What is the Most Important Issue in Women’s Health?
Many women have seen their lives improve over the past century thanks to massive advances in maternal healthcare. However, these improvements are not equally available in all areas. Despite all the progress, nearly 300,000.000 women died due to complications during pregnancy in 2013. These deaths could be prevented if women had access health care and family planning. Read on to learn more about some of the major issues impacting women today.
Physical and sexual violence
The long-term effects of physical and/or sexual violence on women’s bodies are severe. The most obvious are unintended pregnancies and induced abortions, which can lead to serious gynecological problems. The longer-term consequences of sexual violence include depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Additionally, women who have experienced physical and sexual violence twice as often are at risk of developing HIV or another sexually transmitted illness. Women who have experienced violence in childhood are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour and engage in unhealthy habits.
The impact of GBV on women’s health is enormous. The World Bank estimates that victims lose approximately nine million Disability-Adjusted life years each year. According to the UN Population Fund, half of all sexual assaults are committed by women. Violence against women and children can cost 3% of the nation’s GDP. Women and children who have experienced physical and sexual violence are more likely than others to become pregnant.
Access to affordable and comprehensive health care
Women face many barriers to receiving care. Although more women have insurance, many are still uninsured. Many people are not covered or have to pay a high cost-sharing. Many people are unable to access care due to cost-related obstacles. The biggest barrier is access to affordable health care. More than one fourth of American women do not have health insurance. Another one in five women does not have any kind of health plan.
Although health insurance plays a critical role in providing care, other factors, including out-of-pocket costs, provider availability, and logistics, also contribute to women’s inability to receive care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which required full coverage for preventive services, attempted to address these financial hurdles. However, many women still report other costs. Women on Medicaid have higher co-payment and cost-sharing barriers than women on private plans.
Sexual health of teenage girls
Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young women is a human right. Adequate sexual and reproductive healthcare includes preventing pregnancy, preventing STDs, maternal death, and gender-based violence. While sexual health is a key concern for girls and women, adolescents’ sexual health is often neglected. Although adolescent girls constitute a fifth of the world’s population, they are underserved in many ways. Their access is limited to health care, and they are often treated informally by their families and communities for sexual abuse.
There are many programs that aim to improve the health and well-being of girls. Most programs are designed to increase girls’ knowledge and understanding of gender and health. The majority of evaluations report that these interventions improve knowledge of health-related topics, including gender and reproductive health, menstrual regulation, and marriage-related rights. These programs often target girls’ health and education through education, but they do have other benefits.
Heart disease
Despite the fact that cardiovascular disease is common, many women are not diagnosed. The disease can often go untreated until it is too late. The disease is more common in men than it is in women. However, it is more common in women if it’s not diagnosed earlier in life. While heart disease may be more common among women than it is among men, it’s important to remember that women’s biology makes this condition particularly dangerous.
In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, and the number one killer for new mothers is heart disease. Research shows that less then half of pregnant women have good heart health. In fact, heart disease kills a new mother every two minutes. According to the American Heart Association heart disease is the number one killer of women. The number one health problem among women in their twenties or thirties is heart disease.