Topic: Disease and Health

Issue: Women’s reproductive health issues

Name: Khadija Shahzad
Women’s reproductive health issues are problems linked to the woman’s ability to conceive a child. This
is an issue present worldwide and may include menstrual health, infertility, breast cancer etc.
Personally, this is a very common issue in our eyes. Talking about menstrual health, I know that many
girls have irregular times of getting their periods, especially in their early years, sometimes due to lack of
calories, high or low body weight, or hormonal imbalances. This does become a cause of discomfort in
our lifestyles, but it is seen as a normal thing and majority of the times we do not go to the doctor to get
checked for this. Irregular periods have caused infertility too. It can cause PCOS (polycystic ovary
syndrome) which can also make it difficult to give birth. Another example related to this issue which I
have seen is my, helper who was married off at an early age and gave birth to 7 children in her 8 years of
marriage. Bearing so many children without medications for her body to heal, has now made her very
weak and in pain. Recently, International News in UK revealed in its research that painkillers like
Panadol Extra and Paracetamol negatively affect the growth of reproductive cells in human body, and can
cause difficulties in conceiving children. Many girls use Panadol Extra to overcome period cramps
including me, so this research changes my personal habits as well.
Focusing locally, in my community breast cancer is a common reproductive disease. There are many
research hospitals like Shaukat Khanam and free check-ups for women to get themselves examined once
in case of any symptoms, but women still delay getting checked up usually in fear of the cancer itself and
are not always open-minded about getting checked in advance. The less privileged ones in my local
setting do not get the opportunity to get checked for cancer early. Chemotherapy is treatment for breast
cancer, and it can lead to infertility.
In Pakistan, there are vast underdeveloped rural areas, which means there are women living in these vast
settlements without getting cured early or taking medications properly for reproductive diseases.
According to the world health profile of Pakistan, breast cancer is the highest spreading cancer in the
country. This is mainly due to the fact that this cancer is transmitted through generations. Menstrual
hygiene is menstrual health. Young girls are not made aware of the menstrual cycle and in turn are
unprepared and their questions are often not answered by their teachers or parents. Without answers to
their inquiries, they do not know how to deal with this normality. According to advertisements that air on
Pakistani media, the majority do not have sanitary pads in rural areas and use cloth which can be
unhygienic and unclean leading to infections. In pregnancy, it is common for women in villages to have
repetitive miscarriages as well, sometimes from an unsettled diet.
Internationally, countries like Greenland have good healthcare provisions and in turn have low rate of
miscarriages, which means pregnant women have better health in these country as compared to countries
like Afghanistan which has bad healthcare provisions to the population and high rate of miscarriages
among women. Ovarian cancer, uterine cancer with breast cancer are common reproductive diseases
affecting women worldwide.