Sophia Moss

Sophia Moss Journalist & Copywriter

Need a versatile writer who specialises in health, culture, travel, or finance? I'm available for freelance writing and editing work!

Examples of my work

Flexiseq •

The Science of Osteoarthritis

“Arthritis is a broad term referring to inflammation and degeneration of the joints, causing pain, swelling, and decreased mobility,” says Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD, a medical advisor for the Health Reporter. “There are various forms of it, with osteoarthritis being the most prevalent.” Other forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Each type has different causes and symptoms, but they all involve inflammation and damage to the joints.”...
ellaone UK •

How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects You - And What To Do About It - ellaone UK

Do you ever feel like sometimes you wake up buzzing with energy and feel ready to take on the world, and other times you want to curl up under a blanket and snuggle with your phone, like a chrysalis in a cocoon? Many different factors affect your energy levels, including where you are in your menstrual cycle.
You might’ve heard that people who menstruate have two body clocks, while men only have one. We all have a circadian rhythm, which is our natural 24-hour biological clock. Our circadian rhy...
Flexiseq •

Understanding Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is persistent pain which has lasted for at least three months. Chronic pain is different from acute pain, which is pain that happens suddenly - as a result of injury, for example - and goes away when the body heals itself. Acute pain is a normal response to tissue damage or potential harm, and it often serves as a warning sign to alert you to notice the danger and do something about it. If you touch a hot stove, you will feel acute pain and quickly withdraw your hand. This pain help...
ellaone UK •

History of contraception: when was contraception invented?

Imagine a world without contraception; no pill, no condoms, no emergency contraception. What does your life look like?
We’re going on a journey through history to celebrate how birth control and the morning after pill have given women the power to decide what happens to our bodies.









Early Methods Of Contraception


What do crocodile dung, weasel testicles and lemons have in common? They were all used as early contrac...
Hana •

Hypermobility & the Pill - A Compatibility Guide | Hana®

If you have a hypermobility disorder, you may be wondering if you can take the contraceptive pill safely and effectively. The answer is not a simple yes or no, as different pills may have different effects on your condition.
There are two main forms of hormonal oral contraception in the U.K. They are combined contraceptive pills, which contain synthetic versions of the naturally occurring hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and progestogen-only pills, which contain the synthetic hormone progest...
The Upcoming •

“The sea is a paradox, it reflects the extremes of the human condition”: An interview with Rhiannon Faith, director and choreographer of Drowntown

Rhiannon Faith is a choreographer and filmmaker who uses her work to raise awareness and lobby for change. Performed by a cast of six, Drowntown is an autobiographical exploration of loneliness, isolation and broken community set beside the vast, bleak ocean in a seaside town. Although originally set to perform in spring/summer 2020, the coronavirus has forced the show to be postponed until 2021. In the meantime, Faith has created a 15-minute film, Drowntown Lockdown, which visits the cast in th...
Hana •

My decade with the pill | Hana®

What do the Game of Thrones premiere, Rihanna’s song ‘We Found Love (In a Hopeless Place)’ and the ten-year anniversary of Wikipedia have in common? They all began ten years ago in 2011!
A lot can change in a decade. Your life can transform, the world around you might have changed dramatically, and you’re mortified by Facebook’s ‘on this day’ reminder of the outfit you wanted to forget.
Some things, however, stay the same. Our recent survey on people’s relationships with the contraceptive pill s...
ellaone UK •

Reclaiming the word Hysteria with Sarah Graham | ellaOne®

Did you know that  hysteria as a medical diagnosis was only removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980?! Things have come a long way in the treatment of women’s health, but we still have a way to go. 
We spoke to Sarah Graham, a freelance journalist and owner of Hysterical Women, a feminist blog which explores sexism and disbelief around womens health care, to find out more about the history of hysteria and why womens health concerns aren’t always treate...
ellaone UK •

Is The Morning After Pill Only For Cis Women? | ellaOne®

For too long, sex education has focused on the heteronormative, cis-gender experience – which can make others feel excluded.   This sexual health awareness week is all about getting your Relationship and Sexual Education into gear – and we’re starting with what we know best: the morning after pill!
While the morning after pill is often associated exclusively with cis-women, we know that they are not the only people who may seek emergency contraception.
Cis-gender refers to people whose gender id...
ellaone UK •

The Future Of Sex Toys | ellaOne®

Imagine a world where you can strap on your VR headset, crank up your smart bodysuit and have virtual sex with someone on the other side of the globe. It sounds like the setting for a sci-fi porn flick, but this remote sex haven is closer than you think.
We’ve already explored how vulture lungs and steam powered dildo’s got our ancestors off in the history of sex toys, so now it’s time to look forwards. What does the future of sex toys hold? We spoke to a panel of Sexperts to find out…...
The Drinks Business •

