and the role of telehealth and social connection. This conversation highlights the importance of listening, personalising care, and helping women thrive in later life.

In this episode we explore healthy ageing and the evolving health needs of women beyond menopause. As women enter their later life stages, they often face a unique blend of physical, emotional, and social changes - yet their own health can be overlooked amidst caregiving roles and shifting priorities. This episode focuses on how clinicians can provide proactive, empathetic care that supports women to age with vitality, independence, and wellbeing. We’re joined by Dr Meg Cairns, a Brisbane-based GP with a strong focus on preventative medicine and chronic disease management, and Sarah Myles, an advanced pelvic health physiotherapist from Townsville Hospital with expertise in early intervention and lifelong pelvic care. Together, they discuss key topics including menopause, cardiovascular and bone health, mental wellbeing, pelvic floor support, resistance training, nutrition, and weight management. They also explore the role of telehealth and social connection in sustaining long-term health.Designed for health professionals, this episode offers practical strategies and clinical insights to help women thrive in later life - not just survive it.

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we turn our attention to menopause - a complex life stage with significant implications for clinical practice and public health.  Joining us are two leading experts: Professor Gita Mishra, founding director of the Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research Centre at the University of Queensland, and Dr Sheila Cook, endocrinologist and obstetric physician. Together, they offer an evidence-based discussion on the multifaceted experience of menopause and its impact on women’s health across the lifespan. Drawing on decades of research and clinical insight, this episode covers key topics including premature and early menopause, hormone therapy, sleep disruption, muscle strength, cardiovascular risk, and mental health. Our guests also explore the role of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, and the cultural framing of menopause, highlighting how longitudinal data is reshaping our understanding of midlife health.  Designed for health professionals, this conversation underscores the importance of proactive, personalised care and the need to integrate menopause into broader models of preventive and holistic health.

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we explore the middle years of a woman’s life - her 30s and 40s - a stage often defined by complexity, convergence, and competing demands.  As women juggle careers, raise children, nurture relationships, and increasingly care for ageing parents, their own health and wellbeing needs can easily slip down the priority list. This episode examines how clinicians can better recognise and respond to the pressures of this life stage, offering proactive, empathetic, and holistic care that helps women not just manage, but truly thrive.  Joining the conversation are Dr Ruchika Luhach, a Brisbane-based GP with a special interest in women’s and children’s health, and Dr Carrie-Anne Lewis, a clinical and research dietitian at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital whose PhD focuses on person-centred obesity care. Together, they share practical insights into supporting women’s physical and emotional wellbeing during this pivotal chapter.

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we explore the life-altering transition to motherhood and how health professionals can ensure new mums feel empowered to thrive, with the right support networks around them. Building on themes from our previous series, The Clinician’s Guide to the First 2000 Days, this episode takes a broader lens on reproductive health. We delve into the continuum of care across both primary care and maternity services, highlighting the critical role clinicians play in supporting women’s physical, emotional, and social wellbeing throughout pregnancy and beyond.  Joining us are GP Dr Kim Nolan, a seasoned practitioner in Logan with over 30 years of experience and a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology, and Midwife Gemma Macmillan, who brings frontline expertise in maternal care. Together, they share practical strategies and clinical insights to help practitioners better support women during one of the most transformative periods of their lives.

In the fourth episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we take a deeper look at the mental and physical health of young women as they transition from school into their 20s. Building on our previous discussion of reproductive health, this episode explores how trust, connection, and open dialogue can shape a young woman’s journey into adulthood.  Our guests - Accredited Practising Dietitian Lauren Pearson and psychologist Hayley Archbell - share their expertise on topics including disordered eating, trauma, neurodiversity, and emotional wellbeing.Together, they highlight the importance of breaking stigma around mental health, and how compassionate, person-centred care can foster resilience, confidence, and self-awareness during this formative stage of life.

In the third episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we shift focus to young adulthood, exploring the evolving nature of women’s bodies, fertility, and the transition to independent healthcare.  As women move from school into work, training, or university, they begin navigating the health system on their own - often for the first time. This episode highlights the importance of creating safe, supportive environments and the power of education in helping women make informed, confident choices about their reproductive health.  Joining the conversation are Dr Sally Cohen, an experienced obstetrician gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon with expertise in adolescent gynaecology and endometriosis, and Dr Vanessa Siu, a North Brisbane GP and medical educator specialising in reproductive and sexual health.  Together, they offer valuable insights into how clinicians can support women through this critical stage of life.

In the second episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we turn our attention to the emotional and social landscape of adolescence - a time when girls between the ages of 11 and 17 begin to shape their identities, assert independence, and navigate complex internal and external pressures.   This episode explores the sensitive and often challenging conversations clinicians must engage in, from mental health and disordered eating to risk-taking behaviours.   Joining us are Dr Renee Denham, medical director of the Child and Youth Eating Disorder Program at Children’s Health Queensland, and Dr Aaron Chambers, a high-school based GP. With deep expertise in adolescent psychiatry, Dr Denham shares insights into how health professionals can better support young people in understanding the factors that influence their wellbeing, while Dr Chambers brings a practical, frontline perspective on how to build trust and engage meaningfully with teens in their everyday environments.  Together, our guests offer thoughtful guidance on how to meet girls where they are and help them thrive through this transformative stage.

In the first episode of The Clinician’s guide to women and girls’ health, we explore the complex and transformative years between ages 11 and 17, when girls experience significant physical, emotional, and social changes.   This conversation focuses on reproductive and sexual health during puberty, emphasising the importance of self-advocacy, body literacy, and respectful relationships.  Joining the discussion are Elle Blackburn, a school-based health nurse from Children’s Health Queensland, and Professor Rebecca Kimball, clinical lead of Queensland’s paediatric and adolescent gynaecology services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Together, they offer expert insights into how clinicians can support and empower young women through this critical stage of development.

Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health is a podcast dedicated to supporting the lifelong wellbeing of women and girls.Every woman and girl deserve to thrive – physically, emotionally, and socially. Healthcare professionals play a vital role in empowering women and girls to advocate for their health, participate fully in society, and navigate each stage of life with confidence.An initiative of Health and Wellbeing Queensland, supported by Clinical Excellence Queensland, this series draws on the voices and lived experiences of thousands of Queenslanders and equips clinicians with expert insights and practical tools to support women and girls from early adolescence through to menopause and beyond. Across the season, we’ll speak with leading Queensland health experts to explore topics spanning adolescence, young adulthood, motherhood, midlife, menopause, and ageing. Together, we’ll unpack the sensitive, complex, and often overlooked aspects of care that shape a woman’s health journey.Tune in to the series to deepen your clinical knowledge, strengthen your practice, and help women and girls take charge of their health – at every age and every stage.