Auto-immune conditions, Living with 'Butterfly skin', Author Laleh Khadivi

A new study suggests that women going to the doctor with symptoms of auto-immune conditions are up to 74% more likely than men to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic. The research, published in the Lancet eClinicalMedicine journal, and led by the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia, also found that women were more likely to face delays in getting a correct diagnosis, and hence the right treatment. Lead author, Dr Melanie Sloan, joins presenter Nuala McGovern.

Often described as "butterfly skin", Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is the name for a group of rare genetic conditions that leave the skin so fragile it can blister and tear at the lightest touch. Emma Fogarty lives with a severe life-limiting form of the condition. She is currently the longest living person with her form of EB in Ireland. Her story, along with her friendship with the actor Colin Farrell, is told in a new HBO documentary film, The Slightest Touch, which has premiered at the London Film Festival.

How well do we know our mothers? The novelist Laleh Khadivi’s latest book is about a woman who discovers her dead mother had a secret Iranian revolutionary past. In ‘Female Life on Planet Earth,’ she tells the story of Heti, an Iranian mother of two teenage girls who works in an accountancy firm in Los Angeles – and whose life is upended when an anonymous parcel arrives which contains evidence that her mother had had a secret life. Laleh joins Nuala to talk about her inspiration for the book, the complexity of uncovering and sharing secrets and comparing life for women in America with that of those in Iran.

Women’s football is growing rapidly around the world, but many professional players are still dealing with low pay and insecure working conditions, according to a new survey. The players’ union FIFPRO spoke to more than 800 footballers playing in the top tier of their countries. Only 78% said they had a written contract, while just 57% said their pay was enough to cover the costs of playing football. Financial pressures and psychological stress were also among the reasons players gave for potentially leaving the game early. BBC Senior journalist Sally Freedman and former England International player Lucy Staniforth, now FIFPRO Women’s Football Officer, join Nuala to discuss.

Presented by: Nuala McGovern
Produced by: Sarah Jane Griffiths