Female Forward

Episode 22: "We need to build and protect muscle"

Women are being urged to pay less attention to the number on the bathroom scale — and more attention to the muscle they're carrying. Health experts say maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as women get older... not only for strength, but for metabolism, mobility and our ability to remain independent…

21 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 21: Insulin Resistance & Diabetes

Doctors say diabetes doesn't suddenly appear overnight. They're warning women that the disease is often preceded by years of silent changes in the body— changes that many mistake for simply getting older or gaining weight. HOT1027's Tara Penny takes a look…

21 Aug 3AM 2 min

Episode 20: "A generation of women was deprived of HRT"

Doctors say outdated fears around hormone replacement therapy are still influencing how women approach menopause... more than two decades later. A major study in the early 2000s triggered widespread concern about H.R.T and breast cancer. But specialists say our understanding of both menopause and hormone therapy has changed significantly since…

20 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 19: "I loved my baby... I just didn't like being a Mommy"

A Johannesburg psychiatrist is urging new mothers and their families to learn the warning signs of postnatal depression — after revealing she failed to recognise the condition in herself. As part of our focus on health this Women's month, we're also looking into the emotional upheaval that comes with having…

20 Aug 2AM 2 min

Episode 18: The HPV vaccine

Doctors are urging South African parents not to pass-up one of the most powerful weapons we have against cervical cancer. The H.P.V vaccine can protect children against high-risk strains of the virus that's responsible for most cervical cancers. And specialists say vaccination — combined with screening later in life —…

19 Aug 5AM 2 min

Episode 17: "Perimenopause starts a decade before menopause"

Doctors are warning women in their late 30s and early 40s not to automatically dismiss sudden anxiety, poor sleep, brain-fog or changes in their periods as stress. Perimenopause can begin years before a woman's final period — and the first symptoms may have nothing to do with the hot flushes…

19 Aug 2AM 2 min

Episode 16: "The baby won't just slot into your life"

A Johannesburg midwife is warning that too many women are prepared for childbirth — but far less prepared for what happens after they bring their baby home. From sleepless nights and breastfeeding challenges to dramatic hormonal changes and the risk of postnatal depression. She says new mothers need knowledge, realistic…

18 Aug 6AM 2 min

Episode 15: Healthy Ageing

Doctors are urging women to start thinking about healthy ageing long before they consider themselves old. They say the foundations for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and physical decline can be laid decades before symptoms appear. But importantly — many of those risks can also be changed. HOT1027's Tara Penny reports…

18 Aug 2AM 2 min

Episode 14: Women are not getting enough sleep

Women are being urged to stop treating sleep as a luxury. A leading Johannesburg sleep specialist says many women are sacrificing hours of sleep every night to juggle work, children and household responsibilities - without realising the damage it's doing to their health. HOT1027's Tara Penny reports…

17 Aug 4AM 1 min

Episode 13: "Dodgy weight-loss products are flooding the market"

Doctors are warning women not to gamble with their health by buying weight-loss injections from unlicensed suppliers. While medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro can be life-changing for the right patients - under the right supervision - a growing black market in counterfeit products is putting lives at risk right here…

14 Aug 3AM 2 min

Episode 12: "Sunscreen is non-negotiable"

A Johannesburg dermatologist is urging women to pay closer attention to new or changing marks on their skin. As we put women's health under the microscope this month, experts are warning South Africa's high UV exposure and outdoor lifestyle make skin cancer an important health risk — yet many people…

13 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 11: "Exercise is medicine"

Women are being urged to stop thinking about exercise simply as a way to lose weight. Physiotherapists here in Joburg say regular movement can protect everything - from our hearts and bones, to our sleep and mental health. And we don't need punishing workouts to reap the benefits. HOT1027’s Tara…

12 Aug 5AM 2 min

Episode 10: When should you book your first gynae appointment?

At what age should a girl or young woman first see a gynaecologist? It's a question many parents — and young women themselves — aren't quite sure how to answer. As part of our Women's Month focus, we're roping in the experts to fill in the blanks. HOT1027’s Tara Penny…

11 Aug 3AM 2 min

Episode 9: "The dangerous burnout mindset"

Working through exhaustion has become a badge of honour for many women here in South Africa. But health experts say that's a dangerous mindset. And as we mark "Women's month", doctors are warning that burnout isn't just affecting women's mental wellbeing...it's increasing their risk of heart disease, disrupting their sleep…

10 Aug 5AM 2 min

Episode 8: The "It won't happen to me" myth

One of the biggest myths surrounding breast cancer is that it will happen to someone else. This Women's Month, HOT1027 is bringing in the experts to help women take charge of their health. And when it comes to breast cancer, early detection can make all the difference. HOT1027's Tara Penny…

10 Aug 1AM 1 min

Episode 7: "The alarming rise of vaping among women"

Doctors are raising the alarm over a growing number of women and teenage girls taking up vaping, many of whom, would never have considered smoking a cigarette. Doctors warn the perception that vaping is a "safer" alternative is fueling a new generation of nicotine addiction— with potentially serious long-term health…

7 Aug 3AM 2 min

Episode 6: "The Silent Killers" putting your heart at risk

Many women think heart disease is something to worry about later in life. But cardiologists say that's one of the biggest misconceptions putting women at risk. They warn, the foundations of heart disease are often laid decades before the first symptoms ever appear. HOT1027's Tara Penny reports…

6 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 5: "We need to stop dismissing symptoms"

Johannesburg doctors are urging women to stop dismissing symptoms they've long been told are "just part of being a woman". For generations many women have accepted painful periods, bladder leaks, exhaustion and even brain-fog as simply part of life. But this women's month, specialists say too many are suffering in…

5 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 4: Breast Cancer: No such thing as "too young"

A Joburg pathologist says she diagnoses women in their thirties with breast cancer almost every week— and some patients are even younger. Yet many women still believe cancer is something that only happens later in life, or to people with a family history. As we zone in on women’s health…

4 Aug 4AM 2 min

Episode 3: What if it's NOT normal?

Many women have been told heavy periods, constant exhaustion, pain during sex, bloating, anxiety and hot flushes are just part of life. But what if they aren't? This women’s month, HOT1027 News is looking at the symptoms too many women have been taught to ignore. HOT1027's Tara Penny reports…

3 Aug 12AM 2 min