As a nurse practitioner (NP) in college health, I sometimes wonder if my specialty is women's health instead of family primary care. My schedule is filled with appointments for episodic and routine women's health services. I find it absolutely fascinating how little many young women really know about their bodies, and even more astonishing, older women are often just as uninformed as the younger ones after years of gynecologic examinations or even several pregnancies. My observations tell me that women have an honest need not only to learn about their bodies, but also a strong desire to truly understand their unique anatomy and makeup in order to better manage their personal, spiritual, social, and sexual beings.
Meeting Women's Needs
In the exam room, I am able to sense that a woman is going to redirect the discussion to a more sensitive topic when a moment of silence is followed by her quickly turning her head, lowering her eyes, softening her voice, and then relaxing her upper body. She finally says, "I'm a little embarrassed to ask you this, but[horizontal ellipsis]" And suddenly the words stream forth from her mouth like a wellspring overflowed!! I am compelled to believe that patients like this have never mustered the courage to discuss this with a health professional in the past and possibly not even with a trusted friend.
Age and marital status do not appear to be differentiating factors; nor does life experience seem to matter. I make no assumptions. No matter what her concern, a key to meeting women's special healthcare needs is the ability to observe with awareness, to listen with attention, and to inform with sensitivity.
Protecting Women
This month's issue is devoted to topics in women's health. Our continuing education articles on osteoporosis and contraception selection demonstrate the value of communication and education when helping female patients manage their own care. This issue also offers original research articles on important women's health topics like chlamydia in teenagers and extending healthcare to rural women.
Paying attention to a woman's healthcare needs begins at birth and evolves over the course of her lifetime. Early choices and practices constitute the foundation for lifelong behaviors and long-term health outcomes. Physiologic milestones that represent growth and maturation, such as menarche, are to be celebrated; yet women often lament over the normal processes of growing older and the accompanying changes in their bodies, especially in industrialized countries. Individual perceptions of what is normal at any stage in a female's life are influenced by family, customs, culture, and numerous other factors.
An International Advocate
Women are a vulnerable population throughout the world. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has called upon the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and heads of all UN member states to establish an international agency for women. ICN strongly supports the establishment of services that are accessible, sensitive to women's needs at all stages in the life cycle, and that provide a full range of integrated healthcare and health education. The ICN believes that nurses, as knowledgeable, skilled health professionals, the majority of whom are women, are the advocates and healthcare providers of choice for women. Nurses can and should contribute directly to health policy, service planning, practice development, and research in women's health.1 Every NP, regardless of specialty, is an integral part of this ambitious initiative. As long as the health of one woman is in jeopardy, the health of any woman is not assured.
Jamesetta Newland, PhD, APRN, BC, FNP, FAANP, FNAP
Editor-in-Chief
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