Tag: women’s health

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Endometriosis, a gut-wrenching disease that continues getting ignored

Endometriosis is a disease so debilitating it can wreak havoc on the physical and mental well-being of women all over the world

A pain so searing the simple task of getting out of bed becomes a chore. Unable to move, you lay there, immobile, never knowing if the pain will lessen or ramp up. Hoping that if you position yourself a certain way the crushing pain will dwindle to something bearable. Alone you cry, trying to remedy the situation via a concoction of self-administered methods and prescribed medications — all to no avail. As the suffering progresses you begin to lose hope, asking yourself why doctors continue to doubt your symptoms, assuring this as normal and turning you away.

Endometriosis is a disease that affects one in 10 women and can present itself in four levels of severity. It occurs when the lining tissue of the uterus, similar to the endometrium, grows outside of the organ. The exposed tissue thickens, breaks down, and bleeds inside the body with no way of escaping, causing inflammation resulting in bouts of extreme pain and in many cases possible infertility.

Maria-José Arauz is one of the many people who deal with the disease. Before her diagnosis, Arauz dealt with symptoms related to endometriosis for five years. After visiting multiple specialists, she continued receiving the same conclusion: that her pains were related to menstruation and there was nothing that could be done. “They were good doctors, I mean they weren’t bad doctors with bad reviews, […] they’re just not prepared to treat people with endometriosis so most of them told me to take Advil.” Though she waited for nearly half a decade before getting diagnosed, Arauz says it usually takes some women even longer to receive a definitive diagnosis.

Dr. Sarah Maheux-Lacroix is a gynecologist who specializes in research and clinical care for endometriosis at the CHU de Québec Laval University research centre. Maheux-Lacroix believes that medical negligence that women like Arauz face  derives from the complexity in identifying endometriosis in the body to provide a proper diagnosis. “The gold standard to diagnose endometriosis is surgery. The fact that it requires surgery is one of the factors that can contribute to a delay in diagnosis.” Maheux-Lacroix says the only way to avoid misdiagnosis is to spread awareness on both a medical and societal level. “There are some doctors that are good in women’s health and others that are not, so I think we need to talk about it more.”

“For me to get all of that was a really hard process because I had to fight and advocate for myself, I had to show that my life wasn’t normal and that all the pain I was having and the anxiety I was living due to this wasn’t normal,” Arauz said.

“I wasn’t functioning like a normal person.”

Endometriosis affects women living with the disease at different levels. It can vary in four stages of severity that define the extensions of lesions in the pelvis. Some may be at a stage four and asymptomatic, while others can be at stage one and experience high sieges of pain imminently impacting their quality of life.

Women experience pain caused by endometriosis usually when they’re about to begin their menstrual cycle. The pain forced Arauz to plan around her disease instead of freely living her life. “There are days I can’t cook or can’t eat. I cannot work, I have to cancel all my plans. It’s like I have to plan everything according to the day I have my period,” Arauz said.

“I’m on the floor crying in pain and at the same time I’m vomiting from the pain as well.”

The disease can be very extensive in the abdomen and pelvic regions creating a slew of many other complications. “It can affect fertility, it can also lead to chronic pelvic pain, and can create cyst ruptures that can cause acute pain that would require emergency surgery,” Maheux-Lacroix said.

Other complications that Maheux-Lacroix noted include torsion of an ovarian cyst, and possible infections that can lead to detrimental health problems. “Endo can invade some structures such as the rectum and urinary tract system and could affect the function of the kidneys and bowels.” According to her research, there are likely different types of endometrioses that affect women differently.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer a few months after her endometriosis diagnosis in 2019, Arauz noticed a difference in care when comparing her cancer treatment to her experiences with endometriosis. “I got my treatments on time, I had a really good follow up, but I can’t say the same thing for endometriosis. Endo doesn’t kill you like cancer does, but it can kill your quality of life,” Arauz said.

“I actually find that the pain that I went through with endometriosis was worse for me than breast cancer treatment.”

More Funding for Research Is Needed

According to EndoAct Canada, the disease costs the country $1.8 billion per year. Though much more research is needed, Maheux-Lacroix believes that funding only happens when diseases are a societal concern. “As a society we decide that we want to focus on cancer or we want to fund diabetes so it’s the lack of discussion and because it’s taboo there’s that lack of discussion.” However, she’s hopeful that desensitizing the disease will eventually further funding and development for proper solutions. “It’s political and there are plenty of priorities and unfortunately endo is definitely not one but I think people are ready to hear about the disease and put more money to properly study it. It deserves to be studied a lot more.”

