Dida Dederding

Dida Dagmar Mary Dederding (née Hansen; 6 January 1889 – 13 November 1955) was a Danish doctor and academic who specialised in inner ear pathology and women's sexual health. She was also known for her work on Ménière's disease, and her theory that it was caused by a water imbalance.

Early and personal life Dida Dagmar Mary Hansen was born on 6 January 1889 in Copenhagen to Marie Laurine Ferdinandine Vonsild and Hans Christian Hansen. She was raised in a middle-class household and attended Laura Engelhardt's School, from which she graduated in 1908. Following this, she began studying medicine at the University of Copenhagen, earning her bachelor's degree in 1916.

On 27 October 1916, she married lawyer Poul Vilhelm Dederding (1889–1957) in Copenhagen. The couple had no children. She was also a member of the Conservative People's Party. Dederding theorised that the disease was caused by an imbalance of water, and that symptoms could be eased by exercise, massage and reduced water and salt consumption.

In 1939, she published the book Kvinden omkring de halvtreds ("Women around their fifties"), to educate women about sexuality and their own bodies. In the book, she criticised women's attitudes towards menstruation, resulting in the lack of medical attention to issues surrounding it. Two years later, Dederding followed this with a sexual education bookSundhedslære for unge kvinder ("Health Education for Young Women") aimed at women. With this publication, she wrote about the negative impacts of puberty on both sexes and the importance of adolescents regulating their own sexual desires to prevent misconduct in adult life. It also focused on maintaining and improving women's health not only by moderate exercise and healthy nutrition, but also by sexuality, which she considered to be the key to a happy marriage.

Death Dederding died on 13 November 1955 in Ordrup parish, at the age of 66.