The article discusses the challenges faced by individuals living with disabilities, particularly the societal pressures that lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment when using mobility aids in public. The author shares a personal account of becoming disabled at the age of 14 and the subsequent decade-long journey to embrace their disabled identity. They highlight the internal conflict between managing pain and the desire to appear non-disabled due to the fear of attracting inquisitive and rude behavior from strangers.

The article discusses the personal experiences of individuals dealing with vaginismus, a condition characterized by involuntary contractions of the vaginal muscles that cause pain during sexual intercourse. The author shares her own struggles with the condition, which led to depression and difficulties with sexual activities. The article also includes the story of Seraphina Santiago-Block, who associated her vaginismus with a past sexual assault and experienced significant pain during a pap smear and on her wedding night. Additionally, Miriam Wolf, a women's pelvic health specialist, is mentioned as having vaginismus compounded by vulvodynia. The piece highlights the psychological impact of anticipating pain during sex, which can perpetuate the condition.

The article critiques the 'sick girl' trope in films, where a terminally ill girl serves as an inspiration for the male protagonist, often portrayed with unrealistic beauty and stoicism. The author references the film 'Life in A Year', starring Cara Delevingne and Jaden Smith, as a recent example of this trope. The article argues that such portrayals are disrespectful to real-life chronically and terminally ill people and demonstrate a lack of creativity in filmmaking. It suggests that more nuanced and authentic representations of illness are possible, as seen in films like 'Brain On Fire' and 'Baby Teeth', and calls for an end to the overused and simplistic 'sick girl' narrative. 'Life in A Year' is available on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and the article also mentions Digital Spy's digital magazine and newsletter.