The Stitch-Up : How Medical Misogyny Harms Us All

Author: Emma Szewczak

Memoirs

Published on 24 September 2026 by Vintage Publishing (Vintage) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 288 pages
129 x 198 x 20 | 204g

A shocking and deeply personal exposé of the women's healthcare crisis: 'This book could not be more timely' OBSERVERExcruciating periods? You should have a baby!Birth trauma? Well, you had a baby.

Perimenopausal symptoms? Have some antidepressants.

Struggling to get help from doctors? Try our wellness candle!It’s a stitch-up. And we demand better.

After receiving a vague diagnosis of ‘prolapse’ following the birth of her child, Emma spent years being shunted between specialists. The solutions on offer ranged from Kegels to hysterectomy and even labia trimming. Some doctors simply shrugged and said there was nothing they could do.

Inspired by the medical failure surrounding her own condition, Emma started to investigate more widely. Over and over again, she heard about women in pain, bleeding, dying, failed by the professionals who were supposed to help them. The Stitch-Up tells their stories and calls for better research, healthcare options, language and treatment, arguing that being female should never be a death sentence.

'Inspiring and invigorating' JULIA BUENO, author of The Brink of Being'Deeply unsettling and affecting' CATHERINE AIREY, author of Confessions