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Henrietta Cook

Henrietta Cook

Henrietta Cook is a senior reporter covering health for The Age. Henrietta joined The Age in 2012 and has previously covered state politics, education and consumer affairs.

Sarah Hayden is among hundreds of former patients of Dr Gordon who are seeking compensation for pain and suffering.

Patients of disgraced gynaecologist to get free health reviews

A raft of measures aimed at addressing some of the trauma and pain of women who say they underwent unnecessary endometriosis surgery have been announced.

  • Henrietta Cook

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Cyril Land, 75, and his wife Lee. Cyril has motor neurone disease and has been approved for voluntary assisted dying.

‘Walk in my shoes for a bit’: Cyril’s fight to die on his own terms

While Victoria was the first state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying, its proportion of deaths attributed to the scheme is at least half that of other states.

  • Henrietta Cook
Robbie Dettmann recently tried to access STI testing at the state’s only public sexual health clinic but was turned away.

Victoria’s only public sexual health clinic axes a key service as STI rates soar

When Robbie tried to access the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, the doors were locked. It was then he discovered the walk-in service had been axed.

  • Henrietta Cook and Alexander Darling
Stacey Warnecke died in September after giving birth at home.

Banned doula ordered to break silence over influencer’s fatal free birth

Controversial free-birth advocate Emily Lal has been ordered to give evidence to an inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke, who died hours after delivering her son at home.

  • Henrietta Cook
There has been an anecdotal rise in the number of women choosing to freebirth.

‘These are avoidable’: Dozens of babies dead or permanently injured after freebirths

Data has uncovered the catastrophic consequences of a rise in women choosing to give birth without the aid of medically trained professionals.

  • Henrietta Cook
The turf war between GPs and pharmacists is heating up after the Victorian government announced plans to allow pharmacists to prescribe oral contraceptives to patients without a doctor’s script

GPs reveal dossier of pharmacy blunders as prescription fight ramps up

A turf war has erupted between GPs and pharmacists over changes that allow patients to get the pill from pharmacies without a doctor’s script.

  • Henrietta Cook
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Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas

A bitter pill: Tension between premier and minister over contentious health plans

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas liked a scathing social media post about the state government, drawing attention to internal friction over two big policy calls.

  • Henrietta Cook and Kieran Rooney
Wayne Earle is keen to speak out about his experience with penile cancer to help others navigating the disease.

‘I didn’t see myself as a man any more’: The silent rise of this rare and stigmatised cancer

Australia has experienced a more than doubling of penile cancer cases over the last two decades and it’s puzzling health experts.

  • Henrietta Cook
The contraceptive pill will be available at Victorian chemists without a script.

Contraceptive pill will become available without a script in Victoria

Women will be able to see a pharmacist instead of a doctor to access the pill, but the move has doctors worried.

  • Kieran Rooney and Henrietta Cook
Mum-of-two Jess Armstrong was 35 when she was diagnosed wih breast cancer.

Beyond the mammogram: How AI is spotting hidden breast cancer risks

A new tool provides a personalised risk score for developing breast cancer, and can reduce unnecessary investigations.

  • Henrietta Cook