The lack of awareness around women's health and the availability of customised medical intervention is a significant marker of the disparity and ignorance towards women in healthcare. This disparity becomes more apparent and crippling as you go down the hill of financial standing in society, with poor populations facing the biggest brunt.
Adding to this phenomenon, a recent study has highlighted how many women in urban slums draw the short stick when it comes to their health. The study conducted by researchers from the College Of Arts And Commerce, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam titled the study, 'Health Issues Of Women Living In Urban Slums.'
Women's Health Issues In Urban Slums
The study widely mapped the prevalence of reproductive health issues and chronic health diseases among women living in urban slums. The study found the following statistics:
- Blood clots during menstruation: 19.51%
- Prolonged bleeding after periods: 9.76% Irregular periods: 7.32%
- Thyroid issues: 52.68%
- Hypertension: 48.29%
- Diabetes: 41.95%
- Taking medicines for Vertigo: 31.22% Asthma: 33.66% %
- Arthritis: 65.37%
- Cervical cancer: 20.98%
- Lung cancer: 14.15%
- Breast cancer: 6.34%
- Vaginal Discharge: 61.95%
- Miscarriage: 33.17%
- Premature Delivery: 17.56%
- Migraine due to unmanaged stress: 76.59%
Advancing Health Care For Women
Trying to find the major contributing factors that add to a woman's lack of access to quality healthcare the research listed the causes as:
- Women from disadvantaged backgrounds get married young, which prevents them from getting a good education and affects their financial situation.
- Women in the area have health clinics for regular check-ups, but the staff keeps inconvenient hours.
- Some women avoid going to these health clinics, believing that doctors don't treat patients well, or that there are no doctors available.
- The additional burden of domestic responsibilities.
- Domestic violence.
- Poverty.
- Lack of awareness about managing health and stress contributes to their health problems.
- Lack of family support.
- They prioritise their finances over health, making them less likely to adopt healthy habits.
- They often prefer ayurvedic or homoeopathic treatments in lieu of modern medicine.
This study highlighted the importance of educating women on how to monitor health, government initiatives to improve financial security, autonomy, and education of slum-dwelling women, awareness programmes, adequate publicity about government schemes, improved access to affordable and safe sanitation, and municipal authorities to identify overcrowded areas to reduce the spread of contagious diseases.