On Jan. 28, EndoAct Canada started the #ActOnEndo campaign to raise awareness for endometriosis. Their goal is to contact all MPs in the house of commons to advocate for the federal government to develop an action plan for people living with the disease. Since the campaign started, executive director of EndoAct Canada Kate Wahl says that the campaign is off to a strong start and they would love to contact all 338 MPs to spread the message. “We have a tracking sheet of MPs that have been contacted by advocates in the community. The last time I looked at it we’re sitting around 70 MPs in the first week,” Wahl said. “It really just speaks to the importance of this to people living with endo to see action and leadership from our elected officials on the issue.”

More research and awareness is needed to spread the message so that more women can be efficiently and effectively treated, to avoid years of suffering and receive the proper treatment they so desperately need.

Visuals by Miao De Kat @miao_dekat

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Student Life

Empowering yourself with knowledge

From left, Dana Ades-Landy, Lynn Posluns and Nathalie Tremblay discuss women’s health on Feb. 23 at Concordia. Photo by Mina Mazumder.

Women’s health research discussed at panel hosted by the International Women’s Forum

Three notable women at the helm of major health organizations spoke about the most recent statistics, research and innovations concerning women’s health at a panel discussion hosted by the International Women’s Forum (IWF) at Concordia on Feb. 23.

According to Dana Ades-Landy, the CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death for women in Canada, and 78 per cent of women with cardiovascular disease are misdiagnosed. “Most of them are sent home with an antidepressant,” she said.

Although inaccurate information is prevalent on the internet, Ades-Landy said it is crucial that women trust medical professionals and other reliable sources, including the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s website. “Your doctor should be a sound source of information,” she said. One common misconception about heart disease is that it only affects older people, but “the face of heart disease and stroke today is changing,”  Ades-Landy warned. “It’s killing young woman.”

While many causes of brain-related diseases are still unknown, Lynn Posluns, the president of the Women’s Brain Health Initiative, said researchers have found a definite link between hormonal issues and brain health. For example, the risk of dementia increases dramatically among women who have a hysterectomy and double oophorectomy prior to natural menopause, according to Posluns. Similarly, “you’re more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease if your mother has it than if your father does, but we do not know why,” she said.

Since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease yet, Posluns stressed the importance of prevention. “One third of all dementia cases are avoidable. Most people don’t realize that,” she said, adding that Alzheimer’s begins to cause brain damage 20 to 25 years before a person experiences visible symptoms.  Among the proven methods of prevention is learning a new language, “which can add seven years of cognitive benefit to your brain,” Posluns said.

On the topic of breast cancer, Nathalie Tremblay, the CEO of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, said new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and large amounts of medical data have allowed researchers to tackle the disease in its earliest stage. “You can see biomarkers and mutations without having the very difficult biopsy and wasting time in trying newer therapies,” she explained.

In addition to widely known tips, such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, drinking moderately and not smoking, Tremblay said women can lower their risk of breast cancer by “knowing your genes [and] family history.” She nonetheless emphasized the importance of engaging in physical activities, specifying that they should be consistent rather than intensive: “Thirty minutes every day for five to six days, or one hour for three days, and moderate to slightly high [intensity].” Lastly, Tremblay’s message to young women was to be their own advocate. “You own your health, and you are responsible. Don’t wait for people to tell you that you have an [illness]. Empower yourself. Make changes to have a better life.”

Feature photo by Mina Mazumder

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Student Life

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

Graphic by Florence Yee

Concordia’s Health Services hosts a workshop on women’s common health concerns

Vaginal health, sexually-transmitted infections and breast health were some of the things addressed during Concordia’s Health Services workshop on women’s health.  The workshop, which was held in the conference room of the Health Services department on Jan. 25, addressed many common health concerns for women.

Louise Carline, a nurse at Health Services, and Gaby Szabo, a health promotion specialist, led the discussion.

During the workshop, Carline and Szabo focused largely on vaginal health. Carline stressed that Pap tests are crucial.  “[Pap tests] are important because they reduce your chances of cervical cancer by 70 per cent,” said Carline.

She described the examination process, where a doctor inserts a speculum—a plastic or metal tool used to dilate body orifices—into the vagina to evaluate the cervix.

Doctors recommend women have their first Pap test when they become sexually active, Carline said. She said the test should be done annually.

“A Pap test should be done mid-cycle, and you should avoid intercourse 24 hours before the test,” Carline said.

She also recommended that women, as well as men, get vaccinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Concordia’s Health Services offers the Gardasil vaccine. The vaccine is covered by Concordia health insurance for Quebec residents.  However, the cost is not covered by government insurance for international students.

