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The Stitch-Up
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  • Published: 24 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781529967111
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $37.99

The Stitch-Up

How Medical Misogyny Harms Us All

Formats & editions
Paperback
24 Oct 2026
EBook
29 May 2025
Audiobook
29 May 2025
Hardback
29 June 2025
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Exposing shocking scandals of medical misogyny worldwide, The Stitch-Up is a rallying cry for vaginal healthcare

'This book could not be more timely' OBSERVER

Excruciating 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
  • Published: 24 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781529967111
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $37.99

About the authors

Andrzej Harris

Dr Andrzej Harris, hailing from Poland, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St Catharine’s College. He teaches undergraduate medical and veterinary students and has a background in molecular biology research.
AH

Praise for The Stitch-Up

Reading about the comprehensive and egregious medical mistreatment of women in the modern era is unsettling, but the authors make it inspiring and invigorating. I have high hopes these stories will be tools in our ongoing fight for change

JULIA BUENO, author of The Brink of Being

Deeply unsettling and affecting... Reading The Stitch-Up is like meeting up with that friend who will tell you how it really was with all the gory details, but they still manage to make you cry with laughter

CATHERINE AIREY, author of Confessions

The Stitch Up addresses a national crisis in a profound yet incredibly humane way. Blending powerful personal stories and science, Szewczak & Harris prove that modern medicine has never served women’s needs and it's time for that to change

EVE RODSKY, author of Fair Play

A long-overdue spotlight on medical misogyny… with extraordinary courage and candour… This book could not be more timely

Rachel Clarke, Observer