Couple refused non-alcoholic beer because 33-year-old wife didn't have ID - The Drinks Business

The incident occurred on Saturday (16 December) when Konrad and Joanna Kasiske were doing their weekly shop at their local Countdown store in Ponsonby, New Zealand.
Konrad told the New Zealand Herald that he picked up a pack of non-alcoholic beer, went up to the cashier to pay and, when the beer came through, the till operator asked him for ID. He thought it was quite funny at first, but he gave his ID and thought all was well.
However, the cashier then proceeded to ask his wife for her ID which...
ellaone UK •

Interview With Florence Schechter, Director of The Vagina Museum

Did you know that the German word for ‘labia’ (Schamlippen) literally translates as ‘shame lips’?  Yeah. That’s bound to make you feel good about your vagina.
There is still a ton of shame associated with female genitalia, but one woman is hoping to change this by building the world’s first museum dedicated to vaginas.
When Florence Schechter* learned there was a penis museum in Iceland but no equivalent vagina museum anywhere in the world, she decided to do something about it.
Despite never hav...
ellaone UK •

My Teacher Fainted While Describing A Diaphragm | ellaOne®

Glen Wiseman’s teacher was attempting to describe a diaphragm to her year 10 class during mandatory sex education when she fainted, hitting her head on a desk in the process.
This was one of only three sex education classes Glen remembers throughout his entire school years, none of which discussed sexual pleasure or anything about sex except how not to get girls pregnant.
Glen was in secondary school twenty years ago, so sex education must have improved since then, right?
Maybe not. One in seven...
ellaone UK •

What happens at a cervical screening/smear test? | ellaOne®

Does the idea of having a cervical screening (otherwise known as a cervical smear or pap smear) make you uncomfortable?
We understand that the idea of taking off your underwear and having a stranger stare into the depth of your cervix doesn’t sound like a great Tuesday afternoon, but smear tests can and do save lives so it’s really important that you get checked out.
A recent survey of 2000 young women by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust found that 915 respondents had either delayed going for a cervic...
Hana •

The pill through the ages - The journey to the ‘60s

But, from what I remember, the overwhelming feeling was, it wasn’t straightforward to access. We knew it was a landmark moment, but if you were not married you couldn’t access it.
But it changed my future. I didn’t end up having eight children like my Mother. I was able to build a career as a legal secretary, get married and actually have children, a lot later, well into my 30s. I actually had my son when I was 46. You’ve certainly made me think, would my life have been different without it? I’d...
Hana •

Contraception option for trans and non-binary folk | Hana®

Kirrin Medcalf, Head of Trans Inclusion, Stonewall said: ‘It’s vital that any cis woman, trans man and non-binary person who needs the pill can access it. This is a matter of reproductive equality.
Anyone who has periods or the ability to become pregnant has the right to control when and whether they become pregnant. But many trans men and non-binary people have struggled to access the pill as some providers are unsure whether they can give it to trans patients.’
According to the The Faculty of...
Hana •

The Pill Through The Ages - The '70s and '80s

To celebrate the launch of Hana, a contraceptive pill available to buy over the pharmacy counter with a pharmacy consultation and without a doctor’s appointment, we are exploring 6 decades of the pill to see how it has impacted society since it first became available in 1961.
Until 1967, the contraceptive pill was only licensed for married women and some doctors would even require the husband’s consent before they would prescribe it.
Compare that with today, where women and people with uteruses...
The Upcoming •

Nutcracker! at Sadler’s Wells | Theatre review

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! swaps the upper-class Christmas party of the standard version for a Dickensian orphanage run by the strict Mr and Mrs Dross. The orphans wear frumpy grey dresses, they sweep and scrub the floors and are bullied by the owners’ two spoiled children, Sugar and Fritz. It’s Christmas Eve and they’re having a modest party, presumably to show off to the local rich folk. Their tree is scraggly and only has three ornaments. The lighting is an icy blue, the walls are pale and...
Hana •

Does your menstrual cycle really 'sync up' with your friends? - Hana

Whilst anecdotal evidence may point to the fact that many menstruating people notice that they get their period around the same time as their friends, there hasn’t been much scientific data to back this up. One attempt to do this was a research paper in the 1970s.
“This (idea that your menstrual cycle will sync up with other people with uteruses who are close to you) is based on a 1971 research paper based on 135 students, and it has not yet been proven that it happens – rather it is due to the...
Hana •

