Happy International Women’s Day!
Happy March everyone! This month we have a special day to celebrate all the amazing and beautiful women around the world and in your life - March 8th!
International Women’s Day has been around for over a hundred years, believe it or not. It began in 1911 with the goal of fostering a world of gender equality, with a particular focus on women's rights.
Some history…
Did you know that women just began to be included in medical research in 1993, when a law was passed that would include federal funding going to medical research that included women. It wasn’t until the early 2000s though that research really began focusing more on women.
There are a lot of reasons for this, mostly around how hormones affect what is being tested or researched. This has led to such a dearth of knowledge of the female body, things like hormone fluctuations throughout different stages of life and menstrual cycle, as well as how medications interact with hormones.
Thankfully, we are starting to spend more time and money focusing on the female body and how different hormones can impact medications, GI-related dysfunctions, and yes, even the pelvic floor and the female reproductive system. So, we’re getting there…
What does International Women’s Day have to do with pelvic floor physical therapy?
Even though we all have pelvic floors, this entire month can serve as a reminder to bring more awareness and focus to women’s health. Historically, women have been overlooked in medicine and not taken seriously. Although these biases still exist, we are constantly working to make the medical world a more equitable place.
We encourage all women to always take stock of their health and bring more attention and awareness to things that may feel or look different in your body. If not all year round, definitely as a way to observe International Women’s Day.
What can you do?
Celebrating International Women’s Day is dynamic and can be made all your own. A traditional form of observation is advocacy. This could include hosting an event or supporting organizations focused on the advancements of women’s research and women’s health.
Another way to observe the day is taking a few minutes to check in with yourself. Here are some questions to assess your general well-being, but is by no means an extensive list.
When was the last time I had a physical exam, breast exam, pelvic exam, Pap smear?
Am I up to date on all my vaccines and immunizations?
How can I be more healthy; what can I avoid or change with my diet, exercise, sleep patterns, smoking, drinking to avoid certain diseases?
Do I have people around me that are supportive?
What makes me happiest?
Pelvic Floor-Related Questions
Am I able to engage in pain-free intercourse? Do I enjoy it?
Can I go through everyday and every activity without urinary incontinence/leakage?
Am I able to fully empty my bladder and bowels?
Can I function at my norm with daily tasks and/or work duties when I’m on my cycle?
Can I function at my norm with daily tasks and/or work duties without intense gas and bloating?
As pelvic floor physical therapists, these last five questions are right in our wheel-house. We also suggest at least annual checks of vulvar and vaginal tissue. Get yourself in a comfy spot and lay down with a mirror. Using the mirror, check your vulvar (external) and vaginal (internal) tissues by separating labia and making sure that everything looks the same as it did the last time you checked. You won’t know what’s abnormal, unless you know what your normal is. Unfortunately, practitioners often don’t focus on this during other checks unless something is brought to their attention—usually by you noticing that something feels or looks off.
What now?
We are big advocates for women’s health as a whole and International Women’s Day is a great reminder for all of us to encourage ourselves, other women, and organizations to DO BETTER when it comes to gender equality.
In terms of what we offer at our clinic, your answers to the pelvic floor-related questions can help determine if you would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. If you answered “no” to any of the questions, we’re here to help. Give us a call and see how we can help you get to “yes.”