Charlotte Entrican Paul (born 1948) is a New Zealand doctor,

epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent diseases. It is a cornerstone ...

and emeritus professor at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

Early life and education

Paul was born in 1948, the second daughter of publishers

Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psychologist and psychotherapist * Maur ...

and Blackwood Paul and sister of the artist

Joanna Paul Joanna Margaret Paul (14 December 1945 – 29 May 2003) was a New Zealand visual artist, poet and film-maker. Early life and education Paul was one of four daughters of pioneering New Zealand publisher Blackwood Paul and artist and writer Ja ...

. She completed her PhD at the University of Otago in 1992.

Career

Paul became an associate professor in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at the University of Otago in 1993. She is an emeritus professor in the same department. Her fields of research have included

HIV/Aids The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

, women's cancers, screening, contraception and epidemiology. She directed the Aids Epidemiology Group for 20 years, monitoring HIV/Aids in New Zealand. In the 2020s Paul became concerned about the use of

puberty blockers Puberty blockers (also called puberty inhibitors or hormone blockers) are medicines used to postpone puberty in children. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which suppress the natura ...

to delay the normally-timed

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...

of children. She wrote articles for the New Zealand weekly magazine The Listener, and the monthly magazine North and South. She was also quoted in a

Radio New Zealand Radio New Zealand (), commonly known as RNZ or Radio NZ, is a New Zealand public service broadcaster and Crown entity. Established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, it operates news and current affairs station, RNZ National, and a classi ...

story questioning New Zealand's guidelines on puberty blockers, with Paul stating, "The New Zealand Guidelines for Gender Affirming Care do not refer to the fact that this is an unapproved indication, or to the Medical Council guidelines and the need to ensure that patients know that this is an unapproved indication,", and the story stating, "New Zealand was out of step with many other countries, which were moving to a more cautious approach, she said." In early 2023, the New Zealand Ministry of Health removed a line stating that puberty blockers "are a safe and fully reversible medicine" from its website. Notable doctoral students of Paul's include Ann Richardson and Lianne Parkin.

Personal life

Paul is married to Kevin Cunningham.

Selected works

* Paul, Charlotte (12 October 2011
'Keep the ethical safeguards in medical research'
''New Zealand Herald'' * Paul, Charlotte (December 2019
'Epidemics expose public health failures'
''Newsroom.'' * Paul, Charlotte (17 May 2020
'Covid-19 and the common good'.
''The Spinoff''

References

External links

Photo of the Paul family in Te Ara, ca 1959
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Charlotte 1948 births Living people University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand epidemiologists New Zealand women academics New Zealand public health doctors Entrican family New Zealand women public health doctors Women epidemiologists