Women’s Health Month: Informing yourself on women’s health and the power of Instagram
This Women's Health Month, we’re raising awareness and encouraging women to share their experiences around women’s health issues. Earlier this week, we heard from our founder Beth about her experience with hormonal contraceptives, and the physical, mental and emotional difficulties she faced when seeking out the right contraceptive method for her. Today, as part of our Women’s Health Month blog series, our founder Lucy talks about taking her education of women’s health into her own hands.
“I know from both first hand experience and from countless discussions with friends, family and colleagues, that education around women’s health is severely lacking in the UK inside our public healthcare system, schools, and beyond.
For as long as I can remember, women’s health has always seemed to be a taboo topic; something you shouldn’t discuss outside of the confines of the GP’s office, something you should just try your best to get on with quietly. I have had my fair share of women’s health issues, from dysmenorrhea (painful periods), struggles with hormonal contraceptives and suspected endometriosis, to most recently, a laparoscopic surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Throughout all of these issues, my experiences with healthcare professionals in the UK have more often than not left me feeling frustrated, dismissed and inconclusive on the next steps I should take.
There simply isn’t enough medical research around the vast and complex sphere that is women’s health, and the information surrounding it is clearly lacking. Yet not only is the research into women’s health lacking, but so is the education of what is already known. Only recently, I found out that medical students are given the option to skip women’s health entirely in their education to become doctors in the UK. Soon this will improve; from 2024 specific teaching and assessments on women’s health will become mandatory for all graduating medical students in the UK. However, this is a nod to the deep-rooted and systemic problems within the UK healthcare system regarding attitudes and practices towards the health and wellbeing of women across the country, and no doubt, the world.
Speaking with a colleague one day over a glass of wine about our shared experiences, she recommended the instagram account @gynaegeek. Anita Mitra, AKA Gynae Geek, is a UK based Gynaecology Doctor who, in her own words, is “making it less scary to own a vagina”. I visited her account, and for the first time in my life, felt seen and understood regarding so many issues I had previously felt alienated about. Gynae Geek talks factually and empathetically on all things women’s health, from periods, birth control and pregnancy to miscarriages, cervical screening and endometriosis. It was this conversation that inspired me to take my education around my health into my own hands and seek out more information and guidance online.
I started looking out on instagram for other women talking directly about their health, and found a plethora of experiences and knowledge to tap into. To recommend a couple here; Elaine Welteroth, @elainewelteroth, did an amazing weekly Instagram Live series during her first pregnancy called Materni-tea (you can watch on her highlights) where she discusses pregnancy with maternal health experts with a POC perspective, in her conviction to build an open and honest community around the challenges of pregnancy that she hadn’t yet found. She also sheds light on the maternal mortality crisis in the USA and the disproportional impact on Black women. In her own words; “Inadvertently, we created the forum that I needed so desperately and then realized so many other women needed too. Overnight, I felt so much better. I felt lighter. I felt less alone." Rachel Brathen, AKA @yogagirl on IG, also talks openly about her experiences with pregnancy, childbirth, diet and emotional wellbeing. Most recently, she’s shared her frustration with the lack of knowledge, education and choice for pregnant women in the healthcare system in Sweden, having found out that she was injected with hormones to speed up the birth of her first child without her consent, and is since pursuing her own education further.
Thanks to these women and many others, I feel much more empowered, educated and confident when I do have to talk about my health issues in GP and hospital appointments. It’s still not easy, and there is a long way to go, but educating yourself is a great first step to plugging some of the many gaps in the care and wellbeing of women’s health in the public healthcare sector.
Finally, I have found with time that bringing other people into the conversation helps me feel less alone with the “taboo” subject that is women’s health. I also believe it is as important for men to talk about and understand women’s health issues, as women’s health is something that impacts everyone, not just women (after all, we all came from a woman!). My partner and I often discuss my experiences, and about what I see online from the various accounts I follow. I’m happy to say he follows most of these accounts also, and often sends me posts on women’s health topics he thinks are important. What I am certain of, is that we all need to keep having open and honest discussions around women’s health to continue our own education and the education of others, and I will never again shy away from talking about my experiences.”
Do you have any accounts you follow on socials that talk about women’s health? Share them with us via DM on instagram and we’ll make sure to re-post in our stories to help more women out there!
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