Why is Women’s Healthcare Important?
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Quinn Rohde | Opinion | February
Growing up as a teenage girl, you kind of learn early on that being uncomfortable is “normal.” Period cramps? Normal. Being exhausted all the time? Normal. Feeling dizzy, moody, or in pain? Also apparently normal. Some adults tell us it’s “just hormones” or “part of being a woman,” so we learn to deal with it and not complain. But the more I learn about women’s health, the more I realize how messed up that mindset is. There are real medical conditions affecting millions of women that don’t get talked about enough or get ignored completely. Conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, Adenomiosis, and anemia aren’t rare, and they aren’t something women should just “push through.”
Honestly, learning about these made me realize how important it is for women to actually understand their bodies and speak up when something feels wrong.
PCOS: When Your Body Feels Like It’s Working Against You
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is something I had barely heard of until recently, even though one in ten women have it. Which means chances are someone you know has it or can have it later on. PCOS messes with hormones, and that can affect so many parts of a woman's life.
PCOS is a common hormonal condition that affects people with ovaries, usually starting during the teenage years or early adulthood. It happens when the body’s hormones are out of balance, especially when there are higher levels of androgens, which are hormones often called “male hormones,” even though everyone has them. This imbalance can interfere with how the ovaries work.
One of the main ways PCOS affects the body is by disrupting the menstrual cycle. Many people with PCOS have irregular periods, very few periods, or none at all because ovulation doesn’t happen regularly. When ovulation is irregular, small fluid-filled sacs, called cysts, can form on the ovaries, which is where the condition gets its name.
Due to these cysts, PCOS makes getting pregnant harder primarily by disrupting ovulation, causing irregular or absent periods due to hormonal imbalances (like high testosterone/insulin resistance) that prevent eggs from maturing and being released. It's a very treatable cause of infertility, often managed with lifestyle changes or fertility medications to help ovulation and improve conception chances.
PCOS disrupts conventional beauty standards by causing physical symptoms, excessive hair growth (hirsutism), severe acne, weight gain, and skin darkening, that contradict societal ideals of femininity and smooth, thin, clear skin. This often leads to severe body image distress, lower self-esteem, and increased anxiety among women with PCOS.
PCOS often affects appearance and metabolism too, like struggle with weight gain or difficulty losing weight. This is partly because PCOS is linked to insulin resistance, meaning the body doesn’t use insulin effectively. As a result, blood sugar levels can rise, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Beyond physical symptoms, PCOS can affect mental and emotional health. Dealing with visible symptoms, and feeling misunderstood can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. Over time, untreated PCOS can raise the risk of serious health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol.
Although there is no cure for PCOS, it can be managed with medical care, lifestyle changes, and support. Understanding how PCOS affects the body helps people recognize symptoms early and seek proper treatment.
The problem is that many women go years without knowing what’s wrong because their symptoms are brushed off. Being told “your period is just irregular” or “try harder to be healthy” doesn’t help. Knowing about PCOS means women can push for answers instead of blaming themselves.
Endometriosis: Pain That Everyone Pretends Is Normal
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in places it’s not supposed to, like outside the uterus, such as on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or pelvic area. This tissue reacts to hormones during the menstrual cycle, causing inflammation and pain, but it has no way to leave the body. And it hurts. A lot. Like, can’t-get-out-of-bed, miss-school, cry-on-the-bathroom-floor kind of pain.
Endometriosis doesn’t just cause painful periods. It can cause constant pelvic pain, digestive issues, heavy bleeding, and even infertility. And yet, so many women are expected to just deal with it quietly. The worst part is feeling like no one believes you. Missing school or work because of pain can make people think you’re exaggerating or being dramatic. Living like that can seriously mess with your mental health.
But instead of getting help, women with endometriosis are often told their cramps are “normal.” We’re basically taught that periods are supposed to be painful, so when someone says they’re in extreme pain, people don’t take it seriously. That’s why it can take years, sometimes up to a decade for someone to get diagnosed.
There’s no cure for endometriosis either, but treatments exist that can make life way more manageable. The key is actually listening to women when they say something is wrong. Pain should never be ignored just because it’s coming from a woman.
Adenomiosis: Painful Periods Are Not Fun
Adenomiosis is a medical condition where tissue that normally lines the uterus starts growing into the muscle wall (myometrium) of the uterus. This makes the uterus thicker and more swollen, which can cause really heavy periods, bad cramps, and constant pelvic pain. A lot of people confuse it with endometriosis because they sound similar, but Adenomiosis stays inside the uterus instead of spreading outside of it.
Living with Adenomiosis can be exhausting. Heavy bleeding can mean missing class or worrying about leaks, and the pain can make it hard to focus or even get out of bed some days. Some women also feel bloated, tired, or anemic from losing too much blood. The worst part is that since it’s usually talked about in adults, teenagers sometimes aren’t taken seriously, which can delay getting real help.
Even though there’s no single cure for Adenomiosis, there are ways to manage it. Doctors might suggest hormonal birth control, pain medication, or other treatments to help control symptoms. In more serious cases, surgery can be an option later in life. Learning about Adenomiosis made me realize that extreme period pain isn’t something you just have to ignore, and that it’s important to speak up, track symptoms, and advocate for your own health.
Anemia: Being “Tired” Is Not A Personality Trait
Anemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. Iron-deficiency anemia is super common in women because of periods, especially if they’re heavy. Symptoms include being extremely tired, dizzy, pale, cold all the time, getting headaches, and having trouble focusing. A lot of women just assume that feeling weak or tired is normal, especially if they’re busy or stressed. But anemia can actually be dangerous if it’s ignored. It can affect your heart, your immune system, and your ability to function day to day.
The frustrating part is that anemia is usually easy to diagnose and treat. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing your diet or taking supplements. But you can’t fix something if you don’t know you have it, and you won’t know if no one takes your symptoms seriously.
Speaking Up Is Part of Health Care
Women deserve to understand their bodies without shame or fear. If something feels wrong, it probably is, and that deserves attention. Women’s health care shouldn’t be about ignoring pain until it becomes unbearable. It should be about prevention, respect, and listening. Talking about PCOS, endometriosis, and anemia isn’t uncomfortable, it’s necessary. Because when women know what’s happening in their bodies, they’re stronger, healthier, and harder to ignore.
All Images Sourced From Canva
About The Writer
About The Writer
Quinn Rohde is a brand new Reporter for The MHS Courier! This is her first year and she has so many big ideas. Quinn loves all things Art and Writing, which is one of the main reasons she joined The Courier. Stay tuned for what she will write next!
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