By: John Glover (MBA)
Being a woman is difficult in more ways than one. When it comes to our bodies, it can sometimes be a foreign land where we don’t know what is happening. Our bodies go through so many changes on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, so of course it’s hard to keep track. Women’s health education is out there, but not to the extent it needs to be for us to be fully in tune with our bodies.
Imagine being able to experience a symptom in your body and know exactly what it means. This would save us a lot of time and money, because we do not have to search out answers. If doctors, physicians or even schools spent a little extra time and resources teaching young girls about their bodies, perhaps women’s health would not be such a mystery.
For example, survey results show that 72% of women did not know the symptoms they were enduring were related to a hormone imbalance. In that same survey, nearly half of the women said that they were experiencing hormone imbalance related symptoms. A lot of time periods, perimenopause, and hormone imbalance symptoms are similar, so it can be hard to understand what is going on and how to manage it.
“Learning about your body as a woman is so important and should be taken more seriously. We should not have to find things out about our bodies as they come, we need more preparation and resources to really be in tune with ourselves,” says Amy Beckley, Ph.D and CEO at Proov.
You would think that women in their 30s, 40s and even 50s know everything about their bodies and how it works. That is not the case for many women. According to a 2022 statistic, only 42% of women were knowledgeable about perimenopause, while 52% were knowledgeable about menstruation.
This shows there is a gap between those who understand their bodies to an extent and those that do not. Why is there such a gap? Women’s health education should not be an afterthought, it should be taught to girls when they are young, so they can be prepared for the road ahead. Women’s reproductive health is complicated and there needs to be access to resources to help teach young girls about how their bodies work before they menstruate, not when they are hitting perimenopause.
“A lot of times, women have symptoms and imbalances that they do not understand, and if not treated it could lead to infertility and other issues down the line. Why are we waiting to educate each other? There needs to be an open and safe conversation surrounding women’s hormones so they can live in harmony with their body,” Beckley says.
Thankfully, recent advances have made it easier for people to understand their bodies in each stage of their life. There is new testing for hormone imbalances, fertility or even perimenopause, that gives people answers that are catered to them. Practicing more holistic changes like meditation, exercise and supplements can also help people feel like themselves and manage whatever they are going through. Talking with your doctor is also a great way to be open and honest about your concerns. If you have a question about something, don’t hesitate to ask because you could find a solution to your problems and figure out ways to prevent them in the future. There is information out there, but it can feel like a huge obstacle to find the exact answers you need. Instead of jumping through hoops to understand your body, education needs to be a priority so women can take control over their health. Being an advocate for health is necessary to breaking the stigma surrounding women’s health.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