Which method of contraception is right for me? | Hana®

Your choice of contraception is a big deal. When you’re comfortable and confident with your contraception, you can feel empowered to go about your day secure in the knowledge that you are helping to protect yourself from unplanned pregnancy until you choose to have children – if you choose to have children.
It’s so important that you get on with your contraception and feel comfortable with what you’re putting in your body. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to contraception, so...
The Drinks Business •

Vivino announces new premium wine delivery service in attempt to revolutionise industry - The Drinks Business

Image: Vivino.
Vivino, an online wine marketplace powered by 27 million customers, has just announced the launch of its new premium wine delivery service.
Vivino Premium will give customers unlimited free delivery on more than 32,000 varieties of wine for an annual fee of £32.
Heini Zachariassen, the CEO of Vivino, is looking to change the way we buy wine by making online delivery accessible for his users. He said: “Wine has not been that big in e-commerce. We think one of the reasons for that i...
The Drinks Business •

Wine bar killers may soon be caught thanks to new DNA evidence - The Drinks Business

Image: Atlanta Police Department.
Chelsea Beller, 29, was shot in the Barcelona Wine Bar where she worked as a manager. CCTV footage shows that three men rushed into the restaurant, tied the employees up with electrical tape, and then forced Beller upstairs to open the safe.
She complied with their demands, but the robbers still shot her in the shoulder before taking off. Beller was rushed to hospital, but she later died from her injuries.
CCTV footage of the attackers was released almost a mont...
The Drinks Business •

Finnish MP called away from debate on alcohol liberalisation to help drunk political aid - The Drinks Business

Map and Flag of Finland. Source: “World reference atlas”
Päivi Räsänen, who is a trained doctor and Christian Democrat MP, was debating the liberalisation of Finland’s restrictive Alcohol Act last Thursday when she was asked to check up on a drunk political aid who may have had alcohol poisoning.  A witness saw that a member of staff, who had been attending the office Christmas party taking place at the same time as the debate, was unable to stand and was seen vomiting in the parliamentary corri...
Hearnes •

Is a new build or period property in Bournemouth right for you? | Hearnes

There are pros and cons to both, some of which we explain here.When you picture your dream house, what do you see? Does it have bay windows, a rustic kitchen, and a story to tell? Or is it sleek, with long glass windows and minimalist decor? When it comes to choosing whether to buy a period property or a new build home in Bournemouth, it really comes down to personal taste.New builds are properties that have just been built, or are currently still being built, and they have usually never been li...
Hana •

Am I unusual to be 35 and still not ready for kids? | Hana®

If you do think you might want kids in the future, but you don’t feel ready to have them now, don’t panic. Fertility does typically decline with age, but it’s not like you go from being super fertile at 34 to barely fertile at 35. Everyone is different; some people may struggle with fertility in their early 20s, whilst others may find it easy to get pregnant and have healthy pregnancies in their mid 40s. 
“The ‘biological clock’ in fertility is used to describe a woman’s ovarian reserve, and is...
The Upcoming •

Evanescence at the O2 Arena | Live review

American goth rock band Evanescence headlined at the O2 last night, ably supported by Within Temptation, whose ethereal blend of classical gothic and heavy metal is a smouldering start to the evening. The Dutch symphonic support group (formed in 1996) treat the venue to an artistic, theatrical and meaningfully political show, featuring more special effects and pomp than the headliners. Highlights include shooting fire, a large, staring, otherworldly head, and the lead vocalist dressed in a stunn...
ellaone UK •

Why do people kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve? - ellaone UK

New Year’s Eve is celebrated in many different ways around the world, with different countries having their own unique traditions and customs. The tradition of kissing at midnight is thought to date back to two ancient winter festivals: Saturnalia in ancient Rome and Hogmanay, a Viking tradition still celebrated on New Year’s in Scotland. 
“Saturnalia was the most popular holiday on the ancient Roman calendar, where there was a ritual of offering gifts or sacrifices to the gods during the winter...
Hana •

Why do I have a low sex drive? Causes of no or low libido - Hana

“Libido or sex drive can be affected by how women feel about themselves and how they feel about their vaginas,” says Julianne Arena, MD, FACOG, ABAARM and Cliovana Practitioner (double board certified physician)*.  “This leads to the next layer – how they think about their partner and relationship, then lifestyle factors as simple as how much sleep they get. Add on fluctuating hormones throughout a woman’s life, stress, anxiety, and other health issues, and there are numerous challenges to achie...
Hana •

