Reproductive health is rarely discussed on university campuses. So when it comes to women’s reproductive health, discussions are limited; hormone health and reproductive diagnoses are rarely mentioned, resulting in minimal knowledge and bodily autonomy.
We need better reproductive advice and wider conversations between students. We need better education and discussions that allow for mutual support. We shouldn’t live in a world where we can’t talk about the absurdity of an endometriosis diagnosis taking an average of 8 years. This issue is even worse for women of colour, who are taken far less seriously due to the racist origins of modern gynaecology. Diagnoses often take longer and pain is overlooked due to the false–and dangerous–idea that pain tolerance is higher, especially for black women.
Additionally, more accurate information about our contraception options is desperately needed. With so many women struggling with anxiety and depression on hormonal birth control, it’s something I so rarely hear people actually mention. Again, we don’t need to share our personal stories, we need to acknowledge the fact that women struggle for years, some having their whole lives turned upside down. I personally experienced years of anxiety on birth control, with little knowledge that the pill could’ve been what was affecting me. I also have friends who have seen their lives majorly affected by the pill, even when their need was not conception prevention.
Don’t get me wrong, contraception is incredible; it allows young girls and women to stay in education and have successful careers. It absolutely should be universally accessible. For some women it also works wonders for their bodies, allowing for less painful periods, or acne reduction. But we need more and better options.
I feel passionately about reproductive health as well as how women are waiting years to be seen by doctors, let alone be listened to. For this reason, I have started a reproductive health campaign at Girl*Up Edinburgh. The vision is a campus where we can discuss reproductive health and create a safe space to communicate experiences and express our anger. This is a major issue affecting countless students, and we shouldn’t have to go through tiring diagnoses or struggles alone. It’s vital to create open dialogue so that women can be empowered in their reproductive health choices and know that we have full control over what is best for our bodies.
“The Pill” by starbooze is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.credit
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We need to talk about reproductive health
Reproductive health is rarely discussed on university campuses. So when it comes to women’s reproductive health, discussions are limited; hormone health and reproductive diagnoses are rarely mentioned, resulting in minimal knowledge and bodily autonomy.
We need better reproductive advice and wider conversations between students. We need better education and discussions that allow for mutual support. We shouldn’t live in a world where we can’t talk about the absurdity of an endometriosis diagnosis taking an average of 8 years. This issue is even worse for women of colour, who are taken far less seriously due to the racist origins of modern gynaecology. Diagnoses often take longer and pain is overlooked due to the false–and dangerous–idea that pain tolerance is higher, especially for black women.
Additionally, more accurate information about our contraception options is desperately needed. With so many women struggling with anxiety and depression on hormonal birth control, it’s something I so rarely hear people actually mention. Again, we don’t need to share our personal stories, we need to acknowledge the fact that women struggle for years, some having their whole lives turned upside down. I personally experienced years of anxiety on birth control, with little knowledge that the pill could’ve been what was affecting me. I also have friends who have seen their lives majorly affected by the pill, even when their need was not conception prevention.
Don’t get me wrong, contraception is incredible; it allows young girls and women to stay in education and have successful careers. It absolutely should be universally accessible. For some women it also works wonders for their bodies, allowing for less painful periods, or acne reduction. But we need more and better options.
I feel passionately about reproductive health as well as how women are waiting years to be seen by doctors, let alone be listened to. For this reason, I have started a reproductive health campaign at Girl*Up Edinburgh. The vision is a campus where we can discuss reproductive health and create a safe space to communicate experiences and express our anger. This is a major issue affecting countless students, and we shouldn’t have to go through tiring diagnoses or struggles alone. It’s vital to create open dialogue so that women can be empowered in their reproductive health choices and know that we have full control over what is best for our bodies.
“The Pill” by starbooze is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.credit
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