Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has turned a One Nation cartoon mocking her vaginal prolapse into a renewed call to break the stigma surrounding a common women’s health condition.
Mon 19 Oct 2026 22.08 AEDT
Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has turned a One Nation cartoon mocking her vaginal prolapse into a renewed call to break the stigma surrounding a common women’s health condition.
In August, Senator Lambie spoke about the health problems behind her five-month absence from Parliament House, telling the Senate her vaginal prolapse was related to back injuries she sustained during army service.
Senator Lambie used the speech to criticise the government’s proposed $5,000 cap on veterans’ allied health spending, which it abandoned in September.
“I would like to ask the prime minister, minister [Richard] Marles, and minister [Matt] Keogh what they would do if their penises were hanging by a thread, and what they would do if treatment for that injury directly connected to their military service was denied by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” she told the Senate, according to the ABC.
“I am not ashamed of my vaginal prolapse and I will keep speaking about the gap between women’s and men’s healthcare in this country until I see meaningful change,” she said in her latest statement.
“I want every Australian woman to know they should never be ashamed to talk about their own health issues, especially when it comes to their reproductive system.”
One Nation made her health condition the punchline in one of its cartoons mocking politicians and political events.
“By making this cartoon, One Nation didn’t just make light of my own medical struggles, but those of so many other women who have experienced reproductive health issues,” she said.
“I spoke about my own battle in Parliament, not to get sympathy as One Nation may suggest, but to let other women know they are not alone.”
Senator Lambie said one in two women who’ve had a baby experience some level of pelvic organ prolapse.
“Unfortunately, even in this day and age, there is still so much stigma attached to the word vagina and female reproductive health,” she said.
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“That shame and embarrassment can lead to women putting off getting help for too long.”
Professor Anna Rosamilia, a urogynaecologist and head of the Pelvic Floor Unit at Monash Health, thanked Senator Lambie for raising awareness about the condition.
“Prolapse and pelvic floor disorders are a public health and gender equity issue globally affecting 1 in 4 women usually as a consequence of childbirth,” she said.
“We are very grateful to Jacqui for sharing her personal story as it reduces stigma and may lead to others seeking help. It’s common; it’s not normal.”
The Hudson Institute of Medical Research described pelvic organ prolapse as a “hidden” condition.
“While the injury happens mostly during childbirth, the patient may not know about the damage until many years later, often during menopause,” it said.
“Currently there is no reliable cure for pelvic organ prolapse. Hudson Institute of Medical Research is striving to discover effective, safe treatment options for the millions of women globally who are suffering in silence.”
Treatment options include pelvic floor exercises, pessaries and surgery.
Senator Lambie also rejected suggestions that speaking publicly about her health made her condition “fair game” for mockery.
“No. Speaking openly is not an invitation to be mocked or degraded,” she said.
“We should be encouraging these conversations so people feel comfortable seeking help.”
