Why Care About Women’s Health?

CEBU, Philippines — The Women’s College Hospital, in Canada, has launched campaign centered on women’s health. Called the “Health Gap,” the campaign aims to start a conversation about important issues in women’s health.The public response has been very enthusiastic.

Some people may ask why single out women on the issue of health. Men do get sick, too – often with the same conditions. The Women’s College Hospital that “focusing on women’s health does not mean ignoring men’s health... It’s about acknowledging that women and men are different.”

The difference, of course, seems obvious. That’s the reason why past medical research often worked on the assumption that, with the exceptions of breast cancer, obstetrics and gynecology, women are just like men. Thus, it’s understandable that medical studies and drug trials would often exclude women, even though women are also affected by the condition being studied or would be prescribed the drugs that were being tested.

So it goes that much of the data used to develop guidelines for women are not specific to women. But health experts believe that in order to provide evidence-based recommendations specifically for women, more effort is needed to ensure that women are adequately represented in clinical trials.

There have been recent findings that point to emerging health issues specific to women. In Canada, for example, surprising data have been gathered “that heart disease kills more women than men.” A study by members of the Canadian Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Team, published in 2010, reveals that “while heart disease had traditionally killed more men, the research showed how that changed in 2000, when women caught up with men in deaths from heart disease. By 2004, 50.4 percent of heart disease deaths occurred in women.”

Something that affectswomen and men differently is vital information. For example,the website www.womenshealthmatters.ca relates that diabetes rates increased by nine percent in Canada in 2014. That’s important for researchers to know. However, without analysis by gender, it would not be known that those diabetes rates actually increased by 13 percent in women and 6 percent in men, which could be important information for targeting diabetes programs, policies and future research.

There are also health issues where men rate higher than women. The point is that important gender-specific findings cannot be made without developing research studies that analyze the results particular to men and to women. That means not only including a representative number of women and men in studies, but also examining the study results by gender.

When it comes to issues regarding health, the person himself or herself has a big role to play. One can never be too cautious or too careful about caring for his or her body and taking preventative steps to ward off common health risks. After all, it is easier to fight a potential problem in the early stages, rather than wait until the problem has fully developed into something more serious.

For women, the website www.zeidwhc.com points out that it means scheduling regular health checkups, routine pap smears and mammograms, taking preventative care against things like HPV, ovarian cancer and breast cancer, and overall just doing what is in the best interest of their bodies. Women experience unique health issues and conditions, from pregnancy and menopause to gynecological conditions, such as uterine fibroids and pelvic floor disorders. Some other conditions affect men too, but affect women primarily or more severely.

There are a number of things that women can do on a yearly and even on a day-to-day basis. Being educated about potential health problems and what can be done to prevent these is the first and most important step. The www.zeidwhc.com website suggests talking to an OB/GYN about any concerns a woman may have, what health problems she should watch out for, possible health issues that run in her family, and any other questions. The website also recommends taking the following preventative steps:

• getting vaccinated against common diseases such as HPV and hepatitis;

• undergoing regular STD screenings once she becomes sexually active;

• talking to her doctor about birth control if she is not yet ready to have children;

• signing up for routine mammograms and pap smears.

The issues related to women’s overall health and wellness are not limited to her body. There’s also violence against women, discrimination in the workplace etc. And, still, women do some of the tasks that are supposedly for men.

In the end, these beings tapped by God to play a key role in the process of human procreation deserve everyone’s support. Healthy women produce healthy babies and are able to care for their young better. And that’s good for the entire human race.