Szabo also stressed the importance of getting tested for sexually transmitted infections. “70 per cent of women and men will experience a sexually-transmitted infection at some point in their life,” Szabo said. “If you are sexually active, the recommendation is to get tested every six to 12 months.”

Women are also prone to getting yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Carline said it is estimated that women will have at least one yeast infection in their lifetime.

“[A yeast infection] is caused by a fungal infection brought on by antibiotics, stress, hormones or too much sugar in your diet,” said Carline. She added that, if a woman notices any symptoms, including itchiness or any vaginal discharge, she should see a nurse right away.

Urinary tract infections are also common among women, said Carline. They are caused by “bacteria that creeps up into your bladder which causes pain during urination,” she said.

A common symptom of this kind of infection is the presence of blood in urine. One important way of preventing the infection, Carline said, is to urinate after sexual intercourse. “By urination, you are eliminating that bacteria that can creep up during sexual contact,” she said.

As for menstrual cramps, Carline advised women to be active and eat healthy.

Szabo also discussed the importance of taking contraception seriously. In Canada, half of the pregnancies that occur are unplanned, she said. Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) are popular among young women, Carline said, adding that emergency contraception—Plan B—is also available for women, but is intended for emergencies only. Plan B is most effective within the first 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, Carline said.

The specialists also discussed breast health. Szabo said regular breast self-examinations are no longer recommended because, often, women only detect lumps when they are already fairly large

Concordia students can have their breasts checked at Concordia Health Services when they come in for a Pap test.

For more information, students can drop by Concordia’s the Health Services department on the second floor of the GM Building, or visit their website.

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Student Life

Let your flow go

Graphic by Jenny Kwan

It seems that modern day menstruating feminists have an agenda: painting the town red

Graphic by Jenny Kwan

This week, IX Daily posted an exposé debunking the feminist concept of “free bleeding,” complete with pictures and tweets from angry women who are supposedly tired of hiding their monthly cycle from the public, primarily male, gaze.

“Free bleeding” implies that a woman abstains from using any kind of sanitary product during their period—no pads, tampons, or extra absorbent underwear. Menstrual blood, according to feminists, is meant to flow freely from the body and onto thighs, clothing or furniture.

Skeptical Internet audiences claimed that the concept was a hoax, only brought to light by a user from the website 4chan.org, attempting to give female activists a bad name. However, the concept is very real, and not entirely new.

Free bleeding has been subject to both controversy and intense discussion online since the early 2000s.The blog “Feministing” was among one of the first online forums to discuss the concept, which they claim is “more of a mindset than it is an action.”

In 2012, photographer Emma Arvida Bystrom published a series of photos on Vice.com entitled “There Will be Blood,” depicting women doing everyday, mundane things with menstrual blood fully visible, staining their clothes and freely running down their legs. The photos were meant to provoke thought and discussion about what is consistently considered to be “taboo.” This concept of menstrual activism, also known as menstrual anarchy or radical menstruation, aims to discuss and expose periods in a way that isn’t fetishized or highly stigmatized.

The feminist argument stands that throughout history, men have manipulated woman to be ashamed of their bodies and all of the natural, inherent, “empowering” feminine functions they perform. Today, the options and resources to “control” or “hide” menstruation are endless, and it is essentially the rejection of this control that inspires a woman to assert herself and experiment with her period.

More radical, outspoken women have taken to Twitter to express the belief that tampons are actually a patriarchal innovation imposed on women by societal norms, and using them is perpetuating a cycle of “oppression” and “self-rape.” The concept of allowing oneself to bleed freely, while daunting, is considered a means of social and sexual expression, a means to expose the concept of “period shaming,” normalize the sight of menstrual blood, while rejecting male control.

Activists consider it to also be an eco and wallet-friendly alternative to using tampons and pads. Others argue that free bleeding reduces a woman’s risk of suffering from side effects related to sanitary products, like toxic shock syndrome, a severe, potentially fatal blood infection that can be contracted by leaving a tampon in for too long.

To many woman, using sanitary products is a hygienic, considerate method to deal with the so-called “crimson wave.”

“[Time] has given us humans the advanced technological know-how to invent specific products to make our monthly easier to manage, in a more clean and discreet manner,” said columnist Adora Bull in a free bleeding rebuttal published through Modern Women Digest.

However, reactions from the public have been mixed. Female bloggers and their audience have either praised the concept, or denied its credibility and practicality.

