There are myriads of factors that affect the social constructs of health. Although the entire global population is at high risk of various health issues, it is profound to note that women are often disadvantaged on matters related to health. Other groups that fall into the same category as women include children and people with disabilities. However, when the social determinants of health are brought into focus, the whole population is definitely affected. For instance, the status of the economic and social environment may affect any social group within a given segment of a population. In addition, the individual characteristics of a person may also vary across the board and thus can influence the wellbeing of either men or women (Cherry & Jacob, 2011). Therefore, the deliberations made on the given article ought to be understood from the perspective of factors that only affect women’s health.
There are some societies across the world that still value male chauvinism. In other words, the male characters are given higher priority than females (Leavitt, 1999). As a result, the social and physical environments in such scenarios do not favor women at all. They are compelled to forego vital social developments such as education. From the given post, it is indeed true that women do face a lot of health related issues that are hardly given attention by governments.
For instance, there are several women in minority groups who are living in poor socio-economic conditions. Unfortunately, this appears to be a common feature across the globe (Cherry & Jacob, 2011). Women who fail to acquire quality education up to expected levels end up living in poor conditions. Perhaps, affirmative action for women may assist in boosting the status of disadvantaged women in the United States and other countries across the world.
Women are supposed to undergo preventive screening in order to cut down the medical costs. Hence, it is cost effective to carry out preventive screening. In addition, screening assists in the identification of medical complications before they reach alarming levels. To begin with, age is an important guideline or consideration to make before women are screened (Cherry & Jacob, 2011). There are some health conditions that are more prevalent in certain age groups than others. Moreover, health history is a vital guideline to follow when screening women. Past records can provide the much needed health information before any screening process is carried out. Other guidelines include genetic make-up, reaction towards allergies, and general health condition of an individual.
Some women may hardly experience any signs and symptoms of heart related diseases. However, the signs and symptoms among men are usually very conspicuous. In terms of symptoms, the chest pain may extend to the arms among men. However, women experience the pain mainly on the chest. Women may also encounter this type of pain whenever they are carrying out their normal chores. This is common especially if they are suffering from coronary micro-vascular disease. Moreover, back pain is more common in women than men.
In terms of etiology, both men and women have similar causes of heart diseases. These causes include diabetes, stress, smoking, and high blood pressure. However, valvular heart disease is a major cause of heart disease among women compared to men. Treatment of heart diseases is common among both men and women.
The most common causes of death in women include poor maternal care before and after birth, obesity and lifestyle related diseases such as cancer. The diagnosis of breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart diseases often takes place between the ages of 25-35 years (Kolander, Ballard & Chandler, 2007). However, culture does not take into consideration that the above diseases require early screening and treatment. Most women think that they should only visit health facilities after visualizing the physical symptoms.
References
Cherry, B. & Jacob, S., (2011). Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, & Management. 5th Ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Kolander, C., Ballard, D. & Chandler, C. (2007). Contemporary Women’s Health: Issues for Today and the Future. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Incorporated.
Leavitt, W.J. (1999). Women and Health in America: Historical Readings. London: University of Wisconsin Press.