Hi readers, it’s Emily here, on my own talking about a very successful women’s group I have just been attending, called Girls Aloud, which was run by People First Dorset.

Often women with learning disabilities find it hard to talk about important things in their life and things that matter to them.

The group was set up for just women, to meet up and talk to each other, as well as professionals, in private. There were quite a few topics just relevant to women, and some very important ones. For example, we visited Dorchester hospital to talk to nurses there about mammograms, and breast care nurses from Poole also talked to us. They were very helpful in showing us how we checked for lumps, to know what’s normal or not. I think this was the most important topic we discussed. We also talked about smear tests and visited the Weymouth sexual health clinic. At the start I was shy and couldn’t talk to people about what might be embarrassing subject, but by the end it became natural and I could talk to other women easily, or ask professionals for help, or where to go for help. It’s good men weren’t there, so you didn’t have to feel embarrassed or scared about talking about women’s things. I made one new friend in particular which was nice, and feel able to talk to her now with no problem.

We’ve also made a video to show others about the groups and how it might help them. If we can do more groups, I’d like to take part and talk to other women about what we did, and try and help them too. It’s important that women look after their health, and I’d like to do more groups as well as follow up again on what we talked about.

n The writers of the Our View column are supported in their editing by The Friendship Club– a project for adults with learning disabilities, run by People First Dorset.