'We may not have made it to Christmas number one - but our song created in the West Midlands has started a conversation that can end shame and save lives'

Dr Aziza Sesay, who works as a GP based in the West Midlands, was campaigning to reach the top of the charts with her single 'They Are Not Bad Words' that she created with director Tonia Daley-Campbell and producer Orique.

The track, which was created as part of the They Are Not Bad Words movement that the women’s health advocate started online, aims to encourage the use of accurate anatomical language and more open conversations about menstrual health. 

In the lead up to Christmas, the song recieved thousands of streams and downloads. A social media dance challenge linked to the song saw hundreds of creators get involved trying to push it to the top.

Sadly, the track didn't make it to top - but Dr Sesay has now sent a message of thanks to her supporters as she claims the song is helping to "shame and stigma is literally costing lives."

In a statement on Instagram, Dr Aziza said: "We didn't get to Christmas no. 1 buuuuut look at what we've achieved. We started a conversation and created a dialogue around an important topic. Vulva, vagina and clitoris are not bad words!

"The song received radio play across four different shows, and our Christmas No. 1 campaign bid was discussed; despite initial concerns about whether the words might go against policy. A massive thank you to all the presenters who believed in the premise of the song and played it, because they are, in fact, not bad words.

"We had three different news articles covering our Christmas No. 1 bid and highlighting the importance of normalising and destigmatising these words to improve women's health outcomes, save lives and protect our kids. Thank you so much to the writers who voluntarily chose to cover this and were genuinely enthusiastic about the topic.

"So many organisations, professional colleagues, charities and influential individuals kindly supported, championed and shared the campaign bid, encouraging others to do the same. We are incredibly grateful for every single one of you.

"We've had thousands of streams of the song and so many wonderful comments about how catchy it is. We've loved hearing about you dancing along with your children too. Thank you so much to everyone who kept playing and singing along - even on your school run

"We've seen so many re-shares, reposts, and even people creating their own videos using the song, which completely blew us away and left us feeling emotional about the support. Thank you for volunteering your time and creativity - it means so much more than you know.

"We've done all of this without any funding, agencies, PR team or advertising support. This has purely been lead by audacity and hope alongside the unwavering support, kindness and generosity of community.

"We didn't make Christmas No. 1, but that was never the ultimate goal. We wanted to encourage conversation, raise awareness that these words are still stigmatised to this day, and allow everyone to question why that stigma exists in the first place — to challenge the status quo. Because, and we will keep saying this until things change: vulva, vagina, clitoris...They Are Not Bad Words!"

The track is available to stream on Spotify and to use for social media clips.