Sex at 40: functional or fantastic? | Hana®

Data from the American Medical Association in 2014 found that 85% of women over 40 are still having sex and the majority of them consider sex to be important. But what about the quality of the sex? Does sex get better with age?
“Sex can and does get better with age because you discover what works for you, try new sexual activities and sensations,” says Samantha Evans, a sexual health and pleasure expert and founder of Jo Divine. “This boosts your confidence and acceptance of your changing body s...
The Upcoming •

Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance at the V&A | Exhibition review

As you walk into the exhibition rooms for Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance at the Victoria and Albert museum in London, your attention is immediately drawn to a white, draped Roman-esque marble figure, one hand on his waist and head at a proud, slightly inquisitive angle. This is David (1408-9), a biblical sculpture originally intended for Florence Cathedral, which has never been seen in the UK before. Surrounding David are grey and blue walls, church-like domed “windows” showing later parts...
Hana •

How can exercise affect your menstrual cycle? | Hana

Exercise on your period has been shown to be beneficial for a number of reasons. Some women and people with uteruses experience painful cramps just before and during their period, and regular exercise can help to reduce them. The main reason believed for this is due to the endorphins and pain-relieving hormones that are released during exercise. 
This is why exercising during your period can help boost your mood and counteract the fatigue you may be feeling. This could be from something as simpl...
Hana •

How do hormones change as you age? | Ask Hana®

From about our mid-to-late twenties, estrogen and progesterone levels are at their peak for people with uteruses. These two hormones are important for female reproductive and sexual development, including regulating the menstrual cycle and playing an essential role in pregnancy.
As you reach your thirties, the levels of these hormones start to naturally decline, which is most commonly marked by changes to your menstrual cycle. From mid-to-late forties, people with ovaries may experience “perimen...
The Upcoming •

“I look for a space where the dancers and I can find freedom to create and to express without judgement”: Alice Ripoll on Zona Franca at Southbank Centre

Since 2009, Alice Ripoll has been combining improvisation, contemporary dance, dance theatre and a range of movements inspired by Brazilian genres, to explore movement and the human experience. Initially training as a psychoanalyst, Ripoll explores unconscious processes that are channelled through her company and allows the movements to unfold for the viewer to take away what they will. Her new piece, Zona Franca, was initially born during the end of lockdown and evolved against the backdrop of...
Islands •

An Abandoned Toll Road Stop In Colorado Is Now A Trail-Laced Escape Of Ruins, Ridges, And Stillness - Islands

Want to escape the 21st century? Under a 10-minute drive from Morrison and 14 miles from Denver is a quiet path that winds along a bumpy mountain, leading to an abandoned cemetery in what remains of a 19th-century ghost town.
Mount Vernon, Colorado – located in what is now Jefferson County — was one of the first settlements to spring up in Jefferson Territory during the Gold Rush era of the mid-1800s. Founded in 1859 by Joseph Castro, the settlement was, for a while, the de facto capital of what...
The Upcoming •

Daisy Jones and the Six | Show review

Daisy Jones and the Six, based on the 2019 bestselling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, will premiere on streaming giant Amazon this March. The ten-part miniseries follows the fictional (and yet very believable) story of 1970s rock band Daisy and the Six, who dramatically rise to fame and then, when they are on top of the world, break up, out of the blue, for reasons unknown. The miniseries follows a similar format to the book: decades later, band members and those associated with The Six give thei...
Flexiseq •

7 Key Ways A Pain Diary Can Help Arthritis

Let’s not sugar-coat it: living with a chronic pain condition like arthritis is difficult. There are good days, so-so days and worse days - and it can be hard to know if and when you’ll have a flare up. Living with the uncertainty of chronic pain can feel disempowering, and it can make you feel like you don’t have any control.
There is no cure for arthritis, but there are tools you can use to manage your pain, find patterns and learn ways to deal with it more effectively. One way to help yoursel...
Hana •

What is vaginismus and how can it affect your sex life? - Hana

Whilst you might be used to calling it a vagina, the external part of the female reproductive system is actually called a vulva. The vulva is connected via a muscular canal to the neck of the uterus, and this canal is called the vagina. It’s like a tunnel that connects these two parts of your anatomy. 
Vaginismus refers to an uncontrollable, automatic reaction when something – maybe a penis, a tampon, a medical device or all of the above – attempts to penetrate the vagina. It’s not a conscious t...
ellaone UK •

What happens if you take ellaOne on your period? - ellaone UK

So can ellaOne® affect your cycle? “Some women may find that their period may last longer than usual after taking emergency contraception,” says Dr Hana Patel. “Some women experience a lighter or heavier flow during their first period after the morning after pill, but it is more common to experience a heavier bleed than lighter. If your period is a week later than usual or still hasn’t started within 3 weeks of taking the morning after pill, there may be a possibility that you could be pregnant...
Flexiseq •

