Chennai: More women are now finding it comfortable to reach out to doctors about their health issues as compared to a few years ago.
Even so, they continue to lag behind men in that aspect, stressing the dire need for more awareness among the female gender. Women are found to be still dependent on their male partners to reach out to doctors on their health issues.
Health experts, therefore, stress on the need for efforts to be made for the reversal of the trend to make health care delivery cohesive and progressive.
“Lower and lower-middle-class people are the ones who frequent the government hospitals. The female patients are usually hesitant to talk about their issues, especially when they are related to a private problem. However, with the doctors making them feel comfortable, they tend to open up,” said Dr Shanthi Ravindranath attached to a Government hospital in the city.
With Indian culture continuing to give less importance to the female member of the family, it has been seen that women tend to pay less or no heed to their own health.
“Most women, especially mothers, are not concerned about their health and give greater importance to their families. Also, they feel uncomfortable discussing their problems with male doctors,” she added.
Though the overall awareness about sexual and mental health has increased in the country, there are various factors that prevent a woman from discussing it openly. “Family pressure is a factor I have seen common among the women who come to meet me. Most of them are scared of the reaction of their husbands and in-laws and therefore, prefer to come with their own mothers to the clinic. They always request that whatever they tell me remain confidential,” said Dr, Dechama, an IVF expert.
Though the stigma attached to these subjects is fading away even in small towns and cities of the country, the need for increased efforts to be put in to educate the women is felt.
“There has been a slight improvement in the level of awareness among them with the Internet. Some women feel free to speak up on their issues with regard to their body parts, while there are many others who beat around the bush for some time, said Dr Deepa Ganesh, cosmetic gynaecologist, Lifeline Hospital.
“More often than not, my patients are very apprehensive to open up about their problems until I probe into it. Understanding the history of their problems is essential and I feel that all doctors should spare some time to talk to the patients and make them feel comfortable,” she said.
