At the beginning of my internship, I really didn’t think that I would personally relate to any of the content discussed. After all, I am 17 years old. I haven’t even contemplated thinking of anything to do with my reproductive health. Why should I?
However, very quickly I realised just how important the conversations happening on these platforms are to all women and girls. Of course, IVFbabble talks about assisted reproduction, which is really vital for so many people, but it also talks about female health conditions such as endometriosis, painful periods, and PCOS.
Women and girls are suffering in silence
I didn’t realise just how many women these conditions affect until working alongside the Babble Health team. I started talking to just a few of my friends about their own periods, and I was shocked to find out how many of them discussed symptoms that fall in line with potential endometriosis. Yet none of them seem to know about it! And they’ve even talked to their doctors about these issues but haven’t received the right information.
Even more importantly, we never seem to talk about this in school – there are no classes or lectures about how many women are suffering!
How on earth can something so crucial be ignored and so silent? These things can impact your ability to have a future family, not to mention, causing a great deal of unbearable pain. A shocking 1 in 10 women and other people assigned female at birth experience this terrible condition.
That equates to 1.5 million women of reproductive age, which is around the same amount affected by diabetes
I know that I personally hear a lot more about diabetes. Around 30% – 50% of women suffering from infertility also deal with endometriosis, and it’s the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK for instance (fibroids is the first). So why don’t we hear more about it? It’s not right that everyone is suffering in silence.
My time with IVFbabble and Babble Health has given me an invaluable insight into a silent problem
I just really want to thank the co-founders for insight into something I would never have realised.
I also think that companies should be offering employees reproductive health benefits, as infertility can really impact your career
I have read too many accounts of women struggling with anxiety and uncertainty over their health.
I vow to be outspoken about these conditions throughout my time at Uni, and on into my career, to keep fighting for women’s reproductive health to be treated more seriously.
When I leave Uni, I will be looking for companies that offer these benefits – that tells me that they are companies that care about equality and employee wellbeing.
I think that everyone – not just girls – should receive education about this in school
I also think more resources and funding needs to go into helping women and girls – and men and boys – with their reproductive health.
So much pain and suffering could be avoided – we need to break this cycle of silence!
I am inspired by – and join – the co founders of Babble Health in their passion and focus to make a difference in the world. By creating change – and of course creating lives.
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