Healthcare for Women Health Care

Healthcare for Women

HEALTH CARE for WOMEN

Concept #

Women make up more than half of the U.S. population, but it is only recently that their political, economic, and health situations have been closely examined. Historically, women's health had always been perceived in the context of reproduction, i.e. A woman's role in producing and rearing children. (Blackwell, 2002) in fact it is often stated that up to the present, outside of reproduction nearly all research in the medical field was conducted almost exclusively on men and it was assumed that women would vary only minimally if the same diseases, disorders and states of health were experienced. (Moss, 1996) Yet, more recently as has been stated there has been an increase in concern about women's health and research, as well as specific health variants of women. These new understandings and explorations are responsible for a shift in the perception of the medical field to encompass other aspects of a woman's life above and beyond her child-bearing years. In my experience there has even been a fundamental shift in the way that childbearing is viewed and treated, not as much as a disease but as a particular state of wellness that has certain fundamentally different wellness needs than other times of a woman's life. (Lueck & Chang, 2002) This shift of perception is in large part due to the influx of women into the field of medicine as doctors, nurses and most importantly advanced practice nurses. As the field of women's health care continues to be re-examined and re-defined, it is important to consider women from different perspectives that recognize women's multiple roles in society and eliminate the long-standing dichotomy between reproductive and non-reproductive health. (Blackwell, 2002)

One of the significant outcomes of intensified interest in women's health, understood and experienced by this researcher as well as others is the increased emphasis on holistic health care, for women as well as for the community in general. Many if not most find it crucial to approach women's health from a holistic perspective. The multiple influences of biological, psychological, and social factors on women's health should always be addressed, and health care should embrace a wellness approach, rather than being problem-focused. One of the most influential ways in which this occurs is through the health and wellness experiences of women practitioners themselves, "When a provider acknowledges...her own suffering, something profoundly transformative begins. " (Sowada, 2003, p. 194) Universal access is an essential aspect of promoting women's wellness and community wellness and it is my experience that activism for universal access then becomes a primary antecedent to holistic wellness care, as such access is not being reached by the publics in the U.S. Income and insurance status are primary determinants of not only the health of women, but also the amount and quality of health care that they receive. (Blackwell, 2002) Low income and minority women have fewer mammograms than other women, which can be a huge factor in the prevention of breast cancer. Approximately 185,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed among U.S. women every year, and about 45,000 women die from this disease. As an example: there needs to be some form of intervention to increase access to mammography for poor and minority women in order for these numbers to decrease. Additionally, women tend to have a significant role and responsibility in the current obesity epidemic and there needs to be a move toward consensus in developing achievable goals for individual and community intervention to change the growing numbers of obese women and children in the U.S. (Ross, 2004, p. 87) Both of these points are specific to women and women's health and both if developed into realistic and achievable plans will help promote the idea and reality of holistic health care. Women practitioners play important roles in the development of these plans as well as their implementation.

Concept # 2

Women's health should also be approached from a lifespan outlook that recognizes that women have different health needs as they encounter transitions across their lives. While pregnancy is definitely an important event in the life of a woman, this should not be the sole focus of women's health. (Fleming, 2004) a woman's adolescence years are just as important in shaping a woman's life, and special considerations such as loss of iron during menstruation should be addressed. As a woman enters her geriatric years, many unique problems are also faced. Her post-menopausal period leaves a woman with increased risk of osteoporosis, and hormone-replacement therapy may need to be considered or dismissed depending upon the needs and wellness of the individual women. Additionally, increased risk for obesity begins nearly at the adolescent period, when women's hormone loads change and often activity of childhood decreases. The incidence of obesity and overweight among women perpetually increases with every year of life. ("Overweight, Obesity Threaten U.S.," 2002, p. 8)Obesity and overweight, as one of the most significant conditions associated with several chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, increased risk of stroke and hypertension should be developed as a lifespan issue, as the needs of intervention and prevention change as women age and go through various stages of life.

While women have functional characteristics that require specialized health care, general health concerns are not unique to women. (Fleming, 2004) Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S., and it is partially preventable. (Pampel & Pauley, 2004, p. 8) Better eating habits and healthier lifestyles are concerns that should be shared by all Americans, and preventative medicine goes a long way in insuring health and longevity. (Fleming, 2004)Preventative medicine is most logically addressed through lifespan wellness plans and as was stated in Concept #1 a holistic approach to health and wellness. The increased number of women in the health care field has enhanced the understanding of how various changing roles in life, for women manifests in health, wellness and/or lack there of. Clinical approaches to women of varied life cycles, including but not limited to an expansion of the age at which many women now choose to be childbearing will likely strengthen the overall clinical approach to the wellness of women of various ages. (Heyman & Henriksen, 2001, p. 63)