As part of our exhibition Endometriosis: Into the unknown Dr. Annabel Sowemimo will discuss the process of diagnosis in the UK, and also how to advocate for yourself with your GP when experiencing symptoms.
Dr. Annabel Sowemimo is a Sexual and reproductive health registrar, academic, activist, and writer. She is co-director and founder of charity the Reproductive Justice Initiative (RJI) (formerly Decolonising Contraception), which aims to address health inequalities and racial disparities in healthcare. They have been shortlisted for numerous awards, winning grassroots organisation of the year at the 2020 Sexual Health Awards and a National LGBTQ Health Advisor award in 2022.
Within her specialty, she is interested in tackling gender-based violence and improving access for marginalised groups. As a freelance writer she has written for The Independent, The Guardian and numerous other publications. As well as jointly hosting The Sex Agenda podcast, she is frequently in demand for TV and radio.
Annabel is a part-time PhD candidate and Harold Moody Scholar at King’s College London with her research focusing on the experiences of Black British women with fertility control methods.
Annabel firmly believes that healthcare should be about empowering people with knowledge to make informed choices about their bodies. She spends her spare time campaigning on reproductive justice, against NHS cuts and improving healthcare for marginalised groups.
Her first book, Divided: Racism, Medicine and Decolonising Healthcare, was published by Profile Books/Wellcome Collection in 2023 and was a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political non-fiction.