Bikini view of Women’s Health:
This is a term coined to describe the approach or understanding that people have regarding women’s health. It is presumed that women’s health is limited to only the parts covered by the bikini- that is; the breasts, uterus and ovaries. This narrow focus needs to change. The myth that women’s health is restricted to only the bikini area needs to be disowned .
The focus should be on the other diseases as well- especially the non communicable diseases like HTN, Diabetes mellitus and Heart diseases.
Here’s why “bikini medicine” is problematic:
• Limited Scope:
It restricts the understanding of women’s health to reproductive health, neglecting other crucial aspects like cardiovascular health, bone health, and overall well-being.
• Gender-Specific Differences:
Women tend to neglect their health issues and keep their family in the forefront. They usually have their gynaecologists as their primary consultants and the approach becomes tubular, concentrating majorly on reproductive health. They suffer more from Autoimmune Diseases, Bone diseases etc as compared to their male counterparts. These are not addressed because of bikini medicine
• Neglect of Systemic Issues:
“Bikini medicine” fails to address the broader social and environmental factors that impact women and their health. Also most of the research and studies are done on male patients and female participants are relatively very low. This is changing in the recent times though. As most of the women have gynaecologists as their primary consultants, investigations done are also related to their specialty only. A comprehensive approach including other systemic disorders, non communicable diseases like cancers, HTN , DM , Autoimmune disorders, Bone Disease etc need to be checked.
• Outdated Approach:
The term “bikini medicine” itself highlights the historical tendency to focus on women’s reproductive systems, neglecting other areas of health. They should be educated more to focus on other organs also which can cause major issues later on.
To move beyond “bikini medicine,” it’s crucial to:
• Promote Gendered Medicine:
This approach recognizes the unique biological and social factors that influence health in men and women. Women should be screened for the other diseases and not only the reproductive health.
.Integrate Women’s Perspectives:
Include women’s voices and experiences in healthcare research and policy decisions.
• Address Systemic Barriers:
Ensure equitable access to healthcare for all women, regardless of their socioeconomic status or location.
These steps going beyond the bikini health will definitely help women’s health improve and improve their family health and community as a whole.
