WRITTEN BY- Durga Parthsarathi

Staying in the pink of health is our first priority irrespective of gender. Women often tend to overlook their health, their reasons being managing both family and work. Women’s health varies from a man in different aspects and hence they need their own unique set of care.

The health conditions that are specific to women are

^ Menstrual health

^ Reproductive health

  • Menstrual health

Even though menstruation is not seen as taboo as they were in the olden days, people still hesitate to speak about this as an important health issue. Even women themselves restrain from speaking about it to their family members. Menstruation marks the onset of a new phase of life for women. Stigmatizing this is completely unacceptable and wrong in many ways. 

I am not going to explain menstruation in-depth since everyone already knows what that is. There are three phases in the menstrual cycle and these are based on the release of the egg (the reproductive cell of the female). These events occur in an average span of 28 days, while they can range from 25-30 days.

  • Follicular (prior to release of egg) = Day 1 to 13
  • Ovulatory (during the realease of egg) = Day 14
  • Luteal (after the release of egg) = Day 15-28

* The days are based on approximation and this can vary from female to female.

Amenorrhea and menorrhagia are some of the disorders related to the menstrual cycle. Menorrhagia refers to excess bleeding whereas Amenorrhea refers to the absence of bleeding/menses.

Menses is the blood and other matter discharged as a result of the menstrual cycle. The matter refers to the shredding of the endometrium lining of the uterus. As we all are aware, women need proper nourishment and care during their menstrual cycle, but the question here is how we do it.

These are some of the steps that can aid in the process.

As a friend or a family member we can,

– Make them open up about their difficulties. 

– Help them by sharing their workload.

– Give them the much-needed rest. 

– Be understanding.

As a part of society, we can

– Stop treating menstruation as a taboo

– Make sure every girl has access to sanitary pads, menstrual cups or tampons, etc.

– Create awareness among the rural population

– Provide better hygiene conditions.

Speaking of our responsibilities towards women during menstruation, disposal of menstrual waste is also an important topic that needs to be included under menstrual hygiene. Lack of proper disposal facilities is still a concern in many places, even when it is available girls tend to refrain from using it for the fear of being seen by someone. This brings us right back to where we started.

“NO SHAME IN BLEEDING”

 

  • Reproductive health

Moving on to another important topic that revolves around women’s health – Reproductive health. A woman’s reproductive system is the most delicate system in her body. Neglecting the care it requires may lead to various mental and physical complications. Both men and women suffer from problems due to reproductive health. It is due to the ignorance about reproductive health and following age old traditions without questioning or trying to understand it.

The most common reproductive problems faced by women are

  1. STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)- mostly due to pathogens
  2. Uterine fibroids
  3. Ovarian cancer
  4. PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) – mostly due to hormonal imbalance

and these are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more diseases that cause pain and discomfort to women due to improper care and negligence. 

Knowledge about safe sex practices is also important for better sexual and reproductive health. The most important one among them is respecting the female’s decision and not forcing her into anything. Use of proper contraceptives, avoiding excessive consumption of drugs, and educating sexually active people about various reproductive complications also helps in the maintenance of reproductive health.

Having access to reproductive health services and creating an environment in which the women use these services without being ashamed will lead to their better health and wellbeing.

Bonne Lecture! 🙂

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