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Do Your Body Good!: Make Sure You Get The Best Health Care Possi

© Nancy Coulter

It's a man's world. We all know that. So of course, there's no way that we can save the health care field from being bias against women. Most doctors are male and most treatments are geared toward men. With that in mind, all women need to take it upon themselves to make sure that their medical care doesn't suffer because of the way the "system" runs.

For a long time, most medical testing was done on males. They were the test subjects and it was just assumed that females would have the same response as males. Fortunately, the medical profession has come out of that age of ignorance and now there are certain standards for medical testing. A test of a new drug isn't consider "complete" unless it has been tested on a variety of people, male and female. This goes to show you that things are changing and getting better, but like always, we have a long way to go.

When choosing a doctor for your primary physician, women may want to consider having a female doctor. They are more likely to understand the symptoms you have when ill and generally make check ups more comfortable. Also, a female doctor may be able to give you advice from her own personal experience on things like what vitamin supplements to take and other topics. This isn't to say that men can't be good doctors to women, but women doctors are more likely to understand what you are going through. Just that fact may make a woman doctor better for you.

When visiting your doctor, don't be passive. Women often have the problem of not sticking up for what they want. History has brought us up to accept whatever we are told, almost blindly. When it comes to your health, this is a time when you need to stick up. If you want a second opinion, get one. If you don't understand something, ask more questions. Ignorance is not bliss in the case of your personal health.

Always keep a good record of your menstrual cycle. We all hate it when "aunt flow" comes to visit, but it's important that we keep track of what happens to our bodies at this time. This can help your doctor in understanding a medical problem you have. It's amazing how many symptoms in your body are related and can affect (or be affected by) your period. Along those lines, everyone (men and women) should be regularly tested for STD's if they are involved in a sexual relationship. Some STD's can leave you permanently sterile. Of course, we all are aware of the dangers of HIV and AIDS. Asking your doctor for a full STD test isn't something you should be afraid to do. It's your body and your health, don't let it slide because of some embarrassment that you'll get over eventually. You won't get over an STD if it goes undetected.

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