7 Tips To Help With The Depression Of Arthritis

Have you experienced depression since your arthritis diagnosis? If so, you’re far from alone. Studies have shown that depression and anxiety can lower your pain tolerance, whilst at the same time chronic pain can exacerbate feelings of low mood and stress, creating a vicious cycle. Living with chronic pain and feeling like you’re being held back from some of the things you used to do is not an easy thing to deal with and difficult feelings around this are an entirely understandable reaction. You...
ellaone UK •

Can you still have periods and be pregnant? | ellaOne

Have you heard stories about people who didn’t know they were pregnant until they went into labour? You know that getting your period means you’re not pregnant, but if someone was pregnant and didn’t know it then wouldn’t that mean they were getting their period?
You might be asking: “well I got my period, but could I still be pregnant?” This is an important question and we want to put your mind at ease, so read on for a discussion of this topic featuring comments from Dr Hana Patel*, a GP spec...
Hana •

What is virginity and is virginity a social construct? - Hana®

There was also this expectation that a virgin with a vagina would bleed after having sex for the first time because there was an expctation that she would have had an intact hymen, which would break after having sex.
In reality, this often isn’t the case. “The hymen is a thin membrane surrounding the vaginal opening. There is a misconception that it totally covers the opening of the vagina, and an intact hymen would indicate someone is a virgin, which would break the first time someone has sex....
Hana •

Can you take birth control over the age of 45? - Hana

“Women who are over the age of 45 and still ovulating should consider using some form of contraception if they do not wish to become pregnant,” says Rhiannon John, sexologist at Bedbible. “However, if a woman has already reached menopause, she generally does not require contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy. Menopause is typically diagnosed when a person aged 50 or above has not experienced menstruation for a consecutive period of 12 months or if they are under 50 and have not had a peri...
Moneysprite •

Equities vs bonds: A guide | Moneysprite

The main difference between equities (often known as shares or stocks) and bonds is that when you buy an equity, you are buying a small share in a company. A bond, on the other hand, is a loan from you to a company or the government.

When you buy equities, you are essentially buying small chunks of a company. As a shareholder, the more shares you buy, the more of the company you own. If that company does well, the value of your shares will go up and, if you wish, you can sell your shares for mo...
The Upcoming •

Pygmalion at the Old Vic | Theatre review

This adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 Pygmalion, directed by Richard Jones, is manic, fast-paced and gaspingly funny. Set sometime in the early 20th century, when cockney accents and class snobbery were abundant, a crowd of genteel people hide from the rain whilst a poor cockney girl named Eliza Doolittle (Patsy Ferran) tries to sell flowers. Henry Higgins (Bertie Carvel), an eloquent and overbearing man with hands in his pockets and a slight slump in his shoulders, starts writing down e...
The Upcoming •

Boy Parts at Soho Theatre | Theatre review

Boy Parts, a one woman show starring Aimée Kelly based on the 2020 novel by Eliza Clark, offers a female-focused American Psycho for the 2020s. Irena likes to take explicit photographs of average looking boys and men in her hometown of Newcastle, enjoying the power she wields over them. When given the opportunity to submit her work to a trendy art gallery in London, Irena finds a new muse in Eddie from Tesco. As fragments of her past begin to emerge, and Irena’s grip on reality gets more tenuous...
The Upcoming •

Alice Ripoll: Zona Franca at Southbank Centre | Theatre review

Zona Franca (translating as “free zone” from Portuguese) is the latest creation by Brazilian choreographer Alice Ripoll. Combining an eclectic mix of contemporary dance, contact improvisation, afro-house, funk and passinho (a mix of pop, funk and break dancing), alongside visual art, vocalisations and moves inspired by TikTok, this performance is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Created against a backdrop of political unrest and COVID-19, Zona Franca is both fun and unnerving.
The performers flow...
The Upcoming •

YAMATO: The Wings of Phoenix at Peacock Theatre | Theatre review

For the first time in five years, Yamato brings their taiko performance to London’s Peacock Theatre. When the show starts and the group starts banging their drums, this reviewer thinks to herself: “So, is it just two hours of drums?”.
There are a lot of drums, but there’s no “just” about it. Yamato incorporates physical theatre, comedy, dance, audience participation and raw energy with all different types of taiko (Japanese for drums) ranging from tiny clackers to Odaiko, the group’s biggest dru...

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