International Women’s Day – March 8, 2021

MISSION: To assist women to be in a position of power to make informed decisions about their health
International Women’s day theme for this year is “I choose to challenge”. For me, I choose to challenge gender based health stereotypes and to assist women to be in a position of power to make informed health decisions and decisions about their bodies in general. A woman should be able to decide whether or not to take contraception, to have surgery, or any other beneficial treatment. It’s her body after all!
There are so many challenges women face in the health space, let’s highlight a few.

Early menopause;
Did you know menopause can occur at a young age? Some women can start the perimenopause as early as 35 years of age, or younger. It’s important that all women, whatever their age, have correct information about menopause and are empowered to approach it positively.
Menopause happens when a woman’s ovaries cease producing eggs, which leads to low levels of the hormone that controls the reproductive cycle (Estrogen). A woman is said to be in menopause when she has not had a period for more than a year.

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Genetics, lifestyle, chromosome defects, autoimmune disease, and epilepsy are some of the known causes for early menopause.
Generally, women should be aware of the following changes to their body: Irregular, missed or changes in menstrual periods, mood swings, “hot flashes” like panic attacks or heart palpitations, frequent urinary tract infections, difficulty sleeping, vaginal dryness and decreased libido
Treatments may include: Hormone therapy, antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy.
Early menopause may lead to fertility issues, but there are other options for having children, including adoption, egg donation, and surrogacy.

The health problems of “Modern Living”
Modern life can mean a hectic life. It is a life of making money, fulfilling professional and personal goals, raising a family/ taking care of the home, keeping in touch with friends and so on.
This causes mental and physical health of most women to be of low priority, usually because it’s difficult to make time for healthy living and health practices. Many women lead high-pressure lives, and their health is important, not just for themselves, but for the well-being and success of the family, society and the economy.

Unfortunately, disempowerment of women and girls in our society often puts them at a greater health risk. Access to quality health services are related to socio-cultural and economic factors.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of these include:

Unbalanced power relationships between men and women
Social circumstances that lessen education and paid employment opportunities
An exclusive focus on women’s need to reproduce
Potential or actual experience of physical, sexual and emotional abuse
Poverty, such as malnutrition and an unsafe cooking environment
Problems accessing information
.
Some health issues affect women more commonly. A lot of the time these go undiagnosed. These include: heart disease, breast and cervical cancer, autoimmune disease, depression and anxiety.

Healthy living can help prevent disease, prolong life, and increase lifestyle enjoyment. In general, women’s health is strongly linked to the overall health of the society.

There gender difference when it comes to heart disease.
Coronary heart disease kills more women as breast cancer every year, all over the world and survival rates for a heart attack are lower in women than in men. This could be partly due to gender inequality in terms of awareness. Heart attacks are often seen as a “man’s disease” and is not a diagnosis that is readily entertained when women present with suspicious symptoms.

Some symptoms of heart attack in women:
Chest pain or discomfort that happens suddenly and persists, like pressure, tightness or squeezing which may spread to the left or right arm or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach
Sweating, light-headedness or shortness of breath
Sudden anxiety similar to that of a panic attack
Excessive coughing or wheezing
Pain in the upper abdomen

Change starts from us. We should be ready to challenge and change the status quo when it comes to gender based health issues. #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021

Dr Monisola Adanijo FMCP a Cardiologist and Co founder of Naveen Healthcare.
With experience spanning over 20 years, she built her pathway in medicine and cardiology working in reputable medical centres such as Mecure Healthcare Limited, Barnes Hospital, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Chevron Hospital, Lagos to mention but a few.
Her passion for preventive cardiology led her to convene the Naveen Healthcare 10,000 Hearts Project, in order to help individuals detect, protect and correct cardiovascular diseases.

Skilled in cardiovascular diagnostic procedures and treatment, a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, a member of Nigerian Cardiac Society, American College of Physicians, Hypertension society of Nigeria and an international associate of the American College of Cardiology. She also has a Diploma in Leadership and Management from the University of Washington, USA,

As a Continuous Medical Education (CME) provider, she has worked with the likes of Trigen Healthcare Solutions, Pfizer GP Academy, Diamond Helix Medical Assistance, Pfizer Pharmacy Academy, Global Health Project and Resources, Sanofi-Aventis Nigeria, Novartis Nigeria and Servier International. She has helped build capacity in Electrocardiogram interpretation, preventive cardiovascular diseases, management of heart failure, patient education and more.
She launched the first Tele-Electrocardiogram project in Nigeria and West Africa and does her part in contributing to good health and wellbeing, a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3) of the United Nations.