Reproductive Health for Women
Reproductive health is essential for women's overall well-being. It empowers us to make informed choices about our bodies, plan families, and prevent or treat conditions that can affect fertility and long-term health. Though this has (unfortunately) become a political topic, at it’s core reproductive health reduces maternal mortality and promotes healthier communities. Our habits around reproductive health start in childhood - as puberty begins, and we have our first periods, the messaging and the support we receive (or don’t receive) can really shape our relationship to our own reproductive health. From regular gynecological check-ups, to learning about safe sex practices, to understanding our bodies, women can be proactive about their health. I often speak to women who are in their late 20s or 30s and ready to start their families, and are shocked to face challenges with fertility. I hold a strong belief that women have expectations thrust upon them (from family, culture, society, etc.) that whenever they’re ready to conceive, it’ll happen in the blink of an eye. And for some people this is true, but for an increasing majority of others it is not. Personally, I experienced my own anxiety around reproductive health. I got my period at 11 years old (on the day of the 9/11 attacks, so needless to say that’ll be something I won’t soon forget). And then it stopped coming - first for months, then for years. I was incredibly obese for most of my life (genetics, mainly) and as a 13 year old girl I was brought in to a reproductive endocrinologist to talk about my fertility. It was scary and confusing and I didn’t understand much at that time. The doctor told me I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), my hormones were essentially wrong, and I was placed on birth control so my periods could come back. They did. But at 13, I wasn’t told (or if I was, it definitely didn’t hit me the same way) that PCOS could have significant effects on my fertility. Years go by, I continue on birth control and Metformin (insulin resistance drug). In my mid 20s I took control of my physical health and lost over 100 lbs. I continued to attend regular gynecology appointments. When my husband and I got engaged, I realized I needed to revisit the PCOS conversation. I advocated for myself with my doctor to get new lab work done. I went off birth control to understand how my body would respond after literally over 10 years being on the pill. After labs, I was told I no longer needed the Metformin (huge win), but no one could still tell me for sure how conceiving a baby would be. After going off the pill, I started tracking my cycle, taking ovulation tests, and gaining information on what my body was doing. I gave myself 8 months leading up to my wedding to do this. When my period continued to come naturally, and the ovulation strips showed my body was releasing eggs, I then advocated further and asked for an ultrasound to see physiologically what my reproductive system was looking like. I gave the ultrasound tech the shortest version of my story, and she was completely understanding and compassionate. She scanned me, and showed me and explained that although there were small cysts on my ovaries, there were no obstructions, I was presently ovulating, and there was no indication that I would face any significant challenge with conceiving. She told me to try to enjoy the newlywed time, have fun, drink if I wanted to, and have sex with my husband. I told this to my husband and we expressed our relief that we (I) didn’t have to carry this stress. And when we did the math, turns out we conceived our son when I got home from that appointment. So…all of this to say - be informed, pay attention to your body, keep up with regular doctor visits, and advocate for yourself. There may still be challenges, but you could potentially save precious time trying to conceive, suffering miscarriages, and blaming yourself or your partner for things outside of anyone’s control.