 

Sources:

http://modernwomandigest.com/disturbing-new-feminist-trend-free-bleeding/

http://community.feministing.com/2012/08/27/letting-ourselves-bleed/

http://www.ixdaily.com/the-grind/tampons-are-form-rape-solution-freebleeding

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Student Life

Beware of the bad boy

The Breakfast Club
Molly Ringwald’s character falls for the ‘bad boy’ in The Breakfast Club

Even before James Dean graced the silver screen in his leather jacket and made girls in poodle skirts everywhere swoon, us females couldn’t seem to stop ourselves when confronted with a bad boy. In a recent study in the Science Daily, Why Women Choose Bad Boys: Ovulating Women Perceive Sexy Cads as Good Dads, Kristina Durante, a marketing professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, blames our attraction and bad decisions on biology.

Like moths to a flame, it seems that time and time again, women throw caution to the wind — along with our logic and panties — and chase after those men we just know will burn us. I’d always attributed this phenomenon to the thrill of the chase, the allure of danger, or perhaps, some weird fetish for emotional masochism. However, Durante explains that in fact, it all comes down to science.

When ovulating, women are subconsciously drawn to men who give off a strong and virile persona, wired to think that these men will be better providers for a family.

“Under the hormonal influence of ovulation, women delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads,” explained Durante in her study.

She began her work by observing quite literally, the birds and the bees. Well, really only the birds. By watching how these animals’ mating patterns worked, she was able to shed some light on our own species.

“I began by looking at how other females in other species make decisions based on parental investment,“ said Durante.

She further explained that humans, being animals like any other, also follow that basic drive for choosing partners based on protection and procreation. The only difference being that “the animals don’t feel the decrease in self-esteem we do when we make the wrong choice.”

In the study, she had university-aged women in the week of ovulation, compare online dating profiles of typical “bad boy” types to those who fit the “nice guy” mould. Results showed that nearly all the women chose the bad boy, based on the thought that he would be a better father and caregiver.

“When looking at the sexy cad through ovulation goggles, Mr. Wrong looked exactly like Mr. Right,” Durante told Science Daily.

Now, we might be drawn to guys with scruff and smoldering eyes, or those who are a little wild and can’t be pegged down, however, it all comes down to our most primitive instincts.

“We’re so attracted to these markers in men, because they once meant survival of the species,” said Durante. “If you think about the more predictable nice guys, these are not the cues that historically were able to survive.”

Interestingly, “when asked about what kind of father the sexy bad boy would make if he were to have children with another woman, women were quick to point out the bad boy’s shortcomings,” said Durante.

Basically, when left to our own hormonal devices, we can’t always be trusted to make the right decisions but all hope is not lost.

“We can override our desires for eating too much chocolate cake and going after these guys, but the impulses are still there,” said Durante.

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Student Life

The biological clock waits for no woman

Graphic Jennifer Kwan

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today. And then one day you find 10 years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun. 

Graphic Jennifer Kwan

Earlier this year, Jay wrote an article for the Huffington Post concerning her book and the “9 Ways Twentysomethings Screw up Their Lives,” highlighting the quarter life crisis that people our age are experiencing. Are we squandering the most transformative and foundational years of our adults lives?

Most of her points are frighteningly valid and can provide any 20-year-old with some introspection. However, she makes a controversial point, that some may find teeters the brink of anti-feminism, when she says women in their 20s are “ignoring their ovaries.”

Being 21, married, and carrying a baby was common for our grandparents, however a cultural shift has occurred within the last generation or so. Women seem more concerned with managing their careers and personal schedules rather than a baby bottle and diaper changes. As user-friendly birth control flooded the market and women began flooding the workplace, Jay argues that “by the new millennium, only about half of 20 year olds were married and by the age of 30 even fewer had children, making the 20s a time of newfound freedom.”

Women seem constantly bombarded with mixed messages. Not only are they pressured to balance school, work, love and money but they are now being told that they have to start timing when they want to have babies. Despite marriage and family still being an active and important part of a woman’s future, it seems that women are figuring out their place separate from the mother and wife role.

Celebrities like Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Brooke Shields, and Halle Berry have helped glamorize childbearing between the ages of 40 and 50. Women feel less pressured to marry and have children early.

Jay argues that, at 35, a woman’s ability to have a baby drops considerably and that women need to inform themselves about fertility in their 20s to avoid the troubles that come with trying to get pregnant in later years.

Laura Diogo, a 22-year-old psychology undergraduate at Concordia, said she agreed with Jay’s points.

“Most 20-somethings are still in university, living on their own, working to pay the rent and don’t have the time or money to support a new family,” said Diogo. “I think it is important for every woman to be informed about their fertility.”

It seems hard enough to manage a school and work schedule without the ticking sounds of our biological clock. While Jay argues that 30 is not the new 20, she fails to consider alternative reasons as some women are waiting longer to start their families. As much as I want to believe women can ‘have it all’, the fact of the matter is, women today are faced with some very difficult decisions and it pays to get your priorities sorted out sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

 

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