BLOGCHATTER A2Z 2024 CHALLENGE THEME REVEAL

Finally, finally, it's the most beloved writing challenge for all Blogchatter members, I suppose. It definitely is for me. Did you all notice how 2024 started only yesterday, and it will already be April in a wink? Or is it only me? But no worries, since with April comes the most exciting part of blogging, which we all love to be a part of. Thankfully, this year, I was able to select my theme without breaking my head, unlike the last one. 

 

 

I realised that the Blogchatter A2Z challenge would be the most fitting for my chosen theme, and I waited impatiently for April to arrive the whole time. And now, I can't wait to announce to you all the theme of my challenge this year - "The A to Z of women's health". This series post is long overdue, as I have been contemplating doing it over the past few years as a part of my blog / social media posts. But why only women's health, not everybody's, you ask? So here is why I chose to do it.

 

 

Do you know that in India, only 37% of the entire population who seek health care constitutes women, while the remaining 63% are men? Even though the incidence of mental, physical and reproductive health disorders is more common in women, only less than half of them seek treatment and relief. Researchers say the reason behind this is multifactorial, and some causes that will leave your jaw dropping are their lack of awareness, poor accessibility, reluctance to be treated by a doctor of the opposite gender, social stigma, gender bias at large, fear of being judged by health care workers and lack of financial freedom as compared to men. 

 

 

 

The most disturbing reason why not many ladies seek professional help is that they are made to believe they can endure any amount of pain as compared to men, and they are continually applauded for being strong and putting up with the agony. Last but not least, they never consider their health as important as their spouse's, children's or other family member's health.

 

 

An interesting and alarming example I can give you for this is an instance when my senior consultant was scheduling a chemotherapy session for one of her patients. The first question she asked while being explained about chemotherapy was how fast she would be able to resume her cooking duties for her husband because she loves him dearly, and he hates everything but her "haath ka khana" (food made by her hand). Now, that's really the state of women in most parts of India. 

 

 

While speaking about books and other things on my blog, I realised that I could also talk about this instead of feeling bad and helpless. And so, as a surgeon who writes, I took it upon myself to speak for women's health. Hence, for this Blogchatter challenge, I am taking up the topic of women's health to create awareness of the most common women's health problems and how to deal with them. Don't get frustrated with me if I end every blog post with a 'Kindly visit a health care professional in person before treating yourself' because there's nothing that will help you like a physical visit, and I am not a motivator of online consultation. 

 

For all the men reading my post, I hope my upcoming blog series caters to you as well in helping the women around you by understanding their health needs and assisting them in finding the earliest treatment. 

 

 

Lastly, as a fiction lover, I know how nonfiction writing fares among readers, but I promise to keep it engaging so as not to bore you. And hopefully, I am planning to read all the wonderful blogs under this challenge to keep myself informed and entertained. See you all in April.

 

 

 

- Dr. Rehana Sulthana, 

Junior Consultant, 

General and Laparoscopic surgery. 

 

 

 

 

This post is a part of Blogchatter's A2Zchallenge2024 (Read the new).