In this episode, Rebecca asks a slightly uncomfortable question: are we neglecting our health and calling it faith?

As a Christian and healthcare professional, Rebecca believes deeply in prayer, healing and the power of faith. But she also believes that faith and action were never meant to be opposites.

Drawing on her own health journey, Rebecca reflects on the ways people can sometimes delay appointments, ignore symptoms or neglect aspects of their lifestyle while hoping things will improve. She also explores how health behaviours can be shaped by family, culture, community and faith, particularly within Black communities.

The episode looks at the role faith can play in supporting health and wellbeing, while also asking what it means to actively steward the body you have been given. Rebecca discusses preventative healthcare, physical activity, diet, medication, screening and the importance of acting on the things that are within our control.

Links:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3884828/

When we hear that a medicine or treatment is “evidence-based,” we might assume the research behind it represents everyone who will eventually use it. But what happens when certain groups are missing from that evidence?

In this episode of Her Whole Health, Rebecca explores the underrepresentation of Black women in clinical research and asks an important question: where are the Black women in clinical trials?

For years, conversations about Black participation in medical research have often focused on mistrust, particularly in the context of historical and ongoing medical injustice. But is mistrust the whole story?

Research from GCI Health surveyed 500 Black women across the United States and found that 80% were open to participating in a clinical trial, yet 73% said they had never been asked to participate.

• https://gcihealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Layered-Executive-Summary-_FINAL.pdf

This episode explores how recruitment, access, cost, location, communication and opportunity can shape who gets to participate in research—and why representation matters as healthcare moves further into genomics, artificial intelligence and personalised medicine.

Cervical screening saves lives but for some women, the experience can be painful, distressing, or difficult to talk about.

In this episode of Her Whole Health, Rebecca explores why cervical screening is so often described as “just a little uncomfortable,” even though some women experience significant pain, anxiety, cramping, or distress. She looks at factors that can make intimate examinations more difficult, including menopause, vaginismus, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and previous trauma.

Rebecca also discusses informed consent, self-advocacy, power imbalances in intimate care, and why telling women to “speak up” is not enough if the environment does not make them feel safe enough to do so.