# Ira Schiwek

> Ira Schiwek is a German author and speaker on living with autoimmune disease (Sjögren’s syndrome, lupus), medical gaslighting, women’s health and patient communication. She wrote “44 Impulse für deinen autoimmunen Alltag” (avocado verlag, also as an audiobook) and runs the Instagram community “Autoimmune Balance Club”.

The site is in German, with an English version under /en.

## Main pages
- [Startseite (Deutsch)](https://heyira.de/): about, speaking, offer for patients, book, collaboration, contact form
- [Homepage (English)](https://heyira.de/en)
- [Impressum](https://heyira.de/impressum) · [Datenschutz](https://heyira.de/datenschutz)

## Speaking
- Medical gaslighting: Why women’s symptoms are often dismissed and what patients and practices can change.
- Living with autoimmune disease: Diagnosis, everyday life, setbacks and what helped me find my footing again.
- Chronically ill and a mum: Balancing family, work and illness without losing yourself.
- Self-care: Setting boundaries, pacing your energy and being kind to yourself, even on bad days.
- Patient communication: How conversations between doctors and patients can happen at eye level.
- Formats: Keynote, Panel, Reading, Workshop, Interview & talk

## Stages and events
- 2026: Novartis International Sjögren’s Disease Patient Council (Paris)
- 2026: Patient day for World Lupus Day (Berlin)
- 2025 & 2026: Virtual Lupus Day for patients (GSK) (online)
- 2025: Female Future Force Day (EDITION F) (Berlin)
- 2025: World Rheumatism Day (Novartis) (video talks)
- 2024: Women’s health summit (BILD der FRAU)

## Appearances (detail pages)
- [Female Future Force Day 2025: panel on women’s health](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/fff-day-2025) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/fff-day-2025): Ira Schiwek on stage at EDITION F’s Female Future Force Day 2025 at bcc Berlin: a panel on women’s health and autoimmune disease.
- [World Rheumatism Day 2025: video talks on Sjögren’s and gender medicine](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/weltrheumatag-2025) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/weltrheumatag-2025): For World Rheumatism Day 2025 Ira Schiwek speaks in two video talks about the sentences patients are tired of hearing and what it means to be chronically ill as a woman.
- [BILD der FRAU women’s health summit 2024](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/frauengesundheitsgipfel-2024) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/frauengesundheitsgipfel-2024): Ira Schiwek on the panel at the BILD der FRAU women’s health summit 2024: how do women find the right doctor?
- [ARD Gesund: medical gaslighting](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/ard-gesund-medical-gaslighting) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/ard-gesund-medical-gaslighting): Why women wait longer for a diagnosis: Ira Schiwek on ARD Gesund’s programme about medical gaslighting.
- [taff: when women aren’t taken seriously](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/taff-frauengesundheit-2025) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/taff-frauengesundheit-2025): The quiet fight for health: Ira Schiwek on ProSieben’s taff for International Women’s Health Day 2025.
- [SR 1 podcast “Schicksal”: autoimmune disease](https://heyira.de/en/appearances/sr1-podcast-schicksal) · [Deutsch](https://heyira.de/auftritte/sr1-podcast-schicksal): The enemy in your own body: Ira Schiwek tells her story of living with Sjögren’s and lupus on SR 1’s podcast “Schicksal”.

## Press and features
- Featured in: ARD Gesund, ProSieben taff, BILD der FRAU, Psychologie Heute, EDITION F
- [Medical Gaslighting](https://www.bildderfrau.de/gesund/ratgeber/medical-gaslighting-2-129475/): Article, BILD der FRAU (German)
- [Diese Hoffnung setze ich in die Forschung](https://www.studien-wirken.de/interview-ira-schiwek/): Interview, Studien wirken (German)
- [Chronisch gut](https://www.podcast.de/podcast/3513563/chronisch-gut-der-podcast-ueber-chronische-krankheiten): Podcast, Podcast on chronic illness (German)

## Book
- “44 Impulse für deinen autoimmunen Alltag: Autoimmunerkrankungen langfristig meistern”, avocado verlag (German). [Order](https://amzn.eu/d/2JbZWVR)
- Audiobook read by Paula Schekahn, Avocado Hörbuch, ISBN 978-3-911289-33-7. [Listen](https://bwlnk.com/9783911289337)

## For patients
- Dein 44 Minuten Raum (“Deine Fragen, meine Impulse”): a 44-minute one-to-one conversation, 44 € pro Gespräch. Not medical advice. In German.

## Collaboration
- Offers: Talks & panels, Readings, Press & writing, Patient communication
- Worked with: Novartis, GSK, Merck, Roche, Sunday Natural, Kapten & Son, Carnium Botanicals, heine, KoRo, Bioturm, apo.com, Orthomol
- Instagram @autoimmunebalanceclub: about 7.7K followers, 5% engagement rate (media kit 2025)

## Contact
- Enquiries for talks, readings, interviews, partnerships and the 44-minute conversation via the form at https://heyira.de/#kontakt (English: https://heyira.de/en#contact)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autoimmunebalanceclub/