Top 5 Women’s Health Issues That You Must Know
Lack of nutritional sources, stress and inadequate access to healthcare has worsened the health status of women. Women's access to healthcare is often limited by the societal taboo and misinformation surrounding reproductive and sexual health. Let us read about the top 5 women's health issues.
What Are The Top Five Female Health Concerns?
1. Breast cancer - the top female health concern:
The female gender is the most vital risk factor for breast cancer. Breast cancer is a severe female health concern when it has started to spread to other parts of the body. Most breast cancer cases are treatable when diagnosed at an early stage. Although vastly treatable, it still has a massive impact on well-being.
Some of the common factors that increase the risk of breast cancer include first pregnancy after 30 years of age, late menopause, early puberty, a high-fat diet, etc. The main challenges for women with breast cancer are early detection, timely diagnosis and proper management plans.
2. Infections in women's health issues:
Women living in rural regions have limited access to bathrooms and toiletries that they bathe in lakes and reuse sanitary napkins. The reuse of sanitary napkins increases the risk of contracting infections three-fold, ultimately resulting in an increased risk of cervical cancer.
More than 30 types of infectious organisms transmit through sexual contact. Some of these cause sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis, etc. Many people may not have any symptoms of infection. Some people show mild symptoms like discharge from genital regions. These infections have a significant impact on reproductive and sexual health.
How do sexually transmitted infections affect women differently? While sexually transmitted diseases could occur irrespective of gender, the disease burden is more profound in women. They increase the risk of pelvic pain, infertility, pregnancy complications, organ damage, cervical cancer and death. Also, the lining of the vagina is thinner and more delicate, creating a surrounding for bacterial growth.
3. Women’s health issues with pregnancy:
Many new mothers face critical health issues due to malnutrition, excess bleeding and high blood pressure during delivery. Younger women are more prone to maternal death because their organs are not developed enough to carry a fetus. These are serious female health concerns as they are often denied adequate healthcare compared to adult women.
Lack of access to safe abortion practices, nutritional support and general health care leads to women's health problems. Several pregnancies within a short period deplete a woman's nutritional status, leading to many pregnancy-related complications.
4. Women and osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is a condition that makes the bones fragile and more likely to break. Globally one in three women above fifty will experience osteoporosis fractures, and women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. One of the main reasons for this is the loss of the female hormone estrogen after menopause.
Osteoporosis can be symptomless for longer periods, and broken bone is the initial sign of osteoporosis in many people. But the good part is taking care of bone health can help prevent osteoporosis. Adults require 1000 mg of bone-building mineral calcium daily, and women above 50 may require 1200 mg of calcium daily.
5. How do mental health problems affect women differently?
Though males are at a bigger risk of fatal health outcomes, women who work both in the frontline and at home are more prone to mental health damage. Also, there are certain gender-specific factors that make women more prone to mental health damage and illnesses. The numerous roles women play in their lives tend to increase their stress levels drastically.
Since women are more likely to go through various life-altering experiences like childhood trauma, domestic abuse and hormonal changes, they are more prone to anxiety and other mental health problems. The higher prevalence of sexual violence increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Considering the stigma and misinformation about mental health, many women refrain from seeking professional help.
