This story was narrated to Dr Arif by a cancer survivor. It is shared with consent.

I want to say this clearly at the outset: I do not want pity or charity. What I want is for people to understand my pain—both physical and emotional. I begin like many women in Kashmir. I do not smoke or drink. There is nothing unusual about that. I loved studying, so I studied seriously. I completed my MSc and later my PhD from the University of Kashmir. I qualified a public service commission examination and began working in government service.

Before I secured a government job, finding a suitable marriage proposal was difficult for my parents. Once I got the job, proposals arrived in abundance. Eventually, I got married and had two children, both delivered through caesarean section. At that time, there was no public discussion around unnecessary C-sections or commercialisation. It was simply accepted as routine medical care.

Based on current scientific evidence, caesarean sections do not show a strong or consistent link with increased cancer risk in mothers. Studies on breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers have largely shown no direct causal relationship. Some indirect associations have been explored, but nothing conclusive. These issues are best left for researchers and medical stakeholders to discuss further.

In 2009, the birth of a girl child in Kashmir was still not something widely celebrated. I mention Kashmir repeatedly because this is where I have lived my life; I cannot generalise beyond my experience. Still, I was content. I........

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