'Its just…'
Have you noticed the language we use around women’s health?
Benign gynaecology to separate from cancer, suggesting that women can wait for any treatment. It's not harmful, it does not matter!
The terminology leads to delays and women being pushed to the back of the queue for operations and care. Within gynaecology it is always cancer that gets the priority, but should women not have access to care and operations that would transform their lives?
When talking about women’s health, have you heard 'its just...'
- fibroids
- PCOS
- endometriosis
- period pain
- heavy periods
- prolapse
- menopause.
All of the language is designed to down-play the significance that the condition may have on individuals in terms of quality of life, psychological status and ability to work, function and care for family.
It is only for female health conditions that we hear this. Do you ever hear 'it's just a hip replacement' or 'it's just gall stones?' But yet we say this about conditions that, although are not cancer, have the potential to cause infertility.
But lets look 'at just…'
Fibroids - These can cause pelvic pressure, pain, incontinence, fertility issues, heavy bleeding, hydronephrosis. Does this sound like a condition that can be left for some women? With the fibroids growing month on month?
Endometriosis - Pain that interferes with quality of life, work, school. It can mean staying in, being unable to attend social events, fainting, fertility concerns. Again, getting worse month on month due to hormones. Women with endometriosis even have a reduced earning potential.
Menopause - Significant effects on physical and mental health; flushes, insomnia, joint pain, vaginal pain, bladder issues, mood swings, decreased sex drive (and no licensed products to help, unlike for male issues), psychological distress. Women are leaving work, not trying for promotions, feeling unable to cope, being misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions and in some rare cases, committing suicide.
Heavy periods - What ever the cause, you may hear 'it's just a period relating to pain and bleeding, all have them so its normal'. But what if you can not go out 3-5 days a month? Using multiple packs of sanitary protection but still flooding through clothes, bed, mattress? Is this normal? Women can bleed so much that they have chronic anaemia. So in addition feel tired, dizzy and short of breath but just continue as we don’t talk enough as a society about periods and what’s normal. That’s all normal right?
Gynaecology conditions are very common with endometriosis affecting 1 in 10 and heavy menstrual bleeding affecting 37% women. A lack of education and information about what these conditions can be is normalised. Within the women’s health strategy, there was a call from women for more information and education.
With the 'it's just...' mentality, women left too long will often end up with repeated visits to GP and A&E. Deterioration in condition can lead to blood transfusions and more complex surgery than was originally needed, without thinking of the cost to that’s women.
So we need to stop saying 'it's just…' and say what it is... a condition, just like all other medical conditions, and support any campaigns to get this changed.
https://www.rcog.org.uk/news/rcog-responds-as-long-waiting-times-for-gynaecology-continue/
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