Women’s health has long been debated and for a long period of time, it wasn’t given a second thought. Years ago, if a woman was what we now know as depressed, then they would be locked up in asylums or had machines that caused vibrations used on them to try and bring them back to “normality”. In modern times you can buy sex machines in the UK, but they’re actually used for pleasure, not recommended by the doctor as a treatment for hysteria. But in the last 50 years or so, attitudes have begun to change, and women have been able to access the health care that they need. So, let’s take a deeper diver into how women’s health needs have changed throughout the years.

Focus On Post-Partum Mental Health 

Years ago, when women had children, they were expected to just get on with it and continue on with their everyday routine. However, lots of women struggled with post-partum depression and could do nothing about it. Nowadays, there’s been a big push on women’s mental health after they give birth, as post-partum depression is a lot more common that people thought. It’s also something that can be treated, and without that support back in the day, many women will have struggled very severely unnecessarily. When a woman gives birth in modern times, they’re regularly visited by a health care professional who is trained to spot the signs of it and will know how to speak with the mother about any problems she’s having. Without this support, it’s easy to see why a lot of women did struggle with their mental health after giving birth as there was no one there to help them. With such a focus on post-partum mental health, we’ll hopefully be able to save a lot of mother’s from themselves and help them enjoy their time with baby and not be stuck in waves of depression. 

A Shift In Menstrual Awareness

Menstrual cycles are still considered taboo to talk about openly, but it was a lot worse years ago. Previously, women weren’t able to discuss their periods and even going to the doctor, they’d be faced with criticism. Not being aware of that changes in your menstrual cycle can signify illness, meant a lot of women suffered from things like endometriosis and PCOS and didn’t even know they had them. Doctors would have brushed off their symptoms as part of being a woman, and friends wouldn’t know enough about these issues to be able to help or advise. Although we still do have a long way to go, at least now women can be diagnosed with these illnesses that affect their menstrual cycle and receive treatment for them. Women are now able to seek help when they struggle with their periods and the pain they cause isn’t dismissed as easily as it once was.  

Attitudes Towards Nutrition And Wellness

Throughout history, women’s bodies have been subject to different beauty standards that are achieved through extreme dieting or plastic surgery. However, we now know that everyone’s body is different, and no two women are the same. This means, what may work for one, may not work for another. The health care industry has had to recognise this and make changes to how they approach women’s health care. Health and fitness experts have also come to the conclusion that women’s bodies also react to things differently than men. This means that eating the same amount of food as a man might not work, but nor will eating the same as a women with a completely different body. Back in the day, women were advised to eat a set amount and to avoid certain types of foods. But now, it’s understood that woman come in all shapes and sizes, and they can be healthy even if they weight more than 100lbs! 

Regular Check-Ups

Women are affected by lots of different illness as well that years ago might not have been as recognised. For example, cervical cancer is extremely common, as is breast cancer. However, it used to be that it was always found too late, and nothing could be done. This could be because the early signs weren’t known, or the signs women did have were brushed off as hysteria. In these modern times, we now offer cervical screening and breast cancer checks to women on a regular basis. This enables doctors to catch any cancers early on and prevent them from becoming life-threatening. Throughout history, women would have died from these illnesses and not even known that they had them until it was too late. But with regular screenings, we can now hopefully combat them and prevent women from developing them further on down the line. 

Pregnancy And Birth Recovery

Previously, women were expected to get pregnant and give birth, all while maintaining a beautiful house and husband. However, we now know the importance of a woman resting before birth and recovering fully before returning to normal daily tasks. Women are able to take maternity leave from work, enabling them to stop working in their third trimester and take significant time off after the birth to recover and heal properly. Gone are the days where you were expected to have a baby and be well enough to get the dinner on for the same evening. Nowadays, women are able to recover from the traumatic experience and have time to bond with their new baby, helping to aid their recovery even more. 

Women’s health has long been overlooked, but we’re finally reaching a point where it’s understood a lot better, and more research is being done into it. Although there are still some areas that need improvement, at least women’s health needs are being take a lot more seriously than they once were. As things progress, we can only hope that things get even better. With more and more women being able to access the care that they need to be healthy. Who knows what amazing advances will be made in another 50 years?! 

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