Image: Dur-e-sheywaar Ahmed
May marks Women’s Health Week, celebrating physical, mental and sexual health for all women across the UK.
1 in 5 women in England have a common mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or self-harm. This week aims to raise awareness for women’s health conditions.
Vee, a nurse from Bradford Teaching Hospital, says, ‘It’s so important to discuss women’s mental health problems. A lot of the time, people just think it’s women being emotional instead of actually realising there might be something wrong. I think these weeks are so important in getting women to become actively involved in their own health journey’.
Other issues women are plagued with are reproductive issues such as PCOS, a condition that results in irregular periods for women and a hormonal imbalance which affects their physical and mental wellbeing.
Almost 75% of women aged 16-55 have recent experience with at least one reproductive health issue.
Anjum Ahmed, a Batley Pharmacist with over 20 years of experience, expresses the importance of women knowing about these conditions: ‘I’ve come to realise working in this field that women don’t know about reproductive issues such as endometriosis, and because they don’t know about it, they’re struggling in silence.’
‘ we encourage them to get involved in as much physical activity as possible, like joining a local gym’ she advises.
‘This is why Pharmacies are such important spaces for women. We offer free health check-ups in Batley Pharmacy; women can come and get a consultation about anything. I encourage all women to get involved and to make use of this service.’ she advocates.
‘It’s emotionally draining. I’ve been to so many GPs, and they couldn’t diagnose me. It’s such an underlying health condition I wish people knew more about. The cramps are so bad, and I feel like a different person on my period,’ expresses Simran Kaur, a young woman suffering from this condition.