Women’s Health Guide: Breaking Myths & Wellbeing

Breaking Myths, Building Awareness: A Modern Woman’s Guide to Health

Table of Contents: 

• Introduction
• Understanding Women’s Health Needs
• Why Women’s Health Research Still Needs Attention
• Reproductive Health Awareness
• Importance of Regular Health Checkups
• Mental Health Matters
• Final Thoughts: Prioritizing Your Health Without Guilt

Introduction

Responsibility. Aren’t you tired of the word as well? An important aspect of our capitalist world. So important that it ranks higher than health(mostly because of how outrageously expensive it has become even to continue breathing, let alone be healthy).

 Responsibility has become a shackle used by society to chain us to its expectations- the shackle is even heavier on women, or specifically, ambitious women who aim to have a career while being expected to fulfill the role of a dutiful mother, sister, daughter, and whatever else label the society decides to stick on her. 

Today’s piece is presented with the hope that the women reading this will move their health higher on the list of their priorities in life. 

Understanding Women’s Health Needs

Oftentimes, a serious concern is brought up by a woman to a doctor, only to be callously dismissed. The internet is riddled with such stories where the dismissal of a doctor ended in tragedy. 

“Your cramps are so bad you feel like someone is trying to split you open from the inside? It’s probably not too bad. Here’s a very mild pain reducer, go along now.”

She had ovarian cysts. This is the case with women doctors as well, most unfortunately.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you are overreacting when your body is actively trying to tell you that something is wrong. Do your own research and keep looking until you find someone who listens. 

Why Women’s Health Research Still Needs Attention

Research regarding women’s health is concerningly scarce. Most treatments, even many test groups for new drugs, only include various men of different ages and health groups, while excluding women, because, and this is an ageless excuse, “Women have too many hormones in their system,” and similar quotes follow on how it might distort the ‘true’ effects of the drugs. And even the notion of accounting for women is new. There are, of course, exceptions, but this remains the depressing average. 

Now, I haven’t said all this just to make you feel hopeless and maybe fear that the doctor is going to ask you to name the problem when you visit them. (Even if it might seem like it.)

 My request to every woman reading this is: do your own research. (Doesn’t mean you should prepare for a catastrophe every time Google or ChatGPT politely informs you that your symptoms match with symptoms of stomach cancer. No, use the common sense installed in you and take everything with a grain of salt. )

While many doctors provide excellent care, some women report feeling dismissed highlighting the importance of advocating for yourself. Most doctors won’t jump to a seriously deadly conclusion even if you are in severe pain, and rightfully so, since that would cause escalation and maybe uncalled-for panic. Yet there have been thousands of cases of patients suggesting or suspecting they have a specific problem after hours and hours of proper research. That doesn’t mean you should self-diagnose. It means finding a doctor who will listen to you and take your opinions into account. 

Reproductive Health Awareness

I am well aware that the lessons on women’s health and the menstrual cycle are forgotten by most of you. It is a busy world after all. But reintroduce yourself to the topic deeply. The hormones released during the whole month do affect you. While men go through a hormonal cycle every day, we go through one every month, which means our highs and lows are spread throughout the month and have a longer period of time. Work with your body, listen to it, and you will find life much easier to walk through. 

Each woman is different, and so are the effects of different stages of the cycle. Track your energy levels and mood throughout the months using apps like Flo or others available on the internet to collect data about your body. Many amazing women have also written books on these topics that you could read for a deeper exploration. 

Importance of Regular Health Checkups

I can not stress this enough. Go to those check-ups. Especially if you have a family history of problems such as breast cancer, diabetes, cholesterol or even thyroid. 

Doctors generally recommend starting Pap tests at age 21 and repeating them every 3–5 years, depending on medical advice(unpleasant though it may be). 

Diseases like HIV, Tuberculosis, cancer, and cardiac diseases have a high potential to be deadly, but early detection and treatment can exponentially decrease the chances of such scenarios. Prevention is the best medication, and all that is a whole ‘nother pie to cut into later. For now, let’s focus on detection. 

Mental Health Matters

Mental health for women has come a long way from the 1700s and 1800s, made clear by the significant decrease in being called ‘hysterical’ and being thrown into asylums for having opinions or displaying emotions(I feel obligated to mention that I only meant the lack of asylums).

 Mental health itself has come a long way in its research, as you could probably tell by the lack of lobotomies being performed left and right. Anyhow, mental health is still looked down on and displayed under a negative spotlight in many societies. 

Yet, these problems are very real and can have corrosive effects if you try to bottle them up and pretend they’re not there(I know, if only you could ignore these problems). 

Acknowledge them(No, don’t start self-diagnosing, even if it’s most likely cheaper) and learn to work with them. Sorry as I am for leaving you with such banal advice, it’s a complex topic with many nuances that will be tackled in a later article if you are so inclined to read them. 

Final Thoughts: Prioritizing Your Health Without Guilt

Even if you skimmed through the whole article(which is indeed as offensive a notion as you think it is), I want you to leave this article with this: prioritize your health.

 A healthy woman is a strong woman, and strength lends to natural confidence, which feels much better than ‘fake it till ya make it’ and a confident woman is less likely to succumb to the honeytraps of society and more likely to stand up for herself- something you need to do to survive among the wolves.

Conclusion

Women’s health is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list due to responsibilities, expectations, and busy lifestyles, but it should never be treated as optional. From reproductive health and regular medical checkups to mental wellbeing and hormonal health, every aspect of health plays a crucial role in a woman’s overall quality of life. Health Awareness is the first step toward prevention, and prevention is always better than treatment.

Breaking myths around women’s health is also important because many women grow up ignoring symptoms, normalizing pain, or feeling hesitant to seek help. Listening to your body, asking questions, getting regular checkups, and prioritizing mental health are not signs of weakness they are signs of self-respect and self-awareness.

A healthy woman is not just physically strong but mentally and emotionally resilient as well. When women prioritize their health, they are better able to pursue their goals, support their families, and live fulfilling lives. Your health is not a luxury or a reward after responsibilities , it is a necessity and should be treated as a priority, not an afterthought.